Chapter 793: General Sa Naweiya

"Who are you?"

Lei En, far away in Ge La Mo Gen, heard the question and couldn't help but be startled.

It is not uncommon for the undead to speak; most high‑rank undead regain the ability to talk as they did in life.

The Heavenly Disaster Legion is massive; if it relied solely on the Death Lord and Liches to command, they would have nothing else to do, devoting all their time and energy to managing and directing the army.

Therefore, undead of Legend rank or higher usually regain their minds.

The higher the rank, the stronger the power, and the more active the undead's mental ability becomes, gradually shedding the shackles of a mindless husk.

A few trusted Apocalypse Knights can even possess emotions, stronger than those of the living.

For example, Ai Long *Rui Wentena, who died at his own hand, was like that.

That Apocalypse Knight should be in a similar situation.

Lei En was surprised by her disguise.

The split‑brain crystal module was loaded into a MutatedPhone; even without physical eyes, it can observe surroundings via telepathy and also has partial Soul‑Eye function, sensing a target's emotional changes.

For almost two months, she hadn't spoken a single word.

The split‑brain crystal also detected no emotional fluctuations; her mind was a gray‑white void, like a low‑rank undead.

It wasn't until she spoke that Lei En realized he had misjudged her.

Even when she spoke, the split‑brain crystal still sensed no emotional shift.

More unexpectedly, she seemed to have noticed his spying, yet couldn't locate the split‑brain crystal's position…

No!

Lei En caught on; perhaps this was also part of her disguise.

She may have discovered the split‑brain crystal long ago.

What is her purpose?

Lei En was extremely cautious, neither responding immediately nor severing the link with the split‑brain crystal.

Beneath the Apocalypse Knight's hood, a pair of crimson eyes glimmered faintly behind black mist, scanning every corner of the room.

One could hear a pin drop in the room.

Even across an unknown distance of tens of thousands of miles, Lei En seemed to feel her gaze—sharp yet indifferent, carrying a certain pressure.

"Interesting."

Lei En stroked his chin, deciding to observe a while longer.

She was exceedingly patient, waiting over an hour without a reply, then suddenly said, "I know you're still there."

The sentence flowed more smoothly, hinting at something.

Another half hour passed.

Lei En still gave no response; she showed no impatience or unease, like a statue, seated motionless, displaying patience far beyond that of a living being.

Soon after, the crimson eyes beneath the hood closed, and she slipped into a deep slumber.

Lei En left the Mechanical Alchemy Chamber.

It was daytime in Ge La Mo Gen, but his teleport landed in Gotham City at night; he then infiltrated the Holy Spear Knight Corps' legion, his spirit leaping into Li Fulin's room.

Li Fulin had just finished a day's work and was freshening up.

She immediately noticed Lei En, yet was not surprised at all.

"Lord, good evening."

"Cough…"

Lei En felt a bit embarrassed; every time he visited Li Fulin it was at night, feeling like a secret tryst, hidden from light, though he truly hadn't meant it.

"I have something to ask you," he quickly added, lest she misunderstand.

Li Fulin's gaze drifted to the table, where her freshly removed armor lay beside weapons and magical items, including a speaking tube for remote communication.

Lei En could have asked via the speaking tube; there was no need to come in person.

But she didn't expose him; instead, a hint of secret delight rose within her as she nodded, "Ask away."

She still misunderstood.

Lei En could only feign ignorance and, in a serious tone, asked, "Among your people, has there ever been a female ranger, exceptionally powerful, perhaps not strong in life but transformed into undead after death and promoted to Apocalypse Knight?"

"General Sa Naweiya!" Li Fulin blurted out.

Lei En thought to himself, "So it was."

That blood elf would never remain unknown; he had indeed found the right person to ask Li Fulin.

"Could you tell me about her?" he showed great interest.

Li Fulin found Lei En's question odd but replied, "The Heavenly Disaster Legion has inflicted countless casualties on my people, breaching Eternal Song City three times, turning our families, friends, and comrades into undead; the most famous among them is General Sa Naweiya."

"About two hundred years ago, the Heavenly Disaster Legion's second breach of Eternal Song City occurred."

"At that time, Sa Naweiya *Feng Ge was the ranger general of the Blade of Dawn; she was the youngest Saint Rank ranger in Eternal Song City's history, vowing to resist the undead army to the death, ultimately falling to the Death Lord's blade."

