Chapter 128: Observations and Insights

The atmosphere at the spot grew noticeably heavier. A group of savage-looking fiends stared at Chen Ming in the distance; they had already spotted him.

Yet in the eyes of these fiends, the figure standing opposite them appeared to be a sturdy adult fiend, exuding an intimidating majesty and aura as he stood there from afar.

When they noticed the two feathers atop Chen Ming’s head, their expressions changed once more, now tinged with awe.

From what Chen Ming understood, the fiend tribes also possessed a hierarchy, distinguished by the number of feathers worn atop their heads. A first-rank warrior had one feather, a second-rank warrior two, and a third-rank warrior three.

Fiends were naturally fierce and valiant. Even an ordinary fiend possessed the strength of a knight. A first-rank warrior was equivalent to a great knight, while a second-rank warrior was comparable to an earth knight.

The tribe did not appear large. Even its leader was probably only a two-feathered warrior, roughly equivalent to a second-rank warrior. Naturally, upon seeing Chen Ming, he would feel awe.

After all, this was a world possessed of extraordinary power. Unless an earth-knight-level powerhouse was present to restrain him, a warrior of that level could break through an army alone. Destroying this tribe would certainly be no difficult task.

A commotion arose in the field. After a while, a thin, ugly-looking fiend slowly emerged from within the tribe. Two feathers were stuck into the top of his head, marking him as the tribe’s leader.

After coming out, the fiend looked at Chen Ming with a grave expression, then slowly began to speak.

The fiends’ language sounded extremely awkward, as though it possessed a unique method of pronunciation. Because of the differences in their physical structures, ordinary humans would find it exceedingly difficult to imitate or understand.

For Chen Ming, however, this was no challenge. For an existence such as him, once his true spirit had been born, he could rapidly comprehend any language in the multiverse and listen to it without the slightest impediment.

The fiend leader’s words were nothing more than an inquiry, driven by instinctive wariness toward this outsider.

This was also the norm among fiends. Though they possessed basic intelligence and a primitive order, these infected fiends were innately brutal and inclined toward chaos. If they had not seen that Chen Ming was powerful, they would probably have swarmed him long ago and seized him by force.

He looked at the group of fiends opposite him and slowly began to converse with them.

After he spoke, the fiends seemed to relax somewhat. Their hostility was no longer as pronounced as before.

A little later, the fiend leader crooked a finger, signaling for Chen Ming to follow him into the tribe as a guest.

Seeing this, Chen Ming followed.

To the fiends living upon this land, communication was simple and crude. If one spoke, it meant that one had no desire to fight. Thus, their leader had invited him inside.

Once he entered the tribe, the scene he had observed from outside began to change.

At the outermost edge, warriors were bent over, processing their kills. Some lowered their heads to look at Chen Ming, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity, while others revealed brutality and a desire for battle.

After passing through this outer layer and reaching the interior, scenes difficult for the outside world to imagine began to appear. Female fiends and several seemingly underage young fiends moved about within the tribe, occupied with various tasks.

The sight immediately drew Chen Ming’s attention, and he could not help examining his surroundings more carefully.

The female fiends looked as savage as the others, with very few possessing anything resembling normal features. They wore little clothing, but the dense scales and scars covering their bodies were enough to extinguish any ordinary man’s interest in them.

The young fiends, by contrast, looked relatively normal. Because they were still very young, scales had yet to grow across their bodies, and their features remained tender. Their only distinguishing trait was that their skin was somewhat darker than that of ordinary children. At that moment, they were all staring at Chen Ming curiously.

Even so, Chen Ming could see a far deeper demonic nature within their bodies, lying dormant beneath the surface. It was in no way weaker than that of their parents.

Anyone who lowered their guard because of their young age would sooner or later suffer a terrible loss.

A faint sobbing sound drifted over.

They had reached the inner part of the tribe. The sound did not resemble that of a fiend, but rather that of an ordinary human.

Hearing it, Chen Ming turned and looked toward a corner.

Behind a building, he could vaguely make out numerous figures huddled together, their sobs rising in waves.

The corner was almost covered in blood and scattered bones. Combined with the stench permeating the area, the sight made Chen Ming frown.

“Warrior, those are slaves,” the leader slowly explained when he saw Chen Ming stop and look in that direction.

Hearing his explanation, Chen Ming nodded slowly, shifted his gaze back toward the road ahead, and continued walking.

As he proceeded, one disturbing scene after another appeared before him. Chen Ming even saw a young fiend with an innocent expression chewing on a human thigh, blood smeared across his entire face.

The leg clearly belonged to an ordinary young woman. Her corpse still lay ahead, covered in wounds and deep bite marks.

At the sight, Chen Ming stopped and looked at the fiend, who appeared no different from an ordinary child.

Sensing his gaze, the young fiend turned around and gave him a bright smile. At the same time, he raised the half-eaten thigh in his hand, seemingly inviting Chen Ming to partake. His face bore an innocent, guileless smile, revealing a nature that had not yet been tainted. Paired with the blood covering his features, however, it appeared profoundly incongruous.

“Is it because this is their nature, combined with the influence of their surroundings, that it seems so completely natural to them?”

The thought arose in his mind.

These fiends were infected by demonic nature, and brutality and bloodlust were inherent to them. Thus, even children felt no aversion to such bloodshed. To them, it was no different from drinking water or eating a meal—a perfectly ordinary act.

At that thought, killing intent rose within Chen Ming. As his true spirit trembled, he looked toward the young fiend.

Their eyes met. A trace of gold gradually appeared within Chen Ming’s gaze, carrying an immense divine might that surged directly through his eyes.

The next instant, confusion flashed through the young fiend’s eyes, along with a trace of innocence. Then he slowly collapsed. In an instant, an overwhelmingly powerful essence shattered the foundation of his soul, causing his consciousness to collapse completely. From the outside, however, it merely appeared that he had fallen asleep.

Those nearby paid no attention. A few female fiends simply stepped forward and carried him away, not forgetting to take the half-eaten thigh with them.

Farther ahead, after continuing along the path for some time, Chen Ming finally arrived at a certain location.