Noxus was already charging in this direction, but even someone as powerful as he was couldn’t clearly see what that thing in Habsburg’s hand was. From a distance, it looked like a ball of hazy flowing light.
What exactly was it that had shaken Zhang Boqian so much?
Habsburg turned toward Noxus and gestured for him not to get close. At the same time, the arachne sensed a powerful aura contact him from afar. This was usually a greeting between two friendly dark race experts. This was overstepping on Habsburg’s part, even if he was a crown prince and a big shot in the council.
Noxus still slowed down nonetheless. His instincts were telling him that the sudden development was extremely abnormal. Additionally, the strength Habsburg had displayed just now was shocking, and that caused Noxus to hesitate whether he should charge into the other party’s domain.
What were the vampires planning? Just as Noxus was thinking about that, he noticed that Medanzo wasn’t following him closely. Instead, he was floating over from a hundred meters away.
The arachne warlord came to a sudden stop. He glanced cautiously at Medanzo, but the Lightless Monarch seemed ignorant as he drifted steadily to the Noxus’ side.
With Noxus immobile, Medanzo naturally wouldn’t charge over alone, and the other princes and dukes were even less inclined to do so.
Zhang Boqian asked, “How did you get this image?”
Habsburg replied, “That’s not important. What’s important is that the image is the truth.”
The sphere of light flowed quietly in Hasburg’s hand, and even the two great dark monarchs couldn’t tell what was so special about it.
Zhang Boqian, however, saw a white-haired man in simple clothing looking over at him. The image was so vivid that even the hems and creases of his clothes, even the most minute expression on his face, seemed like they were within reach.
The scene was so realistic that it felt like the observer was there in person. Zhang Boqian could even sense Lin Xitang’s aura fading in and out of existence. The man’s gaze was as still as a lake’s surface but withering in vitality, and his limbs had clearly lost the ability to make big movements.
When did Lin Xitang become so weak? Or could it be that he had never let outsiders see him in such a state?
Zhang Boqian shifted his gaze and was shocked when he noticed the unique scenery outside of the long windows.
He couldn’t be bothered to disguise things. “He’s in the Divination Pavilion!?”
“Where else?”
“That’s the one place he shouldn’t be at!” Zhang Boqian’s voice wasn’t loud, but the killing intent in his tone washed over Habsburg like the tides. The Divination Pavilion was an important location used for large-scale divinations and sacrificial ceremonies. A single person would not be able to use his divination arts there because of the many restrictions placed upon the place; every ceremony required a blood sacrifice.
How could anyone withstand an angry attack from Prince Greensun, even if it was just his suppressive might? Habsburg didn’t dare meet the blow head-on, either. He quickly retracted the projection and backed off somewhat.
“You know whether this is true or false, some things simply cannot be imitated. What do you say? Will you keep on fighting us here?”
Zhang Boqian’s eyes turned cold. “What’s Lin Xitang’s condition now?”
“How should I know? But I think he’s still alive.”
“You think!?”
Habsburg smiled calmly. “Princes Greensun, you seem to be venting in the wrong place. I’ve always been worried about Marshal Lin’s lifespan because of his refusal to break through. But looking at him now, it looks like he won’t last until the end of the year, let alone the decade.”
He hadn’t even finished speaking when Zhang Boqian chopped down with his palm. Several beams of lightning formed a barrier, smashing toward Habsburg.
The prepared vampire prince retreated even farther away. The scarlet blood energy shrouded in golden specks was his famous domain, “Twilight Nation”, with which he dissolved half the lightning and evaded the rest.
“His current situation has nothing to do with me. Several months ago, our prophets said that a great change was coming over your Imperial palace. It seems they were referring to Marshal Lin. Is even the great Prince Greensun helpless? Do the heavenly monarchs of the Empire have no choice but to lower their heads?”
A light flickered through Zhang Boqian’s eyes. “There’s no need to sow discord, such words become meaningless when spoken in excess. I, of course, have people and things I must be wary of, but I have no misgivings about this matter!”
He left with a shake of his sleeve, but Habsburg called him back, “Wait!”
“What did you want to say?”
“Please tell Marshal Lin that no matter what he has planned, everything will change with the arrival of the new world. Tell him that he’ll face a meaningless defeat if he can’t let go of the bigger divination picture.”
