"Li Ke, you've already made up your mind? Damn, I didn't expect you to beat me to it."
In the Piltover Parliament building, Jayce, dressed in a suit, looked at the long-haired black man sitting on the sofa in front of him, handed him the cup he was holding, and said with a smile that he was very happy.
Li Ke looked at Jayce and said with a smile, "This is something I should have done when I came back, but I was on my honeymoon with Jinx. Now that the honeymoon is over, it's time to get down to business."
Teasing Jayce, Li Ke chuckled, "And speaking of me, what are you planning to do about your relationship with Mel? Come to think of it, the amount of time I've spent with Jinx is about the same as the amount of time you've spent with Mel."
Jayce listened, looking helpless, shrugged, sat down next to Li Ke, crossed his legs, and said:
"It's a bit of a problem. Mel did talk to me about marriage, but she still wants Ambessa's blessing. However, for some reason, Ambessa seems to have vanished into thin air."
After listening, Li Ke took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and said, "Don't worry too much. Ambessa is very strong, and someone as cunning and resilient as her won't be in too much danger even if she encounters trouble."
"That would be best," Jayce sighed, seemingly realizing the topic was affecting his mood, and quickly added with a smile:
"More than that, I'm curious about how you're going to prepare for your wedding. Let me see... Demacia, Noxus, Ionia, Freljord, Bilgewater... Hmm, how about we try bringing some people over from Shurima too?"
"In that case, your wedding will have people from all over Runeterra."
"Do we know anyone in Shurima?" Li Ke asked Jayce impatiently.
Mr. Talis is really impulsive; he even dragged the people of Shurima into the wedding. Tsk, why don't you go and bring over the people of Mount Targon?
Wouldn't that be more lively?
"Speaking of which, Li Ke, we shouldn't have any enemies left in the future, right? Once the troubles in Valoran were resolved, it felt like we'd solved all the troubles in the world during this period. Isn't peace completely restored now?" Jayce took a sip of water, thought for a moment, and then said.
He truly believed this. Over the years, Jayce had witnessed the cooperation Twin Cities, the conquest of Noxus, the eastward expedition to Bilgewater, the return of the pirate queen Sarah, the alliance with Noxus, and the involvement of Demacia. Now, even Freljord in the far north had become an ally.
Do the Twin Cities still have any real enemies?
There is none left.
Therefore, can the Twin Cities enter a period of rapid development? And in the future, can we really start thinking about exploring the universe?
Thinking about this, Jayce suddenly felt a little excited.
Just kidding! Every scientist dreams of exploring the universe.
Hearing Jayce's words, Li Ke smiled and looked out the glass. From there, Li Ke could see the Hex Gate being used continuously. Under the flashing blue light of magic, the ships that slowly lined up in the air to enter the portals would disappear into the sky above Bilgewater in the blink of an eye.
But that wasn't what Li Ke was looking at. Although the scenery was quite nice, Li Ke was looking at something much higher up.
After a long pause, Li Ke put down his teacup and, as he stood up, left a message for Jayce: "This is just the beginning. Keep up the good work, Jayce."
After saying that, Li Ke patted Jayce on the shoulder and then walked towards the black and red greatsword on the table.
Jayce stared blankly at Li Ke's retreating figure, and subconsciously asked, "What do you mean?"
Li Ke didn't answer Jayce's question. Instead, he picked up the black and red greatsword, and then he heard Aatrox's voice.
"Yes, Li Ke, this is just the beginning."
"Mortals are such a hassle. You want to get married? Fine, then we'll wait until after your wedding, and then we'll go to Shurima. You promised me you'd take me to see Sivir, and you'd accompany me to Mount Targon to cause trouble for the Celestials."
Li Ke smiled, hoisted Aatrox onto his back, and saw thin lines of blood appear on the black and red greatsword, spreading from the blade, staining Li Ke 'Li Ke back, and then sticking tightly to his back.
The more time Aatrox spent with Li Ke, the clearer his mind became. For thousands of years, he had never been so uncorrupted by the voice of the Void, untainted by hatred.
