Eternal Night Reboot

Inside the grand hall. Once the crowd of ghost creatures had withdrawn, the elderly ghost hurried forward. After darting his eyes left and right, he grabbed Kuiyi's sleeve, deep excitement that had been suppressed for years flickering in the depths of his gaze. "Kuiyi, I am your father." Kuiyi, who had just been preparing to step out of the hall, immediately darkened in expression. Looking at the old ghost clutching him, he asked hoarsely, "Elder Qian, I respect your status as the late King's confidant and address you as Elder Qian out of reverence, but aren't you going a bit too far? Are you implying that if I want to sit upon the throne, I must first acknowledge you as my father?" The old ghost paid his anger no heed. Instead, he drew a deep breath and recounted an ancient secret. "A very, very long time ago..." "I was the King's confidant. Every ghost creature and newborn in the Royal Clan that developed sentience was brought by me to the Black Abyss to test their darkness affinity. Anyone with an affinity higher than the King's would be put to death." "You are my flesh and blood, and your darkness affinity was higher still." "I secretly hid you away." Inside the grand hall, the old ghost's voice steadily resonated, laying bare a hidden secret of the royal court. After a long while... Kuiyi finally understood. He stood frozen in place, utterly dazed. Even though he was already a Ghost Emperor, finding out that he suddenly had a father was still hard to swallow. No wonder he had always felt that during the trials, the late King's confidant had seemed to grant him special favor. "It is enough that you know this. There is no need to change how you address me for now." Elder Qian exhaled deeply. "The primary issue now is the theft from the Royal Clan's Black Abyss. I will assist you in becoming the first to breach the Fan Domain's defense lines. When that time comes, the other ghosts will have nothing to say." "Very well." Kuiyi's eyes flickered, and he nodded. *** Jiangbei, the Fan Domain. Chen Fan and That Person were still walking side by side along the Jiangbei Defense Line. Most of the people evacuated from the Eternal Night Continent to the Western Desolate Isle had already relocated to the New Continent, where they were primarily tasked with farming crops and raising livestock. "Chen Fan." The middle-aged man in green robes, flanked by a hovering three-foot blade that fluttered continuously, spoke softly in a calm voice. "I do not know the Fan Domain's situation very well." "However, regarding your earlier proposal, I have devised a method. You can assess its feasibility based on the circumstances of the Fan Domain." "If we can thoroughly eradicate the Royal Clan and the Ghost Clan, it will usher in a peaceful development period lasting several years." "There are still many dangers on the road ahead." "The Fan Domain is still not strong enough." "The Royal Clan are not ghost creatures born from the darkness within the Primitive Lands. The darkness of the Primitive Lands is too dense for them, making them uncomfortable, so it will not be long before they launch a general offensive." "I will negotiate with the Heavenly Dao of the Eternal Night Continent to have it self-destruct." "The continent will collapse, leaving behind only a sliver of land to hold the massive ghost tide." "I will burn myself out, sharing longevity with heaven and returning to the world, to suppress all sea regions surrounding the Eternal Night Continent, preventing the ghost creatures from entering the sea for a short period." "That way..." "The ghost tide will be forced to remain on that small strip of land, and the Fan Domain can use the Heavenly Dao Cannons to wipe them out completely." "This crisis will be resolved." Chen Fan's brows furrowed slightly. Was such a plan truly feasible in practice? "What?" "You think it has no chance of being carried out?" The middle-aged man looked at Chen Fan and chuckled. "This plan was not actually my own idea." "It was conceived thousands of years ago by a faction on the Huyi Continent when their land was invaded." "That continent was only about ten thousand kilometers away from the New Continent." "They faced an invasion by a ghost tide just the same." "Unavoidable." "Back then, the Huyi Continent did not have a retreat route like the New Continent, which the Eternal Night Continent possesses. Trapped with their backs against the wall, even though they had an ultimate weapon like the Heavenly Dao Cannon, they were still powerless against the overwhelming numbers of the ghost tide." "And so..." "Faced with a hopeless dead end, that continent also retreated into a single corner." "Its Heavenly Dao self-destructed." "The continent collapsed." "They intended to fire the Heavenly Dao Cannons to obliterate the ghost tide gathered on the continental fragments." "Yet..." "The