“The Great Maelstrom?” In Qian Ye’s mind, the Empire’s affairs seemed like a distant memory. The impression of the Great Maelstrom was merely the final battle at the Unfallen City. All subsequent events stemmed from that moment.
However, Qian Ye still remembered that the entrance to the Great Maelstrom was not in the Neutral Zone, and its opening time was quite limited. It was for the sake of securing a place in the Great Maelstrom that the young generation of the Empire and Evernight clashed fiercely at the Unfallen City. But much time had passed, and logically, the entrance should have closed long ago, waiting for its next opening. How could it suddenly become the source of war in the Neutral Zone?
Song Zining knew of Qian Ye’s doubts and promptly drew a map on paper showing the distribution of the continents and the Neutral Zone. He then slowly rotated the map, saying, “You know, our world is not static; it is constantly spinning.”
This was common knowledge, something Qian Ye had learned in the Yellow Springs training camp, though he did not fully understand it.
Zining continued, “The nature of the Great Maelstrom is still a mystery. We only know that it differs greatly from our world, hence the abundant rare resources. There are only two paths to the Great Maelstrom. One appears intermittently, which we and Evernight fight over for entry. The other is in the Neutral Zone, but it is unusable.”
He rotated the map once and explained, “When the world completes one rotation, the first path to the Great Maelstrom may appear. While not guaranteed, the chances are significantly higher. The path in the Neutral Zone was always inaccessible, with only a few individuals ever successfully emerging, though they couldn’t explain how. Generally, entering that path meant no return, so both the Empire and Evernight treated it as non-existent.”
Pausing, Song Zining’s expression turned serious, “But since I arrived in the Neutral Zone, I’ve felt some unusual fluctuations in the origin power. After my calculations, I believe a century-old origin tide is imminent.”
As he spoke, Song Zining wrote down a series of complex numerical formulas on the paper as evidence.
Qian Ye listened, barely comprehending, and the complex formulas were even more incomprehensible. Such knowledge was too profound, and few could understand it even by listening. No wonder there were so few who mastered the art of celestial divination; behind it lay such esoteric and intricate studies. It required both natural talent and intelligence, a combination rarely found. Those who excelled in celestial divination often also had military acumen, serving as key strategists and advisors to great figures.
Knowing Qian Ye didn’t understand, Song Zining briefly explained the origin tide. Every few centuries, the origin power of the world would experience a cycle of ebb and flow, similar to ocean tides. The reason for this remained a subject of debate, with no definitive conclusion from either the Empire or Evernight.
The Empire was relatively new, having experienced only a few origin tides, lacking data for proper research. Evernight, despite its long history, relied more on instincts and bloodline powers, thus exploring the world was less systematic than the Empire’s approach.
For example, Lin Xitang theorized that the origin tides might be caused by the world revolving around an unknown entity, with each full rotation marking a complete cycle.
This theory was so startling that few within the Empire believed it. The strong had already begun exploring the void, but beyond the edge of the continents, they faced endless emptiness, without any end or respite. The darkness ahead was impenetrable, even by the Evernight Sacred Mountain’s Supreme Lord.
The stars in the night sky appeared so close yet were unimaginably far, enough to make one’s heart ache and despair.
The imperial court dismissed Lin Xitang’s hypothesis. To the emperor and high officials, it was merely a conjecture. Even if true, it was less important than General Lin’s achievements against the rebels in the Western Continent. Moreover, the constant wars between the Empire and Evernight were crucial for national survival. If the Empire fell, what use was proving the Earth’s shape?
For Qian Ye, what Song Zining said was too deep and abstruse, even more so than the inheritance of the Blood River. By comparison, killing a marquis seemed easier.
Song Zining did not expect Qian Ye to understand, and after briefly explaining the origin tides, he returned to the main topic.
Currently, the origin tide was at its lowest point. Soon, the void’s origin power would enter its calmest phase in centuries. During this period, the origin storms in the path to the Great Maelstrom would also subside, making it possible to traverse alive, unlike before. If this happens, a stable path to the Great Maelstrom might emerge.
