Stargate

"If you can kill me, I’d really thank you for it."

???

The multi-armed giant demon froze, and the surrounding monsters stood dumbfounded.

A cool breeze swept past, leaving the atmosphere oddly awkward.

Surrounded by a horde of demons, Yi Feng was unnervingly calm, his big eyes blinking innocently. There wasn’t a trace of fear in him—not even the slightest hint of tension to match the situation.

"You’re asking for death!"

The multi-armed giant demon roared in fury, leaping into the air with overwhelming power as it lunged forward.

"Swish!"

A seemingly ordinary sword slash flew from Yi Feng’s hand.

Yet, it shone like a frigid beam piercing thousands of miles!

That single thrust suddenly became terrifyingly unstoppable, as if infused with an unfathomable Dao power, sealing off every possible escape.

Mid-air, the giant demon’s expression twisted in horror—yet it couldn’t move an inch!

Its massive body seemed completely locked onto by the sword’s gleam. Despite the vastness of the world, there was not a single step of retreat. The instinct of death surged in its heart!

The thousands of surrounding monsters also felt their blood run cold, as if plunged into an ancient ice cellar!

"Crack!"

A crisp sound—and the giant demon was cleanly bisected!

"BOOM!!!"

Its enormous body collapsed, sending tremors through the ground!

Even with thousands of formidable monsters present, an eerie silence fell over the scene. The black mist hung unnervingly still, and countless pairs of glowing eyes fixated on the demon’s corpse.

One half of the corpse still bore an expression of sheer terror, and soon, that fear spread. The monsters trembled, their eyes wide with horror as a chilling dread permeated the black mist.

The horde shivered, so quiet that a needle drop could be heard.

Then, one of them suddenly shrieked as if stepped on—

"R-run… RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

With that panicked howl, the thousands of monsters scattered like frightened livestock, scrambling over each other in their haste to escape.

Before Yi Feng could even react, the supposedly mighty demons were already fleeing like stampeding cattle!

"Damn it, another bunch of overhyped weaklings!"

Yi Feng grew angrier the more he watched. Gripping his sword, he charged after them, hacking his way deeper into unknown territory. The constant chime of system notifications in his ears felt like a school bell signaling the end of class—except this time, it was experience points flooding in.

By the time the ground was littered with corpses, he had actually leveled up!

With no monsters left in sight within the black mist, Yi Feng scowled in dissatisfaction and pointed his sword at a nearby demon with a bizarre face.

Before he could even speak, the creature was already kowtowing frantically.

"I was wrong! I was wrong!"

Yi Feng rubbed his forehead, wiping away an imaginary sweatdrop.

"Who’s talking about right or wrong? I just wanted to ask—where are the other monsters around here?"

The odd-faced demon bowed repeatedly, mimicking human manners poorly.

"There are none! Not a single one left! I’m not even a real monster, I just look like one!!!"

Yi Feng’s disappointment deepened, and his interest waned entirely.

"Crack!"

One quick slash later—another small experience boost—and he turned away, summoning his mount for the return trip.

In an instant, he was back on the airship.

Despite the hefty experience gain, an inexplicable emptiness lingered. Resting his chin on his hands, he began to question the so-called "might" of the demon race.

Some time later, a soft voice sounded behind him.

"Did you notice any demon activity?"

Turning, he saw the cold-faced woman.

Yi Feng replied casually, "Nah, nothing from the demons."

She nodded, her expression as indifferent as ever.

"Good work."

But soon, they realized something was off.

The surroundings were deathly silent—unnaturally so.

Not a single sound could be heard.

Logically, even without an attack, there should have been growls or movements from the demons.

Yet, this eerie quiet only hinted at something far stranger.

The three of them cautiously moved to the ship’s edge, their expressions growing more puzzled by the second.

The leading woman frowned slightly, equally unsettled by the unnatural stillness.

After a long moment of sensing the surroundings, she still found nothing.

Lowering her voice, she relayed orders to the other two.

"The black mist is too dense here. My spiritual sense can’t extend far, and visibility is limited. But this kind of silence… it might conceal great danger."

"Stay sharp."

