Western coast of the Avel Peninsula.

A large ship made its way through wind and waves, its raised sails bearing the emblem of the Avel City-State, a rare sight in recent years.

Since the Abyss appeared, the sky was no longer free.

It had long become the territory of Abyss monsters.

Those terrifying Eagle Demons circled in the sky, hunting Snake People below on both land and sea.

In the minds of today’s Avel people, the sky represented danger, and the piercing screech of Eagle Demons sounded like a trumpet of death.

After parting with Yafuan, King Sidi of Avel led his group to another city founded by the Avel people, where they discovered a sailing ship.

This vessel had been hidden away years ago, and surprisingly, after nearly twenty years, it could still be used with some repairs.

Traveling directly across the Avel Peninsula was far too dangerous, especially since none in their group were fourth-rank ability users like Yafuan.

However, the King of Avel had no choice, as only his personal visit could demonstrate the sincerity of the Avel people.

Using a ship was much better, faster, and allowed them to avoid the monster nests scattered throughout the Avel Peninsula.

Their only concern was the Eagle Demons in the sky. However, in recent years, since the Avel people had stopped venturing to sea, the Eagle Demons patrolled less extensively except around the waters where the Winged People resided.

A Snake Person in armor burst into the cabin, nodded to the two attendants standing guard outside, and they opened the wooden door.

Instead of entering, the armored Snake Person simply bowed at the doorway.

“Your Majesty, dawn has broken.”

King Sidi of Avel awoke from his slumber, “Where are we now?”

The soldier replied, “We’ve been sailing for nearly seven days, and we’re approaching the waters of the Xingdian Archipelago.”

The Xingdian Archipelago was a large group of islands to the west, named when the Avel people first landed on this peninsula.

The King of Avel rose, took a swig of strong liquor, and walked out of the cabin to stand at the ship’s rail.

He gazed at the endless expanse of sea.

His disheveled appearance featured messy hair tied back with rope and a full beard, yet his handsome features from his youth remained visible beneath his weathered exterior.

The King of Avel looked at the sea with complex emotions, as if recalling the past.

“The sea!”

The Avel people had an indescribable feeling toward the ocean, for they had once been a seafaring people.

They revered the sea.

They challenged the sea.

They advanced amidst its waves.

When Sidi became the King of Avel, he was still just a child.

He was found by Xiuborn and placed on the throne only because the Avel royal bloodline had been nearly exterminated by the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.

He had now become a middle-aged man with a weathered face.

If calculated by a hundred-year lifespan, he would be considered as having one foot in old age; but for Snake People, he was still in the prime of his life.

In his years as King of Avel, his life had been no better than Yafuan’s, as he had spent his entire life sailing through turbulent waters, facing unknown dark seas and enduring one storm after another.

As a youth, he had been a passenger on the ship.

He could only watch as the sea carried them to unknown distances, could only watch as storms approached, trembling as he clung to the mast beneath dark clouds.

As an adult, he became the helmsman.

He steered the great ship, Avel, toward the unknown while helplessly watching terrifying storms approach.

The sea in the King’s eyes now was completely different from what he saw as a youth. It carried an entirely different meaning.

He asked the general beside him, “Tell me.”

“Can people truly triumph over heaven and earth, triumph over the sea?”

“Or rather, can we conquer our own fate?”

The general told King Sidi of Avel, “Your Majesty, I do not believe in fate.”

“I believe only in power, and the sword in my hand.”

King Sidi of Avel continued to gaze calmly at the sea, “But sometimes, disbelief doesn’t mean something doesn’t exist!”

“When Yafuan and I first saw this New Continent together, he said something to me.”

“What we don’t know is the ocean of stars, what we do know…”

“Is merely a drop in the vast sea.”

King Sidi of Avel turned to look at the general, “In this world, all we can do is struggle desperately and fight with all our might.”

“But in the end, what determines our fate is not ourselves.”

The general sensed King Sidi’s uncertainty, not knowing whether this plan would succeed or fail.

Would the result they sought, sacrificing everything in their struggle, truly be positive?

Would everything unfold as they predicted?

