In a moony yet clear dream, it was still snowing heavily.
The Kunlun City of Zhongzhou State.
This was a place that one could not enjoy either in reality or in dreams. Looking from afar, one could see layer upon layer of mountains. The earth was snow-white and holy, like a wonderland.
But in fact, as somewhere of ice and snow, it did not look like any place on Earth, but it was the most bothersome one.
It was the ancestor of mountains in Zhongzhou State. The mountains here were lofty and the air was thin.
The mountains were too high and the snow was too cold.
If anyone stayed here too long, it seemed that all his warmth and humanity would be covered by the heavy snow. Anyone here would gradually become a pure lunatic.
This was a cold and cruel place. There were no traces of morality, bottom line, right and wrong, good and evil, and warmth.
Only the cold wind howled between heaven and earth.
Only snow and ice covered the mountains.
It was a place that made one shudder to think of the whiteness of the snow.
The sky of Kunlun in the dreams was always gloomy and deathly silent, with a kind of desperate black.
The days were not bright and the nights were not purely dark. In an environment where black and white were intermingled with each other, despair spread throughout the mountains.
The dream was just like a film with monotonous color, which was dull and rigid and recorded everything clearly and profoundly.
The first thunderstorm broke.
Thunder rumbled on Qingyun Peak and shook the earth.
The pale lightning in the sky kept falling, and the heavy snow all over the mountains and plains swirled in the air. The snowflakes, like swords, flew back and forth continuously. People were falling from the Qingyun Peak that was thousands of meters high into the quiet city below. More and more people rushed forward one after another, like a huge crowd.
The mighty lightning fell, the white snowflakes drifted away, and the red blood sprayed everywhere. Black night, snow-white mountains, and a cold person.
The broken yet complete scene on the battlefield that took place many years ago broke into the dream as if it was something happened yesterday.
“Who dares fight me?”
A man’s thunderous voice rang. It echoed throughout the battlefield and made the mountains roar.
“Who is qualified to fight me?”
The crowd scattered and disappeared.
The corpses piled up like a hill.
Blood flowed like streams.
A slender figure covered in blood stood on the mountaintop in high spirit.
There was still lightning falling from the sky, but the snowflakes had stopped flying. They all floated around him, carrying raging sword intent and killing intent. He stood in the horrifying and b.l.o.o.d.y battlefield, as if he had connected himself with heaven and earth and had become the only one in the world.
When he moved, mountains and rivers toppled and fell.
If he died, heaven rent asunder and earth cracked!
He stood on Kunlun Mountain and was supreme.
“Bang!”
A murderous weapon was rumbling. A gleam of black light carrying a strong blast of air suddenly covered the entire Qingyun Peak. It tore the lightning, the snow, and everything in its path.
The intense sword light shone in the black light, dazzling as the rainbow.
Several figures stood in the air, silent and indifferent.
The black light dissipated.
The figure covered in blood still stood on the mountaintop with a bright smile.
“I have one sword move, and I wish to die with you.”
He raised the blade gently in his hand.
The lightning dissipated.
The snowflakes disappeared.
There was only one sword between heaven and earth.
s.p.a.ce undulated and twisted slightly.
A figure wrapped in black rushed to the mountaintop at full speed.
The figure and the sword united as an integral whole.
The black figure’s murderous aura was surging. There were only a pair of bright eyes under the mask, cold and sharp.
He turned his head a little.
Suddenly, the Sword Energy and sword intent dissipated.
Both the woman in black and her long sword were getting nearer.
The blade, as cold as the snow, pierced his heart directly. The raging sword intent exploded inside him and then spread out.
He was covered in a mist of blood from head to toe.
He stood motionlessly and looked into the cold and sharp eyes in front of him. Then he said with a gentle smile, “It hurts.”
“Why didn’t you fight back?”
The woman in black asked coldly.
“You’ll die, and he’ll die as well.”
He continued to laugh, as if nothing had happened.
“How dare you, an ordinary man, call yourself ’emperor’? Ridiculous! Today, you end up like this, and w.a.n.g Tianzong will end up the same way as you do some other day.”
Another voice, cold and contented, sounded in the air.
However, he paid no attention to it. He just looked into her eyes quietly, as if he wanted to engrave them in his heart.
“I’m sorry.”
