Chapter 862: In the Name of the Gods

Flaniss Floating City darts swiftly through the Star Realm.

Looking outward from the floating city, one sees an endless silver sea, its waters of pure spiritual energy kept at bay by a protective shield. In every direction the view is the same: gray and white strands of light churn like distant stars, projections of the many planes of Ai Lun E Si's world.

Distance in the Star Realm has no real meaning; a moment's movement equals traversing an extremely vast distance in the Prime Material Plane.

Locating oneself in the Star Realm is exceedingly difficult.

However, for a Holy Soul Wizard who possesses a floating city, it is easy. To onlookers the whole world flashes by like a fleeting dream.

A few minutes later the floating city re‑initiates its leap, preparing to leave the Star Realm.

Everyone waits in silence.

Another five‑minute activation follows; people feel the floating city tremble beneath them, and in an instant the scenery shifts from the boundless silver sea to blue sky and white clouds, a sun high overhead, all very familiar.

The floating city has returned to the Prime Material Plane!

From Baye Square to the west lies a blue ocean, while the other three directions are endless stretches of land. The temperature here is a bit higher than in the Empire, which is already early winter; here a hint of heat remains, as if late summer.

This is a typical subcontinental climate; Sabu Kantine has arrived.

"Look over there!"

Someone points far to the east; about twenty li away a peninsula rises, its northern side attached to the subcontinent, its southern tip a jagged cone plunging into the sea. Atop this cone sits a city, its endless rows of houses stretching from the shore to the island's interior, covering most of the peninsula— a metropolis no less grand than the Empire's Mo Du.

Banbei City!

Lei En glances at Banbei City, then looks toward Tim*Kenan on the platform.

The leap of a floating city can have some deviation, testing its master's skill. Master Tim*Kenan has overseen the floating city for over a thousand years; with his power such a large error is impossible. The fact that it arrived over the sea rather than directly above Banbei City is clearly a safety measure.

After the leap completes, the floating city begins to fly toward Banbei City.

Soon, Flaniss approaches the Sarsset Island on which Banbei City sits.

Empire troops can already see the city's scene; countless people on the streets point at the floating city above, faces full of wonder and shock.

When the floating city hovers directly over the city at less than two thousand meters altitude, a massive shadow spreads, blotting out sky and sun. Banbei City's residents finally feel fear; terror spreads, the city descends into chaos, and countless people flee in panic.

Above Baye Square a projection appears, showing the real‑time view of Banbei City below.

Before departure, the leaders of each legion conducted investigations.

Tim*Kenan even, on the day he announced vengeance, dispatched a Flaniss Wizard to infiltrate Banbei City, secretly monitoring and tracking its movements.

Banbei City lies on the western coast of the subcontinent, a port city with thriving trade.

The most important place in the city is the Xiwaji Palace at its center, the residence of King Vikramatia II.

At that moment a squad of super‑humans ascends from the palace into the sky, flying toward the floating city.

Their mounts are striking: large birds of vivid color, a crest atop the head, feathers from neck to belly a beautiful deep blue, broad wings a bright emerald, a long tail feather draped like a pine‑covered canopy, flying with a graceful, unforgettable elegance.

They are emerald‑feathered Blue Jays, a bird found only on the subcontinent.

Blue Jay Knights!

Lei En's Thundercast Celestial Soldiers have been lurking in Banbei City for almost a month, and are no strangers to these super‑humans.

The Gupita Kingdom fields a force of roughly three thousand Blue Jay Knights, each of noble birth, well‑equipped and formidable—a rare aerial legion on the subcontinent; Gupita's aristocratic youths take pride in becoming Blue Jay Knights.

This squad of Blue Jay Knights ascends to the floating city's altitude but does not approach, hovering a few hundred meters away.

Among them a knight hoists the flag of the Gupita Kingdom.

Clearly they are envoys sent by the king.

"Your Grace, Duke GreyEagle, and honored guests of the Oriense Empire!"

A resonant voice comes from a knight atop a Blue Jay; he rises and shouts, "His Majesty the greatest king of Gupita, Vikramatia II, wishes to meet Duke GreyEagle in person to clear up the misunderstanding."

The Empire's people aboard the floating city are unsurprised.

This vengeance mission targets Luo Xi believers, not Banbei City or the Gupita Kingdom; even though everyone is eager to storm Banbei City, they cannot act without discussion.

The Empire also cares about its face.

At once everyone's gaze snaps to the towering Holy Soul Wizard on the platform, awaiting Duke GreyEagle's response.

Tim*Kenan gently pauses his staff.

Magical currents coalesce aloft, instantly forming a hundred‑meter‑tall illusory projection that stands before the Blue Jay Knights; the Blue Jays beneath shriek in terror, their formation thrown into chaos.

"Where is your king?"

The massive illusion speaks, its voice vast and deep, awe‑inspiring as a deity descended.