Though calmer, the origin storms still existed. Yet, the value of a passable path was self-evident. Both the Empire and Evernight would likely ignite a new war for this. This conflict would inevitably draw in many factions from the Neutral Zone, causing immense chaos.
Soon after arriving in the Neutral Zone, Song Zining summoned Ji Tianqing and Li Kuanglan, partly to support Qian Ye and partly to prepare for the potential path, giving them an advantage over Evernight. This was why Song Zining, contrary to his usual caution, chose to establish himself in Nan Qing City, a place prone to conflict.
Qian Ye listened silently, then asked, “Do you think I am still suitable to fight for the Empire?”
“Surely, you won’t side with Evernight?” Song Zining laughed.
Qian Ye stood in silence, and Song Zining’s smile faded, eventually turning into a sigh.
Qian Ye finally spoke, “Why not? You must have sensed it; my blood force now far exceeds the Dawn Origin Power. By vampire standards, I am already a Marquis. It’s becoming harder to control my blood force, and one day it might completely overpower the Dawn Origin Power, making me a true vampire.”
“And what else?”
Qian Ye hesitated, “If… she ultimately returns to Evernight and wants me to go with her, I will.”
“Will you?”
“Of course, I will.”
“Forget it.” Song Zining patted Qian Ye’s shoulder and added, “Her return to Evernight, is it really good? You should know better than I do.”
“Empire…” Qian Ye gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“I understand, you don’t want to fight for such an Empire.”
Qian Ye exhaled, “Indeed.”
“I feel the same, but we have no choice. When war comes, can we stand idly by?” Song Zining sighed.
“Is continuing this Empire meaningful?”
“Meaning is for the future, but right now, we have to act. Can we avoid this war by hiding in the Neutral Zone?”
Seeing Qian Ye’s dejection, Song Zining laughed, “Either way, we have to fight. Who would have thought the path would appear in the Neutral Zone?”
Qian Ye huffed, “I’m not interested. I’ll hide in the Northland if I have to.”
“Really don’t want to fight? There’s a sea of lotuses in the Great Maelstrom!” Song Zining smiled slyly.
“…” Qian Ye huffed heavily in discontent.
As Qian Ye left, Ji Tianqing’s voice rang out, “Are you so sure?”
She had been hiding nearby, and with her abilities, Qian Ye was none the wiser.
Song Zining sighed, “Don’t listen to his words. Once the fighting starts, he’ll come when he knows we’re involved.”
“Not us, you,” Ji Tianqing corrected.
“No, us. Even if it were just you, he’d come.”
A flash crossed Ji Tianqing’s eyes. She slapped Song Zining’s shoulder hard, nearly sending him to the floor, and said, “Next time, speak louder so I can hear clearly!”
With that, she vanished without waiting for Song Zining to regain his balance.
Song Zining winced, struggling to stand. “Brat, thinking I can’t see your feelings?”
The following month was uneventful.
Beneath the apparent calm, much was amiss. In Nan Qing City, the influx of people and goods surged, and already congested streets became impassable. People grumbled about the traffic while happily noting their heavier purses.
With the continuous inflow of resources, workshop construction sped up, and new ones opened almost daily. For merchants, time equaled gold. An idle workshop meant loss, so every firm hired artisans in preparation.
Nan Qing City’s industrial system was taking shape, capable of producing entire floating warships. Seeing the vast opportunities, investments grew, accelerating the cycle.
As wealth poured into Nan Qing City, ensuring its safety became paramount. Faced with tangible gold, the forces of Guan Lan and Ting Chao Cities, and even Zhang Tianwang’s influence, diminished. When Song Zining proposed expanding the army and fortifying the city, all firms supported, offering funds and labor, seeing no issue with his plan. More troops, even if threatening Guan Lan and Ting Chao, were better in their view.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage