People raised their eyebrows upon hearing Xue Hui's words. They didn't understand what he meant by his question.
Demon beasts and humans had been at war with each other since the beginning of time. To them, the answer to his question was obvious. Each side wanted to eradicate the other.
But Xue Hui didn't see it that way. The Demon Beast Clan was a powerful force in the Tiny World. If they had truly wanted Glory City destroyed, they would have done it a long time ago.
So obviously, something had prompted the Demon Beast Clan to finally move against Glory City.
The voice behind the swirling black mist fell silent, as though contemplating whether to answer Xue Hui's question.
Xue Hui waited patiently. What he needed most was information about what was going on around him.
"Boy, I don't think answering your question would benefit you in any shape or form. There are things in this world that you simply don't understand... unless you go there and learn them for yourself. What I can tell you is this: my Demon Beast Clan is not doing this out of spite. We're just done ignoring the existence of your Glory City."
The senior answered sagely. Xue Hui pinched his chin between his fingers as he pondered the senior's words.
He frowned, his expression turning grim. He could discern quite a bit from the way the senior had worded his answer.
"This is just my guess, but you're making it sound like the decision to destroy Glory City didn't come solely from the Demon Beast Clan, but was dictated by another force. One perhaps even more powerful than the Demon Beast Clan, yes?..." Xue Hui paused, causing the man behind the swirling black mist to hold his breath. Somehow, Xue Hui had hit the mark with his deduction. "...A force from the Draconic Ruins Realm, perhaps?"
The swirling black mist trembled and became unstable. The senior's once-majestic aura turned erratic.
"H-How? How do you know about the Draconic Ruins Realm?" For the first time since revealing his presence, the senior's voice was laced with panic. It was obvious to everyone that Xue Hui's words had caught the powerful expert completely off guard.
Xue Hui chuckled and shook his head in amusement. This senior could act high and mighty before the people of the Tiny World because of his strength, but in the Draconic Ruins Realm, he was nothing more than a lowly cultivator who wasn't even worth a second glance by the real supreme experts.
"Since I know about it, naturally, I have a connection to someone from that place."
Xue Hui answered vaguely. This made the senior behind the swirling black mist become cautious, afraid that an expert from that realm was watching him.
"Anyway, which demonic sect wants us dead? And why? Isn't my Glory City far too insignificant for them to bother with? So why attack us?" Xue Hui asked. He still had several unanswered questions.
The senior fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"Boy, you're abnormal," the senior said in a resigned tone. Never in his lifetime had he met a boy who possessed so much knowledge about the Draconic Ruins Realm.
That only made Xue Hui laugh.
"I think so too," he agreed, causing the senior to snort in amusement.
"Since you've already guessed it, you're right. A month ago, our patriarch received an order from the Demon God Sect to destroy a human settlement. At first, we were only given vague details about its location, but after weeks of searching, we discovered that the human settlement the Demon God Sect wanted destroyed was none other than Glory City itself. As for the reason behind it... I suppose you'll have to use your own connections to find that out."
Xue Hui's eyebrows furrowed. The meaning behind the senior's last words was that they themselves didn't know the reason. This deeply concerned Xue Hui. He and the entirety of Glory City were being targeted by the Demon God Sect for some unknown reason.
A pensive expression washed over him.
"Hmm... judging from the vague information they had been given, it appears that even the Demon God Sect wasn't certain which human settlement they were targeting. They only knew that such a settlement existed, but not its exact identity or location."
"It's as though they found us through..." Xue Hui scowled, a headache forming as the possibility crossed his mind. His expression darkened.
"...divination," he uttered in a cold, dangerous tone.
"Hmm." The senior, who had been attentively listening to Xue Hui's deductions, let out a thoughtful hum. Now that Xue Hui had put it that way, the entire situation did sound exactly like the work of divination.
Xue Hui let out a resigned sigh. Since things had already escalated to this extent, all he could do was brace himself and prepare to face whatever threat lay ahead.
"Boy, I'm not even part of your Glory City, yet even I feel a sense of dread knowing that a powerful existence like the Demon God Sect has set its sights on your home," the senior exclaimed sympathetically.
Xue Hui snorted, his eyes filled with unshakable resolve.
"Since the Demon God Sect wants us dead, then naturally I have no choice but to wipe them out in return," Xue Hui declared coldly.
The senior merely hummed upon hearing Xue Hui's words. What Xue Hui had said was completely absurd and virtually impossible, but considering the situation the boy was facing, the senior at least had the decency not to pour salt into his wounds.
