Outside the city of Tingchao, a bleak and desolate scene lay before the eyes.
The imperial army had long since retreated, leaving behind only the immense traces of their encampments outside the city and the desolation within, silently recounting the fierce battle that took place days ago.
Even during daylight, the city was deathly quiet. Every household was tightly shut, with only a few passersby hurrying through the streets. The few who were still working were transporting corpses to the outskirts of the city for burial. No one followed, no one wept; these were all unclaimed bodies, and in the end, there was no one willing to mourn for them.
The occasional pedestrians and those standing by the windows gazed at the corpse carts with cold, indifferent eyes. Sometimes, sorrow and hatred would flicker in their eyes, but most of the time, they remained apathetic.
The city’s guards had been scattered, and the surviving soldiers had taken off their uniforms, hiding in their homes, unwilling to reveal their identities. The morale of the entire city had been shattered. Even Luo Bingfeng, whom they revered as a god, had fallen in battle. Moreover, rumors spread that Tianwang Zhang Bu Zhou had secretly played a part in his death. Thus, the people’s sense of security crumbled, much like the sacred mountain now.
The imperial army had retreated suddenly, vanishing completely within half a day, destroying all equipment they couldn’t carry away. This left a power vacuum in Tingchao City over the past two days. However, no major riots or looting occurred.
This was because, during the battle, not only the city guards fought, but many brave citizens also took up arms and participated in the defense.
However, in the face of the overwhelming firepower of the empire, especially the dense barrage from the warships above, even the sturdiest fortifications proved fragile. The mercenaries, once looked down upon, were fully armed by Song Zining, and with their somewhat clumsy yet determined tactical maneuvers, gradually squeezed the defenders’ space until the city’s defenses were utterly destroyed.
With unprecedented warship and heavy artillery support, short but extreme training, and flawless command and coordination, Song Zining taught the major powers in the neutral lands what an imperial regular war truly meant.
After occupying Tingchao City, Song Zining used iron-fisted methods to restore order. Any who did not comply or caused trouble were executed on the spot without trial. Thus, the troublemakers in Tingchao City were largely eliminated: some were killed during the defense, and others after the empire took over. Very few remained.
The survivors still vividly remembered Song Zining’s ruthless measures. Although the imperial army had left, no one knew if they would return or what they would do if they did. Thus, almost two days had passed without anyone organizing the city or reassembling the city guards. This once mighty human city now lay defenseless.
When the Eternal Night Alliance’s warships appeared, such was the city presented before Eternal Flame.
By now, the demon race had joined forces with the early-arriving troops, greatly enhancing their strength and placing them on par with the blood race and spider demon forces. After inspecting the spatial passage at the sacred mountain, Eternal Flame said simply, “The passage will open in two days and last for one day.”
Eternal Flame’s words were naturally correct, and the entire Eternal Night Alliance immediately sprang into action, quickly organizing and setting up camp, sending troops to take over the defense of Tingchao City.
The takeover process was unusually smooth, with no resistance and no expected attacks. The transfer of control was peaceful. This puzzled the demon duke in charge, who kept asking his aides if this city had once belonged to the Eternal Night rather than the humans.
After taking over the city, the three races had no intention of exerting deep control, merely imposing a curfew. With only one day left before the passage opened, time was extremely tight, and no one felt like causing trouble for the citizens.
The strong had much to do, such as probing the situation on the other side of the passage, using divination to predict future risks, and observing the state of the passage. The most critical matter was how many people could be sent through and in what order.
The vortex passage opening, the Eternal Night knew later than the empire. The first to arrive, the demon race and the Lin Jiar fleet, were the closest to the neutral lands. The Lin Jiar fleet was decimated by Qian Ye, and the early-arriving demons were suppressed by Song Zining’s display of force, not daring to show their faces. They hadn’t expected Song Zining to be so decisive, gathering all his forces to conquer Tingchao City and send people through the vortex first.
Now, a difficult problem lay before the Eternal Night. Those who entered first might encounter an ambush by the empire, as everyone knew that emerging from the passage was the weakest moment. But if they delayed too long, the passage itself would become unstable, and they might perish in the crossing even before facing the empire’s ambush.