She spoke again, calmly.
“Understandable. Your last name is Gu after all.”
He continued to smile as if he had never changed.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to say this. I’m extremely tired over the years. It’s time for a break.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I wanna go home.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I really want to see him again.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
His figure fell in the snow, without making any more sound.
Only her voice kept echoing.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Ugh!!!”
A sad and shrill cry burst out. It sounded miserable and desperate.
Qin Weibai suddenly opened her eyes and breathed quickly.
The car moved smoothly through the downtown of Bruchsal. Outside the car window, there were debauched and corrupt environments and many people who indulged themselves in a life of luxury. It was really a scene of prosperity.
She wrapped herself in her windbreaker and became silent as she adjusted herself to the air that was colder than that of Huating.
“Boss, do you have a nightmare?”
Horsewoman looked at the sweat on Qin Weibai’s delicate forehead and asked softly.
“Water.”
Qin Weibai took deep breaths and said calmly.
Horsewoman immediately took a bottle of water and handed it over to her.
Qin Weibai unscrewed the cap of the bottle with trembling hands and poured half of the mineral water down her stomach in one breath. She heaved a sigh of relief and asked coldly, “Where are we?”
“We’re arriving at the Aurora Hotel.”
Flaming Fire, who was driving the car, replied respectfully.
Qin Weibai nodded. The Aurora Hotel was the location of their predetermined a.s.sembly and it was about dozens of kilometers from the airport.
“Has my elder sister arrived yet?”
She continued, putting aside the mineral water.
Flaming Fire nodded her head slightly and said nothing.
Qin Weibai turned to look out of the window and whispered, “I don’t want to wait anymore.”
…
The helicopter whizzed over the top of the hill.
Before Dongcheng Wudi, who was burning with anxiety, got off the helicopter, he saw his father standing on the roof of the villa.
As a General of Zhongzhou State, he did things neatly. Without waiting for the helicopter to land, he opened the hatch door and jumped down, landing beside Dongcheng Hanguang.
The whole roof shook slightly.
Dongcheng Wudi forced himself to calm down and called him dad.
Dongcheng Hanguang turned to look at him and asked calmly, “You want to go to Huating, right?”
Dongcheng Wudi paused for a second and replied with a wry smile, “If you had not let someone stop me in the air, I should be in Huating by now. Tianlan…”
“Don’t bother.”
Dongcheng Hanguang interrupted him forcefully, “It’s not appropriate for you to go there now.”
Dongcheng Wudi kept silent. He knew his father was right, but there were things people had to do even if they were wrong.
“I’ve just spoken to Boss Qin on the phone,” said Dongcheng Hanguang.
He didn’t care if his son understood or not and continued, “Go back to the Border Control Corps. Don’t go to Huating presently.”
“I… Can I meet him by the way?”
Dongcheng Wudi hesitated and couldn’t help but ask.
“You’re not going that way.”
Dongcheng Hanguang looked into the distance and added forcefully, “Not to the south, but to the northeast corps!”
…
The Sky Academy.
In the evening, the top management of the academy held a banquet of a high standard to welcome Tribulation—the Deputy Governor of Sigh City and also the deputy director of teaching, to join Star of Yan and Huang.
All the teachers at the Sky Academy attended the banquet and the atmosphere was animated. Facing the arrival of Tribulation, even if Gu Yunxia, who feared him the most and was still seriously injured, had to force a smile to welcome this uncontrollable deputy.
After the banquet, Zhuang Huayang had a secret talk with Tribulation and personally sent him out of the office.
In the s.p.a.cious office, the old headmaster picked up the red confidential telephone on the desk and skillfully dialed a number.
Soon, there was a deep, soft voice, magnetic and impressive.
“Chief, I’m sorry to disturb you.”
Zhuang Huayang laughed and said casually.
“No, I’m still reviewing some doc.u.ments. Just now, Dongcheng Wudi came up to me and complained. He held me up.”
On the phone, the chief spoke at a moderate speed and his voice was gentle and unhurried.
“How is Li Tianlan?”
After a short pause, he continued.
“I don’t know the specific condition either. But as far as I know, it’s not optimistic.”
Zhuang Huayang told the truth after hesitating for a while. He intended to protect Li Tianlan, but he absolutely could not affect the chief’s judgment.
