All along the way, they still couldn’t understand why the Ruby Queen would go to such lengths to save them. But one thing was certain—without her, they would have long since been captured by the Ancestral Court or taken by the Heavenly Devils.
At a moment like this, how could they, as men, abandon a woman who had saved them?
Though she wasn’t human, by now they had already come to regard the Ruby Queen as a companion.
The Ruby Queen clearly hadn’t expected them to make such a choice. For an instant, she faltered.
She didn’t look at Fa Hua or Lan Ge, yet she could clearly feel the unwavering resolve in their hearts.
There were only three of them—one Moon God and two newly advanced Ninth-Ranks. Even with the amplification of the Peerless Pearl, Fa Hua and Lan Ge had only just entered the Ninth Rank. Even working together at full strength, they likely couldn’t match a Tenth-Rank Star God.
And yet their opponents…
The Eight Great Heavenly Devils had already deployed the Heavenly Devil Field—two Moon Gods and six Star Gods.
If Fa Hua and Lan Ge chose to teleport back to the Ancestral Court, they would still have a chance at survival. But staying here was no different from courting death.
And yet, they made their choice without hesitation.
No grand declarations. No dramatic speeches.
Only the quiet resolve in their hearts—and the simple refusal to retreat.
A subtle change flickered through the Ruby Queen’s gaze. Looking toward the two Moon God–level Heavenly Devils, she said in a low voice.
“I am Ruby. State your names.”
The two Moon God–level Heavenly Devils exchanged glances, surprise evident in their eyes.
They could both sense it—by asking their names, she had already resolved to fight to the death.
For beings at their level, their lives could be measured in millennia. And yet, for the sake of two humans, she was willing to risk everything?
“Though I believe your decision is foolish, as a Moon God, you have earned our respect,” one of them said. “I am Tianmo Dan, sixth among the Demon Race’s Twenty-Four Heavenly Devils.”
The other, slightly shorter and appearing older, spoke calmly. “Tianmo Hao. Eighth among the Twenty-Four Heavenly Devils.”
Hearing this, Fa Hua and Lan Ge both felt their hearts sink.
If the eighth-ranked was already at the Moon God level, then at the very least, the top eight among the Twenty-Four Heavenly Devils were all Moon God–tier. As for how many Great Heavenly Gods stood above them… no one knew.
“Keng, keng, keng…”
Crisp metallic sounds rang out as the ruby armor they were familiar with reformed around the Ruby Queen.
But this time, it was different.
Nearly every plate of ruby armor was marred by visible cracks.
Looking at those jagged, heart-stirring fractures, an indescribable emotion rose within them.
With her Moon God–level cultivation, she could have left. She had no obligation to stay.
They had taken her heart at the most critical moment. She had hunted them down. Then she had been gravely wounded in her battle with the Tiger Demon King, and under the guidance of the Peerless Pearl, they had saved her.
Everything felt strangely absurd—as if some unseen thread had always been binding them together.
And now, when she owed them nothing, she still chose to remain—wearing that fractured ruby armor, standing beside them against an enemy that was nearly impossible to defeat.
They couldn’t understand why.
And yet, seeing her make that choice, the emotions within them surged uncontrollably.
Tianmo Dan and Tianmo Hao stepped forward together.
Dark violet auras spilled from their bodies, and with both Moon Gods moving at once, heaven and earth seemed to dim. The world darkened, as though the sun and moon had lost their light.
The six Star God–level Heavenly Devils spread out around them, forming an invisible net that sealed off every possible path of escape.
A faint smile appeared on Fa Hua and Lan Ge’s faces.
In that moment, they had already cast life and death aside.
“Bang—!”
Suddenly, a violent explosion rang out.
Fa Hua, Lan Ge, and even the Heavenly Devils stared in shock as the ruby armor on the Ruby Queen’s right forearm burst apart.
But it didn’t shatter into fragments.
Instead, it transformed into a cluster of crimson-gold flames that burned and surged along her arm.
At the same time, her aura rose.
She—
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”
One explosion after another erupted across her body. Each was deep and forceful, and with every blast, more crimson-gold flames surged forth.
