"Eh? Where is this place? The Colossal Tree is not here anymore."

Leyvi looked around in confusion. The familiar shadow of the massive tree was gone, replaced by an open landscape he did not recognize. Instinctively, he spread out his spiritual sense.

At the same time, he noticed that Lapin had already retreated into the spirit beast bag without saying a word.

That alone made Leyvi more alert.

His eyes widened when his spiritual sense finished expanding.

There were people everywhere.

More than ten thousand humans were scattered across the area, lying on the ground. Surrounding them were thousands of demonic beasts watching silently from a distance.

Leyvi quickly noticed something even more shocking.

Among those beasts were an enormous number of Commander Level Demonic Beasts. He counted them instinctively through his spiritual sense and nearly lost track.

Almost three hundred of them.

It was the first time in his life he had ever seen so many Commander Level Demonic Beasts gathered in one place.

If those beasts decided to attack right now, the situation would become extremely dangerous for the humans here.

But after observing them carefully, Leyvi realized something strange.

They weren’t hostile.

The demonic beasts simply stood there, calm and quiet, as if they were only observing.

Leyvi frowned slightly, wondering what was going on. He then turned his attention back to the humans.

Another strange detail quickly caught his attention.

No one appeared injured.

Everyone seemed to have been healed.

As he scanned the crowd more carefully, he recognized many familiar faces. The majority of them were the people who had once been trapped at Princess Waniwani’s plaza, those affected by the strange curse that forced them to remain there.

Now they were all here together.

Aside from them, Leyvi also spotted a few hundred survivors from the three great camps. Considering everything that had happened, those people were unbelievably lucky to still be alive.

Among the crowd, he also noticed Prince Ozan sitting on the ground with a visibly irritated expression.

Leyvi could guess why.

The prince had been flying toward the ancient palaces earlier. Being abruptly dragged here in the middle of that attempt would naturally make him upset.

Then Leyvi suddenly frowned. His gaze landed on a very familiar face among the unconscious people.

Ori Oregano. The so-called Cockroach Villain.

After the incident on the island back then, Leyvi had not seen him again and assumed the man had died somewhere along the way.

Yet here he was. Still alive.

Leyvi couldn’t help shaking his head. Truly a cockroach.

Just then, another sensation pulled his attention away.

The mental connection with his spirit beasts suddenly became incredibly clear and strong.

Leyvi turned his head immediately.

Not far away, he saw three familiar figures standing together.

A large demonic bison. A beautiful demonic red fox. And a small demonic monkey.

Stripey was already jumping excitedly on top of Mr. Bison’s back, waving both arms energetically the moment he saw Leyvi.

Because so many people were still lying unconscious on the ground, the three beasts couldn’t easily move toward him.

Leyvi didn’t hesitate.

A huge smile appeared on his face as he flew straight toward them.

"Stripey! Scarlet! Mr. Bison! It’s been so long! I thought I’d never see you guys again! Hahaha!"

He landed right in front of them.

Stripey immediately leapt forward and crashed straight into Leyvi’s embrace.

"Umm Boss, Stripey miss you!"

Leyvi laughed as he caught the small monkey, steadying himself from the sudden impact.

"Long time no see, Boss," both Mr. Bison and Scarlet greeted.

"Hahaha! I’m glad you’re all alright. It must have been hard for you."

Leyvi gently stroked Stripey’s fur while his gaze moved toward Mr. Bison and Scarlet. The moment he examined them closely, his expression shifted to surprise.

Their appearances had clearly changed.

Both of them now carried a powerful presence that was completely different from before. Strange and elegant patterns had appeared along their bodies, the kind that only demonic beasts who had awakened their bloodline would possess. The aura they emitted felt deeper and more majestic.

Scarlet looked particularly striking now.

Her red fur seemed even more vibrant than before, and behind her swayed three elegant tails instead of one.

Stripey, on the other hand, still remained at the High Level Demonic Beast stage.

"Umm... it’s hard, Boss," Stripey said pitifully. "No golden bananas for so many years. I can’t sleep peacefully."

Leyvi nearly stumbled.

That’s what you’ve been suffering from?

Without saying anything further, he opened his internal storage and pulled out a large bunch of golden bananas.

Stripey’s eyes sparkled.

Leyvi handed them over, and the little monkey instantly grabbed every single one before leaping back onto Mr. Bison’s back to enjoy his long-awaited treasure.

Leyvi shook his head with a helpless smile before turning back to the other two.

"How did you awaken your bloodline powers so quickly?" he asked curiously.

Normally, after a demonic beast’s core reached its peak, the conditions required to trigger a bloodline awakening differed greatly from beast to beast. Some required rare treasures, others needed unique environments or life-threatening battles.

So seeing both of them complete the awakening this quickly was unexpected.

"Snort!"

Mr. Bison lifted his head proudly.

"Boss, did you forget? This handsome bison here is the protagonist, the chosen one."

He shook his head dramatically, his majestic diamond horns glimmering under the light.

