The scent of blood hung heavy in the mist-laden air.

Mark stood still, cradling the weakened form of Anan in his arms. The ground beneath them was cracked and soaked in a mix of blood and melted frost. His face, normally composed even in the face of a mythical beast like Blizzard Pegasus, was twisted in frustration.

He turned sharply toward the towering beast still standing nearby. "I told you not to kill him." His voice turned cold.

The Snow Wolf King, blood smeared along his flank, met Mark's gaze. "I aimed to suppress him," he said, voice low. "But he… he was strong. Just as abnormal as you. I held back, but he forced me to end it."

Mark narrowed his eyes. "You're a second-stage Transcendent Beast. He's not even a Transcendent yet, just an Ascendant. Was that truly beyond you?"

A moment of silence passed.

Then the Wolf King growled, almost to himself, "That feline cub… his imperial bloodline is pure. He is as strong as a first-stage transcendent. And he was too aggressive on the field. Frankly, I don't even understand why you are showing kindness to an enemy. A kid or not, he is a Feline Prince."

"Shut up…" Mark growled in response, his glare remaining for a heartbeat longer before lowering his gaze to the pale face in his arms.

But then…

Anan coughed weakly, eyes fluttering open.

Mark's eyes widened. "You're still alive."

He gently laid the boy down and reached out to the system interface.

"Activate Elixir of vitality."

Elixir of Vitality: Create an elixir of vitality from the enchanted oil to heal your or your ally wounds. Note: The created elixir only stays effective for 300 seconds. After that, it will turn into normal oil. Cost: 50% ether energy per flask. CD: 6 hours.

With a brief flick of his fingers, golden oil began to swirl midair, condensing into a translucent flask.

[Skill: Elixir of Vitality – Activated]

The flask shimmered with an inner glow.

He uncorked it and gently brought it to Anan's lips. "Drink this. Slowly."

Anan coughed, weakly gulping it down.

The effects were near-instant. Golden veins of light ran across his body, slowly knitting torn flesh and muscle, sealing the internal wounds right away.

Mark watched silently, his expression unreadable.

Then Anan spoke, voice hoarse. "Why…?"

Mark tilted his head slightly. "Why what?"

"Why save me?" Anan asked. "Why… heal me? After everything? You're killing my kin. You called me back to a place I fled from. You abandoned me back then, Master… And yet… I can't bring myself to hate you."

Tears formed in the corners of Anan's eyes. "Why?"

Mark let out a slow breath, wiping sweat and blood from his brow.

"Because you're family," he said simply. "What's so hard to understand about that?"

Anan clenched his fists. "You still left me."

"I'm sorry," Mark answered softly.

Anan looked away, silent. "I don't know what to do anymore," he said. "So much damage has been done. Too much. And my mother—she won't let this go."

Mark's gaze hardened. "Then we deal with it together."

Anan shook his head. "You should go. Take your people and leave. She will come soon."

Mark stood slowly, the healing flask falling empty beside him. "Fool, I'm here to save you. Why would I abandon you now?"

Anan's lips trembled as he tried to speak, but no words came.

And then…

A crack appeared in the sky. Mark raised his head.

A swirling black-and-purple portal opened above the valley, exuding pressure so suffocating that even the wounded beasts in the distance whimpered and knelt in fear.

From the rift, a silhouette stepped out.

She looked almost human—graceful, elegant, dressed in obsidian robes embroidered with silver moons and walking barefoot on air. But her cat-like ears, the long velvet tail, and her predatory aura made it instantly clear.

Her golden slit-pupiled eyes scanned the battlefield with disinterest… until they landed on Anan.

Mark took a cautious step forward as Ark scanned her. His heart rate increased in excitement and a bit of slight nervousness. This is the final battle.

Species: Golden Demon Cat

Grade: Ancient

Rank: 14 (peak-14-circle/True God realm)

Bloodline: Golden Demon Cat

Attributes: Divinity, Demonic

*

Anan's lips moved first. "Mother."

The Demon Cat Empress smiled faintly.

And the entire ground trembled.

For a moment, the entire battlefield stood still. Every living feline soldier fell to their knees instantly, heads bowed so low they touched the blood-soaked ground.

"Your Majesty."

General Panthera Leo King also knelt, his deep voice the first to echo.

Even the Snow Wolf King, proud and battered, narrowed his eyes with caution.

In the camp far below, Lan Xia, Yuan Feng, Reva, and Rynder looked up from the Eternal Pagoda's internal viewports, watching in stunned silence.

Reva whispered, "That pressure… It's like a whole world is pressing on my chest."

"That's a third-stage transcendent being," Lan Xia said grimly. "The one closer to the fourth stage."

Back on the battlefield, the Demon Cat Empress's gaze never wavered from Mark.

Her voice slithered through the air, sultry and venomous. "So… you are the thief. The one who stole my kitten… who killed my generals."

Her golden pupils glinted. "You wear an ascendant's skin, but you carry Creation in your blood. I can smell the elements on you. Divinity. Fire, Water, Lightning, Poison, and many more. Every element is in harmony with the others. You carry multiple bloodlines that are in harmoney with one another. You're not normal."

She tilted her head ever so slightly. "Tell me, primate. Are you born of flesh? Or are you one of those celestials' artificial creations?"

Mark didn't answer and didn't clear her misunderstanding.

Instead, he raised one hand.

Zzzt—!

His lightning clone, standing quietly nearby, reacted instantly without a command. Its arms flared, lightning crackling wildly as it reached toward each companion like a chain of divine light.

One by one, the beams struck Lan Xia, Yuan Feng, Reva, and Ryder, wrapping around them.

Before they could even blink…

Fzzzzap!

All of them vanished, absorbed directly into the Eternal Pagoda, except for the injured Snow Wolf King.

Mark looked up at the Demon Cat Empress. "I don't care if you're Anan's birthgiver," he said flatly. "You lost the egg. I claimed it on my world, not in yours. I hatched it with my blood. I named him. From that moment, he became my family."

"And you? You're the thieving cats. You didn't dare to attack when I was there. You snatched him when I was away. Like the cowards you are."

The Empress let out a soft laugh—a clicking purr, almost playful.

"You intelligent primates… So bold. You see something… and assume it's yours. You steal, you conquer, and then you cry loyalty when cornered. How amusing."

Her tone dropped.

"Do you know how old the Feline Empire is? How many waves of Canines, Primates, and Insects have tried to break us over eons? We are the only ones who remain. Do you know why?"

Before Mark could answer, she raised her hand.

A dark pyramid-shaped artifact, hovering with a faint hum of divinity—materialized in her palm.

"My Generals… your Empress calls you home."