Three days ago, the sight of the human Vice General’s miserable retreat was still vivid.
His words — “The Old Hero is missing, and the Goddess has made new arrangements” — hung like a blade over their heads, ensuring no one in the Demon Camp dared to relax even for a moment.
At the lookout tower, Bai Li stood silently in the wind.
His heterochromatic eyes, one pink and one golden, gazed toward the distant horizon where the Human Great Camp was stationed.
His fingers unconsciously toyed with the corner of his sleeve.
He could clearly feel a strange throbbing in his heart growing stronger.
A divine aura was awakening in the distance.
It was faint but determined, like a sprouting seed pushing through the darkness.
“Father, you are daydreaming again!”
A soft, tender voice came from behind.
Ziya, clutching a ball of pale purple Illusion Mist, ran onto the lookout tower with her short legs.
She grabbed Bai Li’s leg and looked up, her small face filled with worry.
Her pale purple eyes were misty, looking like two clear springs.
Bai Li snapped back to his senses, leaned over, and picked the little one up in his arms.
He gently brushed the hair on the top of her head with his fingertips.
“I was not daydreaming. I was just thinking about which path we should take next.”
“No matter which path we take, Ziya will follow Father!”
Ziya immediately buried her small head in the crook of Bai Li’s neck, her tiny hands tightly hugging his throat.
“My Illusionary Realm can protect Father. It can block all the bad guys, and it can even sense that divine aura that is about to wake up!”
Bai Li was jolted. He looked down at the little Succubus in his arms.
“You can sense his location?”
“Yes!”
Ziya nodded vigorously.
She pointed her small hand toward Starfall Valley, located behind the Human Great Camp. Her eyes sparkled.
“Right over there! It is very, very far away, but the aura is getting stronger. It is the New Hero, right? The golden light that flashed outside the tent before came from there!”
“The New Hero.”
A cold and domineering voice sounded from behind them.
Longjiu strode onto the lookout tower, her black robes adorned with dragon patterns fluttering loudly in the wind.
Cold Dragon Might surged in her golden-red vertical pupils, and small sparks of golden Dragon Flame leaped at her fingertips.
She walked directly to Bai Li’s side and naturally pulled both of them into her arms.
Her grip was gentle, yet it carried an indisputable sense of protection.
“Whether it is a New Hero or an Old Hero, if they dare touch a single hair on your head, I will make them pay the price. No one and nothing will take you away from me.”
Bai Li looked at the almost humble anxiety in her eyes.
He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his fingertips touching the tiny Dragon Scales at the corner of her eye.
The warm sensation was reassuring.
“I will not leave. Longjiu, we are a family. A family will never be separated.”
“That is right.”
A cool voice drifted over.
Baining, dressed in a dark-black Vampire formal gown, stepped slowly onto the lookout tower.
Her silver-gray hair was tied back, and her expression remained eternally calm and distant.
Only when she looked at Bai Li did a hint of softness appear.
She held a secret report sent back by the Dark Guards.
With a flick of her finger, the report landed in front of Bai Li.
“The Dark Guards just discovered that Sok has been spreading an Oracle across the whole Continent. He claims the Three-Race Hybrid has defiled the Goddess and hidden the Old Hero, bringing about a Calamity. The New Hero is the last hope sent by the Goddess to purify the darkness.”
Baining’s voice was as calm as still water, yet every word was clear.
“He has also united all the small nations and temple factions that believe in the Goddess. In three days, he will lead a Million Allied Army, centered around the New Hero, to press against the Demon Camp.”
“A Million Allied Army?”
Longjiu sneered, her Dragon Might suddenly exploding.
“They are nothing more than a brainwashed mob! My Dragon Race Guard has only 10,000 members, yet we could slaughter them all!”
“Do not underestimate the enemy.”
Bai Li shook his head gently, interrupting her. His gaze fell on the secret report, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Sok has planned this for so long; he will not rely solely on numbers. Since he dares to present a New Hero, he must be certain that the New Hero will stand against us… or even possess the power to suppress the Three Tribes.”
Baining nodded and added, “The Dark Guards also found that the Old Hero was not imprisoned by the Demon Race. Years ago, he discovered the truth — that Sok was forging the Oracle and manipulating faith in the Goddess. Sok has been secretly hunting him ever since. His current whereabouts are unknown, and it is uncertain if he is alive or dead. The human high command has long been controlled by Sok. Anyone who opposes him is executed under the charge of ‘defiling the Goddess.'”
