Chapter 23: Three Clans War
On the day Sylvia found Timothy, it was the first snowfall after she and Caleb had settled in Crescent Village. The yellow-haired large dog was nosing through the snow, and Sylvia thought it was looking for something to eat. Worried it might consume something unclean, she called out from a distance, "Golden Retriever, don't eat whatever you find!"
Golden Retriever wagged his tail, seeming oblivious to Sylvia's warning, and continued to play in the snow. Sometimes it dug holes in the snow with its paws, sometimes it ran around in the expanse of white, frolicking freely. Sylvia clasped her hands together, breathing warm air onto them.
After she and Caleb left the Dawn's house, they only passed through a few small towns and villages before settling here. The reason was simple: Sylvia had started menstruating. It was normal for a twelve-year-old girl to start her period, but neither Sylvia, experiencing it for the first time, nor Caleb, being a male, knew how to handle this situation.
At the time, Caleb took off his coat and tied it around Sylvia's waist to cover her clothes stained with menstrual blood. He carried her over ten miles to find a village, knocking on doors, one after another, asking for help from a villager who understood what was happening.
A couple who had just had a baby helped them. The wife, seeing Sylvia's embarrassment about menstruation, joked, "What's there to be embarrassed about? All women menstruate; you're able to have children now."
Because Sylvia was menstruating and felt cold and abdominal pain, Caleb gave the couple some silver coins, hoping to stay there for a while. When they left the Dawn's house, Matthew Brown had given them a considerable amount of money. Sylvia and Caleb's bags were full of gold and silver coins.
They stayed at the couple's house for a long time. Later, when Caleb saw Sylvia's pity for the stray dog in the village, but thought it inappropriate to keep a dog while living in someone else's house, he obtained the village head's permission to move into an abandoned house in the village with Sylvia.
The house was in poor condition, and it took Caleb more than three months to fix it up. Sylvia and Caleb never interfered in each other's lives, so Sylvia didn't know what Caleb had been busy with during that time.
So, when she saw the exquisitely tidied house and Golden Retriever, now clean and adorned with a red bow, she was genuinely surprised. It was as if she was immersed in joy, struck by surprise, unable to recover for a long time. So much so that every time in the future when she was upset because of Caleb, she would pull out this memory like a candy to savor, and the sorrow in her heart would be greatly alleviated.
The villagers in Crescent Village were simple and honest. Sylvia and Caleb lived there peacefully, like a couple. Sylvia stepped in the snow, leaving footprints with every step. Suddenly, she heard Golden Retriever bark a few times in the distance, and she turned her head to look in his direction.
Golden Retriever was digging at something, occasionally stopping to bark at Sylvia as if he had found something and wanted to attract Sylvia's attention. Golden Retriever was originally a stray dog in Crescent Village, covered in dirt and wounds.
Before meeting Sylvia, it survived on rotten leaves from the vegetable fields, considering itself lucky if it wasn't beaten. Without an owner, survival was a challenge for this skinny dog. However, its hard days ended when it met Sylvia, because it now had an owner who loved and pampered it.
Once struggling to get enough to eat, Golden Retriever now had not only three meals a day but also meat and big bones occasionally. Its rough coat became shiny and smooth under Sylvia's care, shining like flowing gold in the sunlight. Thanks to Sylvia's love, the once fearful stray dog transformed into a lively and playful Golden Retriever.
It no longer had to risk being driven out or even killed to sneak into someone's chicken coop for warmth in the winter. Now, it not only had food and water but also a little cotton-padded jacket that Sylvia had stuffed for it. The difference between being loved and not loved is indeed significant, whether for people or dogs.
Hearing Golden Retriever's urgent barking, Sylvia walked towards it. Golden Retriever was still digging at the snow, which was thick, making it difficult for Sylvia to walk. Before she got close, Golden Retriever unearthed a black lump from the snow, picked it up in his mouth, and ran to her.
Wagging his tail as if seeking praise, Golden Retriever dropped what he had in his mouth. Sylvia quickly took it. It was a cat. A small, long-haired black cat, stiff from the cold. Seeing that the cat was still breathing, Sylvia quickly opened her cotton robe and nestled the cat inside.
"Golden Retriever, let's go," Sylvia called out to Golden Retriever, hurriedly turning around to head home. "Woof!" Golden Retriever, in his pink cotton coat, replied and hopped around Sylvia as they rushed home.
Blood splattered, and limbs flew. Timothy didn't know how many he had killed. Both humans and fairies were determined to kill him today, even at the cost of the fates of their races, using the Celestial Tetragram Formation to exterminate this demon king.
