Chapter 175: The Opposition

More than a dozen personal guards first succumbed to such overwhelming pressure. They were all seasoned veterans, yet at this moment, they had no power to resist and could not help but retreat. The two generals of the Northern Army were sweating on their foreheads but managed to remain in place, barely holding their ground.

The remaining six commanders wore golden cloud-patterned uniforms—the close guards of the imperial guard, known as the Thunder Riders. They suddenly moved, taking up positions around Lin Xitang, forming a protective barrier. Yet, they knew that this gesture was futile; Zhang Boqian could take their lives without even lifting a finger, simply by using the pressure of his domain.

In Zhang Boqian’s eyes, a burst of lightning flashed, as if the very heavens and earth were about to be turned upside down.

Lin Xitang’s calm voice cut through the suffocating atmosphere, “Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?”

“Under the Iron Curtain, even our Zhang family of Qingyang has entered the fray. Since it has come to this, let the younger generation fight it out. You need not interfere.”

Lin Xitang stood quietly, his gaze clear and untroubled, “What do you mean, Your Highness? I am entrusted by the Emperor to oversee the entire blood battle, and the development of the young is just one part of it. The resources under the Iron Curtain cannot fall into the hands of the dark races.”

Zhang Boqian sneered, “The void crystals, the military has been searching for them for some time. They are not unique to the Iron Curtain. Now, the Empire and the Evernight Parliament have roughly a three-to-seven split. And before the fight even begins, they are already trying to undermine each other. What outcome do they expect?”

He paused, a cold smile crossing his lips, “As for the items sought by the Sky Ghost, they will naturally appear once the Iron Curtain opens. What do you intend to do by entering now?”

Lin Xitang exhaled softly, seemingly unwilling to argue further, and simply asked, “So, what does Your Highness propose?”

Zhang Boqian said coldly, “Since you are here to oversee the blood battle, stay here and oversee it. We can discuss other matters once the Iron Curtain opens.”

Lin Xitang was silent for a moment, then said, “As you wish.”

Under the Evernight Iron Curtain, at the foot of a towering stone mountain, a human squad was resting. The young man leading them appeared to be under thirty, with a slender build and an unremarkable presence, seeming to be only a seventh or eighth-level warrior. Yet, the formidable and imposing warriors treated him with great respect.

A scout of the general level had just arrived at the camp, bringing the latest intelligence from outside. After reading the letter, Li Rui’s expression changed, and he pondered for a while before sighing, “Man’s calculations cannot compare to fate. It seems that Lin Xitang cannot enter before the Iron Curtain opens.”

The scout continued, “The King of Qingyang must suspect that Lin Xitang intends to strike the nobles directly, so he has confined him in the frontline camp. Even though the Emperor sent the Thunder Riders to protect Lin Xitang, if the King of Qingyang insists, he may still…”

Li Rui understood the unspoken implications and nodded helplessly.

Zhang Boqian was never a reasonable person. He and Lin Xitang had been political rivals for years. In the past, their conflicts were manageable because they served in the same court. But after Zhang Boqian advanced to the rank of Overlord, even the Thunder Riders, the closest attendants of the Emperor, would be of no use. Li Rui put himself in Lin Xitang’s shoes and realized that, in such a situation, he would also abandon any plans, no matter how carefully laid.

Li Rui felt a pang of regret. He had always wanted to test whether the Li family’s “Stellar Array” could counter the “Great Derivation Celestial Formula.” From the beginning of the blood battle, they had meticulously planned this move, step by step, waiting for Lin Xitang to fall into their trap. Yet, at the last moment, all their efforts came to naught.

“So, what do you think we should do now?” Li Rui asked.

The scout replied, “Master and Mr. Yan believe that, from this, the previous attempt to persuade the King of Qingyang was not entirely unsuccessful. Perhaps it was just a matter of approach. As long as we have a common enemy, we don’t need the full support of the King of Qingyang. A slight inclination in our favor would be enough.”

Li Rui sighed, “This is a significant matter, and we must proceed cautiously. The immediate priority is to find an intermediary who can speak to the King of Qingyang.”

Zhang Boqian’s willingness to stand against Lin Xitang was a great advantage for them, but communication remained a major issue. Zhang Boqian usually acted alone and had come to the Evernight without even a servant, making it impossible to deliver messages to him. By a twist of fate, Li Rui’s carefully planned trap became ineffective.

The scout listened to Li Rui’s instructions, noted them, and then took his leave.

Li Rui retreated to the deeper part of the cave, where a complex and precise machine lay. The original force array on the open workbench flickered. A blue-black thread of original force flowed from his palm, washing over the array and extinguishing the flickering lights. Once the array stopped, Li Rui began to disassemble the machine piece by piece.

Deep in the Dark Realm, in another direction at the edge of the Iron Curtain, a majestic ancient castle stood amidst the mountains. In the topmost study, the entire north wall was a wide window, and the land seemed to stretch out beneath it.

