The old, weak, sick, and disabled
Standing atop volcanic rock layers in an unfamiliar Plane, the surrounding deathly silence was suffocating.
There was not a sound in the world; the wind was still, the rock was cold, and every inch of land as far as the eye could see exuded utter desolation. Lu Heng steadied himself, not in a hurry to move, his brow furrowed slightly, and slowly spread out his spiritual power.
An invisible wave of perception spread outwards from its center, layer upon layer, sweeping across the undulating volcanic rock formations, the deep and crisscrossing surface fissures, and the vast, desolate highlands.
The range of perception continued to expand, eventually encompassing the entire wilderness within sight.
The place was completely empty.
There was no warm, living energy, no restless energy from demons, no heartbeat of lurking alien races, and not even the life force of the most basic insects or moss could be sensed.
The entire area was deathly silent.
A strange light flashed in Lu Heng's eyes, and a sense of disbelief arose in his heart.
This is a complete Plane, the Green Demon's Origin World that has repeatedly invaded human territory and spawned countless war forces. Logically speaking, even if the environment is harsh, it should be full of alien creatures and fraught with hidden dangers, not a barren and desolate place like this.
Extreme silence is far more unsettling than widespread carnage.
This also provides a more direct indication of the world's decay.
This place is no longer a suitable Plane for the survival of any race. All vitality, resources, and heritage have been almost completely exhausted, leaving only a desolate shell on the verge of collapse.
The volcanic highlands where he was standing were high up, surrounded by crumbling and weathered rocky mountains, offering no place to hide and no value for exploration.
After briefly confirming that there was no immediate danger in the surroundings, Lu Heng did not linger and steadily walked towards the low-lying wasteland below.
Footsteps crunched on the rough, hard rock, producing a faint, monotonous grinding sound that was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence of the world.
The entire descent was silent and deserted, with no people, no sounds, no scenery, and no movement.
After trekking for two or three hours, Lu Heng was completely away from the cluster of volcanoes, and the landscape beneath his feet gradually changed.
The charred volcanic rocks gradually diminished, replaced by vast expanses of land hardened by magma.
As the line of sight extends, the original appearance of this area can be clearly seen.
This area was once a vast, continuous forest with lush vegetation, making it an excellent habitat.
But now everything has been destroyed.
Countless violent Plane upheavals and magma eruptions have utterly destroyed the entire forest. Scalding lava has blanketed the land, burying vegetation, covering the soil, and burning away all life.
As time passed, the magma cooled and solidified, completely sealing the former forest beneath the hard rock layers.
The remaining scattered tree trunks stood crookedly on the ground, charred and carbonized, their branches cracked and mottled. In this vast area, very few trees were fortunate enough not to be completely burned. The vast majority of the trees were bare, with only a few treetops clinging to a few withered, brittle leaves, teetering on the verge of collapse, too weak even to sway in the wind.
Everywhere you look is the devastation of destruction, utterly desolate.
Lu Heng continued walking along the solidified magma surface without stopping.
All that could be seen along the way was desolation. The earth was devoid of living water, green grass, and any signs of new life; there was only endless blackness and death. It was hard to imagine that such a world, on the verge of complete extinction, could repeatedly gather its forces and cross boundaries to invade humanity's territory.
This also gives a glimpse into the struggles and madness of the Green Demon clan.
With no means of livelihood in their homeland, they had no choice but to take desperate measures, plundering resources from elsewhere and fighting to the death for survival.
After trekking for a long time, passing through vast stretches of withered, black wasteland, a different hue finally appeared in the distance.
A patch of low, sparse woodland stands alone in the middle of the wasteland.
Compared to the surrounding desolate, carbonized land devoid of life, this woodland has barely survived. The trees are not tall, their branches are thin and twisted, their leaves are dark and gray, and their growth is weak and feeble, but they are the only patches of green vegetation visible in this desolate world.
This is the only remaining piece of land in the entire area that can provide shelter and preserve resources.
Without hesitation, Lu Heng strode straight into the remaining forest.
The forest was dimly lit, the air damp and murky, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible, foreign, fishy smell.
The moment their feet stepped into the woods, several short figures suddenly sprang out from behind the silent vegetation, blocking their path.
It's the Green Demon.
Lu Heng glanced over the area and immediately understood the entire situation.
The Green Demon before them were thin and emaciated, with dull, loose skin and slender, weak limbs, showing no signs of combat power. They were neither elite warriors who had invaded Moonview Valley, nor mages who cast spells, nor Priest who performed sacrifices; they were all elderly, frail, physically disabled, and devoid of combat strength.
They looked terrified, their limbs tense, their eyes filled with extreme vigilance and fear, staring intently at Lu Heng who had suddenly intruded, but dared not launch an attack rashly.
Before Lu Heng could make another move, several old and weak Green Demon tacitly turned to the side, hunching over, using their withered bodies to desperately block the depths of the forest behind them. Their movements were hurried and flustered, deliberately concealing something, unwilling to let outsiders see even a trace of it.
Noticing their deliberate concealment, Lu Heng frowned slightly, and his mental energy penetrated through the gaps between the sparse branches and their bodies, probing the area behind them.
The next second, the scene inside the forest came into clear view.
Behind the old and weak Green Demon, a group of tiny young Green Demon huddled together.
These cubs were still very young, unable to even stand steadily, huddled timidly among the dead leaves and tree roots in the woodland, bewildered and cowardly, completely lacking the ferocity and aggression of the adult Green Demon.
Everything became clear in an instant.
This Plane is completely depleted, resources are exhausted, and vast tracts of land are barren.
Of the vast territory, only this small patch of remnant forest remains, barely sustaining a meager existence and preserving a few resources for survival.
This group of abandoned, old, weak Green Demon, along with their young, are desperately guarding this last refuge.
They have no fighting power, no way to retreat, and no room to migrate. They can only huddle in this broken forest, barely surviving on the meager resources they have left.
Seeing the scene before him, Lu Heng felt no emotion whatsoever, nor did he feel the slightest pity.
One's stance has already determined everything.
In the previous Plane invasions, the dead human survivors, the annihilated wilderness creatures, and the blood-stained Mist Forest, there was no right or wrong, only the conflict between races and the struggle for survival.
Now that the tide of battle has turned, he is no longer a passive defender, but an aggressor actively invading the enemy's Plane.
This battle that transcends two realms was destined from the moment the Portal opened; it was unavoidable and could not be tolerated.
Even if the opponent is reduced to only the old, weak, and young, they are still part of the Green Demon race. Showing mercy today will allow these young to grow up and the Plane to recover, eventually turning them into a sharp blade that will devour human territory.
There is no need to hesitate.
Lu Heng's gaze was cold and resolute, and his aura was deep and composed.
In the instant of a slight thought, the Blood Taisui, dormant deep underground, suddenly awoke.
Fine, dark red Mycelium silently spreads out from beneath the soil, without any movement or sound, clinging to the ground, tree roots, and rock crevices of the woodland, quietly spreading outwards.
The Mycelium spreads extremely quickly, encircling the area layer by layer and sealing off all entrances and exits to the remaining forest.
The path ahead, the path behind, the gaps in the forest to the side—all possible escape routes were blocked by a dense network of blood vessels.
The old and weak Green Demon in the forest seemed to sense the danger lurking underground. They became even more panicked, emitting sharp, shrill cries, and instinctively shielded their cubs in the center, trembling with fear.
But they were already deeply surrounded.
Under Lu Heng's absolute control, this group of weak and dying alien races had no chance of escaping.
This one-sided crackdown is already doomed to failure.