All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

The stone-paved streets of the Holy Empire's capital were as smooth as mirrors, reflecting the majestic palaces and buildings on both sides.

Karen's squad of five marched along the stone-paved path toward the Hall of Regents. The clanging of their armor against the stone slabs was particularly clear in the quiet streets of the royal capital.

The guards along the way stood at attention on both sides, their eyes respectful yet wary as they observed them. These guards were all elite soldiers of the empire, their bodies surrounded by a faint holy light, clearly indicating that they had undergone rigorous training.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, behind the Demon King Yue Gui, within the core of the divine spear, Wei Yu's remnant soul stood silently.

The faint ripple of Ella's demise clearly entered his senses, carrying with it an indomitable will and the final glory of a hero.

Wei Yu remained silent, a touch of emotion stirring within him.

He was a sentinel of Earth's will, traversing the gaps between countless worlds, witnessing countless life-and-death separations, and the rise and fall of countless races. But never before had he been so deeply moved by the steadfastness of an old man from another world.

Despite her past cowardice and attempts to escape, Ella rediscovered her courage as a hero in her final moments. To protect the world and to end her destiny, she resolutely faced her former captain.

It turns out that every world has its own steadfast guardians.

They may not be strong enough, and they may feel lost and hesitant, but they always step forward at crucial moments, using their flesh and blood to uphold the peace of their region. Just like Ella, just like the hero team of yesteryear, and just like Karen and the others who are now heading to the Hall of Rulers.

Wei Yu tried to manipulate his soul's fluctuations, hoping to perceive more about the steadfastness and bonds of this world, but the power of his remnant soul was too weak, and he could only remain futilely within the divine spear, silently witnessing everything.

Meanwhile, on the ruins of the village.

Yue Gui stood amidst the chaos, the bloodstains on his divine spear gradually drying, the black and red patterns returning to their dormant state. He gazed in the direction where Ella had perished, his eyes filled with complex emotions, remaining motionless for a long time.

Ella was his only teammate a hundred years ago, and she was the last connection he had with "The Return of the Brave" in this world.

Now, that bond has also disappeared.

"Your Majesty." The three chief officers, Lust, Pride, and Death, led the remaining vanguard troops and arrived, kneeling on one knee with a respectful tone, "The vanguard troops have been counted and request instructions."

Yue Gui slowly withdrew his gaze, the black mist around him churning, and the demonic energy once again turning icy cold. That fleeting trace of melancholy was replaced by overwhelming hatred and determination.

"Pass down the order." Yue Gui's voice was deep, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Full army, full speed ahead! Destination—the capital of the Holy Empire!"

"Yes!" the three cadres responded in unison, their voices filled with enthusiasm.

Yue Gui said no more, leaping into the air, his black robe fluttering in the wind. The divine spear on his back trembled slightly, and a powerful demonic energy erupted from his body, forming a black wave that swept over him and sped towards the capital.

"Generals, follow me and clear the way!" With an arrogant shout, his demonic energy surged, transforming into a giant demonic wolf that carried dozens of demonic generals as he followed Yue Gui away.

With a soft laugh, Eros condensed countless pink demonic threads at his fingertips, binding thousands of demonic soldiers around him. As the threads moved, they carried the demonic soldiers through the air at a remarkable speed.

Death brandished his bone staff, chanting necromancy. The earth trembled, and countless skeletal horses emerged from the ground, carrying undead soldiers and demonic archers, forming a black cavalry that galloped toward the capital.

Gluttony continued to circle around from behind, and after two failures, he had become a logistics person—no, a demon.

Hundreds of thousands of demon kings, led by the three chief officers and numerous generals, unleashed their demonic energy. Some flew through the air, some rode demonic creatures, and some ran wildly on the demonic energy.

A black torrent swept across the land, demonic energy blotting out the sun. Wherever it passed, vegetation withered and living beings fled, rapidly approaching the capital of the Holy Empire.

