According to Heath's notes, the cage that was the Country of Stars would slowly trap the angel to death, but a "digestion" process was required. It was as though the Divine Lord of Stars had swallowed the angel whole into her belly; she couldn't immediately usurp the Ruby Angel's authority.
As for why the other Divine Lords allowed Ruby Mountain to be blockaded, idly watching the Divine Lord of Stars capture the angel—rather than believing they "didn't know" or were "powerless to intervene," Yaxiu preferred to believe that hunting the angel served the collective interests of all Divine Lords. Only through tacit shared consent could the Divine Lord of Stars have progressed so smoothly.
Yet once the angel stewed away inside the pot of the Country of Stars, the conflicts between the Divine Lords surfaced immediately: The meat was ready, so why shouldn't I be the one to eat it?
For the past few millennia we let you build this cage and imprison the angel, so isn't it time to return the favor?
The Void Realm wasn't just about social niceties and favors; it was about violence and bloodshed!
In short, it was a classic dog-eat-dog plot.
And so the Divine Lords secretly meddled with the Country of Stars. They didn't dare break the Mysterious Chains and the United Hearts Chain, since breaking either would allow the angel to break free. Therefore, they left behind numerous "weapons" in the Country of Stars.
The purpose of these "weapons" was to serve as aids to sorcerers, allowing them to ignore the restrictions of the chains and hunt the angel before the Divine Lord of Stars could.
Earlier, Yaxiu had thought that because the ultimate objective was hunting an angel, these "weapons" were called demons as a literary foil. If Yaxiu wasn't mistaken, quite a few Legendary Sorcerers had already slipped into the Country of Stars, searching for traces of the angel while seeking the help of demons.
What he hadn't anticipated was that "demon" was meant quite literally.
Gazing down at the terrified, blonde, ram-horned girl sitting on the floor, the cult leader touched his own collar. The icy chill beneath his fingertips allowed him to distinctly sense the power contained within:
Domination!
Yaxiu could sense that ninety-nine percent of his soul had been invaded by the demon. A single command from her could decide his fate!
Yet precisely because of this nearly complete soul connection, the demon had also copied his sorcery power and sorcery spirits—perhaps even sharing his sorcery attainments.
Just a moment ago, when Yaxiu triggered his Sword Retainer phantom, the demon had unexpectedly manifested a Sword Retainer phantom of her own, and their combined strike had nearly lopped off Vichy's head. That proved the demon could even replicate Yaxiu's miracles!
However, the demon's greatest strength wasn't copying a sorcerer's combat prowess, but breaking the chains' restrictions. Even in broad daylight before the public, she could recklessly unleash sorcery miracles without triggering the Mysterious Chains and having her sorcery spirits and power locked and evaporated!
In the Country of Stars, a sorcerer without a demon was like a prisoner dancing in shackles, while a sorcerer with a demon was practically a prison guard free to run rampant!
Yaxiu had never planned to look for a demon in the first place. For one, he didn't have a single lead on them; for another, demons were clearly living people, individuals of talent who needed to be won over and handled with care.
He had little experience dealing with normal people and was hesitant to recruit anyone.
Besides, Heath had never mentioned that borrowing a demon's power meant becoming the demon's servant. While Yaxiu didn't mind working for someone, he still possessed the pride of a Legendary Sorcerer, and the thought left a bad taste in his mouth.
Wearing a collar was just too bizarre—it wasn't as if they were in bed.
And if the demon turned out to be a jerk, wouldn't Yaxiu be right back to his miserable pre-transmigration life?
Still...
“A demon?”
Feili shook her head foolishly. “I’m not a demon. I’m Feili Lena. I’m... I’m a student here.”
“Feili, is it?”
Sword-colored sorcery power surged and resonated in his soul as drifting starlight converged around Yaxiu, draping over him like a gossamer veil. Standing before Feili, he seemed like a dazzling star that had fallen into the mortal realm.
“I apologize for meeting you under these circumstances, but you’ve already been drawn into an occult crisis. Ahead of you lie endless danger and battles. I am willing to become the sword and shield that protects you, but in return...”
A gigantic flame halberd erupted violently, hurtling toward Yaxiu’s back like a runaway train!
Feili cried out, “Behind you—!”
