Global Demon King: Starting as the Abyssal Dragon

“Alright, since you’ve said so, you can come with us,” Zhang Nu finally agreed. “We’ll do our best to protect you, but if anything happens, make sure to stay behind us.”

Lin Xiao looked at them with a mix of confusion and frustration. These two still didn’t believe him. They hadn’t taken his words seriously, nor did they fully recognize his strength.

“Are you even listening to me?” Lin Xiao asked, his tone sharp. “I don’t need your protection. I can take care of myself.”

Zhang Nu and Liu Hai exchanged a glance, then nodded absentmindedly. They assumed Lin Xiao was just trying to reassure them and didn’t give his protest much thought.

“It doesn’t matter,” Zhang Nu said. “You don’t have to do anything. We’ve already decided to bring you with us. If anything happens, just stay behind us. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Hearing this, Lin Xiao sighed, feeling completely deflated. Why didn’t Zhang Nu trust him to handle himself? Was it because of what happened when the Tree of Life’s power had backfired on him? He suffered then because the Tree’s power was overwhelming, not because he was weak. Now, with that same power integrated into his body, he could control it freely. He wouldn’t be so easily hurt again.

Deciding it wasn’t worth arguing anymore, Lin Xiao let it go. He figured they’d see his true strength eventually. There was no need to rush. And so, the three of them left the beautiful village behind and began their journey.

Not long after they left, the woman in red appeared once more. She stood where they had departed, watching their backs as they disappeared into the distance. A sly smile spread across her face, wild and untamed. Her mind was clearly working on something, though what exactly she planned remained a mystery.

In the blink of an eye, the woman vanished from the village, while Zhang Nu, Liu Hai, and Lin Xiao continued on their journey.

……

Before long, they reached a mountain shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. The air was thick with an ominous energy that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.

“This mountain doesn’t look peaceful at all,” Zhang Nu muttered. “We need to move quickly. If anything happens, Lin Xiao, make sure to stay behind me and Liu Hai.”

Lin Xiao nodded but didn’t bother trying to explain himself anymore. One day, Zhang Nu would see his true strength. When that time came, he wouldn’t need to explain anything—his actions would speak for themselves.

Zhang Nu and Liu Hai led the way, carefully scanning their surroundings as if expecting a demon or monster to jump out at any moment.

Just as they thought they could cross the mountain without incident, a chilling sound echoed from the nearby forest. It was a mournful cry, sharp and eerie, sending shivers down their spines. The sound wasn’t like anything they’d heard before—it was unsettling, almost inhuman.

“What the hell is that?” Liu Hai muttered, his voice trembling. “Why does it sound so eerie? It’s making my skin crawl.”

Zhang Nu nodded, swallowing hard. The cry filled him with an inexplicable fear, one that seemed to claw at his very soul. Curiosity might have driven them forward on another day, but this time, their instincts screamed at them to leave.

“I think we should get out of here,” Zhang Nu said firmly. “It’s already nightfall, and this place is filled with ominous energy. Moving on is the safest choice.”

Liu Hai and Lin Xiao agreed, and the three decided to ignore the cries and continue forward. But as they moved farther from the forest, the sound followed them, echoing just as close as before.

“We’ve left the forest, haven’t we?” Liu Hai asked, panic creeping into his voice. “So why can we still hear the crying? How is it in front of us now?”

Zhang Nu’s grip on his weapon tightened as he swallowed nervously. His eyes darted to the shadows, expecting something to leap out at them at any moment.

Lin Xiao, on the other hand, looked at the two men with mild amusement.

“Are you two seriously this scared?” he asked, shaking his head. “It’s just the wind rustling the treetops. There’s nothing there.”