A Shift in the Ghost Clan

Xiao Qiu personally brought the dossiers of Fan Domain's ten remaining formation masters and rushed to the rear mountain of Nameless Mountain. Chen Fan flipped through the dossiers in his hands. Everyone who joined Fan Domain had a file created for them. Whether it was their identity as a special cultivator or a particular skill, everything was recorded in detail so that whenever talent in a certain field was required, they could be located immediately. Before acquiring the Array Hall, he had not even realized there were formation masters in Fan Domain. After all, formations had not held much importance in Fan Domain prior to this. But with the Array Hall in hand, that was a completely different story. Other formations might not be essential, but teleportation arrays were an absolute necessity. After a long moment, Chen Fan turned his head toward the rather kindly-looking, balding man beside him. "Effective immediately, Fan Domain is establishing a new branch: the Array Pavilion." "You will serve as its first acting pavilion master. In the coming period, the Array Pavilion's primary task is to construct a batch of Heaven-Imprisoning Arrays to be transported to the New Continent, and to set up teleportation arrays between the New Continent, Fan Domain, and several designated key locations." "I need to see results as soon as possible. What is your name?" "Zhang Qianqiu," the man replied, flustered and visibly apprehensive. He had originally only been in charge of array maintenance along the Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line. Suddenly being promoted to the master of an entire pavilion in Fan Domain was simply too drastic a leap, leaving him thoroughly rattled. His instinct was to decline, but he did not dare voice it. Not everyone desired promotion. After all, holding office meant shouldering responsibility. "Very well." Chen Fan nodded, saying nothing more as he strode toward the nearby Fan Domain high-speed rail to return to Nameless Mountain. The Heaven-Imprisoning Array was the grand formation left behind on Nameless Mountain by That Person. Its primary function was to nurture Snow Lotuses, a relatively rare natural treasure, though it required a lengthy hundred years to bear fruit. Setting up several Heaven-Imprisoning Arrays on the New Continent would certainly yield no benefits in the short term. However, constructing a few of them would hardly cost many ghost stones and would have virtually no impact on Fan Domain's reserves, leaving something behind for future generations—assuming he had any. Upon returning to Nameless Mountain, he listened to Wang Kui report on recent developments before breathing a long sigh of relief. Collapsing back onto his own bed, he reflected that nothing beat the comfort of one's own bed. Sleeping on a flying boat was far from restful. The outside world was novel and exciting, but it still could not compare to the comforts of home. *** Seven days later, in the dead of winter. Chen Fan was standing atop the wall before Cave No. 1, running calculations in his mind, when he received word from Zhang Qianqiu: the first batch of teleportation arrays was finished. "Let's go." He broke into a smile and turned to the distracted Quehou beside him. "Come on, let's see how this teleportation array turned out." Fan Domain Harbor. Inside a flat-roofed chamber constructed of giant bricks, an immense teleportation array roughly a hundred meters across was laid out on the floor. Countless arcane, intricate patterns covered its surface, looking deeply mysterious. At that moment, copper pipes and ghost fire were connected to it, causing the esoteric markings to shimmer with a faint, luminous glow. Ever since he produced a large quantity of copper pipes and stocked them in the warehouses, the members of Fan Domain had gained far more operational autonomy. Tasks like laying copper pipes no longer required his personal touch. "Domain Lord." Zhang Qianqiu stood rather nervously in the room, gesturing toward the array on the floor. "This is the first teleportation array station we have constructed, designated as the Fan Domain Harbor Teleportation Array. The second station has been laid out on the New Continent and is named New Continent Teleportation Array No. 1. The total distance exceeds a thousand kilometers, with an overall construction cost of 26.79 million ghost stones." "It can accommodate tens of thousands of people teleporting at once." "According to our experiments, each person can carry at most a parcel of this size, ensuring that items inside will virtually never be lost. Anything larger risks being lost in transit." Zhang Qianqiu spread his hands, earnestly indicating a dimension roughly the size of a small pouch. If used to store ghost stones, it could hold perhaps a dozen or so at most. Teleportation arrays could easily convey people, but transporting goods was extraordinarily difficult. "Activating the array consumes ghost stones, but the loss is so negligible that it can basically be ignored," he added. Chen Fan's eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately stepped onto the array, and with a single thought, the formation beneath his feet instantly blazed to life. The mystical glyphs radiated waves of emerald light