Most striking was the sky, divided by a distinct line. One side was dark and distant, like a vast, ancient, and endless curtain. The other side was bright and far, with a belt of asteroids spanning the sky like jewels.

A black-haired man stood by the window, gazing out with eyes like sapphires, cold and lifeless when not smiling.

There was a knock on the door, and a blood count entered, kneeling several steps away from the man, the most respectful gesture of the blood clan. The man did not exude the typical domineering aura of a high-ranking blood, but the blood count dared not look up, for he brought bad news.

The blood count said in a low voice, “Lord Habus, we just received news from the human side. The plan to lure and kill the Imperial Marshal Lin Xitang, scheduled for three days from now, has been canceled. The plan has failed.”

Habus, the current head of the fifth-ranked Speck family and Grand Duke, did not react with anger as the blood count had anticipated, despite having stayed in the Evernight for more than ten days to prepare for this mission.

He merely raised an eyebrow, “Oh, tell our dear human allies that they made too many mistakes in this blood battle. The death of Viscount Lud of the Yerushen family has yet to be resolved. Before any further action, they should consider the compensation issue.”

Habus then remembered something, “How are the wedding arrangements between Phira and the Royal Princess of the Morro family going?”

The blood count lowered his head even more, his voice trembling, “They are still… talking…” He knew that this answer would not satisfy the Grand Duke, as the matter had been dragging on for a long time.

However, the blood count was fortunate today, as Habus waved his hand dismissively, “It doesn’t matter. The Morro family has always been blind to the situation. To deal with the Sky Ghost, the Evernight Parliament is preparing, putting in all the necessary stakes. When the supreme being awakens from his slumber, the Morro family will come begging to us. You may leave.”

The supreme being! Who could make the Grand Duke refer to someone with such reverence? The blood count, still in shock, wiped his cold sweat and respectfully left.

Habus continued to gaze out the window, looking into the depths of the Iron Curtain, muttering, “Lin, your imperial in-laws are willing to pay such a price to kill you. So, what is the difference between your race and my Holy Blood descendants?”

In the western continent, the night had deepened, and a chill wind blew.

People walking the streets instinctively tightened their clothes to ward off the early spring cold.

The main hall of the Clear Peace Palace was warm and cozy, with a pre-set original force array continuously providing warmth. Steam rose from unseen corners, preventing the hall from becoming too dry.

Princess Gao Yi leaned lazily on her seat, clutching a finely crafted purple-gold hair bronze hand warmer. Despite the warmth in the hall, her fingertips remained cold, a sign of a long-standing ailment that the hand warmer could not alleviate.

An old man who had once brought Qian Ye to meet her stood by the couch, half-bowed, and detailed the affairs of the Creation Garden.

When she heard the Duke of Yu’s evaluation of “majestic and grand, a path to the heavens,” her delicate eyebrows arched, then returned to their usual calm. Such a significant matter only slightly stirred her.

After listening, Princess Gao Yi said calmly, “My husband has worried about this for many years. Now that Qian Ye has achieved this, he should be at peace.”

The old man’s face showed a hint of worry, “But the consort does not seem to have fully let go of the past, and we do not know Qian Ye’s true thoughts.”

Princess Gao Yi smiled, “At the time, I saved Xi’er’s life, and as her mother, I cannot be completely free of involvement. But Xi’er grew up safely, and that is enough.”

The old man’s eyes moistened, and he looked down, lowering his voice, “Perhaps the person who sowed discord back then is still not satisfied. Why not tell the consort, my princess?”

Princess Gao Yi said coldly, “If my husband trusts me, he can see the signs. If he does not…”

The atmosphere in the room tensed, and the old man bowed his head in silence. The warmth from the original force array still filled the hall, but it left a chill on the skin.

After a while, Princess Gao Yi said, “That woman must not have expected that, despite her schemes, she gained nothing. All these years, she couldn’t even send a lowly concubine into the house.” Her lips, pale as flower petals, curved in a slight, satisfied smile, “The thousand-year-old Zhao family of Yan Yun, founded with the nation, is not comparable to her nouveau riche family that only knows how to arrange marriages!”

The old man thought for a moment and said, “Princess, this old slave has a bold and absurd suggestion.”

Princess Gao Yi’s expression softened, and she sighed, “Eunuch, you have watched me grow up. What can’t you say?”

The old man lowered his voice, “In this old slave’s opinion, Princess might consider formally adopting Qian Ye.”

Startled, even Princess Gao Yi almost dropped the hand warmer. After careful consideration, she calmed down, “The illegitimate son of the consort cannot be listed in the imperial registry. My husband is now the head of the family, and to list his illegitimate son in the Zhao family’s genealogy, it would require a report to the imperial household, which would be quite troublesome.”