Chapter 27: The Threefold Truth and a Divine Offer

“You’re not allowed to swear!”

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and I collapsed weakly into Su Yingning’s embrace, compelled to nod in agreement with the oppressive force.

The enigmatic voice, seemingly oblivious to the small incident that had just transpired between us, continued its narrative.

“In this great battle, my Divine Race lost eight hundred Saint-tier cultivators, three thousand Quasi-Saints, and hundreds of millions of our kin,” it recounted.

“Though our losses were far less severe than those of the Human and Demonic Races, we, who could have remained neutral, paid an immense price for this conflict.”

“It was a testament to our utmost benevolence, and even I was sealed away by that demonic creature.”

“If the two of you can appreciate the Divine Race’s profound efforts, please descend and draw the sword from the stone beside me.”

“The Divine Race will forever remember your kindness, and this divine sword shall be yours to command.”

“You’re full of nonsense!”

“You’re full of nonsense!”

“Hmph.”

The mysterious male let out a cold snort, then fell silent.

“Will you speak first, or shall I?”

A heroic female voice, laced with bone-chilling frost and palpable resentment, cut through the air.

“You may go first,” the alluring female voice replied.

“Very well… Adventurers, do not believe a single word of that fellow’s drivel.”

“Do you truly know that the Divine Race played no honorable part in that war either?”

‘This quest is proving to be quite intricate,’ I mused.

‘It seems all three factions have their own version of events.’

Yet, the more complex a quest, the greater the rewards it promises!

In the realm of gaming, effort and recompense are always inextricably linked!

“This talk of Demigod advancement is nothing but a fabrication!”

“Even a Demigod could not possibly defeat the combined might of all Saint-tier cultivators in the world single-handedly.”

“Without a doubt, that Nine-Tailed Demonic Fox was merely a pawn, a convenient smokescreen!”

“In the shadows, someone was clandestinely exploiting the chaos, covertly aiding her in her massacre!”

“In that war, the Demonic Race initiated the calamity, while our Human Race suffered the greatest losses.”

“The Demon Race, meanwhile, remained isolated in another dimension.”

“Tell me, then, who truly profited from the discord, like a fisherman lurking behind the scenes?”

The heroic female voice was brimming with heart-wrenching hatred.

“You must be aware of how the Divine Race advances their power, aren’t you…”

“That’s right, through bloodlines!”

“In truth, the actual story of that war is that the Divine Race conspired with the Demonic Race to secretly open the gates of the Demon Realm!”

“The Demonic Race’s objective was to elevate the Nine-Tailed Demonic Fox to god-tier status!”

“As for the Divine Race, they coveted the ancient divine blood preserved within the Demon Realm!”

“The Divine Race audaciously plotted to exploit the Demonic Race’s blood sacrifice as an opportunity to breach the Demon Realm’s entrance.”

“They intended to siphon the stored blood from the Demon Realm to augment their own power, and once they had drained it of all value, they would reseal the Demon Race.”

“Heh, who could have foreseen that they would grossly overestimate their own capabilities, and their scheme would spectacularly backfire!”

“With the Demon Gate flung wide open, their feeble Divine Race proved utterly incapable of suppressing the invasion!”

“The land, already scarred and ravaged by that demonic fox, was once again plunged into utter devastation by the demonic incursion!”

“It was only when the three races eventually united to confront the enemy that our very foundations were barely preserved!”

“Yet, there is no doubt… our Human Race was the most innocent, and suffered the most grievous losses!”

“And all of this, every bit of it, was due to the selfishness of the Demonic and Divine Races!”

“You, Human adventurer over there, draw the sword from the stone beside me, and I shall take you as my personal disciple!”

“I will guarantee your advancement all the way to the Saint-tier!”

“I will impart to you every combat technique I possess!”

“The Human Race will not be like the despicable Divine Race, offering only vague and ethereal promises of favor.”

“I, in the name of a Human Saint-tier cultivator, swear that our Human Race will never go back on its word!”