“...will you be my demon?”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, more than a dozen explosions rang out. Flame and sword light roared and clashed across the classroom. Yaxiu parried Vichy’s relentless onslaught without yielding a single step, his voice frosty. “You still haven't run?”
“Why should I run?” A cold sneer curled on Vichy’s lips. “Just because I offended a demon, I'm supposed to obediently back off and give you and that demon the chance to grow strong?”
“You’ve read the *Spectre Manual*, haven’t you?”
Yaxiu’s face darkened. He didn't want to fight Vichy to the death right now either.
Feili clearly wasn't a battle-hardened veteran; there was no way she could participate in combat at their level, so the scales of battle hadn't tilted in Yaxiu's favor at all.
Since Vichy had already offended Feili beyond repair, bringing a television crew and Feili to hunt Vichy down later—making the Spectre Prophet savor the bitter taste of helpless rage before lopping off her head—was the safe, satisfying strategy.
Yet scum like Vichy, who had lived for a millennium, didn't lose her composure over the appearance of a demon. On the contrary, she was terrifyingly rational: since she had already crossed the point of no return, she would weed them out roots and all!
She had always been a fiend in human guise who delighted in snuffing out geniuses. The *Spectre Manual* recorded as many as a hundred prodigies capable of becoming Sanctuaries and Legends whom she had assassinated prematurely. Plucking the fairest blossom in the garden ahead of time was practically her instinct, even her guilty pleasure!
“Feili,” Yaxiu said calmly amidst the fierce clash, “go outside and call for help. Tell people to come arrest an arsonist!”
In a flash, Yaxiu had weighed the situation. Forcing this newborn demon to fight was asking far too much, but having her flee to call for help posed no problem at all. He only needed to stall Vichy until others arrived; without a demon, Vichy would naturally be locked down by the Mysterious Chains!
Yaxiu had to shout twice before Feili, frozen on the floor, finally snapped out of it. Scrambling to her feet, she dashed out of the classroom. But just as she reached the stairwell, the wall behind her was blasted through. Yaxiu, his abdomen burned through, crashed against the wall with a loud smack, leaving a human-shaped dent. Feili could feel the searing heat threatening to scorch the back of her neck!
Clang!
In the nick of time, Yaxiu shielded Feili with his Sanctuary, but the cost was the flesh of his arms melting away like ice cream. He had been using Joy Sword to heal his injuries the entire time, but the agony of melting and regenerating simultaneously made his voice falter.
“Don't be afraid. Keep going. As long as I'm here, no harm will come to you.”
“You'd be better off running away on your own,” Vichy sneered maliciously. “As long as you flee, I certainly won't pursue you, and I won't kill her either. After all, I'm a Soul Demigod. A minor misunderstanding like 'almost killing her' can be resolved in plenty of ways with the soul faction...”
Whoosh!
A blue Sword Retainer phantom flared to life around Yaxiu. The Substitute sorcery spirit seemed to know its master was facing mortal peril, and it too was ready to stake everything! At the same time, a black Sword Retainer phantom also rose from Feili. The twin phantoms cleaved into Vichy's Sanctuary, forcing the Spectre Prophet to retreat and defend!
Seeing this, Feili, who had been scrambling down the stairs in a panic, suddenly halted. Yaxiu immediately noticed the footsteps stopping. Without looking back, he asked, “What's wrong?”
“I can actually help you fight, can't I?” Feili summoned her courage and said, “Before I can bring anyone back, she might kill you! If I help you, could we beat her?”
“I certainly can’t deny that possibility,” Vichy giggled. “After all, you’re a ‘demon.’ You possess the rawest violence. If you knew how to use your power, I wouldn't be a match for both... of you!”
Her hands gripped empty air, manifesting two massive flame halberds. At the same time, flames erupted from her entire body, and the floor tiles and window frames began to warp and melt under the scorching heat.
In order to wield twin halberds, Vichy could no longer precisely control every shred of her power... She, too, was going all out!
Her words were merely meant to bait Feili into staying behind and waiting for death. With Feili present, Yaxiu had to protect this demon, which restricted his room to dodge.
Yet facing a Vichy driven completely mad, Yaxiu had no confidence he could hold out either. He took a deep breath and said calmly, “I don't know how you can help me, but I will buy you time.”
