"Divine Lord, could it be that you've fallen for that woman?" the young girl asked curiously, her face bearing a slight resemblance to Bai Ran.
Fallen for her? Did I fall for her? The man pursed his lips, offering no reply.
From the first moment he laid eyes on that woman, an unusual feeling had stirred within him.
This feeling was complex, not akin to joy, but rather a silent... sorrow.
He wanted to protect her, yet he also... wanted to kill her...
Is this the person of destiny... the man sighed, finding it truly difficult to comprehend.
...
Meanwhile, Bai Ran's eyes were already shedding tears of blood.
"Cough, cough, cough!" She violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsing onto the back of the Vermillion Bird.
"Master! You're bleeding!" The Vermillion Bird cried out in alarm, looking at Bai Ran.
She wiped the blood from her lips and, gritting her teeth, controlled the living dead: "Not enough..."
More and more corpses shakily rose to their feet, lunging towards the demonized figures before them.
The demonized figures died, only to rise again, and again, more and more...
Xiao Zi gritted his teeth, watching the ghostly apparition with a pained heart, yet utterly unable to help.
Within the Star-Gazing Academy, Fang Tianhui gazed at the red dots in the sky, her excitement boundless: "That's Sister Bai! Sister Bai is here!"
Xuan Yuan was startled, his gaze immediately shooting towards the heavens: "Is that Bai Yatou?"
"These corpses? Did Bai Yatou cause all this?"
It seemed the scene before them was too familiar, stirring deeply buried memories.
Everyone froze, a tidal wave of memories crashing down upon them.
"It's her..." Tears welled up involuntarily in Xuan Yuan's eyes.
Elder Hong's nose felt sore: "We've all forgotten! We've all forgotten!"
"The last demonized attack... it was Bai Yatou who came!"
She came, she didn't flee, it was her, it was her who defended the Star-Gazing Academy and the Vermillion Bird Kingdom!
All the disciples clenched their fists, remembering everything.
"I... I remember now, I remember everything..." Bai Qingyu's voice choked, "Ranran... you've worked so hard..."
Fang Tianhui smiled, her eyes red: "I knew it! Sister Bai would never betray the Academy!"
This time, when the Vermillion Bird Kingdom faced peril again, she had once more stepped forward...
Xuan Yuan's heart softened to the point of shattering: "Why are you so foolish... Bai Yatou... why are you so foolish..."
A streak of scarlet in the sky, like an unbreakable shield... fiercely guarding the entire Vermillion Bird Kingdom, unmoving...
She was everyone's light, everyone's hope...
Xuan Yuan wiped his tears: "Bai Yatou is fighting for us, we can't hide!"
Elder Hong nodded: "We can't let a little girl protect us old men."
"Let's go," Bai Yunzheng said with a smile, gazing at the scarlet streak in the sky, "Fight alongside her."
The tightly shut gates of the Star-Gazing Academy slowly creaked open...
All the elders and disciples, brandishing their weapons, stepped forward.
"Kill these demonized creatures!" Xuan Yuan roared, and everyone charged out.
"Kill! Kill them!"
"You scoundrels! Do you really think our Star-Gazing Academy is easy to bully!"
"We can't let Goddess Bai bear this burden alone!"
...
The Star-Gazing Academy, wishing to fight alongside Bai Ran!
...
"Your Majesty, it's Miss Bai!" Bai Yang exclaimed in pleasant surprise, looking upwards.
Murong Chen, sitting wearily, immediately stood up at the mention of Bai Ran's name and rushed to the window.
"Master... Master is here..." Murong's eyes were filled with tears: "The Vermillion Bird Kingdom is saved..."
"The Vermillion Bird Kingdom... is saved..."
...
At this moment, Bai Ran's face was pale, blood flowing from all seven orifices, so fragile she seemed about to shatter with a touch.
"Not enough... more living dead are needed..."
"Enough! If you summon any more, your body won't be able to take it!" Xiao Zi gritted his teeth.
That damned brat... always so disobedient...
Just then, a dark figure appeared, standing beside Bai Ran.
"Demon Lord," Xiao Zi frowned, staring at the person before him.
Long Jinhan looked at Bai Ran and sighed, gently wiping the blood from her face with his sleeve: "I'll handle the middle realm."
With that, he fed Bai Ran a pill.
Bai Ran blinked, looking at him: "Can I... trust you?"
"Just trust me," Long Jinhan chuckled lightly and vanished.
As the pill went down, a warmth spread through her abdomen, instantly making Bai Ran feel much better.
More and more living dead appeared, immortal and unkillable, gradually suppressing the demonized figures.
"No... impossible!" Yin Xie looked at the scene below in disbelief: "How could we possibly lose!"
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't appeared! We would have already broken through the lower realm by now!"
Bai Ran's lips curved into a smile: "I told you, I will defend it."
The Star-Gazing Academy, the Bai family, the royal family... none will be spared!
At this moment, Jing Feng had also joined the fray, slaughtering the demonized creatures: "To oppose Miss Bai and the Lord is to court death!"
Time ticked by, and the dense ranks of living dead continuously annihilated the demonized figures.
Slowly, the demonized figures began to sense something was wrong.
"Where is the leader! We can barely hold on!"
"Where has the leader gone!"
At this moment, the leader was being confined in the sky by Xiao Zi...
"Damn it!" Yin Xie glared ferociously at Bai Ran: "The demonized can never be killed!"
"When our King is born! All you detestable humans will be wiped out!!!"
"Oh?" Xiao Zi's interest was piqued: "King? Who is this King?"
"The King has been lurking by your side all along,桀桀桀," Yin Xie cackled sinisterly.
Xiao Zi raised an eyebrow, and with a flick of his hand, the cage immediately shrank.
"You!" Yin Xie struggled within his confinement: "I will kill you!"
"Still won't talk?" Xiao Zi chuckled lightly, and countless spikes immediately sprouted from within the cage, piercing Yin Xie.
He struggled to breathe: "Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing the King's name!"
Xiao Zi was amused: "No matter who the King is, do you see over there?"
He pointed at Bai Ran: "As long as she is here, you won't be able to run rampant."
Yin Xie's teeth gnashed with anger: "She will die one day!"
"No, no, no," Xiao Zi shook his head. "You demonized creatures will never see that day."
"Because she will kill all the demonized creatures."
Yin Xie's expression changed drastically: "The demonized are endless! Impossible!"
"Do you still think so after witnessing her abilities?" Xiao Zi taunted him.
Indeed, Yin Xie had no answer.