The roars of the demon soldiers, the howls of the monsters, and the howls of demonic energy intertwined to form a terrifying war song that resounded throughout the heavens and earth, foreshadowing a devastating war that was about to descend upon the capital.

The hall of state was solemn and dignified.

The golden dome, inlaid with countless gems, emitted a soft light that illuminated everything inside the hall. On both sides of the hall stood the empire's civil and military officials, dressed in magnificent robes, their eyes solemn, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

Karen's team of five stood in the center of the hall, facing the emperor seated above.

The emperor, clad in a gilded dragon-patterned robe, possessed a dignified face and sharp eyes, exuding a subtle aura of royalty. He silently surveyed Karen and the others, his gaze settling on the hero's token in Karen's hand, and slowly spoke: "Hero Karen, you have abruptly requested an audience, claiming urgent military intelligence. What is it?"

Karen stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, Demon King Yuegui has led hundreds of thousands of demon troops and is rushing towards the capital at full speed. It is estimated that they will be at the city gates in less than three hours!"

"What?!"

As Karen finished speaking, the hall erupted in chaos. The faces of the civil and military officials changed drastically, and they began whispering amongst themselves, their eyes filled with shock and fear.

"How could the Demon King's army have arrived so quickly? Wasn't Hammer City still putting up a resistance?"

"Hundreds of thousands of troops! The capital's garrison only numbers 100,000; they simply cannot withstand them!"

"Your Majesty, please ask the Goddess for help! Only the Goddess can stop the Demon King Yuegui!"

The officials' discussions grew louder, and the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly chaotic. The emperor's expression also turned solemn; his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his dragon throne as he fell into deep thought.

Karen and the others remained silent, not saying a word.

They didn't mention a word about the truth regarding the goddess's manipulation of the nobles and her betrayal of Yuegui. Firstly, they lacked concrete evidence, and speaking rashly would only be seen by the officials as uttering nonsense to slander the goddess; secondly, the emperor had close ties with the nobles and the goddess's faction, and alerting them would put them in a passive position.

They could only inform the empire of the Demon King's army's impending attack so that it could prepare its defenses, and then secretly search for evidence to uncover the truth.

"Silence!" The emperor shouted in a low voice, which was not loud but carried a powerful majesty, and the hall instantly fell silent.

The emperor stood up, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials, and said in a deep voice, "Issue my decree: immediately summon all the city's garrison, reinforce the city walls, and activate all defensive magic arrays!"

"Furthermore, send messengers at top speed to the Divine Realm to request the Goddess to dispatch a divine messenger to assist us!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Two military officers stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and replied in a deep voice. They then turned and quickly walked out of the hall to convey the imperial decree.

The Emperor's gaze fell on Karen and the others again, his tone softening slightly: "Hero Karen, thank you for bringing the news in time. The defense of the capital will rely heavily on your hero team."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we will do our utmost to protect the capital!" Karen said solemnly, slowly standing up.

The group left the Hall of Regents. The sunlight outside was blinding, but it could not dispel the heaviness in their hearts.

"Captain, are we really going to keep this a secret?" Leah couldn't help but ask, her eyes full of doubt. "If the Emperor continues to be deceived by the goddess and the nobles, we will never be able to completely stop the war."

Karen shook her head and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time. We have no evidence, and the Emperor has unwavering faith in the Goddess. Revealing the truth rashly will only provoke his resentment, and may even be used as an opportunity for the nobles to suppress us."

"We will first assist the garrison in preparing for defense and repelling the Demon King's army's attack. At the same time, we will secretly investigate evidence of collusion between the nobles and the goddess. Once we have gathered enough clues, we will find an opportunity to inform the Emperor."

Allen nodded in agreement, saying, "The captain is right. Besides, Yue Gui's targets are nobles and goddesses. He might not attack innocent civilians while attacking the capital. We can take this opportunity to observe his movements and look for a chance to join forces with him."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Karen's arrangement. Only Sabella remained silent throughout, her face pale, her eyes unfocused, following behind the others absentmindedly.

Ella's words echoed repeatedly in her mind, and Yue Gui's tragic past resurfaced again and again.

