Chapter 35
Sowhere in the Ardentia Kingdom.
A vast golden hall stood in silent grandeur. Intricate designs and layered colors ran along its walls, golden monunts towering beside veins of silver and rare jade embedded into the structure itself. The room did not try to impress.
It declared importance.
This was not a place for ordinary discussions.
Inside the hall were several chambers, each spaced far apart. Within every chamber sat powerful figures, each accompanied by their entourage. Even without speaking, the pressure leaking from their bodies was enough for anyone to understand.
These were monsters.
Their elegance spoke of wealth. Their composure spoke of power. Their presence alone scread authority.
In one of the chambers sat an elegant woman dressed in deep green. Her red hair was tied into a long ponytail that reached her waist. Her eyes were closed as she spoke, her voice light and almost lazy, yet it echoed through every chamber without effort.
"So," she said, uninterested, "who is conducting today’s eting?"
She paused, then added flatly, "Do not tell One Eye is the one doing it."
The man she referred to did not respond.
Instead, a surge of killing intent leaked from his chamber.
It was heavy. Sharp. Violent.
He hated that na.
He had lost one of his eyes defending the kingdom. A price paid in blood and loyalty. Yet all anyone rembered was what he lost, not what he protected.
If it were anyone else, they would already be dead.
Unfortunately, the woman was no pushover. Worse, she was a council mber. He could not touch her. At most, this was nothing more than a tantrum.
"Hey, One Eye," another voice chid in calmly. "Withdraw your killing intent. You are making uncomfortable."
The speaker was a man dressed in elegant white. His long white hair was braided into several strands that frad a face far too handso for his own good. He rested his chin on one hand, completely unbothered by the murderous aura pressing down on the room.
"I told you two," One Eye snarled, his voice trembling with rage, "to stop calling One Eye."
The shout shook the chamber.
It did nothing.
Both the woman and the white haired man only looked at him with amused, mocking expressions.
Another figure, dressed in blue, glanced over at the trio and sighed deeply.
"You three really need to get along," he said. "We are supposed to be the ones with the most sense of maturity, yet you always bicker like children. Especially you, One Eye."
The mont the words left his mouth, he froze.
"Oh crap," he thought.
He had completely forgotten the man’s real na.
Slowly, very slowly, One Eye turned his head toward him. His remaining eye was bloodshot, veins bulging.
The woman bit her lip, struggling not to laugh.
The white haired man did not even bother hiding his smile.
"What did you just say?" One Eye asked, his voice low and dangerous.
The man in blue scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Then, trying to sound casual, he asked,
"Wait. What is your real na again?"
Silence.
Then laughter burst out.
The woman laughed openly now. A few other council mbers chuckled as well. It was not loud. It was not cruel.
But to One Eye, it felt like the world had gone numb.
They did not know his na.
None of them did.
That was sothing he could never accept.
Just as the One Eye council mber was about to roar in fury, a calm yet soothing voice spoke.
"Enough of the bickering."
The entire hall fell silent.
Every head turned toward the chamber at the center, built differently from the rest. Inside stood a figure dressed in plain black clothing. His posture was relaxed. His presence unassuming. Yet his face was completely obscured, impossible to see.
That alone spoke volus.
This was no ordinary council mber.
This was the Emperor of the Great Kingdom of Ardentia.
The council mbers dared not look twice. One by one, they dropped to their knees along with their entourages, bowing deeply, offering their most sacred greetings as if kneeling before a god.
It could not be helped.
The strongest cultivator and one of the most powerful n alive was the Emperor himself.
Despite his kindness and distant nature, he was not soone any of them dared disrespect. If he wished it, all their power, wealth, fa, and influence could be erased along with everyone beneath them.
"You may rise," the Emperor said gently.
The figures slowly stood and returned to their seats.
The Emperor turned slightly toward One Eye. With his face hidden, no one could tell where his gaze truly lay.
"Calling him One Eye does not do justice to his achievents," the Emperor continued calmly. "He has contributed greatly to the safety of this kingdom and won a decisive battle against the Essos, losing his eye during one of those encounters."
He paused.
"He is a great man. His na should be honored and respected, as General..."
Silence.
The Emperor paused again.
The council mbers exchanged glances.
One Eye’s heart sank.
The man in blue stiffened.
The Emperor had forgotten.
Even the Emperor did not rember his real na.
One Eye felt a strange mix of pride and dread twist inside him.
Then the Emperor spoke again, his voice steady and soothing.
"Instead of calling him One Eye, I hereby grant him an official title."
The hall leaned in.
"As Supre General Overseer."
The words landed like thunder.
"You will watch over the entire kingdom, protecting and monitoring all."
The man froze.
Then, slowly, he dropped to one knee.
Receiving a direct title from the Emperor was a grace he had never believed he deserved.
"Rise," the Emperor said gently. "You have earned it."
The general rose and returned to his seat, his chest tight with emotion.
anwhile, the Emperor released a quiet sigh of relief internally.
Of course he had not forgotten the man’s na.
Of course not.
He had simply outmaneuvered the situation with a powerful, impressive title.
There was absolutely no way he would admit otherwise.
"Now," the Emperor said smoothly, "with General Overseer’s matter settled, let us move on to the real issue."
The atmosphere shifted.
"I am certain every one of you is familiar with the phenonon that occurred overnight," he continued. "I am sure you all saw it."
His voice lowered.
"The Crimson Night."
The hall grew even quieter.
The Crimson Night was not just a phenonon that appeared overnight. It was sothing entirely different. Sothing unprecedented.
A phenonon that shattered everything they believed they understood.
The world’s energy multiplied many tis over. In a single night, breakthroughs occurred that should have taken tens, even hundreds of years.
The Emperor continued, his voice steady.
"I am certain all of you felt the effects the Crimson Night brought. Many received its blessing, breaking through bottlenecks and reaching entirely new heights."
He paused.
"But many suffered as well."
The council mbers nodded grimly.
They understood. They had all felt it. The surge. The pressure. The temptation. If they were not already standing too high in their cultivation, if spending the entire night cultivating could have pushed them further, they would have seized that chance without hesitation.
Perhaps even risked more.
But just as the Emperor said, the Crimson Night carried both fortune and calamity.
Many of their subordinates and citizens who should have faced ordinary tribulations were instead struck by Hell Tribulations. Sothing they were never prepared for.
Most did not survive.
Those who did were left broken, bodies and foundations shattered. Injuries so severe it would take an unthinkable amount of ti to recover, if they ever could at all.
The Emperor nodded when he saw the solemn expressions spread across their faces.
"Then I believe the next question you all must consider is this," he said quietly.
"Does anyone here know what caused this phenonon."
Silence.
"And more importantly," he continued, his tone lowering, "the true purpose of the Crimson Night itself."
To be continued.
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