as several green pillars of brilliance shot skyward. Although this grand array had been assembled by Zhang Qianqiu's hands, it was fundamentally generated by the Array Hall, an architecture belonging entirely to Chen Fan. Naturally, he possessed absolute authority over it. The next instant, a mild wave of dizziness washed over him. The world before his eyes blurred, as if a severely nearsighted person had lost their glasses. Yet it lasted only a fraction of a second before his vision snapped back into clarity. He caught a scent. It was the sea breeze, carrying a completely different aroma. He was no longer at Fan Domain Harbor, but standing inside a courtyard within New Continent Station No. 1 City. The formation here had been crafted by the Array Hall in Fan Domain and subsequently laid out by members dispatched across the waters. A journey that previously took several hours via the undersea tunnel aboard the high-speed rail was now reduced to a mere three breaths through the teleportation array. Without lingering, he stepped through the array once more and returned to Fan Domain Harbor. As the world blurred and swiftly sharpened, Zhang Qianqiu, Quehou, and the others reappeared before him. "Not bad." Chen Fan smiled and looked at Zhang Qianqiu. "Excellently done. Next, set up teleportation arrays at all vital locations—such as the Jiangbei Defense Line, Defense Line No. 7, the Fan Domain Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line, and the outer areas Fan Domain has infiltrated over this past period." "Understood!" Zhang Qianqiu let out a massive sigh of relief. He had spent the past few days terrified of making a mistake, but it seemed his work was acceptable. Hastily, he reached into his robes and pulled out several array plates. "Domain Lord, there is also this. These are several teleportation array plates. They are all Grade-9 plates, capable of reaching a teleportation array up to two thousand kilometers away." "Once activated, the plate senses all teleportation arrays within range. After selecting a destination, teleportation initiates. Each plate can be used ten times before shattering. The cost of one Grade-9 teleportation array plate is ten thousand ghost stones." "Not expensive at all." Chen Fan took the plate and inspected it. It was fairly compact, easily fitting in the palm of one's hand. The advantage of this plate over a fixed array was its portability; one did not need to reach a physical teleportation array before traveling. "Through repeated testing by the Array Pavilion," Zhang Qianqiu continued, "we found that activating the plate is instantaneous, with no charging time, and it cannot be interrupted. This means that even in the midst of combat, one can use the plate to escape at any moment. Unless an enemy deliberately prepares a grand array that seals space or employs other specialized measures, nothing can stop it." "A plate is limited to a single user. At most, by holding onto a companion, one can bring along a single extra person. It cannot carry more than two." "Very good." Chen Fan beamed. Having such an item on hand meant that once enough teleportation arrays were built, he could reach any region simply by activating a plate. No longer would he have to endure long rides on the high-speed rail or flying boats. At the very least, taking a casual trip would no longer require six days cooped up on a flying boat, sapping all his enthusiasm. "There is one more matter." Zhang Qianqiu drew a deep breath and continued his report. "Over these seven days, by constructing teleportation arrays and their corresponding plates and comparing the two, I discovered certain rules underlying those arcane patterns. I even attempted to modify the glyphs." Once settled into work mode, Zhang Qianqiu turned exceptionally earnest, his previous panic completely gone. Picking up a branch, he pointed toward a ring of patterns along the outer edge of the massive array on the floor. "Over the past few days, we noticed that an incomplete teleportation array can still function, albeit partially." "For example, here. The primary function of this glyph section is positioning. Domain Lord, you can see four slightly raised squares beside this section; inside these squares, soil from the New Continent is buried to serve as an anchor. The markings here are meant solely for positioning. If this area is damaged, precision teleportation becomes impossible." "And this large section over here..." Zhang Qianqiu stepped to the other side. "These glyphs are responsible for the teleportation itself. When the array activates, they provide the energy to open a portal invisible to the naked eye, drawing anyone standing upon the array into it. The glyphs over here handle signal reception—specifically, receiving signals from array plates. If this section is damaged, plates will be unable to locate this array." "And over here..." Zhang Qianqiu explained at length with flowing eloquence before finally concluding: "Based on these experiments, we can create high-privilege teleportation arrays and low-privilege teleportation arrays. For instance, with a low-privilege array, any array plate can detect it, allowing all Fan Domain members to use it. A high-privilege array, on the other hand, cannot be detected by standard