Manjusaka!
Such a phenomenon was none other than the signature prelude to Manjusaka’s ultimate technique—River of Oblivion.
Medenzo was startled. He clearly remembered that the present generation wielder of Manjusaka within the Empire was merely a young maiden without any innate power—who would think she would actually appear in this New World?
The harshness of the BlackSun Valley was Qian Ye’s ultimate weakness; should she come here, she probably couldn’t survive more than a moment or two. Moreover, wielded by her, Manjusaka’s destructive force was limited. She might easily cripple a Duke—but against a Great Dark Lord would prove excessively strenuous. Therefore, having been struck with a surprise ambush by Zhao Ruoxi, a female with not a shred of native talent, Medenzo—now sealed within a mirror—was furious beyond measure, wounded pride fueling his normally reputation-defensive rage into a feral state.
Above the mirrored figure of Medenzo floated a dark crimson crescent, only the faintest red edging outlining its circular form. It levitated and from within the crescent spilled forth an abyssal darkness which spread like wildfire into and through the interior dimension of the mirror, drowning all things in a wave of obscurity.
Darkness it was not; indeed, this was void—pure void—without so much as the smallest glimmer of radiance escaping its grasp. In this consuming shadow’s wake, tangible and immaterial substances alike disintegrated entirely. Here reigned the Unilluminated Monarch at his uttermost power. Even in battle against Haodi when at a disadvantage, Haodi never provoked the deployment of this ultimate force.
Though disdainful toward Zhao Ruoxi, the Unilluminated King took no unnecessary risk. Being pinned down by such a named weapon surely did not bode well, especially since Manjusaka appearing on the battlefield carried unusual and unexplained portents. Medenzo relied on such wariness for his endurance across a millennium’s tenure. Without any intent to gamble recklessly, he launched his supreme technique, desperate to escape. The darkness surged outward—but though cracks riddled the glassy surface, it did not shatter entirely.
The figure of Medenzo within the mirror now showed astonishment—he had fully released his might yet still failed to rupture Manjusaka’s seals! Unexpectedness flooded his face—he abruptly seemed to remember something, his expression shifting swiftly to fear.
Then, from afar, arced toward them a mote of raw Power—a sensation deep, infinite: belonging only to a Heaven Ruler—and struck true against the mirror, shattering thoroughly every fissure.
Medenzo’s body materialised amid the void, initially plunging sharply but soon recovering. Surveying the battlefield with a voice like a blade’s edge, he roared: *”Who dares!?”*
His gaze settled afar toward the horizon where Qian Ye strode leisurely, steady as can be.
*”Medenzo, traitor to your blood, today only pays partial retribution—your day of reckoning draws near!”* called Qian Ye, frost thickening his voice.
Even as Medeanzo attempted speech, suddenly, his face whitened, and above him the dark crescent winked, dimmed.
He fell powerless, a grunt escaping him while twin lines of violet-black blood streamed from his nostrils.
The crimson betrayal triggered alarm in his soul—seeking in desperation aid promised long ago, yet finding neither support nor salvation forthcoming. Then he shouted forth a rage: *”The vile spider-damned!”* With that, the figure blurred and simply vanquished to naught beside him.
Qian Ye frowned and hurled forward a void-plume. However, it passed through a mere wraith of Medenzo’s retreat, turning aimless circles around his vanishing trace—dissoluting to the void.
For Qian Ye himself to strike without purpose, that was a first for the Prime Spear.
Yet not far beyond Manjusaka’s domain, Haidi stood still upon the scene, blade unmoving as he made no attempt at engagement.
At last, he finally spoke: *”Great Lords wield multitudinous tricks for evasion—a perception and maneuvering upon planes wholly beyond Heaven Rulers. No mere might or rapidity such found in Young Prince Qingshan. Trammelling this one down is fraught with challenge. The true battle waits still within the inworld—best hold your efforts for that inner realm.”*
Unfamiliar with Haodi, Qian Ye gave a curt nod while observing him intently. Only moments ago during Manjusaka’s climax his target fixed upon Medenzo, though Qian Ye hadn’t avoided harming nearby Imperials altogether.
