Section 109 (Part I): The Extinction of Humanity?

Elsewhere.

The Southern Alliance.

A group of high-level officials gathered in one room. Xiao Li, dressed in a military uniform and exuding a weathered, soldierly aura, stood at the head of the conference table.

"You have all heard the news, haven't you? The scale-skinned demons lurking in twenty-six cities have been rooted out."

"And throughout the entire process, that mastermind never once appeared."

"In other words, the person is hiding in the shadows, yet able to orchestrate everything with ease."

Xiao Li’s expression was somewhat strange. There was disbelief, but even more so, there was awe. To silently extract twenty-six scale-skinned demons was truly terrifying to the extreme. Humanity had never achieved such a feat. One could only say that the mastermind was a master of the highest order.

At the conference table, the officials felt their scalps tingling.

"If this master is an ally, it is a tremendous boon; if an enemy, it would truly be a nightmare for humanity! I fear they are a hundred times more difficult to deal with than the Son of the Underworld."

The leadership of the Southern Alliance reached a consensus, exchanging glances.

"To pluck out the scale-skinned demons hiding in twenty-six cities in one go—this mastermind’s disposition does not seem evil; they are not like the deviant monsters such as the [Son of the Underworld]. As for why they remain hidden, it is truly strange... Could it be that they are still locked in a battle of wits with someone?"

"Could it be that their target is the Winged Wolf Emperor, or the Demon Emperor?"

"Do humans really possess a powerhouse capable of confronting these two imperial beasts without burning through their own lifespan?"

"Impossible, surely? The fact that the person refuses to reveal their true self is always unsettling."

"Should we conduct a search?"

Hearing this, Xiao Li let out a cold snort.

"I advise you all not to do anything foolish! That master's power is unfathomable! Judging by their actions so far, they are at least friendly toward humanity. If we offend them, it would be a loss for the entire nation! Let them reveal themselves when they are ready. Do not act rashly until we have fully grasped the temperament of such a master."

"If I find out that any of you dares to cause trouble, be prepared for me to wipe out your entire lineage."

"Do not blame me for being ruthless; this matter concerns the very survival of humanity!"

"Even if the high command from Yanjing comes to stir up trouble, I will strike them down without hesitation!"

Xiao Li’s words left the officials drenched in cold sweat. For a moment, they were timid and submissive, not daring to harbor any deviant thoughts.

"Understood," they replied solemnly.

Xiao Li nodded with a faint smile.

...

Meanwhile, in the Western Wilderness.

Amidst a patch of black mist, dozens of bizarre-looking demons gathered.

"The secret pieces our race painstakingly placed have been uprooted so easily! What a heavy loss..."

The sinister voice was chilling. The source of the voice was a snake-like, scale-skinned demon. Its tone was restrained, yet it was on the verge of blind rage.

"Our lineage's stealth techniques were flawless. For the opponent to precisely find every hidden pawn, they must possess terrifying insight."

"Indeed, I suspect that the previous Emerald Lake incident in Jiangcheng, and even the massacre by the King-level demon, were all the work of that fellow!"

"Since when has humanity produced such a powerhouse?"

"We must report the recent situation in detail. We have to dig them out! I will skin them alive and tear them into a thousand pieces!"

The demon leaders were both shocked and furious. They had not expected that even with the Heavenly Dao already devoured, humanity could still produce such a terrifying powerhouse.

"From various sources, that fellow is likely hiding within the territory of Jiangcheng."

"Search! Send people to investigate immediately!"

"Although the Heavenly Dao is extinguished, that person is a major variable. No matter what, we cannot let them go!"

The eyes of the demons turned toward the direction of Jiangcheng.

Over there, Lin Qiye remained like a mastermind controlling the world, lurking in the darkness, leaving no clear view of his face, much less the next move on his chessboard.

Human morale surged. Confidence skyrocketed.

