That night, after cleaning the entire Yang Clan's mansion, Yang Hao tiredly lay on his bed.
Since all the mortals had died, he and his siblings had to clean up the place themselves. However, they were only able to clean their houses; as for the streets and other areas, they remained untouched.
The next day, Yang Hao's father would gather all the remaining survivors and begin the full cleanup. He would also seek assistance from other provinces. However, one thing Yang Hao understood was that the West Province was finished.
When Navrita returned, she confirmed that every mortal in the West Province had died.
After catching his breath for a moment, Yang Hao finally asked, "Why did this happen? What caused all of this?"
Since he had been too busy with cleaning, he hadn't had the chance to ask earlier.
"I don't want to tell you because it's far beyond anything you can handle, but…" Navrita said, emerging from the storage artifact. Yu Ruyi appeared beside her.
"But since One day, you'll have to face them whether you want to or not. You should know what you're up against," she continued. Then, after a brief pause, she said, "First, I want to clarify something with you. When we first met, we thought you would only provide us with lifespan for a few years before dying, forcing us to find someone else. But with the talent you've displayed, I believe you have the potential to become as strong as us. That's why I want you to be my disciple. Do you accept?"
Yang Hao blinked in surprise and stared at Navrita's unblinking eyes. Beside her, Yu Ruyi chuckled softly.
"Haven't I already become your disciple?" Yang Hao asked.
Navrita nodded. "In a way, yes, you are. But we never officially established it, did we?"
Yang Hao nodded. "Yes. I want to be your disciple."
Navrita's face remained indifferent, showing no emotion. She nodded and said, "Then, this entire tragedy happened because one person appeared."
"You're saying one person caused all of this destruction? Just by appearing?"
"Yes. The moment he arrived, every mortal within five thousand miles dropped dead. And that was just a weak one—I killed him before he even realized it. But there are others… stronger than me. As my disciple, if they so much as hear your name or see your face, they can kill you instantly—without even lifting a finger. Do you still want to follow this path?"
Yang Hao nodded. His eyes were filled with determination.
"Listen," Yu Ruyi said. "We will teach you and do our best to make you stronger. Your strength will also help us recover faster. But for that, you don't necessarily need to become her disciple."
"I don't just want to learn from you—I want to be your disciple. Both of you." Yang Hao said firmly. "If you're going to teach me, then do it as my masters, not as some trade."
Yu Ruyi smiled and nodded. "Well, if you die, don't blame us."
"Of course, I won't," Yang Hao said. He had seen that maid explode in front of him. He had seen the rivers of blood and the flesh-covered streets. He knew the entire West Province had been wiped out in an instant. Someone capable of such destruction was terrifying, yet in Navrita and Yu Ruyi's eyes, that person was weak. Their enemies were even stronger.
Yang Hao understood the risks. And that was why, despite the danger, he still wanted to be their disciple. One day, he wanted the world to know who his masters were. He didn't want to hide it.
"Aside from that man, there are four Devils," Yu Ruyi said. "We don't know where they are, but if the Devils came here, it means they weren't after us—they came for something else. And if it was important enough to draw them here, then it must be valuable. We should take it for ourselves."
"But how?" Yang Hao asked. "And… What exactly are Devils?"
"Devils are intelligent beasts. They have humanoid bodies, but their entire skin is pitch black. They have wings, and their hands and legs are unnaturally long and thin. The females, however, have bodies more similar to humans, but muscular. They also have long tails, and their favourite food is human flesh, but devils from seven clans have different appearance." Yu Ruyi explained.
Yang Hao felt a chill run down his spine. "Do they… eat humans?"
"Yes," Yu Ruyi said. "And for millions of years, they have been humanity's sworn enemies."
Yang Hao's fear deepened. If four Devils were here, wouldn't they start eating everyone in the kingdom?
"We need to find them and uncover what they're after," Yu Ruyi continued. "And then we need to steal it from them. It might be useful to you, or it might help us regain our strength."
Yang Hao nodded but hesitated. "How can you be sure they aren't after you?"
"This world has a barrier," Yu Ruyi explained. "Every world has, and it's impossible to come inside any world. Only if any big tragedy happens, making the world lose its standard living numbers, then the world's barriers crack open and someone can enter. We entered this world because the crack was about to close. It would be the same with those one man and four devils. However, after coming into this world, the world will suppress them. If Navrita burns one year of her lifespan, she could wipe them all out."
Yang Hao was momentarily confused, but then he understood. His lifespan was the key. He would need to give up more years so that Navrita could fight the Devils. And if she was as strong as she claimed, it was worth it—especially if it meant getting whatever treasure the Devils were after.
After a few more words. Yu Ruyi turned to Navrita. In an instant, Navrita disappeared.
Yu Ruyi's face stayed blank. She climbed onto the bed and lay on her back, her big body sinking into the mattress. She didn't undress fully—just pulled her robe up over her thick waist, exposing her lower half. She spread them apart, revealing herself to him. "Take off your pants and get started," she said.
After giving her lifespan.
"Rest," she said, climbing off the bed. "We'll do this again tomorrow." Without looking at him, she returned to the storage artifact, leaving him alone.
It seemed they could only do it once a day. One year per day.
Yang Hao doesn't know how much they needed, but he could give up 30 years.
Yang Hao had no problem with it. He knew that, with his talent and resources, he would become a True Elemental within three to four years. And once he reached that stage, he would gain a hundred years of lifespan.
So, he had no worries.