78: The heroine who yearns for the demon race 4

"Ready!"

Three hundred experts roared in unison, their voices shaking the clouds.

Qin Jiuge nodded and formed hand Seals in front of his chest.

The space began to distort, and a massive portal slowly unfolded in the center of the square.

On the other side of the door was the scene of the Demon Race's core territory, a dark red sky, burning earth, and twisted architecture.

"Follow me."

Qin Jiuge stepped into the portal first, with the three hundred experts following closely behind.

The Demon Race capital, Dark Flame City.

This city, built on the crater of an active volcano, was the center of power for the Demon Race and had never been set foot in by the Human Race for thousands of years.

Eternal devilish flames burned atop the towering spires, and Demon Race of various forms walked the streets, with the air permeated by the scent of sulfur and blood.

When Qin Jiuge and the three hundred experts suddenly appeared above the capital, the entire Demon Race fell into a brief moment of shock.

"Enemy attack—!"

A shrill alarm sounded throughout the city, and the Demon Race garrison rushed to engage.

Countless flying Demon Race took to the sky, the ground Demon army gathered quickly, and the magic towers began to charge.

Qin Jiuge watched all this expressionlessly and slowly raised his right hand.

"Lesson one: What is absolute power."

He clenched his five fingers into the air.

Boom—!

With him as the center, a dark golden shockwave instantly spread out.

Wherever it passed, all the flying Demon Race were crushed as if by an invisible giant hand, exploding into clouds of blood mist.

Before the three hundred Human Race experts could even make a move, the first wave of aerial defense was completely wiped out.

"This... what is this power?"

A Human Race Saint-tier mage muttered, his eyes filled with shock.

Qin Jiuge did not answer; he looked down at Dark Flame City below and chanted ancient incantations.

The sky began to change color, dark golden clouds gathered, and thunder rolled within them.

"Heavenly Punishment: Divine Wrath."

He said softly, then pointed downwards.

Countless dark golden thunderbolts descended from the sky, precisely striking every magic tower, every barracks, and every squad of the gathered Demon army.

Explosions, screams, and the sound of collapsing buildings intertwined, and Dark Flame City instantly turned into a sea of fire.

With just one strike, a third of the Demon Race capital's defensive power was wiped out.

"Audacious Human Race! How dare you invade the Holy Land of the Demon Race!"

A roar came from deep within the palace, and three powerful auras soared into the sky.

These were the three princes of the Demon Race, each with strength approaching the God-tier, representing the true top combat power of the Demon Race.

Qin Jiuge looked at them, a cold sneer curling his lips.

"Lesson two: What is despair."

He reached out and grabbed the void.

The space around the three Demon Race princes suddenly solidified, and they found they could not move; even the Devilish Qi within their bodies was completely sealed.

"No... impossible! What is this forbidden technique?"

The eldest Blood Prince roared.

Qin Jiuge did not answer, just gently clenched his fist.

The bodies of the three princes began to twist and compress; they struggled frantically, but it was useless.

The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible, and blood gushed from their seven orifices.

Finally, after three short screams, three lumps of flesh fell from the sky.

The three top experts of the Demon Race were killed instantly.

The entire Dark Flame City was deathly silent, and all the surviving Demon Race stared blankly at the sky, at the figure resembling a deity.

"Devil... he is a devil..."

A Demon Race soldier collapsed to the ground, his crotch soaked.

Qin Jiuge landed on the ground and stood in front of the palace gate.

The three hundred Human Race experts followed closely behind, their eyes burning with intense Battle Intent.

They had never imagined that the war against the Demon Race could be so easy, so... crushing.

"Clear the remnants and rescue the imprisoned Human Race compatriots."

Qin Jiuge ordered, "I will go meet that 'great' Devil King."

The Devil King's Great Hall.

The last king of the Demon Race—the Demon Flame Emperor—sat on the obsidian throne.

He had survived for thousands of years and witnessed the rise and fall of the Demon Race.

But at this moment, for the first time, fear appeared in the eyes of this ancient existence.

The hall doors were pushed open, and Qin Jiuge walked in slowly, with the raging capital behind him.

"You are that Human Race?"

The Demon Flame Emperor tried to maintain his dignity, but the trembling in his voice betrayed him.

"I am your terminator."

Qin Jiuge said calmly.

"Arrogant!"

The Demon Flame Emperor slammed the table and stood up, "Do you think killing a few princes can overthrow the Demon Race? Our race has millions of citizens, hidden foundations, and..."

"And what?"

