Eddie clearly observed Tucker's physical state after the triple enhancement.
However, he wasn't sure if using shadows could produce the same effect, as Tucker's method involved a bizarre war beast.
The 'volcano' should have been an elemental-type war beast, so how could it merge with ancient behemoths and dragons?
Eddie found it very strange, yet Tucker had managed to do it. The evidence was right in front of him, prompting Eddie to doubt.
Tucker, engulfed in flames, resembled a fire giant.
He raised his huge fist and smashed it down.
Of course, Eddie wouldn't meet it head-on and swiftly retreated.
"Flame Spear!" Tucker gathered the fiery energy from his body into a long spear of flames and hurled it fiercely at Eddie.
Taking advantage of Eddie's dodging, Tucker teleported behind him and, instead of attacking Eddie directly, struck the ground with full force.
With a thunderous roar, the ground cracked open, and a volcanic vent was summoned, spewing magma.
Had Eddie been dazed by the impact, he would have fallen into the scorching magma, either vaporized or at least severely burned by the molten rock. However, after Eddie's afterimage vanished, his real body appeared beside Phoenix.
Annoyed, Eddie yelled at her, "What are you doing? If you have something to say, just say it publicly. There's no need to whisper in my ear, especially if it's not important. It's annoying!"
"Whispering sweet nothings to you should be done quietly, of course. It's too embarrassing to let them know..."
Phoenix covered her mouth and laughed, unfazed by Eddie's attitude.
"I have nothing to talk about with you!" Eddie felt like he was being used as a shield.
Perhaps Phoenix didn't fancy Tenscale's advances and pretended to have a boyfriend, shifting Tenscale's focus onto Eddie so she could enjoy her freedom.
He hadn't gained anything but was burdened with trouble, which was infuriating.
Phoenix's eyes sparkled, and she giggled coquettishly, "Alright, I won't say anything. Focus on your match, my little enemy."
Eddie was infuriated, "Who's your little enemy? I have nothing to do with you. If you let me take advantage, that's one thing. But I haven't gained anything, so after the fight, if you let me push you over, then you can call me 'little enemy'!"
Phoenix seemed genuinely hurt by his words, lowering her head with her fingertips touching, "I'm still sore there, and you're already denying it."
Everyone perked up their ears for gossip.
Meanwhile, Tucker seized the opportunity to increase his strength and secretly summoned several 'volcanoes,' hiding them underground, ready to erupt the moment Eddie stepped on them.
Alexander and elder Haye Yew exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss.
Eddie, usually calm and rational, was unexpectedly easily provoked.
Could it be Divine Punishment using some hypnotic skill on him?
The two national guardians exchanged glances, sensing something off.
They were unfamiliar with Eddie but felt Divine Punishment was intentionally angering him, possibly related to her earlier words, "Get angry, and you will win. The opponent is just a hard shell, easy to handle."
Eddie was typically a cool-headed person, adept at outsmarting enemies with quick reactions. Such people are not easily angered.
But once enraged, the explosive increase in power could be terrifying.
"Where are you hurt? I never even touched you!" Eddie burst out in anger, recalling how she had previously knocked him around and used her chest to bounce him away. Shouldn't he be the one in pain?
"At that time, you were furious and pinned me down like a wild bull, relentlessly doing that... I cried out in pain, but you didn't stop. If I weren't so resilient, you would have killed me," Phoenix replied, nearly making Eddie choke. He had no memory of such an incident; how could he have possibly overpowered her?
Eddie turned to find Tenscale's face darker than Bao Gong's.
The rage in Tenscale's eyes was a hundred, a thousand times hotter than Tucker's dragon breath, almost burning Eddie with his fiery gaze.
Everyone else seemed to misunderstand, which wasn't surprising. If Divine Punishment loved handsome guys and let Eddie overpower her, that wouldn't be strange. If they had no relationship, would she protect him like this? Obviously not!
"Even if I did overpower you right here and now, I wouldn't take responsibility! Get lost!" Eddie felt that overpowering her was fine, but taking responsibility was out of the question.
Who said overpowering someone meant having to marry them?
Couldn't they just maintain a lover's relationship after the fact? If he brought home everyone he overpowered, what would happen to his family life?
For someone like Inan, Jean, and Laura, whom he genuinely liked, bringing them home to warm the bed was one thing.
But as for Phoenix, who would care? Overpowering her was just that, a one-night thing. Besides, Eddie doubted it even happened.