The demon race also restrained themselves significantly, no longer sending their kin to die in vain.

The situation for humanity was looking up, as if they were about to enter a new era.

In the blink of an eye, another three months passed.

Lin Qiye, who had been single-mindedly cultivating, had pushed his talent development to 80%...

"Finally crossed into the God-Transformation Realm! If I get an SSS-grade rating, I can break through to the God-Transformation Realm in the main world! However... I don't have enough walker points. I need to acquire a top-tier treasure and sell it in the main world."

Lin Qiye nodded to himself. He stood in the training room, the power flowing through his meridians, blood vessels, and every part of his body.

"My current power is enough to easily destroy a city."

Lin Qiye smiled. The thunder ability within him was vast in quantity, fully comparable to the entire Emerald Lake.

Of course, this was not the true combat power of the God-Transformation Realm, because the suppression of the rules in the Empress Universe was too terrifying. Lin Qiye was now like a mage; his combat power was equivalent to that of a "nuclear-level powerhouse." Based on raw power alone, he was already worthy of being deified within the human camp.

However, his defensive capabilities were still somewhat lacking!

Therefore, Lin Qiye did not consider himself invincible. After all, in the Empress Universe, the fall of a god was actually quite simple! Furthermore, Lin Qiye had only just entered the God-Transformation Realm; his strength was not yet enough to crush everything. Thus, he did not slack off.

"This world has lost the protection of the Heavenly Dao, and the level of danger has skyrocketed. Even if I develop my talent to 100%, it is still possible to be killed. After all... the strength of the physical body is ultimately limited. Humans cannot compete with demons in terms of constitution. A fragile body has always been the disadvantage of humans. Once besieged by a large number of god-level demons, even a powerhouse several levels higher would risk death."

Lin Qiye shook his head.

Of course, Lin Qiye could solve this fatal flaw. Because—he possessed the Thunder God Dharma Image! As long as he developed the Thunder God Dharma Image to 100%, he wouldn't need to worry about defense at all. As long as the Dharma Image remains unbroken, the true body does not die!

However, the condensation of the Thunder God Dharma Image had to wait. At this stage, Lin Qiye was primarily focusing on attack. He needed to hurry and develop the [Annihilation Divine Thunder] talent to 90%, then use a card to boost it to 100%. This would also lay the foundation for the [Thunder God Dharma Image]. After all, only with sufficient thunder power would there be enough energy to support the consumption of the Dharma Image.

"Next, I just need to cultivate crazily and bring the talent development to 90%..."

Lin Qiye set his goal, his fighting spirit soaring.

However, the next second, a notification sounded in his mind.

[Life Lamp Gem Prompt: At age four, you have passed six months in safety, but a greater storm is brewing. Because you have changed history multiple times, the demon race and the Winged Wolf Royal Clan have decided to launch an all-out attack! They have reached an unprecedented consensus on the immediate annihilation of the human race. Thus, the two races have united!]

[Note: This time, the genius prince of the Winged Wolf Royal Clan has awakened from a four-year slumber and reached a perfect consensus with the demons. The two races have set aside their grievances to launch a war of extinction against humanity. The pillar of humanity, an SSS-grade powerhouse, uses the [Words Follow the Law] talent, consuming the remaining twenty years of their life, risking death to extend humanity's existence by one year. After one year, humanity will perish.]

Hmm?

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow.

"Am I too heaven-defying, leading the demon imperial clan and the Winged Wolf Royal Clan to join forces to trample humanity..."

Lin Qiye frowned deeply. According to the original plot, humanity had two external threats: the demons and the Winged Wolf Royal Clan. Either one, taken alone, could destroy humanity. However, there was clear conflict between the two, and their hostility toward each other was even higher than toward humans. He had not expected that by constantly changing history, he would cause these two races to unite.

Lin Qiye's gaze became slightly solemn.

"Three months? It will be very difficult to reach a level where I can crush them in just three months..."