"Not good!" Wei Huan thought to himself, though he knew he had no way to intervene.
The Heavenly Demon must have sensed something was off. But how did it find out? Humans couldn't smell the scent of Heavenly Demon blood in the air, but at this concentration, it was highly abnormal to a fellow Heavenly Demon.
The Demon-Face Heavenly Demon didn't know why, but it was determined to find the source of the problem. As it drew closer to its companion, the clear fragrance of the blood grew stronger.
Yes, something had indeed gone wrong! 'It's her!?'
Bang! The force of its high-speed ejection slammed heavily into the Demon Eye Overlord. The Overlord exploded instantly and was sent back to the Great Tomb.
Wei Huan's head snapped back, and the green flame in his left eye faded away. He turned his gaze toward the massive virtual projection in the meeting room, finally seeing the truth.
Without the illusion created by the Demon Eye Overlord, Dot Mom's horrific form—now at half-step Godhood—was fully revealed. Her once harmless and elegant jellyfish-like body had grown hundreds, even thousands, of additional tentacles. While they remained in a skeletal state, appearing lustrous like polished jade, the bones were now covered in countless dense barbs.
These barbs were hard and emerald green. From the tip of each barb, a drop of green liquid seeped out; wherever a drop hit the ground, it corroded a pit half a meter deep. These venomous barbs, aided by the silver Heavenly Demon's own aggressive entanglement, had sunk deep beneath its skin, injecting the toxin drop by drop.
The silver Heavenly Demon's body was now covered in hideous, distorted green patches—a terrifying sight.
It was poison. A catastrophic poison.
Indeed, after devouring the Rank 8 Demon Lord, Dot Mom had gained the "Poison" ability. Previously, Wei Huan hadn't placed much value on toxins because his undead were immune to them; 99% of poisons had no effect on the dead, and even if they did, the poison would be purged upon resurrection in the Great Tomb.
Wei Huan had struggled to accept that after all the effort of finding a Rank 8 Demon Lord's soul, Dot Mom had only awakened a poison attribute. However, the shift in his perspective was simple: one morning, he realized that just because 'he' wasn't afraid of it, didn't mean other species weren't.
If a Demon Lord could become a "Son of the World" and lead legions based on poison, it couldn't be an ordinary toxin. Combined with his Nether cold-poison, how many creatures in this world could withstand such a cocktail?
To test Dot Mom's damage, Wei Huan had fed a single drop to a Rank 6 demon. The demon didn't last a second; it died instantly, and its body burned with unquenchable Nether fire until even the ashes were vaporized into the atmosphere.
Terrifying! Such a toxic attack meant that even his own combat teams would struggle to coordinate with her. Wei Huan didn't believe anyone could cure this poison, as it involved the Laws of the world.
However, Wei Huan also knew the weakness was obvious: against powerful lifeforms, it took longer to take effect. Heavenly Demons weren't fools; if they sensed the danger, they would avoid the barbs. Poison is useless if it never enters the system.
That was why, despite the pressure on the Great Bear's side, he had stationed the Demon Eye Overlord here—to maintain a constant illusion so the silver Heavenly Demon couldn't see the barbs or the poison, and to mask the pain of the injection. He had even sacrificed waves of undead to swarm the demon, merely to create a "thousand ants biting an elephant" distraction.
Furthermore, the illusion had to affect the Demon-Face Heavenly Demon as well, until it retreated three kilometers away—reaching the limit of the Overlord's range. That was when Wei Huan had to recall the Great Bear and Big Head.
But that abrupt move had sparked the Demon-Face Heavenly Demon's suspicion, allowing it to cool down and perceive the anomaly.
Wei Huan looked at the silver Heavenly Demon, now covered in mottled green but still largely its original color, and sighed with regret. If the demon had come alone this time, it would be dead. But now it had experience; it wouldn't be easy to kill it with the same trick twice.
"AAAAAAGH—!"
Just as Wei Huan was thinking of a way to salvage the situation, a piercing scream exploded in his spiritual sea. It was a mix of rage, fear, and deep-seated hatred, whipping his soul into a storm. His legs went weak, and he had to brace himself against the table to stay upright.
He looked back at the screen to see the two Heavenly Demons suddenly entwine. Their heads sharpened, slamming into the void, and a spatial tunnel appeared instantly. The Demon-Face Heavenly Demon coiled around the silver one and plunged into the void, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Watching them leave, Wei Huan didn't know whether to feel regret or relief. Had the fight continued, he might not have been a match for two of them. To maintain Dot Mom's giant form, his Nether power was nearly depleted. Yet, if he had held on just a little longer, could he have truly killed one?