The chief fell silent.
After waiting for a while, Zhuang Huayang asked tentatively, “Chief, shall we do something?”
“Watch first. I guess people from Samsara are about to arrive at Bili State. Just wait.”
The chief laughed and said calmly.
Zhuang Huayang agreed with a straight face.
“I heard that the relationship between the eldest daughter of Dongcheng Clan and Qin Weibai is very good?”
Suddenly, the chief asked thoughtfully.
“Maybe, I didn’t pay much attention to that.”
Zhuang Huayang replied in surprise.
The chief laughed again and hung up the phone.
…
Garden Party.
w.a.n.g Tianzong still stayed in the pavilion. As he looked at the messages he had received, his eyes were getting colder and colder.
w.a.n.g Yuetong had been missing for 12 hours.
There was no word from the police.
There was no word from the military.
There was no word from the Sky Academy either.
His precious daughter seemed to disappear out of thin air. No one knew she was alive or dead.
“Tianzong, how about I go to Liu’s house?”
Beside w.a.n.g Tianzong, a middle-aged man in a suit walked into the pavilion and asked flatly.
He was about fifty and wore a pair of gla.s.ses. He was calm, unruffled and dignified.
He was Yue Chunguang, a right-hand man of the Southeast Group and also the mayor of Huating.
He was the spokesperson of the entire Southeast Group in Huating and also a compet.i.tive contender for the top leader of Huating in the future.
Yue Chunguang was tough and thoughtful. Over the past five years, his struggle with Zhong Yongming—the leader of the Prince Group, was unusually exciting. The latter served concurrently as a councilor of the Decision Making Committee and the top leader. Both his rank and position were higher than Yue Chunguang—the second in command. However, within the five years time, Zhong Yongming didn’t gain any advantage from Yue Chunguang.
Yue Chunguang wielded great influence in all departments of the city. But as the Prince Group kept a foothold in Huating, many members of the standing committee in Huating were changed. Currently, Huating was controlled by a group of independent big potatoes. Yue Chunguang’s advantage had been greatly weakened. But even so, in the confrontation with Zhong Yongming, he could still hold his ground. This showed the political wisdom of the right-hand man of the Southeast Group.
After w.a.n.g Yuetong was missing, Yue Chunguang came to the Garden Party as fast as he could and had issued a series of search orders on the way. Under his direct intervention, almost all the forces of Huating had been out looking for w.a.n.g Yuetong, but there was still no news of her.
She had been missing for 12 hours.
That was enough time for anything to happen.
Yue Chunguang liked w.a.n.g Yuetong—his young niece, extremely. Though he was always calm, as time went on, he could not sit still any longer. He stood up and wanted to go to Liu’s house.
Throughout the Huating, the Liu family’s intelligence organization was the largest. The organization named the Curtain had operated in Huating for decades. In recent years, it had specialized in intelligence. Unlike other intelligence agencies, the Curtain had never expanded. No matter how good the chances were, it would turn a blind eye to them. It just kept developing inside Huating. Over the years, no one knew how many spies the Curtain had. It was arguably the most powerful intelligence agency.
In terms of intelligence network, the w.a.n.g family of Beihai’s intelligence system was second to none in the entire Zhongzhou State and even the entire Dark World. But in Huating, especially the one that was controlled by the Prince Group five years ago, the Liu family’s intelligence agency was undoubtedly the most dominant.
The Curtain, just as its name implied, covered Huating like a curtain. Under the curtain, there was little information they could not get.
Although this organization received a search task now, people in it would not pay too much attention to the task because the missing one was a member of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai. As the mayor, if he went to Liu’s house in person, people in this organization would at least put more effort into searching the missing one.
“Don’t bother. I just got the news that the Curtain suddenly began to look for Yuetong crazily. I wonder if the old fox Liu Tianjing has taken the wrong medicine.’
w.a.n.g Xiaoyao came up to them with his phone in hand and said in an odd voice. He looked at the motionless w.a.n.g Tianzong and added softly after hesitating for a while, “Elder brother, don’t worry. Taoist Xuan Xuanzi said that Yuetong will have a narrow escape this time.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong finally moved and he said, “Send our men from Beihai to Huating. I must see that girl in 24 hours.”
