High above the desolate mountains, a majestic ancient castle stood, enveloped by a massive black energy shield. Beneath the silvery moonlight, countless bat-winged figures circled the shield, soaring up and down.
The Sixteen-Star Magic Formation was the greatest secret of the Tremere family, established by the family's elders when the clan was first founded. After generations of effort, it had grown to its present formidable power. It was only used in times of extreme danger, so the other clans were unaware of this trump card. Now, in the face of the combined forces of the three other clans, no method of breaking the shield could be found. Liananado gathered all his might to strike it three times. Although each strike caused ripples to spread across the shield, it remained unbroken. The three princes exchanged looks and nodded. Together, they clasped hands, each reciting ancient spells passed down through their families. The power of their princely legacies surged forth, and their family's guardian demons manifested faintly behind them, their blood-red emblems glowing on their foreheads. Dark power poured from their hands, radiating like a tsunami, overwhelming all in its path, so immense that even the vampires of the three clans prostrated themselves in submission to the overwhelming force of the princes.
With a mighty cry, the three princes unleashed their combined strength upon the shield. After a massive surge, the shield shattered, its fragments scattering like glass. Even the mightiest of shields could not withstand the collective strike of three princes at full power. The entire castle trembled from the impact. Vampires of the three clans soared back into the sky, circling the three princes, whose powerful auras emanated through the air, their bodies enveloped in blood-red mist. The vampires of the Tremere family below, witnessing this scene, fell into despair. The enemy's overwhelming strength made them feel utterly helpless. With a wave of the princes' hands, the vampires screamed and descended upon the castle.
Farrel led the charge, hurling himself into the air and striking at Morens with a punch. Empowered by the ancient power of his lineage, Farrel was invincible to Morens. Even after casting three spells, Morens couldn't halt his onslaught. Farrel's punch struck Morens squarely in the chest, sending a burst of purple blood from his mouth. Morens was sent flying ten meters, and Farrel quickly closed the distance, punching through his chest, with the blow emerging from his back. Morens died without even a scream.
Seeing the overwhelming force of the three-clan alliance, and the death of Morens, Duke Kude let out a long sigh and, with his hands behind his back, gave up resistance. Liananado landed before him, a smug smile spreading across his face. Gathering a tremendous surge of dark energy, he slowly pressed it toward Kude's chest. The alliance, having encountered no further resistance, began their massacre within the castle, with the lower-ranking vampires falling in droves.
As the victorious three-clan alliance ravaged the castle, burning and looting with abandon, a sudden and immense force surged through the air. The overwhelming aura filled the space, dwarfing even the power of the three princes. The vampires were all frozen in place, unable to move under its oppressive weight. Even the guardian demons, hidden behind the three princes, fell to their knees. All eyes turned toward the sky. Liu Lei, with no reservations, released his full power, his large Five Elements Spell glowing bright gold upon his bat wings. "Heart Armor" had enveloped his upper body, legs, forearms, and shoulders, while black totems flickered across the armor. The overwhelming pressure of his aura, exceeding the tenth level, radiated outward, causing even the three princes to kneel. Liananado gasped upon seeing the armor and cried, "Emperor's Armor! An Emperor-level expert! How is this possible? Aren't such beings supposed to exist only in legend?!"
Farrel, staring at the dark totems on the armor, whispered to himself, "It is a blessing from the Dark Gods... My God! The legendary Emperor has appeared. How powerful is he truly?"
Liu Lei hovered silently above, observing the kneeling vampires below and the ruined castle. His presence, amplified by the tenth-level pressure, made him seem like an invincible demon god. After much contemplation, he decided to intervene. Upon arriving, he found the Tremere family already defeated. To control the situation, he had no choice but to reveal his strength, unveiling his Emperor-level power and overwhelming all the vampires.
"Return to your respective clan camps!" Liu Lei's deep voice commanded, and his immense dark power rippled through the air with each wave of sound. The vampires, unable to resist, immediately retreated to their princes' sides. Liu Lei descended before the three princes, pointing at the bodies on the ground. "Do you know that these were your kin?" Liananado tried to speak, but Liu Lei silenced him with a sharp command. "Silence!" With a powerful burst of energy, the surrounding glass shattered, the trees on the mountainside rustled, and the three princes hurriedly knelt. "Racial discrimination is a foolish mistake only humans make. We, as noble and wise vampires, will not make such a crude error." Liu Lei continued, pointing to the sky. "In this world of light, unity is our only path to survival, or we will be eradicated!"
His gaze shifted toward the Tremere family's camp. Using his immense Yuan Shen, he selected twelve of the most promising vampires. With a thought, he effortlessly lifted them into the air, infusing them with powerful dark energy, transforming them in an instant, elevating them to Duke-level strength. He waved his hand, sending them back to their camp.
Turning back to the stunned princes, Liu Lei said, "Go tell your clans that the Tremere family is now under my protection. If anyone dares to make trouble, I will annihilate their entire clan." With that, he drew the newly forged "Thunderfire" and struck a nearby mountain. A massive bolt of lightning, surrounded by seven rings of blue flame, descended from the sky, cleaving the mountaintop in two and leaving behind a deep ravine.
The overwhelming power of the strike left the three princes speechless, and they swore never to invade the Tremere family again, vowing to maintain unity among the thirteen vampire clans. Liu Lei couldn't care less. After thousands of years of vampire infighting and the inexplicable "Thousand-Year Holy War," he knew that true unity was impossible. As long as they didn't threaten the Tremere family, he was content. His statement earlier was merely to avoid appearing overly protective of the Tremere family.
Once the other clans withdrew, Niya, bruised and battered, emerged, punching Liu Lei on the head and asking, "What are you doing here?" Liu Lei rubbed his head, muttering in dissatisfaction before replying, "If I hadn't come, you'd have been roasted for dinner..." Niya, looking at the bodies around her, spoke with a heavy heart, "So many in our clan have died... What will we do now?" Although Niya was usually tough, seeing so many of her people fall for the first time struck her deeply. Liu Lei, seeing her covered in blood, felt a pang of sympathy. With a sigh, he activated the Three Lights Rebirth Formation once more, healing her wounds. Seeing that nearly everyone in the Tremere family was injured, he expanded the formation's power by dozens of times, allowing all the injured vampires to recover. Now, this formation was second nature to him, and even with its enhanced power, he completed it effortlessly. Niya, grateful but unsure of what to say, felt a warmth in her heart.
Just as she was about to express her gratitude, she suddenly remembered that Liu Lei was now responsible for her, and that these things were his duty. With a deep breath, she felt a sense of peace, but her gaze flickered nervously toward her father in the distance.
That evening, after everything had been settled, Niya insisted on taking Liu Lei to meet her father. Liu Lei, however, was in no mood to comply. He used every excuse to avoid going, eventually managing to escape. Although he fled, others could still find him. With the chaos in the Tremere family, Niya didn't have time to seek him out, and Liu Lei's habit of deep slumber returned. That morning, he was still in bed when the servants downstairs announced that Duke Kude of the Tremere family had come with his daughter to visit.
The old mage quickly rushed downstairs to greet them, while Liu Lei jumped out of the window and fled.
He didn't return until eleven o'clock that night, sneaking in quietly. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he sighed in relief. The old mage came down and, seeing his anxious demeanor, couldn't help but laugh. "What are you hiding for? Niya's too good for you, isn't she? Strange, now you run away from her every time. Have you done something wrong to her?" Liu Lei waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not worthy of her, you know how she is—she's a violent woman! If I married her, I'd lose a layer of skin every day..."
The old mage shook his head. "What are you afraid of? You're a vampire, you'll heal quickly."
Liu Lei was exasperated.
The old mage came over and shook him. "Get up. You've got an invitation."
"Invitation? What invitation?" Liu Lei asked, puzzled.
"See for yourself," the old mage said, handing him the letter. Liu Lei read it: *"The Tremere family cordially invites Mr. Liu Lei to attend our Prince Succession Ceremony on [date] at 11 PM."*
"Prince Succession Ceremony?" Liu Lei asked. "Who's becoming the prince?"
"Of course, it's Niya," the old mage replied.
Liu Lei felt a stir in his heart, and the old mage continued, "Seems like the girl cares for you after all. These ceremonies usually don't invite outsiders, not even me."
Liu Lei was struck with mixed feelings. Niya was about to become the first female Prince in vampire history...
"Hey!" Keri shook him. "Are you going or not?"
"Of course, I'm going!" Liu Lei replied without hesitation.