Would the Avel people finally see true light after this, or would they vanish from this world?

The general spoke, “We cannot decide all fates, but we can choose whether to perish fighting to the death, or to sit fearfully awaiting destruction.”

Sidi clapped the general’s armor vigorously, then took out a nautical chart from decades ago.

He summoned the navigator, “Where are we now?”

The navigator studied it for a while, finally pointing to a position, “We should be right here.”

The general spoke, “We’re about to reach the waters of the Xingdian Archipelago. There are numerous monsters stationed along those coasts and on some islands.”

“The coastal areas even have tens of thousands of Abyss legions constantly facing off against the Winged People. We must be careful.”

The monster armies here were nearly as dangerous as those near the Abyss.

In Melde’s eyes, the threat of the Winged People had always been the priority.

She had dispatched a third-rank Evil Eye Eagle Demon to lead tens of thousands of monster troops stationed along the coast. If ordinary Snake Demons could cross the sea, the Winged People would not even be able to remain on their last refuge, Moonlight Island.

The King of Avel nodded, “Then let’s find a place to stop. I remember there’s a small island nearby, a barren, desolate place, probably without monster nests.”

“Hmm~”

The King of Avel carefully examined the map and found the small island.

“We’ll stop here to rest, then continue our journey at night.”

“If we can make it through these few days, we should reach the Winged People’s Moonlight Island.”

The commander looked at the King of Avel, “But at night, the Eagle Demons’ vision remains sharp, and for those Evil Eye Eagle Demons, it’s nearly the same as during daylight.”

The King of Avel knew the risk, “Still safer than daytime. Regardless, we must reach Moonlight Island.”

“Let’s take a gamble!”

The King of Avel smiled at the general, “Didn’t you say you don’t believe in fate?”

“If we win the bet, we’ll arrive safely. If not, you’ll cut a path through with your sword.”

“How about it?”

“Do you have the courage for that?”

The commander’s demeanor suddenly became bold, his face flushed red.

“King Sidi.”

“If those monsters dare come, I’ll leave none alive!”

They had barely reached the small island when they actually encountered Eagle Demons.

But because they had hidden themselves during the day, they successfully avoided the sight of the Eagle Demons in the sky.

The ship safely passed the first two nights despite encountering several Eagle Demon patrols. Their luck held because they spotted them early and concealed themselves using the lower-rank Witch Spirit’s second-rank signature divine technique, True Illusion Realm.

However, on the third night, they encountered Eagle Demon patrols repeatedly, indicating that the number of Eagle Demons in the area exceeded their expectations.

Then they heard a piercing cry from the distance that penetrated the heavens.

The sound broke through the clouds, its waves spreading layer by layer.

“Screech!”

King Sidi of Avel’s expression changed instantly, “Evil Eye Eagle Demon.”

The lower-rank Witch Spirit standing on the deck, along with several Witch Spirit servants, immediately opened their Book of the Witch Spirit and chanted the incantation, “True Illusion Realm.”

A layer of illusory domain immediately enveloped the ship, concealing its presence.

This method had worked flawlessly before, but this time it was different.

As they approached their destination, not only were ordinary Eagle Demons patrolling the area, but the one that had just screeched was clearly an Evil Eye Eagle Demon.

The moment it cried out, it sensed abnormal feedback from the sea.

“Screech!”

The Evil Eye Eagle Demon immediately led a flock of ordinary Eagle Demons diving down from above, letting out another cry.

That sinister Evil Eye instantly penetrated the Witch Spirit’s True Illusion Realm, discovering the hidden sailing ship.

A group of Eagle Demons dove down from above with great excitement, and King Sidi of Avel’s party knew all too well that these evil monsters had discovered them.

Everyone on deck immediately panicked.

They were isolated and helpless on the open sea.

But those Eagle Demons were not. They could summon more companions at any time.

Everyone immediately looked to their leader, “What should we do?”

King Sidi of Avel had not yet spoken when the general beside him immediately drew his sword, his eyes flashing with light as he activated the Snake People’s innate Petrifying Gaze.

“Face them!”

“What else can we do?”

