"Die, monster!" Na Luo Wushuang roared, his cry laced with frenzy! This sword qi, condensed from every ounce of Na Luo Wushuang's power, moved with incredible speed. No one could imagine how Jiu Yao Shen Zhen could possibly evade or withstand it in this state.
"Ah! Marshal!" Yin Tao and the others were utterly terrified, their cries piercing the air!
Hah!
Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, suspended mid-air, let out a sharp roar!
Several blurry afterimages flashed into existence like lightning, slamming violently into the rapidly approaching sword qi!
It was the Dragon Shadow!
Whoosh! Thud! Rumble!
A deafening roar echoed across the heavens!
The pitch-black night sky was illuminated as if by daylight by a massive burst of light!
When the blinding explosion of light dissipated! Jiu Yao Shen Zhen’s figure was gone from the middle of the sky!
As if obliterated by the blast!
Yes, vanished!
Not only Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, but also Ji Du, Yin Tao, and the Great Mammoth King gripping the Mo Luo Yin Sha—all disappeared in the same instant, without warning!
As if they had never been there at all!
"Ah!"
The scene before them left Na Luo Wushuang and his men utterly dumbstruck.
Thump! Only then did Na Luo Wushuang’s figure, which had been descending from the air, drift gently to the ground.
Yet, he stood there, utterly vacant, looking around blankly.
"Her Majesty the Empress has been captured," Tie Mu Chuan stated, hardly daring to believe his own eyes.
"This! This! What in the world happened?" Tie Mu Feng muttered, so lost that his greatsword slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor unnoticed.
"Damn it," Zhu Rong Ming Xuan gritted his teeth. "It was the spatial teleportation of the Memory Set."
"Ah! Roar!" Na Luo Wushuang’s fury nearly burst his lungs; he threw his head back and screamed at the sky, "Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, I will never let you—thwack!"
In the midst of his howling, Na Luo Wushuang suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing unconscious.
On the other side!
In the Imperial Palace of Demon Dragon City!
Whoosh!
In the open plaza, a peculiar white light suddenly flashed. The entire space seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, displaying a strange distortion and ripple, and then!
Several blurred figures materialized out of thin air! Along with them, a hazy figure plummeted rapidly from the sky!
"Ah! That's General Ji Du!" The figures who appeared were indeed Ji Du and the others! Yue Yao Luohou and the Divine Shaman, who had been waiting for some time, rushed forward quickly!
"Shen Zhen," the figure falling from the air was Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, who had been teleported via the Memory Set's spatial transport. However, Jiu Yao Shen Zhen was still frozen in the posture of falling, slamming toward the ground!
With lightning-fast reflexes, Jiu Yao Chong Yang sprang up, catching the falling figure in his embrace.
"Shen Zhen!" Jiu Yao Chong Yang cried out, "What is wrong with you?"
Only then did everyone realize that the person in Jiu Yao Chong Yang's arms was nearly reduced to a mass of indistinct flesh and blood!
The once indestructible Celestial Demon Battle Armor had long since shattered into ragged fragments, and a fist-sized hole gaped open near his chest! One could even glimpse his faintly beating internal organs. His skin looked scorched, covered in countless cracks, from which blood flowed out like small streams!
"No, Your Highness!" Ji Du rushed forward in near madness, though he had no idea how to help.
"Divine Shaman, quickly save Shen Zhen!" Luohou exclaimed anxiously.
December 22nd, Holy Word Calendar Year 3749!
History would forever remember this day of profound significance! It was on this day that a historical event, shaking the entire continent, took place!
It was on this day that the Black Flag Legion raided the Imperial Palace and abducted the thirty-second generation Demon-Sealing Empress!
This was the Phoenix Rite Incident that would shock later generations!
No one could have imagined that, despite the protection of the Thunderous War Generals, the current Empress, Mo Luo Yin Sha, could still be abducted from the Palace by Jiu Yao Shen Zhen and his group!