The betrayal back then was orchestrated by the goddess and the nobles. But in her past life, she was the daughter of the goddess of light, Lo, and belonged to the goddess's camp.

So, in her past life, was she also involved in that betrayal?

Did they, like those nobles, push the heroes who once saved the world into the abyss?

If that's the case, what's the point of her standing here now, protecting the capital and the descendants of those traitors?

Her past life is shrouded in mystery, and Yue Gui's path of revenge is fraught with bloodshed. Countless questions intertwine in her mind, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

"Sabera, are you alright?" Karen noticed her unusual behavior, stopped, and asked softly, her eyes full of concern.

Sabella snapped out of her daze, shook her head, and forced a smile: "I'm fine, I'm just a little worried about the defenses of the capital."

She didn't voice her doubts; she knew now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. The capital was about to be besieged, and she had to stay focused and participate in the defense. She couldn't let her personal matters affect everyone else.

Karen saw through her concealment but didn't press the matter. She simply nodded and said, "Cheer up, the battle ahead will be tough."

Just then, a sharp alarm sounded over the capital.

The alarm blared through the sky and resounded throughout the entire capital, plunging the once peaceful city into panic.

"Oh no! It's the Demon King's army! They're here too fast!" A guard ran towards them in a panic, his voice urgent.

Karen and the others' expressions changed, and they immediately ran towards the city wall.

On the walls of the capital, the defenders were already on high alert. Soldiers held weapons, bows were nocked, and the city's defensive magic array was activated. A golden barrier of holy light enveloped the entire city wall, radiating a powerful defensive aura.

But when everyone climbed the city wall and looked into the distance, they were still shocked by the sight before them.

On the distant horizon, a black torrent was rapidly approaching, its demonic energy blotting out the sky and turning half the heavens black. The roars of the demon soldiers and the howls of the monsters could be clearly heard even from miles away.

"Quickly! Fortify the defenses! Magic troops, prepare!" the general on the city wall shouted urgently.

The soldiers immediately sprang into action, moving boulders and setting up crossbows, while the magicians of the magic force raised their staffs, their fingertips gathering various magical lights, preparing to meet the attack of the Demon King's army.

In the blink of an eye, the Demon King's army arrived at the gates of the capital.

Hundreds of thousands of demonic soldiers stood in formation, their black armor forming a forest, their demonic aura soaring, confronting the human defenders on the city walls. The clash of their auras created invisible shockwaves that swept across the entire area, bringing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Yue Gui hovered before the Demon King's army, his black robes fluttering in the wind. His divine spear pointed directly at the city wall, his eyes coldly fixed on Karen and the others on the wall. His voice, piercing through demonic energy, echoed throughout the entire area: "Karen, hand over the imperial nobles and the goddess's lackeys, or I will raze this capital to the ground, leaving no one alive!"

Upon hearing Yue Gui's words, the emperor on the city wall turned ashen-faced and roared, "Demon King Yue Gui, how dare you be so arrogant! I, the emperor, will lead the garrison and utterly annihilate you, you demon!"

Yue Gui scoffed, his eyes filled with mockery: "Kill me? You descendants of traitors, do you even deserve it?"

"attack!"

Yue Gui gave a low shout, without any unnecessary words.

"kill!"

A deafening roar echoed from within the Demon King's army. The demon soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave, launching a fierce attack on the capital's city walls.

"Fire!" the general on the city wall shouted the order.

Countless arrows rained down like a storm, flying towards the horde of demon soldiers. The arrows pierced through the demonic energy, landing densely on the demon soldiers, but could only penetrate the defenses of some of them. Most of the demon soldiers, aided by their thick black armor and the power of the demonic energy, continued to charge fearlessly.

"Magic troops, fire!"

At the general's command, the mages on the city wall unleashed their spells. Fireballs, ice spikes, lightning storms, wind blades—all sorts of spells bombarded the horde of demonic soldiers, colliding with their demonic energy and erupting in dazzling light.