ghost tide fled into the sea." "The plan failed." "Before its destruction, that continent sent out the message, along with the final effort they had made." "I just recalled that plan." "The prerequisite for this plan's success is that a continent must possess two Heavenly Daos: one to self-destruct and collapse the continent, and another to self-destruct and seal the surrounding seas. Only then can it succeed." "Yet how could a single continent possibly have two Heavenly Daos?" "Coincidentally..." "The Eternal Night Continent happens to have two." "Shall we give it a try?" "If this plan succeeds, the amount of ghost fire required for Sovereign of All Under Heaven will be far smaller. Moreover, once the golden rain from the Heavenly Dao Blessing descends, the collapsed areas of the Eternal Night Continent will be restored. You should have already witnessed this on the New Continent." "I do not want you to die." Chen Fan shook his head lightly. "The Fan Domain has almost finished digesting all the resources from the Eternal Night Continent. As long as we withstand the next few waves of the ghost tide, the day will come when we counterattack." The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Do not rush." "I have not finished speaking." "All three drops of my Heavenly Dao essence blood have burned away. Right now, I am barely clinging to life and have only three months left." "However, if the plan proceeds smoothly, a new Heavenly Dao will be born on the Eternal Night Continent. During the process of the Heavenly Dao coalescing, the heavenly vortex will pull my remnant soul lingering in the world into it, making me the new Heavenly Dao of the Eternal Night Continent." "It will be equivalent to truly coming back to life." "I am not afraid of death." "Yet after seeing the Fan Domain, I cannot help but want to see more—to see how far the Fan Domain can grow." "Throughout the entire process, the only one who will truly die is the original Heavenly Dao of the Eternal Night Continent." "However..." "Rationally speaking, it is already on the verge of death. Even if we reclaim the Eternal Night Continent, it would take a very long time to recover, which would hinder the Fan Domain's development. Emotionally speaking, once it learns of the plan, it will agree." "A Heavenly Dao has no emotions, but it wants to protect its own continent." "Just as a beast, despite having little intellect, still instinctively desires to protect its cubs." The middle-aged man looked up toward the sky. Chen Fan fell silent for a long time before asking, "What conditions must be met for a continent to coalesce a new Heavenly Dao? The Fan Domain unified the New Continent, yet no new Heavenly Dao coalesced there." Standing upon the ramparts, the middle-aged man gazed into the distance at the two crocodiles roughhousing inside the nameless city. "All existence between heaven and earth is divided into two factions: 'races' and 'continents.'" "These are two distinct paths." "Races, like the Ghost Clan and the Royal Clan, must conquer a continent before they can coalesce a Heavenly Dao belonging to their race. That Heavenly Dao belongs to their race; even if they leave that continent, that Heavenly Dao will continue to follow them." "Continents, like the Eternal Night Continent and the Huyi Continent, take the land itself as the core. The Heavenly Dao that coalesces is the Heavenly Dao of that specific continent." "The two sides are natural, inherent enemies." "Because for a race to advance to a high-tier race, it must conquer a sufficient number of continents." "All 'races' are composed of ghost creatures; only ghost creatures can establish races. They are collectively known as the dark faction, while 'continents' are referred to as the continent faction." "Races focus on conquest, so they only need to occupy a continent to coalesce a Heavenly Dao." "For a continent to coalesce a Heavenly Dao, it requires sufficient 'prosperity.'" "For example..." "After the Eternal Night Continent's Heavenly Dao self-destructs, if the Fan Domain reclaims the continent and repopulates it across the land, making the Eternal Night Continent lively once more, then as soon as the prosperity reaches a certain threshold, the Heavenly Dao can recoalesce." "You need not think about making the New Continent prosperous to coalesce a new Heavenly Dao there, either," the middle-aged man said slowly. "It cannot be done." "The people currently on the New Continent are not native to it. They do not count toward its prosperity." Chen Fan remained silent, walking quietly along the wall. He understood. For a continent to coalesce a Heavenly Dao, it required prosperity. And it had to come from people native to that continent. It seemed designed to discourage continents from conquering one another. In that case... "We will follow your plan." "Good." The middle-aged man let