If it did, wouldn't she have drained him dry? Instead, his body was full of energy, not at all like he had been through a great battle.
He remembered being fully clothed, with several other women watching.
Eddie was certain that if he had really overpowered Phoenix, the other women would have banded together to finish him off.
More importantly, that mysterious, busty beauty might have already arrived, and she would have intervened if he had tried to overpower Phoenix.
Of course, if he had really overpowered Phoenix, it was still a possibility... Eddie couldn't remember what he had done during his rage-filled outburst.
Maybe he had indeed torn off Phoenix's clothes and overpowered her right then and there! He wasn't sure, but his attitude was clear: whether it happened or not, he wouldn't take responsibility. His mindset was, "If I didn't do it, there's no harm; if I did, it's still no big deal."
This ruthless approach wouldn't apply to Inan, Laura, Jean, or the book-loving girl, but for Phoenix, even if it happened a hundred times, Eddie felt it would still be meaningless.
After all, if she was offering herself willingly, why be polite?
"Don't be so heartless. You're breaking my heart!" Phoenix seemed unfazed by Eddie's reaction, seductively swaying her slender waist and approaching Eddie, her delicate face close to his lips.
Her finger teasingly touched his chin as she spoke softly, "I'm just worried about you. Finish the fight quickly so you can go rescue Mother Grace!"
"..." Eddie was thunderstruck by her words, his mind blanking, leaving only thoughts of Mother Grace.
"If you don't save her, she might face danger, and then you won't be able to fulfill your filial duties. You're her good son and haven't properly repaid her for raising you. If something happens to her, you'll regret it too late..."
Phoenix whispered in Eddie's ear, her breath like a pink mist, causing a shift in his demeanor.
The opposing Innates noticed Eddie's aura, like a volcano concealing immense energy, ready to erupt at any moment.
Everyone was on guard.
The leader of the Myriad Demons voiced his protest, "Divine Punishment, this doesn't seem to be following the rules, does it? In a one-on-one supreme duel, are you helping him or trying to interfere with the battle?"
Phoenix's delicate finger traced lightly in front of Eddie's eyes, her face glowing with a mysterious light, her eyes seemingly mocking: "I'm actually helping you. Aren't we allies? I saw your man frantically setting up volcanic seals underground, not very discreetly. "
"So I purposely brought my little enemy here to chat, giving you time to set up... Now that it seems you're ready, with ten volcanic seals set up on the battlefield, aren't I helping you?"
The leader of the Myriad Demons felt slightly embarrassed but quickly countered, "Actually, the volcano is a shared elemental summoning war beast of Tucker and Frenzy. When Tucker summons a volcano, Frenzy reacts accordingly. You're mistaken."
Gracefully shrugging her shoulders, Phoenix lightly kissed Eddie's cheek: "Then I was wrong... Little guy, don't die here, or your Mother Grace will be in danger too!"
"Mother Grace!" A flash of lightning seemed to spark in Eddie's previously dazed eyes.
His hidden aura exploded a thousandfold, even more fiercely than Tucker's volcanic eruption.
In a furious roar, Eddie unleashed all his strength in an instant, even the uncontrollable power within him that he wasn't aware of.
Ancient runes whirled crazily, forming a new array.
Behind him, a huge rune battle array expanded like a halo, followed by a slightly smaller one rotating inside it.
Brilliant light shot out like arrows. The Innates tried to block with their hands, only to find them stinging from the light. The two weakest were grazed by the light, injuring their fingers, and were filled with fear...
This was merely the light spreading from Eddie's body, and it was already so terrifying. What if he landed a punch?
"He's reached second-level Innate!" Frenzy, the silver giant standing behind the leader, trembled in his voice.
"No, he's already at third-level Innate now..."
The leader of the Myriad Demons spoke bitterly. He had never seen anyone like this, someone who could elevate to such a level in an instant. It was unbelievable.
And Eddie, in his anger, was still ascending in power.
Third-level Innate wasn't his limit.
A destructive flame, far more ferocious than volcanic magma by a millionfold, surged around Eddie.
This pristine fire changed the expressions of all the Innates, instilling an urge to flee. This was the 'Nirvana Flame,' unbearable even for Innates.
The mere sight of two balls of Nirvana Flame had already terrified the opposing Innates, but what truly astounded them was the towering column of Nirvana Flame, rising dozens of meters high from Eddie's body. Such apocalyptic flames rendered everyone powerless.
Fortunately, the Nirvana Flame column shot upwards without directly hitting anyone. Otherwise, everyone except the leader of the Myriad Demons would likely have been annihilated.