Inside the pavilion, w.a.n.g Shengxiao, whose face was pale, had a sudden change of his expression. There was something unnatural in his eyes, as if he wanted to escape.
“Well, I’ll call.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong shook his head and fished out his phone.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
No sooner had the call been answered than a loud, nervous, and angry voice rang out.
“What do you mean?”
w.a.n.g Tianzong frowned slightly.
“What? Yuetong said you were seriously injured in Huating in a sneak attack. I’m ready to go there with some of our men.”
The man continued in a loud voice.
“You are saying that it was Yuetong who told you that I was seriously injured?”
w.a.n.g Tianzong knitted his eyebrows. After his accident, in order not to let the w.a.n.g family of Beihai worry about him, he had not been in contact with them. When they heard that he was seriously injured, they surely would not doubt w.a.n.g Yuetong’s words and would start to react immediately.
In other words, w.a.n.g Yuetong not only did not disappear, but she also returned to the w.a.n.g family of Beihai and mercilessly made a fool of the top management.
“Yes, Yuetong said you were attacked sneakily by a murderous weapon and are in a critical condition. She asked Madam for the key to the secret warehouse and took an Immortality Potion with her. I also sent Wuchang to escort her. Who would have known that she disappeared when she just arrived Huating. I am deeply troubled. I can’t get in touch with you, Xiaoyao, and Shengxiao. What’s going on there?”
w.a.n.g Tianzong frowned more tightly. “He can’t get in touch with me?”
There was no doubt that someone had tampered with his mobile phone. Presumably, at this time, the news of his so-called serious injury was still a secret. Even if his men in Beihai wanted to connect him, they would not reach out to other people except for someone trustworthy. In this way, things immediately made a big mess.
w.a.n.g Tianzong felt relieved but also somewhat angry.
He felt relieved because his precious daughter was safe and sound; he was angry because she stole an Immortality Potion.
Immortality Potion had been the most precious treasure of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai for hundreds of years. Even if she could only get the original version, it was also something that could cause carnage in the Dark World.
An Immortality Potion meant nearly 20 years of life. For a dying old man, that meant 20 years of extra life.
For this kind of thing, there would be countless Patriarchs of wealthy families around the world willing to pay any price for a potion.
But for hundreds of years, except for a small amount for its own use, the w.a.n.g family of Beihai kept the rest strictly and never revealed a drop of it.
The w.a.n.g family of Beihai called Immortality Potions of the first and the second version, the Youth, and the Longevity Lock the Immortal Series. Each kind of potion was the w.a.n.g family of Beihai’s precious resource, especially the Immortality Potion. The w.a.n.g family of Beihai only had less than 10 Immortality Potions of the first version in stock. Now, however, w.a.n.g Yuetong stole one.
At that moment, w.a.n.g Tianzong felt as though his heart had been ripped off and he was beside himself with rage.
“Madam couldn’t sit still and went to Huating with some of our men after Yuetong has been gone for less than an hour. We are the second batch of people… Your Majesty, what happened to you on earth?”
The loud voice continued to ring on the phone.
w.a.n.g Tianzong gritted his teeth and said, “I haven’t been attacked. That wicked girl cheated you all!”
He hung up the phone furiously and turned to look at w.a.n.g Shengxiao, asking, “What’s the matter?”
This was really a good drama, with him being seriously injured and his daughter missing. The entire Huating was in turmoil. Now the whole truth was revealed, no matter how calm w.a.n.g Tianzong was, he was furious.
“Yuetong begged me, dad. I didn’t know she was so bold…”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao smiled bitterly and had a headache. He thought his younger sister must be mad for she even dared to steal the Immortality Potion.
“So this was directed and acted by you two?”
Stony-faced, w.a.n.g Tianzong asked, “What’s the matter with your serious injury?”
“I hurt myself.”
w.a.n.g Shengxiao replied honestly, “I had a Ghost Eye Bomb and it was taken away by Yuetong. About an hour after she left, I detonated the bomb. And that’s what you see now.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong put out his hand and pointed at his son fiercely. He was speechless for a moment.
His men in Beihai could not get through to him, but he could get through to them, which meant that if he had only called a few hours earlier, none of this would have happened.
It was evident that his precious daughter had thoroughly studied his character.
That Immortality Potion…
Without doubt, she had given it to that boy.