Xue Hui then turned toward the swirling black mist, his expression already returned to normal.
"I thank Senior for indulging my curiosity. All of my questions have been answered. Please accept this gift as a token of my gratitude."
Before the senior could refuse, Xue Hui took out a piece of parchment from his Garden, swiftly wrote something on it, then rolled it up and flicked it into the swirling mist. The parchment tore through the air, leaving a streak of light in its wake.
"Boy, I told you I do not need any gift—"
"Open it. I'm one hundred percent sure you won't have the heart to send it back once you see what's written on that paper," Xue Hui said with a mysterious grin, causing the senior's eyebrows to rise in curiosity.
The senior unfurled the parchment to read its contents.
Silence engulfed the area for a brief moment before the senior's spiritual energy suddenly became erratic.
"T-This... How is this possible? My Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan has been searching for this medicine for centuries, yet none of us managed to find even the slightest clue about it. H-How did you obtain this medicine formula?" the senior asked in a trembling voice.
Everyone who witnessed this, looked at Xue Hui as though he were a god in the form of a young boy. They had never imagined that a single piece of paper could make a god-like existence such as the senior completely lose his composure.
What they didn't know was that Xue Hui had just handed the senior the cure to the Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan's short lifespan, a problem that had plagued their race for centuries.
Truth be told, the Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan had been treated horribly by the other demon races for centuries. The only reason they were now receiving favorable treatment was because their patriarch, the very senior before Xue Hui, had managed to break through to a realm beyond the Demigod Rank.
However, that favorable treatment would not last. The senior was already nearing the end of his lifespan, and once he perished, he was certain that the Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan would decline once more, reduced to nothing more than a lowly servant clan.
What Xue Hui had given him would fundamentally change not only his fate, but the fate of every member of the Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan. Once the medicine was successfully concocted and consumed, it would stop their soul flames from burning away their life force, allowing both him and his clansmen to enjoy long lifespans.
Just the thought of it made the senior's knees wobble from the overwhelming shock.
He then turned to look at Xue Hui, his face filled with gratitude and disbelief. Never had he imagined that a human would become the savior of his clan.
"Boy, this gift of yours means more to the Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan than you can possibly imagine. I cannot do anything to change the predicament facing you and your people, but please accept this as a token of my gratitude."
As soon as the senior finished speaking, a square object shot out from the swirling black mist. Xue Hui raised a hand and caught it with ease.
He scanned the object in his hand, and his expression grew shocked. What the senior had given him was a Legend-rank treasure from the Sacred Empire Era.
"Divine Sacred Ark," he muttered under his breath, a gleam of recognition flashing through his eyes.
It was a gigantic flying ark the size of a small mountain, capable of transporting nearly two hundred thousand people at once.
"Hmm, it seems you know about this treasure. My Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan has possessed it for many years, but none of us could use it because it only recognizes humans as its master."
Xue Hui nodded. He had already known about the security measures laid down by its creator.
"Then I won't be polite and will gladly accept it," Xue Hui said with a satisfied grin. Talking to the senior had proven to be greatly beneficial.
With the Divine Sacred Ark, they could evacuate the entire population of Glory City and fly them somewhere safe.
"Hehehe. Good, good. If fate allows it, I would gladly welcome you to the Red-Scaled Winged Naga Clan's manor as our esteemed guest. We are going to have a feast in your honor for saving our clan," the senior said with a bittersweet smile. With the demon beast horde rapidly approaching Glory City, it was uncertain whether Xue Hui would survive the coming battle.
"Senior, I'll be sure to take you up on that invitation. After all of this is over, I'll have to pay the Demon Beast Clan a visit," Xue Hui said meaningfully, his eyes gleaming with dangerous intent.
The senior understood exactly what Xue Hui meant by "paying the Demon Beast Clan a visit."
Naturally, he couldn't stop Xue Hui from seeking revenge. Although the two of them had formed a rather cordial relationship, it didn't change the fact that they stood on opposite sides of the war.
Whether Xue Hui could truly exact his revenge remained uncertain. After all, the Demon Beast Clan possessed many experts even stronger than himself.
"Very well. Good luck."
Before leaving, he gave the severed head of Shen Han one last look. Despite everything that had happened, Shen Han was still his disciple.
'You bit off more than you could chew, and this is what you got,' the senior thought. Shen Han should have escaped after turning into a demon beast, yet he had chosen to stay and provoke the tiger instead.
The swirling black mist gradually dispersed, taking the oppressive spiritual pressure with it.
Xue Hui lifted his head and gazed at the star-filled sky, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
The battle was far from over.
End of Chapter 118
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