out a long breath and smiled, continuing his instructions as though entrusting his legacy: "There is no time to lose. No one knows when the ghost tide will launch its general offensive. I will go contact the original Heavenly Dao of the Eternal Night Continent first." "There are a few other matters as well." "These are things ordinary people do not know. I know nothing about Tier 2 continents since I have never been the Heavenly Dao of one, but I know that Tier 1 continents have several hidden Heavenly Dao Blessing rewards that the Eternal Night Continent has yet to claim." "For instance:" "'Grand Unification': Formally achieve total unification, with only one absolute leader." "'Blessing the Masses': After achieving Grand Unification, establish a transportation network that spans the entire Eternal Night Continent, placing relay stations in every corner of the land." "'Newborns': After achieving Grand Unification, produce one thousand male newborns and one thousand female newborns." "'Pupils Across the World': After achieving Grand Unification, construct ten thousand private schools." "'Will of the People': After achieving Grand Unification, over seventy percent of the continent's population must endorse the ruling faction." "Heh." The middle-aged man chuckled. "A Tier 1 continent has precisely these five hidden Heavenly Dao Blessings. They are hidden versions; normally, a Heavenly Dao would never reveal them to you. Remember to fulfill them after reclaiming the Eternal Night Continent—the rewards are extraordinarily generous." "As for the exact rewards, my memories are somewhat fragmented." "Regardless, they are bound to be massive." With that, he gazed with a smile toward the two crocodiles sparring in the distance inside Sunset City. He had lied to Chen Fan. After reclaiming the Eternal Night Continent, once prosperity reached a certain level, the Heavenly Dao could indeed begin to coalesce. However, his remnant soul, after self-destructing, could only linger between heaven and earth for three months. Three months. It was impossible for the Fan Domain to build up the prosperity required to coalesce a Heavenly Dao on the Eternal Night Continent within three months. The demands on construction speed would be absurdly high. This departure would be a final farewell. The core reason he was resolute in carrying out this plan was singular: it was the quickest way to eliminate the Royal Clan, granting the Eternal Night Continent sufficient time to develop. The world outside was far too perilous. His Heavenly Dao essence blood had already burned away completely. That rainfall had merely bought him three extra months. Yet for someone who had lived as long as he had, three months was no different from a single day within his perception of time. Before dying, to make one last contribution was a good thing. "By the way..." Just then, Chen Fan suddenly recalled something. "Mr. Na, after completing the Sovereign of All Under Heaven task, there will be a golden rain that forms many ghost mines across the continent. If the Eternal Night Continent self-destructs and drastically reduces its landmass, will the number of ghost mines decrease significantly?" "No." That Person shook his head. "The Eternal Night Continent will be restored during the golden rain, and the ghost mines will form across the restored land." "In that case..." Chen Fan said hesitantly, "Does that mean other continents completing Sovereign of All Under Heaven don't need to place ghost fire across the entire continent at all? They could just collapse the continent, place ghost fire on a small remaining fraction, and complete the Sovereign of All Under Heaven task very quickly. After all, the Heavenly Dao will recoalesce later, and the continent will be restored." The middle-aged man gave Chen Fan an extraordinarily bizarre look. "In theory, that is indeed possible. But the premise is that collapsing a continent requires the Heavenly Dao to self-destruct. Unless facing a mortal enemy, do you really expect a perfectly fine Heavenly Dao to just destroy itself?" "A Heavenly Dao may have no emotions, but it is not stupid." "Fair point." Chen Fan nodded and said no more. *** Three days later. Chen Fan stood alone on the ramparts, looking out across the sea with no one beside him. The briny sea wind blew against his face. This plan was somewhat insane. Yet over the past seven days, it had been steadily moving forward. The ghost tide had certainly learned of the earlier test of the Heavenly Dao Cannon on the Eternal Night Continent, but the sheer tyranny of this plan lay in the fact that whether they knew or not, it made no difference. This was no lure. It was forced positioning. How could Lux hit all five enemies with her ultimate? Two ways. First: Wait for an opportunity where all five enemies gathered together. Second: Cheat. Shatter the map until only a single