Forge a path to success

"Of course!" the Eye Demon said with a smile. "It'll be fine in a few days, and then we'll fight our way out."

It used a little hypnosis to soothe the little girl and the other children. The trick worked immediately; they were put at ease and began discussing when to counterattack. Vande, heavy-hearted, went to the foot of the sacred pillar. Nightfall had just emerged from the pillar of light; several purplish-red marks were on her neck. The Eye Demon guessed that more unsightly wounds remained beneath her clothing.

"I almost died! Ahhhhh!" Qingye cried. "I dreamt about my grandparents last night. They were trying to drag me into hell with a rope, and then the patriarch pulled me back to shore with another rope. We were just playing tug-of-war there..."

"It's really amazing that your nightmares can be like a sitcom."

The group was initially in a life-or-death situation, but thanks to the Vortex of Calamity, the attack was deflected, preventing most of the hawk's poison from attacking them. With the help of Ji Huaisu's purifying fire, the healing abilities of the Sacred Pillar, and the crucial antidote, the group was finally saved from the brink of death. They escaped with their lives, albeit at a cost.

Below her right arm, Qingye's body was wrapped in layers of bandages, resembling a white sphere. She took the prosthetic arm, turned, and unwrapped the bandages. As she turned, the novice hand moved nimbly, as if it were her own.

"Wow!" Qingye exclaimed in amazement. "Amazing! I can't tell it's fake!"

Vande felt a pang of sadness; it had seen the girl's previous injuries. "There are only a few of us here, so don't pretend."

"I really don't care. I'll be cured once I get out." Qingye shrugged. "Besides, compared to Mr. Chu, I'm already very lucky."

Vande went around behind the sacred pillar and spoke cautiously, "Dude? Still breathing?"

In a corner of the training ground stood a simple thatched hut, emanating a putrid stench. Chu Hengkong was staying there. The external pollution on his body was too severe for him to enter the Sacred Pillar for treatment. Everyone could only choose the most primitive treatment method: using purifying fire to provide as much life force as possible, giving him enough food and "antidote," and forcing him to endure it with his Undying Technique.

A day and a half had passed since they returned to the settlement. Chu Hengkong had eaten two-thirds of their remaining food supplies but had not responded. Fan De grew increasingly anxious: "Dude?"

"It's alright," Chu Hengkong's voice was muffled, "He's still breathing."

He crawled out of the thatched hut, looking as disheveled as if he had just finished learning the Three Thousand Sets of Exercises. He spun around and straightened up, taking quite a while to turn his head in the right direction. Van der let out a long sigh.

"Thank God, buddy, I almost thought you'd be a skeleton with an alloy face from now on."

"If only I were really the Terminator, I wouldn't be afraid of poison." Chu Hengkong cracked his knuckles. "How bad is the situation right now? Are they all still alive?"

"In your words, they're still breathing."

Vande briefly explained the situation of everyone. Most of the injured had just woken up that day, and the only one who was unharmed was Gulibo. It was lucky to hide inside a cabbage ball, thus escaping unharmed. However, Vande suspected that "the banshee wanted to keep the little thing to torture it slowly."

At this very moment, Gulibo was carrying two watering cans, dancing breathlessly around the sacred pillar. Its expression was exceptionally focused: "I'm working hard to grow the flowers! Everything will be alright after the Divine Tree ascends!"

"I'm afraid I'm still not up to the task," Shi Zhong wrote sadly. "Has Chongming woken up today?"

Chongming fell into a coma, or rather, died.

He leaned against the sacred pillar, motionless, his body devoid of heartbeat and breath. His form was so transparent it seemed to vanish at times, almost invisible, like a fading projection. No one knew how this had happened; ever since they fled back to the settlement, their grumpy commander had been in this state.

Chu Hengkong guessed that Chongming must have done something; they couldn't have survived the Land of Despair without a reason. But no matter how capable Chongming was, he couldn't help them now.

He felt exceptionally heavy-hearted; this was perhaps the most difficult moment since arriving in the desolate wilderness.

"How is Qingxia doing?"