The two men exchanged glances and nodded solemnly.

"Understood!"

The airship resumed its journey, with one man at the bow and the other at the stern, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

The woman remained at the center, maintaining strict control over the situation.

All three were on high alert, their tension several times heavier than before. To an outsider, it would seem like they were bracing for an imminent, deadly threat.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the ship, Yi Feng propped his chin on his hand, utterly bored.

"Seriously? After all those weaklings, what’s with the paranoia?"

"Are they scared of the black mist or something? It’s just fog… unless they’re afraid of the air itself?"

"Maybe this is how ‘experts’ act?"

After watching for a while and seeing no sign of any real threat, Yi Feng lost interest entirely. Let them battle their imaginations—he was just a guide, after all.

With his watch duty done, he sprawled out for a nap.

Some time later, he woke up with a stretch.

"Haah…"

Sitting up, he patted his stomach—no hunger pangs.

"Good thing breakfast was filling. Otherwise, I’d be stuck munching on eggs right now."

"Perfect slacking strategy."

Giving himself a mental thumbs-up, he glanced around.

The two men were still at their posts, as serious as ever. No signs of battle—just an ongoing duel with the empty air.

Yi Feng sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever. Not my problem."

Pulling out the wine gourd Wei Donghai had given him, he was about to take a sip when soft footsteps approached from behind.

"Thank you for keeping watch earlier."

Turning, he saw the leading woman—her beauty striking, yet her demeanor calm and unreadable.

"At least she knows how to say thanks. Better than those stuck-up ‘experts’ who look down on everyone."

Yi Feng waved it off casually and offered the gourd.

"Don’t mention it. Want a drink?"

The woman glanced at the gourd’s mouth, then gave a faint nod.

"Very well."

With a flick of her sleeve, a delicate cyan wine cup materialized in her hand.

"Fancy. Must be a lady thing."

Yi Feng poured generously.

She drank gracefully, her expression unchanging throughout.

"Well, sharing a drink makes us friends, right?"

Seizing the chance to kill time, Yi Feng struck up a conversation.

"So, where exactly are you guys headed? What’s in this Black Domain anyway?"

The woman hesitated briefly before answering.

"At your Half-Saint realm, you normally wouldn’t be privy to such matters. But given the circumstances, there’s no harm in telling you."

"Half-Saint? Not qualified?"

Yi Feng almost flaunted his actual Saint-level strength to shut that down—but he couldn’t be bothered.

"Uh-huh."

His flat response probably made him seem clueless.

"My surname is Qing Yin. The two men and I… we are not from Yunxing. We hail from Lanxing."

Yi Feng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"I thought these VIPs were from some major sect—but they’re actually aliens?!"

"Well, damn."

He had actually become a guide for aliens—what a novel life experience this was.

Even more surprising was that these aliens weren’t carrot-headed or big-eyed lightbulbs. Instead, they had noses and eyes, just like him.

And this female alien… she was actually quite good-looking.

The ridiculous sci-fi movies from his past life were clearly all lies!

Yi Feng stood frozen in place, both shocked and awestruck.

The expected astonishment didn’t escape Qing Yin’s notice, but her calm voice continued without pause.

"Whether it’s Yun Planet or our homeland, Lan Planet, in the vastness of the cosmos, we are but a drop in the ocean. We both belong to the Tianyuan Star System, which consists of one hundred and eight such planets."

"Within the Tianyuan Star System, Void Beasts dwell in the chaotic space. Originally, these creatures merely drifted through the void, feeding on spatial energy to cultivate. They rarely invaded planets—unless corrupted by the Demon Domain, in which case they could pose a grave threat to any world."

Yi Feng listened, enthralled, his interest growing in this extraordinary topic.

"Then where did the Demon Race come from?"

Qing Yin’s gaze turned distant as she looked toward the boundless dark sky.

"A hundred thousand years ago, black holes suddenly appeared in space. Countless dark domains spread, gradually enveloping various planets. From them, the Demon Race was born."

"Legends say that to eradicate these black holes, the planets formed an allied army and launched an unprecedented war across the stars—one so vast even the Divine Realm was said to have intervened."

