Chapter 1357: Ripping the Lasting Night Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The man in red armor went into a defensive stance. However, the purple masks did not split open and release shadows like last time. Suddenly, the purple masks shattered. The purple fragments were strangely beautiful. The purple fragments spread out in the sky before gathering together to form a small purple pagoda with nine levels. Every level of the pagoda had numerous purple prajna masks, and a small black snake was slithering on each of the masks. Purple ripples billowed out from the purple pagoda. Not long after, the first, second, and third levels lit up, and the small snakes on the three levels slithered into the masks. The holes in the masks turned into the snakes’ eyes. Soon, the sound of something ripping filled the sky, and the sky turned even darker. Numerous black forms emerged from the ripped three layers of the pagoda. These black forms let out strange sounds of laughter. When the man in red armor heard the laughter, he felt a crippling fear that came with being plunged into endless darkness. The man in red armor hurriedly composed himself. Just as he was about to strike, the sea turned red and started to swirl until it eventually formed a gigantic blood-red vortex that extended further than the eye could see. A millstone slowly emerged from the vortex. As the vortex spun, a low grinding noise could be heard. A blood-red screen rose from the sea’s surface and received the black forms descending from the purple pagoda. When the black forms made contact with the shield around the blood-red millstone, they were sucked in by an unknown spatial force. The grinding noise grew louder, and it was as though the millstone was grinding up the black forms. ...... Now, the red millstone and the purple pagoda in the sky were at a stalemate. A man even stockier than the man in red armor appeared atop the blood-red millstone. There was also an attractive man with long tangerine-colored hair dressed in a red robe behind the stocky man. The man with long tangerine-colored hair looked up at the three levels of the purple pagoda in the sky and started to silently play with a golden-red fruit in his hand. The burly man turned and said to the man with long tangerine-colored hair, “Du Miao, I agreed to your terms, so we should be considered allies now. The Freedom Federation and the Radiance Federation have always been at odds, and your grudge runs deeper than the one between the First Emperor Shark Clan and the First Emperor Ray Clan. My Blood Sea Millstone affects the sea and cannot impact the sky much. I’m not afraid of facing the Night Empress head-on, but I’ll need your help to rip open this lasting night.” Du Miao smiled warmly, yet he did not agree to the burly man’s request. “Shark Pride, I never help for free. This applies to my apples as well. You agreed to my request because I also agreed to yours. Ours is a business relationship where both parties benefit. It won’t be difficult to rip apart this lasting night. If I help you, what can you give me?” Shark Pride was not bothered by Du Miao’s response. The First Emperor Shark Clan had worked with the Freedom Federation. This was displayed by how they had moved into the Freedom Federation’s sea territory. In order to work with the royalty in the Freedom Federation, one had to offer them benefits. Everything would become agreeable if enough benefits were provided to satisfy them. This was where the Freedom Federation differed from the Radiance Federation. In order to work with the royalty in the Radiance Federation, the collaboration had to benefit the Radiance Federation itself. If one tried to negotiate a deal that would result in the Radiance Federation being negatively affected, it was likely that it would lead to war. Generally speaking, the Radiance Federation and the Freedom Federation held similar power. However, the Eight Clans of Sea Emperors envied the Radiance Federation much more than the Freedom Federation. This was the fundamental difference between a set of chopsticks placed apart and a set placed together. Shark Pride had worked with Du Miao before and knew his expectations for the benefits he wanted to receive, and Shark Awn suggested an acceptable offer. “I can give you 10% of all the Floating Island Whales our First Emperor Shark Clan possesses. However, you have to convince the Floating Island Whales yourself to agree to transport goods for you.” Du Miao’s lip curled to 45 degrees, and he replied, “Your First Emperor Shark Clan sure lives up to their name. You’re even using the Floating Island Whales as stakes for your deals. I work with you because I like this about you.” A long whip alight with tangerine fire appeared in Du Miao’s hand, and the air around the whip was immediately ignited. Instead of whipping toward the pagoda in the sky, Du Miao aimed at the dark sky a distance away from the pagoda and said, “Rip it, Lava Abyss Screen Whip!” The cracking of the whip sent flames shooting toward the dark sky, and the dark sky was immediately set alight. As the dark sky burned, a hole suddenly opened, and the remnants of light from the setting sun lit up the dark sky. The sunlight caused the flames to burn with even more fervor, and even more of the dark sky burned up. Inside the Radiance Federation’s imperial court, a bloodthirsty aura rose from Night Leaning Moon as she looked at the burning sky. “Du Miao, you’re the one who prevented me from being by Xiyue’s side and fighting alongside her a decade ago. If I burned up my lifespan instead, Xiyue wouldn’t have had to.” 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦 Night Leaning Moon used her spiritual power to activate the black crystal and suddenly split into two. This caused the purple pagoda to duplicate as well. One of the purple pagodas charged toward the flames. The black forms tangled with the flames and prevented the flames from burning up with night power. However, the splitting of the pagoda also reduced the pressure on the Blood Sea Millstone, and Shark Pride ordered the Blood Sea Millstone to attack the pagoda. Since the strange celestial phenomenon began, Lin Yuan started studying it closely. He found out from Liu Jie that this was part of the power of Night Leaning Moon’s sacred source lifeform. This was not the first time Lin Yuan witnessed the ability to change celestial phenomena.