“Qingxia… is still breathing,” Vande said dryly. “Let’s go to the lookout tower first, and I’ll show you our current situation.”

"I can imagine it."

"That's not necessarily the case."

The watchtower, located in the northern part of the settlement, was a hybrid ice and earth structure with a distinctly knightly style. Ji Huaisu stood on the platform, sword in hand. When Chu Hengkong stepped onto the platform, she cried out in surprise and tightly embraced her partner.

"I really should have gone with you that day."

"If you go, we'll all be exposed." Chu Hengkong patted her shoulder lightly. "How many more days can we hold out?"

“Ah Kong, you’re being a bit too optimistic.” The female knight gave a weary smile. “You should ask us how many more hours we can hold out.”

She stepped aside, allowing Chu Hengkong to see the situation outside the settlement. Even the most experienced assassin couldn't help but feel immense pressure at this moment.

Outside the watchtower stood a golden protective barrier, the Holy Pillar Seal operating at its limit. For centuries, this seal had faithfully fulfilled its duty, isolating nightmares and rejecting outsiders; even powerful beings like the Fearbringers could not set foot in the settlement. But now, the Holy Pillar Seal was crumbling, its golden barrier bearing countless overlapping crimson handprints, as if countless vengeful spirits were relentlessly clawing at it day and night.

Chu Hengkong only needed one glance to know the source of the blood-red handprint. The enemy was not a group; there was only one enemy: a withered humanoid figure burning fiercely outside the settlement. The pure fire continuously scorched her flesh, yet her incredible regenerative abilities allowed her body to regenerate at breakneck speed. She laughed maniacally, scratching at the settlement's defensive walls, and in the blink of an eye, the remaining skeletal head regenerated into that exquisitely beautiful face.

"Soon, little ones!" Wen Yao laughed. "Just a little longer. Please be patient. Hahaha, hahahahahaha!!!"

Ji Huaisu turned around and walked down the watchtower with her partner. Now, Chu Hengkong's face was just as ugly as hers.

“We actually had a chance,” Ji Huaisu said. “If someone had the strength to finish her off after I killed her that day, we might have been able to end her life. But you were all almost dead by then, and I passed out after I finished. By the time I woke up, it was too late. In the past day and a half, I have watched her go from a dried-up corpse to a zombie, and now to this fire demon. She is evolving step by step, like those poisonous insects that are not afraid of insecticides. I estimate that she is no longer afraid of pure fire.”

“That’s just how this race is,” Vande said. “Everything that doesn’t kill her makes her stronger.”

"It's alright, you still have two forms." Chu Hengkong took a deep breath. "Let's make a plan—"

"Ah Kong, I told you you're too optimistic." Ji Huaisu shook his head with a bitter face. "It's not over yet."

They arrived at the western side of the settlement, in the jungle where the warriors used to hunt. As they reached the entrance, Chu Hengkong rubbed his eyes.

There stood three familiar-looking eggs.

"No, please," the assassin muttered to himself.

The anomaly began on the day of the battle. As everyone retreated back to the settlement, and Wenyao struggled in the fire, strange noises emanated from the jungle. The warriors could no longer see any of the strange beasts, not even the birds had vanished. Veteran warriors swore they had seen Qingxia as a child, saying the child was waving to them from the forest.

As night fell, a constant, faint sound arose, like insects gnawing at leaves, but a thousand times louder. The night watchmen watched helplessly as trees fell and birds vanished, as if an invisible monster lurked in the night, devouring everything in its path. When the next day arrived, the settlement was deserted.

There were no trees, no wild animals, no flowing water; only three familiar-looking giant eggs remained on the barren land. Or rather…

Three white "eggs".

"The first quality of the Lustful Demon is called the Hunter's Claw. They hunt with sharp, slender claws that can instantly drain the flesh and blood of a giant beast. If we disregard transformation and only consider feeding efficiency, a single Hunter's Claw can devour a small dust island on its own," Vand said. "After absorbing enough energy, the Hunter's Claw will transform into an egg-shaped 'Hunger Shell,' at which point their defenses become extremely strong, and their life activities slow down. During this period, the Lustful Demon will hoard energy while awaiting transformation."

