The altar, once the sacrifice began, did not require ordinary offerings, but the essence blood of all beings. The blood pool contained the gathered essence blood contributed by countless races of Eternal Night. One could see that within each drop of essence blood, it was as if an Eternal Night demon clan member was devoutly praying and chanting—ancient and suffused with an indescribable demonic aura. It gave a strange and unique feeling.
"Old Black, do you think this attempt to bring our predecessors back will succeed?"
Yi Tianxie, watching, patted a dark-skinned demon god beside him and asked.
This fellow belonged to the Black Demon Clan. His physique was astonishing, his temperament anything but gentle. In battle, he was savage, excelling in all kinds of terrifying curse arts.
"Heh, with the Sovereign presiding, success is certain. During this period, we've already tied down most of Eternal World's energy. On the battlefield between the two realms, we are preparing to launch an even fiercer assault. On the Chaos Heavenly Ladder, Eternal Night already holds great advantage. Within Eternal World, with the tide of Chaos, countless Demon Abyss have emerged, making every domain exhausted. And this summoning—it has always been a secret. Eternal World cannot possibly know. Even if they did, they couldn't come here. Absolutely foolproof."
The Black Demon grinned, speaking with resolute confidence.
So much preparation had been made precisely to ensure success. How could there be any reason for failure? Every step Eternal Night took was to eliminate the chance of the unexpected, to not let accidents exist at all.
"Mhm. I truly look forward to it. I wonder what kind of grandeur those predecessors will display when they return from the last era."
Yi Tianxie also smiled in agreement.
"Raise the altar!!"
The Evil-Eye Sovereign barked a sharp command.
Immediately, countless mysterious runes flashed across the altar. The blood within the surrounding blood pool surged like a tide, constantly absorbed by the altar. Ancient and unfathomable chanting emerged endlessly, surrounding the altar.
In this moment, all the forces of heaven and earth seemed to converge upon the altar. Fortune and origin gathered as one. The divine light radiating from the altar made even the surrounding demon gods feel instinctive awe.
"Temporal Demon Mirror, open the River of Time!!"
The Evil-Eye Sovereign spoke again with a resounding command.
Shua!
With those words, the Mirror of Space-Time upon the altar suddenly burst forth with dazzling divine light, shooting into the sky. Instantly, the void shook violently, a vortex fissure opening. Within the vortex appeared an immense and boundless river, manifesting across the void.
That river defied description—its length and width immeasurable. No one could see where it began or where it flowed. In the instant one gazed upon it, it felt as if all things, even the worlds themselves, were encompassed beneath its vast expanse.
Within the river, countless images could be seen.
They were scenes of all beings, of events across heaven and earth—each one real, each one having already happened, or happening now. The scenes of Eternal Night appeared one after another, most of them shocking images of war.
For Eternal Night itself was a living history of war—reaching this point through plunder and conquest alone.
Thus, to see endless war was the most natural thing.
"Time…"
"The River of Time—this is the legendary River of Time!"
"The Mirror of Space-Time is truly formidable. With the altar's power, it can even open the River of Time. Look—perhaps there lies the image of our Succubi Clan conquering a world with supreme allure. That is our immortal history."
At the sight of the river, many demon gods revealed complex emotions—reverence, yearning. But even at their level, having attained Dao-proving realms, none dared easily enter the River of Time. To be lost within it meant never returning for eternity.
The River of Time… it truly ran through past, present, and future, governing the fates of all beings.
The future was destiny.
The present was the only truth.
The past was history.
Shua!
"The images in the River of Time are reversing!"
"No—they are flowing upstream. The Mirror of Space-Time is tracing back to the predecessors who were lost in the endless spacetime of the last era!"
In the mirror's glow, the River of Time surged backward, flowing upstream madly, tracing back through the ages. Civilizations rising and falling, life being born, worlds perishing, Eternal Night's expansion by devouring one world after another—all unfolded in quick succession. Unknowingly, it reached the era-ending war between Eternal Night and Eternal World.
At the boundary of that era within the river…
An impenetrable fog shrouded everything.
This was the Mist of an Era.
At the end and beginning of each era, it appeared, severing eras apart, cutting off all influence, preventing upheaval. This was the instinct of the River of Time.
