At the top of the Nightmare Castle, Ludie stood on the rooftop, feeling somewhat emotional.

Like Zhou Kai and Bai Yuetong, Ludie was also looking at the Fourth Ring, now a pile of ruins.

Like Zhou Kai, this was the place where he grew up, the hometown he had protected.

His gaze shifted, and a slender, red-clad figure appeared behind him.

Ludie turned to face her. After a slight movement of his fingers, Qiu Guling had already stepped forward and embraced him.

Though it was a passionate kiss, all Ludie felt was an icy coldness. It was the chill emanating from Qiu Guling's body—she had, after all, turned into an Exotic Species, an icy Specter Species!

He held Qiu Guling, a pang of sorrow in his heart, and Qiu Guling, too, clung tightly to Ludie.

"It's been many years," Qiu Guling said suddenly.

"Yes, in the blink of an eye, we've all grown up," he replied.

He had once asked Lu Luo what he should do if he wanted to make amends. Lu Luo had told him to cast aside his manly pride, give the girl a hug, and a kiss. Then, he should prepare a ring, make a sincere marriage proposal, and she would forgive him.

Ludie felt that Lu Luo was a reliable person, so he did as advised.

Ludie took out the Dark Spirit Stone ring he had prepared long ago; it was a very beautiful, transparent Dark Spirit Stone.

In the Wasteland, they didn't bother with diamonds—such things were utterly useless—so their engagement rings were generally Dark Spirit Stone rings.

This Dark Spirit Stone wasn't very large, but its purity was high, and it was exquisitely carved.

Ludie knelt on one knee and raised the ring.

He wasn't Lu Luo; he was a bona fide member of the Wasteland Alliance, one who had undergone the complete Wasteland Alliance education and the rites of its chauvinistic social system.

For him to make such a gesture was far more difficult than it would have been for Lu Luo.

But Ludie didn't hesitate in the slightest, just gazed quietly at Qiu Guling.

"Guling, I'm sorry I made you wait so long."

After speaking, Ludie smiled, the corners of his mouth already smeared with bloody froth.

COUGH! COUGH!

Blood trickled down Ludie's chest, and his body swayed for a moment.

Qiu Guling caught Ludie, her deathly pale eyes flickering with some indescribable emotion.

She desperately wanted to cry, but in her current state, she truly couldn't shed tears. It seemed the bride's tears would never fall again.

"As long as you're back, that's all that matters," she said.

「 」

Lu Luo led Qi Xinzhu onward, passing through one doorway after another, heading toward the farthest end of the castle's top floor.

That was the Nightmare Demon's room—a space without walls! If there was a control terminal for the castle, or any clues about a way out, this room was the most likely place to find them.

He pushed open the door.

Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu's steps faltered. The sight before them made their bodies stiffen.

The Nightmare Demon… was actually here!

"Lu Luo!" Qi Xinzhu clutched Lu Luo's hand tightly.

"It's okay, let's go."

Lu Luo didn't choose to run or anything of the sort, because he knew such actions were pointless.

An Eighth Order Calamity wasn't something you could escape just by wanting to. In their Domain, Eighth Order Calamities could even master space and time, traversing them at will.

The Red and White Castle was definitely part of the Nightmare Demon's Domain; therefore, running was futile.

Lu Luo led Qi Xinzhu confidently into the room, stopping only when they were behind the Nightmare Demon.

It has suffered severe injuries, the kind that could threaten its life.

At this moment, the Nightmare Demon lay quietly on its soft couch. A large amount of dark purple blood flowed from its body, nearly staining the couch black.

Sensing Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu's arrival, the Nightmare Demon slowly rose from the couch and turned its head to look at them.

"You've arrived, my friend," it said.

Qi Xinzhu was slightly startled; she quickly realized the Nightmare Demon wasn't speaking to her.

Turning her head toward Lu Luo, Qi Xinzhu was even more astonished.

Could Lu Luo and the Nightmare Demon really be considered friends? They hadn't met many times, had they?

Lu Luo pointed to Qi Xinzhu and said to the Nightmare Demon, "She possesses Sequence S-05 Healer. Do you need her to treat you?"

The Nightmare Demon snorted, two jets of Netherflame erupting from its nostrils as it tilted its head, looking somewhat arrogant.

"You should be smarter than this, Lu Luo. It's best not to speak such pointless words!"

The Nightmare Demon's Dark Energy Level is declining, continuously declining.

Lu Luo nodded, looking at the severely wounded Nightmare Demon, momentarily puzzled.

He had guessed that Ludie might break through to the Seventh Tier and that they might battle.

But he still couldn't understand why the Nightmare Demon would fight Ludie to the death. With its capabilities, why was it so injured? And more puzzlingly, why was the Nightmare Demon, which had initiated the Dark Tide, now in the Red and White Castle?

"Nightmare Demon, what was the purpose of initiating the Dark Tide? What is it that you're truly seeking?"

Lu Luo genuinely couldn't understand why the Nightmare Demon, with its power, needed to reach this state.

If it had stayed quietly in the depths of the East Ring, with its strength, absolutely no one would have dared to disturb it; it would always be the king of nightmares. It could even have been an Emperor like Noah, reigning for 400-500 years with no one able to interfere!