Chu Hengkong felt a dryness in his mouth: "How long will it take them to rise from mass point 2 to mass point 3?"

“It won’t be long,” Vande said. “Their energy reserves were largely completed during the Claw era. They just need to wait for the right opportunity… or for instructions from the higher matrix.”

Blood-red transformation patterns appeared at the bottom of the three insect eggs.

Chapter 215 Three Days of Despair (Part 2)

A crimson array formed naturally, with a pulsating heart etched at the center of the triple circle. There were no protective runes around the array to deter outsiders; their transformation array was of the "Primordial Type," and as outsiders themselves, they had no need to worry about contamination.

Chu Hengkong had once witnessed a soul vessel transform into an immortal machine, a transformation that took several long hours for a true machine. However, Bernhard told him that the time was only for transferring resources; in reality, the transformation of a true machine only took a fleeting moment. Because they were outsiders, they did not need to learn or comprehend; the information from their outsider origins was already imprinted in their very essence, requiring only reading and application.

The same applies to the transformation of the Desire Demon.

The formation dissipated, and crimson light seeped into the eggs. The bone-white shells cracked open, and centaurs hatched. They were completely naked, their faces flushed, and translucent mucus slid down their exquisite features, clinging to their fair skin. Instinct drove them to look toward the settlement, their eyes filled with curiosity, longing, and hunger.

"Sir Knight...?" The warrior guarding the entrance looked confused. "Three... knights...?"

“A knight.” A banshee gently rubbed her face against the wall; her long hair was the color of violet. “It’s a knight…we…knights…”

"Get away!" Chu Hengkong shouted. "That thing isn't your commander!"

The warrior was awakened and hurriedly retreated; being an adult, he could see the strangeness of the situation. But the children couldn't see it. Nearby children, drawn by the unusual sight, cried out in surprise. Vita, the leader, jumped in shock: "Knights! Three knights!"

“Come here, little ones,” the purple-haired banshee beckoned to them. “Let me see you.”

The children rushed forward, but Chu Hengkong stopped them all with a flick of his wrist. Without a word, he pulled them back, and Vita struggled, reaching forward, shouting, "What are you doing?! How can you be so rude? Let the knights in!"

"Cover your ears!" Chu Hengkong roared.

The children, bewildered, did not follow her instructions. Ji Huaisu raised a transparent igloo, and the faces of the knights outside the ice were distorted by the refraction, their beautiful features taking on an eerie quality. They looked into the children's eyes and laughed excitedly.

The violent heartbeats unleashed, sounding like a thousand bells tolling outside the settlement. The frenzied power pierced the double barrier of the igloo and the sacred pillars, crashing into the warriors' entrails. Adult warriors collapsed instantly, children vomited blood. The shockwave brought excruciating pain; blood choked Vita, who knelt on the ground, her blood-soaked eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Why……"

"Come here, you little thing!" the purple-haired banshee laughed. "Let me taste your heart!"

The banshees abandoned their disguises, clinging tightly to the protective walls, their skin burning from the friction of the sacred pillars, yet the hunger and desire in their eyes remained undiminished. Their heartbeats were a poisonous, life-threatening chorus; their driving force was slaughter and humiliation. They were melee fighters who prided themselves on their explosive power, bloodthirsty demonic cavalry on the battlefield.

Outer Path Point 3, Lustful Demon Blood Knight.

The hawk flew over and landed above the three blood knights, her fingertips brushing across their faces. "Receive your names," she commanded. The three blood knights immediately knelt, their gazes not daring to rise an inch.

"Girl with hair like wildfire, your name is Fu Huo." Wen Yao pointed at a slender figure whose hair was a bright orange-yellow. Wen Yao touched her brow, leaving a flame-like mark.

She pointed at the black-haired knight and drew a black python on his chest. "You cunning girl, from now on you shall be called Vicious."

“Finally, it’s you…” Wen Yao poked the purple-haired knight who spoke first, “You’re not bad, you know how to find happiness for yourself. Your name is Huang Li, and the other two are at your command.”

