Monarch of Evernight - Chapter 1084

Chapter 1084

Chapter 1084: Sparring

Next, this airship flew back along its original path and arrived at a small town near the Imperial borders . The crew let Qianye and Zhuji off here, where a different airship would take them back to the neutral lands . It seemed Eunuch Yang considered his job entirely done as he never appeared again along the entire journey .

Qianye was all too happy to get some peace and quiet, but he couldn’t help but wonder why Empress Li had said he had done well . Was she referring to the killing of the six-armed giant? That was Nighteye, and besides, no one in the Empire should know about it .

Those major characters loved playing with riddles, never saying things clearly . This was especially true of those who liked to dabble in divination .

While cursing inwardly, Qianye brought out that long box .

Since he couldn’t quite figure out Empress Li’s intentions, all he could do was see what she had given him . Someone of her stature couldn’t be too miserly with her gifts .

The box felt heavy in his hands . As he opened the container, a burst of red light erupted and filled the entire room with a ruby shade .

There was a dagger inside this box . It boasted a sharp sawtooth edge and a body filled with rippling wave patterns, constituting a cryptic magic array . The sword was embedded in the mouth of a monster, the horns of which formed the guard; its body, the hilt, and the tail ended in a small blade .

The design of this dagger was extremely intricate and complicated . Additionally, there was a charm to its craftsmanship that Qianye had never seen before in a vampiric blade .

Empress Li had actually gifted him a vampiric edge, and it was grade-eight in quality!

Qianye’s own vampiric weapon had been destroyed in the Great Maelstrom, and this would serve to fill in that gap . An ancient roar echoed in his head the moment he picked up the dagger, almost as though a powerful expert from an ancient race was roaring at the sky .

Qianye figured out its functions after some exploration . Apart from the basic ability to absorb blood, this blade possessed characteristics of supreme sharpness and durability . It wouldn’t be at a loss even when pitted against the old East Peak . Additionally, the body of this dagger could store a part of the absorbed essence blood and ignite it to launch a powerful attack .

Qianye sent a wisp of dark golden blood energy into the blade and watched as faint sanguine flames lit up on the edge . After trying it out a bit, he reckoned that an attack after sufficient essence blood accumulation would be equal to a blow from a marquis .

To most vampires, absorptive weapons were tools used to end life and not a primary weapon . This vampiric dagger was of extraordinary value since it could serve as one .

There was also a sheath inside the box with the dagger’s name, “Bloodmoon”, carved upon it . There was also a paper beneath the sheath explaining the origins of the dagger .

Bloodmoon used to be the weapon of a vampire duke who had fallen under the Martial Ancestor’s blade in a great battle . Thereafter, this vampiric edge fell into the hands of the Imperial clan and was kept in the treasury . In addition to its own value, Bloodmoon came with a thousand years of history, and that itself made the weapon priceless . The ancient craftsmanship set this blade apart from all modern products .

This Bloodmoon was a great fit for Qianye’s identity and also happened to be extremely practical . This went to show how much thought the Empress had put into this . Yet, what had Qianye done to deserve such a generous boon?

He was rather puzzled and still couldn’t make heads or tails of it after some contemplation . So, he stopped thinking too much and simply placed the dagger in Andruil’s space .

At this point, the cabin shook slightly and a voice outside the room said, “We’re landing soon . General, please pack up your things . ”

Qianye only had a small bag as luggage since most of his things were in Andruil’s space . After landing, he followed the attendant onto the deck and saw several unmarked jeeps near the landing area .

Qianye boarded one of the vehicles with Zhuji and was taken to a quiet hotel in a small town . After settling him in, that attendant passed over a token, saying, “This permit will get you anywhere within this town, as long as you don’t leave the area . My lord has already made arrangements for your arrival . It’s just that we’ll need a couple of days to get an airship, so please wait patiently . ”

“Who is your lord?”

The servant pointed above . “My lord is related to that person, but that’s all I can tell you . ”

That person was likely referring to Empress Li since it couldn’t be the Emperor . That someone related to Empress Li had to be Li Kuanglan . It made perfect sense since the two girls had left the Great Maelstrom a bit earlier .

Feeling relieved, Qianye sent the attendant away and returned to his small courtyard to check the token .

There was a small origin array on the object that acted as a key to restriction arrays . It had no other use apart from that .

This small town was constructed specifically for the special Imperial units stationed near the Great Maelstrom entrance, and normally, it could only be accessed via a special passage . There was no idle person in this town, and since it was a military encampment, there were all sorts of armories and workshops .

