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At the same time, the beastmen forces gained an Abyssal Dragon King whose power nearly surpassed that of the Golden Dragon. During the battle when Celestial Knight Catherine was severely wounded, the newly transformed Demon Dragon Dongye single-handedly pursued the dragon-mounted knights of Sacred Dragon Mountain for over a thousand kilometers, only stopping when nearing Sacred Dragon Mountain itself. Nearly a quarter of the dragon-mounted knights were annihilated during the chase, demonstrating his combat prowess, which surpassed even veteran Sword Saints such as the Blade Saint and Flame Saint. Moreover, this Demon Dragon had been deceitfully taken from Sacred Dragon Mountain by the werewolf lord under the guise of the temple's authority, a fact that filled humans with rage whenever it was mentioned.

After this battle, humanity made various military deployments to prepare for future uncertainties.

First, the young mastermind behind the entire operation, Enrico Willy Yang, secured the unanimous support of three young Saint-level warriors—Celestial Knight Tan Yueer, Carol the Tide Knight, and Xian Lan the Tide Knight—as well as the new Pope Xi Luo. He was appointed marshal of the southern front of the human coalition, commanding nearly one-third of its forces. Had the royal family of the mercenary empire not feared this commoner-born youth monopolizing power and threatening their interests, the entire southern front might have fallen under the command of this miraculous prodigy.

Second, an exodus from Sacred Dragon Mountain began. Led by the five Dragon Emperor Knights, elite forces such as the Flying Dragon Beast Corps, the Land Drake Heavy Armor Corps, and the Dragon Speech Mage Corps joined the human ranks. Sacred Dragon Mountain harbored countless hidden experts and centuries of accumulated research on dragons, now openly sharing alchemical achievements and war machinery with humanity, solidifying the eastern front.

Meanwhile, Celestial Knight Tan Yueer represented the Yellow Dragon Empire in diplomatic missions to the aquatic races, though the exact agreements remained unknown. Upon her return, however, she brought two hydras and over a thousand merfolk spellcasters to the southern human coalition.

Other internal adjustments among humans remained unclear.

Yet, for Chen Xuanfeng at this moment, none of this mattered.

Seven days had passed. Throughout these seven days, his hands had never left his wife's body for even a moment, his Nine Yin True Energy surging forth like an unending torrent to sustain the faintest spark of life in Catherine. His profound cultivation allowed him to go without food, drink, or sleep, but he knew all too well that Catherine's injuries showed no signs of improvement, while his own energy had begun to wane.

Perhaps he could hold on for another ten days, or even a month. But without finding another way to heal Catherine, it would all be meaningless. Yet in her current state, she couldn't absorb any medicine, and her body as a Sword Saint still rejected healing magic.

Faced with such a dilemma, anyone would be at a loss.

Many had been working tirelessly to save Catherine, forming a stellar assembly: the King of the Undead, master of countless necromantic arts; Jin Luosha, the foremost master of holy light magic; the artificial girl You Li Jia, keeper of the Twelve Sages' knowledge; the newly transformed Demon Dragon Dongye, bearer of the Abyssal Dragon King's legacy; along with human and dark elf mages from Fontainebleau and borrowed master mages from the elven kingdom—representing over seventy percent of the continent's knowledge systems. Yet, all Chen Xuanfeng received were repeated failures over the seven days.

Deep twilight enveloped the entire Qingcheng Fortress. As the last crimson light in the corridor faded into gloom, only the silhouette of Chen Xuanfeng cradling his wife remained in the vast shadows.

...If, if in the end, I still can't wake you, Catherine, then let us vanish into the void together...

Chen Xuanfeng gazed silently at his wife's face that seemed merely asleep.

...Did you know, Catherine? Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic, after his wife was killed because of me, his only wish was to descend into the sea embracing her corpse. Though I always hoped to walk a different path from my master—even betraying him for it—it seems I am still his disciple after all...

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if attempting a bitter smile, but no smile came.

...But my master didn't die, because his daughter was born before his wife passed away. To raise her, he had to endure the pain of living on. Sadly, our child hasn't been born yet. Though I can feel the pulse of its life within you, Catherine, if you can't wake up, I won't let it be born. Our family of three will reunite in hell instead...

"So, Catherine, I beg you... please wake up... please wake up..."

His inner monologue unconsciously spilled out as a pained murmur. Compared to physical exhaustion, the werewolf lord's mental torment was far more devastating—heartache, guilt, despair—making him doubly aware of the agony his master Huang Yaoshi had endured. Unlike his master, however, his nature prevented him from redirecting this torment through blame; the soul-rending agony was his alone to bear.

Thus, in just seven days, Chen Xuanfeng's once-silver hair had turned as brittle as withered grass, his face ashen and lifeless. Were it not for the faint glimmer in his eyes, he might have been mistaken for a corpse.

Time crept forward. Blue moonlight streamed through the doorway, casting an ethereal azure haze over the empty room, shrouding everything in silent tranquility.

Only when the night had fully passed, and the golden dawn light once again split the horizon, did footsteps echo once more in the corridor outside.

"Brother..."

The voice of the holy maiden, Jin Luosha, pierced the room's oppressive atmosphere. Though her mood was far from light, her arrival still breathed vitality into the space.

Of course, accompanying her was a chaotic aura of death—belonging to the King of the Undead.

Though Chen Xuanfeng had sensed the arrival of the two master mages long before, it wasn't until they had entered and stood there for a while that he slowly raised his head.