corridor of death remained. No need to aim—just fire, and leave the rest to the Heavenly Dao Cannon. The Heavenly Dao Cannon would provide the answer. At the cost of two Heavenly Daos self-destructing, dragging the Royal Clan down as burial companions was more than enough. Once the Royal Clan was purged, the Eternal Night Continent would recoalesce its Heavenly Dao, the Fan Domain would achieve Grand Unification, and they could smoothly advance to a Tier 2 continent. At the thought of this, he could not help letting out a wry chuckle. When he had first arrived in this world, he had been somewhat puzzled. The world had an interface, making it resemble a game. But if it was a game world, there should have been levels. Like a Tier 1 Shelter, a Tier 2 Shelter, and so forth. Yet his shelter had no tiers whatsoever. Only individual buildings possessed tiers and levels. He had assumed there were no tiers at all. Yet as it turned out, after toiling for years, he had not even touched the threshold of the first tier. He had still been wandering inside the starter village. Both the Ghost Clan and the Royal Clan were merely monsters in the beginner zone. What did that make the Thunderstorm Sea? The starter village boss? Only from this moment onward would he truly step onto the battlefield of this world. Only when the Eternal Night Continent advanced to a Tier 2 continent would they cease to be complete nobodies, capable of etching their name upon this world. "Bring it on." Whatever the future held, he would stand right here, facing the wind head-on. Chen Fan directed his gaze deep into his soul toward the Eternal Night Lord panel. Through his conversations with Mr. Na, he had learned that even a Heavenly Dao could not see the panel—just as Mr. Na had assumed the Heaven-Reaching Pillars were something usable only by a Tier 2 continent. His advantage remained intact. Over the next few days, the Fan Domain was extraordinarily busy. Huge numbers of laborers were gathered and put through emergency training. The Fan Domain excelled at large-scale infrastructure, one of its core competencies being modular construction. Although Mr. Na had not stated it explicitly, from his tone of entrusting his legacy, Chen Fan had already guessed that the duration his remnant soul could linger in the world after self-destructing was limited. If Chen Fan could not restore the Eternal Night Continent to a certain level of prosperity within that time, Mr. Na would never return. However... Mr. Na still did not understand the Fan Domain well enough. It was high time to show him the Fan Domain's construction speed. Especially with all the resources and manpower of the Eternal Night Continent under the Fan Domain's control, once a brief period of training was complete, an awe-inspiring construction speed would erupt. *** The Eternal Night Continent was exceptionally quiet, with little movement. Until this day, not long after dawn, vast ghost tides began descending upon the Eternal Night Continent. These were the remaining forces stockpiled within the Primitive Lands. With no subsequent reinforcements to replenish their ranks, the Royal Clan had no intention of waging a war of attrition; they prepared for a general offensive to crush the Eternal Night Continent once and for all. Vast swarms of the ghost tide congregated across the Eternal Night Continent. The general offensive was underway. "I will lead the infiltration." On the Eternal Night Continent, Kuiyi was the first to break the deadlock, speaking in a cold voice: "I will lead troops to infiltrate the Jiangbei Defense Line." No one was willing to infiltrate. Both the Jiangbei Defense Line and Defense Line No. 7 were Level 10 defense lines. Infiltrating by sea meant that scarcely one in ten would survive, and the odds of actually breaching the ramparts afterward were slimmer still. The other generals were somewhat surprised, not expecting Kuiyi to volunteer. Soon, however, another general stepped forward: "In that case, I will lead troops to infiltrate Defense Line No. 7." "I am heading to the Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line regardless. I want to taste the power of the Heavenly Dao Cannon." Another general shrugged, his eyes brimming with nonchalance. The Royal Clan had waged war for years and naturally knew of the Heavenly Dao Cannon. The mightiest defensive structure of a Tier 1 continent— the Heavenly Dao Cannon. Its most powerful shot was named "All Things as Straw Dogs, Equal Longevity with Heaven and Earth." Its effect was formidable. It appeared the Fan Domain already possessed the cannon and had even conducted a test, sending a scorching pillar of light piercing straight across the continent. However... no matter how powerful the Heavenly Dao Cannon was, it had limitations. First and foremost was its consumption. As far as he knew, a single shot of "All