This desolate, rocky valley was a hidden haven, the place where everyone finally found refuge! Though they had escaped annihilation, no one dared to relax their guard. Sentries were posted around the perimeter and on the nearby high ground; any disturbance would trigger an immediate evacuation.

To be frank, I was suffering from frayed nerves now, seeing phantoms in every shadow.

It wasn't cowardice, but the sheer overwhelming might of the Orcs that had brought us to this state.

Inside the hastily erected tent, Feng Xiao's face was ashen; her injuries were clearly severe. Yet, even after tending to her wounds, she sat herself down in the main leather chair, eyes lightly closed, seeking repose. Beside her sat the other experts from the White Mist Tribe: the sisters Feng Fei and Feng Wu, along with four other young commanders of the White Mist Clan.

Also gathered in the tent were key figures like Ao Fei, Mo Luo, Yin Feng, You Quan, and You Yue!

At this moment, they were all sitting solemnly, their expressions grave.

However, the way these individuals looked at me was somewhat complicated and strange.

Perhaps none of them could have imagined that adversaries who had been fighting tooth and nail moments before were now crammed together. It was undeniable that the world could change its alignment with shocking speed.

“We owe our lives to the Prince for intervening,” You Quan remarked with a sigh. Perhaps they could never have conceived that I would suddenly appear in such circumstances to save them—their former enemies.

Of course, I wasn't acting out of pure benevolence or a sudden surge of idealism when I chose to save them.

The Orcs had always been humanity's foremost enemy, and to have them appear alongside the Demon Dragon Cult Master within the Sacred Domain of Heaven—who knew what nefarious scheme they were plotting now.

“It was the right thing to do,” I stated calmly. “The Orc race is the primary foe of us humans. If we continue to squabble amongst ourselves while they launch this sudden invasion, we will only be handing them an advantage.”

“The Prince’s magnanimity is admirable,” Mo Luo Yin Feng countered with a faint, unruffled smile.

“Hmph! I am not that generous!” I glared coldly at him. “I will settle accounts with you once this is over.”

“…” Seemingly taken aback by my bluntness and undisguised hostility, Mo Luo Yin Feng shifted awkwardly. Yet, the man's composure was impressive; he maintained the same picture of unperturbed elegance. “Haha, I hope the Prince is still alive when that time comes.”

“Rest assured, my luck is excellent,” I said gravely. “I will absolutely be living very well.”

The atmosphere grew tense, but Feng Xiao seemed intent on mediating. “Regardless of our past differences, we are now standing on the same side. I hope everyone can set aside grudges and unite against the external enemy.”

“Since the Prince was willing to save us, he must already have this intention,” You Quan chimed in, acting as a peacemaker.

“En,” I responded with a slight nod. I held a degree of respect for Feng Xiao; after all, we had traded lives on the battlefield. Since even she requested unity, I naturally had to grant her some face.

“Since there are no objections, and representatives from all our factions are gathered here,” Feng Xiao continued, “why don't we formalize a defensive and offensive alliance right now to fight the Orcs together?”

“A defensive and offensive alliance.” I nodded slightly. This proposition had crossed my mind as well. Of course, I knew such an alliance was merely a formality; given our entrenched positions, true mutual trust would be impossible. But under the current circumstances, it was a necessary step, even if it was just a performance.

“We are all sensible people,” You Quan said. “The appearance of the Orcs in the Sacred Domain of Heaven surely means they have follow-up plans. It’s likely that before long, the Orc armies will descend upon both the Snow Domain Continent and the Mafa Continent…”

“Humans and Orcs have always been mortal enemies,” Mo Luo Yin Feng added, his expression serious. As a distinguished commander meticulously trained by the Demon Luo Church, a member of the Royal Family of the Demon Sealing lineage, he understood the historical grievances between humans and Orcs better than anyone present. “Three thousand years ago, the Orcs were defeated and forced out of the Mafa Continent, but even then, they were nowhere near as powerful as they are now.” At this point, Mo Luo Yin Feng looked toward me. “Setting aside high-ranking Orc commanders like Tian Mu Dajia Dawang, Your Highness has witnessed the combat prowess of those Demon Dragon Warriors. What is your assessment?”

“If those Demon Dragon Warriors are merely standard infantry for the Orcs, I fear the Orc legion we face now is beyond our capacity to handle,” I continued. “Furthermore, there is that Demon Dragon Cult Master. Unless we can defeat it, victory will remain beyond our grasp.”

“One Tian Mu was already that formidable,” Xing Ye remarked. “I wonder just how strong the Demon Dragon Cult Master is. Didn't you face the Cult Master before? Can you describe it?”

“The Demon Dragon Cult Master’s strength is beyond anything you can imagine,” You Quan replied, his face growing pale, seemingly caught in a terrible memory. “A month ago, we finally located the entrance to the Land of Heroes! We thought victory was within reach! But then, the Demon Dragon Cult Master suddenly appeared! Even the combined might of myself, Feng Xiao, and Bing Chi couldn’t withstand a single one of its moves. Not only that, I was instantly crippled with severe injuries, and as for Feng Xiao and Bing Chi, if their speed hadn't been sufficient, they likely wouldn't have escaped either.”

“Just one move?” I was genuinely shocked. “The three of you couldn't block a single attack…”

“…” Feng Xiao let out a long, helpless sigh, nodding in confirmation. “We scattered to flee, but the Night Luminescent Pearls were with Bing Chi and You Quan’s group. As a result, the Demon Dragon Cult Master ignored us and pursued Bing Chi. Later…”

Feng Xiao did not finish, but I knew Bing Chi must have met a gruesome end! What concerned me more was the whereabouts of the Night Luminescent Pearls, and I instinctively glanced at Mo Luo Yin Feng.

