That young little girl now looked like a fifteen-year-old lady, and she was starting to catch up to Qianye in height. From her external appearance, no one could tell that this slender young girl possessed such explosive power within.
Her eyes were clear, bright, and contained a hint of cunning, a stark difference from her usual confused state.
“You’ve grown up.” Qianye felt emotional. She was but an egg back when he found her in a count’s lair. Qianye and Song Zining were only young geniuses back then—all the major characters had to say about them was that their potential wasn’t bad.
How time had flown! This little girl had already grown up. Qianye, Song Zining, and their brothers from back in the year had all become awe-inspiring experts.
Little Zhuji said with a smile, “I grow fast, but I’m still very young.”
Qianye was astonished. “How did you become so smart?”
The girl replied, “I don’t know. One day, I stopped being so hungry, almost as though I had woken up from a long sleep. Then, I understood everything.”
“That… alright…” Qianye didn’t know what to say.
Arachne talents were truly enviable. This little lass had done little besides eating and sleeping since she was born. When she fought, she did so out of instinct, and her innate talents decided her cultivation. She had m.a.t.u.r.ed even faster than Qianye, shaming all of the geniuses from either faction.
This little fellow had actually become an extremely beautiful lady, but Qianye’s impression of her was stuck in that period where she was latching onto him.
“How come you’re here?”
The lass didn’t reply. Instead, she gestured with her eyes, saying, “Aren’t you going? They’re going to start fighting soon.”
Qianye turned around and saw Caroline glaring at Nighteye, arcs of lightning flickering on her whip. She was clearly preparing for a fight.
Nighteye looked rather puzzled, but she wasn’t one to think twice about retaliating against challengers.
Qianye hurriedly stepped in between them. “What’s going on?”
Caroline contained her killing intent. “She’s Nighteye, right? The one who almost killed you in the last battle?”
Nighteye replied calmly, “Outsiders don’t need to interfere with our couple’s spat.”
Caroline’s expression was ashen. “How can a spat go so far?! The word on the streets is that he’s dead! If it wasn’t for the information from the Martyr’s Palace, I… I wouldn’t even know if he’s alive!”
Nighteye shot her a smiling glance. “What? Were you planning on avenging him?”
“That was the plan if he really did die. I’ll kill that person whoever she is!” Caroline admitted honestly.
Smelling the tension in the air, Qianye wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere.
However, Nighteye placed one hand on his shoulder and covered his mouth with the other. “I don’t mean to say no one can meddle in our affairs, but it’ll be better if you’re a hundred and eighty years younger.”
“Bang!” Lightning erupted on Caroline’s whip, blasting a small hole in the ground. Her c.h.e.s.t heaved rapidly as arcs of electricity crawled all over her body. Clearly, she was beyond furious. She might’ve lashed at Nighteye if she weren’t standing so close to Qianye.
This Dark Gospel was peeking in this direction at first, but he unexpectedly turned away the moment he met Qianye’s gaze and began shouting commands at the vampire civilian airsh.i.p.s.
The acting was beyond fake.
Qianye cursed at the old man for lack of camaraderie, but he couldn’t do anything about it.
On the other side, Caroline seemed to have thought things through. Her killing intent receded as she said with a smile, “Speaking of age, I wonder how an awakener’s age is calculated. I think there’s a commonly accepted formula for this.”
Nighteye’s smile froze stiff for a moment.
Off in the distance, Howard turned away once more. He was simply watching the vampire airsh.i.p.s this time, and his aura was so well contained that he felt more like an ordinary vampire elder.
Nighteye’s loosened her grip on Qianye’s mouth. She said nonchalantly while squishing his face, “This fellow might be dumb, but you might be a bit lacking to be able to avenge him. To be frank, anyone below the grand duke rank will be throwing their lives away.”
Caroline said, “Even if I can’t, I still have my brother. Our Thunderfrost Temple isn’t easy to push around in the neutral lands.”
“Neutral lands is it? I think I’ve heard of the Throne of Blood. I might just head over when I’m free and remove all those shrines and temples.”
Nighteye patted Qianye’s face, saying, “Look, I think I need to go to the neutral lands.”
Qianye couldn’t remain silent anymore. “She’s one of ours, there’s no need to go that far.”
“One of yours?” Nighteye laughed coldly.