"Just you wait, Aatrox. You'll see for yourself."
"I'll wait and see."
The Darkin Blademaster chanted softly.
If we're talking about the highest place in Runeterra, then Mount Targon undoubtedly the one. Its altitude reaches the sky, and part of its summit even exceeds the control limits of Runeterra.
This is why the people living on Mount Targon have the opportunity to communicate with the Celestials receive their blessings and power after climbing the Mount Targon.
At this moment, in broad daylight, Mount Targon is filled with strange creatures, and the sea of clouds rolls around its waist. Above the sea of clouds, sharp peaks emerge, piercing the summit of the Runeterra.
Night fell upon the mountaintop, starlight rippled across the sky like water, speckled and shimmering. Beneath this liquid starlight, the summit of Mount Targon was empty, save for the flowing, iridescent light.
But then, a voice rang out from Mount Targon.
The voice was ethereal and otherworldly, carrying a hint of sorrow.
"Runeterra is gradually slipping out of our control. Will this cause us trouble?"
The sound seemed to come from the other end of the extremely distant universe, and after a long while, another deep voice rang out.
The voice, crackling and humming, calmly said, "Not necessarily. Human lifespan is extremely short, and in my view, humans are a group of creatures adept at infighting."
For thousands of years, hasn't humanity evolved through cycles of division and reunification to reach its current state? Kre, you worry too much and overestimate humanity."
"You couldn't have missed what happened in Freljord. That human named Li Ke, he possesses power that even we can't fathom. I believe it's only a matter of time before he catches up with us," the being called Kre said softly.
The stars twinkled, then a face appeared in the night sky—a face shaped like a fish, with fins on its cheeks. The face continued, "The Demigod are not to be underestimated; their power is no less than ours, especially the three Demigod."
"So what? Aren't the three Demigod also enemies of each other?" Another face appeared, wearing a pale white mask with a small tree pattern between the eyebrows.
The electronic voice spoke again, "Flourishing Breath is right. These guys have been fighting each other quite a bit behind the scenes. Didn't an ancient Demigod die in the Freljord incident?"
"Moreover, that human named Li Ke hasn't even integrated all of humanity yet. Even within a single country, there are all sorts of private power struggles, let alone an alliance formed by several large and small countries. In my opinion, this alliance is fragile and easily shattered," the electronic voice said contemptuously.
Upon hearing this, Kre did not relax; instead, he became even more concerned about the situation on Runeterra.
He said loudly, "You always say that humans are constantly fighting and each has their own ulterior motives, but isn't that the same for us Targonians? The Celestial Realm is now torn apart, and there are even a few Celestials who have been bewitched by Him and are trying every means to release Him in secret."
"Ha! If He really comes out, all of us Mount Targon will be doomed! Your disregard for Runeterra has given them an opportunity. Myisha abandoned her divinity to descend to the mortal realm and seal the Darkin, bringing peace to Runeterra, not so you could sit high above and watch the show!"
Kre's tone hardened, and anger surfaced on his star-studded fish-like face.
All of this was isolated by the position of Mount Targon, preventing the Deity of Runeterra from detecting it, but the humans living on the waist of Mount Targon could sense the strange phenomena.
After all, the sky suddenly darkened, followed by a heavy snowstorm.
The other two Mount Targon who were talking to Kre paid no attention to Kre words. Even the Flourishing Breath named Celestials, who was wearing a mask, disappeared.
Seeing this, Kre's anger intensified, and he said in a low voice, "Now I understand why Soraka left the Celestial Realm to suffer the burning pain of her flesh and refused to associate with you! When did we, the Targonians, become like this? The Celestial Realm is divided into north and south, with numerous organizations of all sizes!"
"Speak up, Flourishing Breath Sudden Thunder, have you already joined the Northern Mount Targon? Otherwise, I really can't understand why you know exactly what I'm talking about, yet you'd rather watch the crisis grow than intervene, just to create trouble for other factions. Give me a reason!"
