Lan Ge asked, puzzled, “Really?”
Fa Hua replied calmly, “Have I ever lied to you?”
Lan Ge’s expression turned a little strange. It seemed that no matter how great one’s talent was, skipping school too often still wasn’t a good thing.
Fa Hua gave him a light pat. “Let’s go. Don’t stay foolish in the moment. You should study more—especially when there’s such a good example right beside you.”
“You—”
The two continued bickering, but their movements were anything but slow. They concealed themselves carefully as they followed from a distance. Climbing the mountains posed no difficulty for either of them.
This Capricorn clan unit was indeed perfectly suited to mountain terrain. Their speed was astonishing, and throughout their advance they maintained a formation that was neither rigid nor loose, clearly designed to adapt to sudden changes.
With them clearing the way, Fa Hua and Lan Ge were more than happy to trail behind. From afar, they could occasionally see the Capricorn warriors encounter demon beasts along the route, but each time the encounters were resolved swiftly and cleanly.
The greatest difference between demons and demon beasts lay in intelligence.
Those capable of independent thought, with wisdom not inferior to humans, were demons. Those with only rudimentary intelligence, driven purely by instinct, were demon beasts—creatures that had not yet fully evolved.
That did not mean demon beasts were weak. On the contrary, some demon beasts failed to develop intellect during evolution, yet achieved tremendous physical refinement instead. Their innate talents could far surpass those of ordinary demons, and their strength could be terrifying. If such a creature managed to reach the God Level, a second evolution of intelligence was not impossible, at which point it could be acknowledged by the demon clans.
Because of this, the demon clans often captured demon beasts that had reached the Eighth-Rank or Ninth-Rank and attempted to cultivate them. If one could be raised to the God Level, the gains would be enormous.
The Nymph clans did not face this issue. Nymphs were born from plants, stones, and other inanimate matter. Generally speaking, once a Nymph gained intelligence, its cultivation was already considerable. However, in terms of sheer numbers, the Nymph clans were far smaller than the demon clans, even though their individual combat strength often exceeded that of demons.
While the Nymph clans did not have demon beasts, they excelled at locating rare materials and natural treasures. Nourished by such heavenly and earthly treasures, their cultivation advanced far more quickly.
As a result, the demon clans and nymph clans frequently traded with one another. The demon clans provided enslaved demon beasts, while the Nymph clans exchanged precious treasures in return.
In total population, the demon clans numbered nearly five times as many as the Nymph clans. Yet in overall strength, the two were roughly equal. The Empyrean Empire and the Solstice Empire* were similarly matched. Above them both stood the Ancestral Court, the highest authority that governed them all.
(T/N: Solstice Empire — 日辰帝国 was previously translated by Shunshunrika as Sunshine Empire. However, the official Douluo Dalu 5 English translation uses Solstice Empire. This translation will adopt Solstice Empire moving forward to remain consistent with the official translation.)
“Their speed has slowed,” Fa Hua said quietly.
After crossing four peaks, Fa Hua and Lan Ge observed the Capricorn warriors from a higher vantage point.
The unit abandoned its earlier rapid march. Their pace dropped noticeably as the five hundred warriors spread out, forming a broad ring while advancing cautiously across the mountain summit.
Fa Hua and Lan Ge circled around from the side and hid nearby, taking cover behind a massive boulder to conceal themselves.
Looking past the ridge, they discovered a small basin valley on the other side. At its center lay a pool of blue water, roughly a kilometer across. It wasn’t large, but it was astonishingly clear, brimming with vitality. The moment they entered this side of the valley, they could feel the Life Energy grow noticeably denser.
It couldn’t compare to the Green Sea of Life, but encountering something like this in such a place was still startling.
“It seems beauty really does exist everywhere,” Lan Ge said, immediately brightening. “This place is nice. Perfect for sightseeing.”
“There’s something in that lake,” Fa Hua said. “That’s probably the reason the Capricorn clan came here.”
“What could it be?” Lan Ge’s eyes gleamed. “Do you think there might be mermaids?”
Fa Hua stepped sideways, putting a little distance between them. “Why do you insist on displaying the lower limits of your intelligence? Mermaids live in the sea. They’re one of the Five Great Races. Ask the Mermaid Emperor sometime. If she heard you claiming her kin were hiding among the demon clans, the mermaids—who care most about bloodline purity—would make sure you learned what true sorrow feels like.”
“I was just saying it casually,” Lan Ge grumbled. “Do you really have to be that serious? I’m appreciating beauty. I’m not talking to someone as rigid as you.”
