The Toad King was incandescent with rage, his expression screaming a desire to tear this killer of his toad-baby limb from limb, willing to suffer injury himself just to achieve it. Faced with such a suicidal assault, I was utterly helpless, forced only to watch as he plummeted toward me like a meteorite.

At the very last moment, with nowhere left to flee and resigned to death, my arms refused to yield. In that instant, my root-like limbs suddenly bloomed, splitting into countless branches that formed a massive shield before me.

The sight was exactly like an impenetrable, gnarled wall suddenly erecting itself in my path. Then came a deafening CRASH, as the Toad King slammed into the colossal shield and was violently flung backward.

Clearly, the flexibility of these roots was exceptional, providing a potent rebounding effect. However, the sheer force of his attack meant the recoil slammed him directly into the blue ice crystal pillar behind him, resulting in a sharp CRACK that shook the very foundations of the earth.

A sound of fracturing followed—not only did the blue ice crystal pillar show deep fissures, but the ground itself visibly sank a degree. Immediately, I noticed frigid water beginning to pour in through the newly formed cracks in the floor.

I knew we couldn't linger; as soon as my roots retracted, I whipped one upwards, snagging the edge of the chasm, and launched myself upward, clutching Xiao Bai. The Toad King was momentarily stunned by the impact and didn't follow immediately.

Xiao Bai and I reached the top of the pit only to find ourselves surrounded by dense thickets, offering no discernible path. The ground vibrations intensified; we had no choice but to sprint toward the collapsing periphery to avoid being swallowed.

After running about a hundred meters outward, a tremendous BOOM echoed from behind, shaking the entire surface. I braced myself, thinking the Toad King had recovered and was in pursuit, but when I looked back, I saw that the massive pit had completely collapsed, sealing the hole with tons of rubble.

Watching the collapse of tons of rock brought me a measure of relief; even the formidable Toad King, severely wounded and now buried, would surely be beyond recovery. But just as I felt a surge of complacency, a black tongue shot up from the pile of debris, violently scattering the stones, followed by the emergence of the Toad King’s gigantic body.

Though I could see his belly was filled with blood and his movements lacked their former agility, as if enduring agonizing pain in a final desperate struggle—a cornered beast’s fight—his ferocity remained potent enough to crush us both with ease. So, I tugged Xiao Bai, signaling we should hide in the undergrowth.

Xiao Bai understood and followed me into the concealing brush. At that moment, the Toad King roared, “Damn you, where are you!

Come out! Crawl out!” He raged, moving aimlessly, sweeping his tongue through the bushes and smashing boulders, utterly beside himself with fury.

The spot where we hid was not perfectly concealed, but it was not easy to spot either; by the time the Toad King vented his rage and exhaustion, he still hadn't found us. Xiao Bai and I exchanged a glance, both feeling profoundly fortunate.

By now, due to extreme blood loss, the Toad King was clearly losing stamina; his long tongue hung limply from his mouth as he gasped for air, his eyes bloodshot. He paused on the spot for a long time before muttering to himself, “Good… you’re lucky, lucky you ran fast enough.

I… I still have important matters to attend to. I’ll let you live this time.” With that, he turned and walked away in the opposite direction from us.

Xiao Bai whispered to me, “Is he going to fight that giant snake?” I shook my head. “Probably not.

He’s likely going to complete that thing he’s been plotting for so long…” Seeing him move farther away, Xiao Bai said, “Let’s go, follow him!” I had already intended to track the Toad King, so Xiao Bai and I slipped out of the grass and stealthily followed. The Toad King clearly didn't notice us, nor did he have the strength to notice us now; having lost so much blood and sustained a mortal internal blow, even walking was a struggle for him.

I worried he might die halfway there, but he surprisingly managed to reach his destination. I noticed that large swaths of vegetation were withered along the path he took, perhaps because this was a place he frequented often.

At the very center of this desolate patch stood a stone stele, perhaps eleven or twelve meters high, seemingly adorned with carvings. Beneath this stele was an object resembling a stone sarcophagus; this stele and coffin together looked exactly like a tomb.

Why there would be a tomb in this place confused me, especially one seemingly cherished by the Toad King. What was going on?

Could the coffin hold the remains of the Toad King’s ancestor? But upon seeing the coffin, another possibility struck me instantly, sending a jolt through me.