Zhang Boqian replied directly, “I won’t pass your message to him. Lin Xitang will make his own choices.”
“Prince Greensun, you’re willing to seek the help of a forbidden technique yet not willing to dissuade Marshal Lin from making a meaningless sacrifice?”
Zhang Boqian said, “It’s not your place to talk about what goes on between me and him.”
Habsburg said after some silence, “The Council is also made up of many powers. Some want Her Majesty back, others favor the benefits we can gain from the Empire. Prince Greensun, you must be careful along the way.”
Zhang Boqain said calmly, “No one else can stop me but the three Supremes.”
“You’re too conceited.”
Zhang Boqian looked deeply into Habsburg’s eyes. “Whatever the case, I’ll remember this.”
“No need to thank me, I only want to escort Her Majesty back safely. We won’t be able to do that if you’re around,” Habsburg said with a laugh.
Nodding, Zhang Boqian left just like that. He had no interest in the identity of the person in question. Meanwhile, a shocked Pointer Monarch almost took a blow from the Eternal Flame.
“Boqian, what are you doing?”
Zhang Boqian’s silhouette moved away ever so slightly, but he ultimately stopped and turned around. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what has happened in the capital?”
At this point, Noxus and Medanzo had noticed the change. They held back from attacking Zhang Boqian, which prompted the other experts to follow suit. Habsburg stood in the distance, ready to watch the good show.
The Pointer Monarch replied while counterattacking, “I do.”
“Then why would you bring me here to intercept this mystery person?”
“This matter is of the utmost importance, far above anything else. Besides, there’s a priority to everything—whatever happens at the Imperial Capital is an internal affair, not something we heavenly monarchs should take sides in.”
Heavenly Monarchs neither led soldiers nor meddled in politics. Their influence behind the scenes was inevitable, but even the most power-hungry Longevity Monarch had never jumped into the spotlight before.
Zhang Boqian snorted. “No rush? No taking sides? Are you not going to care even when things are so chaotic?”
The Pointer Monarch frowned. “The conflicts at capital have always existed. How can it compare to the current business? If we don’t stop that person, Evernight will gain an expert comparable to those on the Sacred Mountain. At that time, the entire power balance will break down and we’ll regret this day.”
Zhang Boqian said coldly, “Whether Evernight gains an expert or loses an expert, that’s their business. What happens in the Empire is ours.”
“But these two things are happening at the same time. We naturally have to come here after weighing the pros and cons.”
Zhang Boqian closed his eyes. “That means those in the palace are trade-pieces for this person you’re trying to intercept. That’s quite the exchange.”
The Pointer Monarch sighed. “Evernight never gave us a choice. What happened at the palace is bound to happen. The Evernight faction is busy splitting the spoils after their holy-war truce. Otherwise, we won’t even have a chance at intercepting this person. We only need to wait half a day…”
The Pointer Monarch was tactful with his words, but Zhang Boqian wasn’t buying it. He cut the old man short, saying, “The dust will have settled in half a day. In the end, it’s still a trade.”
The Pointer Monarch said, “In truth, I don’t know the actual details about the turmoil at the capital, but a heavenly monarch’s stance in civil conflicts has to be neutral. Boqian, you were born to a major clan and you’ve always been a leader, but the nobility having too much power over the Imperial party isn’t beneficial to the Empire.”
Zhang Boqian realized the meaning hidden in these words. Was the Pointer Monarch afraid that he would support the nobility and suppress the Imperial party? He couldn’t help but break out in a laugh. “The nobility suppressing the Imperial party? I think it’s more the Emperor trying to purge ministers with great authority, is it not?”
The two switched to daybreak origin power transmissions when they reached this part of the topic, preventing the other experts from hearing them. The Evernight experts seemed to be understanding as well. They opted not to disturb the exchange, and even the Eternal Flame slowed down his attacks, allowing the Pointer Monarch to maintain his slight advantage.
The more this happened, the more the Pointer Monarch realized the reason.
The Evernight Council had prepared several contingency plans. Since they had already persuaded Zhang Boqian, attacking at this point might have a negative effect instead. The three great dark monarchs were from different races, to begin with, and were wary of one another. None of them wanted to fight to the death against a heavenly monarch.