“To better protect the Night Luminescent Pearls, I entrusted them to Elder Bing Chi at that time, as his speed was greater than mine, increasing his chances of escape,” You Quan admitted helplessly. “But I never thought that decision would end up harming him!”

Of the seven Night Luminescent Pearls, two remain hidden—one in the Fallen Graveyard and one in the Abyssal Demon Domain, yet to surface. Three have been clearly accounted for, one of which was obtained by the Death Temple from the Demon Luo Church—the very pearl Mo Luo Yin Feng gave to Bing Chi—and that one has now fallen into Orc hands!

In addition to that, Xing Ye and Xing Zhan managed to seize one pearl from the Holy Word Alliance upon their initial arrival in the Snow Domain Continent. Coupled with the one I retrieved from the King's Forbidden Ground, our side now possesses two pearls!

By this count, excluding the two undiscovered pearls in the Fallen Graveyard and the Abyssal Demon Domain, the only one still circulating is the one held by the Holy Word Church!

“Where is that last Night Luminescent Pearl?” I asked, quite alarmed. If that pearl had also fallen into the Demon Dragon Cult Master’s possession, the situation would be dire!

“We don’t know,” Mo Luo Yin Feng replied. “The Holy Word Church lost contact with us after you arrived in the Snow Domain Continent; we still have no information on their status.”

“Could it be that they met with disaster…” Xing Ye’s expression flickered with alarm.

“I believe so too,” Mo Luo Yin Feng agreed. “The Orcs seem to have an almost clairvoyant knowledge of our plans, even setting an ambush at the Land of Heroes in advance. This suggests they entered the Sacred Domain of Heaven even earlier than we did.”

I had always found it strange that since arriving in the Snow Domain Continent, apart from the initial encounter with several Thunder Warriors from the Holy Word Alliance on the first day, we had found no further trace of the Holy Word Alliance. Jing Shuang, Sai Si, and I had discussed this issue before! At that time, we assumed the Holy Word Alliance was deliberately hiding their movements from our detection efforts. But now, it seemed highly probable that the Holy Word Alliance had been secretly ambushed by the Orcs. This meant the other Night Luminescent Pearl had likely also ended up with the Orcs! If that were the case, the situation for Ji Du Xiang Tian and Sui Yun was incredibly dangerous! Ah!

“Do you have any news of General Ji Du and the others?” I asked, feeling a surge of unease. (Speed distribution first.)

“None,” Feng Xiao confirmed with a helpless nod. “Although we knew your people had also entered the Sacred Domain of Heaven, we haven't found a trace of them yet.”

“Furthermore, all signs indicate that the Orcs are also tracking Ji Du and his group,” You Quan added.

“It seems General Ji Du must have sensed something was wrong and is deliberately hiding to avoid risk,” Xing Ye analyzed.

“That’s for the best,” I sighed in relief. “At least one Night Luminescent Pearl remains on our side.”

Through the accounts given by Feng Xiao and the others, I finally understood everything that had transpired inside the Sacred Domain of Heaven. Shortly after entering, everyone found the Land of Heroes, only to walk into an Orc ambush that resulted in heavy losses, and the Night Luminescent Pearl was stolen. However, You Quan and his group showed great cunning. After Bing Chi was killed, You Quan engineered a plan to lure the Demon Dragon Cult Master away using the Thunder Eagle, allowing them to attempt to reclaim the stolen pearl! They succeeded in drawing the Cult Master away, but they underestimated the strength of the rest of the Orc forces. They had presumed the Orcs relied solely on the Demon Dragon Cult Master. The logic was that if the Cult Master was lured away, they could retrieve the pearl, and with it, awaken the Hero to defeat the Cult Master! No one anticipated that the Orcs' high-ranking commanders and those Demon Dragon Warriors would be so terrifyingly powerful! As a result, You Quan and his group were nearly killed. Had I not arrived in time, the Han Ling Tribe would likely have been completely wiped out. Afterward, Feng Xiao and the others arrived upon receiving the signal. While their timely arrival significantly boosted our strength, it provoked Tian Mu, who had been hidden all along, leading to a chaotic retreat. Of course, we at least gained a crucial understanding of the Orcs’ true strength—a rare benefit in itself.

“What do we do now?” Feng Fei and the others looked instinctively toward Feng Xiao and me.

“The only way forward is to infiltrate the Land of Heroes and awaken the Hero before the Demon Dragon Cult Master returns,” I stated firmly. “Only then can we possibly defeat the Cult Master.”

“But the Orcs have already secured the entrance to the Land of Heroes,” Mo Luo Yin Feng pointed out. “With our current strength, breaking through to the Land of Heroes is impossible.”

“And we have absolutely no word from Ji Du, nor do we possess the necessary Night Luminescent Pearl,” Feng Xiao added.

“I think the most urgent task is to find Ji Du and his group as soon as possible,” Ao Fei suggested.

“This is truly difficult,” I admitted, rubbing my temples. Communication was severely restricted; there was no way to contact Ji Du! And given Ji Du’s cautious nature, if he was deliberately hiding, finding him would be impossible. The tent fell silent for a moment; no one could devise a better solution. It seemed the only hope lay in Xing Zhan’s magical calibrations succeeding quickly enough to establish a long-distance communication link with Ji Du. Otherwise, searching for him in the vast Sacred Domain of Heaven would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!

“Leave the matter of finding Ji Du to us!” I declared seriously. “As for the rest of you, do not make any rash moves that might cause needless casualties! Additionally, try to contact the outside world and urge them to put aside hostilities and enter an alliance!”

“That seems to be the only course,” Mo Luo Yin Feng conceded, giving me a meaningful look. “The final hope rests on you.”