"It was Sa Naweiya's sacrifice that made the master resolve to fully study the Blood Crystal Sacred Tree, creating Blood Knights capable of subduing undead."

"For reasons unknown, the Heavenly Disaster Legion withdrew after that great battle."

"Yet they also took General Sa Naweiya's corpse; later we learned she had been turned into undead, becoming a minion of the Death Lord."

"For over a hundred years, she repeatedly led the Undead Army to assault Eternal Song City, but never succeeded."

"On the New Continent, our people have repeatedly encountered her raids."

"She was once a hero of the blood elves, now she is their enemy…"

Li Fulin's eyes held sorrow, yet she clenched her teeth, brimming with endless hatred toward the Heavenly Disaster Legion.

Lei En didn't know how to comfort her.

Since the last era ended, the Heavenly Disaster Legion has occupied the northern New Continent for millennia, the most harmed being the high elves who stayed behind then, now the blood elves.

Especially over a thousand years ago, since the Death Lord's birth, the blood elves have faced a genocidal crisis three times.

Their survival to the present truly is a miracle.

Having said that, General Sa Naweiya must be strange. From her two questions and a disguise that even she could not see through, it shows she differs from other undead; whether that is good or bad is hard to determine.

Li Fulin said she had attacked Yongge City many times to no avail.

She also raided the blood elves' sanctuary…

Lei En felt something stir within him.

He asked, "Have you ever seen General Sa Naweiya with your own eyes? I mean after she died."

"No."

Li Fulin shook her head, "I was born more than ten years after her sacrifice; I grew up hearing of her glorious deeds while she was alive. When I was in Yongge City, I experienced two sieges where she led an army, but those assaults were quickly repelled, and I never saw Sa Naweiya herself."

"Both victories were that easy?" Lei En asked thoughtfully.

Li Fulin was startled for a moment, realizing the implication in Lei En's words.

She recalled carefully for a while.

"Now that I think back, it really was easy, even somewhat inexplicable. Both sieges were perilous; the Celestial Disaster Legion deployed hundreds of thousands of Undead Army, yet they withdrew quickly, or revealed a flaw at the crucial battle, which we seized and shattered with a single strike."

Li Fulin's expression grew increasingly strange.

She continued, "Those attacks on us mostly did not cause severe deaths; injuries were the majority."

"There was once a time when the Undead Army discovered one of our secret camps, but before they could attack, we received an unknown source of information and withdrew in time."

As Li Fulin spoke, her doubts grew, and she became agitated.

But she calmed down and shook her head repeatedly.

"No!"

"That's impossible. I've fought undead creatures my whole life; they are emotionless killing machines, obeying only the Death Lord, showing no mercy to the living."

"Undead cannot break free of control, without exception…"

"Those must all be coincidences," she dismissed her own speculation.

Lei En, however, was unconvinced.

Undead could never escape the Willpower of the Lord of the Dead; he had thought so before.

But after meeting Augulevi Master, everything changed.

Not only Augulevi Master himself retained free will.

Also his several Holy Soul Lich avatars.

Who knows if there are more undead that possess free will?

Thinking of this, Lei En suddenly made a connection.

Could this be related to Augulevi Master?

Augulevi Master first observed the Lich transformation ritual over three hundred years ago, and for about another one hundred and fifty years he worked to decipher and improve the rite, allowing one to obtain an immortal lifespan without sacrificing a soul to the Lord of the Dead.

And Sa Naweiya was transformed into undead two hundred years ago.

The timing doesn't match; it's about fifty years earlier.

…Hmm?

Lei En felt something stir again; there was another possibility.

Could Sa Naweiya be Augulevi Master's test subject, thus unable to fully break free of control, still bound to the Death Lord, essentially a half‑finished product?

The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed.

Only one such great mortal as Augulevi has ever existed in history.

Let alone a second; even producing half another would be difficult.

Even with Sa Naweiya's high talent, she cannot match Augulevi Master; her current situation is over 70% likely caused by Augulevi Master.

Lei En gradually became confident, but did not disclose it to Li Fulin.

"One or two instances can be chalked up to coincidence, but ten or more, even dozens, over centuries—that's certainly not coincidence," Lei En said, hinting.

Li Fulin looked at him, her gaze wavering.

Lei En came to see her late at night, asking about General Sa Naweiya, surely for another reason.

"Did you discover something?"

