Time passed day by day, slowly.
On the fourth day inside the Sacred World, the cultivators there were in chaos. That was because... everyone realized a massacre was happening among them.
At first, everyone suspected each other. But eventually, some cultivators from the White Scale Kingdom and the Black Scale Kingdom managed to escape from their enemies' encirclement.
They came from opposite directions and were badly injured. Even so, they spread the news that it was the people from the Golden Scale Kingdom who were killing cultivators from the other Kingdoms, which shocked and enraged everyone.
All three Kingdoms used the tablets they had received to communicate and regroup.
When the cultivators from the three Kingdoms gathered, they discovered that more than half of them had already been killed.
Prince Davion immediately realized something was wrong. He led the remaining members to the transport point back to the universe.
One day later, Davion turned to his people and spoke seriously. "You go first. I need to find Lanaya."
He cared far too much about his little sister. He refused to leave the secret meeting point before seeing her.
Princess Lanaya was not only missing, but Darian hadn't sent any news either. Darian carried one of the Kingdom's tablets, and as long as he was alive, he should've received some information to regroup.
"Don't be foolish! The signal has already been sent, so if they were still alive, they would've joined us by now. And if they're dead, what's the point of you staying behind?" the oldest Elder of the White Scale Kingdom shouted harshly.
"This is no small matter! Since the Golden Scale Kingdom dared to attack all three at the same time, it clearly means they've been preparing for this for a long time! They waited for this trip to the Sacred World to set up this trap. Even the power of the Goddess's blessing we were supposed to have doesn't seem to be working. This is their doing! What we need to do is get out alive. Sacrificing ourselves will only make things worse. Right now, we're surrounded by enemies, and the situation is extremely unfavorable for us. So we have to test our luck and see if we can escape before our enemies close in. Otherwise, we'll all die."
All the survivors nodded; it sounded like the most logical choice, but…
Prince Davion shook his head. "I can't obey you. I need to find Lanaya and Darian. If they're alive, I want to see them alive, and if they're dead, I want to see their bodies."
The Elder snapped coldly, "Don't be so stubborn! You can't die, or the King will be left without an heir!"
Since Lanaya and Darian hadn't returned, it could only mean they were dead. If they couldn't even send a distress signal before dying, then their enemies must have truly terrifying methods.
Either they didn't have time to send a signal, or they thought sending one would only get more people killed along with them.
Either way, it wasn't a good sign. The Elder's face was pale as he furiously reprimanded Davion. At that moment, Davion's actions were extremely irrational. Not only were they useless, but they would also get him killed.
"Hahaha, truly worthy of being the wise prince of the White Scale Kingdom. Unfortunately, no matter how clever you are, you still won't escape my grasp."
Suddenly, a cold shout echoed.
Everyone turned around. Gofan appeared in the distance, accompanied by a group of cultivators from his Kingdom. They numbered two thousand eight hundred, while the White Scale Kingdom's side… now had fewer than a thousand people.
But what shocked everyone the most wasn't the fact that they were clearly in trouble.
"You bastard, let Lanaya go!"
When he saw Gofan holding a maiden in his arms, Davion's eyes almost popped out.
Gofan held the princess in his arms. Lanaya was pale, her eyes red. There was a handprint at the corner of her mouth.
Blood slowly dripped from her lips, staining her pure white scales. She no longer had that arrogant look from before. Seeing this, all the cultivators of the White Scale Kingdom began to burn with killing intent.
"Release the princess, or we'll massacre all of you!" This time, even that Elder couldn't stay calm.
Despite being spoiled and childish, Lanaya had always been the pride of the Kingdom. Everyone adored and pampered her together. They didn't dare scold her, not even speak harshly to her.
Seeing her bleeding, Davion clenched his teeth. He felt an uncontrollable urge to charge forward right then and kill those hypocritical bastards.
All of Lanaya's cultivation was sealed at that moment. It looked like her soul had left her body. But when she heard that familiar voice, she opened her eyes.
