All the way until he firmly stood on the ground, nothing happened.
His taut nerves relaxed a little, but he still didn’t dare to let his guard down.
Xiong Jie cautiously reached out to touch the Dark Forest beside him, his movements slow and careful, as if afraid to disturb some terrifying presence.
When constructing the Dark Bus, he’d touched Dark Wood before.
Now his fingertips made contact—feeling just like the cut logs, only even colder to the touch.
No harm, nothing happened, not even the branches and leaves of the Dark Wood stirred.
Over here, people were feeling the silence of the Dark Forest, but they couldn’t suppress the wild pounding of their hearts.
The moon hung in the sky.
Jiang Che gently embraced Ding Ning, the two of them sitting by the window, gazing out at that tranquil, star-filled night.
Ding Ning’s head leaned against Jiang Che’s chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat, her heart full of warmth and peace.
Jiang Che’s hand softly stroked Ding Ning’s hair, murmuring, "I wish I could always be with you like this."
His eyes were full of longing.
Because he knew this calm was only temporary.
Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, the Lords would start making their move.
It would be a bloodbath, but right now, he only wanted to cherish this moment of peace with Ding Ning.
Ding Ning looked up, staring seriously into Jiang Che’s eyes. "We will."
They shared a smile; both were ready to face whatever was coming.
For now, enjoying the present was what mattered most.
Jiang Che dropped a gentle kiss on Ding Ning’s forehead, "Remember the surprise I mentioned? Tomorrow I’ll take you to my territory—I built several things there."
Ding Ning sat up excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "What is it?!"
"A lot of the scenery and play areas were covered by the Dark Forest, so I had some parts rebuilt."
"Really!" Ding Ning was stunned; she’d thought Jiang Che’s surprise was some kind of gift, never expecting it would be to revive human sceneries.
She leaned her head on Jiang Che, feeling her whole mind ablaze.
Jiang Che looked at her indulgently: "Of course it’s true, you said before you wanted to see them."
Ding Ning kept her eyes closed and, when she opened them again, there was a trace of resolve in her gaze.
If only there were no enemies; if only there were no rivals; if only there were no Dark Forest.
Now, all she could do was stand atop all enemies beside Jiang Che. Only this way, she could be the master of her life and her days.
She knew full well the road ahead was riddled with thorns, but as long as she walked shoulder to shoulder with Jiang Che, she was fearless.
"Is there a Ferris wheel?" Ding Ning asked softly, recalling things she’d once read.
She’d heard that making a wish at the highest point was especially effective.
Back then, she found this laughable—there were no wishes in this world, all dreams must be fulfilled by oneself. You are your own god.
"There is!" Jiang Che replied, eyes shining with a smile.
"Is there a roller coaster?" She’d heard it was tense and exciting in the Human Realm, and wondered if she could ever experience those feelings herself.
"There is."
Ding Ning’s eyes shone instantly, her face breaking into a radiant smile. "Then is there a merry-go-round?"
That’s something every couple should try.
Jiang Che looked at her expectant face and nodded: "There’s everything!"
The info Ding Ning had read—he’d read it too.
He hadn’t played any of these either, but when he checked relevant materials, he’d seen the same things.
From nightfall until dawn, until the morning glow broke through the gaps in the Dark Forest, until sunlight bathed the two by the window.
Ding Ning stretched out her hand—it was her first time feeling the dawn sunlight.
It was a bit different from the Evil Spirit Realm; the Evil Spirit Realm only had two temperature changes.
Hot during the day, cold at night.
The territory was built large, its layout intricate and complex.
Just the play area alone was designed with much creativity. If one wanted to play through everything carefully, it would take ages.
The scenery at dawn was different from usual.
The soft light gilded everything with misty gold edges, making even familiar sights hold a new charm.
Jiang Che took Ding Ning’s hand and walked outside.
His stride was strong and steady; Ding Ning kept right by his side, her face aglow with happiness.
Outside, people were already hard at work—a bustling scene.
Many facilities were already finished; the ones Jiang Che had marked as priorities had been completed first.
The territory was still under construction, but that didn’t stop Jiang Che from taking Ding Ning to play.
Just as they walked out not far from the territory, quite a few eyes turned toward the couple.
Jiang Che tugged her hand, walking toward the roller coaster.
This roller coaster’s track nearly wound through the whole scenic area, like a twisting, coiling dragon.
Riding it, the view was incredibly expansive—you could see everything at once.
His plan was to scan everything first, then pick favorites to enjoy in detail.
The crowd was stunned—who was this woman at Jiang Che’s side?
"Holy shit, who is she?"
"Who’s sneaking around behind our backs, dating the Lord?"
"Holy shit, another route—she’s basically our Lady now!"
...
The chattering voices drifted into Jiang Che and Ding Ning’s ears. Jiang Che squeezed Ding Ning’s hand tightly.
Ding Ning said nothing—right now, she was in her human form.
She and Jiang Che could both hear the crowd’s whispers, all thinking she was a human.
Jiang Che held her hand—confident warmth transmitted from his palm.
He knew the headless woman who had come to break through the territory last time—that was Ding Ning’s true form.
She didn’t have a face of her own, only a head shrouded in black smoke. Her current look was just something she’d transformed into.
At this moment, Ding Ning felt conflicted—she didn’t want everyone to mistake her for a pure human.
What she longed for, deep down, was to be with Jiang Che as her real self, not relying on an illusory appearance.
Should she revert to her true form? She hung her head, following behind Jiang Che with heavy steps, torn and uneasy inside.
Jiang Che shook his head, then led Ding Ning toward the crowd.
He had no intention of making her return to her old look—whatever form she took, Jiang Che loved her.
"Let me introduce you all—this is my wife." Jiang Che held Ding Ning’s hand and spoke to everyone, his voice loud and clear.
With that, the crowd turned their curious eyes, wondering which girl had secretly won over Jiang Che.
"I suppose everyone’s curious about her identity, but you already know her." Jiang Che swept his gaze over the crowd.
"We’ve been together a long time, and we have an adorable daughter."
"Who’s my wife?"
"My wife is the Lord of Dungeon No.9!"