Qin Jiuge interrupted him, "Have those old antiques hidden in the Forbidden Ground? Have those sleeping ancient demon statues? Have those sealed forbidden weapons?"

The Demon Flame Emperor's expression changed: "How do you know..."

"I know more than you imagine."

Qin Jiuge stepped forward, "For example, I know that your Demon Race is not the indigenous people of this world."

"You come from outside the realm; you are invaders."

The Demon Flame Emperor's pupils constricted.

"Three thousand years ago, you descended into this world through a spatial rift, slaughtered the indigenous people at the time—the Spirit Race—occupied their land, and falsified history, disguising yourselves as the Dominator of this world."

With every sentence Qin Jiuge said, he took a step forward.

The Demon Flame Emperor subconsciously retreated until his back was against the throne, with nowhere left to go.

"You... who exactly are you?"

"The dead don't need to know too much."

Qin Jiuge reached out and pressed his hand on the Demon Flame Emperor's forehead.

The latter wanted to resist but found that his Devilish Qi was like a stone sinking into the sea, completely unable to be mobilized.

"Now, let me see where the true foundation of the Demon Race lies."

Soul-searching Technique activated.

The Demon Flame Emperor let out a shrill scream as his memories were forcibly read.

Qin Jiuge saw all the secrets of the Demon Race: the locations of the seven Forbidden Grounds, the methods to awaken the sleeping ancient demon statues, the locations where forbidden weapons were sealed, and most importantly, the core that maintained the Demon Race's existence in this world: the Abyss Heart.

It was a Divine Artifact; it was what maintained the connection between the Demon Race and this world, continuously introducing Devilish Qi from outside the realm into this world.

Found it.

Qin Jiuge let go, and the Demon Flame Emperor collapsed to the ground, his eyes unfocused, already a cripple.

"Thank you for your contribution."

Qin Jiuge said, then turned and walked out of the hall.

Over the next month, Qin Jiuge led the Human Race experts in a comprehensive purge of the Demon Race.

In the first week, they swept through the seven Forbidden Grounds.

Those ancient Demon Race that had slept for thousands of years were vulnerable before Qin Jiuge, and the so-called forbidden weapons were completely sealed before they could even be activated.

In the second week, they wiped out all the settlements of the Demon Race.

Qin Jiuge developed a special purification array, which could convert Devilish Qi into pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and the land polluted by Demonization began to regain its vitality.

In the third week, they found all the Human Race and other races that had been enslaved by the Demon Race.

Over a million slaves gained their freedom; they knelt before Qin Jiuge, weeping bitterly and hailing him as the savior.

In the fourth week, Qin Jiuge went deep alone into the Eternal Ice Plains at the northernmost end of the world, where the Abyss Heart was located.

It was a huge, beating black heart, suspended deep within the ice plains.

With every beat, massive amounts of Devilish Qi were extracted from the Void Realm and injected into this world.

Standing before the Abyss Heart, Qin Jiuge could feel the terrifying energy contained within it, a dark power capable of destroying the entire world.

But that was all it was.

He reached out his hands, and dark golden light poured from his palms, enveloping the Abyss Heart.

The two forces began to clash fiercely; the entire ice plain trembled, icebergs collapsed, and the ice layer cracked.

"Want to destroy my race? Then let's destroy everything together!"

A mad voice emanated from the center of the Abyss Heart; it was the collection of resentments of the past generations of Demon Race kings.

"No,"

Qin Jiuge said calmly, "Only you will be destroyed."

He exerted force suddenly, and the dark golden light flared brilliantly.

Cracks began to appear on the surface of the Abyss Heart; those resentments let out shrill screams, attempting to counterattack, but were crushed bit by bit by Qin Jiuge's power.

Finally, with an earth-shattering explosion, the Abyss Heart completely shattered.

Countless black fragments splashed, only to be turned into nothingness in the air by Qin Jiuge's purification power.

With the destruction of the Abyss Heart, the entire world underwent a subtle change.

The Devilish Qi that had permeated for thousands of years began to dissipate, the demonized creatures gradually returned to their original state, and even the sky seemed to become bluer and clearer.

Qin Jiuge knew that from this moment on, the connection between the Demon Race and this world was completely severed.

Even if there were sporadic Demon Race survivors, they would gradually weaken and eventually die out completely.

Three months later, the Human Race capital.

A grand victory celebration was being held.

The Demon Race had been completely wiped out, all occupied lands returned to the Human Race, and this world ushered in true peace.

Qin Jiuge stood on the palace balcony, holding a glass of fine wine, overlooking the brightly lit city below.