Even the leader of the Myriad Demons held immense dread.
His power was almost at the pinnacle of humanity.
There were few energies capable of destroying his body and soul, but among them, the Nirvana Flame was one!
Initially, Phoenix also appeared surprised, as if she couldn't believe Eddie's explosive power following his second outburst.
She faintly realized that her charm talent combined with his anger was a perfect match.
Every time she used her charm on him, he would continuously elevate. Each outburst, each explosion of power, brought him closer to the ancient runes, unleashing greater power.
Even the Nirvana Flame hidden within him could manifest more potently!
His potential was boundless.
As long as his body could endure more charm, he could rise even higher.
No wonder her sister valued him so highly, becoming his introducer. Eddie truly harbored immense hidden potential.
Phoenix now realized she couldn't fully grasp the depth of Eddie's potential. Why could the ancient runes and Nirvana Flame merge so seamlessly?
Why was there no rejection? What was the Innate technique Eddie practiced?
It was something no one else could achieve. Without mastering it, not even knowing he possessed such terrifying power, his body could harmonize two utterly distinct destructive forces. His technique must be a supreme, miraculous method, possibly an ancient Innate technique. Otherwise, such extraordinary phenomena would be impossible!
Such an interesting little guy, how many more secrets do you hold?
Amusement twinkled in Phoenix's eyes.
"Roar!"
Eddie's roar was like thunder, all the Nirvana Flame retracting and concentrating in his hands.
Tucker, now terrified of engaging Eddie in battle, hastily fled.
Eddie, in his rage, moved a thousand times faster than lightning, swiftly overtaking and surpassing Tucker, who possessed dragon wings for flight.
With just a wave of his hand, Eddie's Nirvana Flame annihilated the middle section of Tucker's volcano-like, fiery-protected body, cleaving it in two and sending it crashing to the ground.
All the Innates gulped in fear at the sight of the genuine Nirvana Flame, which made volcanic heat seem like a mere joke.
Tucker's dragon and ancient behemoth, attempting to escape from his body, were struck by Eddie's furious punches before they could flee.
The Nirvana Flame spears shooting from his fists pierced through both the dragon and the ancient behemoth.
Instant kill!
The leader of the Myriad Demons shuddered inwardly. Even in his anger, Eddie could replicate Tucker's "Flame Spear," a testament to his terrifying learning ability.
"Spare me!" Tucker, feeling the shadow of death looming over him, pleaded for mercy, realizing that his only fate otherwise was death.
"Who dares to kill my Mother Grace deserves no mercy, ah!" Eddie, though not entirely lost to madness, was consumed by a murderous intent, rendering Tucker's pleas ineffective.
He raised his flaming right fist and shattered Tucker's head. None of the Innates, including the leader of the Myriad Demons, dared to intervene.
The leader was confident he could defeat Eddie now but wasn't sure he would emerge unscathed from the Nirvana Flame.
Moreover, the meaning behind the giant rune battle array behind Eddie was still unclear to him.
If it was the legendary "Wheel of Destruction" or "Eternal Wheel," his troubles would be severe. Even if he managed to escape the array's confinement, his strength would be greatly diminished.
Intervening now could cost him his top-ten Innate ranking.
And then there was Phoenix, smiling mischievously. If he got injured, would she let him leave easily? Not to mention the lurking Night Queen...
Such thoughts sent a chill through the leader of the Myriad Demons.
Frenzy, the silver giant and Tucker's brother, stepped forward in grief but stopped, crying out in sorrow.
His attempt to save Tucker enraged Eddie, who burst out, "Kill, everyone who harmed my Mother Grace, must die!" With another outburst, the Nirvana Flame on his arms blazed fiercely, and the twin-wheeled rune battle array on his back, following his will, shot towards Frenzy.
"Fight it!" Frenzy, terrified to find he couldn't dodge and seemingly locked by the rune battle array's light wheels, drew his sword in desperation, furiously slashing at the spinning wheels of the array.
Silently and swiftly, the rune battle array's light wheels cut through Frenzy's body, dispersing into countless rune light particles hundreds of meters away before returning to Eddie's body.
Frenzy's body was bisected by the light wheels of the rune array and crashed to the ground.
Instant kill!
All the Innates were struck with fear.
The leader of the Myriad Demons' confirmation, identifying it as the 'Wheel of Destruction,' made them shudder.