Fireballs landed among the demon soldiers, exploding into bursts of flame that scorched them, causing them to scream in agony; Ice Spikes pierced through their bodies, freezing them into ice sculptures; Thunderstorms raged through the demon soldiers, arcs of electricity flashing and reaping countless lives; Wind Blades, like invisible blades, tore apart the demon soldiers' limbs.

The demon soldiers fell in droves, their black blood staining the earth red, but the demon soldiers behind them did not retreat, charging towards the city wall one after another, as if they would never run out.

"Giant axemen, set up ladders and attack the city!" the Demon King's army general shouted the order.

Hundreds of demonic soldiers, wielding giant axes and carrying massive siege ladders, charged towards the city walls. Their demonic energy surged, and they defiantly withstood human magic and arrows, managing to prop the siege ladders against the walls.

"Quick! Push down the siege ladder!" The soldiers on the city wall immediately rushed forward, trying to push down the siege ladder.

But the demon soldiers had already climbed up the siege ladders, their black armor stained with blood, their fangs bared, wielding giant axes and hacking at the soldiers on the city wall.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out as the soldier's longsword collided with the demon soldier's giant axe. The soldier was jolted back, his hands split open, while the demon soldier used the momentum to leap onto the city wall and began to hack and slash wildly at the soldiers.

"Kill!" Doron roared, swinging his giant axe as he charged towards the demon soldiers on the city wall. His giant axe was incredibly powerful; with each swing, it sent several demon soldiers flying, the blade stained with the black blood of the monsters.

A demon soldier ambushed Doron from behind, his giant axe aimed at the back of his head. Doron reacted swiftly, turning around abruptly to block the attack with his axe, while simultaneously kicking the demon soldier off the city wall.

Leah stood on the inner side of the city wall, her arrows shooting out like meteors, accurately piercing the vital points of the demon soldiers climbing the siege ladders. Her arrows were imbued with a faint holy light, which had a strong restraining effect on the demon soldiers; each arrow could take the life of a demon soldier.

Suddenly, a demon archer fired a demonic arrow at Leah. The arrow was imbued with dense demonic energy and moved with incredible speed. Leah couldn't react in time and was about to be struck by the demonic arrow.

"Watch out!" Allen shouted, conjuring an ice wall at his fingertips to block Leah's path.

"Snap!"

The demonic arrow struck the ice wall, shattering it instantly. The arrow's power was also greatly reduced, and it fell to the ground, dissipating as a wisp of demonic energy.

Without pausing, Allen conjured several fireballs at his fingertips and blasted them towards the distant demon archers, turning several of them into ashes.

Karen, wielding a knight's sword, its blade enveloped in holy light, moved swiftly through the battle formations on the city walls. His swordsmanship was fierce; each swing tore through the demon soldiers' defenses and purified the demonic energy along its path.

A demon general leaped onto the city wall, his demonic blade radiating overwhelming demonic energy, and slashed towards Karen. Karen's eyes narrowed, and she dodged to the side, simultaneously sweeping her knight's sword horizontally towards the demon general's waist.

The demon general hurriedly parried with his demonic blade. With a deafening clang, the demon general was forced back, his eyes filled with shock. He hadn't expected the hero before him to be so powerful.

Karen pressed her advantage, leaping into the air, raising her knight's sword high, holy light gathering at its tip, and slashing towards the demon general. The demon general's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cast a demonic energy defense, but it was easily torn apart by the holy light. His demonic blade shattered, and his body was split in two, falling into the ranks of demonic soldiers below the city.

Sabella, wielding the broken holy sword, also joined the battle. Her movements were agile, and the holy light on the sword was extremely effective against the demonic soldiers. Each swing purified the demonic energy of a soldier, slaying it.

But she couldn't fully concentrate on the battle. The questions kept replaying in her mind. The demon soldiers before her seemed to have become the henchmen of the nobles and goddesses of yesteryear, and she was fighting for those traitors.

A demon soldier seized the moment Sabella was distracted and swung his giant axe toward her back.