‘Just as I thought,’ Bai Li sighed, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.
‘The so-called Goddess’s Oracle and the Hero saving the world are all part of Sok’s conspiracy from start to finish. He wants to use the New Hero’s hands to wipe out the Three Tribes, capture me, and then take over the entire Continent to become a ruler who stands above the Deity.’
Ziya lay in Bai Li’s arms, her small brows furrowed tightly.
She spoke in a childish voice, “That Marshal Sok is a big meanie! He is even meaner than the Vice General in the tent! Ziya hates him!”
Longjiu lowered her head to nuzzle the top of Ziya’s head before looking up at Bai Li.
Her tone was firm.
“Then we should strike first instead of waiting for him to attack. I will take the Dragon Race elites right now, charge into Starfall Valley, and capture that New Hero before he even wakes up. That will cut off Sok’s hopes!”
“No!”
Bai Li immediately grabbed her hand and shook his head.
“The New Hero is innocent. He was only chosen by the Goddess’s aura and is being used by Sok. We cannot start with a military confrontation. Otherwise, it will only prove Sok’s lies about the ‘brutality of the Demon Race’ to be true.”
“Then what do you say we do?”
Longjiu looked at him, her eyes full of obedience.
“I will listen to you. If you say go east, I will never go west.”
Baining also looked at Bai Li, quietly waiting for his decision.
In this camp, Bai Li was never a weakling to be protected; he was the backbone for everyone and the true core of the Three Tribes.
Bai Li took a deep breath.
A transparent light flashed in his pink and golden eyes as he spoke slowly, “In three days, when the allied army approaches, we will not initiate the battle. I want to personally see the New Hero. I want him to see Sok’s true face and the conspiracy behind the Goddess’s faith. I want him to choose for himself which side to stand on.”
“No!”
Longjiu interrupted immediately, her voice rising sharply. Her golden-red vertical pupils were filled with panic.
“That is too dangerous! Sok will definitely protect the New Hero with layers of security. He will be surrounded by Holy Mages and elite soldiers. If you go there alone, you will be walking into a lion’s den! I will not allow it!”
“I am not alone.”
Bai Li held Longjiu’s hand and looked at Baining and Ziya.
A gentle smile touched the corners of his mouth.
“I have all of you. Longjiu, you will lead the Dragon Race Guard to stand watch outside the camp, ready to support me at any time. Baining, have the Dark Guards lie in wait behind the allied army. If Sok makes any suspicious move, cut off his retreat immediately. Ziya, use your Illusionary Realm to shroud the entire battlefield, interfere with the enemy’s vision, and help me relay messages.”
“But…”
Longjiu still wanted to argue.
“There are no ‘buts’.”
Bai Li gently pressed his fingers against her lips, his gaze firm.
“This is the only way to avoid a massacre. Once the war starts, whether it is the humans or the Demon Race, there will be countless casualties. That is what Sok wants to see, not what we want. What we need to win is not the war, but the hearts of the people and the truth.”
Baining was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.
“I agree with Bai Li’s decision. I will have the Dark Guards set up an inescapable net to ensure your safety. If the New Hero remains stubborn, I will immediately order the Dark Guards to assassinate Sok and seize the allied army’s command center.”
Ziya also raised her small hand and said seriously, “Ziya will activate the strongest Triple Illusion! I will protect Father in the middle of the illusion so that nobody can hurt him!”
Looking at the determined eyes of the three people before her, Longjiu knew she could no longer stop them.
She could only nod through gritted teeth, her voice low and raspy.
“Fine, I will listen to you. But you must promise me that if there is any danger, you will call me immediately. No matter how far away I am, I will appear by your side in an instant. Even if I have to defy the heavens, I will bring you back safely.”
“I promise you,” Bai Li replied softly, reaching out to hug her back.
—
The sun sank completely below the horizon, and night shrouded the land.
The Demon Camp was brightly lit as everyone prepared for the decisive battle in three days.
The Dragon Race Guard polished their weapons, the Dragon Flame flowing over the steel and reflecting against the night sky.
The Vampire Dark Guards hid in the shadows like crouching hunters.
The Illusionists of the Dream Demon Tribe followed Ziya, setting up an illusion boundary that covered a radius of 100 miles.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Bai Li knew that the battlefield in three days would determine the fate of the entire Continent.
He had to win.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Just as the horizon began to turn gray, the earth began to tremble violently.
The sound of earth-shaking footsteps and shouts echoed from afar.
Banners blotted out the sun like a black tide, slowly pressing toward the Demon Camp.