To let a tiger return to the mountain is to invite endless trouble. He was still too weak; if he were Sequence 7, he would have had the confidence to keep them both there...
"What!? Xu Qingqiang was taken?"
Mu Zhong's panicked voice snapped Wei Huan out of his thoughts. He looked over hurriedly.
Mu Zhong stared at the space where the demons had vanished for a few seconds before issuing orders: "Have the Void Bugs follow them! And the Diviners, quick! Don't let the space stabilize yet!"
Wei Huan wanted to offer to go himself, but sensing his empty energy reserves, he remained silent. He had neither the ability for spatial traversal nor the stealth skills of the Gambler sequence; tracking was not his forte. He only took risks when he had sufficient certainty; he was well aware that if he fell, the Blue Star humans might never rise again.
The Void Bugs and Diviners followed, accompanied by a Sequence 6 [Starship Pilot]. The pilots utilized mechs, flying into the spatial rift in groups of three. About ten mechs entered before they stopped. Others from the same sequences remained outside the rift to maintain the opening, ensuring those inside wouldn't get lost in the extra-dimensional space.
This level of order suggested they had prepared a contingency plan for this exact scenario. In critical moments, Mu Zhong was always the most reliable—meticulous and visionary.
While Mu Zhong arranged the trackers, he also called for medical teams to treat the wounded. Before leaving, the silver Heavenly Demon hadn't just roared at Wei Huan; it had used a "Mental Detonation." All soldiers not inside chariots had collapsed, suffering significant injuries. Now it was up to Xia Yu to see if they could be saved.
Wei Huan hadn't been this disheveled since his rebirth. This siege, even if called a victory, was a narrow one. And what kind of victory was it? It was merely a pause. If the two Heavenly Demons doubled back, he would have no choice but to flee with his people.
As the protective shield finally rose again, a relieved Mu Zhong turned to Wei Huan. "It's a good thing you came back in time. Their attack and defense are far stronger than we anticipated. We didn't know they had long-distance teleportation. Without you, our losses would have been catastrophic."
Wei Huan replied, "Our intelligence was insufficient. We must be careful; they might strike again."
Mu Zhong nodded. "I intend to temporarily evacuate this world. What do you think?"
Wei Huan tapped his finger on the table, finally looking up. "I won't. I'm going to advance to Sequence 7."
Mu Zhong had guessed Wei Huan wouldn't leave, but staying specifically to advance caught him off guard. "You have a lead?"
Wei Huan nodded and shared his recent gains. Once the Great Tombs were connected into a single continent, he felt he had nudged the door to Sequence 7. However, the area of that continent was still insufficient; he needed more souls to fill the Nether Realm and turn it into "Filthy Soil."
Back in the Challenge World, there were no souls to harvest. If he wanted to advance, the path lay in the True World. Specifically, the Demon World was a "field of leeks" practically made for him. He wouldn't return now that a clear path was right in front of him.
Mu Zhong's brow furrowed. Someone called for him, and he said to Wei Huan, "Let me think about it. You rest well. This isn't something that can be rushed. We'll talk again once things settle."
Wei Huan nodded and pulled an energy canister from his spatial storage to absorb. Given his current stats, even hundreds of canisters wouldn't restore much, but it was better than nothing. As he mechanically absorbed energy, he replayed the battle in his mind. An hour passed in a flash.
The base had grown quiet. Everyone was busy at their posts. Many soldiers were being sent back to the Challenge World, their chariots forming long lines at the gate.
There was still no news of Xu Qingqiang. No news from the trackers either. The anxiety that the Heavenly Demons might return hung over the base like a shroud.
The only good news came from Hammer: the demon army had begun "covert foraging." High-level demons could find food, but low-level demons were strictly prohibited from leaving the ranks, so they had begun preying on their own kind.
In the current context, this wasn't very heartening. The Heavenly Demons' arrival had shattered the humans' plans. Now that they were evacuating, the benefit of demon infighting was greatly diminished.
"Continue," Wei Huan said. "And be careful. The two Heavenly Demons are unaccounted for, and remember you saw a third one. Watch out for a sudden appearance. Also, if you find any trace of them, tell me immediately. Xu Qingqiang is in danger."
"Yes, sir!"
Two hours later, after visiting Captain Xue, William Fang, and the wounded soldiers, Wei Huan returned to find Mu Zhong finally finished with his work, waiting for him.
"Mu Zhong." Wei Huan stepped forward.
