Li Meilin wasn’t the only one rushing forward. Due to day-by-day training, Yan Xiaobao was full of resilience. He swiftly returned to his daily guardian battles, his combat power continuously growing stronger.
Yan Xiaobao didn’t understand what Wan Qiao wanted from him, but ever since she assisted him in his training, he felt deeply grateful for her help. One evening, when Yan Xiaobao had finished his training, he saw Wan Qiao waiting for him. She nodded politely, and he once again followed her to her room.
When they arrived, they sat indoors, silent for a long time. Neither Wan Qiao nor Yan Xiaobao said anything; the two simply sat there, watching each other for a while.
Finally, after a few minutes passed slowly, Yan Xiaobao cleared his throat and looked at Wan Qiao expectantly. Day after day of training had left him feeling his body’s strength swelling, growing, making him strong enough to defeat ordinary King-level experts.
"When I send you back to the sun, I will bring Li Meilin to me, letting her return to the human world," Wan Qiao said, observing Yan Xiaobao’s reaction. When she noticed the frown on his face, her eyes gleamed.
"I bet you’re wondering why," she said with a knowing smile as she read his expression. "Think about it. So far, whenever someone enters the reason we call home, everyone ends up dead. Imagine the joy they would feel when someone brings information back to them. But once they learn of this information, their joy turns to tears. Training humans is far more difficult than training beasts. They don’t have as many Holy Name Experts. Imagine how terrified they’d be upon hearing about our Forest King." A mocking smile crossed her face.
"Yan Xiaobao, you may not realize it, but the war drums are calling us. Our beasts are about to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us. Our beasts are about to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us." Upon hearing these words, Yan Xiaobao was instantly shocked, his mouth agape, his mind reeling. Magical beasts roamed across the continent, yet only in the Divine Domain had Yan Xiaobao discovered these humanoid beasts living in their own society. He could guess this had something to do with the Dark Era and the great sins of the past.
When he was younger and attending the academy in Liluo City, he first heard of the Dark Era and the great sins. As for what happened then, he was told he wouldn’t know until he grew stronger—strong enough to become an Upper Dantian Expert. The truth of this world was an enormous secret.
The young man sat in Wan Qiao’s room, gasping for breath as he listened to the explanation. He waited to hear news from this woman who seemed to have lived through the great changes happening in the world.
Seeing the excitement and eagerness in Yan Xiaobao’s eyes, Wan Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle. After smiling briefly, she raised her head and stared directly at Yan Xiaobao.
"Long ago, when the great ancestors still roamed the continent, the land was filled with magical beasts and humans. Some villages were dominated by humans; others by beasts. Humans and beasts lived side by side, with some even interbreeding. Life was simpler back then—humans and beasts were like wolves and cats, merely different species."
"When the great ancestors went to sleep, their sons took over. Although things changed slightly, it wasn’t significant for the masses. Years flowed by, decades passed, thousands of years flew by without any alteration—until one day the four sons vanished. Their castles became ruins, and from those ruins emerged a young man. He was but an Emperor, yet his strength exceeded even that of a Saint. Anyone who opposed him either died or was defeated. Those who weren’t killed were sent to the prison he had created."
"This young man was named An Hee. He became the most powerful being on our continent. As he ascended in power, he declared himself the savior—the savior of humanity. He claimed he was a slave who grew up fighting against darkness, a world filled with misery."
Pausing briefly, the woman stood motionless before beginning to sing a small song:
"Behind the Dark Era lies the great sin,
A sin so great, darkness shall forever win.
Sin is embedded deep within our souls,
Darkness itself achieves its goals.
A hero is born from the chains of this life,
A hero who rebelled, breaking free from strife.
As rebellion rose, blood poured like rain,
The darkness washed away, freedom could reign.
A reborn world lay in ruins, wasted and torn,
Even now, freedom remains the prize we mourn."
Hearing the song made Yan Xiaobao remember a book he once read at the academy. Back then, no one knew what the great sin truly was; however, everyone knew of the Dark Era.
"This song was composed by An Hee himself. He stood before all and promised them a world belonging solely to humans. At first, no one followed him, but as his strength was revealed and openly displayed, hundreds of families followed him after the disappearance of the four Great Saints, the sons of the great ancestors. Those hundreds of families, along with An Hee, executed any creatures who dared to live like humans. He killed all humanity and showed no mercy even to children."
"To An Hee, the only thing that mattered was exterminating all impurities," she spat out the word ’impurities,’ her eyes as dark as a moonless midnight. To Yan Xiaobao, her anger was palpable, and the young man could vaguely guess how this story ended.