Various scenes appeared around Song Zining—cities, streets, as well as buildings filled with nobles and commoners alike. There were also countless leaves weaving tightly into a curtain, almost like the coming of autumn. His expression was indescribable, almost as though he were fading into a magnificent landscape.
A winding sanguine thread appeared in the distance and slashed down at Song Zining from above!
The moment this thread of blood appeared, the grandiose visions around Song Zining were wrecked by natural disasters. The earth quaked, the sky collapsed, and people were running for their lives. Countless floating leaves gathered in one direction to block the advance of this sanguine wire.
However, the thread snaked forward and cut the countless leaves in its wake into two. It was as though someone had descended upon this ethereal world, mercilessly killing their way through all the defensive lines.
The leaves did naught but delay the sanguine thread, which passed through the city and whipped down again!
Qianye could no longer make it. He activated Spatial Flash in his urgency but barely made it past the ethereal city. Seeing that the tip of the sanguine thread was still dozens of meters ahead, Qianye clenched his jaws and grabbed the string!
Despite his powerful physique, the sanguine thread cut right through his flesh and dug deep into it, producing a gush of flowing blood. Fortunately, dark golden runes appeared on his bones, and this stopped the thread from going any deeper. Otherwise, Qianye’s palm would’ve been cut in half.
The sanguine thread was both heavy and sturdy in his hand, almost like holding a heavy weapon. Not to mention cutting it, it wasn’t even certain if he could tug at it. Qianye braced himself as he began pulling on the thread amidst an eruption of blood energy, not caring whether the string would cut his hand.
With the thread pulled back, the lash aimed at Song Zining missed its mark.
“Nighteye!” Qianye roared. How could he not have sensed that this thread came from Nighteye?
The blood-colored thread arrived instantly from a thousand meters away, slashing through all the projected images as though they were tangible. It would seem she was even more powerful now. Perhaps she had awakened further or maybe it was the effects of that Marine Lotus.
The sanguineous thread slowly retreated after the momentary deadlock, and Nighteye’s snort echoed in the air. Having narrowly escaped death, Song Zining was pale and drenched in cold sweat.
Qianye’s hand was still bleeding. Nighteye’s blood energy was powerful, profound, and possessed a suppressive intent. Even his powers of recovery couldn’t close the wound.
Qianye put pressure on his left hand while staring at the source of that sanguineous thread, guarded against a second attack. If he hadn’t reacted quickly, Song Zining might’ve become a corpse by now.
Nighteye’s voice finally arrived from a distance. “Come.”
“What about him?” Qianye asked in a gloomy voice.
“Count him lucky.”
Relieved, Qianye shot Song Zining a glance, hinting that he should leave as quickly as possible.
He never saw Nighteye’s figure along the way. Gazing at the vast emptiness around him, Qianye’s heart was filled with bleakness and misery until Nighteye’s warship appeared before him.
Jared’s stone house was empty, and it was unknown where he had gone.
Qianye’s body jolted as he continued walking toward the warship, and he stood there gazing to his front.
Atop the warship was a figure that had been forever etched into his heart.
Nighteye didn’t avoid seeing him this time, and it seemed she wanted to talk to him face to face. Qianye didn’t know whether this change was good or bad, but the chill at the bottom of his heart grew denser.
Qianye inhaled deeply to calm himself. He then arrived behind Nighteye with a leap and followed her line of vision.
There was a terrifying void tempest slowly forming in front of Nighteye. The space nearby was filled with rolling darkness, blocking the distant scenery from view. Glimpses of the actual void could be seen occasionally through the darkness, in which countless spatial rifts were weaving together. The space here was so weak that the void tempest was able to tear it at will.
Fortunately, this type of void tempest would, by nature, rise up once formed. It would either pierce through the protective barrier of the continent and return to the void, or gradually weaken and disappear. It would be a true disaster if the tempest were to hit the ground during the early phases of its formation.
Qianye moved his gaze to the warship below. The void tempest was indeed powerful, but this duke-grade warship should be able to withstand it. Besides, it wasn’t impossible for someone of Nighteye’s ability to traverse the void tempest alone.
“Where’s Zhuji?” Nighteye was the first to speak.
“I had to travel to the Song clan and might have to fight, so I left her sleeping in the Martyr’s Palace.”
“Traveling alone into the heart of the Empire, are you just brave or are you purely unafraid of death?”
Nighteye’s words contained some mockery, which Qianye duly noticed. Not knowing how to respond, he said with a wry smile, “I had to go…”
“Oh, had to go? Have you helped Song Zining obtain the clan lord position?”
“… No.”
Nighteye finally turned around and looked him in the eye. “Did you really think there’s no one in the Empire who can kill you, or do you feel safe because you know certain people will protect you?”
This question was baffling for Qianye. “Certain people will protect me? The Zhao clan?”
Thinking about it, the greatest possibility was the Zhao clan. However, the war on the void continent was at its most critical phase. The clan had mobilized in full force, and most of its important characters had left the Empire mainland. Who would come to save him? Qianye had never relied on the Zhao clan to save him, but no other party came to mind.
“You’re acquainted with more than just the Zhao clan.”
