Ling Ye held the Ocean-Calming Pearl and withdrew his hand.
"I don't need you to do anything right now."
He turned around as the surrounding space began to distort.
"Then… does that mean you'll need me in the future?" Ming Xian asked, her keen ears catching the implication in his words.
Ling Ye didn't respond. His figure slowly faded as the spatial distortion intensified.
"Don't worry! I'm always here. As long as you say the word, my Ethereal Ocean Abyss will do anything for you," Ming Xian called out to his vanishing form.
Of course, Ling Ye heard her.
Her enchanting eyes remained locked on the spot where he had disappeared until the last trace of distortion faded. Only then did she look away, exhaling lightly.
"What a man… one you can only look up to," she murmured, a knowing smile curving her lips.
She wondered if he would remember what she had just told him.
Her feelings for Ling Ye were not new. They had existed for a long time. She had always wanted to appear perfect in his eyes—clean and untouched.
So today, she seized the chance to make that clear.
Yes, she truly was clean.
Even though she was the Queen of Abyssal Sirens. Even though her subordinates were all temptresses skilled in seduction.
Even though she, too, possessed a natural allure capable of ensnaring any man.
She had never given herself to anyone.
Neither physically nor emotionally.
Yet, because of her nature—her inherent beauty, her captivating presence, her infamous title—Ling Ye likely assumed she had entangled herself with many men.
That was why he kept his distance, why he looked at her with a trace of disdain.
But today, she hoped he would finally understand.
"I'll be waiting for you," Ming Xian whispered, her smile deepening. "And I believe… you will not lose to Ye Tian."
To her, Ling Ye was irreplaceable. No one in all the heavens could compare to him.
Just as no one could ever replace him in her heart.
Ling Ye, on the other hand, wasn't sure when Ming Xian had started fixating on him.
She was, without a doubt, a captivating woman.
But he had always assumed that someone like her couldn't possibly be pure.
He was the kind of man who could never accept a woman who had once belonged to someone else—not physically, not emotionally.
For that reason, he had never taken Ming Xian seriously.
Yet today… her words had sounded genuine.
Had he truly misjudged her?
Ling Ye didn't dwell on it for long.
Matters like this could wait until the grand finale of his return.
---
Across the heavens, many people loathed Ling Ye to their core.
Some feared him.
Some despised him.
Because he was domineering.
Because he was arrogant.
Because he was the tyrant who ruled over all realms.
Yet, there were just as many who respected him deeply.
And those who did… were not ordinary figures.
Sword Goddess Jianyu.
Mad Asura.
Ming Xian.
And many more.
Once, they had shared only a neutral relationship with Ling Ye at best.
But now, after his rebirth, Ling Ye planned to rebuild the Blood Shadow Demon Army.
When the time came for his return, he would summon them.
They would answer his call.
But these were only a fraction of his potential allies—figures he had met in this era alone.
In this vast universe, countless ancient monsters from eras long past still lived.
And those beings… held an even greater reverence for Ling Ye.
As for why?
Only Ling Ye and those ancient existences knew.
---
In an unremarkable little world, there was an ordinary town.
People bustled about, living their mundane lives.
At the town's crossroads, a man and a woman stood arguing.
"You promised me!" the woman shouted, throwing off the man's grip. "You said we'd travel across the heavens together, live freely like gods. But what now?"
Her face was filled with anger and disgust.
"I've waited for you for an entire year! And yet, you're still stuck in this tiny town."
"I should never have married a useless man like you."
Her voice dripped with resentment as she continued, "A whole year, and you're still stuck at the Mysterious Transformation Realm?"
"My sisters' men are at least at the Heavenly Profound Realm. At the very least, they can fly!"
"They get to soar through the skies with their lovers."
"They get to gaze down at the world from above."
"And me? I still don't even know what it feels like to fly!"
She glared at the man before her, her scornful gaze unwavering.
"If you were truly incapable of cultivation, you could've at least bought a flying beast for me!"
"But no—you can't even do that."
"I've been with you for a year. What have you given me?"
The woman, draped in an enchanting long dress, spat her words like venom.
She didn't care about the crowd watching.
She just wanted to vent.
Her cruel words deepened the exhaustion on the man's face.
"Let's work hard together," he said, his voice hoarse. "We'll have everything one day."
"But why… why were you at the brothel?"
The woman sneered.
"Work hard together? Why should I?"
"Why should I suffer and struggle alongside you when I could simply find a stronger, more capable man?"
"In the brothel, at least I can live my life on my own terms."
She leaned in mockingly.
"What can you offer me? Can you even make me happy?"
The man clenched his fists.
"But if you refuse to endure hardship with me, why should you enjoy my success later?" he demanded. "What about love? What about our promises?"
"Love?" The woman let out a cold laugh. "Only weak men talk about love. Love is an excuse for incompetence."
"If you can't give a woman a good life, why should she stay with you?"
The man's eyes darkened.
"Can't we take things one step at a time?" he pleaded. "Isn't enduring hardships together a part of love?"
The woman scoffed.
"Find yourself a useless woman like you, then," she sneered. "Maybe she'll be willing to struggle with you."
With that, she turned and walked away.
HUMM—
The space ahead of them distorted violently.
A figure slowly emerged.
Ling Ye.
The moment she saw him, the woman's eyes widened.
Tearing through space?!
This meant that he was at least at the Supreme Realm!
A real powerhouse had appeared in this tiny place!
At once, her disgust vanished, replaced by admiration.
She batted her lashes, her expression turning coquettish.
"This young master… you're blocking my path," she said softly, her voice suddenly sweet and docile.
She believed her beauty was enough to start a conversation.
After all, men were weak to a woman's charm.
She had learned this in the brothel.
She had done it countless times.
She loved strong men.
And this man—this Supreme Realm powerhouse—was the strongest she had ever seen.
If she could seduce him, she would never have to suffer again.
Her lips curled into a charming smile as she approached.
HUMM—
A crushing pressure exploded outward.
In an instant—
She was gone.
Vanished.
Obliterated without a trace.
The crowd gasped in horror.
"W-What just happened?!"
"She disappeared!"
"Did she escape into space?"
"That's impossible! Only Supreme Realm experts can do that!"
"Then… that man…"
"Run!"
Within moments, the street was empty.
Only two figures remained.
Ling Ye.
And the unshaven man.
"Hey, big brother," the man finally said, shrugging. "Don't you think shattering my wife to pieces right in front of me is a little excessive?"
The exhaustion and helplessness from before?
Gone.