“Thank you for bestowing upon me the name, Lord Wenyao.” Huangli tilted his head back, sucking on Wenyao’s burning finger, letting the flames sear his mouth. “I sense the presence of another of my kind. Can I command her? Can I devour her?”

“You’re not qualified to order her around yet,” Wen Yao chuckled. “Because she’ll soon be your adult, the moment this sacred pillar is extinguished!”

She issued new orders, and the three Blood Knights began running around the settlement. Their familiar speed kicked up clouds of dust, and their heartbeats resonated as they ran, like the neighing of a thousand horses. Ji Huaisu quickly erected multiple protective barriers to alleviate the effects of the Blood Knights' heartbeats. But the demonic sound persisted, penetrating every nook and cranny.

The blood knight's heartbeat echoed across the land, reaching deep into the settlement, waking sleeping children. It seeped into their bodies with the air, tormenting their spirits. The last piece of land in the desolate wilderness had vanished; from this moment on, there was no more peace in hell.

Chu Hengkong strode towards the settlement exit. "I'll go kill one," Ji Huaisu stopped him. "Don't go crazy, Wen Yao will take the opportunity to kill you." "It's better than waiting to die." "We can hold out for a while longer!"

"No time!"

Chu Hengkong pressed his hand to his chest. Ji Huaisu, surprised, released his grip. She saw a wavering in her partner's eyes—a wavering that shouldn't have been there. His eyes were bloodshot, and some force within him was churning his spirit, just like that night when he nearly lost control. "I'll find a way back. You go and keep an eye on Qingxia, don't let her—"

What's wrong with the children?

They all froze. A familiar voice came from behind, weak yet angry. Qingxia had arrived. Her face was pale, her eyes were unfocused, and her once smooth, jade-like skin had lost its luster. She was as weak as a patient who could barely stand.

"Is it a new poison?" Qingxia raised her arm, her hand covered in wounds that hadn't yet healed. "I still have a lot of blood. Hurry up."

Chu Hengkong stared at her in surprise, while Fan De spoke in a low voice. "She is also a lustful demon, and she is born with a certain resistance to the toxins of her own kind. The antidote you used is Qingxia's blood."

Chu Hengkong suddenly felt breathless; even now, they were all relying on Qingxia to survive. He grabbed Qingxia's wrist; normally, the girl would never be restrained by him, but now she couldn't break free. "You go back first."

Qingxia was anxious. She was groggy and couldn't see clearly outside the protective barrier. "What's going on? What's that sound?" She rubbed her eyes hard, barely managing to make out her surroundings. The children were lying on the ground groaning, and Vita was the closest to her.

Qingxia quickly bent down and sniffed the children's scent. The pheromones told her there were no toxins here, and she immediately felt relieved.

"Did you hurt yourselves?" Qingxia smiled and reached out her hand. "I told you you needed to exercise more..."

Vita gripped her fingertips; the little girl couldn't speak, looking at her sadly. Many children struggled and shrank back, fear overwhelming their reason at that moment. Qingxia realized something terrible had happened. She tried to break free from Chu Hengkong's grasp, but was too weak to succeed.

"let me go!"

"Listen to me!" Chu Hengkong pushed her back. "Go back first!"

Qingxia strained to look outside the settlement. Her senses finally adjusted to the environment and returned to normal. She heard a familiar maniacal laugh, a thunderous heartbeat, and saw layers of bloody handprints on the walls of the sacred pillar. She saw galloping hooves in the flying dust, and the blood knights, half-human and half-horse, laughing bloodthirstyly.

That was the kin she had longed for day and night, the true image of the knight she had believed in since childhood.

Qingxia stopped moving, her powerless arms hanging limply. She gazed at the world beyond the settlement, like an old, faded stone statue.

·

“Go back and rest,” Chu Hengkong told her. “We’ll figure something out.”

He dragged Qingxia away without much effort; the girl followed behind him like a submissive wild animal. The assassin, unusually, rambled on and on, repeatedly emphasizing that there would be a solution. Qingxia remained silent, wandering aimlessly through the village streets.