"Sabera!" Karen reacted quickly, rushing towards Sabella. With a swing of her knight's sword, she cleaved the demon soldier's giant axe in two, and at the same time kicked the demon soldier off the city wall.

"Thank you, Captain Karen." Sabella snapped out of her reverie, her face full of guilt. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought."

"Now is not the time to apologize, focus on the fight!" Karen said in a deep voice, then turned around and threw herself back into the battle.

Sabella nodded, took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed her doubts, gripped her holy sword tightly, and charged towards the demon soldiers. She knew that she had to put aside her personal matters now, protect the capital, and protect the innocent people.

Below the city walls, Yue Gui hovered in the air, silently watching the battle unfold on the walls, his eyes cold. He didn't make a move, but merely observed the strength of Karen's squad and the defensive deployment of the capital.

"Your Majesty, shall I lead men to storm the city walls?" A haughty man stepped forward and asked respectfully.

Yue Gui shook his head, a cold smile playing on his lips: "No need. Let them wear down the city first. Once the defenders' magic and stamina are exhausted, we'll break through in one fell swoop."

What he wanted was not just to conquer the capital, but also to make those nobles and goddesses watch their defenses crumble and their people slaughtered, so that they would pay the price in despair.

The battle on the city walls grew increasingly fierce.

Despite the human defenders' protection by city walls and magic arrays, the sheer number of demonic soldiers was overwhelming, and their ferocity was overwhelming. The defenders suffered increasing casualties. The corpses of the soldiers piled up against the city walls, and blood flowed down, forming a river of blood below.

The mages' magic power was also rapidly depleting, and their once-dense magical attacks gradually became sparse. Some mages, exhausted of their magic, collapsed on the city walls and were killed by the demon soldiers who stormed up the walls.

Karen's squad was also gradually finding themselves in trouble. Although they were powerful, they were slowly becoming exhausted in the face of the endless stream of demonic soldiers. Their armor was stained with blood, their wounds were multiplying, and their physical strength and magical power were rapidly draining away.

"This can't go on. There are too many demon soldiers. We'll be worn down sooner or later!" Leah said anxiously as she shot an arrow. Her arm was already aching, and the accuracy of her arrows was gradually decreasing.

Allen, panting heavily, said, "The energy of the city's defensive magic array is also rapidly depleting. It can only last for another hour at most. If we can't come up with a solution soon, the city walls will be breached sooner or later!"

Karen's gaze was solemn as she looked down at the Demon King's army below the city. Yue Gui remained suspended in the air, his expression calm, clearly waiting for them to exhaust their strength.

"We must find a way to contain Yue Gui and disrupt the Demon King's army's offensive rhythm!" Karen said in a deep voice.

However, Yue Gui's strength is too great; even if they joined forces, they might not be a match for him. Trying to restrain him would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Just then, Sabella suddenly spoke up: "I'll go and restrain Yue Gui!"

Everyone was taken aback and looked at Sabella.

"Sabera, are you crazy? You're no match for Yue Gui!" Karen said hurriedly, her eyes full of worry.

Sabella shook her head, her eyes resolute: "I know I'm no match for him, but I'm the daughter of the Goddess of Light, Lo, and I possess the power of holy light. Perhaps I can temporarily restrain him. Besides, I have something I want to ask him."

She wanted to ask Yuegui if her past life had truly been involved in the betrayal back then; she wanted to ask Yuegui if her mother Luo's whereabouts were related to the goddess Xue Ji.

"No, that's too dangerous!" Leah quickly dissuaded her.

"There's no time to hesitate!" Sabella interrupted Lia, gripping her holy sword tightly. "You hold the walls, I'll give it a try!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Sabella leaped off the city wall, her body radiating holy light and transforming into a white beam of light as she rushed towards Yuegui.

When Yue Gui saw Sabella rushing towards him, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, followed by a mocking smile: "The daughter of the Goddess of Light dares to deliver herself to my doorstep?"

Sabella landed in front of Yuegui, surrounded by holy light, her eyes fixed firmly on him: "Yuegui, I have something to ask you!"