plates, responding only to specific ones. These can be placed at strategic points exclusively for core personnel of Fan Domain." "By intentionally altering or deleting certain patterns, various possibilities arise." "Take this plate in my hand, for example." Zhang Qianqiu withdrew another plate from his robes. "This is also a Grade-9 plate, but I modified its internal glyphs. As a result, it will not search for any teleportation array at all; instead, it teleports the user randomly to any location within a two-thousand-kilometer radius. It functions essentially as a Grade-9 random teleportation array plate." "I have tested it. It will not drop someone into uninhabitable locations like high in the air or deep underground. Almost all landings are on land, with rare instances occurring at sea. But by carrying a standard plate, one can quickly return." Chen Fan took the plate, studied it for a few moments, and looked back at Zhang Qianqiu, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes. Whether it was this random teleportation plate, the permission-locked arrays, or the other variations—none of these had been provided directly by the Array Hall. Zhang Qianqiu had developed them entirely on his own. In just seven days, Zhang Qianqiu had attained such profound insights into teleportation arrays that he could already produce varied models through modifying and pruning patterns. Calling him a genius was an understatement; the man was born for this craft. His interest thoroughly piqued, Chen Fan looked at the balding man. "Tell me, then: can you make this array transport not just people, but cargo as well?" "That is difficult," Zhang Qianqiu hesitated. "Theoretically, if it can carry people, it should be able to carry goods. The fact that it currently transports people but not goods feels like an artificial restriction, or perhaps it requires a person's essence blood to guide the way. There are still eighty percent of the glyphs whose effects I have yet to decipher. Once I understand them, I believe I can bypass this restriction." "Well done," Chen Fan said with a laugh. "I leave this matter in your hands. Forge a batch of Grade-9 plates as quickly as you can." "One last question: if an enemy gets hold of one of these plates, can they teleport into our arrays?" "They can!" Zhang Qianqiu nodded decisively. "Anyone who picks up a plate can teleport into our arrays. Therefore, I implemented a safeguard: the teleportation array must be activated using an identity token. That will stop the vast majority of intruders. However, if a Fan Domain member is captured alive, there is nothing we can do. Our only recourse is to place teleportation arrays in non-core areas whenever possible and establish defenses around them so that if an enemy bursts through, we can open fire immediately." "Proceed as you suggested." Chen Fan looked at the honest, unassuming man with genuine appreciation. Teleportation arrays were a double-edged sword; if they fell into enemy hands—say, into the clutches of a Ghost Emperor—the foe could bypass all outer defenses and materialize straight into Fan Domain's interior. Such contingencies had to be prepared for in advance. And the simplest solution was to surround the teleportation arrays with an enclosure of city walls and God-Slaying Cannons. Crude, brutal, and effective. *** Just like that, a year went by. The year-end rainy season passed, ushering in the winter. Along Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1, the atmosphere on the battlements had grown noticeably relaxed. It had been over a year. For more than twelve months, they had hardly seen a ghost tide. Many newcomers assigned to the front had never even laid eyes on a ghost creature. Yet the overall commander—the middle-aged man who had once guided Chen Fan along the frontline—stood atop the wall with a grave expression, staring into the deep ocean beneath the dusk. Ever since the front's ghost tide had marched off in full force toward the Yellow Springs Mouth area during the previous year's rainy season, the frontline had remained practically deserted. Recently, he had sensed something terribly off about the mood. Over the past year, the atmosphere on the front had steadily loosened. During the night watch, people began chatting and laughing, sinking into a state of lax complacency that stirred a persistent unease in his gut. His intuition warned him: A man could enjoy modest blessings, but never great ones. A great blessing was inevitably followed by a great catastrophe. Right then, a man hurried over and said in a low voice, "Elder Qiu, the scout boat has returned. There was no movement on the water's surface. It truly looks like the ghost tide is gone." The overall commander remained silent. He had dispatched the flying boat to verify whether this sea domain was genuinely free of ghost tides, but daylight revealed little; one still needed to observe carefully after dark. "Send another flying boat into the sea for reconnaissance once night falls." "Understood!" The man hesitated slightly, but quickly agreed. Entering the open sea at night was exceptionally hazardous—a near-certain brush with death. If the waters truly harbored no ghost tide, the risk was manageable, but if an unforeseen situation arose, there