A threat!
Ye Xuan hadn’t expected the Illusory Demon King to threaten him. Was this creature trying to force a deal?
Zhantai Ling’er looked at the Demon King, staying silent.
Ye Xuan smiled. “I’m not selling.”
The Demon King grinned. “Then let’s spar.”
Zhantai Ling’er tugged at Ye Xuan’s sleeve and whispered, “You can’t beat him. He’s at the peak of the Life Mysterious Realm. Only a Mysterious Venerable could match him.”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment. “What do we do?”
Zhantai Ling’er considered, then said seriously, “Call your sister. Really.”
Ye Xuan glanced at the Demon King. “Are you sure you want to play dirty?”
The Demon King clenched his fist, and a terrifying force surged toward Ye Xuan. Instantly, the space-time around him boiled.
Ye Xuan’s pupils shrank as an overwhelming force hit him, feeling like the sky was collapsing. Gripped by a suffocating sensation, he steadied his mind and summoned the Human Sword, slashing out.
A cascade of sword light erupted, but it was utterly feeble against the Demon King’s power. The sword light shattered, and the Demon King’s fist reached Ye Xuan’s forehead.
At that moment, Zhantai Ling’er grabbed Ye Xuan’s hand, and they vanished. The Demon King’s fist landed, collapsing the space-time into a massive abyss.
The Demon King frowned at the abyss. They escaped. No matter. He opened his palm, looking at the Qingxuan Sword, a smirk forming. This was a major gain, a supreme divine artifact. Without further thought, he turned and left.
In an unknown starry sky, space-time trembled, and Ye Xuan and Zhantai Ling’er appeared. Ye Xuan’s face was grim.
Zhantai Ling’er looked at him. “Lost your wife and your army. Why not wipe out the Illusory Crystal Realm?”
Ye Xuan said firmly, “Wipe it out.”
Zhantai Ling’er was thrilled. The God Knowledge Civilization had coveted the Illusory Crystal Realm for ages, but its unique nature amplified the demons’ strength, so they never acted. Ye Xuan suddenly said, “So unprincipled.”
Zhantai Ling’er nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes. The Illusory Demons are rotten. In human terms, they’re beasts.”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Are they always this unreasonable?”
She glanced at him. “They’re reasonable, but it depends on the person. If you’re stronger, they talk reason. If you’re weaker, they use fists.”
Ye Xuan was speechless.
Zhantai Ling’er asked, “Back to the Illusory Crystal Realm?”
Ye Xuan said, “Yes, but I’m bringing someone.”
She blinked. “Your sister?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Zhantai Ling’er was ecstatic, waving her hand. “Let’s do this.”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened. “Why the crude language?”
She laughed. “Is that crude?”
Ye Xuan was speechless again.
She said, “Call your sister.”
Ye Xuan shook his head. “No rush.” He turned and left.
Zhantai Ling’er frowned, wondering what he was up to, but followed.
Ye Xuan wasn’t in a hurry to retrieve the Qingxuan Sword. He returned to the small pagoda, with Zhantai Ling’er following. Inside, he looked at her. “Lend me some God Knowledge Crystals.”
She was about to make an excuse when Ye Xuan added, “When we take down the Illusory Crystal Realm, I’ll give you a mine to excavate.”
Zhantai Ling’er quickly agreed. “Great, great.” She handed him a storage ring.
Ye Xuan checked it, finding only ten thousand God Knowledge Crystals. He was about to speak when she said, “That’s plenty. Try them, the energy is very potent.”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Fine.” He began burning the crystals, and a terrifyingly pure spiritual energy erupted. Stunned, he nodded as Zhantai Ling’er smiled. “The energy in God Knowledge Crystals is incredible, and the quality is top-notch.”
Ye Xuan started cultivating, compressing space-time. Zhantai Ling’er’s eyes widened in shock. He was compressing space-time matter? The God Knowledge Civilization had dreamed of this but could never achieve it. No one could fold the painting while inside it.
She reached out to touch Ye Xuan but couldn’t. He had transcended this space-time entirely. Zhantai Ling’er stared, overwhelmed with awe. She realised the Demon King couldn’t have hurt him even without her intervention. This was dimensional suppression.
Ye Xuan ignored her, focusing on compressing the space-time before him. Success would transform his strength qualitatively, but it was draining. The toll on his soul was immense, and he burned through thousands of God Knowledge Crystals in moments.
Still, he persisted. His face grew pale as paper. Zhantai Ling’er watched, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Her intuition told her she was about to soar. Ye Xuan struggled, but with her strong soul, she wouldn’t find it so hard. She needed to learn this technique.
After a long time, Ye Xuan compressed the space-time into a line, containing terrifying power. If fused with his sword, it would be even more fearsome. An hour later, the space-time was a single line, and the small pagoda’s world trembled violently, becoming unstable.
The pagoda’s voice rumbled, “Young master, keep this up, and you’ll destroy me.”
Ye Xuan laughed, waving his hand, and the compressed line reverted to normal. He collapsed, exhausted. Zhantai Ling’er supported him, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. “Take it slow, no rush.”
Ye Xuan grinned. “You want this cultivation technique, don’t you?”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes.” After a pause, she added, “If you’re selling, I can’t afford it.”
Ye Xuan smiled, saying nothing. This technique was crafted for him by Qing’er; he wouldn’t give it away easily. Seeing his expression, Zhantai Ling’er sighed inwardly. This human wasn’t easy to fool. She’d need a plan.
After resting, Ye Xuan resumed cultivating. With his first success, he was faster this time, growing more enthusiastic. Years passed, and he became proficient, able to compress a region’s space-time into a line instantly. But the Human Sword couldn’t withstand it. Even so, the line’s power could obliterate a star region spanning millions of miles, erasing it entirely. If fused with the Qingxuan Sword, it would be even stronger.
Zhantai Ling’er approached, smiling. “Keep cultivating?”
Ye Xuan shook his head. “Time to meet the Demon King.” He left the pagoda.
Zhantai Ling’er muttered, “He wants to take back the sword himself.” She followed.
They returned to the Illusory Crystal Realm. Ye Xuan scanned the surroundings, his expression calm. The Demon King appeared, frowning. “Human, you…”
Before he could finish, Ye Xuan acted, compressing a region of space-time into a line and hurling it at the Demon King. The Demon King’s face changed, and he threw a punch.
A deafening explosion shook the Illusory Crystal Realm as their clash turned the area pitch-black. The realm’s inhabitants were stunned, looking toward Ye Xuan and the Demon King.
Ye Xuan, in a higher dimension, was unaffected by the blast. The Demon King, however, was shattered, blood covering his body, gravely injured.
Ye Xuan glanced at him. “So weak.” He turned and vanished.
The power wasn’t enough. He needed to improve. He was also exhausted, unable to strike again.
The Demon King, stunned, muttered, “Did I lose? Did I lose?”
