Luo Chu's hiding spot was perfect, but in the face of the Divine Gate Realm, even the slightest secret could not be kept.

So…

When a brightly glowing Moonstone illuminated the darkness and Luo Chu saw the mocking expressions on the two Elders' faces, she turned pale with shock.

Discovered? How could this be possible!

But Luo Chu did not resign herself to fate. Bolts of lightning erupted from beneath her feet, and with a SWOOSH, her figure vanished, reappearing at a corner of the pit ten meters away.

"Overestimating herself."

A sneer crossed Zheng Yu's face. The humans from Earth were truly reckless. Did this woman even know where she was? This was the territory of the Crescent Moon Clan! The clan was teeming with experts. Using her Spiritual Energy so brazenly would only expose her position faster.

Indeed, Zheng Yu and her husband had yet to make a move when they sensed several familiar auras spread out, all belonging to the clan's Elders.

In other words, they were all members of the Moon Clan comparable to the Human Race's Divine Gate Realm experts.

But they didn't intervene, instead allowing Luo Chu to flee deeper underground. With a deathly pale face, Luo Chu stared at the light at the end of the tunnel. Leaning against the wall, she gasped for breath.

Did I escape?

Having had such a narrow escape, Luo Chu didn't even have a chance to smile. Before she could even make out the subterranean world beyond the light, her vision went black and she fainted.

Behind her, a white-haired old woman, Zheng Yu, had appeared. She waved her hand, and a wisp of black light in her palm dissipated.

"Your control of Blackflame is becoming more and more skilled."

Zheng Ding looked at his wife with surprise, as if seeing her for the first time. Zheng Yu's Blackflame caused no physical harm.

It was a spiritual attack!

Against anyone beneath Zheng Yu's Boundary, it could induce temporary unconsciousness in an instant, though Blackflame was a single-target attack.

Zheng Yu did not hide it, stating solemnly, "I think I'm close to a breakthrough."

"Excellent!"

Zheng Ding was overjoyed. He lifted Luo Chu with one hand and followed his wife into the end of the tunnel, which led to the dwelling of the Crescent Moon Clan.

If Luo Chu were conscious, she would have witnessed a sight no Watchman had ever glimpsed, despite the sacrifice of four of their own: the home of the Crescent Moon Clan. Towering, circular earthen buildings dominated the landscape. In the distance, a lush green meadow could be faintly seen. Even farther away was an endless chain of snow-capped mountains. Melting snow cascaded down from the peaks, where various strange animals bent their heads to drink.

Many of the Moon Clan, dressed in attire reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty, played by the riverbank. In the sky hung a brilliant sun.

Of course, this was not the real sun but a Spirit Stone so large it could be mistaken for a star, providing not only light but also Spiritual Energy.

It was akin to a paradise.

However, apart from the eight Upper and Lower Crescent Moon Clans and the Royal Clan, very few of the Moon Clan could construct such a world for their own tribe. This was why the Moon Clan so desperately wanted to invade Earth. They coveted everything it possessed. The Royal Clan yearned to see real deserts, lakes, snow-capped mountains, and star-filled galaxies, not artificially constructed imitations.

The central earthen building was several hundred meters tall, its architecture both magnificent and solemn, nearly piercing the clouds.

This was the Elder Council House, the core hub of the tribe. The hierarchy was exceedingly strict; based on Boundary and strength, the Elders and the chieftain inhabited the building from the first floor to the top.

In the dungeon on the basement level, the unconscious Luo Chu was tossed from the first floor into the solitary cell.

Zheng Yu, her husband, and the other Elders who had sensed the presence of the foreign Martial Artist then departed.

"Watch them carefully. This is food to be offered to the Chieftain," one Elder instructed two guards.

The guards nodded repeatedly, immediately quashing any thoughts of mistreating the human who had just been thrown into the dungeon.

What a pity. She's so beautiful, yet she's going to be eaten. The tastes of the Chieftain and the Elders are truly hard to fathom. Wouldn't it be better to keep her at the Smoke Moon Pavilion as a main attraction?

Sighing, the two guards resumed their post, withdrawing their covetous gazes.

「...」

The dungeon was vast and circular, but its ceiling was an iron grate covered in seals.

Besides Luo Chu, a dozen other humans were hanging from the ceiling. Most were already dead, their bodies desiccated into human husks. A nauseating stench filled the air.

About fifteen minutes later, Luo Chu awoke. When she found herself in endless darkness, her heart tightened. She vaguely recalled being attacked before passing out.

Luo Chu's innate talent was lightning. She tried to channel her Spiritual Energy to illuminate her surroundings, but she found that her seed of power felt sealed, rendering her unable to use even a sliver of Spiritual Power.

Hearing the sound, the two Moon Clan guards threw a glowing Moonstone down through a gap in the grate. They then began pointing and chattering, lamenting what a waste of high-quality goods she was.

In that fleeting moment of light, Luo Chu finally saw where she was. She saw the hanging corpses and desiccated bodies, and among them… the figure she knew so well and had been searching for so desperately.

"Qian Song!" Luo Chu's beautiful eyes instantly filled with tears as she screamed his name.

Tragically, Qian Song's body was withered and his eyes were lifeless. His life was clearly hanging by a thread, the flame of his vitality ready to be extinguished at any moment.

But Luo Chu was already content. At least her husband wasn't dead. He was still alive.

"Human, you'll soon be offered to the Chieftain by the Elders. Any last words?" one of the guards asked. They were two burly, middle-aged men dressed in long robes, their expressions full of condescension.

"..."

Luo Chu remained silent. She had no time to waste on communicating with the Moon Clan. Her mind was racing, assessing her predicament and searching for a way to escape.

This cage is clearly designed to seal Spiritual Power, making me no different from an ordinary person. The only exit is the iron grate ten meters up, and it's… probably sealed as well.

Luo Chu let out a long sigh. Even her husband, Qian Song, was hanging four or five meters in the air. At her height and in her current state, there was no way to save him.

What should I do?

Luo Chu couldn't help but fall into despair.

"Cough."

A faint cough sounded, followed by a man's weak voice. "Luo Chu, is that… you?"

"Qian Song!" Hearing that familiar voice, Luo Chu's eyes welled with tears again.

"It really is you." Qian Song smiled weakly, his voice a mixture of helplessness and pain. "I told you not to come for me. You..."

"I want to live and die with you," Luo Chu whispered.

"What about our son?"

"I've already written a will and made arrangements."

"You… sigh." Qian Song sighed heavily. "Chu Chu, you're so foolish."

"You're the foolish one," Luo Chu sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "If you had just left back then, instead of covering my escape, our son would still have a father."

Qian Song said nothing. He didn't blame his wife, because he would have made the same choice.

"Is there a way to escape?" Luo Chu asked in a low voice.

"There's no escape." Qian Song looked around bitterly. Though it was dark, he knew the figures hanging there were all captured human Martial Artists. Among them was even an expert from the Divine Gate Realm.

Luo Chu lay limply on the ground covered in dried blood. She closed her eyes and murmured, "To die with you… that's not so bad."

BANG—

Just then, something unexpected happened.

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