Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Leaders of All Clans

At these words, the assembled clan leaders exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts sinking. They understood that if the rumors of the "Godslayer Blade" were true, then the resurrection of the Demon King was also a real possibility.

“Now that the Doomsday Volcano has erupted once more, the ancient divine blade will surely return to the world! All legends are set to become reality!” The shaman Xuanyuan declared with unwavering conviction.

Within the crystal sphere, as the earth trembled violently, magma burst from the volcano’s mouth, and thunderclouds roiled overhead, laced with lightning—an utterly terrifying sight. Though all of this was taking place in the distant Eastern Continent, the crystal sphere brought it near, making those present feel as though they stood at the very edge of the abyss.

“So you are absolutely certain the volcano will erupt today?” The Dragon Matron’s voice, aged and powerful, asked.

“Unquestionably!” Xuanyuan replied, his faith in his divinations absolute—or perhaps simply arrogant. He would not allow any doubt to fall on his predictions.

Before the Dragon Matron could speak, the Snow Queen interjected, “The power of the Godslayer Blade is enough to shatter earth and sky. We must consider with utmost caution who should possess this divine weapon!”

“Indeed! Five thousand years ago, the Godslayer Blade belonged to the Thunder Clan. It stands to reason that it should remain with us. Snow Queen, do you covet the divine weapon?” The Star Clan chief hurried to defend Thunder’s claim.

Exposed, the Snow Queen held firm and argued, “Times have changed. My Snow Clan rules the frostlands, the central continent is overseen by Chiyan, and the Dragon Clan holds the south. In my opinion, the Godslayer Blade is a sword of war in troubled times, but in peace, it brings only calamity. No matter whose hands it falls into, it poses a threat to all other clans. If the Thunder Clan wields it, who can guarantee you will not abuse its power?”

“The Thunder Clan rules the continent and holds the Godslayer Blade to resist the threat of the demonic race!” the Star Chief replied.

“Hmph, who can say for certain if the Demon King will truly return?” the Snow Queen sneered. “I still maintain that, to prevent the Godslayer Blade from wreaking havoc, it should be entrusted to my Snow Clan—sealed forever within the Glacial Veins, never to be used by any.”

“Ridiculous! Are you not even trying to hide your ambition, Snow Queen? Who among us would believe you’d simply seal it away? Clearly, you seek to claim it for yourself,” mocked the Star Chief.

“Even if my Snow Clan does not hold it, the matter should be decided by all our clans together! We should fairly choose a guardian, should we not, Dragon Matron?”

The Snow Queen cast an anxious glance at the Dragon Matron, hoping this eternal rival of Thunder would support her view.

Unexpectedly, the Dragon Matron, who had been silent till now, struck her staff against the ground in anger and declared, “A pack of self-serving fools! Do you not realize that if the Doomsday Volcano erupts, the Eastern Lands will become a sea of flames? The demons will cross the Border Wall and sweep unhindered into our lands, yet you bicker here over the ownership of a divine weapon?”

“I...” The Snow Queen was silenced, and the other clan leaders, who had been poised to argue, also dared not speak.

“It’s not that I don’t grasp the dangers of the volcano’s eruption. Aren’t the Eastern Lands crawling with demons? Wouldn’t it be better if they were all consumed by fire, sparing us the task of clearing them out?” The Snow Queen could offer no better excuse.

“You are mistaken, Snow Queen...” All this while, Chiyan, eyes closed in contemplation, now spoke. His eyes, opening wide and brilliant as the rising sun, fixed on her. “The Doomsday Volcano lies near the northern Border Wall. If the eruption destroys the wall, the demons of the Eastern Lands will pour into the central continent, and soon after, the southern continent and even your snowlands will be imperiled.”

“I...” The Snow Queen faltered, but stubbornly pressed on, “Dealing with the volcano’s eruption is important; if the demons invade, mages will be dispatched to defend our lands... But what truly matters is still the fate of the Godslayer Blade...”

The Thunder Emperor, seeing the divided hearts of the clan chiefs, smiled. Once the discussion had run its course, he raised his hand and spoke with a grand, ancient air:

“Everyone! Let us not forget, the Godslayer Blade was forged to combat the demons, wielded by our Thunder Clan ancestors. It was our forebears who slew the Demon King five thousand years ago, ushering in an age of peace for our world!

“Now, with the Demon King’s resurrection looming and the demonic race stirring, it falls upon our descendants to lead all clans against the crisis that approaches!”

Though his words sounded righteous, he made clear the Godslayer Blade rightfully belonged with Thunder.

The Snow Queen opened her mouth to retort, but the Thunder Emperor suddenly rose, unfurling a pair of magnificent white wings from his back, their radiant feathers spreading wide to shadow the domed ceiling and awe the assembly. Aloft, he bore the smile of a true monarch.

“Five thousand years ago, the Divine Race granted power to the Thunder Clan to rule these lands. To stand against the demons has always been our sacred duty! Now, five millennia later, we are ready to take up the divine blade once more and slay the Demon King!”

Under this sacred majesty, all bowed their heads. Wings like those of the gods needed no further argument. Chiyan and the Dragon Matron, seeing this, could only sigh in silence.

“Let none forget,” Xuanyuan reminded them, “when the Demon King is reborn, every clan will have its role to play.”

At this, all present had to face the grim truth they had tried so hard to avoid. If the Godslayer Blade truly returned to the world, then the invasion of the demonic legions was only a matter of time—a catastrophe awaited.

Chiyan now rose to his feet, his chief concern the vulnerability of the Border Wall. He asked Xuanyuan, “When will the Doomsday Volcano erupt?”

“At dusk.”

“Then I must return to make preparations for the northern Border Wall,” Chiyan said, turning to leave the hall.

The Snow Queen muttered resentfully, “Perhaps the Lord of Chiyan covets the Godslayer Blade as well? Why else would he hurry back to his post?”

Such petty suspicion was beneath Chiyan’s notice; he strode from the hall without a backward glance. The Dragon Matron shot the Snow Queen a glare, and she fell silent.

Standing respectfully at the side throughout, Prince Lei Jue now stepped forward quickly, reminding, “Father! Guarding the border is also the Thunder Clan’s duty. Allow me to take your place at the frontier!”

The Thunder Emperor nodded with satisfaction and proclaimed, “Excellent! A worthy son who thinks of everything. Elders!”

“We are here!” The ten elders immediately stood before the Emperor, bowing in unison. On their chests gleamed yellow crystal badges—the mark of archmages, the highest power of the Pantheon.