"Big Brother..." When she saw her brother, she let out a hoarse cry, tears streaming down her face.
She was filled with regret now. When she ran into Gofan, he suddenly captured her. At that moment, Gofan revealed his darkest side.
She had never imagined that the perfect man she once idolized was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. When she asked why he was doing this, his answer made her heart turn cold.
Gofan's goal was surprisingly similar to the words Darian had said when he scolded her. It was all part of that Kingdom's sinister plan.
When she remembered how she had once defended Gofan and fought against Darian and her own family… she almost died of shame. Now, she had become a hostage, being used by Gofan to threaten her people.
Lanaya tried several times to secretly kill herself, but failed. Every time, she was stopped. With her cultivation sealed, she didn't even have the power to commit suicide.
Hatred burned in her heart. Darian was right. Before, she felt her life was boring, so she created her own fantasies about the outside world. She imagined the outside world as perfect and beautiful, while everything around her was dull.
But unfortunately, realizing that now was too late.
Looking at Gofan and the others with mocking smiles, for some unknown reason, she suddenly remembered the calm and enigmatic face of that man she had only met two months ago.
"Gofan, Darian definitely won't let you get away!"
With tears in her eyes, she didn't know why, but she didn't call out her brother's name, nor her father's. Instead, she called for Darian.
Maybe, in her mind, that guy who was never formal, but had plenty of courage, was more reliable and more worthy of her trust.
*Slap!*
Suddenly, Gofan slapped her hard across the face. "Bitch, shut up!"
That slap wasn't just a hit to Lanaya's delicate face; it was a blow to the hearts of everyone from the White Scale Kingdom.
"DIE!" Davion was the first to roar as he charged forward, consumed by frenzy.
A terrifying pressure burst into the air, and his indomitable will locked onto Gofan.
At that moment, even Gofan felt like an insignificant ant in front of a raging lion. It felt like she would be torn apart in the next second.
The scariest part was that, when that pressure fell on her, she couldn't even feel the urge to resist. The only thing that came to mind was to run.
Even though both had Primordial Dragon bloodlines, Davion was absurdly talented, and his bloodline completely suppressed Gofan.
"Let me test that mediocre strength of yours!" Suddenly, the second prince of the Golden Scale Kingdom roared and attacked.
*BOOM!*
Their fists collided, and a violent storm of wind erupted. That prince was shocked as he was sent flying. He was no match for Davion.
"All of you can die!" Davion looked insane. His roar was like thunder, making everyone's eardrums tremble. His will crushed their hearts.
Those from the Golden Scale Kingdom were all shocked. They had long heard that the number one warrior of the White Scale Kingdom, Davion, was unmatched despite his young age. Now that they saw it, they finally understood the true terror.
"Hold nothing back! Half of you, focus on him!"
Without hesitation, the enemy army used its numbers to their advantage. Thousands focused on a single man, and at that moment, Davion was completely suppressed. Even though he was incredibly strong, he still had the same cultivation level as the thousands around him. This was a fight he couldn't win.
*CRACK!*
Davion didn't retreat. In fact, he seemed to grow more and more frenzied, attacking wildly. He fought fiercely as many were injured or killed. Some even backed away, shocked by his power.
But the truth was, Davion's mind was racing at full speed, trying to find a solution. Still, he couldn't.
This went on for a few minutes until all the enemies pulled back at once.
Davion stopped.
When he looked ahead...
Gofan was holding Lanaya by the neck. She wanted to struggle, but she was powerless with her cultivation sealed. She could only be held there by him.
Gofan looked straight into Davion's eyes with a dark smile. "Truly worthy of your status and prestige. That kind of combat power is admirable. But... I wonder, could you bear watching me cut off her head?"
Davion trembled.
"Kneel," Gofan spoke slowly, then tightened his grip on Lanaya's neck, leaving a mark.
