With the sudden appearance of the phantom woman, the entire battlefield situation underwent a massive transformation. With just a single sentence, she caused a Quasi-Heavenly expert to be crushed to death by a falling meteor, and without any warning at all. To believe this was not her doing would be the mark of a fool.

Thus, the remaining eight experts were immediately filled with dread. When they heard the woman tell them to be wary of dying from illness, a fresh wave of fear washed over them, though deep down, they still harbored disbelief.

After all, a Quasi-Heavenly expert being killed by a meteor, while unprecedented, was not entirely impossible. If some special power were imbued into the meteor, theoretically, it could be achieved. But for a Quasi-Heavenly expert to die of illness? That was simply a ludicrous joke.

For a Quasi-Heavenly expert possessed a lifespan beyond mortal comprehension; even calling it ageless and deathless felt insufficient. They were practically the supreme beings of their respective worlds. While there were Heavenly-ranked beings and even higher existences above them, those were strictly speaking detached from any specific world, belonging to the realm of transcendence.

And for such an immortal being to succumb to a sudden illness? It was pure fantasy, utterly impossible!

Yet, some individuals possess the ability to turn the impossible into reality. Moments after the phantom woman finished speaking, and before anyone could judge the veracity of her words, one of the Quasi-Heavenly experts suddenly let out a piercing scream, collapsed onto the ground, clutching his chest and convulsing violently. His struggle was brief; his movements ceased, and upon looking closer, his eyes had rolled back, all signs of life utterly extinguished.

"!!!"

This spectacle caused everyone present to gasp audibly.

"Impossible! Impossible! How could such a thing happen!" someone cried out in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

Regardless of their unwillingness to accept it, fact remained fact.

The phantom woman observed them with pristine composure and smiled faintly. "Now you surely believe what this humble one said, don't you? Danger follows you constantly; it merely depends on whether you possess the bright eyes to perceive it."

"Who are you? Playing these tricks!" Hearing her words, the remainder instinctively turned to glare at her, questioning her with harshness, though the faint terror flickering in their eyes betrayed the weakness beneath their bluster.

The phantom woman smiled serenely, completely ignoring their aggressive posture, and murmured softly, "This vessel is not yet human, merely a soul form at best. However, now that my soul has awakened, full resurrection is only a matter of time..."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the assembled figures, a fleeting impatience crossing her eyes. "You should all know that whenever a great Demon King is about to revive in this world, one or two sacrifices are invariably required first... And I am that legendary, most terrifying Demon King."

At this moment, her fundamentally dark and manipulative nature was fully revealed.

The seven remaining Quasi-Heavenly experts clearly felt the murderous intent radiating from her. A sudden chill gripped their hearts, and with almost no hesitation, they shot upwards like lightning, fleeing in disparate directions.

Faced with the phantom woman's killing intent, they chose to run.

This could hardly be called cowardice; after all, the phantom woman had slain two of their comrades with just a few casual words, and they didn't even know the cause of death. The gulf in their power levels was obvious.

Moreover, their previous relentless attacks on Zhai Xin had failed to even graze a single strand of her hair, clearly indicating that the phantom woman had been the invisible hand behind it all... If she could protect Zhai Xin from harm, there was certainly no reason she couldn't protect herself.

Their attacks were useless, yet the opponent could slay them effortlessly with mere words. How could they possibly fight such an opponent?

Whose life was not precious? Even ants cling to survival; how much more would beings as noble and exalted as they, the world's supreme authorities, fear death?

Therefore, upon sensing the killing intent and the overwhelming pressure emanating from the phantom figure, they decisively chose flight.

But could they truly escape?

Of course not!

Since the Great Demon King had awakened, the offering of sacrifices was inevitable.

The seven Quasi-Heavenly experts scattering in seven directions operated under the principle of saving one if possible. Even if the worst happened, at least one might escape to relay a warning. This wasn't due to absolute loyalty to the Proxy God, but rather their belief that the Proxy God was omnipotent and perhaps capable of resurrecting them... While the chance of the Proxy God reviving them was infinitesimally small, it remained a sliver of hope.

As for which one might escape unscathed, that depended entirely on whose luck held firmest.

Originally, with the Proxy God's buff, escaping this world shouldn't have been difficult for them. But one crucial detail must not be forgotten: they had completely sealed off this world beforehand, allowing neither entry nor exit. Even for themselves to leave required a moment of time.

And that sliver of time was more than enough for the phantom woman to dispatch them all.

The instant they separated, a bolt of thunder struck from the sky, hitting one individual with perfect accuracy, instantly reducing him to ash. Immediately following, a fierce gale erupted, acting like a grinding mill, tearing another into fragments.

Various forms of calamity unfolded upon these Quasi-Heavenly experts. Even if one survived the first mishap, they were consumed by the second that immediately followed... In mere moments, only one of the seven Quasi-Heavenly experts remained.

His luck was relatively good, perhaps his strength was superior as well, as he evaded two calamities and finally managed to unlock the sealed world, stepping through and escaping this realm entirely.

