Destruction

It was just dawn.

The pale light of dawn fell into Moonview Valley, devoid of sunrise or bright colors, merely softening the deep black of the night. The wind in the valley was gentle, brushing against the rock walls, stirring up a bit of dust before quickly settling back down. The entire territory maintained its long-standing tranquility, without any unusual activity or the approaching presence of demons; everything was operating within its established course.

Lu Heng woke up quietly.

There were no emotional ups and downs, no pre-battle tension, just the natural awakening that came with time. Sleep brought him no chaotic dreams, only pure rest. The fatigue from days of sword practice and battles in the Mist Forest slowly settled away that night. He didn't stay in bed any longer; he got up and stepped barefoot onto the cool stone surface of the Stone Chamber. The stone walls were damp with a faint moisture, the same temperature that remained constant deep within Moonview Valley.

He carefully donned his gear, piece by piece: shoulder pads, waist belt, reinforced leather armor. He ran his fingertips over every buckle to make sure they were secure and wouldn't come loose during a fight. The Star Blade rested at his side, the scabbard rubbing against the belt with a low, muffled thud. Starlight seemed to gleam within the blade, lying dormant, waiting for its moment to be drawn.

When we stepped out of the Stone Chamber, the machinery in the valley was already in operation.

The Mech-Driven Butler stood in the center of the platform, its metal casing covered with a thin layer of dust, a mark left by long periods of inactivity. It didn't need to operate at high speed constantly; most of the time it remained in low-power standby mode, only activating all modules when an unfamiliar presence appeared at the territory's boundary. Several attack robots were scattered at fixed locations: the valley entrance, the hidden rock wall behind, and behind cover on the flank of the Shelter. Their cannons were slightly tilted outwards, their mechanical joints locked, ready to fire at any moment.

These are things he painstakingly assembled and debugged by gradually gathering resources.

Lu Heng walked up to the Robot Butler, his voice calm and even, without raising it or trying to make it sound tragic.

"I'm leaving. I'll use Plane teleportation."

"All combat units are locked at maximum defense clearance. Defend Moonview Valley and do not venture out."

He knew perfectly well what this trip meant.

In the Green Demon's world, no one truly knows his secrets. The attack he unleashed from the Portal still lingers in his memory; the force that pierced through flesh and soul is something he doesn't want to experience again. This battle is unavoidable; he must go through it. The worst outcome would be to be buried in that unfamiliar Plane.

Even if he dies there, Moonview Valley cannot fall into the hands of anyone, whether it's other survivors or intruders from Green Demon's side. These robots are his last line of defense. As long as the core program is not destroyed, they will endlessly block all intruders until the machines are completely destroyed.

After explaining the machinery, he turned and walked towards the cultivation area.

The Mutant Bloodthirsty Vine took root in a patch of fertile, modified soil within the valley. Its tendrils didn't spread wildly outwards; its roots were firmly embedded deep within the soil. It remained dormant most of the time, only suddenly springing forth when a strange creature entered its area. Lu Heng's mind stirred, and a wisp of the Blood Taisui's aura gently reached out, connecting with the vine.

No need for lengthy instructions.

There was only one simple thought: to stay here.

The Bloodthirsty Vine trembled very slightly, then quickly returned to calm and continued to lie buried in the soil, forming an invisible defensive line.

Next is the Stone Chamber for storage.

On the wooden shelf were the lotus seeds of the purified lotus that had been collected over the past few days and specially stored away.

The Purifying Water Lotus is growing steadily in the cultivation pond of Moonview Valley. The Lotus Seed it produces are excellent for strengthening the body and preserving life. When one's mind is exhausted or one's body is injured, consuming them can stabilize the injury and slowly restore strength. In the cloth bag next to it are dried herbs, some to stop bleeding, some to suppress toxins, and several packets of powder to relieve dizziness caused by excessive mental exertion.

Lu Heng didn't take a detailed inventory. He reached out and gathered all the items—the earthenware jar containing lotus seeds, various medicine bags—and stuffed them into his personal storage pouch. The pouch was pressed tightly against his chest, making it less likely to break during a fight. The Pure Water Lotus seeds were of paramount importance; they were his life-saving trump card. If he were seriously injured over there, he could abandon other supplies, but he had to preserve the lotus seeds.

After he finished packing, he walked out of the open space in front of the Shelter.

The air suddenly distorted slightly.

There was no roar, no blinding light; the surrounding light merely swayed slightly as an outline slowly took shape in mid-air. Faint, translucent patterns unfolded layer by layer, outlining a vertical doorway. The texture of the spatial fluctuations was exactly the same as when I traversed the World Fragment. It wasn't an illusion constructed out of thin air, but a stable Plane passage.

The Portal stood there quietly, waiting for him to step through.

Lu Heng stood at the door, not lingering for long, without repeatedly weighing the pros and cons. He had prepared all the necessary contingency plans and packed away the life-saving supplies he could carry. The defenses of Moonview Valley were complete, and he had no other worries.

He took a step and stepped inside.

The feeling of weightlessness came quickly, not like a violent tug, but more like the solid ground beneath my feet simply vanished. Everything in my vision melted into a blurry gray, space swirled around me, and I couldn't hear a sound. This process was very short, too short to make any defensive movements. The next second, my feet were back on the hard, rough rock.

He steadied himself and looked around.

The first thing you see is an endless, deathly stillness.

In the distance lie massive volcanic remains. They have long since ceased erupting; their craters have collapsed and cracked, their edges jagged, the rocks a dark, somber red mixed with charred black. There is no billowing smoke, no flowing lava, not even a hint of heat. Just rows of dead volcanoes, lying forlornly on the cracked earth.

The ground is covered with large, cracked slabs of rock. The cracks are deep, dark and bottomless, and the rock layers are twisted and distorted, as if this land had once endured a tremendous tearing. The wind blows out from the cracks, dry and hard, without moisture, and carries the chill of cooled rocks as it brushes against the skin.

Looking around, there was not a trace of life in sight.

This is not a localized fragmented space, nor is it a single area of distortion.

It is the complete Green Demon Plane.

Lu Heng slowly channeled his spiritual energy to sense the pulse of this world.

There was no flowing vitality, no slowly circulating earth energy; all the forces that should have nourished all things were continuously dissipating and drying up. The earth was like a slowly cooling corpse, gradually losing the foundation that supported its operation. This was not just a temporary destruction caused by war; the world itself was slowly heading towards destruction.

There were no chirping insects, no sounds of low-level monsters wandering around, and not even a trace of mutated vegetation could be found. Even in the most dangerous wilderness, there would be sounds of the survival of the fittest, but this place was different; it was completely silent.

No wonder the Green Demon spared no expense in opening a passage and desperately invading the Mist Forest and the human-occupied areas.

Their homeland could no longer support their people, and they could no longer plunder resources from outside, so they could only perish along with this dying Plane.

Lu Heng stood still on the rock strata, the weight of the Star Blade pressing against his waist.

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

Countless unknown dangers lurk deep within this desolate volcanic wasteland, awaiting any visitor who ventures into this place.