Mu Zhong nodded and turned to lead the way. "Come."
The two entered the smallest meeting room. Mu Zhong waited for Wei Huan to close the door, then turned and embraced him.
"What's wrong?" Wei Huan wrapped his arms around Mu Zhong's waist.
Mu Zhong shook his head, holding him for a long while before looking up. "You're staying here, but I can't stay with you. Captain Xue is injured, Brother Qiang is missing, and Yake and Hammer aren't back yet. I must return to the Challenge World to oversee the big picture. I really want to stay, but Klitov and my father can't shoulder this responsibility. I have to..."
Wei Huan's eyes were incredibly tender. "I know. I understand."
Mu Zhong looked deep into Wei Huan's eyes and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He traced every inch of Wei Huan's face with his gaze. "In thirty minutes at most, we will have fully evacuated. I'll be going with them."
"Mhm." Wei Huan nodded. He looked at Mu Zhong's lips with lingering desire, moved his hand up to clasp the back of the man's neck, and deepened the kiss with force.
It had been nearly ten days since they last saw each other. It wasn't that they couldn't endure ten days, but under such crisis, every separation carried the weight of risk. There was today, but there might not be a tomorrow. Wei Huan kissed greedily, stealing Mu Zhong's breath, pressing against him until he nearly lost control.
Eventually, they had to pull apart, struggling to calm down. Wei Huan gave Mu Zhong one last tight hug. "I'll leave after I see you off."
Mu Zhong nodded. "Don't take too many risks. You've seen the strength of the three Heavenly Demons. Don't face them head-on without absolute certainty."
"I will."
Exiting the meeting room, they saw Commander William Fang sitting at the main table. His eyes fell on their joined hands. "General Mu, it's time to depart."
Mu Zhong's grip on Wei Huan's hand tightened. "So soon?"
William Fang nodded. "The chariots are started. They'll decouple from the buildings shortly." He stood and looked at Wei Huan. "Knowing you're staying, I've organized the supplies and left a portion for you. They should be useful."
Mu Zhong added, "I've prepared some too. Take what you need. Are you sure you don't need anyone else?"
Wei Huan said, "No. When Hammer and the others get here, let them go back too."
"Fine," Mu Zhong agreed. "I'll leave a few people behind to disperse and stay undercover—mostly to maintain signal communications and wait for news of Brother Qiang."
Wei Huan wanted to say more but realized there wasn't much left to say. It was just a separation, not a final goodbye. Any more lingering would just be sentimental. "Alright, I'll head out first."
Mu Zhong squeezed Wei Huan's hand once more, then let go. Watching Wei Huan's back disappear into the cockpit, he closed his eyes and reopened them, the longing vanished and replaced by a solemn expression as he walked toward William Fang.
"Commander Fang, let's prepare to leave."
Mu Zhong's chariot was the last to depart—William Fang's Rank 7 chariot. As it passed through the gate, the base became desolate. Only a very few people remained for special missions; after saying goodbye to Wei Huan, they quickly disappeared from the base.
Wei Huan looked at the base, now even lacking its protective shield. He wondered if the win rate would have been higher if his own chariot had been here. But there were no "ifs." He had to go to the Dark Beast plane, so he had to come to this Rank 7 world.
Wei Huan summoned Dot Mom. In her normal state, her tentacles lacked those barbs, and her body had shifted from pure white jade to a faint, translucent green. He had Dot Mom shrink down and float on his shoulder. He cast "Magic Gate," and in the next second, he was back in the Marsh Plains, ten thousand miles away.
Next, he had to catch up with the demon army. Mu Zhong's tactic had caused over a hundred thousand demons to kill each other—that was pure nourishment for the Filthy Soil. It would be a waste not to take it. There was also Broken Mountain, the former pioneer headquarters, where sixty thousand demons were buried. All were nutrients for him to grow stronger.
Once he absorbed these two batches of energy, the 80 million-strong demon army would become his prey. He would stalk and hunt them, all to make himself stronger. Perhaps the Heavenly Demons would hunt him, but he wasn't afraid. He might not be able to kill them yet, but it would be impossible for them to kill him either.
Let this ultimate hunt begin—his gluttonous feast of power!
***
Three Months Later
A million-strong demon army, composed mostly of high-ranking demons, was fleeing through the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Monster World. Wherever they went, monsters were startled into flight; the mountains shook with the chaos.
But this was not a hunt. Although the monsters seemed to be chased by demons, and the slow ones were caught and eaten, most monsters were safe as long as they took detours or hid in burrows until the demons passed.