The children were taken to the training ground by Ji Huaisu and placed in the safest spot with Gulibo. Most houses had their doors tightly shut, except for the empty ones that no one lived in. People dared not leave their homes, even though they were tormented by the demonic sounds inside, it offered a sense of psychological comfort. As they passed the seemingly quiet houses, their keen senses picked up the whispers they heard.

The settlement wasn't very large, and the warriors quickly learned what was happening. Many said it was a ruse by heretics, that someone was impersonating the warrior chief to bewitch people. Some insisted that it was indeed the warrior chief's race, and they still clearly remembered what Qingxia looked like as a child.

Most people sighed in anguish, and the murmurs of argument never ceased. The facts were undeniable, and people could vaguely sense something was amiss. Some elders blamed Slar, accusing it of bringing trouble upon itself. The younger generation berated them for being heartless, ignoring Qingxia's contributions over the years. Their shouting grew louder, finally erupting into a scream.

"Regardless of whether it's true or not, don't offend her! What will we do if she becomes like those people outside?!"

The argument subsided, and no one spoke again. People's gazes, peering through the cracks in the house, fell on Qingxia, filled with fear and unease, like weak people fleeing from evil spirits. Chu Heng felt troubled, but couldn't say anything. He could only pat Qingxia's hand and offer a weak word of comfort: "There will be a way."

“It will happen,” Qingxia said. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

She suddenly stopped, clutching her chest. She bowed her head, her body trembling as if enduring immense pain. For a moment, Chu Hengkong thought it was all over, but his worst fears didn't come true. Qingxia straightened up again, a touch of color returning to her pale face.

"Sorry, I just need a rest," Qingxia said, panting. "I'm not so fragile that I'll give up. I want to avenge Grandpa. I want to lead everyone out of here. I also want to... defeat the Demon King..."

She gave a sorrowful smile: "I will do it, Chu Hengkong. You believe me... you believe me..."

"I believe you." Chu Hengkong held her hand tightly. He could feel an unsettling throbbing in her pulse, and Qingxia's body temperature was alarmingly high. "Don't talk for now, go back and get some sleep."

Qingxia walked haltingly, and it took them a great deal of effort to reach her doorstep. He practically carried her the last stretch of the way. He helped her to the straw bed, and even then, she was still smiling, despite her stiff facial muscles.

“I…I will win,” she said haltingly. “I can pull through…I just need to perform the One Heart Ritual one more time. I’m used to it. That’s what they said when I was little too, that trust will always come back. Then you can tell me a story, okay? Tell me some happy stories…”

"No problem." Chu Hengkong nodded. "No problem."

Qingxia calmed down and tried to lie down on the straw bed, but her legs wouldn't obey her. She lost her balance and bumped into the bookshelf. The little books she treasured fell, landing on her burning body and starting to catch fire from the heat. Chu Hengkong scooped up the books and frantically extinguished the flames on the pages. At that moment, the booklets on top of the bookshelf also fell. Qingxia reached out and caught them, staring blankly at the knight on a white horse on the cover.

Her idol since childhood.

Qingxia cried. Large tears fell, soaking the wooden knight statue. She curled up, letting out a heart-wrenching wail. It was all a lie. Everything was a lie. Her identity, her ideals, her memories, the dream she had always believed in—the truth lay in the defeated filth.

She had always been a demon craving flesh and blood; her existence was solely due to the Demon King's cruel joke. Even what she had told Chu Hengkong earlier was all a lie. She could do nothing. She couldn't defeat the Plague Demon, she couldn't avenge her grandfather. She simply couldn't disobey Wen Yao. Even in this state of grief, she wore a smile, because Wen Yao commanded her to smile.

She knelt on the ground, a hideous bulge appearing on her back, as if a demon was about to break free of her flesh and blood. She had no control over her body, and as the heartbeat on her outside rang out, Wen Yao issued a new command.

Upgrade!

Transform, Qingxia.

Blood seeped from the wound, forming a brand new transformation array. She was about to become a plague demon, a monster spreading deadly poison. The information buried deep within her blood would take over, and her ego would be devoured by instinct. At that point, there would be no more "purity," only a monster dominated by desire.