"That battle raged across countless starfields. Strong perished like falling meteors, and numerous planets were left in ruins, casualties beyond reckoning. Though the black holes were eventually sealed, remnants of the Demon Race survived."

"With their strength depleted, the allied forces could no longer hunt down the Demons hiding in the void. They could only fortify their defenses. For a hundred thousand years, the Demon Race quietly multiplied in the darkness—until recently, when their movements became frequent again."

A war across the stars? With gods and demons?

Yi Feng was filled with awe. Though he hadn’t witnessed it, he could imagine the countless human heroes clashing with the Demon Race in a battle that shook heaven and earth.

It was hard to believe that mere humans could take part in such a divine war. What kind of peerless geniuses must have risen to face such a challenge?

Even just participating in such a conflict would be enough to etch one’s name into history for millennia.

Just hearing about it made Yi Feng’s blood boil with excitement. He couldn’t help but press further.

"Where is the Divine Realm? Are the Demons really that strong?"

Qing Yin turned her gaze back to him.

"The Divine Realm is merely legend. A hundred thousand years is too distant—there’s no way to verify it now."

Then, a trace of wariness flickered in her clear eyes.

"As for the Demon Race… yes, they are formidable."

Under Yi Feng’s astonished stare, her tone grew graver.

"The so-called Demon Race is a truly powerful species. Not just any demonic creature can be called a true Demon."

"True Demons possess terrifying cultivation. They are born with considerable strength and possess their own civilization, cities, and wisdom. Their intellect and physical prowess rank among the finest in the universe. Some are even master tacticians, weaving schemes effortlessly. In the war a hundred thousand years ago, humanity suffered greatly from their cunning."

"Ordinary demonic creatures are mere defective imitations—humans or beasts corrupted by the dark mist. Though they possess some power, they are little more than mindless beasts, driven by primal instincts."

So, demons came in genuine and fake varieties. No wonder some could talk and flee while others acted like idiots.

Yi Feng’s eyes flashed with understanding.

"Earlier, we encountered and fought a true Demon squad."

"Such squads must be eradicated with full force. Never underestimate them—otherwise, they become ticking time bombs for us." Qing Yin Xianyun added.

Yi Feng nodded solemnly, committing her words to heart.

"Mm."

A hint of relief crossed Qing Yin Xianyun’s face. She hadn’t expected Yi Feng to be capable of defeating true Demons, but seeing him take the warning seriously was already commendable.

Since they had come this far, she decided to lay everything out.

"We came to assist Yun Planet in dealing with our shared enemy—the Demon Race."

"After the bloodshed of the war a hundred thousand years ago, the Demon Race lurked in the dark void, lying low. But their reproduction rate is too high—the dark void can no longer sustain them. Now, their ambitions have reignited, and they’ve set their sights on weaker planets."

"They’ve already built bridges through Star Gates, invading multiple worlds. Our mission is to locate and destroy the Star Gate on Yun Planet. Cutting off the Demons’ reinforcements will allow us to eradicate them here and prevent them from occupying Yun Planet—and then using the Ancient Corridor to reach Lan Planet."

Yi Feng nodded gravely, shaken by the horrifying truth.

Though these three aliens had their own motives, coming to Yun Planet’s aid was still a righteous act.

He had once thought Yun Planet was the entire world. Now he knew it was but a speck in the cosmos.

Today, he truly understood—there were worlds beyond worlds.

This boundless universe was just like the xuanhuan novels from his past life!

And the Demon Race was absurd—breeding so much they ran out of space and started eyeing human planets. Damn, they really could multiply!

Yi Feng had pieced together much.

In an instant, his perspective broadened, his horizons expanding tenfold.

From what he knew so far, Lan Planet was undoubtedly far stronger than Yun Planet. If he could go there and find a few experts, wouldn’t seeking death be as easy as snapping his fingers?

The thought made him even more excited.

Rubbing his hands together, he looked eagerly at the beautiful alien.

"Qing Yin, could I… go to your Lan Planet?"

Qing Yin Xianyun blinked in surprise.

"You?"