The Nightmare Demon smiled but didn't directly answer Lu Luo's question.

"Lu Luo, I've always believed you are a very special existence. You are different from the others; it is we two who are the same! Wu En, Zhuang Yanshan—haven't they made you understand the complexity of the human heart? My fellow traveler."

Lu Luo was taken aback for a moment. Fellow traveler…

The one who sent the note... was it really the Nightmare Demon? Lu Luo suddenly asked, "Nightmare Demon, who is Lu Xiaotian?"

Originally, Lu Luo thought it was a question he shouldn't ask, at least not in front of Qi Xinzhu. But when he saw the Nightmare Demon in the Red and White Castle, he suddenly realized many of his previous thoughts were wrong.

Qi Xinzhu, standing aside, was also startled for a moment. Wasn't Lu Xiaotian just Da Tian?

Da Tian had never told Qi Xinzhu her name, but hadn't Qi Xinzhu heard Lu Luo call out that name in the hallway earlier?

The relationship between Da Tian and the Nightmare Demon…

She looked at Lu Luo, but he had already fixed his gaze on the Nightmare Demon.

Although Lu Luo hadn't confirmed it, Qi Xinzhu already had a strong suspicion.

There must be a deep connection between Da Tian and the Nightmare Demon.

The Nightmare Demon didn't answer Lu Luo directly; its eyes blazed with a large amount of Netherflame.

"Lu Luo, for such a question, shouldn't you already have the answer in your heart? Humans are more complicated than you and I imagine, as are Exotic Species. No one is born special, and I am no exception. Don't be misled by Ling Jia's words. Lu Luo, as a fellow traveler, you should have your own judgment!"

Fellow traveler again!

"I understand," Lu Luo said.

He abandoned the thought of questioning further, but the Nightmare Demon didn't seem to want to end the topic.

"To become stronger, one must see oneself clearly as one is now. When you're still weak, this is easy to achieve. Yet, when you become strong in some aspect, you can be blinded by this fleeting power, stalling your progress. The best way to see yourself clearly is to teach others. It's like holding up a mirror. With this mirror, you can reflect on yourself at all times!"

It seems like it's trying to convey some truths it has come to understand, but the Nightmare Demon is only about seven or eight years old, right?

Lu Luo listened to the Nightmare Demon's words, deep in thought.

Then, the Nightmare Demon, extremely weakened, pressed its head against Lu Luo, nuzzling him a few times like a harmless foal.

"Friend, thank you for everything you've done for me."

"I haven't really done anything," Lu Luo shook his head.

"No, you've already done very well, better than you imagine. At the very least, you brought Ludie to me! That's more important than anything else."

Lu Luo nodded. It seems I was indeed unwittingly used by the Nightmare Demon. Was Ludie its goal? It couldn't be that simple.

"What's going to happen next?"

"I invited you here to attend the twilight ceremony! Were you so overjoyed at finding your bride that you completely forgot my invitation?"

"No!"

"Heh heh, just kidding. Next, of course, is the main event—the twilight ceremony! Prepare yourself and come attend Ludie and my mother's twilight ceremony, Lu Luo. The Red and White Castle has already materialized over the Fourth Ring; everyone will witness this moment."

After the Nightmare Demon spoke, its gaze gradually became too intense to meet, and both Lu Luo and Qi Xinzhu averted their eyes.

Soon, its body vanished before them.

Qi Xinzhu still didn't quite understand the meaning of the conversation between Lu Luo and the Nightmare Demon.

But since the Nightmare Demon had left, she definitely had questions.

"Lu Luo, what exactly is going on between you and the Nightmare Demon?"

"I have indeed had some contact with it, but it's not as extensive as you imagine."

"Then who exactly is Da Tian? Is she Ludie and Qiu Guling's child?"

Lu Luo didn't answer Qi Xinzhu's question, because he himself couldn't be sure of the answer yet.

Why would an Eighth Order Calamity have two forms? Twins? Or one body with two souls? Or perhaps two completely independent beings?

Due to their limited contact, Lu Luo had never seen Da Tian and the Nightmare Demon appear at the same time, so there were some things he simply couldn't judge.

"Qi Xinzhu, when you came here, did you ever see the Nightmare Demon and Da Tian appear simultaneously?"

Lu Luo's question stunned Qi Xinzhu. Was Lu Luo suspecting Da Tian *was* the Nightmare Demon?

"I have. When I first arrived, I came here once. It just so happened that Da Tian brought me, and she called the Nightmare Demon 'Master.' So, Lu Luo, Da Tian and the Nightmare Demon…"

Lu Luo shook his head; this information wasn't enough. With the current information, it was impossible to determine if Lu Xiaotian was the Nightmare Demon.

However, Lu Luo was fairly certain of one thing: she, like the Nightmare Demon, was the child of Ludie and Qiu Guling.

"During this time, has she been with you all along?"