Things as Straw Dogs, Equal Longevity with Heaven and Earth" required at least two billion ghost stones. Even with structures that reduced the ghost stone consumption of defensive buildings, it would still take at least one billion. How many shots could the Fan Domain possibly fire? Not many. Having his subordinates die under the cannon would certainly offer far better value than dying during an infiltration. "Hmph!" Kuiyi snorted coldly. Just as he was about to speak, his body suddenly stumbled. Only then did he realize the ground had begun to shake, the tremors growing increasingly violent until the earth convulsed and mountains swayed. "An earthquake?" he blurted out instinctively. *** Jiangbei, the Fan Domain. After the ghost tide gathered on a massive scale, the Fan Domain received the intelligence: the general offensive had begun. "I like giving names to plans. Since this plan was proposed by you, you should name it." Chen Fan stood on the Jiangbei Defense Line, looking at Mr. Na before him. "That works." The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then smiled. "Let us call it the 'Eternal Night Reboot Plan.'" At that moment— with the exception of the Western Desolate Isle, the entire Eternal Night Continent began to quake violently. The land bordering the sea began to collapse slowly into the waters, churning up massive waves. The entire continent began melting away rapidly, like a slab of butter dropped into boiling water. "I am off." The middle-aged man glanced at Chen Fan, then looked across the distance toward the two crocodiles behind him in Sunset City, a faint smile on his lips. "How wonderful. The Fan Domain truly has great potential. After I leave, please look after those two crocodiles for me." "They have names." "The male is Da'e." "The female is Xiao'e." "Who named them?" "I did." "I think I understand why they accepted their child being named Weiwei so quickly." "Indeed. I am terrible at naming things; I haven't even given myself a proper name," the middle-aged man sighed helplessly. Then he stepped forward, hovering in the air above the Jiangbei Defense Line. Drawing a deep breath, he spread his arms and spoke not another word. His body began to fracture like the shadow of a flickering candle, slowly dissolving into the world. The scattering white light sank into the sea. The ocean beyond the Jiangbei Defense Line began to churn violently, as though brought to a boil. The ghost creatures native to the waters floated to the surface as corpses after agonizing struggles, and a faint blue glow surfaced across the ocean's expanse. Chen Fan silently watched it all before turning toward the teleportation array beside him. This was not his battlefield. His battlefield lay at the Yellow Springs Mouth. *** "What is going on?" The Eternal Night Continent was rapidly collapsing from its outer edges. Kuiyi, who had been preparing to infiltrate by sea, watched the ghost creatures falling into the water alongside the crumbling land not far away. The moment those creatures hit the water, they were instantly bounced back onto the land, as if the sea were fitted with countless springs. "This is a Heavenly Dao self-destructing, collapsing the continent," Elder Qian explained hurriedly. "Before certain continents are destroyed, their Heavenly Dao will self-destruct to collapse the land." "Then what is with the blue light in the sea?" "I do not know." Elder Qian shook his head rapidly. "If the King's Heaven-Inquiring Bell were here, we might know what is happening." "Something is wrong." Kuiyi looked around with a grim expression. "Let us return to the continent where the Ghost Clan resides first." In the next instant, a teleportation array was swiftly laid beneath their feet, yet it failed to activate. "Space has been sealed. We cannot teleport. We cannot go back." Kuiyi's face darkened further. For some reason, an intense sense of foreboding welled up inside him. *** The Yellow Springs Mouth area. The rolling mountain ranges on either flank of the defense line began to slowly collapse. As each section fell away, new defense walls filled the gaps, eventually expanding the original 27-kilometer gap to an 81-kilometer breach. Innumerable Fan Domain members stood atop this defense line. This 81-kilometer rampart was composed of what had originally been three Level 10 defense lines combined into one, facing the interior of the Eternal Night Continent. Chen Fan, like everyone else, stood on the ramparts gazing out toward the horizon. This was his first time witnessing a Heavenly Dao's self-destruction. The sky began to darken. He could clearly hear countless sounds resembling shattering glass echoing between heaven and earth. A layer of dense, brownish-yellow fog blanketed the sky above the continent, and a scarlet deluge poured down over the Eternal Night Continent. The Heavenly Dao of the Eternal