would be no coming back. "Furthermore..." The commander paused before adding, "tell the section chiefs of each sector to rein in their men. No letting down their guard. When night falls, maintain full focus, just like before." "Understood!" *** Deep within an area shrouded in darkness on the Eternal Night Continent. Two crocodiles lay sprawled on the ground, idling in boredom, while a middle-aged man sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation. Suddenly, the man opened his eyes, looked up into the darkness above, and smiled faintly. "Back again?" His gaze seemed to pierce the gloom, fixing upon the shadowy mass concealed within. During the decades he had been trapped here, that shadow had frequently come to question him on various matters—demanding the exact coordinates of the New Continent, for instance, or delivering grim tidings such as the fall of a certain front, hoping to shatter his Dao heart. He had long grown accustomed to it. Only this time, something felt different. After a long silence from the shadow, the surrounding gloom abruptly began to disperse. Like grease dropping into a boiling pan, the darkness that had imprisoned him for decades melted away at a speed difficult for the naked eye to track. The middle-aged man's expression shifted slightly. All the darkness had vanished; he found himself sitting on the sandy beach of a small island surrounded by open sea, beneath a blood-red setting sun. Night was about to fall. The grand array... had been dismantled. This creature had voluntarily undone the formation. For reasons he could not articulate, a faint chill of dread crept into his heart. With the darkness gone, a shapeless shadow enveloped in swirling mist spoke to him in an unprecedented, complicated tone: "That Person... our game ends here." "I no longer need the coordinates of the New Continent." "During last year's rainy season, our habitat, the Primordial Continent, was invaded. A ghost tide conquered the habitat and systematically purged and reorganized our forces during the rains. Now, the ghost tides stationed along every front belong to them." "Their power is formidable beyond your imagination." "Tonight is the day of the total assault." "After tonight, not a single human will remain alive on the Eternal Night Continent. Tonight is the final battle." "The Ghost Clan and the human race have fought for so long; it is time for a conclusion—even if that conclusion no longer has much to do with our Ghost Clan." The middle-aged man remained motionless, his face grim as he touched two fingers to his forehead. Instantly, an immense eye manifested in the firmament, nearly blotting out the blood-red sunset. As the eye slowly opened, he saw. Looking down upon the entirety of the Eternal Night Continent, he saw the ocean depths bordering the continent. There, where the Eternal Night met daylight, in a realm invisible to the mundane world, endless tides of ghost creatures were relentlessly assembling. Both in numbers and individual strength, those tides surpassed anything the Eternal Night Continent had ever faced by several times over. He saw it all. He watched the scene that echoed the day his former continent had been overrun by the ghost tide, unfolding once again before his eyes. He foresaw the fall of the Eternal Night Continent, the extinguishing of the last ghost fire, and the shattering of the final defense line. "Why so suddenly?" he asked, his face turning pale despite himself. "An anomaly occurred," the shadowy figure murmured slowly. "In truth, early in last year's rainy season, the Ghost Clan discovered that the cracks across the Primordial Continent were spreading at an alarming rate. We had to find a new land." "Time was truly running out for us." "By that point, the Ghost Clan had already given up on the Heavenly Dao—given up on possessing a Heavenly Dao of our own." "As a Heavenly Dao yourself, you should understand what it signifies. A Heavenly Dao allows you to hear the voices of this world, to take a step toward higher heights, to be genuinely embraced by this world." "Only by slaughtering every human on the Eternal Night Continent and completely claiming it could a Heavenly Dao belonging to the Ghost Clan be born." "Therefore, during the first ten days of last year's rainy season, scarcely a single front fell. For the first time, the Ghost Clan sent high-ranking emissaries to conduct formal, extensive talks with the leadership of Eternal Night Hall." "The Ghost Clan hoped Eternal Night Hall would cede a piece of territory on the Eternal Night Continent to serve as our refuge." "In such a settlement, no Heavenly Dao of our own could be born, and we would remain unacknowledged by this world. But... at least we would have survived." "Eternal Night Hall refused." "We negotiated ten times, and ten times they refused." "Each time, the Ghost Clan made new concessions." "Until midway through the rainy season, the Primordial Continent was invaded. A force of ghost creatures calling themselves the Royal Clan arrived. They are ghost creatures as well, but vastly stronger than us, wielding methods far beyond ours. In a brief span, they overran the Primordial Continent, purged our ranks, and restructured us." "Strictly speaking, I suppose I am now a member of this Royal