Only Innates above level five could possibly escape from it; otherwise, the fate would be similar to Frenzy's, bisected by the Wheel of Destruction. How could such a powerful weapon be controlled by a mere first-level Innate?
No one could understand this, but no one doubted the fact.
Frenzy's corpse was the best proof.
"Kill you all, kill!" Enraged, Eddie soared high into the sky. The previously dissipated Wheel of Destruction reformed, larger than before, with edges burning with Nirvana Flame.
After using it once, Eddie's control seemed to have improved. The opposing Innates were terrified.
Could this seemingly first-level Innate actually use the Wheel of Destruction again?
Even fifth-level Innates could only use it once, and no one but Eddie had ever used the Wheel of Destruction without repercussions.
Five hundred years ago, a crazed Innate successfully created a rune array and used the Wheel of Destruction once, only to be destroyed by the backlash, reduced to a skull.
Eddie used it once without harm and now intended a second time?
The Innates, not wanting to become his next victims, quickly left the battle space.
Now that Tucker was dead, staying meant risking their own lives...
Who would want to battle a crazy, enraged young man?
Even the most powerful leader of the Myriad Demons, after giving Eddie a long look, drew a rune array to split space and vanished.
Seeing his enemies gone, Eddie's anger subsided, and darkness clouded his vision.
The rune battle array and Nirvana Flame rapidly retracted into his body, and he plummeted uncontrollably from the sky.
Elder Haye Yew caught him, his grandson, in his arms, undeterred by the absence of the Nirvana Flame. Alexander also rushed to Eddie's side, clapping his hands excitedly in approval.
"What's good about that? He's been too reckless. He mustn't use Innate power for at least three months, or he'll suffer," Phoenix floated above Eddie, leaning down with her captivating eyes: "How does it feel, my little enemy, to overuse Innate power? Your body will ache for at least a month. If you use Innate power within three months, your frail body will explode!"
"Blame it on you!" Eddie was in extreme pain, feeling an overwhelming sense of overexertion throughout his body. If he had any strength left, he would have slapped Phoenix right then and there, at the very least groping her voluptuous breasts as payback.
But even lifting his hand was a struggle.
The two national guardians of the Great Xia Kingdom took turns comforting Eddie. "It's normal to feel this way initially; your body isn't used to releasing Innate power, especially since you overexerted. Don't worry, you're not suffering from backlash or any side effects. Your body is exceptionally strong. Normal Innates might take a year to recover; you only need a month. Just rest and reflect on your recent state; it will be beneficial!"
"I need to save Mother Grace!" Eddie gasped for air, restless until he could rescue her.
"Beg me, and I might consider taking you to Skinny Dog Ridge!" Phoenix hadn't finished speaking when Eddie, mustering all his strength, leaped from elder Haye Yew's arms, pinned her to the ground, and grabbed her trembling breasts, shouting, "Stop acting coy with me; I'm not falling for your tricks!"
Phoenix was taken aback by Eddie's lecherous move after the battle.
Caught off guard, she was pinned by Eddie.
Elder Haye Yew, Alexander, and others were stunned but quickly turned away, casually conversing as they left. Alexander said, "Nice weather today!"
General Windstorm replied, "Your Majesty, it's a perfect day for fishing."
Elder Haye Yew agreed, "I happen to have a fishing boat."
The guardians and the national teacher joined in, "We haven't been out for a while; our old bones are getting rusty."
As they opened a teleportation scroll, Alexander invited, "Then what are we waiting for? General Windstorm, bring some wine!"
They nonchalantly left, leaving Eddie and the pinned Phoenix behind, bewildered at the elders' casual departure. Eddie's hand was still on Phoenix's breast, and upon realizing, he quickly withdrew it, noticing he had squeezed a bit too hard.
"If I'm not doing it, might as well go all the way!" Eddie, feeling Phoenix's soft body and her alluring fragrance, was tempted to overpower her.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Phoenix panicked, especially when Eddie started tearing her clothes.
"What am I doing? What do you think?" Eddie scoffed at her pretense, thinking they had already done it once; doing it again wouldn't matter.
"I don't mind, but don't you want to save Mother Grace?" Phoenix cunningly deflected.
At her words, Eddie jumped up, cursing, "Get lost, you sly fox! You've left me hanging! From now on, stay away from me, or I'll pounce on you every time I see you!"
Despite his anger, Eddie felt guilty for letting his desires cloud his judgment and forgetting about Mother Grace.
He quickly unfurled the scroll and opened a teleportation gate directly to Skinny Dog Ridge.