The King of Avel quickly made arrangements, “Increase speed. We can’t be far from Moonlight Island now, just hold on a little longer.”

“Servants of the divine beings, please make as much commotion as possible.”

“The Winged People will surely notice us.”

Moonlight Island.

This was the last territory of the Winged People.

However, one could see that the once crowded Moonlight Island now had only half as many Winged People, scattered sparsely about.

After initiating their migration plan, the first exploring pairs of Winged People had already crossed the Desert of the Fallen Sun. Although they encountered dangers along the way and lost quite a few people, they brought back good news.

Beyond the desert lay a world more suitable for habitation than the Avel Peninsula, with more favorable climate conditions, a better environment, and more abundant habitable land.

The Winged People were excited. The first advance migration group had departed about ten days ago.

Two days ago, the second migration group of Winged People had also left.

Currently on Moonlight Island, only Winged Queen Duma and the last batch of Winged People remained.

According to plan, this batch of Winged People would also leave before long.

They would leave this place forever and establish a new homeland beyond the Desert of the Fallen Sun.

Winged Queen Duma stood on a flight platform in the crude Winged City on the island, gazing into the distance on a deep night as the cold wind blew her white dress, as thin as cicada wings.

Her eyes showed profound melancholy. She was not someone who could easily let go of everything.

She did not yearn for that new homeland.

What she yearned for was the Radiant City, the time when everything was still intact, when her mother held her hand and protected her.

To this day, she dared not recall that dark night.

Her mother fell into madness, desecrating the divine with the most evil methods.

The Gate of Spirituality fell from the realm of gods to the mortal world, black rain drifted from the sky, and over a hundred thousand Winged People in the Winged Mountains perished.

Her mother’s final words echoed in her ears as she fell, perhaps marking her last moment of clarity and the final words spoken with genuine will and emotion.

“Duma!”

“Find the true method to revive the divine!”

“You will do it, Duma, you can certainly do it.”

Duma was terrified by the sight of her mother, completely absorbed by the Abyss. She could never imagine how her deeply devout mother could commit such an act.

“You will do it.”

“Because…”

“You are God’s daughter.”

Duma sank into contemplation, then slowly shook her head.

“I am the daughter of a god?”

“How could that be possible?”

Duma prepared to return, but suddenly felt a strong surge of divine energy from the far side of Moonlight Island.

“What’s happening over there?”

Duma sensed something was wrong and immediately summoned her guard captain.

“Take some people to check it out. It seems someone is fighting with Eagle Demons.”

The guard captain asked, “Is it our people left on the mainland?”

Duma shook her head. “I’m not sure, but since they are enemies of the Eagle Demons, we must certainly rescue them.”

“Besides, they’ve come near Moonlight Island, they must have business with us.”

More and more Eagle Demons gathered in the sky, with patrolling Eagle Demons from the surroundings continuously joining the attacking forces.

The Eagle Demons increased from the initial twenty or thirty to now over forty.

The Avel people had raised all sails and were sailing at full speed.

Those Eagle Demons swooped down from the sky one after another, pursuing around and behind the ship, letting out piercing screeches.

“Kill!” One after another, Snake People took out their weapons, swinging swords, war hammers, and curved blades at the swooping Eagle Demons.

“Block them.” Ordinary Snake People ability users cast petrification divine techniques, forming stone spears to surround and attack the Evil Eye Eagle Demons, who were few in number.

“True Illusion Realm, hold them back.” The Witch Spirits opened their Book of the Witch Spirit, with sheets of ghosts surrounding the ship, dragging ordinary Eagle Demons into illusion realms and killing them, fiercely protecting the great ship.

“Kill all these Abyss races.” Everyone fought in blood, including King Sidi of Avel.

Their commotion grew louder and louder, but what they awaited was not the Winged People they hoped for.

“Screech!”

Again came that wave-like strange Abyss evil technique, drawing everyone’s attention.

The Avel people looked at the sky, their gazes frozen.

Shadowy figures appeared in the distant, hazy clouds of the night. From the shrieks they emitted, it was clear that those approaching were not Winged People but Eagle Demons from the Abyss.