Using his power alone, Timothy broke through the defense lines that the human and fairy tribes had held for two years in just three days, spanning hundreds of miles from the demon tribe's station to the fairies' White Wilderness. He didn't need to travel with anyone because, with his strength, anyone else would be a burden.
He didn't need to carry a weapon because, in this world, aside from the God-slaying sword that could exterminate all gods, there was no weapon stronger than his body. He fought through rivers of blood, with the elite of both races falling at his hand, yet many still stood in his way.
He marched forward, bathed in blood, with the elites of both races perishing at his hands. Yet, even so, many still stood in his way.
Though some among them had stirred their own fairy bloodline or learned some sort of magic, they were still too weak before Timothy. These people were minor characters unworthy of his attention. Not to mention himself, the Demon King, even a random soldier from the demon race could easily kill each of them.
They knew Timothy's terror, yet they feared more for their own children dying under the blades of the demon soldiers. They feared their wives being violated as spoils of war, and their parents being enslaved by demons in their twilight years, a time they should be enjoying peace and comfort.
Therefore, they stood up, knowing full well that they might die. Annihilation was the only outcome for everyone and everything obstructing Timothy's path.
Thus, they became corpses, the hundreds that could fall with a wave of Timothy's hand. Timothy was in a terrible mood, his face as dark as the surging demonic energy by his side.
He thought: There are too many insects.
Humans rely on magic weapons, talismans, formations, and other external objects to strengthen themselves. The fairy race relies on spells imprinted in their bloodline to fight against their enemies. The demon race, however, relies only on their strong bodies and tough souls to confront the other two races.
Timothy has always been proud of his powerful body. But at this moment, he genuinely felt that the various tactics of the human and fairy races were really convenient.
Timothy was strong, but when fighting his enemies, he could only punch one by one. Although his fists could kill countless brave yet weak insects, it still took time to eliminate all of them.
Suddenly, the gloomy sky lit up. Timothy's heart skipped a beat as he hastily looked up. A beam of light broke through the sky, its overflowing power scattering the dark clouds, like a flame of hope illuminating the despair and death that pervaded beneath it, once again bringing light and vitality to the people living under it.
The Celestial Tetragram Formation was almost complete. The rising pillar of light from the Celestial Tetragram Formation was like a bright signpost. Knowing the location of the formation, Timothy could no longer waste his time here with a bunch of annoying insects. With a slight bend of his knees, he jumped tens of meters.
After several leaps, the Celestial Tetragram Formation finally entered Timothy's sight. Although many people clung to him, attempting to hinder his leaps, a single pull from Timothy separated their arms from their bodies.
"Start the formation!" A white hawk fairy spotted Timothy from afar and shouted: "The Demon King is coming!" The formation he mentioned was certainly not the Celestial Tetragram Formation. They were the last line of defense against Timothy. Beyond them was the Celestial Tetragram Formation.
Upon hearing the hawk fairy's cry, the humans guarding the Celestial Tetragram Formation immediately activated the protective array. They were probably the only remaining powerful humans. Timothy's fist hit the protective formation, cracking it slightly.
Then Timothy punched again, and the protective array immediately shattered. The humans who were arranging the formation all spat out blood.
Seeing the protective formation broken, and the humans at the scene being severely wounded by the backlash of the formation, the few fairies in the field immediately pounced on Timothy.
Knowing that they could not contend with the Demon King, they directly detonated their demonic cores, hoping to use this method to obstruct Timothy for a moment.
This kamikaze style of attack did indeed delay Timothy for a few seconds. By the time Timothy escaped the explosion, the Celestial Tetragram Formation was fully successful.
The destiny of the two races, carrying all the hopes and expectations of the human and fairy races, transformed into invisible golden threads and pierced into Timothy's body, trying to tear his soul from his shell.
Even with Timothy's strong spirit, he could not resist the power of the Celestial Tetragram Formation. Timothy was dazed, experiencing true pain for the first time.
The golden threads emerged from the sky, like a divine punishment, irresistibly tearing Timothy's soul out of his flesh body.
Both Timothy's body and his semi-detached soul roared in anger. No one could stop his advance, not even divine retribution.
Though slowly, he still moved forward with his pride and defiance, reaching the Celestial Tetragram Formation and slamming a fist on the pillar of light.
This punch managed to make a crack in the protective shield of the Celestial Tetragram Formation. Timothy held onto the crack with both hands, stretching his arms to widen it enough for a person to pass through.
