The sky was dark and overcast, and the wind howled across the fields like the wails of the dead in the dead of night.
Pedestrians hurried through the ancient capital, their faces showing worry as they looked at the dim sky.
Those who have lived in the ancient capital for a long time know that the harsh environment of the ancient capital is not limited to the undead empire outside the capital.
The ancient capital's unique magnetic field, created by the undead empire, makes the surrounding climate prone to extreme and normalized changes.
Every so often, there are either gale-force winds of level 10 or higher, torrential rain, thunder and lightning, or even hurricanes.
Under normal circumstances, the dead are active at night.
However, if the sky is covered with dark clouds and the visibility is similar during the day and at night, the undead will also enter their active period.
For example, right now, the spirits of the dead beneath the soil outside the ancient capital have begun to stir.
The guardians who were originally on duty in shifts guarding the ancient city walls have had their vacations canceled and are now on alert.
Meanwhile, the Magic Association, located in the clock tower of the ancient capital's inner city, was also bustling with activity.
In the office located at the top of the clock tower, a dignified middle-aged man stood in front of the window, frowning as he looked at the dim sky outside.
The middle-aged man was none other than Han Ji, the president of the Ancient Capital Bell Tower Magic Association, and also the strongest mage currently guarding the ancient capital.
The ancient capital has experienced many extreme weather events, and cases of the dead awakening during the day are common. He has become accustomed to the phenomenon of the dead becoming active due to weather conditions.
Han Ji was not worried about the warning that had been issued not long ago.
He was worried about the future of the ancient capital.
Not long ago, the Sha Yuan appeared in the area near Weiju Village.
The Lintong Guard District dispatched several teams to investigate the situation. After confirming that the Sha Yuan had indeed appeared, most of them bravely sacrificed their lives.
Or rather, even high-level mages would find it difficult to withstand Sha Yuan's attacks.
Let alone high-level ones, even for a super-level mage like him who has mastered all four elements, entering the Abyss of Fiends would be a near-death experience.
Because that is the world within the grasp of the ancient king, the undead empire.
Han Ji had lived in the ancient capital for half his life, and he knew very well what the appearance of Sha Yuan meant.
The appearance of the Abyss signifies that the previously peaceful and stable undead empire is beginning to stir.
They need more blood and more bodies to absorb into the undead empire and strengthen its kingdom.
The ancient capital is the best target for the Undead Empire right now.
The ancient capital had more than ten million people, and each living person was a great tonic for the spirits of the dead.
Mages enhance their cultivation through meditation and treasures, while the undead increase their strength by devouring living beings.
Although the ancient capital had set up a powerful defensive formation in order to survive in this undead empire region.
However, they were still no match for the ancient king.
In theory, for a strategically important location as dangerous as an ancient capital, especially with a necromantic emperor nearby whose existence is uncertain—whether he is asleep or awakened—the Great Xia should theoretically send several forbidden spellcasters to provide support.
This plan was not never implemented.
When the decision was first made to expand the ancient capital and not give up this strategic location, it was already planned to arrange for three forbidden spell masters to be stationed in the ancient capital.
But the ancient king appeared and confronted the three forbidden spellcasters.
I heard that a battle almost broke out between the Astendant and the Forbidden Spell back then.
Finally, with both sides having reservations, a temporary agreement was reached.
That means the ancient king will not attack the ancient capital, and the ancient capital cannot have any forbidden spell mages, not even semi-forbidden spell mages.
Because if a semi-forbidden spellcaster were to fight desperately, they could use their remaining lifespan to achieve the ultimate sublimation and unleash a forbidden spell attack.
This also poses a threat to ancient kings of the sub-emperor level.
That's why the strongest person in the ancient capital is now only a super-level peak mage who has mastered all four elements.
Han Ji felt it was alright that Sha Yuan appeared in a place far away from the ancient capital.
However, according to the data on the spatial trajectory of the Abyss of Fiends that are constantly monitored by the Clock Tower Magic Association's monitoring center, although there is no regularity in the location where the Abyss of Fiends appears, it always comes from the direction of the ancient capital.
Once the Abyss of Sha is beyond the safe distance, it signifies a formal declaration of war between the Undead Empire and the human realm.
Han Ji reported his concerns to his direct supervisors, Shao Zheng and Hua Zhanhong, but the result was not ideal.
Firstly, the grand development strategy of the Western Regions is at a critical juncture, with five forbidden spell masters stationed at the front line, forming a standoff with a sub-emperor in the Taklamakan Desert.
To be on the safe side, two more forbidden spellcasters were waiting in the rear, ready to strike.
Once a war breaks out between the demon empire and the human kingdom, the five forbidden spellcasters will be the first to join the battle.
This is the first one.
Secondly, there is the border area of the southwestern peak.
The demon riots unleashed by the Nine-Headed Serpent in the ancient river basin have resulted in eight figures of casualties, serving as a wake-up call to all neighboring countries.
In response to the demon empire located in the ancient river basin, the Great Xia dispatched five times the number of troops to garrison it, and also had two forbidden spell masters secretly overseeing the situation.
The ancient river basin was home to a demon empire, and even had two sub-emperors.
However, dealing with the sub-emperors of the ancient river basin does not require the same level of vigilance as dealing with the sub-emperors during the Western Regions Expansion.
Because the southwestern border belongs to the territory of the Kunlun Demon Court.
If the two sub-emperors of the ancient river basin are truly blind to the danger and attempt to invade the southwestern border of the Great Xia, then the emperor of the Kunlun Demon Court will teach them a lesson.
The Qingyu Plateau is one of the most mysterious regions in the Great Xia Dynasty and even in the entire world.
According to the historical records and investigations of the Great Xia Magic Association over thousands of years, there are no fewer than five emperors living on the Qingyu Plateau.
There was even a demon who had reached the level of a ruler or emperor thousands of years ago.
This demon kingdom is quite peculiar; they do not actively attack the human world, nor do they launch demon uprisings, and they rarely even appear before the world.
In this bizarre way of survival, humanity and the Kunlun Demon Court have reached a strange balance of existence.
But those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts!
One-fifth of the forbidden spellcasters in the Great Xia Kingdom are constantly on guard against the movements of the Kunlun Demon Court.
Besides these two places, Daxia also has a long coastline.
Siren invasions occur frequently, but only on a small scale, not enough to warrant the use of forbidden spells.
However, the ocean contains abundant mineral and marine resources that the Great Xia needs, and the large-scale resource recovery team established by the Great Xia government requires the presence of forbidden spell mages.
After all, the number of monarch-level sea monsters in the ocean far exceeds the number of monarch-level demons on land.
This doesn't even include those forbidden spellcasters who obey orders but not commands.
Therefore, the current situation in the ancient capital is that if a war breaks out and the ancient king attacks, a number of forbidden spell mages will be temporarily transferred to the capital.
Even in order to resolve the ancient king's attack as quickly as possible.
In the ancient capital's highest strategic outline, the number one combat force listed is Hua Zhanhong and Shao Zheng, two of the strongest in the Great Xia Dynasty.
Han Ji sighed and turned to look at an official letter on his desk.