The Pointer Monarch simply stopped fighting and appeared before Zhang Boqian. As expected, the demonkin dark great monarch didn’t stop him.
At this point, the person closest to the two heavenly monarchs was now Habsburg. He wasn’t flustered because of that, though, and merely retreated with a smile and a bow. This time, he pulled back all the way out of attack range.
The Pointer Monarch said, “Boqian, we only need to hold this place for another day and that person will surely pass by here. We’ll be able to rid the Empire of a hundred-year calamity. Even if we can only injure her, we can prevent the terrifying growth she’ll go through once the new world opens up. Additionally, all of Evernight’s experts who can command troops are here. If we restrain them here, the war on the void continent will feel less pressure. They can take this opportunity to take down the continent in one go, laying down the foundation for the Empire’s resurgence.”
Zhang Boqian could already confirm that the Pointer Monarch really might not know the details. To a heavenly monarch, the conflicts of the Imperial court were just children’s games, and it made no difference to them which party was in power. A heavenly monarch was an aloof existence who would only watch the greater picture between Daybreak and Evernight.
Zhang Boqian suddenly lost interest in arguing with the Pointer Monarch. He said mockingly, “I really have no idea which major character convinced you to agree to this fight without knowing who we’re sacrificing. Maybe even if you knew, you would think sacrificing Lin Xitang isn’t a problem. Oh, there must be a lot of benefits to be reaped regarding the void continent, right?”
The Pointer Monarch was astonished to hear Lin Xitang’s name. As one of the four great ministers the previous Emperor had appointed—marshal, leader of the cabinet, and the number one divination expert of the Empire—Lin Xitang’s position was only below one person. He was probably among the top ten in the Empire in terms of authority.
However, the Pointer Monarch’s expression turned solemn. “The war between Evernight and the Empire is the bigger picture. Whoever gets caught in it will be pulverized, and that includes you, me, and Lin Xitang. It won’t be a surprise if we die in battle!”
“Dying in battle cannot be compared to dying to a scheme!”
“Boqian, trading Lin Xitang for the void continent and an expert who might very well ascend the Sacred Mountain, isn’t it worth it?”
Zhang Boqian stared deeply at the monarch. “I have never been a commander and never wanted to be one, so I’ve never schemed or planned. You might say this trade is worth it, but to me, Lin Xitang is a rival and a comrade. He may be many things, but he’s never a chess piece! So what if the Evernight side gains an expert? If we must cut off an arm just because we’re afraid of that, how will we ever topple them?”
“Boqian…”
“Speak no more. I am a warrior who does not understand complicated logic. I will fight that person in the void if they become successful in the future, but if you’re going to stop me again today, don’t blame me for not seeing the bigger picture.”
The Pointer Monarch was hesitant, but Zhang Boqian had no intention of conversing further. His clothes flared up and mist clouds appeared around him in the void. This was a sign that he was about to fully deploy his domain and pass through forcibly.
The Pointer Monarch’s expression changed repeatedly, but all he could do was step aside with a sigh.
Zhang Boqian paused momentarily as he brushed past the monarch. Without turning back, he said, “You never said who the target was, but I can already guess by now. In this regard, some people in the Empire are truly despicable in their actions. Why would we do that if we knew something like this would happen today?”
The Pointer Monarch sighed. “Now that things have reached this stage, what else can we do but nip the problem at the bud? Don’t tell me you’re hoping she’ll be so benevolent in the future?”
Zhang Boqian said after some silence, “Elder Prince, you weren’t like this back then.”
“That year…” The Pointer Monarch’s smile seemed tainted with the passing years. “Ji Wentian is no more since the day she left. Now, I am but a heavenly monarch of the human race, doing what’s best for our race with these old bones.”
“If that’s what you’re thinking, you should cut off that venomous tumor taking root in the capital instead of intercepting this target.”
Even the Pointer Monarch found it difficult to meet Zhang Boqian’s razor-sharp gaze. He turned slightly away before saying with a wry smile, “Venomous tumor, huh, that description is too accurate.”
Zhang Boqian stepped away without replying and soon vanished into the depths of the void. However, a gigantic shadow appeared in the void in front of him.