As a temporary camp for those exiting the Great Maelstrom, there were establishments where people could sell the resources they had brought back . However, the prices offered here were nothing to write home about since it was offered by the Empire . People exiting the maelstrom would normally have to contribute a set amount of resources, and the amount and value had long since been determined .

Since Qianye had obtained Empress Li’s favor, his submission quota had been waived . That was also a part of his reward .

The attendant had also mentioned that there were a few stores in town operated by the major clans, and the prices offered there were fairly good . The one operated by the Song clan was known for buying just about anything . The man suggested that Qianye could head over there to exchange some origin crystals .

Qianye had told the attendant that he hadn’t brought anything because he had to escape in a hurry, effectively stopping the man from further probing .

At this moment, Qianye was still hiding the Marine Lotus, along with the white-fruit wine, rare medicinal herbs, and other good things inside Andruil’s space, filling every little corner without care . Just a random handful of these materials would cause a great commotion, and there was no telling if people would have untoward intentions out of greed . Qianye’s identity was a rather sensitive subject, and he would have nothing to say if someone were to cause trouble about it .

He was still on the Qin Continent . In order to get to the neutral lands, he would still need to transit through the Transcendent or Western Continent . Judging from the attendant’s words, it would seem he had planned to see Qianye to the transit point . The latter would be free to do whatever he wanted afterward .

The airship that would take Qianye to the Western Continent arrived after one day of waiting . This was a rather considerate arrangement because the continent was run by the Zhao clan, and those who wanted to bring him harm would need to think twice . It was rumored that the Zhao clan had pulled a lot of strings when Qianye escaped the Empire, almost erupting in open hostilities with the army .

Qianye wasn’t idle during this one day . When he was not cultivating the Mystery Chapter, he would be busy reading the Book of Darkness . Although the newest chapter merely replayed the evolution of the world, the vicissitudes of the passing millennia would shake him whenever he glanced at it . He gained a different idea regarding the channeling of origin power, and his aura became more cryptic .

A knock came from the door at noon as the attendant returned . “General, the airship has been prepared . You can board now if you have nothing else to do here . ”

Nodding, Qianye walked out of the little courtyard with little Zhuji in his arms .

“General, an important person wishes to see you . Umm… you should decide whether you want to meet him or not . ” The attendant was hesitant .

“Who wanted to see me?” Qianye was curious about the man’s attitude .

The attendant hadn’t even replied when a powerful, metallic voice arrived from outside the door, “It is I, Li Qingyun of the Li clan . ”

Qianye had heard of this name before . He had investigated the genius experts of the Li clan back when he was at odds with them . Li Qingyun was the strongest among the family’s younger generation and had gained fame for a while now . According to hearsay, this person’s talent stood head and shoulder above people like Zhao Junhong . As one of the top young experts of the Empire, he might even be stronger than Zhao Yuying .

It was just that he couldn’t quite compare to the midday sun that was Zhao Jundu . The same would apply to every other genius .

Li Qingyun had no previous association with Qianye . Why would he suddenly want to see him? Qianye had only been out of the Great Maelstrom for one day . Having arrived as quickly as he did proved that the person had been nearby all along . Was this a coincidence? Or had he been waiting?

Qianye walked out of the courtyard and faced the young man .

Li Qingyun was clad in a scholarly green robe, but his eyes glistened with a sharp sword-like radiance . His entire person was comparable to an unsheathed blade .

Seeing Qianye, the man drew his sword without further words . “I always hear that General Qianye’s skills are comparable to Zhao Jundu’s, that you’re unmatched under the divine champion realm . There’s really no way to tell if these claims are true or false . Let us spar to prove it . ”

These words weren’t very polite, and Li Qingyun didn’t bother to hide the disgust in his expression . Qianye was baffled as to when he had offended this person, but then again, he had offended the Li family quite a bit . Perhaps this person was seeking revenge for a relative .

Qianye put Zhuji down to the side . “If Brother Li wants to spar, then I have no reason to refuse . ”

“Fine, let’s see how capable you are!” Li Qingyun clenched his teeth . The sword in his grasp erupted into a bolt of lightning that streaked toward Qianye .

The latter had no intention of evading . An ancient aura embodying the passage of a million years seeped out as Qianye met the sword with a punch .

Moments later, Qianye walked toward the airship with little Zhuji in his arms . The smiling attendant also followed along . He would occasionally steal a backward glance, his eyes exuding unclear implications .

Li Qingyun’s clothes were tattered and ragged . He was left gazing blankly at the broken sword fragments on the ground, his hand on the empty hilt trembling slightly .

Qianye’s vision expanded as the airship rose into the air . He gazed down at the distant ground with an empty feeling in his chest—there really was no point in exchanging pointers with anyone below the divine champion realm .