Due to the Empress Mo Luo Yin Sha's capture, the Demon-Sealing Continent plunged into unprecedented panic and chaos; military morale faltered, and popular support dissolved. To stabilize the situation, the Mo Luo Church was forced to deploy all of its Thunderous War Generals onto the battlefield simultaneously.
Meanwhile, the Holy Word Alliance seized this rare opportunity, committing all their Thunderous War Generals to join the Demon-Sealing Battlefield.
The Second Thunder War was poised to erupt!
Yet, just when everyone believed this battle was inevitable, both great Churches surprisingly opted for peace negotiations!
The meeting place was chosen at Miesbi, an island situated centrally among the four nations.
January, Holy Word Calendar Year 3750! The Miesbi Armistice Agreement was signed!
This was the Miesbi Armistice Agreement, which would have far-reaching consequences for generations to come.
Thanks to the efforts of the Black Flag Legion, the Holy Word Alliance held the absolute advantage on the battlefield, giving them the upper hand in negotiations.
Faced with the aggressive Holy Word Alliance, the Mo Luo Alliance was forced to make concessions! They withdrew their troops from the Black Sea Miesbi’s Island of Confusion in the Blue Sea Hell, retaining garrisons only on the Island of Death in the Red Sea.
Naturally, the Black Flag Army also withdrew from the Demon-Sealing Continent!
Thus, the struggle for the Hall of Confusion within the Hellfire Miesbi in the Blue Sea finally concluded. The ownership of two of the six Dark Sanctuaries—the Hellfire Hall of Confusion and the Death Temple—was finally decided.
Through this negotiation, the Holy Word Alliance gained Hellfire and the Hall of Confusion, while the Mo Luo Alliance secured the Death Temple.
However, the other three Dark Sanctuaries recorded in The Origin—the Clam Worm Nest, the Falling Graveyard, and the Abyss Demon Realm—remained missing.
Nevertheless, the war between the Holy Word Alliance and the Mo Luo Alliance, which had dragged on for two thousand years, finally came to an end. For the Mafa people, who had suffered under incessant warfare, this was magnificent news! Everyone cheered and spread the word gleefully.
Ugh! So hot! So painful! Especially my chest; it felt as if someone had drilled a hole right through it!
I felt as if my entire body was being held over a pyre!
I desperately tried to make a sound in my throat, but all that came out was a faint, raspy moan!
But soon, I felt a cool ** liquid being poured into my mouth, extinguishing the restless burning sensation inside me.
I felt much clearer, and the pain seemed to ease considerably.
It was only then that I managed to open my eyes!
The first thing that greeted my sight was a beautiful, familiar face!
Black pupils! Blue long hair, now regarding me gently. But unlike the clear, bright eyes of my memory, these were now laced with countless blood vessels, making them look weary and haggard.
Even so, I recognized her instantly: Mom!
Everything felt like a dream; I could barely believe my eyes.
"Mom!" For some unknown reason, my eyes instantly blurred uncontrollably.
I felt a pair of gentle hands lightly stroke my cheeks. My hazy vision cleared again, but the corners of my eyes and my cheeks were already wet.
"Good child! You're awake!"
Her eyes, previously bloodshot, instantly filled with elation and excitement!
"En! I'm awake!" Although speaking now seemed to drain all my remaining strength, I didn't want those eyes to be clouded by worry and anxiety.
"It's good that you're awake!"
It was that familiar gaze, that gentle aura, dreamlike and ethereal.
The bright black pupils held a soft tenderness and affection; no words were spoken, yet I could clearly feel the essence of my mother's heart.
I had fantasized countless times about seeing her again! I had replayed her beautiful face in my mind countless times, but now that I was actually seeing her, I felt utterly lost, as if my body had lost control.
That wonderful feeling! That almost forgotten sensation!
It reasserted control over my body, just like the first time I saw her!
All I could do was cling tightly to the hand stroking my cheek, crying desperately! Crying and crying! I had so much I wanted to say, but at that moment, not a single word could escape my lips! I lacked the strength, and I didn't know how to begin!
The only thing left to do was cry!
It felt as if only by weeping could I release the weakness, grievance, and joy surging within my heart!