At that moment, the Capricorn warriors were drawing closer to the lake. The five hundred had fully spread out, long spears angled forward. Yet they advanced in complete silence.
As they neared the shoreline, the golden-horned female warrior stepped ahead. She turned her head slightly, as if exchanging a few words with the silver-horned elites. In the next instant, she spun around, leapt forward, and dove straight into the lake.
“Wow,” Lan Ge whispered in surprise. Goats can swim? Oh—right. Capricorn. Capricorn clan.”
Fa Hua said nothing. His gaze remained fixed on the water as he summoned his Divine Codex and flipped it open to the page of Unravelling The Truth.
The moment the page opened, he sensed something was wrong.
The golden threads on the page were wildly abnormal. They were dense beyond measure, tangled and irregular. Each individual thread was thin—clearly insufficient on its own to threaten them—but their sheer number was terrifying.
Under normal circumstances, having a hundred interwoven golden threads was already impressive. Now, there were far more than that.
Ten times more.
Perhaps a hundred. Perhaps even a thousand.
“Pff!”
Not long after, a burst of golden light shot out of the lake.
Fa Hua and Lan Ge focused their eyes and saw the golden-horned female warrior erupt into the air, a massive fish impaled on her spear.
The fish was enormous, more than three meters long. A single horn jutted from its head, and its body was crimson red. Even though its body had been pierced clean through, it continued spewing flames from its mouth as it emerged from the water.
A fish… breathing fire?
Along its back ran a golden line that gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.
A fish-type demon beast.
The golden-horned warrior twisted in midair and flung her spear, sending the massive Red Fish hurtling toward the shore.
And then—
The previously calm lake boiled.
In the blink of an eye, the water turned a deep crimson.
One after another, huge red fish surged up from beneath the surface. Their numbers were staggering.
Only then did Fa Hua understand why the golden threads on Unravelling The Truth were so numerous.
It wasn’t strength.
It was quantity.
This Capricorn clan unit had come here to hunt these firefish demon beasts.
The golden-threaded Red Fish dragged ashore was clearly unusual. After it appeared, countless other Red Fish—without golden lines along their backs—leapt into the air in waves, spitting flames as they attacked the Capricorn warriors.
The Capricorn unit responded with seamless coordination. First, the entire formation retreated in unison. Then, their long spears shot forward together.
Only then did Fa Hua and Lan Ge notice the thin chains coiled around the warriors’ right forearms. Each chain was connected to the butt of a spear, turning every throw into a tethered harpoon.
“Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!”
In an instant, more than a dozen nearby Red Fish were pierced and violently dragged toward the shore.
At the front, dozens of silver-horned elites flared with light. Silver radiance shone from their horns as beams converged in midair, forming a luminous barrier that blocked the incoming flames.
The Red Fish hauled ashore were immediately dealt with by other Capricorn warriors. They were killed quickly, then stored away using some kind of spatial storage device.
It was obvious this was not the Capricorn clan’s first time doing this. Their movements were smooth and practiced, flowing without hesitation. After several volleys, dozens of Red Fish had already been dragged ashore and processed.
Only the initial golden-threaded Red Fish was spared. The golden-horned female warrior planted her foot on its body, pinning it to the ground. Though it writhed violently, it could not break free.
Bait.
“Mu Tong! Ha!” the golden-horned female warrior shouted, raising her spear high.
“Mu Tong! Ha!” the five hundred warriors roared in response, their momentum surging skyward.
“Good grief—they’re really out hunting,” Lan Ge said, watching with fascination.
He leaned closer, eyes shining. “Fa Hua, do you think those Red Fish taste good? They look so plump. Roasting them would be perfect. Oh, right—you only eat dry biscuits. You probably can’t appreciate this kind of culinary joy. Hahaha. You probably can’t even imagine it.”
Fa Hua replied calmly, “After my Divine Statue broke through to the Eighth-Rank, I stopped observing dietary restrictions.”
“What?!” Lan Ge whipped his head around. “Then all this time, you’ve still been eating dry biscuits? And what about me? I ate dry biscuits too, because I thought it would affect your cultivation!”
“I’m used to it,” Fa Hua said indifferently. “Whether I change or not doesn’t matter.”
Lan Ge’s face darkened. “Fa Hua, you should be grateful. If it weren’t for the Peerless Pearl connection, you would have died countless times by now. I would have skinned you, torn out your tendons, braised you, salt-baked you, barbecued you, or steamed you!”
Fa Hua curled his lip slightly. “I’m not as cruel as you. I wouldn’t eat you.”
Lan Ge snorted. “That takes ability. Do you have it?”
“No…” Fa Hua said flatly. “I’d be too disgusted.”
“You…”