People were singing and dancing, celebrating the hard-won victory.

"General,"

The High Priest walked over, his eyes filled with respect, "All statistics have been completed."

"We have rescued 1.23 million enslaved compatriots and recovered land equivalent to three times the original territory of the Human Race."

"The Demon Race... has completely become history."

Qin Jiuge nodded: "Very good."

"It's just..."

The High Priest hesitated for a moment, "When we were clearing out the last few Demon Race strongholds, we found some... infants."

"They are transformed half-demons, or half-breeds of the Demon Race and Human Race. How should they be handled?"

"Send them to the border orphanages and raise them as ordinary people."

"Tell them their parents sacrificed themselves in the war against the Demon Race."

"Let them spend their lives in mediocrity, and never know their own origins."

"A merciful decision."

The High Priest nodded, "There is one more thing... in the secret archives of the Demon Race, we found records about the 'Extra-territorial Passage'."

"Although the Abyss Heart has been destroyed, theoretically, the Demon Race could still possibly, through other means..."

"The passage has been permanently sealed by me."

Qin Jiuge said, "Not just the passage in this world, but even the Demon Realm where they originally resided has been... purged by me as well."

The High Priest gasped.

Only then did he understand what Qin Jiuge meant by "wiping out all the Demon Race,"

"You... who exactly are you?"

The High Priest couldn't help but ask.

Qin Jiuge smiled and did not answer, simply drinking the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"What are your plans next?"

The High Priest asked.

Qin Jiuge looked up at the starry sky: "I am leaving. The Demon Race of this world has been wiped out, and my mission is complete."

"Leaving? Where to?"

"To the next place that needs me."

Qin Jiuge said, "But before that, I will leave behind sufficient protective measures to ensure that the Human Race can prosper for the next thousand years."

He turned to face the High Priest: "Remember, peace requires power to protect."

"I will leave behind Cultivation Techniques, magic tomes, and technological blueprints."

"The Human Race must learn to be self-reliant, instead of forever depending on some 'savior'."

The High Priest bowed deeply: "I understand. The Human Race will never forget your kindness."

Qin Jiuge nodded, took one last look at the world he had saved, and then his body began to gradually become transparent.

"Wait!"

A voice came from behind.

Qin Jiuge turned back and saw the phantom of the Original Owner's consciousness appear in the air.

It was a handsome young man; there was no longer hatred in his eyes, only relief and gratitude.

"Thank you,"

The Original Owner said, "You accomplished what I dared not imagine."

The Original Owner looked down at the celebrating crowd, "Seeing them so happy, I suddenly feel that the satisfaction brought by revenge is far less than the peace brought by protection."

His figure began to dissipate: "I am going to Reincarnation."

"If there is an afterlife, I hope to be born in a peaceful era, to be an ordinary farmer, marry a kind wife, and have a few cute children..."

"You will get your wish."

Qin Jiuge promised.

The Original Owner smiled, then completely disappeared, his Soul returning to Reincarnation.

Qin Jiuge stood in place, feeling the last trace of the Original Owner's obsession within him dissipate.

He looked up at the starry sky again, reflections of countless worlds flashing in his eyes.

As a Devil King traversing the myriad worlds, his journey was endless.

But in this world, in this epic of the Human Race and the Demon Race, his story had ended.

"Time to go."

Qin Jiuge said softly, then transformed into a beam of dark golden light, soared into the sky, and disappeared into the depths of the starry sky.

And in the lowest level of the endless Abyss, in the Goblin Lair, Luo Xuerou's screams continued.

She could no longer remember how many days and nights she had been tortured; she only knew that the pain was endless, and the despair had no end.

Occasionally, in the intervals of torture, she would recall the past: The days growing up with Qin Jiuge, life on the Human Race defense line, and even the kind faces of those "lowly" Human Race compatriots she once despised.

Then, deeper regret would consume her, causing her more pain than the humiliation from the Goblins.

She once had the chance to have sincere friendship, warm family affection, and perhaps even a pure love.

But she chose betrayal, chose a false "nobility," and ultimately fell into this eternal Hell.

"I was wrong... I was really wrong..."

After being humiliated once again, she curled up in the corner, muttering to herself.

But no one heard, and no one cared.

Her repentance, her pain, her despair would all continue in this endless Abyss until the end of time.

And in the outside world, the sun rose as usual, and the Human Race ushered in a true dawn.

Children ran on the grass, old people played chess under the trees, and lovers strolled among the flowers.

And that figure who had once saved the world had already gone to the next place that needed him, continuing his eternal journey.