By comparison, the demons—overall stronger and more hideous—seemed more panicked. They constantly looked over their shoulders while running, their eyes filled with terror as if a great horror were pursuing them.
And indeed it was.
Monsters hiding in burrows peeked out after the demons passed, only to see the legendary human. The human sat upon an undead that looked like a spider-jellyfish, white with streaks of green, flying overhead. To his left and right flew a massive black bird that looked like smoke with long tail feathers, and a dragon-like monster that flickered in and out of sight as if performing spatial teleports, each movement accompanied by the crackle of electricity.
Yes, it was him. His appearance meant they were safe.
At some point, a rumor had spread among the monsters: '"The Demon King from another world ruled the Monster Realm, but a human hero drove it away. Two years later, the Demon King returned, and demons ravaged the land. Only the human hero, riding a dragon and a phoenix, can resist them."'
Where this human came from didn't matter. Whether they had once dominated the monsters or were invaders didn't matter anymore in the face of an even more loathsome and terrifying enemy. The demons ate monsters for food. Wherever they went, nothing grew; thousands of monsters vanished, whole clans from old to young. This existential crisis was far more frightening than the two-year-old rumor of the High-Rank Great Monsters falling at the Holy Mountain.
Besides, since the humans occupied the Monster Realm, they only operated in designated areas. The monsters in the Hundred Thousand Mountains lived as they always had, unburdened by life's struggles, so they didn't care who was in charge. Now, persecuted by demons and forced to flee, watching their kin being devoured, the monsters were traumatized.
The appearance of this powerful human was like a savior. The monsters themselves didn't know when their worship of him began. In short, seeing that legendary figure in the flesh made them as excited as if they had seen a messiah. Alongside a powerful sense of security, some monsters even jumped out to show him the way. To join and become a member of his great undead army would be a supreme honor!
Wei Huan: "..."
Watching the monsters constantly jump out in strange ways, chasing him for a while as if guiding him, his reaction had shifted from puzzled alertness to understanding. These monsters, in their terror of being hunted by demons, had actually begun to feel grateful to him, a fellow invader.
Unable to distinguish right from wrong, swaying with the wind—this was the tragedy of the weak, the limitation of only being able to see a tiny bit from the bottom looking up. Restricted vision led to guesswork, and narrow perspectives led to the stupidity of "treating a thief as a father." It wasn't surprising.
Wei Huan didn't correct them, didn't oppose them, and certainly didn't trust them. Those who aren't of our kind think differently. He hunted the demons so that humanity could return and so he could advance to Sequence 7; what did that have to do with the monsters? What they thought was none of his business.
Wei Huan ignored the monsters showing him favor. When he finally caught up with a demon, before he could even issue a command, Big Head and Sister Crow flashed out simultaneously. These two pseudo-god-tier undead were enough to insta-kill any demon below Rank 7. They were fast and kept out to make strikes easy.
The one at the back was a mere Rank 5 demon; had its strength been higher, it wouldn't have been left behind by the fleeing army.
Since three months ago, when Wei Huan decided to harvest these demon souls to nourish the Filthy Soil for his advancement, he had been like a venomous snake tailing the demon army, killing vast numbers of them. Unfortunately, the three Heavenly Demons hadn't appeared once. Even though Wei Huan had slaughtered and routed that army of 100 million, he had found no news of Xu Qingqiang.
But he knew Xu Qingqiang was likely in the Demon World. One day, Wei Huan had noticed the number of demons in the Monster World increasing, only to find out they were being herded toward the entrance on the Demon World's side, constantly flooding in. Now, the Marsh Plains of the Monster World had been occupied by low-rank demons, and they seemed to be spreading.
Wei Huan looked down on these low-level demons. Killing Rank 1 and 2 demons was a waste of time, so he only focused on the remnants of that 100-million-strong army. Under his relentless day-and-night pursuit, aside from the scattered stragglers, the group he was currently chasing was the largest and strongest remaining force.
Led by the remaining two Rank 7 demons, the rest of this army was composed of Rank 6s and a very few Rank 5s. Under Wei Huan's non-stop hunting, their numbers had dwindled to a million, and the Rank 5s were almost gone.
Wei Huan knew the time to close the net was finally approaching. Wiping out a million demons wasn't easy; they would scatter at the first sign of trouble and never stop to fight. But Wei Huan's appetite was large; he hoped to "eat" them all in one go. That was why he had trailed this group for over half a month, laying traps bit by bit, waiting for this exact moment.