"The borderlands between the Empire and Great Xia have all fallen under the control of Great Xia."

"Zhan Ning and Yu Lian are tasked with reorganizing the Knight Order, while also soothing the populace of the Empire, many of whom still find it hard to accept this harsh reality."

"With the support of Shang Siteng’s Heaven’s Origin Power, the Celestial Net spread rapidly between cities like the roots of the Tree of Life."

"Bob has also joined in, mobilizing nanorobots to advance urban construction. His goal is to complete the integration and transformation of all cities by the end of the year."

Information was swiftly transmitted to the front lines, appearing on the light screen before Lin Jingxuan.

"Did you see it?"

"The Empire is defeated."

Lin Jingxuan’s gaze pierced through the fog ahead, fixing on the Knight’s Code that hovered mid-air, emitting a faint black aura.

All around, the Light Prison, woven from Golden Profound Texts, encaged it like a solid barrier.

When Lin Jingxuan spoke those words, the delight in everyone’s hearts was palpable.

The Knight’s Code appeared like a dead object, completely silent.

Yet, when the hooks and chains formed by the Golden Profound Texts tried to bind it, the Knight’s Code would release more black aura, nullifying the restraints of the Golden Profound Text.

This stalemate had lasted for over a month.

Subduing this Original Daoist Armament was a painstaking process, not to be rushed. Fortunately, Great Xia no longer needed much of Lin Jingxuan’s attention.

With each passing generation, talents continue to emerge, managing Great Xia well.

The resisting Imperial Knights were, after all, few in number.

Since the Empire mobilized its full force to crush Great Xia, only to face defeat at North County, the Empire’s downfall through counter-assault was inevitable.

When Lin Jingxuan announced the Empire’s defeat, the silent Knight’s Code finally reacted.

Its heavy pages began to turn, with chaotic and distorted black lines coalescing in the air.

"You shall pay!"

This time, a chilling voice sounded, causing the temperature in the Imperial Cathedral to plummet.

The voice was eerie and profound, as if resonating from a multitude of overlapping voices, inducing a sensation of mental pollution and chaos upon merely hearing it.

Surrounding Lin Jingxuan, the River Map and Luo Book emitted a gentle radiance, encasing him within.

On the soft golden radiance, ripple-like waves gently floated, resembling moonlight on water.

"Couldn’t hold back anymore, could you?"

"Well, it makes sense; your foundation is being uprooted, a cornered dog indeed fights back."

Despite his words, Lin Jingxuan’s vigilance showed no signs of relaxing.

Dense formations of soft golden Profound Texts were pasted close to the Knight’s Code, in preparation for the impending storm.

"Die!"

With a roar, the pages of the Knight’s Code flipped at unimaginable speed.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

As the heavy pages turned, increasing amounts of black mist condensed above the Knight’s Code.

The momentum of this Original Daoist Armament began to rise like nodes of bamboo!

The chains trying to reattach were shaken off, flooding the entire cathedral with black mist.

"I should thank you all." As he spoke, the black mist slowly formed the silhouette of a human. "Without your help, my plan wouldn’t have been realized so quickly."

"He" stepped out from within the Knight’s Code, speaking as he walked.

"Revival and rebirth again, you major powers never have anything new, do you?"

Watching the figure emerge from the Knight’s Code, Lin Jingxuan spoke with relative calm.

"Revival? Rebirth? No, no, no, I think you might be mistaken."

"I never died; I merely united with my Original Daoist Armament, thus achieving immortality."

"Allow me to reintroduce myself, the First Knight, Lancelot."

The First Knight.

This was a title long forgotten in the endless years of history.

The holder of this title was the founder of the Empire and its first knight.

"So it’s not the Knight’s Code seeking to devour the world’s origin, but you who seeks it." Lin Jingxuan’s words carried a hint of understanding.

"That’s right. Launching an assault on Great Xia North County was indeed my scheme. Devouring the world’s origin is crucial in taking that step to achieve transcendence."

Lancelot readily acknowledged.

"In fact, the plan consists of two parts. Attacking Great Xia forms only one half."

In Lancelot’s plan, if he could successfully initiate the descent of fallen darkness through the assault on Great Xia North County, and consume the shards of the world’s origin within the Great Xia Spirit Contract Masters, then surely that would be ideal.

But there are always unforeseen circumstances.

Lancelot could not have disregarded the possibility of failure.

This involved the second part of his plan.

"The Knight’s Code can bestow gifts, but it can also reclaim them."

"You could see it as a form of ’investment’."

"If I retrieve all my ’money’ invested, I could still take that step. Complete transcendence. However, in doing so, the Empire would only exist in name."

Why would the Empire only exist in name?

Because Lancelot’s ’investment’ clearly referred to the auras bestowed by the Knight’s Code.

And the price he needed to pay to retrieve his investment was the lives of those who received the blessings!

There never was a free lunch; every gift had secretly been marked with a price.

As for Lancelot’s so-called help.

"Investment cannot be forcibly redeemed, and investment itself holds no value—it’s the potential height that the invested individuals can reach that truly matters."

"Both former Imperial Swords and the Imperial Leader all died at the hands of your Great Xia people. Shouldn’t I express my gratitude to you?"

Lancelot referred to the Fallen Knight, Antonio and Louis XVII.

And, of course, many members of the Imperial Knight Order.

Their deaths brought Lancelot substantial ’returns.’

His ability to take form and step out of the Knight’s Code signified one thing.

"Did you feel it?"

"My power."

As Lancelot spoke, his aura, originally at Tier Nine Peak, seemed to break through the heavens again, shattering that barrier, reaching an unprecedented height.

Under such overwhelming dominating aura, even Lin Jingxuan, who had fused with the Original Daoist River Map and Luo Book, was powerless to resist.

"Did you... forget... that sword light?"

Lin Jingxuan’s voice came intermittently from within the endless gale.

A smile curled at Lancelot’s lips.

"That’s the essence of my plan."

"Let the Fallen Dark World be the scapegoat, helping me probe your ultimate trump card."

"That sword light was indeed powerful. But surely Great Xia doesn’t have another one of such a degree of sword light."

Reaching this point, Lancelot even added a humorously wry remark:

"I bet your gun’s out of bullets."

Just as his words trailed off, a powerful, unobservable sword light descended from beyond the ninth heaven.

It pierced through Lancelot’s forehead, demolishing both him and the Original Daoist Armament, the Knight’s Code, into void-like dust.

"Congratulations, you guessed wrong."

From not far away, Han Zhan, who approached slowly, spoke.

Thus, in the battle between Great Xia and the Empire,

they achieved total victory!