Moreover, those capable of emitting such wave-like evil techniques were apparently another second-rank Evil Eye Eagle Demon.

And the approaching Eagle Demons numbered in the hundreds, far more than just one or two, or even a dozen.

“Where are the Winged People?” The Avel people on the ship couldn’t accept it.

The divine servants holding the Book of the Witch Spirit spoke up, “We’re less than half a day’s sail from Moonlight Island. The Winged People can’t possibly not sense this, especially with such a large-scale Eagle Demon disturbance.”

The general, covered in blood, had never trusted the Winged People and cursed outright, “Are they abandoning us to die? These Winged People have been frightened out of their wits by these monsters.”

“They’re just a bunch of cowards, a bunch of…”

King Sidi of Avel couldn’t believe the Winged People wouldn’t arrive in time at such a close distance, nor could he believe they would truly abandon them to die.

It wasn’t about trusting their character, but a matter of mutual survival.

However, while Eagle Demons from more distant monster legions had arrived, why hadn’t the Winged People?

“Have the Winged People already begun executing that plan, have they all evacuated?”

“Are they no longer on Moonlight Island?”

At least when Yafuan laid out the plan, the Winged People had not yet evacuated.

If the Winged People had completely evacuated just as they were approaching, that could only be called fate.

King Sidi of Avel fell into doubt, his fighting spirit severely dampened.

“If all the Winged People have left, haven’t we completely failed?”

“Failed?”

“No chance left?”

These questions echoed in Sidi’s mind, filling him with self-doubt.

Although Yafuan had a backup plan that could delay the Abyss’s corruption, it would be utterly useless, merely allowing the Avel people to wait for death while struggling on for a few more years.

King Sidi of Avel watched the swarms of black shadows charging down from the distance, feeling a chill throughout his body.

Two second-rank Evil Eye Eagle Demons gathered together in the sky, their evil eyes emitting strange fluctuations as they simultaneously let out shrieks.

“Screech!”

That shriek instantly shattered the True Illusion Realm cast by the lower-rank Witch Spirit and numerous Witch Spirit servants, leaving all the Avel people exposed before the many Eagle Demons without any protection.

The Evil Eye Eagle Demons directly flapped their wings, sending blades of wind cutting down from above, landing directly on the ship.

Hundreds of Eagle Demons swooped down, a dark mass directly engulfing the Avel people’s ship.

Snake People swung their weapons, charging at the Eagle Demons.

Among them, over a dozen Snake People at the forefront were instantly cut open by the wind blades.

Blood and entrails splattered across the entire ship.

The Witch Spirits directly charged forward, becoming entangled with those Evil Eye Eagle Demons.

“Thud~”

Three masts were severed by wind blades, falling directly onto the deck.

King Sidi of Avel had been standing on the upper deck giving commands when a mast crashed down on him, pinning him beneath it.

Although strong and robust, Sidi was still just an ordinary man.

Although this ordinary person symbolized something entirely different, it didn’t change the fact that he had no extraordinary power.

“Your Majesty!” Everyone immediately turned back, looking at the wooden platform crushed by the mast in disbelief.

“Your Majesty!” The commander leaped up and ran directly to him.

The commander, soldiers, and divine servants all looked toward where King Sidi of Avel lay, their eyes filled with disbelief. None could accept the death of King Sidi of Avel.

It was more terrifying than their own deaths.

Sidi had indeed been pinned under the mast, but only his tail was trapped.

He had also been wounded by the impact, with his stomach pierced by a wooden splinter, causing blood to flow from the corner of his mouth.

However, at least he appeared to be conscious.

The commander shouted excitedly, “King Sidi is still alive.”

“The King is alright.”

The Witch Spirits immediately rushed over, using ghosts to form spiritual barriers to protect the surroundings. All the remaining people fought desperately in this corner of the bow.

But everyone could see that they could no longer alter the course toward defeat.

Although King Sidi of Avel’s wounds wouldn’t kill him immediately, in the current situation, he wasn’t far from death.

Above them were swarms of Eagle Demons, and no one on the ship could treat Sidi’s wounds.

Sidi looked at everyone gathered, finally resting his gaze on the general’s face.

