"Hungry Ning Qing, please come and taste the tomato and egg stir-fry I made with my own hands."
Evil Wolf brought over a plate of tomato and egg stir-fry, politely placing it in front of Ning Qing with a courteous expression.
Ning Qing was stunned.
She felt overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.
Was this really the legendary terrifying demon wolf?
Everything before her felt surreal.
A group of demonic creatures was treating her with such politeness, speaking so gentlyâthough their tone was slightly nauseating...
Was this a trap?
But that didnât make sense.
According to accounts from experts who had ventured into the Level Six Forbidden Zone, a horned demon wolf had once annihilated an entire exploration teamâone that included a Dao-Unity Realm master.
If the horned demon wolf was so powerful, capable of killing her effortlessly, why bother with such elaborate theatrics?
"You... you all..."
After snapping out of her daze, Ning Qing quickly took two steps back, staring at him in alarm.
"Oh, heavens! How terribly rude of meâI forgot to introduce myself."
Evil Wolf placed a hand over his chest in an exaggeratedly gentlemanly gesture and said warmly, "My esteemed Miss Ning Qing, allow me to introduce myself."
"I am Evil Wolf, but you may call me Little Wolf."
He smiled at her, only to find Ning Qing still eyeing them with suspicion.
Seeing this, Evil Wolf kicked Gou Da and Gou Er and scolded, "Hey, you dim-witted groundhogs! Hurry up and introduce yourselves!"
Gou Da and Gou Er hastily complied.
Once they finished, Evil Wolf resumed his gentle tone. "Oh, my dear Miss Ning Qing, we are all friends of Mr. Yi Feng. Before he left, he entrusted us with your care."
"Yi Feng?"
Ning Qing was startled.
Only then did she remember the white-robed figure who had slaughtered Fengmo City.
Now she understood why these demonic creatures werenât harming herâwhy they were being so courteous.
It was because of Yi Feng.
Just how powerful was he, to command such respect from the demon wolvesâcreatures humanity had classified as extremely dangerousâthat they would treat her this way?
But according to Evil Wolf, Yi Feng had already left.
Her head drooped slightly in disappointment.
Of course.
They were from entirely different worlds. That their paths had crossed at all was already a miracleâhow could there be more?
Still, she couldnât help but wonder: Why would Yi Feng entrust her to demonic creatures? And how dare these monsters openly take human form in a human city?
But she couldnât bring herself to ask.
Even though she now knew the reason for Evil Wolfâs courtesy and was fairly certain she wasnât in danger, she had no desire to interact further with these creatures.
"Thank you for your hospitality, but my injuries have healed. Iâll take my leave now."
Expressionless, Ning Qing pushed open the window and prepared to leap into the sky.
But the moment the window opened, she froze.
The sky was a dull gray, veiled in faint black mist, and the spiritual energy in the air was pitifully sparse.
The sensation was identical to what sheâd experienced in Fengmo City.
A terrible premonition gripped her heart.
She should have noticed the strangeness of her surroundings earlier, but when she first woke up, her attention had been entirely consumed by Evil Wolf and the others.
"Where... where is this?"
Despite her reluctance to engage with Evil Wolf, she couldnât hold back the question.
"Demon City!" Gou Da blurted out.
Before the words even settled, Evil Wolf smacked him on the head. "Nonsense! Itâs Mo Cityâyes, Mo City!"
He turned back to Ning Qing with an apologetic smile.
"My dear Miss Ning Qing, please ignore this fool. This is Mo City."
"Mo City?"
Ning Qingâs eyes flickered as she searched her memory for any mention of such a place.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldnât recall a "Mo City" anywhere.
"Iâll be going now."
Without waiting for Evil Wolfâs response, she vaulted through the window. Right now, she needed to figure out where she wasâurgently.
On the streets, she saw humans going about their business and vendors hawking their wares.
Yet something felt off.
They all seemed to be watching her, subtly but unmistakably.
And these humans... they didnât feel right.
There was something unnatural about them, something that set her on edge.
Coupled with the gray, Fengmo City-like atmosphere, a horrifying suspicion took root.
What if this wasnât a human city at all?
What if it was another city like Fengmo Cityâtrapped in the Black Domain?
If that were true, then the humans she was seeing...
She shuddered, refusing to finish the thought, and quickened her pace.
Then, a massive structure at the cityâs center caught her eye.
It was an enormous altar, with a towering stone pillar at its heart, stretching into the clouds.
An altar wasnât unusual. Neither was a towering pillarâevery city had its landmarks. Some honored great heroes with statues; others housed formations for cultivation.
But what made Ning Qingâs blood run cold was that this pillar was identical to one sheâd seen somewhere else.
An impossible possibility clawed its way into her mind.
"No... no."
"This canât be real."
Her thoughts spun into chaos. Shaking her head violently, she shot through the sky toward the city gates.
The gates stood open.
Before she even reached them, she saw what lay beyondâan endless expanse of darkness.
The Black Domain.
Her steps grew leaden. Her entire body prickled with dread. Her heart teetered on the brink of collapse.
Her worst fear was confirmed.
This wasnât a human city. It was another Fengmo Cityâa city within the Black Domain.
Yet some stubborn part of her pushed her forward, desperate to confirm one last suspicion.
Wrapping herself in protective energy to ward off the Black Domainâs corruption, she stepped outside the gates.
Summoning her courage, she peered through the limited visibility.
Above the gate, carved into the stone, was the massive head of a wolf.
At the sight of it, Ning Qingâs face drained of color. She staggered back, collapsing to the ground.
Among all humanity, there was only one Level Six Forbidden Zoneâa place so feared, so deadly, that countless experts had perished there. Aside from the horned wolf clan, fragmentary records existed.
A painting had even been made of its appearance.
In an era where the Black Domain loomed over all, who hadnât heard of it?
On the horizonâs edge, there stood a city of darkness.
The pitch-black city walls stretched endlessly into the horizon. Above the towering gates, a colossal wolf's head was sculpted, and from outside the city, a sky-piercing stone pillar rose from within, reaching straight into the clouds...
Coupled with the presence of the horned wolf tribe, all these details were more than enough for Ning Qing to confirm where she was.
Ning Qing never could have imagined.
Her speculation had actually come true.
She now found herself standing within the Demon Cityâa Level-6 Forbidden Zone that sent chills down the spines of all humans across the Celestial Domain.
She felt like she was losing her mind.
What was even more unbelievable was that she hadnât died in this sole Level-6 Forbidden Zone. Instead, she was being treated with unexpected hospitality... and served a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes?