For the next six months, Liu Lei devoted himself entirely to cultivation and artifact forging, even arguing with Niya far less than before. Typically, when practicing artifact forging, he used the materials gifted to him by Lian Feng and Da Sha during his travels abroad, never wasting the precious materials sent by Xuanyuan Blood Sword. This method served as a tribute to the ascended Patriarch of the Divine Church, compensating in part for his absence during Xuanyuan's ascension. Over the past half-year, Liu Lei's research in artifact forging remained focused on mastering the fundamentals and innovating new ideas. Though he had not yet produced any remarkable works, he was increasingly adept in the craft.
As for alchemy, he was just beginning. The pills he concocted were ones he dared not consume himself. In foreign lands, finding suitable herbs was a challenge, so he resorted to online purchases, much like when working on the "Spirit Corpse Project." Truly exceptional spiritual medicines could only be delivered by Lian Feng through the arduous high-level Daoist technique, "Uninterrupted Transmission." Thinking of the "Spirit Corpse Project," Liu Lei felt frustrated—his creation had reached the highest level of Death's servants, but he still hadn't found a suitable soul to revive. It pained him to see his most prized creation lying dormant, unable to fulfill its purpose.
During these six months, the Dark Guild sought savage revenge against the Church after the divine artifact was used to kill Santos. The Church, well-prepared, managed to defend itself, with neither side gaining an upper hand. However, the Guild had not yet deployed divine or demonic artifacts, which sparked a flicker of hope in Liu Lei's heart. Meanwhile, the Tremere family faced continuous attacks as the death of the old Prince left the succession in limbo. The twelve other great families grew restless, launching small-scale assaults. Under the command of Duke Kude, the family managed to repel the attackers, but Kude remained far from relieved. He knew these were only probes, and that a true offensive was imminent.
One night, a count from the Tremere family visited the villa of Keri. After a private conversation with Niya, the count departed, and Niya began to pack her things. "Ha!" Liu Lei exclaimed, "Praise the Dark God! Finally, the suffering has left me!" Niya's face was grave, and she remained silent. Liu Lei, puzzled, asked, "How curious! Why are you so quiet? Could it be that you've really developed feelings for me and don't want to leave?" Niya finally spoke: "The family has received intelligence. Three days from now, the Gangrel family will join forces with the Malkavian and Brujah families to launch an attack on ours. They deliberately leaked this information, as they don't care that we know. The Tremere family has only heroic warriors, no mages to flee. Two days ago, the Nosferatu family attacked us, and we barely repelled them with heavy losses. We no longer have the strength to resist such a powerful assault. As the heir to the Prince, my father wants me to return. If death comes, it will come to us all."
"Why?" Liu Lei asked, confused. "We are all vampires; why must we fight amongst ourselves?"
"You wouldn't understand. Our family's rise to vampirism was unlike others, so within the vampire clans, we are seen as a stain on the purity of the bloodline," Niya explained softly. She picked up her luggage and said, "Goodbye. Perhaps we will never meet again. You should be happy." Liu Lei opened his mouth to speak but only managed a single word, "I..." before Niya had already walked out.
That night, Liu Lei tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Three nights later, a swarm of bats flew over Paris, drawing the curiosity of the city's inhabitants. The Tremere family's ancient castle stood silent, with Duke Kude and Duke Morens, along with all the titled vampires of the family, floating in the air. Duke Morens had died five days earlier in battle. The Tremere family had mobilized all its available forces, yet it was clear from the grim expressions of the assembled that no one had much hope of survival.
In the distance, under the silver moonlight, swarms of bloodthirsty bats, led by three golden bats, swiftly approached the castle. In an instant, they were upon them. The three golden bats transformed into humanoid figures. One of them, with hollow eyes and long, bony fingers, resembled a bat more than a man. If anyone were to witness his appearance, it would likely shatter the noble and elegant image vampires had long cultivated. Flanking him stood two elegantly poised bloodsuckers, the three being the vampiric princes of their clans. Behind them, a vast number of counts and higher-ranked vampires transformed and hovered in the air.
The central figure, the Gangrel Prince Liananado, spoke to the Malkavian Prince Farrel: "Farrel, look at the moonlight tonight. After this night, the purity of the vampire bloodline will shine as brightly as this moon!" Farrel and Brujah Prince Harrison smiled in agreement. Duke Kude, his face ashen, barked, "Liananado! During the 'Supernatural Beasts Extermination War,' we made tremendous sacrifices for the vampire clan! Didn't we reach an agreement? Why are you here again today?"
Liananado appeared not to hear and simply gazed at the full moon, addressing the other two princes: "Let's begin. I can hardly wait for this moment to arrive!" The three princes waved their hands, signaling the armies of the three clans to charge toward the Tremere family's defenses.
Kude knew that a great battle was unavoidable. He gave no more words and led the charge. Upon contact, the Tremere family was immediately overwhelmed. Though Kude's strength was nearly that of a prince, he had not undergone the ritual of succession, leaving him at a distinct disadvantage against Liananado, the most powerful of the three princes. Liananado toyed with him, dodging Kude's spells with ease and using his superior speed to avoid damage. He was in no hurry to kill Kude; instead, he aimed to make him watch helplessly as his family members perished.
Duke Morens faced Farrel, whose body was enveloped in a protective layer of dark mist, absorbing all of Morens' magical attacks. Farrel, with his fists wrapped in dense dark energy, sped toward Morens, landing devastating blows that sent the Duke reeling, his strength often causing him to cough up blood. Meanwhile, Harrison rampaged through the ordinary ranks of the Tremere family, cutting down members with each heavy blow. Though he was not necessary, his presence only hastened the fall of the Tremere family.
Niya, having surpassed the count level and approaching Duke status due to the immense spiritual energy she absorbed, managed to hold off four opposing Dukes, though with great difficulty. Her body was battered with wounds. The Tremere family now had only seven remaining counts, each entangled with two Dukes, leaving them unable to protect themselves, let alone assist others.
Seeing the grim situation, Kude shouted, "Retreat to the castle!" He led the way, and the remaining family members desperately fled toward the castle, though some were caught by the overwhelming number of attackers. Upon entering the castle, Kude glanced at the few remaining family members still trapped outside, now pursued by the armies of the three clans. He decisively commanded, "Activate the protective formation!"
Sixteen thick black beams of light shot up from the castle's sixteen watchtowers. Thirteen vampires who failed to dodge were struck by the beams and vaporized, their bodies falling from the sky. Farrel, leading the charge, was grazed by one of the beams, its immense force making him stagger. He quickly flew far away, and the other vampires scattered in fear. As the beams subsided, they settled into a steady height, forming a massive sixteen-pointed star formation above the castle, with a dark protective shield rising into the air.