He should have stepped over it, reaching the center of the Celestial Tetragram Formation and destroying it. But his legs had lost all strength, or more accurately, he had completely lost control and sensation of his legs.
This was because half of his soul had been forced out of his body. Timothy's soul was on the brink, unable to withstand any longer. The power and energy dispersed by the Celestial Tetragram Formation, fueled by the destinies of two races, was something no life could resist. Even though Timothy's soul was strong, the fact that he held out this long could be considered a miracle.
The soul, wrenched out and struggling, clung to the golden threads with burning flames, every moment searing Timothy's spirit.
Enraged, Timothy roared, and in this critical juncture, he erupted with unprecedented power. His soul became stronger and more resilient, enough to temporarily withstand this man-made divine punishment.
Timothy took a step forward, breaking through the protective light shield, completely entering the Celestial Tetragram Formation.
The people inside the Celestial Tetragram Formation saw Timothy, but there was no fear, no terror.
Almost instinctively, the beings seated in the corners of the east, south, west, and north, embodying the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind through their flesh, along with the gray-skinned fairy tribesmen, plunged their hands into their chests. They offered their lives as additional sacrifices, their divinely mixed blood serving as fuel, doubling the power of the Celestial Tetragram Formation.
They were not afraid of death, only of a future where their tribes' laughter and joy would no longer echo on this land.
For their tribespeople to walk freely on this land, they could summon endless courage to embrace annihilation.
Every step Timothy took was heavy. He ignored the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, progressing only towards the center of the formation.
He walked slowly. The sacrifices of the fairy tribe were indeed effective; he could clearly feel his soul being torn apart. Even if his soul wasn't drawn into the sky by the golden threads to be scorched by the fierce sun until life ceased, his soul would still shatter under such powerful pulling forces.
In the center of the formation sat three human figures huddled together.
They were the nexus of the Celestial Tetragram Formation.
Whether it was Timothy's intrusion or the sacrifices of the fairy tribe, nothing could distract them.
For they had long been dead, these three people were merely objects used to activate the Celestial Tetragram Formation. Their souls forever trapped in their withered corpses, ceaselessly experiencing the terror of the world's emptiness.
With one hand on one of their skulls, Timothy knew that if he crushed it, the Celestial Tetragram Formation would fail.
And so he did, crushing the skull he touched without any hesitation.
But at the moment the skull shattered, countless black water gushed out from the broken shell, swarming Timothy like bloodthirsty insects.
Although it was a liquid, Timothy felt the pain of being gnawed upon.
This black water absorbed Timothy's power at an incredible speed. Wanting to shake off the black water, he raised his hand, only to discover he had two right hands.
Stunned, Timothy peered through his semi-transparent hand at his other right hand.
The Celestial Tetragram Formation was broken, but its residual power had not dissipated.
The black water drained Timothy's power, leaving him defenseless against the might of the Celestial Tetragram Formation.
Thus, moments before the residual power of the Celestial Tetragram Formation faded, several golden threads successfully ripped Timothy's soul from his body.
Once the soul leaves the body, it falls into an unconscious, wandering state.
Yet Timothy's soul was strong; even when detached from the body, it did not lose consciousness but remained alert.
Watching the black water gradually bury his body, Timothy understood this was a trap specifically designed by the human and fairy tribes.
Even if the Celestial Tetragram Formation was broken, there was still a seal as a backup.
Timothy could resist the power of the Celestial Tetragram Formation, and to him, breaking this seal would only take some effort.
However, the Celestial Tetragram Formation wore down his soul and restrained his spirit, which enabled the seal to imprison Timothy's physical body.
Unfortunately, the seal damaged his body, severely depleting his power, which left him unable to resist the Celestial Tetragram Formation, enabling it to successfully separate his soul from his body.
The human and fairy tribes had prepared for every eventuality, their numerous sacrifices made to ensure Timothy's eternal rest here.
This was Timothy's first encounter with soul displacement. He quickly adapted to his current state and began to control his soul.
He floated towards his body, wanting to return, but how could the human and fairy tribes stand by and watch their plan fail? They had long been prepared, with skilled individuals hidden in the distance ready to seal Timothy's soul as well.
Warm blood flowed from their self-inflicted wrist wounds, transforming into a curse. Word by word, it branded Timothy's soul, robbing him of his mobility. He could only watch helplessly as his body was sealed.
Although he had lost his ability to move, Timothy's untamed spirit could not be suppressed by the spells made of blood. The clear call of birds rang out, and dozens of grey fae fireballs fell from the sky, striking Timothy's spirit.