But she didn't make a sound. Not even her body moved. She knew that if she showed any pain, it would only make things harder for Davion and the others.
Seeing Lanaya being humiliated like that, Davion and the others' eyes almost burst out of their sockets. All of them wanted to tear Gofan into a thousand pieces.
Gofan just mocked them. "Prince Davion, are you deaf? Kneel. Or do you want your little sister to die right in front of you?"
Davion trembled with rage. But seeing Lanaya silently enduring, trapped in Gofan's grip, he finally started to calm down.
"Don't do it! You have to fight and survive! If you submit, we'll all die!" the Elder roared furiously. Even he felt endless pain saying those words, but reason spoke louder.
Escaping back to the universe, even with Davion fighting, was already very difficult, but not impossible. But if he really knelt and was stopped from fighting...
Gofan and the others looked at Davion coldly. Seeing his whole body trembling, they smiled.
"No—!"
Lanaya tried to shout, but Gofan tightened his grip, making her cough up blood.
"STOP!" Davion roared, his voice filled with killing intent. It looked like his eyes were about to bleed.
Gofan smiled and gestured at him. "Don't worry, I guarantee I actually like her. I don't want to kill her. After we leave this place, I'll take her to my Kingdom, and she'll be... let's see, a nice servant. But at least she'll live. That's a good fate, don't you think?"
Everyone almost coughed blood from anger. The princess becoming a servant to this bastard? That was an insult beyond limits. But…
Even feeling a stabbing pain in his chest, Davion's instincts told him this was his little sister's best chance. If she got out alive, his father could try to rescue her. Or... Darian... maybe he was still alive and could try something.
Then, in front of everyone, Davion knelt on the ground.
The cultivators of the White Scale Kingdom felt their hearts shatter, their faces twisting.
"Hahahaha..." Gofan burst into laughter. Everyone from his kingdom laughed along, full of mockery and ridicule.
After a few seconds, Gofan spoke slowly. "You know? The insects from the Black Scale and Green Scale Kingdoms have already been wiped out. For some strange reason, you were the last ones. So... what are you waiting for? Don't you think it's time to kneel and beg for mercy?"
All the other Kingdoms had been wiped out? That news made Davion and the Elder's expressions change. That meant the Golden Scale Kingdom really had some unknown trump card.
"Prince Davion, what are you waiting for? Don't you think you should take the initiative and bring your people to kneel, too? Maybe I'll be kind and let you live out your mediocre lives."
Davion's gaze, filled with bloodthirsty light, locked onto Gofan.
"Since it's come to this, there's no need to say anything else. I admit your Kingdom won this game of chess. However, don't get too excited. We'll see how your Kingdom survives the fury of the other three once they find out what happened." Davion took a deep breath and spoke coldly. Then his voice rose like thunder.
"Warriors of the White Scale Kingdom, we've fallen into a trap. We probably won't leave alive. But for the honor of the Kingdom, fight until my last breath. Draw your weapons!"
"KILL!" The cultivators of the White Scale Kingdom erupted in a deafening roar and charged without hesitation.
Gofan sneered. Slowly, he lifted Lanaya. If Davion dared to fight, or if anyone got close, she would die.
As for the rest of the army, their numbers were already small, and they would all die very quickly. Who cared if they wanted to fight to the end?
The chaos of battle exploded, and blood flowed in every direction.
"Father, Mother, brother... forgive me," Lanaya closed her eyes and waited for death. "Darian, why didn't I listen to you before..."
On the other side, Davion had no way to resist. He could only watch as everyone died slowly before his eyes. He was consumed by bloodlust. But if those people had killed everyone from the other two kingdoms, then the chances of them all dying, even with him fighting, were absolute.
So even if he humiliated himself kneeling there... at least if Lanaya really stayed alive... his father and Darian could try to save her.
...
Suddenly, at that exact moment, in a place far away...
Darian opened his eyes.
A light filled with rage and killing intent flowed through his eyes.
