Chapter 45

In the crystal-clear, stunning, and ethereal waters of the Mirror Lake, the Netherworld clansmen who had stepped into the lake with a resolve to embrace death now all felt a profound difference.

Many of the Netherworld clansmen had been unwilling to open their eyes and look at their own ugly appearances before entering the Mirror Lake. But right now, after that cool, comforting sensation washed over and cleansed their bodies...

Finally.

The first, the second... All the Netherworld clansmen who had entered the Mirror Lake involuntarily opened their eyes, and then looked at their reflections in the water...

They... were no longer in the shape of those disgusting monsters!

Just after the recent washing and cleansing of the lake water, they had shed their repulsive, ugly, and sticky outer shells, transforming back into their original appearances from long ago...

When the Netherworld clansmen truly realized this, countless tears began to gather in this Mirror Lake. They could not help their eyes welling up with hot tears, as if their very lives had been granted a brand-new resurrection!

...

Meanwhile, in another corner unknown to the Netherworld clansmen, Saint Hilberg, the Omniscient Brain-body of the Dark Universe Corporation, was continuously refreshing data—

[Plane resource update for serial number 25838 in progress—]

[Tears of Hope—]

[Body-Tempering Essence—]

[Heart of Curse—]

[Resurrection Spirit Liquid—]

Upon hearing the resources reported by Saint Hilberg, the hearts of all the high-ranking executives of the Dark Universe Corporation who were watching this live broadcast beat faster and faster with every passing second.

Great! It was truly fortunate—fortunate that Saint Hilberg had evacuated all the martial king candidates in advance. The richness of the rare resources on this plane, serial number 25838, truly exceeded all of their expectations.

At this very moment, the protection level of plane 25838 had been adjusted to the highest level under Saint Hilberg's arrangements. However, these high-ranking executives of the Dark Universe Corporation knew that the omniscient brain-bodies of the other corporations must also be frantically tracking and cracking the secrets of plane 25838.

After all, aside from these current resources, the rest... judging from earlier, whether it was the Tear of Purity or the Blood Tear of Purity, as long as these two resources existed on plane 25838, and as long as that cub named Su You still possessed the Blood Tear of Purity, the other two corporations would definitely not let go of the possibility of fighting for them.

"Protect it! Ensure the highest level of protection!"

All the high-ranking executives of the Dark Universe Corporation used their respective authorities to add multiple layers of confidential permission on top of Saint Hilberg's authority—some targeted at plane 25838, and others targeted at the cub named Su You.

...

While the omniscient brain-body and high-ranking executives of the Dark Universe Corporation were nervously applying protection to plane 25838, Su You, who was currently inside plane 25838, was having a whale of a time playing in the Mirror Lake.

After all, playing in the water was something a cub of his age always loved the most!

And it wasn't just him—right now, so many people were playing in the water together, too!

Squatting on a lotus leaf, Su You played with the water using his chubby little hands while enviously watching the adults soaking in the water before him.

"This is so nice, Youyou wants to swim too!"

The Myriad Underworld Demon Lord looked at Su You with a smile, raised a hand to gently ruffle the little fellow's head, and said, "As long as Youyou eats well and grows up properly, you can go down and play in the water later."

As the dignified leader of the Netherworld clan, the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord previously possessed not an ounce of skill in coaxing children. Yet now, being together with this little bean, he almost instinctively knew how to humor the little guy without needing to be taught.

But it was only after saying these words that the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord suddenly realized something—ever since he first laid eyes on this little fellow until now, it seemed he had never once seen this little bean eat anything?!

The Myriad Underworld Demon Lord, who had never raised a cub before, skipped a beat in his heart and cautiously asked Su You, "Youyou, are you hungry? Do you need to eat something?"

As he said this, deep regret washed over the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord.

He knew how fragile cubs were as creatures. If this tiny cub grew hungry and weak due to his negligence...

For a moment, leave alone the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord, even Wan You, who was squatting nearby and keeping Su You company, stiffened—yet unlike what the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord was thinking, Wan You was pondering what on earth existed in their Netherworld Domain that could be provided for a cub to eat.

However, just as they were worrying, the little fellow squatting on the lotus leaf and playing with the water blinked his big, cyan-green eyes, patted his little pockets, shook his head, and said very earnestly, "Youyou is not hungry! Youyou can still play in the water!"

Judging by the little fellow's expression, he looked precisely as if he were afraid that the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord wouldn't let him 'play in the water' the very next second.

The Myriad Underworld Demon Lord looked at the little fellow's appearance, fell silent for two seconds, and still raised his hand to rub the little fellow's head before replying with a 'good': "It's good that Youyou isn't hungry. You can continue playing in the water, but if you get hungry, you must remember to tell me, okay?"

The little fellow was quite easy to talk to. Hearing the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord's request, he nodded vigorously, and then happily went back to splashing water with his hands.

...

At this time, the first batch of Netherworld clansmen to enter the water had already completely returned to their original appearances. Yet, gripped by fear and terrified that the curse would return once they left the water, they all continued to soak within the Mirror Lake.

Shortly after, the second and third batches of Netherworld clansmen also successively entered the water...

More and more Netherworld clansmen broke their curses under the pure power of the Mirror Lake's water. Reluctant and too afraid to leave the Mirror Lake, these Netherworld clansmen wept and laughed together right inside the lake...

Until every single Netherworld clansman who had come to the lakeside had returned to normal, the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord looked at his clansmen who had finally escaped their plight, feeling a whirlwind of emotions in his heart for a moment, so much so that he didn't even know what else to say...

It was precisely at this moment that the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord felt someone tugging at the corner of his garment—he turned his head to look, and it was the little bean who had been happily playing in the water just moments ago.

"What's wrong, Youyou?"

Seeing that the little fellow had been having fun playing in the water, he hadn't paid much attention until the little bean tugged at his clothes. Only then did Su You rub his eyes, looking a bit wilted as he said, "Underworldie, Youyou is sleepy, I want to go to sleep!"

Only then did the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord suddenly realize how long the little fellow had been squatting on the lotus leaf in the water—no matter how much a little cub loved playing in the water, they wouldn't possibly be willing to stir the water surface for this long... not to mention that Su You looked merely this tiny bit in size.

It was also at this moment that the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord figured out that Su You had probably realized the Netherworld clansmen were all yearning to enter the water, and that he himself was yearning to save his people, which was why the little guy had obediently 'played' in the water on the lotus leaf for so long—staying there until every single Netherworld clansman had entered the water before the little fellow finally told him...

He was tired.

Realizing this, the Myriad Underworld Demon Lord was momentarily at a loss for words.

He scooped the slightly drowsy cub into his arms. Though he harbored a desire to say something, in the end, he could only gently pat the little fellow's back and speak softly to him: "Sleep, Youyou."

And then, silently in his heart, he told the cub—Thank you.