"Yes, Da Tian has been with me this whole month. Besides her somewhat quirky temper, everything else has been fine. She hasn't harmed me, and with her around, no one has dared to bother me. Actually, in the Nightmare Castle, aside from some of Da Tian's odd requests, I've mostly been cultivating. The Dark Energy Level here is incredibly high; cultivating here continuously yields rapid progress!"

Lu Luo nodded slightly. The Nightmare Demon must have considered killing Qi Xinzhu, right? Fortunately, it hadn't acted against Qi Xinzhu; otherwise, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life, just as Ludie did. If it wanted to create another Ludie, it might have killed Qi Xinzhu. But in the end, it didn't. It chose to make him its fellow traveler, or perhaps, in some sense, a mirror?

"Qi Xinzhu, let's go."

"Go? Go where now?"

"It's almost five o'clock. Time to attend the true twilight ceremony."

「 」

The five o'clock bell chimed within the grand hall of the Red and White Castle.

Since the sky was now clear of dark clouds, the sunset's radiance streamed through the castle windows, serendipitously illuminating the center of the hall.

The setting sun is limitlessly beautiful, only it is near dusk.

The original tables and chairs had been cleared away. Now, the great hall held only a few groom candidates, standing about somewhat restlessly.

They were fortunate to have survived, and each had made some gains.

Lu Luo had just arrived, holding Qi Xinzhu's hand, when he saw several other brides in full regalia standing in various corners of the hall.

In white was Tong Yan; in green, Tong Meng; and in black, Tong Yuan.

Tong Yan, Fifth Tier Lord-level animal species – Three-tailed Fox. Abilities unknown, attributes unknown.

Tong Meng, Fifth Tier Lord-level animal species – Thousand Eyes. Abilities unknown, attributes unknown.

Tong Yuan, Fifth Tier Lord-level animal species – Death Nail. Abilities unknown. Strength 290, Agility 315, Constitution 100.

These three brides are all Lords! Two seem ability-oriented, and one focuses on close combat?

What surprised Lu Luo were Tong Yuan's attributes. A Fifth Tier Tong Yuan, her attributes could almost match those of a Sixth Tier Yang Liya! Even when compared to Bitter Nail, these attribute values were formidable. The range of attributes for a Fifth Tier Lord was truly astonishing!

When Lu Luo saw the brides, Qi Xinzhu naturally noticed them too.

Seeing the other brides arm-in-arm with various grooms, she gently pulled her hand from Lu Luo's. After briefly tidying her hair, Qi Xinzhu took Lu Luo's arm, tilting her head slightly as they walked forward together.

Yes, the others are indeed beautiful, but fortunately, I'm not lacking either!

Red, white, green, black—four beauties gathered, naturally the best embellishments for this twilight ceremony.

Of course, besides the four brides, there were three other grooms apart from Lu Luo: Qi Gefei, Chen Mo, and Gu Fangyi.

The grooms' expressions, however, were rather peculiar.

Lu Luo was the most normal one. He and Qi Xinzhu shared mutual affection, so their pairing was natural, and he showed no unusual expression.

But the expressions of Chen Mo, Qi Gefei, and Gu Fangyi were quite distinct.

Chen Mo constantly proclaimed his undying love for Han Shiyu, vowing to love only her for his entire life. Then, for 'love,' he'd sacrificed his body. Judging by his drained appearance and Tong Yan's rosy complexion, it was clear this 'sacrifice' had occurred many times.

Gu Fangyi's situation was even more absurd. Though he had already paid, he still ended up being brought here. Getting entangled with an Exotic Species left the self-proclaimed 'pure' Gu Fangyi feeling rather embarrassed. He wanted to explain his relationship with Tong Meng to Lu Luo but decided against it, thinking it best to wait until he'd gotten rid of Tong Meng before clarifying.

As for the last one, Qi Gefei, his eyes were vacant, his fingers trembling, yet he didn't dare release Tong Yuan's hand. No one knew what he had experienced with Tong Yuan, but it seemed to have been a terrifying ordeal.

The four grooms glanced at each other but remained silent.

Right, they pretended not to know each other.

Even Gu Fangyi didn't take the initiative to speak to Lu Luo.

But Lu Luo gave Gu Fangyi a strange look.

Gu Fangyi, Third Tier Deformed Species, Sequence B-Hawk Eye. Ability: Shooting Proficiency, Six Paths - Qi Union Path, Shooting Path. Attributes: Strength 20, Agility 22, Constitution 8.5.

Good heavens, only a few hours had passed, and he'd already completed his aberration! Well, it wasn't like there were many normal people left around him anyway.

Lu Luo could only pretend not to know.

Bitter Nail, having assumed a human appearance, walked to the center of the hall.

Even though Bitter Nail had changed its appearance, Lu Luo still recognized it as the old lizardman, thanks to the Observer's hint.

Bitter Nail simply stood quietly to one side, saying nothing more.

When the castle doors opened, Qiu Guling, splendidly dressed, walked in arm-in-arm with Ludie.

Humans and Exotic Species alike wore happy smiles.

After seven years, they were finally together again.

And as they walked in, Lu Xiaotian, dressed in festive clothes, suddenly popped her head out from behind Ludie, leaned on his shoulder, and made a face at Lu Luo.

"HEE!"

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