Qianye pulled Nighteye back and said to Caroline, “I tricked her in that battle, that’s how she ended up injuring me. I’m fine right now, see?”
Caroline’s expression darkened. “Looks like the rumors are true, you really did want to die. Fine, I understand.”
She put away her Thunderous Whip and walked into the Martyr’s Palace, unwilling to reveal herself any longer.
Qianye sighed.
“Go after her.” Nighteye prodded.
Qianye shook his head. “Let it be, I’ll find some time to explain. She’s not a bad person.”
From her tone, Qianye knew that this problem was over. As slow as he was in the romance department, he knew he couldn’t go after Caroline at this juncture.
After all the vampires had boarded the airship, the Martyr’s Palace slowly rose into the air, leaping into the void as it flew toward Dawn Continent.
At the Martyr’s Palace, Qianye was seated in front of the window, gazing at the scenery outside. Nighteye sat beside him with Howard and Zhuji across from them.
Zhuji’s bright sparkling eyes remained fixed upon Nighteye all the while.
Toward the end, Qainey could no longer ignore her dazzling gaze. “What’s the matter?”
Little Zhuji propped up her cheek with her palms. “I was thinking that they’re right.”
“About what?”
“They say the stepmother is always better looking.”
The atmosphere in the Martyr’s Palace immediately reached subzero temperatures.
Nighteye turned toward Qianye with a spurious smile. “That means she has a birth mother?”
Qianye felt nervous as he looked at her raised brows. “Don’t listen to her! She just grew up and doesn’t know much!”
“Of course I know! I remember everything you guys said since I broke through the eggshell!” Little Zhuji stabbed him again.
Nighteye tilted her head. “Then… who’s your birth mother? Is it that woman from just now?”
Little Zhuji blinked innocently. “Of course not. I’m talking about Mommy Zining. He doesn’t look as good as you.”
Qianye heaved a sigh of relief, his forehead drenched in sweat. He glared furiously at Little Zhuji, puzzled as to whether she was doing this intentionally or otherwise.
Nighteye stared at Qianye and said coldly, “The weather’s not hot at all. Why are you sweating if not for a sense of guilt?”
“Well… it’s not exactly cool, either,” Qianye said vaguely.
Howard’s expression was rather odd, almost as though he would break out in laughter at the next moment. Fortunately, he remembered his identity and managed to maintain his image as a primogenitor.
Qianye said to Zhuji with a stern face, “Where did you learn all this nonsense? We were the ones who brought you to the neutral lands, don’t you remember?”
“Of course I remember, but that was Aunty Nighteye!”
“Isn’t she the same person?”
“She has awakened and no longer the same.”
Qianye didn’t know what to say. “Who taught you these things?”
“Aunty Nighteye’s identity? I just knew after I woke up.”
Qianye had no way to deal with her or her special inheritance.
According to Evernight customs, an awakener would possess an awakened status. For instance, Nighteye became a member of the Monroe clan after awakening as a primo. After her second awakening, she was treated with the same ceremony as a dark monarch.
“Who taught you the first part? Who are ‘they’?” Qianye was shrouded in killing intent, prepared to take it out on the little fella.
Zhuji pointed downward, saying, “The crew. Whatever they say on the airship I know.”
Qianye was stunned—the little lass’ perception couldn’t have reached this stage no matter how powerful it was. He immediately found an answer after connecting with the Earth Dragon. “You can communicate with the Earth Dragon?”
Zhuji nodded. “It’s really slow, though. I need to talk to him for half a day before he gives me a reply.”
The Martyr’s Palace began to tremble constantly at this point. This was abnormal because this airship used to be a void colossus, and traveling through the void was second nature to it. There was no way it would be unstable.
Qianye looked out the window and saw the entire area shrouded in resplendent light. It almost felt like they were in fantasy land.
The appearance of such radiance in the void space between continents usually meant great danger. Even the Martyr’s Palace would suffer constant impact while passing through; ordinary airsh.i.p.s wouldn’t last for long.
Nighteye looked serious. “This is the rainbow belt that separates the upper and middle continents. How come it’s here?”
Howard said, “Correct. I found the hidden flight path after noticing the abnormality in the rainbow belt, which led me to the place on Dawn Continent.”
Qianye merged his consciousness with the Earth Dragon and began steering the massive airship through the prismatic light.