Countless people in Banbei City watch the scene, mouths agape; some even kneel, praying to the projection of Duke GreyEagle.

The leading Blue Jay Knight, a Legendary High‑rank, masks his panic, steadies his mount, and respectfully replies, "Greetings, Your Grace, please wait a moment."

Mid‑sentence, he produces a magical crystal and crushes it.

A towering figure emerges from the crystal: a dignified middle‑aged man wearing a golden‑gem crown, clad in finely enchanted armor, a large red‑and‑black cloak draped behind him; the image also shows the surrounding area, with a throne not far behind.

The man bows to the illusion of Duke GreyEagle and says evenly, "I am the king and guardian of the Gupita people, Vikramatia*Xiwaji, and have met Your Grace, Duke GreyEagle."

Tim*Kenan nods.

On the Old Continent there are over a hundred human realms, with even more kings; the Gupita king is relatively strong, yet in his eyes he differs little from other Saint Rank elites.

Vikramatia II says bluntly, "Your Grace, the death of the Oriense Empire Consul has nothing to do with Gupita; the murderer is a Luo Xi believer, that is absolutely clear. I understand the Empire's desire for revenge, but please do not let my people suffer innocently."

"Innocent? Heh…"

Duke GreyEagle sneers, the massive illusion glancing at the king, "If you want the Empire to withdraw, it's simple: hand over Lockriang and the Shadow Blade's corpse."

"Lockriang is not in Banbei City," Vikramatia replies gravely. "In the past ten days I conducted a thorough search of Banbei City and found no trace of Lockriang; we only captured a few Shadow Blade assassins, which I can hand to the Empire immediately."

Tim*Kenan remains unmoved.

A handful of Shadow Blade corpses are not enough to send the Empire's army away; even if he agreed, nearly eighty thousand troops aboard the floating city would not consent.

"Lockriang is right in Banbei City; did you search seriously?" Tim*Kenan asks.

Vikramatia II, suppressing his anger, says, "Of course we looked, but found nothing. Your Grace, I wish to ask, on what basis does the Empire claim Lockriang is in Banbei City? Even prophecy can err; it cannot be taken as evidence."

"What evidence is needed to eliminate the evil‑god believers?"

Tim*Kenan said lightly, "I said he's in Banbei City, he's right there. The Guputa Kingdom is incompetent, can't find Lokrian, then let the Empire's army come personally to look."

"You…"

Vikramatia II finally could no longer hold back, and the Blue Sparrow Knights behind him wore angry faces.

The Oriense Empire's such overbearing actions make me doubt that your revenge for the Consul is merely an excuse; the true aim is to invade the Guputa Kingdom. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and his tragic voice rang through Banbei City: "Ai Lun E Si gods are watching you, the gods will never allow invaders to destroy Banbei City and slaughter innocent people."

Banbei City has over three million residents; hearing the king's words, they instantly shared a common hatred of the enemy, and cries supporting the king's resistance rang throughout the city.

The whole city boiled over.

"The gods you speak of, you mean the Black Emperor Ban'erk?"

Tim*Kenan said a casual remark, and in an instant Vikramatia II's complexion changed drastically as he stared intently at the hundred‑meter illusion before him.

"You think I don't know?"

Tim*Kenan's voice reached the ears of millions, crystal clear as he said: "You, King Vikramatia II of Guputa, have already pledged yourself to the evil god Ban'erk, becoming the Black Emperor's lapdog."

"In the past twenty years, you have sacrificed at least five hundred thousand souls to the Black Emperor, receiving the evil god's blessing; not only has your personal power surged, but priests of Ban'erk have infiltrated your army, allowing you to conquer dozens of city‑states and tribes."

"The Black Emperor's church spreads wildly in Banbei City, cultivating a great number of followers."

"All of Banbei City and the Guputa Kingdom are under your tyrannical rule; people live in fear, countless innocents die each day, and all this aligns with the Black Emperor's doctrine, increasing His divine power."

The shouts in Banbei City gradually fell silent, and an intangible fear spread everywhere, brewing an unsettling mood.

Above the sky, only Tim*Kenan's voice remained:

"Loxhi is an evil god!"

"The Black Emperor Ban'erk is even more of an evil god; His slaughter of innocent people exceeds Loxhi's."

"All evil gods must be exterminated."

"Vikramatia*Shiwaji, here I, Tim*Kenan, representing the Oriense Empire Supreme Council, in the name of the God of Magic VijesCui, declare your rule illegal, sentence you to death today, and strip you of the Guputa Kingdom's throne!"

His voice thundered like a startling bolt across heaven and earth.

When the words fell, the massive illusion exploded with a booming crack, turning Vikramatia II's projection and that squad of Blue Sparrow Knights into powder, leaving no residue.

"Attack!"

Flaniss Floating City emitted vast magical currents; above it a dazzling sphere of light coalesced and shot like lightning toward the palace in Banbei City.

(End of Chapter)