On the leading banner, an image of the holy Goddess was embroidered.
Below the image was a Holy Sword shining with golden light — the symbol of the Hero and the banner of the New Hero.
Sok, dressed in golden Marshal armor, sat on a tall horse.
His face was aged, but his eyes were sinister.
With a wave of his hand, the Million Allied Army halted instantly.
They stood in perfect unison, their momentum overpowering.
“Demonic wretches, come out and meet your deaths!”
Sok’s voice spread across the fields with the help of Sacred Power, making the air hum.
“The Goddess’s Oracle has been revealed! The New Hero has descended! You have hidden the Old Hero and protected the source of the Three-Race Hybrid disaster. You have defiled the Deity, and your sins are unforgivable! Today, the New Hero shall represent the Goddess and purify this land of darkness!”
As his voice fell, a brilliant golden light suddenly shot into the sky from the center of the allied camp, piercing the clouds and illuminating the heavens.
Within the golden light, a young figure slowly floated up.
He was dressed in white holy armor and held a Holy Sword that radiated light.
His face was youthful, but his gaze was firm, and he was surrounded by a pure, sacred aura.
This was the New Hero chosen by the Goddess, Lin Mo.
He was only 16 or 17 years old.
His eyes held a pious obsession with “saving the world” as he looked down at the Demon Camp.
His voice carried a holy majesty.
“Monsters of the Three Tribes, hand over Bai Li and the Old Hero immediately and accept the Goddess’s purification! Otherwise, the Holy Sword will show no mercy!”
Longjiu was instantly enraged.
Golden-red Dragon Wings unfolded behind her, and her Dragon Might swept out like a tsunami.
“You little brat, you haven’t even grown all your hair yet, and you dare to bark in front of me! Believe it or not, I will burn your Holy Sword to ashes so you won’t even see the Goddess’s face!”
Baining also stepped out slowly, the Vampire Dark Guards lining up behind her.
Her silver-gray eyes were as cold as knives.
“New Hero, you have been deceived by Sok. The so-called Oracle is a forgery. The so-called source of disaster is a slander. The purification you speak of is nothing more than aiding a villain.”
Ziya waved her hand, and pale purple Illusion Mist spread out, shielding the entire Demon Camp.
“You are a bad person! Sok is a big meanie! You are all bullying my Father!”
Lin Mo’s brow furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion.
“What nonsense are you talking about? The Goddess’s Oracle cannot be wrong! Marshal Sok said you are the incarnations of darkness and the Calamity of the Continent!”
“Peace?”
Bai Li walked slowly out of the illusion, approaching the Million Allied Army alone.
“Then let me ask you — have you ever seen the Goddess? Do you know where the Oracle came from? Do you know what Sok is actually doing?”
Lin Mo was stunned, and hesitation appeared in his eyes.
Bai Li raised his hand, and the power of the Three Tribes intertwined to form a massive mirror of the Illusionary Realm.
Images appeared in the mirror — Sok forging the Oracle, massacring dissenters, hunting the Old Hero, and his ambition to covet the power of the Three Tribes.
A dead silence fell over the entire field.
Lin Mo’s face turned pale, and the Holy Sword nearly slipped from his hand.
Sok was furious.
“Do not believe him! Attack! Kill him!”
A sacred attack suddenly descended.
“You dare touch him!”
Longjiu roared as the Dragon Flame swept through.
Baining led the Dark Guards in a surprise attack, and Ziya unleashed the Triple Illusion.
Bai Li stood his ground, looking at Lin Mo.
“What is the power in your heart telling you?”
Lin Mo closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they were filled with clarity and rage.
“You lied to me!”
Sok laughed wildly and crushed a black crystal.
Dark power surged violently.
The Great War broke out.
In the end, the combined forces of Lin Mo, Longjiu, Baining, and Ziya completely annihilated Sok.
The dust settled.
The allied army collapsed, and soldiers knelt on the ground one after another.
Lin Mo walked up to Bai Li.
“I am willing to clarify the truth.”
Bai Li smiled.
“You are already a Hero.”
After the war, the world returned to tranquility.
Ziya smiled and lunged into his arms.
“We won!”
Bai Li looked at Longjiu and Baining, his eyes filled with warmth.
In the distance, a faint aura watched them momentarily before returning to silence.
He did not look back.
“Let’s go home.”
The setting sun stretched the shadows of the four people.
The war was over.
The story, however, continued.
I was expecting something more but I mean this story never really focused on war or fighting.