The flames burned as fiercely as the sun, the heat emitted by the grey fae fireballs was so intense that it ignited the sky. Anyone who looked up could see the fiery canopy reflected in the heavens.
The humans who were casting the sealing spell could clearly feel that the resistance against the seal had lessened.
The grey fae fire burned for nine hundred and ninety-nine days before it successfully cooperated with the humans to seal Timothy's spirit.
In this way, Timothy fell into an eternal slumber.
No one knew how much time had passed, but when he regained consciousness, his first sensation was—cold.
Timothy's physical body was extremely robust, he feared neither extreme cold nor scorching heat. So for him, the sensation of cold was a very unfamiliar experience.
But within a few seconds, this novelty turned into a form of excruciating torture.
The icy breath enveloped Timothy, making even his breathing difficult. The cold made his bones ache, the chilling frost permeated his marrow, stripping away all the warmth from his body and leaving only his gradually blurring consciousness slowly sinking in this rigid shell.
But not long after, warmth drove away the cold, bringing a touch of warmth to his body.
Timothy's rigid body gradually regained sensation. He tried to lift his eyelids, but all he could see was a young woman holding a leather water bag, stuffing it next to him with a white cloth as a buffer.
The heat passed through the cloth, moderating the temperature of the leather water bag, so that the hot water in the bag would not scorch Timothy.
The woman wasn't ugly. Her facial lines were smooth and soft, her nose was high and straight, her lips were glossy, her not-so-white skin had a light blush. Beneath her willow-leaf brows were a pair of watery eyes that made her look somewhat pitiful, a fragile and appealing look that was sure to attract men's attention.
She was quite pretty, but for Timothy, a man who had seen all the beauties in the world, this type of woman was like a vegetarian dish at a feast; occasionally eating a few bites was fine, but too much would be tasteless.
Timothy didn't realize this woman was still a girl because, from his perspective, the woman was tall and well-proportioned, obviously an adult female.
Timothy opened his mouth, wanting to call out to the woman, to ask where he was, what the woman's name was, what she did, how the demon race was doing now, and other questions.
But when he tried to speak, he only let out a soft "meow."
Timothy: "....." Timothy: "?"
Perhaps something was wrong, Timothy called out again, but the sound he made was still a cat's meow.
Hearing the little cat's meow, Sylvia immediately turned her gaze to the little cat she had just picked up.
"Great." Seeing the kitten awake, Sylvia showed a smile, reaching out and rubbing the kitten's head: "You're still alive."
But as soon as she finished speaking, the kitten she picked up and wrapped up like a baby with cloth and straps, into which she stuffed two hot water bags for warmth, began to struggle violently, looking very agitated.
Sylvia knew that wild cats were generally afraid of people. This cat was probably stimulated by the unfamiliar environment and humans, so she hurriedly reached out to untie the straps, letting the kitten jump out of the swaddle.
The kitten was very nimble, and as soon as Sylvia untied the straps, it jumped out of the swaddle and landed on the floor.
Sylvia didn't dare to reach out and grab it for fear of frightening the kitten, so she could only let it run around in the house, following behind it to upright the objects it knocked over.
Timothy found the world to have grown bigger... no, he had become smaller.
Not only had his body become smaller, but his voice also sounded strange.
And why was he walking on all fours?
An idea that he didn't want to admit sprouted in Timothy's mind. He spotted a copper mirror on the table, jumped onto the chair next to the table, and using the chair's height, jumped onto the table.
The copper mirror was very clear, Timothy could even clearly see the singed fur on his tail.
But he shouldn't have a tail.
Timothy was stunned, staring blankly at the black long-haired cat reflected in the mirror.
He couldn't believe he had turned into a cat.
Sylvia, behind him, stepped lightly towards Timothy. She was afraid that the kitten might knock over the jewelry box next to the mirror. Inside it was a pair of jade bracelets that Caleb had given her, which she treasured very much.
Just as Sylvia was about to catch the kitten in her arms, she heard the kitten let out a loud meow.
"Meow!!!"
The voice was full of despair and fear, mixed with a bit of anger and disbelief. It was hard to imagine that a cat's cry could contain so many emotions.
A thousand years ago, the demon king Timothy was domineering and untamed. With his innate power, he nearly annihilated the human and fae races and came close to ruling the world as the demon race.
A thousand years later, this demon king who once made all humans and fae tremble with fear... had turned into a harmless little kitten that was nothing but cute.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone