C636 The First City

"Hey, you know, what you said makes a lot of sense. How about this: the three of us are carrying a huge responsibility for our people. Why don't we become sworn siblings? I'm the oldest, so I'll humbly take the role of the big brother!" Lee Yuanye suddenly chimed in.

"Big brother? Haven't you been calling me sister and Young Master Woo your big brother?" the woman in the black robe retorted, not amused.

"Ah, it doesn't really matter what we call each other. How about the eldest is still the eldest, you're the second, and I'm the third! Sister, can I get a hug..."

"Get lost..."

"Sister, how can you be like this..."

"If you keep babbling, I'll tie you to a tree!"

That shut Lee Yuanye up quickly.

"We've arrived! That's the gateway to the core area of our ancestral land," Xuan Qixing suddenly announced.

Everyone looked up and saw a very faint silhouette ahead. In the dim, shadowy realm, they could just make out what seemed to be a city gate.

"The core of the ancestral land is a city?" Woo Zhengyang asked, puzzled, as it was nothing like he had imagined.

"Yes, it's the first city of our people! Back when the four clans were at war, our people were often pursued by the other two clans, scattered with nowhere to run. Our ancestors built this city as a foundation for our people. We call it the Holy City. Once we're here, we should truly be safe!"

“Wow, the Holy City! The first city ever built by humans! Haha, I was right, wasn’t I? We didn’t encounter any divine or devilish creatures as strong as a martial emperor, and we arrived here safely!”

Lee Yuanye was bubbling with excitement, but unfortunately, no one was paying attention to his enthusiasm. Everyone was focused on this first city of the human race.

As they got closer, the city gradually came into view.

The city wasn’t particularly tall. Compared to the grandest city Woo Zhengyang had seen in his previous world, or even many cities in this world, the Holy City wasn’t as towering.

Yet, this city possessed something other cities lacked—a presence, an indescribable aura that made it stand tall and proud, as if it were holding up the sky.

Moreover, it exuded a sense of desolation and grandeur, the kind that only comes from being weathered by endless years.

The Holy City stood like an elderly mother, welcoming her children back home. Though aged and bent, she appeared grand and kind in front of her descendants. Her embrace was the warmest and safest place on earth.

A familiar feeling washed over Woo Zhengyang, a sense that this was his home, his true place of belonging.

"Ancestral land! Sacred city! We're back!"

Xuan Qixing was already in tears, crying out in pain. The other members of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan felt the same way, their emotions running even deeper than those of Woo Zhengyang and his companions.

"Ha ha... you finally made it. I've been waiting here for quite some time."

A sudden voice broke the silence...

The voice was a clear, melodious female voice with a slight tremor at the end, captivating anyone who heard it. But no matter how pleasant the voice, the sudden appearance of another speaker startled everyone.

What was even more unbelievable was that the voice came from the direction of the Sacred City!

"Who is it?" Xuan Qixing asked, looking toward the source of the voice.

"It's just little ol' me!"

The sweet voice replied, and then a woman dressed in red, with a charming smile, emerged from the shadow of a corner of the city wall on the left side of the Sacred City.

"Who are you?" Xuan Qixing asked cautiously, shielding Woo Zhengyang and the others behind him.

"Ha ha... we've been battling for ten thousand years, and this gentleman doesn't know who I am, ha ha..."

"You're the Demon King's queen... how are you here?"

When they entered, Xuan Qixing and the others were prepared to face the demonic beasts that filled the ancestral land, but to their surprise, they hadn't encountered a single one along the way.

They assumed all the demon clans were gathered in one area and they just hadn't encountered them yet. Little did they know, a woman claiming to be from the demon clan appeared right there.

"Don't forget, your Holy City can resist both divine and devil clans, but it doesn't stop my demon clan from coming and going freely. So why is it strange for me to be here?"

"If you know our ancestors once fought on the same side, why do you still act against the human clan?"

"Heh... the same side? How long ago was that? Ten thousand years? Twenty thousand? Besides, when your human clan collaborates with my demon clan, isn't it just to make us serve you? Let's not even talk about the era after the Great Desolate. What were you humans doing then? Enslaving our demon clan as mounts. Back then, did you ever think we were once allies?"

"Well..."

Xuan Qixing was speechless. The Red-clothed Demon King wasn't lying. At some point, humans and demons ended up on opposing sides, with humans hunting demonic beasts and demons viewing humans as enemies.

"Hmph, don't act like your demon clan is so innocent. Wasn't it your kind who first attacked the humans?" said the one in the black robe.

"That's nonsense!"

"Nonsense? Do you really think no one knows what your demon clan has done?"

"What have we done?"

"When the divine and demonic clans left this world, the leaders of the humans and the mystical creatures agreed to depart as well, establishing a barrier to preserve a sanctuary for us. However, one of your ancestors from the mystical creatures had other plans. He secretly stayed behind, aiming to claim our ancestral land for himself and even sought to make your kind the rulers of this world, sparking the conflict between our two clans!"

"That's nonsense!"

"Whether it's nonsense or not, you know the truth in your heart! Back then, when all the human leaders left, no one could stand against that ancestor of yours. Humanity was nearly wiped out by your kind. Fortunately, our ancestral land had a soul imprint left by our forefather, Profound Mountain, as a safeguard, which saved us from extinction!"

The man in the black robe spoke deliberately, each word causing the woman's expression to grow colder. She retorted angrily, "You humans are the most despicable! It was Profound Mountain who left that soul imprint first!"

"So, you admit that what I said is true!"