Hu Jiaojiao and Hu Rourou stood in the crowd, even more stunned than before. They looked at each other.
“What just happened?” Hu Jiaojiao muttered.
“Has that guy gone mad?” Hu Jiaojiao frowned slightly, thinking. “But they ran again. They seem to have some kind of special teleportation ability. At critical moments, they can just slip out of the battlefield.”
Hu Rourou chuckled. “This is the first time I’ve met humans this interesting. Aren’t humans supposed to be weak? Why are those two so strong?” Her eyes lit with mischief. “Sis, if we married humans, do you think Father would lose his temper?”
Hu Jiaojiao paused. “Marry humans? You mean those two?”
“Of course.” Hu Rourou grinned. “We met them at the martial contest, and it looks like we can’t beat them anymore. We were already at a disadvantage earlier. That means we lost. Even if it was just a game, we’re still princesses. Our word carries weight. So shouldn’t we marry them?” She laughed. “If Father finds out, it’ll be hilarious. I’d love to see him get angry.”
Hu Jiaojiao’s eyes brightened. “Now that you mention it, I’m interested. We have to find them. If we can use this to provoke Father, that would be perfect.”
She turned to leave.
Hu Rourou grabbed her. “Don’t rush. We came to the Ancestral Court to look for a chance to break through. We haven’t even seen the ancestor yet. We can’t leave yet.” She smirked. “If we’ve run into them twice already, we’ll meet them again. We can deal with them then.”
“…Alright.” Hu Jiaojiao nodded.
After leaving the Ancestral Court, Fa Hua and Lan Ge were fortunate. They encountered no obstruction and saw no sign of the Devil Race.
Lan Ge gradually calmed down. He summoned the wind element to speed them up.
Following behind Fa Hua, he looked at his companion’s back. A quiet warmth rose in his chest.
Fa Hua, who usually never missed a chance to mock him, said nothing this time. Even after Lan Ge’s reckless outburst—an act that could have cost them both their lives—Fa Hua offered neither blame nor complaint. He had simply pulled him away without hesitation.
“…Sorry,” Lan Ge said, his voice stiff.
“I would have done the same,” Fa Hua replied.
Lan Ge paused, watching his back. A faint smile appeared on his face.
This guy.
Then—
A deep humming sound rang out.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The sound spread through heaven and earth, shaking everything. Light dimmed, as though the sun and moon themselves had been suppressed. It was like an ancient beast awakening, its roar stirring the world.
Fa Hua and Lan Ge both felt their minds go blank.
A vast curtain of light appeared in the sky, stretching endlessly.
“…The Ancestral Court?” Lan Ge said, his voice unsteady.
They stared in shock. The power unmistakably came from the Ancestral Court. In that moment, they felt incomparably small. The immense energy pressed down on them, as though even their blood might freeze.
Then a voice sounded directly within their minds.
“Foreigners who have offended the envoy. What punishment should you receive?”
The next instant, invisible force gathered in the air. A pair of enormous hands took shape and seized them.
The power was overwhelming.
For a moment, it felt like facing the Ruby Queen for the first time. Back then, they had been weak. Now they were Ninth-Rank—and yet nothing had changed.
This was the gap between them and God Rank.
And this power carried the authority of the Ancestral Court itself.
Neither of them resisted.
There was no point.
Their teleport anchor lay within the Ancestral Court. Struggling would change nothing.
Their hearts sank—not only because they had been captured, but because of what it implied.
A Devil Race envoy had appeared before the Ancestral Court.
Why?
Were the Devil Domain and the Demon Domain seeking cooperation?
Both were colossal powers among the Seven Seas and Six Domains. Compared to them, humanity was insignificant.
If the two sides joined forces, humanity’s future would only grow more dire.
Their bodies were carried through the air like meteors, rushing back toward the Ancestral Court.
Then—
A streak of red light cut across the sky without warning.
It split the energy binding them in an instant.
Before they could react, both felt a grip at the back of their necks. Their surroundings turned red. Everything below blurred and receded at incredible speed.
A voice sounded from within the Ancestral Court, sharp with displeasure.
The dome of light in the sky shifted.
It pressed downward, about to collide with the red streak—but in the next moment, it dimmed slightly.
The red light pierced through it and vanished into the distance.
Ancestral Court
“Great Firmament Demon, why do you interfere?” The voice was low, tinged with dissatisfaction.
“These two humans are connected to my people. I sense their existence may benefit our future. Spare them.” Another voice replied calmly. “The one who took them is a Moon God of the Devouring Emperor lineage. In this era, only she could reach such a level. Leaving her in the Green Sea of Life may prove useful.”
“The Devil Race may not spare them.”
“That is their concern. If they cannot survive, they are not worthy of aiding us.”
Silence fell once more. The light over the Ancestral Court faded.
Fa Hua and Lan Ge felt the hand gripping their necks was cool to the touch. A faint fragrance drifted from behind them. It was familiar, though they could not turn to look.
Within the red light, they felt no wind at all.
“This posture isn’t very dignified,” Lan Ge muttered.
The grip loosened.
Then, in the next instant, tightened again—this time at their waists.
They were no longer held by the neck, but tucked under someone’s arms.
“This posture—”
“Be quiet,” Fa Hua cut in.
From below, they could see her face.
Flawless. Cold. Untouched by emotion.
The Ruby Queen.
Yet for some reason, both of them felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Before coming to the Demon Domain, they would never have imagined being saved by her.
For the first time, Lan Ge felt the Peerless Pearl was not entirely a curse. If not for that day—if not for saving her—none of this would have happened.
“Your Majesty, where are we going?” Lan Ge asked.
“Didn’t he tell you to be quiet?” the Ruby Queen replied calmly.
Lan Ge choked. “Why is it that I’m clearly better-looking than him, yet you always side with him?”
“Character,” Fa Hua said.
“Character your face,” Lan Ge snapped.
Fa Hua looked at him. “Heh.”
The Ruby Queen said nothing more. She simply continued forward.
Her speed defied comprehension.
In the blink of an eye, they had already crossed vast distances.
Lan Ge’s thoughts began to race again.
Why would she help us? We saved her, but we also took her heart and delayed her breakthrough. She was injured because she chased us. That was our fault. Then she trained us in that space and helped us reach Ninth-Rank. She said she wouldn’t use power beyond Ninth-Rank, but just now she clearly did. She’s an Eleventh-Rank Moon God, a descendant of the Devouring Emperor lineage. If she had killed us in the Ancestral Court, would anyone even have cared? So why help us?
I don’t know.
You don’t know? After all that? Aren’t you from Wisdom City?
I don’t know because I can’t figure it out.
Neither of them understood.
Do you think she likes my looks?
Fa Hua’s mouth twitched.
You still have a face to say that?
Lan Ge laughed inwardly.
Those of us who brag gave up our shame long ago.
Be quiet, both of you.
The voice did not come from behind them.
It sounded directly in their minds.
Cold. Calm. And unmistakably hers.
Fa Hua and Lan Ge froze. They turned to look at each other, eyes wide with shock.
When had the Ruby Queen gained the ability to enter their inner thoughts?
What was this?