"You're... the braid girl!"
Quinn sized up the girl with the two long braids, and couldn't help but recall the shadowy maiden he'd met in the darkness of the Great Ruins. Delighted, he exclaimed, "Is it really you?"
That shadowy maiden also wore two long braids. Because they existed in separate worlds, they couldn't speak or see each other's faces clearly—only their outlines.
They had once spent a long night together, fleeing from the pursuit of the Heavenly Demons. When the sun rose and the darkness receded, the shadowy maiden vanished along with the Dark Realm.
Now, the girl standing atop the god's shoulder before him also had long braids, hanging from her chest down to her waist.
When the girl heard him call her the braid girl, she was both startled and overjoyed. She quickly jumped down from the god's shoulder, strode over to Quinn, and two tiny dimples appeared on her face. "You're the shadow boy! Dad, this is the shadow boy—the one who suddenly disappeared!"
The god lowered his head, looking at Quinn with curiosity. "So you were once a shadow—why are you flesh and blood now? Just now, we watched you fight behind the formation. Remarkable! We were wondering where such a master came from. You're at Seven Stars realm, aren't you? In High-Emperor Heaven, there are only a handful of Seven Stars cultivators with your achievements. Incredible youth!"
Quinn's heart trembled slightly. "There are Seven Stars cultivators here stronger than me? Are they Overlord Bodies?"
"Overlord Body?"
The god led them forward, still puzzled. "What's an Overlord Body? I've never heard of it. These young people all have the potential to become true gods—kings among Spirit Bodies, born extraordinary, but not Overlord Bodies."
"Kings among Spirit Bodies?"
Quinn blinked. He had never heard of kings among Spirit Bodies before, and for a moment he was at a loss. But soon, excitement surged in his chest. Kings among Spirit Bodies—youngsters with true god potential! He'd come to the right world!
He had sent himself to this world as a sacrificial offering, and already, on the battlefield, he'd witnessed the extraordinary power of the Skyfiends. The Skyfiends here were terrifyingly strong—back in Everpeace, each of them would rival someone like Bangongcuo. Of course, when it came to running for his life, no one could beat Bangongcuo.
"High-Emperor Heaven has endured ten or twenty thousand years of war—their Daoist arts and divine techniques must have advanced at breakneck speed. Maybe here, I'll find a way to defeat the First Human Emperor!"
He clenched his fist. Defeating the First Human Emperor was his greatest goal. Since he couldn't find hope for victory in Everpeace, maybe High-Emperor Heaven held the answer!
Even if he couldn't, just seeing more Daoist arts and divine techniques would help him grow stronger.
Suddenly, the god moved, charging toward the battlefield. His voice echoed from afar: "You two, stay here!"
In the distance, the air split open—a jagged rift tore through space, and six pitch-black giant hands reached through, clawing and ripping to force the gap wider.
The god rushed forward, sword flashing as he slashed at the black hands. He severed two arms before a massive warhammer came whistling in, smashing him aside. Another demon god had joined the fight.
The braid girl watched the battlefield anxiously. Seeing her father unharmed, she turned and charged the demon god who'd attacked him, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Quinn asked, "Braid girl, you weren't originally here—how did you end up in this place?"
He was puzzled. He'd first met this shadowy maiden deep in the Great Ruins, but this was the edge of the Ruins, tens of thousands of li away. By rights, she shouldn't be here.
The braid girl's face darkened. "After you disappeared, our city was overrun. So many people died. My father saved us and brought us here, to Brightfall City..."
She dashed ahead, and Quinn hurried after her. "Last time I vanished, it was right as night turned to day. Don't the demon race in High-Emperor Heaven disappear with the dawn?"
The braid girl looked at him, puzzled. "Why would they disappear?"
Quinn was momentarily stunned.
He'd thought High-Emperor Heaven was like the Great Ruins, plagued by the same darkness. The last time he'd walked in the dark, when it faded, he'd left High-Emperor Heaven too. But now he realized things were different—the demon race didn't vanish with the changing of night and day. They could remain here, in this world, indefinitely.
"Looks like the Nethervault Demon King was right—the barrier between High-Emperor Heaven and the demon world has been shattered."
Quinn's heart chilled. "If the Nethervault Demon King's guess is correct, then his other prediction is probably true too. Once the demon race conquers High-Emperor Heaven, they'll use blood-sacrifice to fuse the demon world with Everpeace! How do we stop it?"
The braid girl rushed toward the altar up ahead and called back, "You've been fighting for ages—go rest in Brightfall City. I have to join the army and keep fighting!"