‘A Saint-tier cultivator!’

Su Yingning’s face was clearly etched with wavering resolve.

‘A Saint-tier cultivator represented an existence above level 180!’

According to the game’s lore, the combined total of Saint-tier cultivators across all three races on the entire continent of Aethel (TL Note: 亚德尔 is romanized as Yader, but Aethel sounds more fantasy-like and fitting for a continent name) was fewer than ten.

Yet now, it seemed three living, breathing ones were hidden right before our eyes!

Being guaranteed a path to Saint-tier meant that Su Yingning would have absolutely no worries about class advancement before reaching level 180!

What might be a career bottleneck for others, holding them back for weeks or even months, would for her be nothing more than a sheet of paper, easily pierced through!

With sufficient experience, she could soar directly from a humble warrior to a Saint Warrior!

Su Yingning was clearly on the verge of leaping into the great pit to draw the sword.

However, I quickly grabbed the corner of her robe.

“Don’t rush,” I cautioned, “there’s still one more to hear from.”

****

“Hahahahaha, the Divine Race, the Human Race… a pair of ungrateful wretches!”

“Our noble Demonic King (TL Note: 妖王 literally means ‘Demon King,’ but ‘Demonic King’ or ‘Beast King’ fits the context of a race, and ‘Demonic’ aligns with the previous ‘Demonic Fox’ and ‘Demonic Race’) would need to join forces with the Divine Race?”

“What a joke! Utterly ridiculous!”

The alluring female voice, imbued with unparalleled candor, arrogance, and a hint of almost imperceptible grievance, declared:

“Princess Sheng (TL Note: 笙 is a Chinese musical instrument, ‘Sheng,’ often used as a name. ‘Princess Sheng’ sounds more regal and fitting for a Demonic King title), is the most affable and peace-loving Demonic King the Demonic Race has ever known!”

“Not only Princess Sheng herself, but the entire Fox Clan has always served as the intellectual vanguard and socialites, maintaining the stability and harmony of the Demonic Race.”

“They are also our diplomatic envoys, liaising with foreign nations.”

“Indeed, numerous members of our clan have previously been awarded the [Aethel Peace Prize of the Year], the [Aethel Continent Outstanding Contribution Award for Construction of the Year], the [Aethel Outstanding Female Diplomat Award of the Year], as well as the [Aethel Scientific Development Award], the [Aethel Literary Award], and the [Aethel Best Actress Award]!”

“They are the very pride of our Demonic Race!”

“These two factions have only spoken of events leading up to the opening of the Demon Gate, yet they have both deliberately avoided mentioning the war against the Demon Race!”

“Do you know why this is? What are they so afraid to reveal?”

“Do you know where Princess Sheng went after the Demon Realm’s gates were opened?”

“Do you know why the Demon Race, once feared to the bone by Aethel’s three races, became so utterly vulnerable?”

“To the point where they are now mere training dummies for adventurers?”

The alluring female voice suddenly swelled with immense pride.

“Because of Princess Sheng!”

“In her Transcendent God (TL Note: 化神之躯 ‘Hua Shen Zhi Qu’ literally means ‘body of transformation into god’, implying a divine or god-like form. ‘Transcendent God’ or ‘Deified Form’ captures the essence of elevated power) form, she, a single demon, carved a path straight through the Demon Gate!”

“She plunged into the Demon Realm itself!”

“And single-handedly suppressed all Saint-tier and Demigod-level Greater Demons within the Demon Realm!”

“You, human warrior over there, and you, little demon beside them whom I cannot clearly perceive,”

“If either of you chooses to draw the sword by my side, I shall bestow upon her a complete set of divine artifacts!”

[Hidden Discovery: The Mysterious Voice’s Story has been completed.]

[Discovery Sequel Activated: Please follow the discovery prompts and make your decision. (Choose carefully, as this will affect your quest progression and determine your quest completion and final rewards.)]