Chapter 812 - 402: The Demon Race Will Never Be Slaves (3)

Chapter 812: Chapter 402: The Demon Race Will Never Be Slaves (3)

"Huh?" The old man was quite surprised. "You actually noticed?"

Cheng Zongyang slowly closed his eyes. He recalled how the mine shafts used to collapse from time to time back in the day, seemingly always involving Ape-Demon Race members of roughly the same age.

"Alright. Kid, just wait to be refined in my Alchemy."

Wearing an enigmatic smile, the old man strolled leisurely toward the herb garden, letting out bursts of mocking laughter as he walked.

"All the love and romance in this vast world are ultimately nothing but ethereal illusions, and all grudges and entanglements are merely false facades.

"Only one’s own strength, a long Lifespan, and that dreamed-of immortality are unequivocally real! If one cannot achieve immortality, everything in this world is as illusory and ephemeral as drifting smoke."

Cheng Zongyang shifted his body slightly, soon realizing that the restraints binding him had been released. However, when he tried to channel the once-surging Power within his body, he found that he couldn’t control a single shred of it. To make matters worse, even his physical strength had been ruthlessly sealed away. At this moment, he was no different from an ordinary Ape Demon.

His footsteps were slow and heavy as he trudged step by step toward the edge of the cliff. Upon reaching the edge, he quietly gazed down at the boundless scenery below.

Just then, the old man’s slightly hoarse yet unquestionable voice suddenly echoed in his ears. "Don’t even try to jump. You know very well that such actions are utterly useless."

Cheng Zongyang acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. Still lost in his own thoughts, his expression remained as calm as an unruffled pool—neither sorrowful nor joyful. He slowly sat down, crossing his legs. His solitary and resolute figure gradually blended into the surrounding environment.

Beneath the cliff lay an endless sea of clouds. Sometimes, the wind would scatter them, revealing a vast expanse of greenery below. It was a dense forest with lush foliage sprawling like a verdant ocean. In the distance, rolling mountains faded in and out of sight amidst the swirling mist. Yet, this scenery was quickly obscured once again by the gathering clouds.

Cheng Zongyang’s state of mind, much like his sealed body, plunged into a state of profound confusion. Looking at the free world that seemed so close yet remained so far out of reach, he was struck by a jumble of complex emotions. Once upon a time, he had harbored a heart full of hot blood and ambition, fighting tooth and nail for the dignity and freedom of the Demon Race. Now, however, he was trapped in this tiny space.

In the face of the cruel reality of impending Alchemy, his once-surging fighting spirit seemed reduced to nothing more than a stubborn ember of indignation flickering deep within his heart. He thought of the days he had spent fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades. He desperately wanted to refute the old man’s words, but he knew deep down that in this world where might makes right, losing one’s Power meant losing everything. The weak not only lacked the right to resist but even the right to speak.

That flame of stubbornness hidden deep in his heart was like a star in the dark night—faint, yet enduring in its glow.

"To have made it this far, I suppose I’ve fulfilled my original oath."

Over the past few years, the three of them had rescued numerous members of the Demon Race and sent them into the Barbaric Wilderness, fighting for a glimmer of hope for their people. This remained true even though a portion of the captive Demon Race was left behind, and even though he himself had fallen into such dire straits.

Ever since he was a child, he had loved pondering various matters, causes, and principles. However, this introspection brought about a growing number of things he couldn’t comprehend. He didn’t understand why the Demon Race had to be enslaved. He didn’t understand why both the Demon Race and the Human Race existed in this world, nor did he understand why humans were more cruel than demons. He didn’t understand why there was infighting within their own tribes, and he didn’t understand...

But right now, what he truly didn’t understand was whether those sitting high in the clouds really had the right to arbitrarily dictate life and death.

Slowly, sitting there at the edge of the cliff and watching the shifting clouds below, he gradually lost himself in his thoughts.