Yue Gui scoffed, his tone icy: "You're not worthy to ask me questions. Since you've come to me, you might as well stay!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yue Gui swung his divine spear, sending a powerful burst of demonic energy hurtling towards Sabella.

Sabella's expression changed drastically, and she quickly cast a holy light defense to block the attack of demonic energy.

"Bang!"

The demonic energy and holy light collided, erupting in a dazzling display. Sabella was thrown back by the shockwave, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, her face growing even paler.

Karen and the others on the city wall were extremely anxious upon seeing this scene, but they were completely unable to spare any effort to support Sabella. Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, countless demon soldiers rushed up the city wall and began to hack and slash at them relentlessly.

Yue Gui approached Sabella step by step, his spear pointed directly at her throat, his eyes icy: "Speak, what do you want to know? Before you die, I can satisfy your curiosity."

Sabella raised her head, looking directly into Yue Gui's eyes, her voice hoarse but firm: "Was I involved in the betrayal of that year, in my past life? Where is my mother, Luo, now?"

Upon hearing the name "Luo," Yue Gui's eyes narrowed slightly, and the demonic energy around him suddenly began to fluctuate.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his tone tinged with complexity: "Luo... she wasn't involved in the betrayal. As for her whereabouts, I don't know."

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose within the Demon King's army. Countless black bone arrows shot towards Sabella, clearly indicating that someone intended to take the opportunity to kill her.

Yue Gui's eyes turned cold. He waved his hand, and a surge of demonic energy deflected the bone arrow. Turning his head, he looked towards the Demon King's army and roared angrily, "Who gave you permission to attack?!"

Within the demon king's army, a demon general immediately knelt on one knee, his voice trembling with fear: "Your Majesty, I know my mistake! I only wanted to help Your Majesty kill her as soon as possible!"

Yue Gui's eyes were cold. Without saying much, a burst of demonic energy erupted, engulfing the demon general and turning him into a wisp of black smoke that dissipated.

Sabella watched this scene, her eyes filled with confusion. Why would Yue Gui, the Demon King, stop the Demon General from killing her? Why did his tone become complicated when he mentioned his mother Luo's name?

Yue Gui turned to Sabella again, his eyes turning icy cold: "Don't think I'll go easy on you. I'm sparing your life only to get the whereabouts of Luo out of you."

After being betrayed years ago, he never saw Luo again. He had always suspected that Luo's disappearance was related to the goddess Yuki and the imperial nobles. Now that Sabella had appeared, perhaps he could find clues about Luo from her.

The battle on the city walls continued. The defenders suffered increasing casualties, and the light from the city's defensive magic array gradually dimmed.

The standoff between Sabella and Yue Gui has reached a stalemate. Sabella, relying on the power of holy light, is barely able to withstand Yue Gui's attacks, but she cannot harm him in the slightest and is in danger of being killed at any moment.

Karen watched all this with burning anxiety. He knew he had to find a way to break the deadlock as soon as possible, otherwise, not only would Sabella be in danger, but the capital would also be breached by the Demon King's army.

Just then, he suddenly noticed that a familiar aura seemed to be rapidly approaching from within the Demon King's army.

It was a holy and powerful aura, belonging neither to the human guards nor the demon king's army, but more like... the aura of a divine messenger.

Karen looked up into the distance and saw a golden light rapidly approaching from the direction of the divine realm, carrying powerful divine energy as it drew closer to the capital.

The messenger of the gods has arrived!

Karen's expression instantly turned serious. The arrival of the divine messenger might temporarily repel the Demon King's army, but it also meant that the Goddess's faction had officially intervened in this war.

The confrontation between Sabella and Yuegui became even more unpredictable due to the arrival of the divine messenger.

Yue Gui also sensed the divine messenger's aura. He looked up into the distance, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Xue Ji's dog has finally arrived."

He slowly tightened his grip on the divine spear, and the demonic energy around him surged, unleashing an even more terrifying aura from his body.