Clan." "The Ghost Clan, as it was, no longer exists." "And now, having completed their reorganization, they have begun mustering their forces. Tonight's battle will be the final war of the Eternal Night Continent." "I have kept you imprisoned here for so many years. For this final battle, I will hold you no longer. Go home and take a look." "After tonight, there will be no more Jiangbei." Expressionless, the middle-aged man extended his right hand. Boundless spiritual energy surged from his body, rapidly coalescing into a colossal warhammer. He stepped onto the handle, scooped up the two crocodiles with his right hand, and shot into the clouds without another word, vanishing between heaven and earth! He had to convey this news to the leadership of Eternal Night Hall first, and then return to Jiangbei. The moment he witnessed that vision, he knew the fate of the Eternal Night Continent was sealed. Yet this time was different from the last. Back then, he had been reduced to a helpless onlooker. This time, he would take the field himself. He would fight to protect the Eternal Night Continent to the best of his ability, even if only a sliver of hope remained. After the man departed, the darkness cloaking the shadow slowly receded, revealing its true form: a diminutive, red-skinned ghost. It stood quietly, staring at the receding figure, and murmured: "It is over." They had invaded the Eternal Night Continent twice. The first invasion took place several millennia ago. The second had raged for centuries. Though they had never managed to conquer it, they had always held the upper hand. He had firmly believed that within a few short years, the continent would be wholly overrun by the Ghost Clan. Until their habitat was invaded. For the first time, they experienced absolute helplessness. It was like two village boys brawling in the street when a butcher suddenly stepped in. Compared to their crude invasions driven purely by instinct, the newcomers acted like a regular army, conquering one continent after another through seasoned, methodical procedures. The casual arrogance in their speech left them unable even to muster a rebuttal. He had imagined countless outcomes, but never this one. Even though this war was destined to end in victory, it brought no satisfaction. This was not the victory he desired. Rather, this triumph and this glory had nothing to do with him—not in the slightest. *** Fan Domain. The rainy season had just ended, making way for winter. Both Fan City and Sunset City were lively. By tradition, the conclusion of the rainy season called for a feast of dumplings—a custom adopted from Defense Line No. 7. Many members of Fan Domain gathered together in high spirits, laughing and chatting as they wrapped dumplings. "I'm telling you, dumplings have to be eaten hot to taste good! Especially straight out of the pot, with all that steam rising off them. If you stash them away like that, they won't taste right. When you meet your parents later on, can't I just have someone wrap a fresh batch for them?" Along the Jiangbei Defense Line, Chen Fan stood on the wall holding a bowl of dumplings, looking down at Weiwei sprawled on the ground, shoveling plate after plate of dumplings straight into its belly. Weiwei was not even chewing, swallowing them whole—clearly storing them away inside. Yet Weiwei paid no heed, continuing to shovel plate after plate into its maw. "Forget it," Chen Fan sighed helplessly. "The luzhu you stored for your parents is already enough to feed them for years." He lifted his gaze toward the sea. A full year had elapsed since the construction of the teleportation arrays. Over this year, Fan Domain had undergone tremendous changes. Fan Domain's merchant arm, the Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce, had gradually penetrated deep into the interior of the Eternal Night Continent, bringing back substantial resources. Many teleportation arrays had been established, along with external communication signal towers and other infrastructure. Even Defense Line No. 7 had been upgraded to Level 10. Fan Domain's stockpile of ghost stones had reached 28.7 billion once again. In addition, two more missile reserve bases had been erected—each housing two thousand fully leveled Heaven-Reaching Pillars, just like the original. Built right after the end of last year's rainy season, they had just completed their energy charge with the passing of this rainy season. Even the protection period over on the New Continent had now expired. "Time really flies," Chen Fan murmured in a daze as he stood on the wall, gazing toward the distant horizon. Without realizing it, many years had slipped by since his arrival in this world, and three whole years had passed since the Heavenly Dao blessing on the New Continent. "Yummy!" a childish voice chimed nearby. Not far off, an elderly man holding a little girl's hand sat on the stone stairs of the battlement with bowls of dumplings, chatting and laughing together. It was Da Yu and Gongyang Yiyue. Watching them, Chen Fan could not help but smile faintly. It had been many years since he first encountered Da Yu. Now, Da Yu was a young child with only a few years left to live. Neither the Heavenly Dao blessing of the New Continent nor that of Jiangbei could