As the sun dipped low, its golden-red light cascaded down, staining the entire earth. The dark gold of the demon's blood mingled with the bright crimson of humanity’s, and beneath the blood-red sunlight, the mixture appeared vividly beautiful—a beauty born of life, a beauty wrought from death...

Ye Jingyu held Xue Ling’s small hand, standing silently at the village entrance. Ni Bo and Tao Tie stood behind him. Before them stood more than two hundred surviving humans, mostly children and young girls, with only about twenty adult men among them...

At that moment, their faces held none of the elation of survival, nor the satisfaction of vengeance exacted. There was only grief—a deep, profound sorrow mixed with endless humiliation.

Yes, humiliation. Their ancestors had traveled thousands of miles from the prosperous Heavenly Alliance to this place, believing they could finally live freely. Yet, they suffered torments far worse than before: relentless slaughter, watching helplessly as their loved ones were dragged away, generation after generation, trapped in the same cycle...

What helplessness and torment was this, what endless bitterness and desolation...

The surroundings were slick with blood, piled high with shattered limbs. Everything seemed like a recording device, immortalizing the horrors of the moments just passed...

Over a hundred children and young girls wore expressions of sheer terror; many were still weeping uncontrollably. Yet, now, no one paid them heed, no one offered comfort. The remaining twenty-odd adults all looked toward Ye Jingyu. Beneath their expressions of sorrow and helplessness lay an undeniable thirst: the thirst for vengeance, the desire to survive, the hunger to grow stronger...

Gazing upon those yearning eyes, Ye Jingyu spoke no grand pronouncements. He held to his prior stance: he was not a god, nor a savior. He would not remain to protect or instruct these people; he had his own path to walk.

“I am taking her. You all had best leave this place and find a larger settlement to live out your days,” Ye Jingyu uttered this much, then pulled Xue Ling’s small hand and headed directly toward the west side of the village...

Ni Bo and Little Tao Tao glanced at the adult men, watching the desire in their eyes slowly dissipate as Ye Jingyu departed. With soft sighs, they too turned and walked away.

In the glow of the setting sun, the shadows of the three figures stretched long and thin, slowly receding in the eyes of the survivors until they vanished...

Along the way, Xue Ling remained silent. She made no pleas to Ye Jingyu. Although she still deeply wondered why he only took her and left behind her companions, she possessed an instinctual understanding: it was best not to ask.

With the trio’s swift pace, they soon emerged from the Savage Forest, finally stepping onto the soil of the Earth Alliance. Looking out at the dark crimson earth, Ye Jingyu was suddenly reminded of the Scarlet Plains outside Storm City. How much human blood had been spilled here? How many lives had been extinguished to dye this land such a deep shade of red?

Without dwelling on the thought, he continued holding Xue Ling’s small hand, walking step by step across the dark red ground. Occasionally, small beasts darted past them, vanishing quickly into the encroaching night...

The plains were somewhat chilly under the cover of darkness. Such cold was nothing to Ye Jingyu, Ni Bo, or Tao Tie. But when the cold wind gusted, Xue Ling’s small frame trembled. Still, she said nothing, merely grit her teeth and walked beside Ye Jingyu, enduring it all silently...

Ye Jingyu gave no outward sign of noticing her condition, as if he were entirely unaware. He simply held her hand tight so she would not stumble and fall...

As for those following behind, Ni Bo, the battle-maniac, had nothing in his mind but combat; sympathy and pity held no place for him. After all, he was not entirely human. Though he had grasped some human emotions, he could not possess the full spectrum of human feeling.

The other, having brought numerous Spirit Fruits from the village, continuously munched on them throughout the journey, making him even less likely to spare a thought for Xue Ling’s plight...

After walking through the entire night, Xue Ling endured a full night of cold. When the first rays of dawn broke, they had arrived at Heavenly Savage City, one of the nine great stronghold cities of the Earth Alliance...

It was a city of unimaginable scale, larger even than Snowfield City. The entire structure was black, and its walls soared hundreds of feet high. Even a monstrous beast like a Dragon-Swallowing Beast would struggle to breach the battlements quickly, unless it were a King of the Dragon-Swallowing Beasts, one standing ten thousand feet tall...

This city was a crucial military fortress built by the Earth Alliance to guard against the Savage Forest's myriad savage beasts. Consequently, vast demon legions were stationed within, and on the plains outside, battalions drilled rigorously. Had discipline become so pronounced among the demons?

Ye Jingyu turned back to look at Xue Ling. He saw that after the night’s cold, her face was stark white, her lips tinged blue, and her hair was utterly disheveled. There were streaks of blood beneath her feet; it seemed her soles had rubbed raw, producing painful blisters.

Yet, her eyes held no trace of agony. Instead, she stared blankly at the colossal city wall in the distance, where a faint, mesmerizing light seemed to shimmer...

“Does it hurt?” Ye Jingyu knelt down and asked very softly...

“It doesn’t hurt…” Xue Ling shook her head, then nodded again...

Ye Jingyu slowly squatted, grasping Xue Ling’s right foot. He saw not only blisters but also shards of sand and stone embedded in the sole. He could only imagine the intense pain she must have endured all this way, yet she had not uttered a single whimper.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ye Jingyu looked up, seeing her tightly furrowed brow, and asked with detached calm...

“I... I... I don’t want to be weak!” Xue Ling struggled to articulate for a moment, then lifted her head, her watery eyes fixed directly on Ye Jingyu as she spoke with firm resolution.

Hearing her words, seeing the determination in her expression, a genuine smile finally touched Ye Jingyu’s usually cold face—a smile of deep understanding...

He gently stroked her head, then placed one hand on her small foot, channeling a surge of immense power. Instantly, the injuries on her foot began to rapidly mend. In a short while, a pair of delicate, fair, and supple little feet reappeared...

“Let’s go…” Ye Jingyu scooped Xue Ling up, and together with Ni Bo and Tao Tie, headed toward the massive Heavenly Savage City...