It's so hard being a hero!

The person who arrived was Sophia. She bid farewell to her classmates, teachers, and Xiangyun and came here through the academy's teleportation array.

After Sophia came out, she glanced around. The square of the City of Heavenly Punishment was very large, but at this moment, a tense atmosphere permeated everywhere.

Everywhere you look, there are cultivators dressed in various colored armor.

This is definitely not Sophia's first time here; she has been here many times in her previous life.

She followed the flow of people out of the teleportation plaza, where temporary supply depots and recruitment stations were set up everywhere on both sides of the street.

Some people in guild uniforms were distributing rations and water pouches, while others were taking inventory of weapons and equipment.

She stopped at an intersection and looked into the distance.

The City of Heaven's Punishment is located on a high hilly area, where one can vaguely see the outline of the city and the surrounding scenery.

And at the edge of the horizon, the vast plain stretching between the city and the mountains is the Blood Plain.

This name wasn't chosen randomly.

It is said that over the centuries, countless battles between humans and demons have taken place on this plain, resulting in the deaths of countless beings and turning the soil a dark red color.

Even in peacetime, that plain was a much darker color than other places.

At that moment, Sofia could see the lights that occasionally lit up the plain and the smoke that rose from it from afar.

That's not a normal sight.

She withdrew her gaze, followed the map's directions, turned into a nearby street, and found the Adventurers' Guild branch in Heaven's Curse City.

The guild hall was packed with people, but it was still relatively orderly.

Sofia waited in line at the counter for a while, and when it was her turn, she handed over the certificate issued by the college and the team badge.

Behind the counter was a female staff member in her thirties. She took the materials, glanced at them, and then her gaze stopped at Sophia's age column, her expression pausing subtly.

"A fourteen-year-old Silver-level?"

Her voice involuntarily rose a few decibels, and several people filling out forms nearby looked over at the sound.

Sophia nodded.

"Correct."

The female staff member looked down at the form again, and after confirming that the information on it was correct, she picked up the stamp and stamped it.

"Registration complete. This is your identification. With this, you can collect supplies at all supply points in Tianqian City and use the teleportation array to Zhenmo Pass for free."

She handed the materials back and added a sentence.

"Are you planning to go to Zhenmo Pass alone?"

"Ah."

"The situation over there isn't good right now."

The female staff member's tone carried a hint of serious advice.

"If you have a companion, it's best to wait a bit before going together; it's too dangerous to go alone."

Sophia took the materials and smiled at her.

"I know, thanks for reminding me."

After saying that, she turned and walked out of the guild hall.

Once outside, she found a relatively quiet alley, took out her communication magic device, and infused it with magic.

A moment later, Frey's voice came through the communication magic device.

"They've arrived at the Demon Suppression Pass?"

"Yes, I just arrived in Tianqian City and am about to head to Zhenmo Pass."

Sophia leaned against the wall, glanced around, and asked in a low voice, "You're already at the Demon Suppression Pass, aren't you?"

"I came that day, after all, I'm a free person."

Frey replied.

"This is more troublesome than we imagined. This time, the demons are not just testing the waters; they really want to break through the Demon Suppression Pass."

Sophia sighed, then asked another question.

"Where's Vic? Shouldn't she be here too?"

Sophia asked a question.

"They've arrived too."

Frey paused for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.

"That guy was traveling around the Southern Islands with his wife, but he rushed over as soon as he received the news."

Where is he now?

"He was also in Zhenmo Pass, but he wasn't with me."

Frey's tone carried a hint of helplessness.

"He was in charge of leading an elite squad to go out and kill powerful demons."

Sophia felt a little more at ease when she heard that Vic had already joined the battle, but a hint of worry also arose.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

"Okay, just tell me your name when you get there."

The light from the magical artifact dimmed.

Sophia put away her communication device, adjusted her equipment, and quickly headed west of the city.

The teleportation array on the west side of Tianqian City is smaller than the one used when entering the city, and the teleportation destination leads directly to Zhenmo Pass.

Sophia presented the certificate she had just obtained from the guild. After the guard checked it, he nodded and gestured for her to stand on the teleportation array.

The white light shone again.

The teleportation took a little longer than before. After about five or six breaths, the light faded, and Sophia was already standing on another teleportation array.

Demon-Suppressing Pass.

As she stepped off the teleportation array, her first impression was that the air here was completely different from that of the City of Heavenly Punishment.

Although the situation in Tianqian City was tense, it was at least relatively orderly.

The air here was filled with a strong smell of burning, blood, and some indescribable metallic scent, all mixed together and hitting you in the face.

A low rumbling sound came from afar, one after another, as if something was constantly crashing against the huge barrier.

That was the sound of the magic circle on the city wall being attacked.

Sophia's gaze swept over her surroundings.

There were quite a few people standing in the plaza where the teleportation array was located. Most of them were wearing standard armor and were probably the guards of Zhenmo Pass, who were lining up to prepare for the change of guard.

There were also some cultivators dressed in various colors, some checking their equipment, and some talking in hushed tones.

Several large tents were set up along the edge of the square, with medical flags hanging at the entrances. Injured people were constantly being carried in, and people who had received minor treatment were occasionally coming out.

Sophia withdrew her gaze and walked along the main road toward the city wall.

Along the way, she saw layers upon layers of shimmering magical patterns covering the city walls—defensive runes that had been urgently reinforced.

Even so, many cracks and repair marks can still be seen on the surface of the wall.

After walking for a while, she soon saw Frey at the entrance of the Zhenmo Pass camp.

Frey must have been waiting for her here.

She was wearing a dark red mage's robe, her long golden hair tied in a ponytail and hanging down her back. She looked no different from usual, except that there was a hint of solemnity between her brows that was rarely seen.

Sofia didn't say anything, but just stood a few steps away and waited.

After a while, Frey seemed to sense something and looked up in her direction.

Their eyes met a few steps apart.

Frey paused for a moment, then smiled slightly, rolled up the map in her hand and handed it to the officer next to her, before walking towards Sofia.

"You're pretty quick. Come with me."

Frey turned and gestured for Sofia to follow.

The two walked up the steps inside the city wall to a higher position, where they could see the outside view over the battlements.

Sophia followed Frey's gaze and looked outside, then her eyes narrowed.

Outside the city walls lies a vast plain.

That was part of the Crimson Plains.

But at this moment, the plain and the devastating battlefield in front of Zhenmo Pass in the distance merged together.

Further away, a black line was slowly undulating on the horizon.

That was the demon army, regrouping in preparation for the next attack.

"This wave has only just subsided."

Frey's tone was calm, but Sophia could hear the weariness beneath the calm.

"From yesterday to today, the demons have launched three large-scale attacks, and they have hardly stopped in between."

Sophia didn't reply, but just stared at the black line in the distance, quickly estimating its distance and size in her mind.

"Where's Laila? Aren't she and the Knights of Dawn stationed here?" Sophia asked.

Frey sighed.

"He's resting at the Dawn Knights' camp. This child hasn't had a proper rest for days. Go and see him; he'll be very happy to see you."

Sophia smiled and nodded.

"Then I'll head over first. By the way, which direction is the camp located?"

Frey immediately pointed in a direction.

Sophia chuckled and walked in that direction.