Inside the expansive meeting hall! Everyone stared at the not-so-imposing figure standing there, their faces etched with disbelief!
Nine Luminaries Divine Truth—a nightmare that once plagued the world of Marfa! That name, that name, echoed in tales steeped in blood!
For the rulers of the continent, the name Nine Luminaries Divine Truth had become taboo!
His very existence was an indelible brand from the deepest nightmares, striking fear into the hearts of all those in power!
The founder of the terrifying Black Flag Legion, the architect of the Dragon Tyranny!
Some called him the incarnation of a demon; others swore he was a demon. And now, this legendary fiend stood before them.
It felt as if a massive stone had settled in everyone’s chest, stealing their breath away!
Ying Zhenfei Yan and Hu Xiaoshan Lin realized their palms were slick with sweat. This stemmed not only from the widespread, fearsome reputation of the Nine Luminaries Divine Truth but also from the dense, almost suffocating pressure emanating from him!
Black hair, black eyes, the Phoenix Heaven Demon Armor! Was this the Nine Luminaries Divine Truth, the one whose mere stomp could make the entire continent tremble? When they had spotted this familiar figure amid the ruins of Viper Valley, they had instantly recognized him as the Dragon King Qin, missing for three long months!
Daring not to delay a moment longer, they had quickly escorted him back to the outpost.
As for why he suddenly appeared in Viper Valley, they remained utterly ignorant, nor did they dare to press him for details!
The hall descended into an absolute silence!
“……” Strange. Are these guys all stunned? Why are they just staring at me blankly! This leaves me feeling rather awkward!
But reflecting on past events, I suppose I can understand somewhat. It seems there are still a few misunderstandings between me and the Bich Empire. I just hope they don't let their tempers flare and try to cause trouble for me!
Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, and a graceful, tall figure appeared at the entrance of the hall!
“Young Marshal of the Azure Dragon Legion, Heavenly Rainbow Guard, Jian Qi, pays respects to His Highness, the King of Qin!”
It was Jian Qi! This caught me somewhat by surprise: “Twenty-odd years, and you’re still looking the same!”
I had to admit, the people of the Marfa Continent possessed the secret of eternal youth. Like Yin Shuang, Jian Qi looked untouched by the passing of time! Still, there were changes!
Compared to when she was on the Demon Sealing Continent, Jian Qi before me now appeared much calmer and more composed; clearly, she had matured significantly over the last two decades.
“Your Highness remains as magnificent as ever, no different from when you were on the Demon Sealing Continent,” Jian Qi replied with a faint smile!
“Heh heh.” I chuckled awkwardly. I was different from them, after all; I had slept through twenty years. My state of mind hadn't changed much. The events of two decades ago felt like yesterday, the memories still vivid!
The only people in the Bich Empire with whom I had any rapport were Jian Qi and Jian Wu. These two old comrades were always inseparable, yet only she appeared now: “Where is Old General Jian Wu? Is he well?”
“Thanks to Your Highness’s blessings, Old General Jian Wu is in robust health and spirits,” Jian Qi reported. “However, he is currently in the Imperial Capital.”
“What a pity. I had hoped to see him this time.”
“The Old General often speaks of Your Highness,” Jian Qi said, sounding somewhat sentimental. “He truly misses those days on the Demon Sealing Continent.”
“……”
What is there to miss about constant fighting and killing!
Reunions among old comrades invariably lead to a torrent of reminiscence, but neither I nor Jian Qi felt like dwelling on the past.
“We heard that Your Highness, General Moluo, and others entered the Land of Heroes, and after three months with no word, you have now appeared in Viper Valley. How is that possible?”
Truthfully, appearing in Viper Valley was entirely beyond my expectation! I hadn't anticipated that the spatial warp array within the XY080 base would transport me to the Bich Continent!
As for the details of what happened, I couldn’t clearly explain it myself! I could only say it was the will of Heaven!
“That is a long story!……”
I gave a rough account of my experiences after entering the Land of Heroes!
“I never imagined the Orcs would be so despicable as to set such a trap,” Jian Qi commented. “It is fortunate that Your Highness is blessed with great fortune and survived the ordeal. Not only that, but you even acquired an Ancient Hero! It seems humanity is not yet doomed.”
“Just luck.” Both I and others had grown accustomed to the seemingly endless supply of good fortune that followed me around!
However, thinking of the others who entered the warp array with me and whose whereabouts remain unknown, a shadow fell over everyone. It seemed their fate was sealed for the worse!
“Since Your Highness has found the Hero,” Jian Qi said with anticipation, “would it be possible for us to witness it?”
The others around me also scrutinized my body with curious gazes, as if trying to discern something about me just by looking!
“That…” Their intentions were clear, but summoning a Hero was no trivial matter. I could only offer a dry laugh: “This Hero cannot simply be summoned at will. A mistake could cause massive trouble. Unless absolutely necessary, it’s best not to summon it lightly.” I quickly explained.
“What a shame.” Jian Qi looked slightly disappointed. “I really wanted to see what this Ancient Hero looks like.”
“Right, during these past three months, what movements have the Orcs made? And is there any news from the Dragon Empire?”
“The current situation is grim. Many cities have been captured by the Orcs’ Dragon Legions……”
Through Jian Qi’s description, I finally grasped the recent state of the continent over the last three months.
Overall, the situation was disastrously bad!
After I, Moluo Yin Feng, and the others were transported away by the activated warp array, the array unexpectedly exploded! This immediately made Xing Ye, Xing Zhan, and the others realize that the entire affair was a conspiracy orchestrated by the Orcs!
It was clear the Orcs’ goal was to eliminate key generals like myself, Moluo Yin Feng, and You Quan Feng Xiao—to weaken humanity’s strength!
Without a doubt, their plan succeeded. After I and Moluo Yin Feng were swept away by spatial turbulence due to the magic array’s explosion!
The Orcs finally launched a full-scale invasion, countless Orcish armies surging onto various battlefields! This was the largest comprehensive invasion launched by the Orcs in three thousand years!
Fortunately, the caution exercised earlier meant that a large contingent of humanity’s elite generals, including Xing Ye, Xing Zhan, and Feng Qingtian, were preserved, playing a crucial role in the subsequent great battles, allowing the human armies to finally stabilize their position!
Moreover, thanks to the magical effect of the Black Flag Army's spatial teleportation division—the so-called Divine Sword from the Heavens in popular lore—the elite warriors of the Black Flag Army could appear anywhere on the continent at any time to support the major battlefronts!
Only by this effort were they barely able to hold back the Orc advance!
“How is that possible?” I was somewhat surprised by this outcome. “With the power of the Thunder Array, the Orcs shouldn’t have any force capable of resisting it. Even without me, Xing Ye and Xing Zhan together could still utilize the Thunder Array. How could the Orcs possibly fight us?”
“Your Highness is unaware,” Jian Qi said gravely. “It is because the Orc race possesses two Dragon Sovereigns.”
“What? Two Dragon Sovereigns?” I nearly jumped up!
“Although one Dragon Sovereign was defeated by you on the Snow Domain Continent, for some unknown reason, two months ago, another black Dragon Sovereign appeared. And this one is even more formidable than the previous one! Even the Ten Thousand Man Thunder Array cannot stand against it. It calls itself the Shadow Dragon Sovereign.”
“The Shadow Dragon Sovereign.” I was utterly stunned!