Moreover, due to the suddenness of events, the Eternal Night races hadn’t had time to negotiate an acceptable plan, merely setting rough quotas and rushing to the neutral lands. Neither the blood race nor the spider demons had expected Eternal Flame’s sudden appearance, which meant negotiations would have to start anew.
Though powerful, Eternal Flame faced the equally formidable blood race and spider demons, each with its own renowned weapons. A little compromise could be discussed, but substantial concessions were out of the question. Though Medanzo and Roxza were not in the neutral lands, their presence was felt.
Handling all these matters in one day was an immense challenge.
Outside Tingchao City, the mountains were covered in snow and ice, with black rocks and white snow layered together, creating a natural ink painting.
On a rock, stood a slender, petite figure. It was a young girl, her long, slightly disheveled hair flying in the cold wind, her small face pale with a rosy nose. Her breath turned to white mist, and frost formed on her eyebrows and lashes.
She wore a tattered, worn cloak, and whenever a cold breeze blew, she instinctively wrapped it tighter around herself. But the natural weave of the cloth allowed the cold to seep through, offering little warmth, and she continued to shiver.
Behind her, a rectangular bulge was hidden under the cloak.
She stood on the rock, gazing at the distant Tingchao City. From this vantage point, she could see several hovering warships above the city. The sky over Tingchao City was heavily clouded, with thick, swirling clouds slowly rotating like an inverted sea vortex, suffocating to watch.
A more perceptive strong one could sense the immense power at the center of the vortex, like a mountainous sea. Even a duke would tremble before such power. This was Eternal Flame, exploring and stabilizing the vortex passage with his power, and the massive, terrifying cloud vortex in the sky was the heavens’ response to his might.
The girl watched the vortex for a while, then suddenly turned her head and looked down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, a young man was climbing up. His movements were light and agile, almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person, but slightly more nimble. On the steep, snowy slope, he climbed with ease, soon standing before the girl.
“Good to see you again,” he greeted her with a smile, as pure and clear as sunlight, dispelling the surrounding cold and darkness.
The girl looked at him, a thoughtful expression on her face.
The young man continued, “I’m Anwen. Don’t you remember me?”
The girl shook her head. “No, it’s just… my mind is a bit slow right now.”
Anwen glanced at the massive vortex in the sky and said lightly, “That’s normal. Within his highness’s power range, everyone is affected. Here, put this on, and you’ll be fine.”
He took out a simple necklace with a black crystal pendant and handed it to her. Without hesitation, she put it on, feeling much better.
A cold gust swept by, and Anwen, seemingly chilly, rubbed his hands together. “I didn’t expect you to come, but your courage has always been remarkable, so it’s not surprising.” He looked at her, noting her bare feet on the icy rock, her skin as white as the snow.
“Cold?” he asked.
The girl nodded, then shook her head.
Anwen sighed, touching a ring on his hand. The temperature around them immediately rose, and a warm spring breeze filled the air.
As the temperature rose, several dark shadows flew out from Tingchao City, darting towards them and soon surrounding them. Three demon generals, recognizing Anwen, paled and bowed. Anwen waved them off, “I’m fine. Can’t you see I’m meeting a friend? Leave, and don’t let anyone else disturb us!”
“Yes, Young Master,” the generals complied, sensing his displeasure, and quickly left.
Once they were gone, Anwen smiled wryly, “You saw, just to make you a bit warmer, so much trouble. Why won’t you wear more clothes? This is within his highness’s power range, and if you feel cold, it’s real. Don’t you feel it?”
“Cold.”
Anwen shook his head, “Never mind. Let me give you clothes and boots. I’ll have someone prepare them right away.”
“No.”
“Why? Are they not good enough? While they may not be top-tier, they should be decent. They have many functions; you’ll see once you use them.” Anwen scratched his head, adding, “Once this is over, I’ll get you a top-tier set. I still have some credits, enough to pay for it.”
“No,” the girl still refused.
“Why?” Anwen was genuinely troubled.
The girl finally spoke more, “The body is the best eye. Wearing too much gear dulls my senses to the movements of my prey.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage