World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 1080 - 490: Engaged to Dina! Hellish Training!_2

Chapter 1080: 490: Engaged to Dina! Hellish Training!_2

Suo Mo, his temper flaring, grabbed a jug of water and drank it in one gulp, then said: "And you speak of going out on your own, establishing your own tribe. Do you have any idea how dangerous the outside world is? Fierce beasts roam everywhere, and countless tribes glare at each other like predators. I can guarantee that if we establish a tribe, the next day there will be a dozen tribes attacking us, slaughtering every one of us. This is not like your Tianshui City; all you need to do is comfortably inherit the position of City Lord, without any bloodshed, without any wars, and simply enjoy the rewards. You are still young; you don’t understand anything yet. Things aren’t as easy as you make them out to be. Don’t aim high while underestimating reality."

Lanling took a deep breath and said quietly: "Uncle, four years ago, when Father died, I lost the Tianshui City Territory. My sister and I fled like stray dogs, homeless and destitute. Yet in just over six months, I led a thousand troops to reclaim my Tianshui City. Then, Shaojun Zhi Li of the Rage Wave Kingdom mobilized all their forces to campaign against me. Using only the five-hundred-mile Tianshui City, I fought against the Rage Wave Kingdom’s territory that spans ten thousand miles. In three years, my forces waged three major wars. With the armies of Tianshui City, I killed over six hundred thousand enemy troops. Over those three years, I defeated Shaojun of the Rage Wave Kingdom, crushed all feudal lords, all warlords, and all aristocrats. With the power of just one city, I paved the way for my fiancée, Princess Zhi Yan, to ascend to the throne as Queen of the Rage Wave Kingdom. With merely a five-hundred-mile city, I conquered a kingdom spanning ten thousand miles."

Upon hearing Lanling’s words, Suo Mo and Dina were completely stunned.

Suo Mo didn’t know what Lanling had gone through; he thought Lanling’s exile into the Barbaric Wilds was merely due to a minor conflict or personal grudges.

Because Lanling’s martial prowess was weak, Suo Mo assumed that before his exile to the Barbaric Wilderness, he was just a boastful, over-confident nobleman.

"Then... then why did you end up here?" Suo Mo asked.

Lanling replied: "Because the blood in my veins provoked relentless hunting across the Human World. My wife... killed me with her own hands!"

At those words, Dina’s tears surged out uncontrollably.

Suo Mo asked: "Then, your family, your Tianshui City—what happened?"

Lanling shook his head and said: "I don’t know, but in my dreams, my Tianshui City has been completely massacred."

Suo Mo’s face trembled uncontrollably before he suddenly pulled Lanling into his arms, his voice quivering as he said: "I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry..."

Once again, he felt a piercing pain, empathizing deeply with Lanling’s suffering.

At the side, Dina felt a mix of heartbreak and shock that she could hardly contain!

Lanling said: "Uncle, if you don’t wish to revolt, then let’s set out on our own. In this world, there’s nothing impossible. If you agree, I will find a path forward for the Foreign Tribe Army."

Unable to hold back any longer, Dina interrupted: "Godfather, even if it means death, I refuse to live such a humiliating and painful life. I’d rather embrace a glorious end than endure a miserable existence like this."

Suo Mo shut his eyes in anguish!

Ten years ago during the exile, those around him kept dying—memories so painful they had scarred him deeply.

Thus, stability had turned into his ultimate pursuit, his way of ensuring he could protect every single member of the Foreign Tribe Army.

But the idea of setting out independently would mean yet another exile, yet another terrifying adventure—a journey that might take countless lives.

The thought of losing their refuge and wandering again filled his heart with unbearable dread and agony.

"Enough, we won’t discuss this topic further today." Suo Mo abruptly waved his hand and said: "Dina, your second brother, Du Yan, will be back today. Tomorrow morning, I’m leaving the tribe to capture a Griffin Beast and exchange it for the little girl."

"Godfather," Dina called out: "I want to go with you to capture the Griffin."

"No!" Suo Mo said. "The Griffin resides atop mountains five to six thousand meters high—that place is far too dangerous. You mustn’t go."

"Exactly because it’s dangerous that I want to go with you," Dina insisted.

"Stop arguing." Suo Mo said firmly: "For the next ten days, your sole duty is to train Lanling in martial arts, help him improve his fighting skills. In this world, everything else is fleeting; only the strength in one’s hands is real."

At this moment, Suo Mo displayed the authoritarian side of a patriarch. Once he made a decision, no one was allowed to defy it.

Then Suo Mo turned to Lanling and said: "Ling, step outside. I need to have a few words with Dina."

"Understood," Lanling replied.

Though he couldn’t persuade Suo Mo, Lanling’s heart still brimmed with respect and affection for him.

...

After Lanling had left, Suo Mo sighed deeply and sat back down.

Dina said: "Godfather, I think Lanling has a point."

"Let’s no longer discuss this matter," Suo Mo said firmly.

Feeling dejected, Dina lowered her head.

Suo Mo then sighed again and said: "Dina, do you like Lanling? Although you two have only spent less than two days together, our Demon Race’s impulses for love and desire often emerge the instant we meet someone."

Dina lowered her head and said: "I am not worthy of him."

"Then you do like him," Suo Mo said.

Dina replied hesitatingly: "I don’t know."

Suo Mo laughed heartily and stopped teasing his bashful adopted daughter.

Then, closing his eyes, Suo Mo said: "Little Na, Lanling is right. One day, I will eventually die. When that time comes, do you think I should entrust the Foreign Tribe Army to Lanling, or to your second brother Du Yan?"