"Enough! Kre, can I take that as a provocation?" Flourishing Breath, who had been completely calm, suddenly roared.
Despite his usual talkative nature, Sudden Thunder, with his electronic voice, remained silent. However, another face appeared in the night space—a face that resembled a giant beast, with two enormous horns.
Kre sneered, "You want to fight? I'm ready!"
"I will report this matter to the clan. The matter of Runeterra must be resolved. That human named Li Ke is no pushover. If we let him continue like this, one day he will come after us! Look at him, he has already taken control of Aatrox, that Aatrox!"
"In Aatrox 'Ascended form, even the three of us combined couldn't defeat him. Even if the three of us fought him one, the best-case scenario would be one person killed in battle and two others seriously wounded and forced to flee!"
The reason that one is still alive, enduring pain in the form of a sword, is simply for two reasons: to destroy the world and to kill the Celestials! Now that he has become Li Ke's weapon, what does he want? Is that hard to understand?"
"Heh." Despite the thunder and snow swirling around Kre's words, Sudden Thunder merely chuckled coldly twice.
Flourishing Breath gave a cold snort and then planned to disappear. In fact, just as Kre had said, Sudden Thunder was no longer with Kre.
Problems arose within the Targonians, but this is not surprising. As time goes by, it is natural for powerful beings that have existed since the beginning of the universe to have various disagreements.
The reason this disagreement has become so prominent is because of Soraka.
The Star Child, who was incredibly powerful even within the Targonians, caused the Targonians to fall apart upon his departure. His strength was enough to rank him among the top ten within the Targonians, making him a being comparable to Ornn from Runeterra!
But just before Flourishing Breath was about to leave, his breath suddenly stopped, and then the sapling on his mask turned from green to red. He roared furiously, "Insolence! How dare you presume to spy on the Heavenly Realm!"
With a Flourishing Breath curse, Kre and Sudden Thunder, who had been at odds with each other, attacked simultaneously.
Lightning struck, water rippled, and two incredibly powerful forces swept across the Mount Targon. With a loud "croak" that echoed through the starry sky, a black feather was shattered into dust.
Upon seeing this, the three Celestials beings were terrified and said in unison:
"Hidden, Demonic"
At the same time, inside the Noxus castle.
The white-haired youth, who was sitting at his desk with his eyes closed, suddenly groaned, then picked up a handkerchief and covered his lips.
Blood stained the handkerchief, and then he opened his eyes.
The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and his blood-red pupils resembled those of a beast, but the color quickly faded back to normal.
Swain coughed, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs.
"You actually got hurt? After you gained this power, I almost didn't recognize you anymore. Tell me, who could have hurt you?"
A voice sounded from the side, Swain looked over to see Draven.
This guy claimed to be on good terms with him, allowing him free access to his study. And now, he sat cross-legged on his desk with a serious expression, looking at Swain and asking a question.
"There are plenty of people who can hurt me," Swain said calmly.
Draven pressed, "Who is it?"
"A bunch of guys who don't belong in Runeterra."
"Really? Well, then there's nothing I can do."
Hearing Draven's words, Swain laughed and waved his hand, saying, "I wasn't expecting you to have any solutions anyway."
Swain continued, "And what are you doing here?"
"Isn't Li Ke getting married soon? You value him so much, so I came to ask what kind of gift we should give him."
"Send over the core of the runecrafting," Swain's thought.
Draven narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "That thing is the foundation of Noxus. It's thanks to it that we can fight against Demacia. Otherwise, facing Mithril Stone and their freakish physical abilities, we would have lost long ago. Are you sure you want to give that thing to Li Ke?"
Before Swain could answer, Draven interjected, "I suddenly feel something's strange. Ever since you met Noxus and Li Ke became allied with Zaun, it seems you've abandoned something—no, not just you, but us too."
"What was discarded?"
"Glory," Draven uttered. "When did Noxus become an empire that can be taken from at will? I admit that we've gained a lot since we befriended the Twin Cities."
