"Have we been betrayed?"
"Impossible!" One after another, Qiu Sanren and Qiu Sanbao considered this possibility but denied it instantly. The Ancient Spirit blood drops that they'd received from Qiu Meng made every son and daughter of the Qiu clan cherish honor and loyalty above all other principles. No amount of benefit could make the children of the Qiu clan sell out their kin. And yet, as top-ranking members of the Mourning Shadow hall, how could they not recognize the carriage and steed of the Endless Sea's monarch?
The ritual preparations were in full swing, and with every Qiu clansman having more work than one pair of hands could handle, this was the perfect opportunity for traitors to sneak out. Alarmed, Qiu Sanren and Qiu Sanbao spread out their Spiritual Senses. The absence of one of their weaker clan protectors struck them both speechless, forcing them to accept the truth that their hearts refused till now.
"Bastard!" Indeed, the Qiu bloodline emphasized honor and loyalty, but the meaning of those terms still relied on the clansman's own beliefs. The traitor didn't need benefits, and refused to watch the flames of war embroil myriad worlds because his clan leaders refused to let go of a distant past. The Hengye officials capitalized on this flaw to make him turn against his kin.
"Never mind. Thousands of years of preparation will not collapse for one faithless scoundrel. Since we dare to set this plan into motion, we naturally have the means to resist outside interferences!"
"Correct. The Central Domain may not know that Hengye Wuxin vanished, but we of the Mourning Shadow hall have been aware of this truth for thousands of years now. Can the current monarch resist the boons we've received from the Northern Dark Sea Palace? Unlikely!" Qiu Sanren and Qiu Sanbao didn't lose their composure. After all, no matter how high their cultivation base was, experts of the Great Desolation couldn't unleash more than the Immortal realm.
The only exceptions to this rule were ancient forbidden lands or territories like the Hengye's Evernight Palace and the Taiyang's Divine Palace, which had been transformed through massive investments by the succeeding Gods of the two clans for some secret purpose. The Qiu clan's island didn't belong to those territories, which limited the invaders' cultivation to the Immortal level.
A simple glance at the auras surrounding the carriage showed that the strongest of this lineup didn't exceed Supreme Clarity. If the current monarch believed that he could take them down with just that, a rude awakening would soon bring him back to reason.
"Activate the defensive formation!" All elders of the Qiu clan got to work, and while their descendants carried on with the ritual arrangement, they sat crossed-legged before their ancestral hall, chanting ancient mantras. Runic characters oozed out of their lips, colorful waves rose from the earth and seas as the Qiu clan's defensive formation kicked into gear. This array reached the tenth layer—stepping into immortal territory.
That by itself was no surprise. As the last inheritors of the Celestial Hall, even if they had no Immortal to hold the fort, the Qiu clan could count on several immortal-level methods that'd make even the Spirit Emperors of the Five Continents avoid confrontation at all cost.
However, the Mourning Shadow hall leaders by the carriage could see that, as the flurry of runic characters rose up the sky, the array's might intensified. Human Immortal, Earth Immortal…all the way to Heavenly Immortal, yes, by the time the runes harmonized with the barrier, the hall leaders didn't doubt that not even a Heavenly Immortal's full-powered strike could bring down this defensive array. Massive whirlpools formed outside the barrier, unleashing vast suction force that threatened to swallow all outside lives in.
"Not bad. Xiao Hu, since you received the Nine Paths of Yin and Yang from Hanxing, watch and get enlightenment through this battle. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to comprehend a transcendent technique," Xinzi said, and without waiting for Xiao Hu's reply, stood up.
"Be…careful." At first, Xiao Hu wondered how Xinzi knew about that, but with everything she'd learned recently and his control over her soul, the question seemed silly, so she just gave a weak encouragement, not caring for the fact that this Xinzi didn't need anyone's backing.
Not expecting the words, Xinzi glanced at Xiao Hu, and his eyebrows arched up. Still, he gave no reply, and with supreme composure, walked out of the carriage. Outside, the Mourning Shadow hall leaders bowed as their monarch walked out, making the Qiu clansmen, who watched this from a distance, grumble at what they considered a blatant betrayal of all the objectives the Infernal Nuns had set for the Mourning Shadows.