Yet surprisingly this figure’s actions drew praise from Qian Ye—the instant came quicker than Medenzo felt, and even afterward no opportunistic interjection came about during his escape.
Haodi calmly stated: *”Never could I have imagined someone still walked this Realm capable of commanding fully the Manjushaka.”*
An odd feeling surfaced with Qian Ye in response: even speaking those words aloud, no once did He turn eye toward the weapon itself which had come unexpectedly into the war—an eye ever fixed upon Qian Ye himself.
*”You—Qian Ye?”*
*”It is I.”* Qian Ye asked none his name for certainty’s sake, knowing well which great being existed within the Empire’s ranks in such a grand countenance?
His mind, moments ago laden with words to throw forward, now met a still and quiet calmness he scarcely fathomed amidst the tension’s wake.
Haodi stared slightly past Qian Ye—fixed as toward some place lost amid distant void, expression unreadably stirred.
Without reason, Qian Ye somehow felt sorrow stirring within in response.
Eventually Haodi shook his head free and uttered:
*”You also seek the fount of Darkness inside that Inworld’s depth?”*
*”Indeed so.”*
From the air Haodi cast into it a token—a metallic bronze plate, rectangular, its engravings of Power Arrays familiar instantly—used by military ranks within Empire forces to denote privilege and status.
Haodi proclaimed: *”Carrying this token grants from all Empire strongholds authority summon divine-grade weaponry as needed, wherever you might be!”*
After a brief pause Qian Ye caught the gift, yet another thought stirred: *”Why bestow so suddenly this upon my hand?”*
With warm voice did his answer come: *”An enemy of an adversary may stand beside.”*
Their gazes remained fixed—Qian Ye’s silent admission in reply. The inquiry was layered with more meaning than spoken words revealed, and Haodi answered, in fact, that majority which lurked beneath.
A smile tugged at last from Qian Ye.
*”There exists this well-known phrase—untraced to its source—who once proclaimed that ‘on earth’s tapestry neither eternal rivalries, no binding oaths endure.’”
With subtle mirth returned, Haodi spoke:
*”From none’s records it sprouted, though Duke Lin once elucidated it unto me.”*
This startled Qian Ye slightly, prompting a question: *”And did he believe this wisdom—or stand in objection?”*
Haodi answered:
*”Both allies and foes are anchored to position: to hold opinion in accordance, or defiance, derives solely likewise from standing still amidst the tides of change—what be favorable trend or peril opposed—without the burden of absolute morality preceding all, one need but cling steadfast to one’s beginning resolve—unchanged.”*
This provoked a contemplation in Qian Ye as he gravely nodded.
With a breath soft and wistful, Haodi offered: *”But mark My words Qian Ye—should you cross again the Unilluminated One, tread carefully. For earlier his arrogance overplayed hand. Only by fortune’s edge he missed piercing Manjusaka’s seal. Thus sustaining grievous strike back. Yet his arsenal, rich in cunning deceit, his will to survive unmatched save the highest rank—all but guaranteeing you’ll fare worse against second strike. Thus you’d do well for now to evade him should chance arise,”*
Gracing a thank with formality, Qian Ye added: *”There still exists another matter I wish request—Haodi-sama: *must it indeed always end war between Dawn and Eternal Night—eternal struggle their only fate in this world?”*
“Excellent question.”
Thoughtful silence lingered, before Haodi resumed:
*”As it is between lions and tigers—they fight not in hate, but over hunting territories, sustenance. Extend beyond these—they fight because of sustenance in nature. Even herds compete in wilderness—contention over waters and grasses. Yes indeed—Dawn and Night, side by side if only possible… Yet our world’s confines ensure that at some juncture their spaces collapse upon each othe—resources—unequally distributed—ensures scarcity. Then… to speak truly beyond that… a thousand generations worth of hatred—not all borne out solely from differing beliefs—but emotions too, entangled within… cannot be so easily disentangled so simply, can it?”*
Smiled now—Haodi resumed—*”But you, sir. I heard rumors—a land in your care within Yonglu, many kindreds together in harmony. What a blessed miracle that is! However for myself…” His voice paused deliberately.