Now, our barren land can grow crops, and abandoned mines have been exploited, but... this is not the Noxus I imagined, Swain."
"Shouldn't we obtain everything we want by exchanging it with the sword in our hands? Why are we now resorting to groveling and begging?"
Draven's tone became more forceful.
This was indeed his idea. Before befriending Zaun, Noxus had been waging wars against other countries.
Even though Swain had just come to power and, under the guise of recuperation, had halted the Noxian-Ionian War, the wars against Demacia, neighboring small countries, Freljord, and Shurima did not stop.
But what about now?
Aside from Shurima, the Valoran Continent, Freljord, and Ionia have all become peaceful!
Without Noxus as a shield, the storm has indeed come to a halt, but this is not what a warrior wants.
After hearing Draven's words, Swain fell silent.
After a long, long silence, until Draven was starting to get a little impatient, the Imperial Grand Commander finally spoke calmly:
"Draven, you can't see the future; you only see what's in front of you. So you don't know who our real enemy is. Our enemy has never been Demacia, nor the Pale Lady. It's a group that is much stronger, more deeply hidden, and ready to emerge and devour us at any moment."
Swain's eyes weren't on Draven, but fixed ahead as he murmured, "..."
"You know, true glory is never something you just talk about."
"Please don't listen to what I say, but watch what I do."
"Wait a little longer, and you'll understand everything."
Mordekaiser, Old God, Celestials, Void, Demon
Humanity has far more enemies than we imagine, yet they are constantly engaged in infighting.
Sometimes, it's no wonder that those high and mighty beings look down on humanity. Even Swain sometimes feels that it's a miracle that humanity has survived to this day surrounded by a group of powerful beings.
Ultimately, it's simply that in every era, there are always brave individuals who fight against these powerful beings and protect humanity.
Nine thousand years ago, the heroes were Three Sisters from the North.
Nine thousand years later, he is the hero.
In the year 989 of the Noxus calendar, at the beginning of the year, the Twin Cities extended an invitation to the world. Relying on transportation far ahead of its time, the invitations were sent to various countries. The Lord of Zaun sincerely invited all nations to attend his wedding.
On that day, some people, and others who were not human, and who transcended other living beings, all learned of this event.
Ionia —A wanderer with a flute at his waist and a longsword at his side silently stares at the paper he has picked up.
The paper was written in various languages. He looked up at the west with a solemn expression, as if he had thought of something. He drew his sword, and a gust of wind blew, cutting the paper in two. Then, he strode towards the west.
The wandering knight seeking redemption finally found a clue: another damned fellow who knew the Gale Sword Technique!
Demacia —The man sitting on the bridge suddenly raised his head, looked at the woman dismounting from her horse, a slight smile playing on his lips, and shouted:
"Not bad, not bad, finally I've met a worthy opponent! Come on, challenger, state your name!"
"Fiora Laurent." The woman, travel-worn, held a steel military knife in her hand. Her eyes were sharp as an eagle, and she stood ramrod straight. She said softly, "Come on, after we're done fighting, I still have to go to Zaun."
"And also, state your name." With the sword in her hand, held upright before her, she said coldly.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Jax!"
Noxus, Shurima, Bilgewater, and even the Shadow Isles
Damn it, if Li Ke finds out, he'll start cursing. Seriously, what kind of invitation is this from the Shadow Isles?
Are you inviting the dead to come?
Isn't that crazy?
However, the fact is that some Enforcers did drop invitations on the Shadow Isles when they flew by in airships. Although the Black Mist was frightening, the Enforcers, who were high in the sky and far away from the islands, were not affected by Black Mist.
To be honest, if Lord Li Ke hadn't specifically forbidden going to Mount Targon, there would definitely have been some daring law enforcement officers who tried to fly their spaceships to the top of Mount Targon to send out invitations.
Noxus calendar, January 3, 989.
The Twin Cities opened their gates, and the wedding day of Lord Li Ke of Zaun was set for four days later.