“If I fall, run with everything you have. Don't look back.”
Standing at the top of the stairwell, Yaxiu carved three sword marks into the floor, and three warm-yellow barriers materialized before him.
Miracle: Triple Sword Body Barrier!
Vichy laughed. “Why go this far for someone you don't even know?”
“Didn't you ask whether it's peace or dignity?” Yaxiu said. “If it were something I couldn't grasp or see, so be it. But so-called dignity... has to be visible and tangible!”
Suddenly, fireworks seemed to blossom within the integrated building. The roaring flames burned to an extreme, compressing the air until it burst like a meteorite crashing into the earth!
Boom!
The Triple Sword Body Barrier shattered upon contact. Yaxiu swung his twin swords to parry Vichy’s flame halberds, but the scalding wind continuously breached his Sanctuary, singeing his skin and tearing at his flesh!
Yet the stairwell beneath Yaxiu’s guard remained completely unharmed. Looking at the figure standing in front of her, Feili forced herself to calm down, racking her brains to figure out what she could do.
*What is a demon? What is the power of a demon? How can I help him? We’re complete strangers. He could have abandoned me and left. He could have ignored me from the very start... But he's fighting that monster for my sake... I can't, I can't just watch him die...*
*Just like watching Mother die back then.*
Feili nearly bit her lip until it bled, but she felt nothing. She wasn't some demon at all; she was just an ignorant lamb!
Suddenly, she noticed the chains connected to the shackles on her hands. With no room left to think, she gripped the chains and pulled with all her might—
Locked in direct confrontation with Vichy, Yaxiu suddenly felt a tug at his neck, exposing an opening in his tight defense. Naturally, Vichy didn't miss this opportunity; her flame halberds slammed violently into his Sanctuary, and the blistering hot gale was on the verge of scattering Yaxiu's physical body—
Thud!
An abrupt blast of wind sent Vichy flying backward. She completed three mid-air rotations and landed steadily on her feet, staring grimly at the billowing black mist engulfing the stairwell.
The black mist quickly dispersed, revealing Feili standing there with a bewildered expression. Yaxiu was nowhere to be seen.
Vichy paused, then broke into a smile. “I didn't expect him to have an escape card like this. Not a single spatial ripple... How on earth did he get away? Well, it doesn't matter.”
Looking at Feili, a sweet, charming smile gradually bloomed across her face. “So, do you want peace, or dignity?”
Yet Feili merely stared dumbly behind Vichy. Vichy frowned slightly; sensing nothing at all, she wasn't about to be fooled by such a petty trick...
Slash!
Vichy dodged by the narrowest of margins. Wiping the blood from her neck, her expression turned dead serious—she had just suffered an unpredictable slash!
What happened? She had clearly deployed her Sanctuary, yet her Sanctuary hadn't reacted at all?
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Chilling sword lights slashing out of thin air forced Vichy into a frantic scramble to evade. Manifesting her flame halberds, she swept them in a circle around her, but struck nothing.
With a shift in thought, she exerted part of her focus to compress her Sanctuary until it adhered tightly to her skin, leaving virtually no gap even for air to flow through. Then, raising her flame halberds high, she swung down toward Feili!
Beneath Vichy's arrogant skin lay meticulous caution and ruthless decisiveness. Though she harbored thoughts of taking this demon for herself, to preserve her own life, she would rather kill the demon to break free from this bizarre predicament!
Right at that moment, Vichy's Sanctuary finally detected a ferocious slash coming from behind. Her spine was even cleaved into slightly. Healing herself as best she could, she whipped around mid-air to retaliate frantically!
Boom!
As flames and sword light erupted, she saw a familiar face—
It was Yaxiu!
Yaxiu, who was supposed to have fled and vanished, had abruptly appeared behind her, the sword light of his twin blades raining down upon her Sanctuary like a tempest!
In a flash, the battle-hardened Vichy deduced the truth behind the bizarre situation: “You can achieve perfect invisibility? Are you hiding in another dimension? Or perhaps...”
“It’s not invisibility,” Yaxiu said. Since he had been discovered, he had no interest in keeping up the mystery. His figure vanished into thin air. “It’s the Observer.”
Chapter 792