Qianye was startled. He did have a couple of friends among the younger generation of the Empire, but it didn’t seem like they could influence their clan’s decisions. The Far East Wei clan wasn’t powerful enough. Li Kuanglan and Ji Tianqing might have their methods, but Qianye didn’t feel that his relationship with them had reached such a degree.
Since Nighteye was asking this repeatedly, Qianye replied in due seriousness, “With the Shot of Inception and Spatial Flash, I feel that I can easily do a hit and run. No one under the divine champion level can stop me. Even if a divine champion comes, at most, they’ll force me into a corner and things will end in mutual destruction. The Empire’s divine champions enjoy great status and power; they’re busy either ruling their lands or on important missions. I don’t think anyone will risk their life against me. So, I can still escape even if worse comes to worst. The Martyr’s Palace was waiting in the void, they can’t stop me unless they mobilize a big fleet.”
Qianye explained things so earnestly, but Nighteye remained indifferent. “I have no idea if you’re really ignorant or you’re pretending. But that’s not important since it has nothing to do with me anymore.”
“W-What do you mean?” The chill in Qianye’s heart intensified. Nighteye’s words seemed even more distant now.
“Why aren’t you asking why I wanted to kill Song Zining?”
Qianye replied, “You didn’t. If you really wanted to kill him, both my hand and his life would be gone. As for the reason… is it because he wanted to push us apart?”
Nighteye laughed coldly. “Have we ever been together since my awakening?”
“No, but I’ve always believed it’ll happen sooner or later. Give me some time to help you get to the Sacred Mountain.”
The coldness in her eyes finally melted a bit. “You’ve done well-enough already. I know the promise you gave me wasn’t just empty words. In terms of growth, no one did better than you. With enough time, perhaps… perhaps you might be able to accompany me to the Sacred Mountain.”
Qianye gazed silently at Nighteye, afraid that she would finish her sentence. But since the exchange had reached this point, it made little difference whether or not she made a complete announcement.
At the thought of how her attitude had changed all of a sudden, Qianye asked, “Is your decision related to Song Zining?”
“Somewhat, but that’s not the entire reason. Do you remember that Marine Lotus you gave me? It allowed me to awaken completely and regain all of my memories. This isn’t a good thing for you because the Nighteye from back then, all of our past, is now like a dream to me. Now I’ve woken up.”
“The Marine Lotus…” Qianye sighed. “I couldn’t stop myself from giving it to you after I got it.”
Nighteye said, “I know. That’s why I say you’re dumb.”
Qianye forced a smile. “What did Zining do? Can you tell me?”
“It’s in the past now, and things can no longer be changed. You really don’t need to know, but if you must have answers, then ask the man himself. However, the answer won’t be a happy one.”
Qianye’s expression was somewhat bitter. “I still want to know what separated us.”
“Time.”
“Time?”
“Yes, time.”
This reason was both understandable and puzzling. Of all the answers, this was perhaps the only one that couldn’t be remedied by trying harder.
After a long period of silence, Qianye said, “You do know that I can’t go any faster. At present, I can break through to a vampire duke in a short time, but I won’t be able to make any progress after that. And dukes are just pebbles at the base of the Sacred Mountain. That’s why I said I needed time, I don’t think I’ll make you wait very long. Currently, there are only a handful of people from my generation that I can’t defeat, even if we count the Demoness in. Is that not enough? Doesn’t that give you enough assurance to wait for me?”
Qianye’s tone was calm, but the slight tremble in his voice gave away his emotions.
Nighteye glanced at him and sighed. “It’s enough under normal circumstances, but now that I’ve awakened entirely, we can’t use normal to measure the circumstances. The time is nigh and I can’t wait any longer.”
“What time?”
Nighteye hesitated for a good while. “Time for the new world to open, and the arrival of a new era.”
“New world?” Qianye had never heard about this new world.
“It’s normal that you wouldn’t know. This information is only circulated among a handful of people in the upper echelons.”
“What does the new era have to do with us?” Qianye’s voice grew higher. He had decided not to hide his worries anymore.
“It has nothing to do with you, but it has everything to do with me. It is an undeniable calling to all of us. Those who step through the gateway to the new world will become a different person. Even I have no idea what exactly will happen.”
“Just like…”
“Just like my awakening.”
Qianye found it difficult to understand, but he finally saw Nighteye’s deeply hidden worries and pain. He took a step forward and stood in front of her, saying, “Can you… not go?”
“No.” Nighteye’s reply was clear and concise. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on his chest, feeling the beating of his blood core. “That’s why you should leave. I must leave too. From now on, we’ll… never see each other again.”
As though doused in a bucket of ice water, the cold caused Qianye’s body to stiffen, so much so that he couldn’t even say farewell. Everything that had happened in the past appeared one after the other in his eyes.
Qianye’s emotions were frozen, and his heart was sealed in ice. When he looked up again, the snowstorm, cliffs, and void tempests were no longer in front of him—he had already left the edge of the continent.
And he had no idea how he had walked out.
At the edge of the Eastern Sea, Nighteye never moved a muscle until Qianye’s figure vanished over the horizon. She stood there silently, lost in thought, almost as though she would stand there until the end of the world.