He raised his hand, wanting to say something encouraging.

But as the words reached his lips, he could say nothing.

He could only say resignedly, “It seems we’ve lost our bet again.”

Long ago, Sidi believed he was the King of the Avel people, the last direct descendant of the royal bloodline, born to bear this burden.

Being king was glorious, for a king possessed everything.

But suddenly he felt that being a king was truly exhausting.

As he lost blood bit by bit, he felt himself growing weaker. The Witch Spirits were skilled in many divine techniques, but when it came to healing wounds, they lacked expertise.

He could only watch himself inch closer to death and see those fighting for him fall one by one, while he remained immobilized.

The hand he had just raised slowly dropped.

“I am tired.”

“I am truly tired.”

The general looked at the continuous flow of blood from the King of Avel as his hand pressed against the splinter-pierced stomach, doing nothing to help.

Finally, he desperately slammed his fist on the ship’s rail. “Damn it, damn it…”

“Is this fate? Is this that cursed destiny?”

“I don’t accept it! I refuse to accept this wretched fate.”

King Sidi of Avel watched as this tough man finally broke down in tears amid his roars.

“Your Majesty!”

“You must live, live until the very end.”

“We haven’t lost yet, we can still win!”

King Sidi of Avel looked at the general, unable to suppress a bitter smile, “How can we still win?”

The general roared, “I just don’t accept it, I absolutely refuse to accept it.”

“I don’t accept this kind of fate.”

The general drew his sword again and charged toward the Eagle Demons outside. Even in death, he refused to die in such despair.

Watching the general’s back, Sidi suddenly felt an overwhelming unwillingness rising in his heart.

Were the Avel people, just like him, about to disappear in this continental corner beyond Ruhe Beast Island?

With no one to know, no one to remember.

“I also… don’t want to accept this fate!”

“It’s so unfair!”

“I truly… cannot accept this.”

Sidi clenched his fist. He too wanted to charge out like the general, to vent his unwillingness and rage.

But all he could do was feel this deep unwillingness.

King Sidi of Avel looked at the sky. In the darkness, there were only the indistinct shadows of countless Eagle Demons, without a trace of light.

But suddenly a beam of light shone down from the sky, accompanied by a high and cold voice.

“Divine Incantation: Light!”

Under that light, swarms of Eagle Demons dissolved and dissipated.

Those were the Sky Messengers among the Winged People.

Since the Gate of Spirituality fell into the Abyss, the Winged People could no longer give birth to new Sky Messengers. The remaining Sky Messengers among the Winged People were undoubtedly the strongest beings.

And this time, several appeared.

Alongside them came numerous Winged soldiers and Winged ability users.

A fierce battle unfolded in the sky. The Winged People outnumbered the Eagle Demons present, and both sides possessed the ability to fly.

Soon, those Eagle Demons fled in defeat.

The leading Sky Messenger descended from above and approached the wounded King Sidi of Avel.

“King of the Snake People, you are fortunate.”

King Sidi of Avel looked at the Sky Messenger before him and knew he wouldn’t die.

He knew this because the Sky Messengers’ most distinctive divine technique was a radiant power capable of healing wounds and illnesses.

The appearance of the Sky Messenger also meant that the Winged People were still present, at least Winged Queen Duma had not yet left Moonlight Island.

He couldn’t help but laugh heartily, even as he coughed repeatedly and spat blood.

“We won the bet?”

“Hahaha… cough cough cough!”

He looked at those still alive on the ship, “Do you see? This time we won our bet!”

Others began to laugh as well, raising the weapons in their hands high.

“That’s right!”

“We won this time, and we’ll win again next time.”

The Sky Messenger of the Winged People didn’t understand why the Snake King was laughing. What was so amusing?

How could he even laugh at all?

Finally, King Sidi of Avel looked at the Sky Messenger and said, “You’re right, I am indeed fortunate this time. At least this time I am.”

The Avel people’s battered ship docked at Moonlight Island, and Snake People disembarked one after another onto the ground.

King Sidi of Avel’s wounds had healed under the treatment of the radiant divine technique, though he still appeared somewhat pale.