“*Perhaps allow this current generation fade first—we will decide for ourselves how much the past still holds us. The future… shall be for our successors alone.”*
Listening inwardly strum by those murmuring words, Qian Ye felt a quiet ache stirring deep in spirit, and fell briefly silent—his heart stirring by a revelation deeper than foreseen. His mind had braced but briefly prior… the Emperor speaking candidly, revealing truths undiluted by flattery or pretense.
As their dialogue concluded, at a battlefield far apart the Undying Flame at last ceased motion in her strike—slightly at disadvantage from the Finger Emperor. Yet still far from unleashing her total wrath—the typhoon technique she had conjured proving but a mere mimic, an attempt without sincerity. Taking her retreat into account, the latter halted his advance in kind.
The fire goddess’ eyes lingered once toward Yeye before uttering, *”Would never have expected, that beneath our watchful eyes, you bloomed to this height of prowess, Qian Ye… But let us be clear. What our Emperor seeks, he alone shall obtain—what a weapon such as Manjusaka can do against him… nothing but futility.”*
Still some thousand meters removed, her voice reached Qian Ye’s hearing as though in whisper. He gave the least twitch in return—unimpressed by this flaunt.
He answered flatly with his usual calm: *”Then wait until the Dark Sovereign himself faces forth to prove it.”*
Undying Flame receded farther still, extended hand pointed below towards the colossal chasm, her voice level and unbothered: *”If we will not hinder further, pass—toll your vendettas inside first, let the ending settle when there.”*
Massive the crater, as vast as a metropolis—the scale of it so vast that fully sealing it demanded no less than five-thousand battle-legions. Even Evernight lacked the ability to station for an extended time even half so many capable battlers in BlackSun’s perilous air. The coalition of darkness faced catastrophic losses during the battle, with over ten thousands soldiers falling beneath the shock waves left by the Lords and Emperors who battled above. Imperial casualties numbered near into thousands, all honored as martyr-commanders.
Beyond these matters concerning two rival factions’ ultimate masters, Qian Ye marched ever onward per his chosen path—when seeing both sides now at still, he took his leave politely from Haodi, and dived directly into the bottomless pit. Closer he neared, more frantic the response stirred by ‘Black Scripture’, as if urgently beckoning his arrival inside the hidden realm—the ‘True Inner World’.
None stepped forward in attempt to hinder. As Qian disappeared, Undying Flame voiced herself next:
*”Should you see no reason to prolong this, then allow me passage before.”* She began advancing inward, but with Haodi’s raised hand, motion stilled.
Following Undying Flame’s departure and regathering under dark banners of war, many formidable beings vanished likewise toward the bottomless depths—Haodi and Finger Emperor remained still upon aerial suspension, peering downward into black eternity.
Gazing at the hole, the latter spoke softly:
*”Once within—no allies, no back-stabbers… Yet—some anxiety clungs. What *truly* the intent and will of this so-called ‘New-World Conscience’? I fear not a mind at all as simple.”*
*”Perhaps… an entity akin to an even grander Sky-Beast. Greater only by force?”* mused Haodi in answer.
Finger Emperor frowned disapproving.
*”Whose theory? Queen?”*
*”Yes.”*
Finger wrinkling deeper he shook head disapprovingly.
*”She may be inferior to Xitang… Yet the ‘Presence’ we feel… unlike instinct-driven Void-beast.”*
Silence passed as Haodi released but a single sigh—the shade of sadness crossing expression—sinking deep beyond the reach of voice.
Glimmer in Finger Emperor’s sight remained steady toward the chasm.
*”Permit me this battle with Zhuan Xu. You have time yet still to look upon younger generations rise. Both you… and Young Prince Qingshan.”*
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