Night Continent had brought many rains. This was the first rain it shed for itself, wailing in grief. Peaks collapsed; lakes churned violently. The continent gave way, endless fissures tearing across the ground as massive slabs sank into the seabed. The sprawling ghost tide was forced inexorably onto the only remaining continental fragments. Until... dusk fell. After nearly an entire day had passed, the collapse of the Eternal Night Continent was complete. The surviving landmass of the Eternal Night Continent now resembled a bar of Dove chocolate—extraordinarily neat and uniform. Eighty-one kilometers wide. Twelve thousand kilometers long. Crowded atop this long, narrow strip of land were countless ghost creatures. And atop the Fan Domain's Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line, five max-level Heavenly Dao Cannons stood in quiet stillness upon the battlements. "They've lined up in a straight row, haven't they?" Chen Fan murmured softly as he took in the sight. The self-destruction of two Heavenly Daos had accomplished this near-impossible feat: vast swarms of the ghost tide were packed tightly onto this narrow strip of land. "Chen Fan! Chen Fan!" Right then— an aged-looking ghost creature, eyes filled with terror, came sprinting wildly through the ghost tide perched atop a Ghost Emperor's shoulder. Reaching the base of the wall, he leaped down, dropped to his knees, and screamed at the top of his lungs: "Do not fire!" "Give us a chance! Let us leave! We will never set foot on the Eternal Night Continent again in this lifetime!" "All these ghost creatures are yours! I only want to evacuate with my son!" "In exchange," "I will tell you the requirements for advancing to a Tier 2 continent! You definitely don't know them! Don't you want to advance to a Tier 2 continent? Only by advancing can one truly be considered an overlord!" At first, he had not understood what was happening. Yet now that matters had reached this point, every ghost creature understood what was about to follow. They were standing upon an executioner's platform, with the butcher's blade about to fall at any moment. Chen Fan stood on the wall, watching the spectacle without a word. Copper pipes along the ramparts flowed rapidly with massive quantities of cool, white liquid; the Heavenly Dao Cannons had already begun charging. More and more Ghost Emperors stepped out from the ghost tide to plead for mercy, each pushing further ahead than the last, drawing closer and closer. Until a Ghost Venerable came within three hundred meters of the defense line. A savage glint suddenly erupted in his eyes. His body burst forward with tremendous speed, reaching the foot of the wall in the blink of an eye as he raised the hammer in his hands and brought it crashing down. With that single blow, countless stones on the Level 10 defense line shattered. Dense fissures spiderwebbed across the rampart, gouging out a crater nearly thirty meters deep. A few more strikes, and this Level 10 wall would collapse entirely. The crowd of Ghost Emperors who had just been kneeling and begging for mercy instantly showed their fangs, charging toward the line with sinister sneers! The Royal Clan had fought wars for countless years. Even in the face of such a crisis, they had found a sliver of hope. The Heavenly Dao Cannons required charging time. As long as they breached the defense line before the cannons finished charging, they could break this trap. Faced with such mortal danger, the Royal Clan truly and thoroughly united for the first time. Countless Ghost Emperors charged recklessly toward the wall, and the ghost tide behind them surged in a mad sprint, bearing down directly on the Fan Domain's Yellow Springs Mouth Defense Line. Yet— in the very next instant, the damaged section of the wall began to repair itself at astonishing speed. Within mere breaths, it was fully restored to its original state. Chen Fan stood atop the ramparts, gazing impassively at the ghost tide rushing toward the wall like a roaring torrent. Their sheer numbers were suffocating. The Royal Clan had indeed seized their final opportunity. Except... the Heavenly Dao Cannons had finished charging. He paused for a brief moment, then spoke softly: "Break." The sky suddenly turned pitch black. The five max-level Heavenly Dao Cannons mounted on the defense line fired simultaneously. Five colossal, searing pillars of light erupted, instantly engulfing the entire ghost tide outside the walls. The scorching beams completely blanketed the remaining strip of land, as though an eraser were lightly wiping away an erroneous answer. All ghost creatures caught within the blazing pillars began thrashing in agonizing torment, and those below the strength of a Ghost Emperor were vaporized in an instant. This was... the Heavenly Dao Cannon. All Things as Straw Dogs, Equal Longevity with Heaven and Earth.