be absorbed by Nightwatchers. Regardless of merit, they were barred from receiving it, as though Nightwatchers were anomalies rejected by this world. Yet the two of them took it in stride, content to farm in Sunset City day by day, living peaceful, cheerful lives. This year's rainy season had been remarkably quiet. According to intelligence from Eternal Night Hall, not a single frontline had fallen throughout the rains. If anything had stirred a faint unease in Chen Fan's heart recently, it was precisely that. Anyone who had visited the deep ocean knew that tranquility never truly existed in the deep sea. Every seemingly calm stretch of water concealed surging undercurrents beneath—the herald of an even fiercer tempest. Though it sounded grim, he would have preferred hearing that a few fronts had fallen, only for Eternal Night Hall to reclaim them after the rains. Nonetheless, the rainy season was over. Another year of development lay ahead. Beneath the dusk, the savory aroma of dumplings drifted across the entire expanse of the Jiangbei Defense Line. Naturally, the Fan Domain Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line and Fan Domain Defense Line No. 7 enjoyed the same celebration. Right then, Eternal Night descended. Viscous darkness swept rapidly from the edge of the sky, cloaking all of Jiangbei as it always did. Exhaling deeply, Chen Fan set down his bowl, stretched his limbs, and smiled at the lively members of Fan Domain gathered within the radius of the ghost fire. He prepared to head back to Nameless Mountain. Tonight, he would get a good night's rest. Another year had passed. Tomorrow, he would hold a meeting to outline this year's development plan. Over the past year, the focus had been on establishing the Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce's reach into the interior, building ties with various factions, and expanding their operations at the expense of short-term profits. This year, it was time to turn a profit. Those architectural blueprints and materials would need to be acquired in massive quantities. *** Along Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1. The overall commander stood on the battlements, staring into the darkness beyond the defense line. A cup of tea's time ago, he had dispatched a flying boat out to sea. Now that Eternal Night had fallen, if the ghost tide in this sector had truly retreated, word should be arriving right about now. He gripped the Mother-Child Stone in his hand, his heart uneasy. Just then, the Mother-Child Stone suddenly grew scalding hot—not with an incoming report from the scouting boat, but with a transmission from the high command of Eternal Night Hall. "This is the General Strategy Department of Eternal Night Hall." "Notice to the commander of Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1." "A shift has occurred within the Ghost Clan." "Tonight is the final battle of the Eternal Night Continent. The news comes somewhat late, but it should still leave enough time for everyone to bid farewell to their families." "Thank you all for your selfless dedication to the Eternal Night Continent over all these years." "It is with deep regret that we will not live to see the day of victory." "Let us carry our regrets and meet in hell." "This is the final order issued by Eternal Night Hall. Once again, our gratitude for your years of sacrifice. Thank you." The commander stood frozen, his mind unable to process the words before the Mother-Child Stone severed the connection. Immediately afterward, another frantic, agonized voice burst from the stone. "Ghost tide! Ghost tide! So many ghost creatures—!" "This is—" The transmission abruptly died. The commander's heart plummeted. He recognized the voice; it belonged to the captain of the scout boat he had sent out, the very man who had thumped his chest promising that nothing would go wrong. Almost simultaneously, he roared into the stone: "Condition One alert!" "Condition One alert!" Across the 108-kilometer stretch of Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1, the runes adorning countless turrets began glowing furiously. Throngs of defenders scrambled to their posts, waiting anxiously, bewildered as to why a Condition One alert had been declared when the rainy season had already ended. Then, he saw it. A near-infinite ghost tide surged forward atop the waves, far surpassing any previous tide in both sheer numbers and ferocity. Spearheading the charge were three peak Ghost Emperors, their eyes blazing with vicious malevolence. Ghost Emperors leading the charge in person! Never before had they witnessed Ghost Emperors leading a vanguard charge, and these three were visibly far more ferocious than any seen before! "This is Front No. 1! Connect to Jiangbei Fan Domain!" The commander cried out, panic flashing across his eyes as he rapidly relayed the message Eternal Night Hall had just delivered. The next instant— *Boom!* Two Ghost Emperors standing just over a meter tall hovered midair, throwing their arms wide and tilting their heads back. Above them, crimson spheres of light rapidly swelled, radiating an overwhelming, suffocating pressure. Meanwhile, a colossal Ghost Emperor towering tens of meters high charged at the forefront, gripping a massive battleaxe. Eyes burning with savage bloodlust, it tanked the barrage of turret fire, grinning menacingly as it brought the giant axe crashing down with full force! *Boom!!