The Sky Messenger stood on the path at the edge of the island. “The Queen wishes to see you.”

Sidi also said, “That is what I want as well.”

Sidi passed through the now-empty Winged City, his heart filled with certainty.

Had they arrived any later, they might truly not have found a trace of the Winged People.

“How truly fortunate.”

“But Yafuan had already anticipated this, hadn’t he? He knew the Winged People were evacuating, but we still had time to catch up with them before their final departure.”

“That’s why he hurriedly divided our forces into three routes to proceed simultaneously rather than sequentially. We had no time left.”

Sidi gained new insight in his heart. “This is truly our last chance.”

With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Sidi arrived at a great hall.

There he met Winged Queen Duma for the first time, and he was incredibly amazed.

He was amazed not only by her God’s Form and exceedingly beautiful appearance but also by the aura of divinity she exuded.

“Divine Child!”

This term immediately sprang to Sidi’s mind.

The Queen on the throne looked at Sidi, “King of the Snake People, what do you intend to do by coming to Moonlight Island?”

Sidi stepped forward and spoke, neither humble nor proud.

“We wish to form an alliance with the Winged People once more, to undertake a very important collaboration.”

Duma shook her head, showing no interest in the collaboration Sidi mentioned, “You came too late. We are already preparing to leave.”

Sidi looked at Duma, still insisting.

“No, we came just in time. The one we wish to collaborate with is you, Queen of the Winged People.”

Duma’s face showed confusion, and King Sidi of Avel continued.

“This is our last chance. And yours as well.”

King Sidi of Avel stepped forward, looking sincerely at Duma.

“The Abyss has descended for nearly twenty years. In these twenty years, you have suffered greatly, as have we.”

“You lost your faith, lost your divine beings.”

“While we lost family, friends, tribesmen, lost the homeland on which we depended for survival.”

“And now we want to reclaim our land and homeland, and we have a way for you to redress the tragedy and mistakes of the past.”

King Sidi of Avel reiterated, “We have a way to allow your corrupted and defiled divine being to return to the realm of gods.”

Duma merely looked at Sidi, remaining silent all along, as if guessing his intentions.

After so many years, her appearance remained unchanged and her expression as indifferent as ever, making it impossible to guess her thoughts.

But whether her heart remained as before, no one knew.

Duma looked at the Snake Person before her with mistrustful eyes. “You seem very confident that I will definitely agree to your request.”

King Sidi of Avel’s gaze met Duma’s and he dropped a bombshell.

“Because… you are a divine child.”

“You are the offspring of the Lord of Radiance, the descendant of a god.”

“Don’t you want to restore the glory of the Lord of Radiance, the divine being of your faith?”

Duma’s eyes finally showed fluctuation. One could even see her rising slightly from her seat.

She had never told anyone about Melde’s final words, so she found it hard to understand how this Snake Person knew them.

“Do you know what you’re saying?”

Sidi continued, “Yafuan once encountered a messenger from the Realm of the Creator God. They were messengers of the gods and knew all the secrets about the divine in this world, including the divine being of your faith, the Lord of Radiance.”

“She told us about the existence of the Lord of Radiance and that you are the offspring of a god.”

“If anyone in this world can redress everything from the past, it would only be you.”

Sidi’s voice grew more fervent, “Queen of the Winged People, you are the descendant of a divine being. You are not an ordinary mortal.”

“You descended into this world with a mission.”

“Perhaps now is the arrival of your mission.”

With that, Sidi presented a letter.

It was a letter from Yafuan to Duma, containing much of the content from Wood Nymph Florrie’s reply.

When Duma finished reading it, one could see her pupils trembling violently.

Duma had heard such words long ago, but she had mostly dismissed them as the ravings of her mother Melde after she went mad.

But now this letter actually confirmed it.

She didn’t believe that mortals could fabricate such information, given their limited perspective and knowledge.

Duma held the letter and raised her head, her cold voice showing a trace of fluctuation, “What do you want to do?”

King Sidi of Avel smiled. Although Duma hadn’t directly agreed with these words, in his view, she had already agreed.