Lei En nodded and said, "General Sa Naweiya is currently in Naxus Fu Kong Cheng; she may be the key to us bringing down the floating city."

Li Fulin's eyes widened instantly.

The sentence revealed a great deal of information.

Not only Sa Naweiya's situation, Lei En also knew the location of the floating city and even planned to bring it down!

Previously, Gotham City allied with Yongge City; Lei En even made a wager with the Regent, promising to bring down the floating city within half a year.

Now almost four months have passed.

Yet they haven't even seen a shadow of the floating city; Li Fulin thought Lei En was bound to lose and would have to send a large shipment of Sunlight Blood and weaponry to Yongge City for free.

"Did you find the floating city?" Li Fulin asked in disbelief.

Lei En nodded, "It's been within my grasp all along."

Li Fulin felt somewhat numb; Lei En could always create surprises.

But she was more concerned about another matter, "What's up with General Sa Naweiya?"

"I can't be certain now," Lei En said, unable to guarantee, "Don't have too high an expectation; in any case, prepare for battle—perhaps soon we'll launch an attack on the floating city."

"Alright!"

Li Fulin was extremely exhilarated, eager to try.

She had been promoted to Saint Rank, becoming a Holy Blood Angel for over two months, fully mastering her new power, yet she had never displayed it to anyone; only Lei En knew her strength.

She used to only resent her own lack of strength, being unable to avenge her clan; now she finally has the chance.

Lei En finished speaking and vanished.

Hum…

Liflin stared at the spot where Lei En had departed, let out a low hum and, annoyed, said, "Why act like a thief, so cowardly, you've already come…".

What she didn't know was that Lei En hadn't gone far at all; he was in a corner of the camp, and the Voice of All Things heard her words clearly, his heart instantly fluttered.

Or should I go back?

Lei En hesitated for a moment and realized his skin was still not thick enough.

Maybe next time; a cooked duck can't fly.

The important matter comes first.

Lei En instantly teleported back to the Obsidian Tower, entered the meditation chamber on the seventh floor, where a young mage in a magical robe stood up.

The Soul Eye observed twice.

This mage's duplicate had only just reached legend, was only level ten, and had constructed dozens of spell models in the Lake of Stars, making its strength quite impressive.

Lei En gave him a dimensional space ring and a staff.

The mage took the magical gear, put it on, and set off immediately.

First he went to the top floor of the Obsidian Tower to activate a teleportation array, teleported to the middle layer of the Dark Realm, appeared in a closed cave, and then continued casting teleportation.

Not long ago, Lei En consulted Kuilu and obtained coordinates for some guide stones. Using those guide stones, one can move quickly through the Dark Realm, shorten the journey, and avoid danger.

The mage's duplicate spent two days to reach the lower layer of the Dark Realm.

On the third day, he finally arrived at the Spirit-absorbing Monster city Yilaientu.

In a tunnel outside Yilaientu, the mage's duplicate took a deep breath.

Back then, Augulevi Master had said not to disturb him unless necessary.

It's been less than a year, and he's back again.

Augulevi Master's spirit was unstable; Lei En wasn't sure whether he would agree to meet, or get angry.

Or perhaps they'd start with a Time Stop, a barrage of Nine-ring Technique attacks would rain down, annihilating everything, so he only dared to send a mage duplicate, not caring if it died.

The mage's duplicate prepared mentally and stepped out from its hiding place.

Soon, he saw a group of gray dwarf slaves.

And a Spirit-absorbing Monster overseer.

Each Spirit-absorbing Monster in Yilaientu was an Augulevi Master duplicate, usually disguised as a normal Spirit-absorbing Monster to conceal themselves.

This Spirit-absorbing Monster didn't recognize the mage's duplicate, instantly flashed over and unleashed a Mind Blast.

Bang!

The Mind Blast was interrupted and failed to cast.

The Spirit-absorbing Monster let out a scream, calling its kin.

"Master."

The mage's duplicate hurriedly used the Empire's language to send a magical message, spread his hands to show he had no hostile intent, and silently said, "I have returned."

The Spirit-absorbing Monster's expression shifted, it immediately stopped screaming, its gaze becoming fierce.

It examined the mage's duplicate for a second, and its eyes widened.

In the next instant, the mage's duplicate realized he had lost control of his body, the scenery shifted, and he was instantly teleported into a vast, dim palace.

A wave of extreme terror descended upon him.

(End of chapter)