"How could awakening my noble bloodline be difficult for someone like me? And since Scarlet stayed near me all this time, she naturally received my protagonist blessings as well."

He puffed his chest even more.

"Boss, you must have seen that big tree outside earlier, right? It’s dead now. All thanks to me, the protagonist."

Leyvi stared at him silently.

For a moment, he couldn’t even find the words to respond.

He had hoped that surviving in this world for more than five years would at least reduce Mr. Bison’s delusions.

Instead... it seemed to have made them worse.

Leyvi slowly turned to Scarlet and made a small swirling gesture next to his head.

"Scarlet... is his delusion getting worse?"

Scarlet sighed.

"Yes, Boss," she replied helplessly. "Sometimes I almost can’t stand listening to him anymore."

Her three elegant tails swayed gently behind her.

"But he isn’t entirely wrong. He really did contribute a lot."

Leyvi blinked.

"What?"

He looked back at Mr. Bison with disbelief.

"You must be joking, Scarlet. How could he possibly contribute to something like that? Did he defeat it by infecting it with his delusion or something?"

"Snort!"

Mr. Bison stomped one hoof on the ground.

"What do you mean by that, Boss? As the protagonist, I only speak the truth. Why is it so hard for everyone to believe me?"

He looked genuinely offended.

Leyvi opened his mouth, ready to argue again, but before he could say anything another voice spoke from nearby.

"Brother Leyvi, I can vouch for him. Mr. Bison indeed played a big role in killing that Colossal Tree."

Leyvi turned his head in surprise. "Brother Lin Wei! You’re here!"

Lin Wei walked over with a relaxed smile.

"You heard that, Boss?" Mr. Bison immediately said, puffing out his chest. "I saved the world. You should acknowledge me as the protagonist now."

He looked extremely pleased.

In fact, he liked Lin Wei more and more. Finally someone who understood his greatness.

Leyvi’s mouth twitched. What the heck is going on here...?

How could that delusional bison possibly have helped with something like killing the Colossal Tree?

"Haha. Brother Leyvi, you must be confused right now," Lin Wei said. "Let me explain what actually happened."

Then he began recounting the entire sequence of events.

Leyvi listened quietly the entire time.

"Who would have thought Mr. Bison and Scarlet were actually your spirit beasts?" Lin Wei said with a big smile once he finished. "This must be fate, Brother Leyvi. Our meeting was clearly predestined by the heavens."

Leyvi stared at him silently.

Predestined to become your fodder, you mean? No thanks, mister protagonist.

Even so, his gaze slowly shifted toward the bison again, filled with astonishment.

This self-proclaimed delusional protagonist had somehow played a critical role in helping the real protagonist.

What kind of ridiculous plot twist was this?

Sending a signal across the galaxy through bloodline power... allowing a Divine Lord to locate this world, open a pathway through the void, and descend here...

Leyvi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

There’s definitely more to bloodline power than I thought.

Lin Wei’s expression gradually turned serious.

"I can bring a group of people with me to the heart of the galaxy," he said. "I’ve already confirmed this with Senior Raisho."

He stepped forward and looked directly at Leyvi.

"Come with me, Brother Leyvi. Let’s strive for the peak of cultivation together."

Leyvi was genuinely surprised.

He had never expected Lin Wei to think so highly of him, let alone invite him to leave this world and travel to the center of the galaxy together.

"Once we get there," Lin Wei continued with clear excitement, "we will be provided with enough resources to cultivate all the way to the Dao Manifestation Realm. That will save us countless years of effort."

His eyes seemed to shine with ambition.

"And after reaching Divinity, we can roam the galaxy freely. Imagine the adventures waiting out there!"

Lin Wei extended his hand toward Leyvi.

"Brother Leyvi... let’s go."

For most cultivators, such an invitation would be irresistible. The opportunity to cultivate in the most prosperous region of the galaxy, supported by vast resources, was the dream of countless people.

But Leyvi felt none of that excitement.

In fact, the thought made him tired.

All he wanted was a peaceful life with his family. Cultivate steadily, enjoy life, and grow stronger at their own pace.

Following Lin Wei would almost certainly lead to endless trouble, powerful enemies, and dangerous situations.

The exact opposite of the leisurely life he wanted.

Leyvi shook his head slightly.

"Brother Lin Wei," he said sincerely, "please don’t think badly of me for saying this, but I have to decline your generous offer."

Lin Wei’s hand slowly lowered.

"You have your own goals you want to pursue," Leyvi continued calmly. "And I have mine. It’s just that the things we strive for don’t align."

He smiled faintly.

"For now, I’d rather stay here."

Lin Wei closed his eyes. Rejected again.

For a few seconds, he didn’t speak.

Then he released a long breath and opened them again, his usual smile returning.

"Actually... based on your personality, I already expected this answer," he admitted. "But hearing it directly still makes me a little disappointed."

He cupped his hands respectfully.

"Brother Leyvi, even if our paths in life are different, I still wish you the best of luck in whatever you pursue."

Leyvi returned the gesture. "Same to you, Brother Lin Wei."