Ordinarily, it was nearly impossible to pierce.
In truth, whether Eternal Night or Eternal World, countless top powerhouses had ultimately vanished within the River of Time under the shroud of this Mist of an Era. With the fog blocking the way, they were trapped, unable to break free, unable to return.
But now, a beam of light pierced through the mist.
It was the mirror light of the Mirror of Space-Time.
Under its power, the Mist of an Era churned violently, torn open into a passage.
"Blood Moon Demon God Banner, receive the divine light! Our pioneers of Eternal Night, return!!"
The Evil-Eye Sovereign gave a calm yet commanding cry.
Everything so far had gone smoothly, within expectations. Yet he wasted no time, immediately beginning the reception. Only when their predecessors were fully brought back would it be considered a flawless success. Otherwise, even the smallest accident could ruin everything.
The altar summoned the River of Time. Mirror of Space-Time pierced the Mist of an Era.The Blood Moon God Demon Banner was the guiding artifact prepared for these Eternal Night powerhouses—a beacon, a lighthouse of return. With it, they could break through the mist and cross back swiftly.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
"Eternal Night fears no war!!"
"The worlds shall all return to Eternal Night! Eternal Night alone is the true destiny!!"
"The summoning—we can feel it! Eternal Night calls us home! Return—we will end the War of Eras!!"
From within the mist, as the divine light pierced and the Demon Banner guided, thunderous roars echoed from the depths of the River of Time. The murderous will they carried could be felt even across endless time, oppressive beyond resistance.
"The Eternal Night powerhouses are finally about to return."
At that very moment, within the Nightmare World, Yi Tianxing, Rahu, Chiyou, and the others were all staring unblinkingly at the River of Time. What they saw was not a direct view of the battlefield, but an image borrowed through Yi Tianxie's eyes. If they revealed even the slightest aura themselves, the Evil-Eye Sovereign would detect it instantly—and then, forget an ambush, they would face annihilation in an instant.
Only through this special method could they spy upon Eternal Night's progress.
"That is the Mist of an Era. Eternal Night has truly begun to summon back those lost powerhouses. Once they step out of the mist, they will return along the River of Time." Rahu spoke gravely.
"Now it all depends on Your Majesty, the Emperor." Chiyou turned to Yi Tianxing quickly.
Plans were plans. Whether they would succeed depended entirely on this attempt.
If they succeeded, the gains would be immeasurable.
"Mhm. Everyone, be ready. At my command, we strike to disrupt Eternal Night's summoning. When I say attack, act according to the plan." Yi Tianxing took a deep breath.
Success or failure—all rested here. There would be no second chance.
Rumble!!
From the depths of time, furious roars grew clearer and clearer. Suddenly, from the River of Time itself, a vortex appeared. From within it, a massive host emerged.
Gigantic Demon God Battlefortresses radiated an aura no weaker than Eternal Ark. Mighty Heavenly Demon God Weapons marched upon the River of Time itself, their presence stirring the waters into surging waves. The sight was terrifying to behold.
There were all types of Heavenly Demon God Weapons—some gleaming like metal, others resembling ferocious demon beasts.
Each one radiated killing intent, as though they had walked straight out of endless slaughter. It was as if they had just torn themselves free from some brutal battlefield moments ago.
Indeed, that was the truth. Though long ages had passed, this summoning pulled them directly from their banishment to this new era. They had crossed spacetime itself to arrive here.
On their Demon God Battlefortresses and among the Heavenly Demon God Weapons, one could see scars of brutal conflict. Some Battlefortresses bore gaping cracks, some Heavenly Demon God Weapons were mangled and incomplete. Every sight revealed how terrifying the battles they had endured were.
Yet none of this diminished their ferocity or killing aura.
Among this host of Eternal Night demons, one figure stood out—the aura it exuded was especially astonishing.
The aura of Immortal Realm flowed upon it.
It was a colossal Light-Dark Demon God, its body millions of feet tall. Thirty-six pairs of wings, half black and half white, spread wide to blot out the sky. One half radiated endless darkness, the other endless light. Between the two forces, perfect balance resided within its form. Its metallic body gleamed, emanating deadly pressure.