When Tianmo Dan and Tianmo Hao saw those flames, their expressions changed drastically.
Not only did they refrain from attacking—they retreated instantly, like phantoms, as if even the slightest contact with those flames would be fatal.
“Withdraw the Heavenly Devil Field. Now!” Tianmo Dan shouted, his voice sharp with urgency.
Two curved horns emerged from his head, each crystal-clear and violet like polished amethyst. Two beams of purple light shot into the sky, piercing the dark canopy above.
In an instant, the black curtain dissolved like melting ice.
The other seven Heavenly Devils followed suit, though the horns of the Star God–level Devils were a paler shade of violet.
The Ruby Queen hovered in midair without moving, watching them with cold, arrogant eyes. A trace of disdain curled at the corner of her lips.
“You think you can stop me?” she said.
Tianmo Dan’s expression darkened. “You’re insane. For the sake of two humans, you would throw away a thousand years of cultivation? By igniting your Divine Body, you can unleash this God-Slaying Flame—but it won’t last long. Before long, you’ll be reduced to ash. Even your divine consciousness, without a body, will last at most a month before it dissipates.”
“I’m only asking you one thing,” the Ruby Queen said coldly. “Are you afraid?”
Tianmo Dan nearly spat blood in fury.
Afraid?
Of course he was afraid.
Divine Fire was a power that God-level beings could only wield briefly by sacrificing themselves. A Star God could live for a thousand years. A Moon God could live for more than three thousand. And judging from the Ruby Queen’s life aura, she was only a little over a thousand years old—she still had a long future ahead.
Yet once touched by Divine Fire, it spread like something that clung to the bone. Energy, matter—everything would burn violently until nothing remained.
Across the entire Land of Miracles, it was said that only the Huoli Tribe possessed secret arts capable of controlling similar power. Even then, only a Great Heavenly God could fully master it. Their inherited flame was known as the Seven-Colored Lotus.
Tianmo Dan and the others simply couldn’t understand why a Moon God would so readily cast away her own life.
The Heavenly Devil Field was meant to restrain God-level beings—but it couldn’t contain a Moon God fighting with such reckless resolve. If the field were ignited, all eight of them would be caught in it. Escaping would be no easy matter.
The Ruby Queen let out a soft scoff.
“Devil Race… hmph. Is that all?”
With a sweep of her hands, the crimson-gold flames surging from her body poured outward like a tidal wave, rushing toward the Eight Great Heavenly Devils.
Tianmo Dan, Tianmo Hao, and the others recoiled in alarm, retreating at once to widen the distance.
A faint trace of disdain lingered on her lips.
A streak of red light shot into the sky, and the massive phantom of the Devouring Ant Emperor appeared behind her. The red light wrapped around Fa Hua and Lan Ge, transforming into a blazing arc that streaked across the heavens.
Only after she had gone far did the Eight Great Heavenly Devils regroup, their expressions grim.
“Go,” Tianmo Dan said, waving his hand. “Return to the Ancestral Court. Complete the envoy mission. Then we’ll search for the whereabouts of the Peerless Pearl.”
With that, the Eight Great Heavenly Devils rose once more and flew toward the depths of the Demon Domain.
Below them stretched the endless blue sea. Around them burned surging red flames.
Everything felt surreal.
At such speed, even the vast ocean below appeared warped and distorted.
Under the pressure of the Ruby Queen’s power, Fa Hua and Lan Ge couldn’t speak. Yet something felt lodged in their chests, heavy and indescribable.
They had never imagined that the Ruby Queen would sacrifice her life for them.
Tianmo Dan was a Moon God—he couldn’t have been mistaken. The crimson-gold flames she had unleashed carried a terror beyond description. With their current strength, even the slightest contact would reduce them to ashes.
Her lone stand against eight opponents carved itself deeply into their minds.
In their hearts, she was no longer merely a Devouring Ant—she was a companion who had protected them.
From being hunted to being protected—the reversal was so drastic that even now, it felt like a dream.
The flight continued, and her speed only seemed to increase.
The crimson-gold flames had become thrust, jetting from behind her like a blazing tail.
But the massive Devouring Ant Emperor phantom behind her was slowly fading…