The sun of the new world eternally lingered in the sky, and the winds carried a subtle but menacing threat, ceaselessly attempting to dismantle everything they touched.
Within the valley, the warriors of the Empire seized what little time they had to rest, for they did not know when the call to assemble would sound. Many had wrapped themselves in blankets and slept directly on the ground; even the hard earth was more comfortable than the floating ships, which were filled with deafening noise and violent shaking that could drive one mad.
These newly crafted ships paid no heed to the comfort of their passengers. However, there were far harsher conditions on the battlefield, and the veterans following Zhao Jundu and Song Zining were seasoned elites who regarded these difficulties as nothing.
Song Zining once again took out his divination sticks and solemnly scattered them on the ground.
“How is it?”
“There’s an opportunity. In that direction.”
“Good.” Without further inquiry, Zhao Jundu rose to his feet, ready to prepare for battle.
Song Zining stopped him. “There’s no rush. We must engage them a few more times before they take the bait. Use this time to invite King Qingyang here.”
“Can’t we ask King Dingxuan instead?”
“King Qingyang is more dependable.”
“Very well.” Zhao Jundu strode off.
Over the next few days, Song Zining pursued a coalition of vampires and spider-demons. The commander of this army, however, was exceptionally cunning, avoiding direct combat with Song Zining at all costs. Whenever he resisted, he would slowly retreat, his military formations impeccable, relying on temporary fortresses to entangle Song Zining, neither engaging in decisive battles nor leaving.
Song Zining seemed to have no solution against such a tenacious opponent. After several days of conflict, both sides suffered casualties. The Eternal Night lost three marquises, while the Empire lost two level seventeen generals.
The stalemate was unfavorable to the Empire. Song Zining relied on his unpredictable tactics to evade the Eternal Night, using his advanced divination skills to avoid misfortune and occasionally striking back at their seers, each attack resulting in either death or serious injury.
At present, only a few major figures forced the seers to enter the new world. Those who reluctantly came did so half-heartedly, fearing Song Zining’s gaze.
The clash between divination and the Art of Heaven’s Will was unique. The distance between practitioners was irrelevant; even across continents, the possibility of being counter-attacked by the other side remained.
Unlike the vast number of specialized seers among the Eternal Night, Song Zining stood alone, handling prediction, reconnaissance, and defense with equal skill, lacking any weaknesses.
Such a self-sufficient figure was truly disheartening. The last one was Lin Xitang, and now, after Lin Xitang’s death, there was Song Zining.
Thus, the dark races resorted to a clumsy tactic, dragging Song Zining down, but if they couldn’t, they would not pursue, allowing the Imperial forces to depart. The commander of this force never revealed himself, sending only battle-hardened generals to confront the enemy.
Just as everyone thought this endeavor would be fruitless, Song Zining suddenly redirected his forces, heading straight into the heart of the central region.
In the fortress, a plain-looking demonic man watched Song Zining’s army depart, a shadow of unease crossing his face. He turned and asked, “Is this a trap?”
A young demonic man, Anwen, walked over. He sighed, “My divination is not used for this purpose.”
“This is a matter of great importance to our race.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll do it, but I can’t guarantee the result.”
The demonic man’s expression softened. “Do your best.”
“If doing my best could solve everything, we wouldn’t have any problems.” Anwen grumbled, waving his hands, conjuring a cloud of data. Rapidly evolving equations appeared, dazzling to the eye.
The demonic man stared for a long time until he finally gave up, unable to understand even the simplest symbols.
He nodded, praising, “Your divination has reached an unprecedented level!”
“It should be used to explore the void and break free from the prison, not for the slaughter within the prison.” Anwen said, head bowed.
The demonic man sighed, “You may think so, but the humans don’t. How many of our people have died at their hands? You’ve seen it too.”
“The humans are already in a weaker position. If they don’t show strength on the battlefield, they might be exterminated.” As he spoke, the evolving numbers finally produced a result, revealing a complex 3D shape.
Anwen was surprised by the result, staring at the shape for a long time before reaching out to erase it.
The demonic man spoke calmly, “It’s useless. Everything you do, they’re always watching.”
Anwen’s expression changed, and he slowly withdrew his hand.
“What does this shape mean?”
