Chapter 380 - 171: "A Miracle Like a Bolt From the Blue.

Chapter 380: Chapter 171: "A Miracle Like a Bolt From the Blue.

The sky gradually darkened.

The Eternal Night would soon arrive as scheduled. Members of the nearby No. 7 Defense Line sprang into action, moving the Soul-Devouring Sculptures from the Mortal Realm High-speed Rail onto horse-drawn carriages and speeding them away toward the far ends of the defense line.

The No. 7 Defense Line was a full 97 kilometers long.

It would be impossible to set up all the Soul-Devouring Sculptures before the Eternal Night fell.

But placing even one more...

...meant saving one more Ghost Stone.

And that single saved Ghost Stone could very well be the key to the No. 7 Defense Line surviving this rainy season.

...

「A short while later.」

A darkness as thick as ink once again enveloped the entire continent. Shao Qiu, leading the members of the Dark Pavilion, followed Elder Qi up onto the City Wall of the No. 7 Defense Line.

The instant the Eternal Night fell, the surface of the sea began to churn as if boiling. Within the span of a few breaths, accompanied by a thick, putrid stench, a tide of Ghost Objects that stretched as far as the eye could see burst from the water, roaring as they charged toward the No. 7 Defense Line.

At the same time, the Array Patterns on the surfaces of the Sword Rain Towers stationed on the No. 7 Defense Line began to glow with white light. At almost the same moment, all the towers facing the enemy activated. Countless cold white Light Sabers, each about the size of a palm, rained down in an overwhelming barrage, blanketing the Ghost Tide.

Elder Qi stood near a Sword Rain Tower the entire time, his eyes locked on its Ghost Stone consumption. After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the excitement in his eyes grew more and more intense. ’It’s real! It can really reduce the tower’s Ghost Stone consumption by 40%!’

This was an enormous boon for the No. 7 Defense Line!

"Thank you!"

Elder Qi took a deep breath, his eyes growing a little moist. He looked at Shao Qiu. "In the entire Guandong Plain, I’m the only one who can contact the Eternal Night Hall. I swear I won’t leak this information to anyone."

"About last time..."

"I didn’t expect that to happen, but you have to believe me. I’m not a traitor."

Shao Qiu shook his head. "Of course you’re not. If you were, the No. 7 Defense Line would have fallen long ago."

He knew what Elder Qi was talking about.

During the last rainy season, the Eternal Night Hall had sent seven Celestial Master Level Architects to provide support. But on their return trip, they were all assassinated, killed by their own people. Elder Qi had been blaming himself for it ever since.

Therefore, Elder Qi could understand why the faction helping him wished to remain anonymous and had requested he not report this to the Eternal Night Hall. If word got out, the faction behind this would certainly attract the attention of the Ghost Race.

That would not be a good thing.

"The Eternal Night Hall... it still has more people whose hearts are with the Eternal Night Continent."

Elder Qi added, his lips moving.

Although the Eternal Night Hall had many traitors, there were far more people who genuinely wanted to protect the Eternal Night Continent.

"Of course."

Shao Qiu smiled. "The Eternal Night Continent is our home. The vast majority of people will always want to protect their home."

"Oh, right—"

"There’s something I’ve been wondering. Last time the No. 7 Defense Line was breached, the Eternal Night Continent sent seven Celestial Master Level Architects, and at the same time, they also sent a Night Watcher with near Martial Saint Cultivation."

"Normally, a Night Watcher can’t raise their Cultivation."

"Do you know how that Night Watcher with near Martial Saint Cultivation managed it?"

The Domain Lord hadn’t told him to ask about this.

He just wanted to know for himself.

...

"..."

After a long silence, Elder Qi turned his head to look at the Ghost Tide on the coast beyond the No. 7 Defense Line, which was being continuously cut down by the rain of swords. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Do you know what a Night Watcher is?"

"A special type of Cultivator, like an Architect."

"Not quite."

Elder Qi shook his head. "Special Cultivators like Architects or Alchemy Masters can be made through other means later in life. But Night Watchers are different. If you aren’t born a Night Watcher, you can never become one."

"Night Watchers have a unique trait."

"Their physical bodies are like an Array, capable of sealing and compressing immense energy. The Array Patterns formed by their bloodlines and meridians firmly suppress this energy. The moment it’s activated is the moment the array shatters and the energy erupts."

"Although a Night Watcher’s power is immense, they are utterly helpless when facing a Ghost Tide."

"Later..."

"The Eternal Night Hall accidentally discovered a peculiar phenomenon: a Night Watcher’s body has no upper limit. It can seal and compress a vast amount of energy. This way, once activated, the power unleashed is absolutely astonishing."

"When the milky-white liquid from hundreds of liquefied Ghost Stones is forcibly squeezed into a Night Watcher’s body..."

"...the energy from these Ghost Stones becomes sealed within them."

"At first, the Night Watcher will be in extreme pain. But slowly, very slowly, their body will adapt to the agony, and the upper limit of what it can seal will increase."

"And at that point,"

"that Night Watcher becomes a Level 2 Cultivator. They can unleash far greater power than an ordinary Night Watcher."

"Repeat the process,"

"and they can become a Martial King, a Martial Emperor, or even... a Martial Saint Night Watcher."

"The level of pain increases continuously. They constantly suffer the feeling of ten thousand insects devouring their body—a torment more painful than death itself. When a Night Watcher of this Cultivation activates their power, the force is earth-shattering."

"When the No. 7 Defense Line fell last time, I saw the Night Watcher sent by the Eternal Night Hall."

"He no longer had a human form."

"He was like a giant ball of flesh, covered in massive lumps—nodules bulging from the Ghost Stone energy sealed inside him. The lumps squeezed his neck, making it impossible for him to speak. Even breathing was difficult. When our eyes met, I saw both relief and resolution in his."

"That is what a Night Watcher with near Martial Saint Cultivation looks like."

"After he activated his power..."