Still, their eyes wouldn't linger on the traitors, quickly shifting towards the only threat to their ritual event: the new God-Monarch of the Eternal Night.
For years now, that person's existence had been shrouded in mystery. Some even wondered if he existed, after all, even the Hengye clan couldn't hold a Divine Consecration in hiding, and no such event had occurred recently. But as their eyes locked on him, terror filled the Qiu elders' hearts.
'Isn't that…the Thousand-Faced God's shadow? Could it be that the rumor was true? The new monarch…comes from Heaven?' They shivered at the mere thought, still, their spirit wouldn't break, and the supreme confidence they had in their preparations kept their vigor at maximum value.
"You've overlapped the Celestial Hall's Immortal Slaying Formation with ancient demonic runes to enhance both the destructive and defensive power. Not bad. Makes me wonder what kind of legacy the Northern Dark Sea provided you with. My Divine Self will give you an opportunity. Stop this madness at once, and I will keep three of the Qiu daughters alive, so at least your bloodline will carry on in the Evernight Palace," Xinzi said.
Just because something didn't have a demonic energy signature didn't mean it didn't hide such powers. Many demons excelled at subterfuge, otherwise, how could they hide among men, spirits and deities alike. Xinzi's Heart-Shifter demon heart was one such example.
That he could see through the formation's demonic nature with one glance made the Qiu elders shiver some more. His words, however, drove up their hatred, adding fuel to the battle spirit that burned so bright already.
"God-Monarch, for thousands of years, the sons and daughters of the Qiu clan have lived in disgrace, carrying out the vile will of the Eternal Night to survive in these brutal seas. These sacrifices were all for this day. Here, we make our final stand. In victory, our glorious ancestor will return to this world and purge it from your wicked presence. In defeat, we hope that our sacrifices can warm the ancestor's heart, and that from the River of Time he sees…that his children have never forsaken him! Do your worst!"
Qiu Sanren's voice boomed throughout the island, galvanizing the Qiu clansmen. Subsequently, all juniors put more energy into their work, pushing past their bodies' limits to hasten the construction of the ritual altar that'd open the rift into the River of Time.
"I see. That being the case…" Undisturbed by the terrifying suction force released by the whirlpools, Xinzi took one step forward and stretched his hands out. His hair, sleeves and regal robe fluttered as his aura erupted. Bright wings of pure Divine Power spread from his back, contrasting with the eerie obsidian-colored steam that surged out of his body.
"You can all die." Surrounded by radiant stars, one dark smiling face appeared in the sky, with bright eyes and mouth that chilled even the valiant Qiu Elders' spines.
'The Crippling Night Manifestation!' The Qiu elders realized.
Divine Power had several applications, and starting with the True God tier, could manifest into an incarnation of the pantheon that the deity belonged to. This Divine Manifestation was the true mark of divinity. But in the history of the Great Desolation World, most God-Monarchs—Hengye or Taiyang—had always been False Gods. In fact, only Hengye Wuxin had exceeded that altitude and revealed the true form of a Night God's Divine Power to the world.
From the Qiu elders to their weakest juniors, all the way down to the formation that sheltered them all, Xinzi's foes felt their strength shrink, their soul force atrophy and their bodies turn limp underneath the Night's smiling face.
Armored titans rushed out of the whirlpools, each wielding massive swords and surrounded with overbearing sword light. In tandem, they rushed at Xinzi, but the closer they got, the weaker they became. His arms jerked forth, unleashing colossal divine power and blood energy that combined into irresistible red and white sea waves.
The blood-white sea waves barreled into the titans, sweeping them aside like the tides would a helpless flea. The divine-blood tide carried on, crashing into the Qiu clan's barrier and sending brutal tremors to turn their island upside down.
The formation that the Qiu elders put so much faith in cracked upon impact. And should this divine-blood tide go unchecked, it wouldn't be long before it broke down!
"Quick, quick! Unleash the corpse!" Qiu Sanren bellowed, and Qiu Sanbao left his post, rushing towards the sea tide with his storage ring raised at Xinzi!