Anwen sighed, looking up at the sky, where many eyes were watching. He took a deep breath and said, “It’s a disaster, a calamity capable of wiping out a race, hidden deep in the new world. Is this what you seek?”
The demonic man asked, “Is the human departure related to this?”
“In this aspect, Song Zining’s Art of Heaven’s Will surpasses mine. If I can predict it, he surely knows. His sudden departure is likely to find clues.”
The demonic man’s expression shifted from hesitation to resolve. “I see, it’s a trap. The humans want to force me out of the fortress to intercept them.”
Anwen was puzzled, “Why?”
“You are young and don’t understand. What’s hidden in the new world is not just a disaster, but an opportunity to eliminate our long-standing nemesis. This opportunity cannot be missed, so even if it’s a trap, I must leave the fortress to stop it.”
As he spoke, he looked in the direction of the departing Imperial forces, “Song Zining is indeed formidable. It seems he has seen through me as the commander of this mixed vampire and spider-demon army. Very well, I will oblige him.”
Anwen grew increasingly uneasy, “Why can’t we stay in the fortress?”
The demonic man patted Anwen’s shoulder, “You don’t know what awaits me there. But someone must face it. My achievements end here, but you are different. You are the future of our race. Your heart is still too soft, unsuited for leadership. If you ever falter, think of me, and those who have sacrificed for our race.”
With that, the demonic man rose into the air, flying toward the Imperial forces without his army.
Anwen didn’t react immediately, only realizing the situation after the demonic man disappeared. He frowned, muttering, “What kind of trap can hold you? Unless it’s King Qingyang… King Qingyang!!”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Anwen rushed down the main building, grabbing a high-ranking officer. “Take me to the basement, now! Or I’ll kill you!”
Recognizing Anwen, the spider-demon officer dared not resist and led him to the underground area. As soon as they descended, Anwen sensed familiar origin power. Seeing the locked door, he kicked it open and rushed in.
The underground space was indeed equipped with massive origin power arrays, providing defensive enhancements, spatial tearing, and instantaneous teleportation.
Anwen understood immediately. These were backup plans, learned from previous experiences, to allow commanders to escape. As long as they were near the fortress, even King Qingyang could not prevent the demonic man’s survival.
Anwen burst out of the main building, flying into the sky, shouting, “What are you all doing? Just watching?”
The skies were empty, and the gazes that had been watching were gone, vanished without a trace.
A demonic marquis appeared behind Anwen, speaking softly, “Young master, the emperors have already left.”
Anwen spun around, “Why?!”
The marquis, knowing much, said, “The human Sky Kings have two more chances to fully provoke the new world. Our race must take one of those chances.”
“Two chances, two chances…” Anwen murmured, unsure whether to laugh or cry, tears streaming down his face.
In the heat of war, all rules crumbled. The upper echelons retreated, leaving the lower ranks to bear the brunt.
Days later, the latest battle reports spread throughout the Eternal Night Empire. The renowned Duke of the Abyss, Yero, known as the Unfallen Dark Moon, had fallen in the new world.
Yero was a legendary figure among the demons, having once fought Lin Xitang to a standstill in the Western Continent, saving the dark races’ territory with his tactical prowess.
He wielded his troops with stability and possessed formidable personal strength. Lin Xitang had once lamented that Yero was an opponent without flaws, only defeated by overwhelming numbers or the Art of Heaven’s Will.
For over a decade, Yero had been a formidable foe, a thorn in the side of humanity. No one expected him to fall in the central region of the new world.
When detailed reports arrived, it was revealed that Yero had met King Qingyang and Zhang Boqian, battling for half a day before succumbing. Despite his defeat, he fought valiantly, a testament to his potential. Many believed he could have risen to the rank of prince, if not duke.
But defeat was defeat. This single loss sealed his fate, rendering all his future possibilities futile.
Yero, who had held his own against the twin paragons of the Empire and other races, fell in the central region. It wasn’t that Song Zining’s strategy surpassed Lin Xitang’s; rather, the time had come, and he was fated to fall.
The Unfallen Dark Moon was not without flaws. His flaw lay in the grand scheme of his race and nation.
After this battle, people finally realized that even among the undying, there were those willing to die bravely.
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