* The crimson spheres and the massive axe slammed into the exact same section of the wall almost simultaneously, coordinated with flawless precision. With just that single blow, the Level-9 fortification of Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1 shuddered violently, its walls threatening to collapse. Immediately after, two more crimson spheres and the great axe struck the identical spot once more. *Crack—!* A breach tore through the rampart. Braving the artillery bombardment, endless waves of ghost creatures poured through the gap with frantic, deranged frenzy. This defense line, which had never once fallen in recorded history, met its first breach—and its last. Amidst the ghost tide, a petite figure cloaked in dark robes slowly spread its arms, unleashing waves of eerie green luminescence so vast that it enveloped nearly the entire horde. Every creature touched by the light moved with heightened speed, the savagery in their eyes burning even brighter. *** Fan Domain. The warm, festive atmosphere shattered in an instant as blaring alarms echoed through every corner. Chen Fan, who had just been preparing to sleep, threw on his clothes with a grim expression and rushed to the underground strategic operations room, his eyes fixing on the sand table set upon the table. He had already received the transmission from Eternal Night Hall, and Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1 had sent its report as well—or more accurately, the news that Front No. 1 was on the verge of falling. The Ghost Clan had abruptly received reinforcements of staggering strength, launching a total offensive tonight. He had anticipated that the Ghost Clan would mount a final assault eventually, but he had never imagined it would arrive so abruptly, without the slightest warning. Every front line would face immense pressure tonight. The waters around the Western Desolate Isle remained calm for the moment, hosting only the ordinary scale of ghost tides, but once the main fronts collapsed, his Western Desolate Isle would hardly be spared. Over the past year, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Jiangbei Chamber of Commerce, he had mapped out most of the western sector of the Eternal Night Continent on ghost-hide maps. He quickly scanned the fronts nearest to him on the sand table. After a few breaths of silence, he issued a series of crisp commands: "Activate the Fan Domain missile reserve bases and provide emergency fire support to Eternal Night Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1!" "Deploy the Jiangbei temporary defense line. I will personally lead the Jiangbei line forward to temporarily plug the breach at Western Black Tortoise Front No. 1! The Logistics Pavilion will oversee the evacuation of populations from other sectors, bringing everyone to Jiangbei!" "To everyone else: stand by to initiate the Spark Plan at a moment's notice!" The Spark Plan was a contingency he had prepared long ago. If the frontline situation deteriorated beyond recovery, the New Continent would be his final retreat. Fall back to the New Continent, and demolish the undersea tunnel. Over the years, immense quantities of supplies and resources had been transported to the New Continent, ensuring that even if they had to retreat there, they could survive and lay the groundwork for a future counteroffensive. The message from Eternal Night Hall was steeped in despair. Yet until he saw the exact situation for himself, he had to fight first. Perhaps things were not entirely hopeless. The next instant, at the rear mountain of Nameless Mountain, the long-dormant Fan Domain cruise missile reserve base came alive. Row upon row of Heaven-Reaching Pillars standing neatly on the ground lit up in sequence. The earth trembled violently. As the first Heaven-Reaching Pillar blasted skyward, more and more followed in rapid succession, erupting with blinding, searing blue-white light as they vanished into the darkness. "What on earth is going on?" In the Yellow Springs Mouth area, Ghost Emperor Jiuwu was thoroughly savoring his retirement. Aside from being forced to go on a morning jog every day, there was nothing bad about this lifestyle. Yet just moments ago, his subordinates had suddenly informed him that the Fan Domain Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line had entered high alert, with all turrets fully powered and primed to fire at any second. "What kind of game are they playing?" The hulking Ghost Emperor sat in his courtyard, scratching the back of his head in utter bewilderment. Over the past year, they had gotten along quite harmoniously with Fan Domain, minding their own business without interference. Why did it suddenly look like war was breaking out? Before he could process the thought, he saw a searing white light pierce the distant horizon, hurtling closer and closer. And before he could even react, countless more streaks of scorching white brilliance stabbed through the darkness, sweeping across the heavens above his head like a torrential meteor shower. Every single streak of light carried an aura of terrifying, suffocating power.