The battle had ended, and the formidable dark golden demon shadow was no more.
The seemingly unharmed Tenser was reduced to ashes without a sound, with a slight breeze that Eddie brought when he leaped into the sky. Eddie was flabbergasted.
Who did this?
How did someone manage to annihilate both the dark golden demon shadow and Tenser in one fell swoop?
Eddie vaguely sensed that it was the life entity from the Holy Tome before he regained consciousness, but he didn't know what it was.
He remembered hearing its pleasant chime, more delightful than a rogue's, when he first contracted the Tome and first trained to become an Innate.
Could it have been inside him all along, given by the old Taoist or the Sword Spirit Goddess in a form like the giant loli?
Confused thoughts flooded his mind, but none made sense.
All he knew was that the formidable Tenser and the even more formidable dark golden demon shadow were obliterated in an instant by that life entity.
Truly worthy of the Holy Tome's creation, simply awesome. Eddie regretted not being able to open the Holy Tome himself; otherwise, he could have rampaged like the river crabs of the Heavenly Dynasty, capturing whoever he wanted.
While the Blood Queen and the Shadow Bull were evolving, Eddie's main concern was finding Little Wenli.
His precious heart was missing, and he couldn't afford for anything to happen to her. As he frantically searched, calling out for her, he feared she had been harmed by the dark golden demon shadow.
Just then, a rainbow light floated out from the Holy Tome, and a familiar fragrance filled the air. A tiny figure, like a swallow returning to the forest, flew into Eddie's arms.
Her little face radiated joy, like sunlight streaming through a window, filling his heart with warmth. It was his precious Little Wenli.
Relieved, he eagerly kissed her, lifting her high and cheering loudly, "You scared me, but thank goodness you're okay!" Little Wenli, nodding cutely with her big eyes blinking, felt moved by Eddie's concern and happiness.
She hugged him tightly, planting several kisses on him, laughing like a silver bell.
Eddie tossed her playfully in the air, catching her and making her laugh until she was weak, then gently set her down.
The Blood Queen, now fully evolved and bare, felt quite jealous.
After her recent evolution, the Blood Queen, now fully exposed, felt ignored by Eddie, which dealt a blow to her.
Fortunately, she couldn't speak the language of Longteng Continent, otherwise she would have surely scolded Eddie for being a lolicon.
As long as her master lived, a life-guardian beast would never truly perish, so there was no need for Eddie to be so worried.
And how could Little Wenli, the serpent sprite loli, possibly be in danger? The Blood Queen found it frustrating to have such a master.
When Eddie finished playing with Little Wenli, the Blood Queen quickly posed as if to say, "Look at me, I just evolved!"
However, Eddie's gaze skipped right over her and landed on the Shadow Bull. If the Blood Queen had a stick, she would have whacked Eddie on the head. Did he really find a cow more appealing than a beauty?
The Shadow Bull had previously been a female bull, but her current appearance was far from bovine.
She had received a mysterious energy in the cleansing flames, reshaping and evolving her body.
The Shadow Bull had leaped from bronze level five to silver level five, a significant transformation compared to the Blood Queen's recovery to gold level five.
Eddie noticed that the Shadow Bull, now reshaped, had undergone considerable changes.
She was less massive, with reduced terrifying muscles, appearing taller and more elegant.
Her once rough bull horns were now smooth and sharp, making them lethal weapons.
Her face, previously only a rough outline of a woman, had become refined, resembling a fierce female warrior.
Her once bright red eyes mellowed, revealing more human-like whites while maintaining a blood-red iris, possibly increasing the power of her death gaze.
Her armor, too, had transformed significantly.
Now, the Shadow Bull no longer bore any resemblance to a bull but looked more like a giant female warrior clad in bull armor. Her physique was still muscular, indicating immense strength, but her skin was becoming smoother and softer. She looked more feminine, no longer just a brute figure, with curves beginning to form. Of course, every aspect of her body was still larger than that of an average woman, but she was starting to take on a more feminine form, which pleased Eddie. He had not expected her to become a beauty, but this transformation was a pleasant surprise. He decided to officially name her "Aman."
The Blood Queen watched jealously as Eddie finally noticed her, asking why she wasn't dressed. She felt faint, thinking he only noticed now, after all this time. If it were freezing cold, she might have frozen to death already!
Eddie awkwardly commented on her body's appeal and suggested she get dressed. The Blood Queen felt a mix of frustration and satisfaction. To get back at Eddie for ignoring her earlier, she deliberately made her dressing process slow and teasing, occasionally revealing a bit more skin, causing Eddie to struggle not to stare too much.
Eddie, feigning ignorance, quickly left to pick up the transparent bead left by the dark gold shadow after its death. He examined it with his third eye and discovered it contained a mysterious, static energy, almost like extinction, with no trace of a soul.
Eddie decided to test the bead by bringing it close to his Ashen Magic Blade, which trembled as if sensing a terrifying monster. On the other hand, the metal beast, in the form of a wrist guard, greedily reached out for the bead, but Eddie didn't let it have it. Keeping the bead for further study, he placed it in the Lich's Ring and also picked up the White Jade Beetle.
The beetle now had a golden rune pattern on its back, identical to the one he had seen earlier. Besides its cleansing energy, the beetle contained a condensed demonic energy crystal, likely from the dark gold shadow's severed half. Eddie fantasized about feeding the crystal to his Grey Wolf, potentially transforming it into a powerful three-headed hellhound or a demonic wolf of the Demon King level. However, the gold rune pattern sealing the beetle meant he could only dream about it for now.
Eddie cautiously returned the White Jade Beetle to his backpack, puzzled about how it ended up in Tenser's hands.
He warned the beetle not to cause trouble again, threatening to fry it for a snack.
The Blood Queen watched his one-sided conversation with the beetle, rolling her eyes, but she too was curious about the beetle's mysterious appearance in Tenser's possession.
After Eddie sorted everything out and rested for over ten minutes in the duel space, the space's rules forcefully transported him back to the teleportation point. Upon his return, he witnessed an unbelievable scene:
The Great Xia Kingdom's Guard Commander, Wind Fury, the blood-soaked Eagle Eye, and two other generals Eddie didn't recognize, were all frantically attacking Tenser.
But Eddie thought Tenser had already turned to ash - how could he still be alive? Eddie's jaw almost hit the floor in astonishment.
Eddie's sudden appearance significantly impacted the ongoing battle. Eagle Eye, who was about to launch a powerful attack against Tenser, was overjoyed to see Eddie safe. Eddie, confused by the sight of another Tenser, questioned the situation.
Eagle Eye was shocked by Eddie's revelation of encountering another Tenser in the duel space. He immediately warned General Wind Fury about the potential trickery at play and suggested reporting the matter to the emperor, the national advisor, and the two national war gods.
Tenser, who had just arrived, insisted he was not an impostor and that someone else was masquerading as him to stir conflict between the Piaomiao Sect and the Great Xia Kingdom. He refused to fight further and emphasized that he came under the orders of the Piaomiao Sect's leader to save lives, not to harm anyone.