The more w.a.n.g Tianzong thought about it, the angrier he became, and there was even a hint of murderous aura in his eyes.
This was aimed at the successor of the Li family who had taken the Immortality Potion rather than w.a.n.g Yuetong…
The phone suddenly rang.
w.a.n.g Tianzong answered the phone and said h.e.l.lo with a deadpan expression.
No one knew what the caller had said. The Sword Emperor of Zhongzhou State, who had not overreacted even to the loss of the Immortality Potion, suddenly shook and his attention was completely diverted.
“I know,” he said. Then he hung up and remained silent for quite a long time.
Almost at the same time, the world’s top influential families and countries had received the news successively.
For nearly two decades, something big enough to shake things up would happen in the Dark World every five years.
The previous ones almost took place in Zhongzhou State.
For example, Li Kuangtu’s treason case, which happened 20 years ago.
For example, Situ Cangyue killed Liu Tianqing 10 years ago.
Now, another five years was coming.
Everyone subconsciously a.s.sumed that even if it happened, it would happen in Zhongzhou State. Some sharp people had even fixed their eyes on Huating.
Today, this had finally happened, but it had nothing to do with Zhongzhou State.
Two hours ago.
Bruchsal, the capital of Bili State.
Samsara Palace carried out a ma.s.sive attack against the headquarters of Night Spirit—a super force in the Dark World.
The 12 Super Masters of Samsara Palace all arrived there.
Spiritual Snake, an expert at the Peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm from Night Spirit, died in battle.
Dark Fall, an expert at the Peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm from Night Spirit, died in battle.
Nightfire, an expert at the Peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm from Night Spirit, died in battle.
Horsewoman and Military Counselor, as two members of the 12 Super Masters from Samsara Palace, were severely injured.
Since the establishment of Samsara Palace, the most mysterious Samsara Palace Master appeared for the second time and attacked with all her strength for the first time!
Tian Xin, an Invincible Realm expert from Night Spirit and also someone ranked top 10 on the Divine List of the Dark World, fought against the Palace Master head-on, with the murderous weapon named Blue Sky Underworld in hand.
While that murderous weapon was roaring, the Samsara Palace Master unsheathed her sword directly!
One sword move.
It was merely one sword move.
It emitted the sword light that shone all over the city and it made people feel that heaven was separated from earth.
After one sword move was performed, Blue Sky Underworld, one of the 12 Murderous Weapons in the Dark World, had a new owner.
Tian Xin died.
w.a.n.g Tianzong, the Zhongzhou Sword Emperor, killed Tianling instantly with the murderous weapon named Human Emperor 15 years ago.
Samsara Palace Master, however, killed Tian Xin who held the murderous weapon named Blue Sky Underworld immediately, with a sword 15 years later.
One Invincible Realm expert killed the other!
The organization Night Spirit was wiped out.
With Bruchsal at the center, the Dark World was in a frenzy. Like a torrent, the event spread wildly throughout the Dark World.
This was the elegy of Night Spirit but the glory of Samsara.
In recent decades, this was the first super force in the Dark World that was completely annihilated. With the disappearance of Night Spirit, the entire Dark World was bound to set off a rare storm in recent years.
And at this point, according to reliable sources, people from Samsara already begun to leave Bruchsal and head for the airport.
Including the Samsara Palace Leader who now owned the murderous weapon Blue Sky Underworld.
From the beginning of the battle to the end, they didn’t even hesitate. And after the battle was over, they left there immediately.
Murderous weapon Blue Sky Underworld!
Inside the Garden Party, w.a.n.g Tianzong frowned tightly.
Blue Sky Underworld ranked third among the 12 Murderous Weapons and it ranked higher than Setting Sun and the Legend of Qin. This authoritative ranking was also enough to ill.u.s.trate the power of this murderous weapon.
w.a.n.g Tianzong looked down at the pond at his feet and murmured, “Only a sword move?”
The phone in his hand vibrated again.
He looked down at his phone and saw a text message show on the screen.
“I traveled to Beihai. Are you alright?”
The corners of w.a.n.g Tianzong’s mouth lifted slightly. He left w.a.n.g Yuetong’s affair in abeyance for the time being and turned around. Then he said calmly, “I have a distinguished visitor. Go home.”