Xiao Bai seemed to realize it too, looking at me with astonished eyes. Then, almost simultaneously, we both spoke: “Could it be… the master of that mysterious ancient tomb?” With that thought, we both turned to the massive stele, reasoning that if the patterns on it bore any resemblance to those on the door, our guess might be half correct.

Indeed, as we drew near the stele, we saw a series of carvings. The lines and technique were identical to those on the stone door we had seen, only this time, the depiction was of a tree.

Beneath the tree, an old ox lay prostrate, but this ox possessed not four legs, but perhaps fifteen or sixteen, appearing very strange. On the back of this ox rested a beautiful woman, leaning back while gazing into the distance.

On a distant hillside sat a tall, unclothed man, smiling at the woman. These two people plus the tree reminded me of Adam and Eve, but what was the meaning of the ox?

I truly couldn't fathom it. However, the look in Xiao Bai’s eyes seemed a bit off; she appeared to have noticed something.

But given the circumstances, it was not the right moment to question her. The Toad King moved step by agonizing step toward the stele and the coffin, finally collapsing just before reaching the sarcophagus.

I could tell the Toad King was utterly spent, his oil burned out. He rested on the coffin, panting heavily for a long time, before slowly raising his forelimbs, reaching out toward the woman carved on the stele.

I watched his movements, incredibly slow, yet infused with what seemed like profound reverence for the figure in the carving. His fingertips, which were vaguely like fingers, gently brushed the woman's forehead, and blood trickled slowly down from the spot.

Afterward, whether from breathlessness or weeping, the Toad King convulsed, his body trembling, and his forelimb slid down from the woman’s forehead. He seemed to be mumbling something.

Seeing that the Toad King was truly finished, Xiao Bai and I relaxed and slowly approached. It was then we heard the Toad King whisper: “Mother… Mother…” Xiao Bai and I froze; Xiao Bai’s face turned frighteningly pale.

“Mother?” I asked softly. Xiao Bai didn't look at me, instead seeming lost in her own thoughts.

The Toad King’s heavy body finally went completely slack, collapsing onto the coffin with a puff of dust. Seeing the commotion, I knew he must finally be dead.

To confirm it, I circled around to face the Toad King. Indeed, though his eyes remained open, his tongue lolled out, and he was utterly still.

His gaze was fixed solely on the woman on the stele, conveying regret and reluctance, yet completely frozen. The Toad King was definitively dead.

I had not only saved Number 2 and Number 12 but also averted a major crisis. Yet, in the end, I still didn't understand what the Toad King had been doing.

Seeing Xiao Bai still stunned, I asked her, “What is it? Do you recognize the woman on this stele?” Xiao Bai nodded and said, “That is me.” I stumbled back a step, utterly speechless from shock.

Noticing my astonishment, Xiao Bai explained, “Do you see the diamond-shaped mark on her chest? Every one of us Ilkhreiz people has such a mark on our chest at birth.

And no two are ever the same in color, pattern, or size.” Saying this, she pulled open her collar, inviting me to look at the mark on her chest. The glimpse of fair skin revealed in her unfastened neckline nearly made me bleed from the nose, but I forced myself to suppress extraneous thoughts and focused on the mark.

Sure enough, the marking was identical to the one on the woman in the carving. And based on her explanation, the woman on the stele and Xiao Bai did indeed look very much alike!

Xiao Bai continued, “Look at the ox with many legs; that is Ilna, the supreme deity of our Ilkhreiz civilization. He symbolizes peace and prosperity.

If Ilna is sleeping beneath the tree, it signifies eternal, uncontested peace. The depiction of me here, and the man on the hillside, should be the key to bringing the sound of peace.” I nodded.

“Oh, so you’re saying this carving is a prophecy. Then, who is the man bringing peace?” Xiao Bai stated with near certainty, “It is you!” I paused, pointing at my own nose.

“Me? How do you know?” Xiao Bai pointed to the man in the carving.

“Look closely at his hands. Those aren't hands; they are trees.” Following her instruction, I saw that the man's fingers were indeed slender and long like root systems, very similar to my own hands, though with fewer branches.

At this point, a flush crossed Xiao Bai's face. “In the Ilkhreiz civilization, the tree represents life, but also desire, and propagation.

Therefore, only the union of you and me can bring peace.” Saying this, she bit her lower lip and began to undress.