In the capital, at the palace square, Zhang Boqian descended from the sky once more, stumbling upon landing, nearly falling. A group of attendants rushed over, only daring to support Zhang Boqian and remove his armor after the capital’s grand formation dissipated its light.
The capital’s grand formation had been operating at full power, disregarding its lifespan, running beyond its limits. The seemingly unassuming light that enveloped Zhang Boqian was, in fact, a manifestation of immense power, capable of instantly killing anyone below the rank of a god general. Even a blow from a grand duke would have its power reduced by thirty percent.
This time, after drinking the green liquid, Zhang Boqian did not sleep but instead said, “Please summon His Majesty.”
At once, an attendant darted off like the wind.
Moments later, Emperor Hao appeared on the square. Seeing Zhang Boqian, his expression changed slightly as he hurried over to support him, saying, “How could you be so injured? And where is the Ancestral Artifact?”
His gaze fell on Zhang Boqian’s wrist, and he froze. Zhang Boqian’s wrist was empty; the bracelet that should have been there was gone.
Zhang Boqian remained calm, replying, “The Ancestral Artifact has already been used.”
Emperor Hao’s hands grew cold, and his body trembled slightly as he asked, “Did the Night Queen strike?”
Zhang Boqian nodded, saying, “I never expected that the esteemed ruler of the Holy Mountain would resort to such a treacherous attack. But she didn’t anticipate that I had the Ancestral Artifact, which protected me from her fatal blow. In her moment of surprise, I managed to land a counterpunch, rendering her unable to act for at least half a day.”
Emperor Hao let out a heavy sigh, lamenting, “I regret not being able to fight alongside King Qingyang! At this moment, all I can do is bemoan our fate!”
“You have more important matters. The Radiant Day has arrived. Whether it brings fortune or misfortune now depends on your side.”
Emperor Hao slowly nodded.
“Boqian, don’t you want to rest a bit?”
“No, I won’t sleep. This time, without the Ancestral Artifact, I probably won’t return.” Zhang Boqian spoke calmly, as if it were not his own life he was discussing.
Emperor Hao clenched his fists, not knowing what to say.
The Ancestral Artifacts were crafted by the Martial Ancestor, and there were only three. One had already been used in the past. The remaining two were with King Qingyang and King Beiyue. The power of these artifacts was said to be enough to withstand a single strike from a Holy Mountain, but only one.
Now, with the Ancestral Artifact lost and even a formidable warrior like King Qingyang nearing his end, the capital was in grave danger.
“The Radiant Wheel hasn’t arrived yet?”
“It will take… at least another day.” Emperor Hao’s voice was somber. He paused, then sighed, “I wonder why the Evernight actually discovered the truth of the Radiant Day several days in advance, leading them to launch a full-scale attack. They shouldn’t have been able to discern the true nature of the Radiant Day.”
“There are geniuses among the Evernight as well.”
Just then, a flaming meteor streaked across the distant sky, crashing into the earth.
Emperor Hao and King Qingyang both felt a stirring in their hearts as they watched the meteor fall, silent for a long while.
Finally, Zhang Boqian spoke, “Beiyue has fallen.”
“He was supposed to strike from the outside while you defended from within. He shouldn’t have fallen unless…” Emperor Hao trailed off.
Both he and Zhang Boqian knew what it meant. The falling fire rain around the meteor indicated that the Evernight had paid a heavy price, though they couldn’t tell who had perished.
King Beiyue had no need to fight to the death, but at this critical juncture, if not now, when?
Zhang Boqian slowly stood up, saying, “I’ll go up and buy us some more time.”
Emperor Hao instinctively reached out to stop him. Zhang Boqian raised his eyebrows, asking, “Why?”
“After Master Lin left, you became… the closest person to me.”
Zhang Boqian smiled, pushing away Emperor Hao’s hand, saying, “At this moment, we kings must lead the way. How can we shrink back and preserve our lives? Beiyue did this, and so will I. Even if all the kings fall, as long as our race survives, new kings will rise in thirty years.”
Emperor Hao slowly released his grip, saying, “I was too stubborn.”
“Do you have anything else to say? Speak it all now.”
“I feel that this time, the Radiant Day might have gone too far.”
Zhang Boqian was taken aback, then replied, “There’s no point in dwelling on it now. If we don’t pass this trial, the entire city will perish. I must go now.”
Emperor Hao stood there, watching as Zhang Boqian soared into the sky.
A strange voice then echoed behind Emperor Hao: “To still doubt at this juncture, you truly are the descendants of sinners!”
Emperor Hao’s body trembled slightly as he slowly turned around, seeing a group of people had appeared. Leading them was a young man with a strangely beautiful, almost ethereal appearance, his chin clean-shaven, and his eyes gleaming like rippling water. Behind him stood over a dozen others, including a martial-looking man and a woman, both young and indistinguishable in age. The man exuded a sharp, sword-like aura, while the woman was ethereal and indifferent, as if not of this world.
Their presence caused Emperor Hao’s eyes to sting! He was also secretly shocked, unsure of their level of strength.
The dozen or so people behind them, dressed in white robes with blue patterns, seemed to be personal guards. Emperor Hao could see through their strength and was further startled. They all had at least the cultivation of a god general, with four of them being upper-rank god generals!
The young leader, however, showed no sign of any strength.
These individuals alone surpassed the entire empire’s elite forces. No one knew how they appeared in the palace square, unnoticed by Emperor Hao and Zhang Boqian. This was partly due to the chaos and commotion, and partly because both were at their wits’ end. Even so, their means were astounding.
Emperor Hao’s heart tightened, and he asked, “Envoys from the Ancestral Lands?”
The young man smiled, saying, “We are indeed from the Immortal Realm. Given that you bear the bloodline of the Ji clan, you should know that my records are in the Radiant Day.”
Emperor Hao bowed deeply, saying, “Your arrival is most timely. I thought it would take another day to meet you. May I ask your name, Sir Envoy?”
“My name is Xu Ran, and my Dao title is East Voyager. The Radiant Day is moving slowly, so I came ahead to check on the preparations.”
Emperor Hao pointed to the sky, saying, “The empire and the Evernight are at the brink of their final battle, and the situation is dire. Can Envoy Xu assist in driving them away, thus saving more of our soldiers?”
Xu Ran replied calmly, “Very well, let us show you the power of the Immortal Realm.”
With a gesture, the man and woman behind him vanished and reappeared in the sky. A sharp, icy sword energy swept across the heavens, while another curved, cracked ice-like energy spread silently, covering half the sky.
In an instant, the Evernight’s strongest warriors froze, their thoughts blank.
Moments later, explosions of fire and blood rained down, and countless Evernight warriors plummeted to the ground. Under the twin swords, dukes could still escape, but those below them had no chance, all dying on the spot.
The entire sky cleared!
Even the composed Emperor Hao was slightly awed. These two sword strikes had swept the battlefield, surpassing the abilities of ordinary kings. Even the Great Ancestor and Martial Ancestor might not have done better.
If the two guards possessed such strength, what kind of power did Envoy Xu Ran possess?
In the sky, after the initial shock, the surviving Evernight fleet and strongmen withdrew, gathering around the two Holy Mountain ships. Soon, the entire Evernight fleet retreated, leaving the capital battlefield. With the Demon Emperor and the Night Queen unable to fight, and the sudden appearance of two powerful kings, the Evernight had to retreat, even with their full force.
Xu Ran looked at Emperor Hao, saying, “It seems not too difficult.”
Emperor Hao bowed, saying, “Please enter the palace for a discussion.”
Xu Ran nodded, leading the way to the great hall.
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