Zhantai Ling’er frowned slightly. “Why isn’t it good? One person, loving only one, staying with one for life, isn’t that wonderful?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “Does the God Knowledge Civilization have a large population?”
Zhantai Ling’er shook her head. “Not really.”
Ye Xuan grinned. “See? That’s the downside. It’s not good for population growth.”
Zhantai Ling’er was silent for a moment, then said, “Why not one wife with multiple husbands?”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then replied, “Let’s not discuss this. After all, I didn’t invent polygamy, right?”
Zhantai Ling’er said, “But you shouldn’t follow it. You should stick to one wife.”
Ye Xuan nodded. “You’re right.”
Zhantai Ling’er quickly asked, “So you’re willing to have just one wife?”
Ye Xuan sighed and shook his head. “Miss Ling’er, you say the God Knowledge Civilization practices monogamy, but let me ask you, do all the powerful beings in your civilization have only one woman by their side?”
Zhantai Ling’er fell silent.
Ye Xuan smiled. “In reality, society is never fair. The rich and powerful can have hundreds of women, while the powerless can’t even afford a wife. That’s the truth. Similarly, a wealthy and powerful woman can have plenty of young men.”
Zhantai Ling’er sighed softly, unable to argue.
Ye Xuan chuckled. “Miss Ling’er, this topic isn’t worth debating. It won’t lead to any conclusion.” He turned and left.
Zhantai Ling’er stood still for a moment, then muttered softly, “Playing with lots of young men… hehe…”
Ye Xuan returned to the Guanxuan Academy. The academy’s scale was immense, encompassing the entire known universe except for the God Knowledge Civilization and the Illusory Crystal Realm. His faith power was growing stronger, but without the Qingxuan Sword, he couldn’t fuse his new techniques with it. If he could, the sword’s power would be terrifying. Still, he wasn’t in a hurry. He wouldn’t retrieve the sword himself; he wanted the Illusory Crystal Realm to deliver it to him. If they refused? One Defiance Tamer a day.
Ye Xuan continued cultivating. Qing’er’s technique was profound, and he had only scratched the surface. Zhantai Ling’er stayed by his side, determined to get his cultivation method.
Inside the small pagoda, Qin Guan’s team worked fast, producing over a hundred bombs in a short time, each stronger than the last. With every iteration, they improved, making the latest Defiance Tamers over ten times more powerful than the first. Ye Xuan was in awe. Qin Guan’s technology kept pace with the times, drawing inspiration from Qing’er, resulting in qualitative leaps with each breakthrough.
One day, Qin Guan took Ye Xuan to the launch platform to bomb the Illusory Crystal Realm again. A massive vortex appeared above the realm, and a Defiance Tamer plummeted straight down. No nonsense, just an explosion to force submission.
Seeing it, Gu Yao Wang and other powerhouses were horrified. Another one? But this was just the first; ten more followed. Their faces paled. They were done for. Resistance was futile now.
Gu Yao Wang and the others fled, not outward but to the core of the Illusory Crystal Realm, the Crystal Core, a fortified area with a powerful barrier. As they entered, the realm collapsed, and the Crystal Core trembled violently.
Inside, the realm’s powerhouses were stunned. What was this thing? After an hour, the shaking stopped, and they emerged to find the realm reduced to darkness, everything outside the Crystal Core obliterated.
A sword light appeared, and Ye Xuan stepped out. The Illusory Demon King roared, “Human, you play dirty!” He moved to attack, but another Defiance Tamer appeared above.
His face changed, and he hesitated, then shouted, “I’ll fight you another day!”
Ye Xuan glanced at him. “How did you become a Demon King?”
The Illusory Demon King glared. “I earned it.”
Ye Xuan was speechless.
Gu Yao Wang stared at Ye Xuan. “You’re going too far.”
Ye Xuan sighed. “It seems you still haven’t figured out your place.” He turned to leave, and the Defiance Tamer dropped.
The demons’ faces froze as another round of bombing began, lasting over an hour. The Crystal Core, though intact, was on the verge of collapse. Inside, Gu Yao Wang and the others were panicked. If the core broke, they were finished.
Ye Xuan appeared at the entrance. The Illusory Demon King, about to curse, was stopped by Gu Yao Wang, who pointed to ten Defiance Tamers hovering above. The Illusory Demon King calmed down. His body couldn’t withstand another blast. He’d die.
Gu Yao Wang looked at Ye Xuan. “What do you want?”
Ye Xuan said calmly, “I’m here to apologise.”
The demons froze. Apologise?
The Illusory Demon King hesitated, then said, “You destroyed our world and now apologise? You think that’s enough?”
Ye Xuan looked at him, exasperated. Did this idiot think he was really apologising? Communicating with fools was exhausting. He turned to Gu Yao Wang. “I’m truly here to apologise.”
Gu Yao Wang asked, “Really?”
Ye Xuan’s expression stiffened. Were all the demons in this realm this naive? He sighed, pointing to the Defiance Tamer above. “See how sincere I am.”
The demons’ faces changed. This wasn’t an apology; it was a threat.
Gu Yao Wang stared at Ye Xuan. “What do you want?”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Why, even now, don’t you think to return my sword? Don’t you have any sense?”
The Illusory Demon King roared, “Your sword? It’s mine! Mine!”
Ye Xuan felt a headache coming on.
Gu Yao Wang hesitated, then said, “Per the universe’s law, divine items belong to the strong. The sword was yours, but now it’s ours. That’s the rule set by the Master of the Great Dao Pen, not us. If you disagree, take it up with him.”
The Master of the Great Dao Pen: “…”
Ye Xuan smiled. “So you acknowledge the law of the strong, right?”
Gu Yao Wang nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes.”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Good. Let’s follow that law.” He turned to leave, and the Defiance Tamer dropped.
The space-time boiled instantly. The demons’ faces changed, and they hid in the Crystal Core as another round of bombing hit.
Just as the core was about to shatter, a terrifying aura appeared, and a massive hand swept through, dissipating the bomb’s force. The realm stabilised.
An elder appeared above the Crystal Core, the Great Demon King of the Illusory Crystal Clan. The demons sighed in relief.
The Great Demon King looked at Ye Xuan, standing in the distance. With a wave, a sword light flashed, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared before Ye Xuan.
“Here,” the Great Demon King said.
Ye Xuan remained calm. “That’s it?”
The Great Demon King paused, then said, “Human, we returned your sword. What more do you want?”
Ye Xuan smiled. “You really lack awareness. If so, I’ll have to play dirty.” He gripped the Qingxuan Sword, compressing millions of miles of space-time into a line, then charged and slashed.
The Great Demon King’s face changed. He raised his arms, conjuring a pair of massive illusory hands. The sword struck, shattering them instantly. The Great Demon King retreated millions of feet, his body destroyed, leaving only his soul.
The Illusory Crystal Clan powerhouses froze. The Great Demon King, defeated in one strike?
Ye Xuan walked toward them, sword in hand. “From now on, I am your king. I take full control of the Illusory Crystal Realm. Anyone who disagrees, step forward.”
The powerhouses were silent.