I didn't know why I was acting this way.
My subconscious told me that a grown man shouldn't behave like this, shouldn't cry!
But my body felt as if it were locked in control by another soul!
Yes, another soul that had been dormant for five years seemed to have awakened at this moment.
In this instant, I once again became an insignificant bystander.
Yet, deep in my heart, there was no panic or fear.
On the contrary, I felt an inexplicable sense of security and grounding! A satisfaction and relief born from release.
Scenes from the past five years flashed through my mind like a movie: the first time I saw Mom, the first time I woke up to see her.
I would never forget the captivating, intoxicating feeling of that first time, just like now—warm, tranquil, and serene.
After a long while, my body finally seemed to regain control, and the excitement in my heart calmed down!
Only then did I realize that my cheeks were being supported by two soft things, and my forehead was covered by a soft, moist warmth!
Light, soft! And that familiar, comforting faint fragrance!
It was like a mysterious spell, smoothing out the tumultuous thoughts churning within me.
I didn't know when, but Mom had leaned down and kissed my forehead!
I snapped back to awareness! My cheeks instantly flushed scarlet, hot and fiery!
Sensing that I had finally calmed down, Mom sat upright and looked at me!
But upon seeing my somewhat shy expression,
A flicker of confusion and bewilderment crossed Mom's bright, large eyes! It was immediately replaced by understanding and a gentle smile!
"Xiao Man!" A loud, familiar voice reached my ears, laced with joy and excitement.
I quickly turned my head!
It was Chen Feng, who walked in with a flush of emotion.
Beside him were Jiu Yao Chong Yang, Ji Du, the Divine Shaman Yan Luo, Yin Shuang, Yin He, Yin Tao, and the others!
Their expressions were likewise unable to hide their ecstasy! But their gazes were all exceedingly strange! As if they had seen a ghost, they stared at me, dumbfounded.
"M-M-Marshal," Yin Tao stammered, "W-Why are you crying?"
"Crying?" I was somewhat bewildered, then subconsciously touched the corner of my eye; it was indeed wet!
"You old fool," Yin Shuang couldn't help it and delivered a sharp rap to Yin Tao’s head, then looked at Mom and me with a hint of awkwardness.
Jiu Yao Chong Yang, standing nearby, looked at Yin Tao as if he were an idiot!
"Ah!" I finally realized what was happening! My face immediately flushed crimson, beyond my control!
I'm finished! My image!
Waaah!
A grown man, crying his eyes out in his mother's embrace, and witnessed by Jiu Yao Chong Yang, Ji Du, and Yin Shuang.
How am I ever going to face anyone again!
Damn Ye Xiao Man, you crybaby! You've ruined me! All my image is destroyed now!
"Um, Your Majesty, perhaps we should step out first," the Divine Shaman said, pulling Ji Du and Jiu Yao Chong Yang, quickly retreating from the room.
And Yan Luo, Yin Shuang, and the others bolted as if escaping a calamity!
Only the stunned me and the equally frozen Mom remained!
After a long moment, mother and son finally came back to themselves.
The atmosphere felt slightly awkward, but Mom seemed quite pleased.
Especially the way she looked at me—beyond deep maternal care, there was another indescribable, strange element in her gaze.
It’s over, it’s over!
I was completely shell-shocked by the scene just now!
The image I had worked so hard to build up!
Iron-Blooded Commander, Strongest War General, Blue Lightning—all of it vanished because of my tears!
Those guys must be laughing so hard their stomachs hurt right now!
"Are you feeling better?"
Mom seemed worried about my condition.
"Much better," I felt a significant portion of my strength return. "Just very dizzy."
"Rest well!"
Mom made a gesture signaling me to lie down.
En! I nodded slightly.
My head still felt heavy and muddled.
But it was only now that I realized: I should still be in the Demon-Sealing Imperial Palace. How did I wake up to see Mom and Jiu Yao Chong Yang here?
Am I currently in the Demon Dragon Imperial Palace?
Unfortunately, before I could ponder further, I lost consciousness again.