My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Zhou Yue's soul was pulled by those black chains, slowly sinking into the black sword.

He did not resist.

He glanced back at Lin Mo with a wry smile, then transformed into a beam of light and vanished into the sword.

Lin Mo could sense that a new "resident" had joined the vast space inside the black sword.

The succubi chattered and gathered around, curiously eyeing their new neighbor.

The largest female succubus floated at the very front and cautiously asked:

"You...you're a demigod, aren't you?"

Zhou Yue's voice came from the sword, tinged with a hint of helplessness: "It's not like that anymore."

"So, who were you before?"

That happened a long time ago.

The succubi exchanged glances, then floated to his side in unison, introducing themselves in a flurry of chatter.

That enthusiasm was as if it were trying to make up for centuries of loneliness in one go.

Zhou Yue was surrounded by them, his expression somewhat complicated.

But he didn't push them away.

He simply let the female demons surround him, chattering incessantly.

Lin Mo regained his composure.

The holy light still shone in the sky.

It searched aimlessly, as if looking for a lost target.

It shone on every corner of the arena, on the dilapidated buildings, on the kneeling people, and on Lin Mo's face.

But they found nothing.

Zhou Yue's soul has completely vanished into the black sword.

The holy light lingered for a long time.

After a while, the kneeling crowd outside the city began to feel uneasy.

then……

It went out.

It was as if they had never existed.

The sky returned to its hazy gray color.

The smoke of gunpowder still lingers, and the stench of blood still fills the air.

But that light from the divine realm vanished completely.

……

Outside the city, all was quiet.

No one speaks.

Everyone looked up at the empty sky, waiting for something.

Awaiting the wrath of the gods.

Awaiting divine punishment.

Waiting for the next, even more intense attack.

But time passed second by second.

Nothing happened.

The sky remained overcast.

Occasionally, a few birds would fly by, chirp a few times, and then disappear into the distance.

"Is this... just going to be the end of it?"

A dwarf murmured, his voice filled with disbelief.

Kuangshan scratched his head: "This doesn't seem like the way the gods do things."

King Aize of the Elfs stood on a high place, looking at the sky and at the black-robed figure in the center of the arena.

Then he shook his head, gave a bitter laugh, and muttered:

"It seems the divine realm intends to win him over."

Only El, who was standing nearby, heard this, and he looked completely bewildered.

"Win them over? What do you mean?"

Aize didn't answer, but just looked at the sky, as if waiting for something.

……

The lizardman leader was the first to move.

He suddenly jumped up from where he was lying, his narrow eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

He turned around and waved frantically to his tribesmen behind him:

"Quick, quick! Bring all the gifts! Let's charge!"

The lizardmen were stunned for a moment.

Then, in a flurry of activity, he picked up the crystal cores, herbs, and enchanted daggers.

They followed their leader and raced toward the arena.

The leader ran at the very front, moving as fast as the wind.

As he ran, he straightened his wrinkled fur robe, muttering to himself, "This kneeling has to be done beautifully..."

With that thought in mind, he rushed into the arena.

When Lin Mo was still a dozen steps away, he suddenly stopped.

Then... a smooth knee slide.

His knees slid two deep marks on the gravel ground before coming to a steady stop at Lin Mo's feet.

He held the gifts high in his hands, his narrow eyes full of sincerity.

"Lord Lin... Lord Lin Mo!"

His voice trembled slightly, but every word was spoken clearly.

"On behalf of the Lizardmen, I extend my sincerest respect to you!"

The lizardmen behind him followed suit, kneeling down in unison and holding their gifts high in the air.

……

Outside the city, everyone was stunned.

The first to react were the nobles who were hiding in the ruins.

They appeared out of nowhere.

Their clothes were disheveled, their faces were covered in dust, and some of their legs were still trembling.

But they ran faster than anyone else, rushing headlong into the arena.

"My lord Kamui!"

"My lord, you are the savior of our Holy Ancient Empire!"

"Killing Li Yan was a great service to the people! The Stell family will always support you!"

……

These guys who had been kneeling and begging the gods for mercy these past few days were now all smiles, wishing they could worship Lin Mo.

The dwarves watched this scene, their lips twitching.

Kuangshan spat out, "Pah! A bunch of opportunists!"

But he wasn't idle either.

He shouldered his warhammer and strode toward the arena.

The dwarves behind them followed, their steps synchronized and their demeanor menacing.

Completely different from those sycophantic nobles.

The people of the northern city also entered the city with the dwarves.

They did not kneel, kowtow, or fawn over others with gifts.

They simply stood there, watching the figure in black robes from afar, their eyes filled with excitement and awe.

Shi Qin walked at the very front.

Her clothes were covered in dust, and there were several scratches on her face, clearly from the recent battle.

Shi Hu walked ahead of him, holding a large flag with the character "Black" written on it.

They walked up to Lin Mo and stopped.

Lin Mo looked at these people with some surprise.

He wasn't surprised that Shi Hu would come; that guy was just a hothead.

The key point is that these people were truly beyond Lin Mo's expectations.

Shi Hu noticed his confusion, scratched his head, stepped forward, and lowered his voice to say:

"Actually, it was my sister who instigated it."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at Shi Qin.

He still thought it was Liu Yishou's idea.

After all, the old man had been keeping an eye on what was happening here.

Unexpectedly, it was this little girl.

Shi Qin met his gaze but remained silent.

She simply stood there, head slightly bowed, and gave a curtsy.

Lin Mo looked at her and remained silent for a moment.

Then he nodded slightly.

"Um."

Just this one word.

But Shi Qin's eyes suddenly reddened.

She lowered her head forcefully so that no one could see her.

Behind them, the residents of Mingbei City had already begun to whisper among themselves:

"The Black-Robed Lord is looking at us!"

"He nodded!"

"I knew it! The Black-Robed Lord remembered us!"

……

Shi Hu stood to the side, grinning.

At that moment, several figures walked in from outside the arena; they were all familiar faces.

These were the same people who had joined Lin Mo in the rebellion.

He Yuan, the chief alchemist of the palace, was still wearing his gray alchemist's robe, but the hem was covered in dust and bloodstains.

He was clearly on the battlefield outside the city.

Lai Hu followed behind him.

At this moment, Lai Hu was carrying two middle-aged men dressed in fine clothes, one in each hand.

The two men were bruised and battered, their clothes tattered, and they had long lost their previous arrogant demeanor.

They were being carried by Laihu like chicks, their legs went weak, and their faces turned pale.

That was the last bloodline of the Li family.

Several distant relatives were recalled from a remote small town.

At this moment, Lai Hu's gaze towards Lin Mo was somewhat complicated.

After all, he always thought he was helping Li Yiguang rebel.

He held this view until the rebellion succeeded.

He Yuan, however, already knew Lin Mo's identity and seemed somewhat relaxed at this moment.

He approached Lin Mo and stopped three steps away.

He straightened his robes, then clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

"His Majesty."

His voice was steady, without any discernible emotion.

"What should be done with these people?"