The moment he left that world, the panic in his heart finally subsided. He knew that with this, no matter how heaven-defying the phantom woman was, she couldn't touch him now. However... before his relief could fully blossom, the sight that greeted him transformed his excitement into utter despair and terror.

Yes, he had indeed escaped that world, but he had not arrived where he should have been. He had encountered the third unexpected event. Perhaps by chance, or perhaps due to an error when frantically opening the seal, what appeared before him was an unparalleled killing formation composed of chaotic timelines and shattered world-lines!

"No!!!"

As the great formation surged toward him, he let out a desperate scream, and in the next instant, the formation completely enveloped him—voice, life, everything vanished, reduced to dust.

"It seems everyone is gone now," the phantom woman murmured as the last expert died, withdrawing her focus and resuming her harmless demeanor. She then turned back to face Zhai Xin.

Regardless of the phantom woman’s current state of mind, Zhai Xin was utterly stunned. Had she not witnessed it firsthand, she never would have believed that nine Quasi-Heavenly experts could be eliminated so easily by this woman. What was the origin of this being? When had such a powerful entity taken root inside her? If she were not a mere phantom but manifested in a complete life form, just how terrifying would her power be?

Zhai Xin did not know; she only knew that she could not fathom the depth of the other’s realm.

Thus, when she noticed the woman staring intently at her, Zhai Xin instinctively flinched... Though she herself had no knowledge of it, it didn't stop her from understanding the concept of 'body seizing' that existed in this world. This phantom woman's presence within her body could not be without reason, nor without purpose in aiding her—it was highly probable that the goal was body seizure. Now that the enemies were eliminated, perhaps it was her turn.

Thinking this, Zhai Xin sighed inwardly, though without any trace of fear.

The phantom woman seemed to sense her thoughts and smiled faintly. "Are you worried I will try to possess you?"

"Uh!" Zhai Xin paused, hesitating for a moment before nodding, "Yes."

"Very good, honesty. I like that." The phantom woman showed no anger or displeasure at Zhai Xin’s suspicion, instead displaying approval as she smiled. "To have a mysterious figure of unknown identity residing within one's own body—even if this person has helped you—one can never be certain if they are friend or foe. If it were me, I would also be suspicious. It is human nature. If you said you weren't worried, then I would look down upon you."

Hearing her words, Zhai Xin suddenly stirred and asked, "You don't intend to take over my body?"

The phantom woman gave a carefree laugh. "You seem to have misunderstood a little. I am not the sort of entity you imagine. Although your aptitude is rare even in my era, it is a pity that possessing your body offers me no benefit. Furthermore, in my current state, I am dependent on you. If you die, or your soul dissipates, then I too will vanish... So you need not worry that I mean you harm, because your existence is the very foundation of mine."

Zhai Xin looked at her without speaking, pondering how much truth lay in the woman's words. However, her intuition told her that this woman was not lying, so she nodded. "Okay, I believe you won't harm me, but I still have one question I wish to ask."

"Speak."

"Who exactly are you, and why are you inside my body?"

As for these two questions, the phantom woman smiled as expected. "Who I am, even if I told you, you wouldn't know. In fact, in this era, the number of people who recognize me would barely amount to a handful. So, you don't need to know the answer to that question. But my old friends called me Yi Ren; you may address me as such."

"Yi Ren?" Zhai Xin instinctively searched the memories in her mind for any record of such a powerhouse, but found nothing. A faint suspicion arose: perhaps this individual was an incredibly ancient figure.

"As for your second question, it is complicated, and I myself only have a hazy understanding, so I cannot tell you. I can only say that someone is playing a very large game... If we win this game, we will all be safe. But if we lose, we all return to where we came from." Yi Ren said seriously.

Zhai Xin blinked slightly, then asked, "Then what should we do next?"

"It's simple: get stronger," Yi Ren said, smiling at her suddenly. "You can probably guess what level of being I am. So, do you wish to become stronger than you are now?"

"Of course," Zhai Xin replied without hesitation.

"Then, what if I told you I could help you reach the Heavenly Rank within one month?"

"What?!" Even Zhai Xin, known for her composure, experienced a dramatic shift in expression upon hearing this. The Heavenly Rank had always been a realm just beyond her reach. Although she had one foot already through the door, she couldn't manage to push it open—so close, yet so far.

But Yi Ren claimed she could achieve the Heavenly Rank in just a month, as if ascending were as simple as drinking water or breathing. This struck Zhai Xin as utterly absurd.

"What? You don't believe me?"

Zhai Xin shook her head. "No, I believe you."

Yes, although the claim sounded preposterous, she did not doubt its authenticity.

"Then, what is your answer?" Yi Ren asked.

Zhai Xin's expression flickered. She knew that relying purely on her own strength, reaching the Heavenly Rank in a month was impossible; she might even linger at that boundary for her entire life. Yet, with Yi Ren's help, she could ascend to the heavens in just one short month... Honestly, this was an intensely alluring prospect. But!

After a moment of hesitation, Zhai Xin finally shook her head. "I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept."

"Are you still worried I might harm you?" Yi Ren's expression changed, showing a hint of anger.

Although no killing aura leaked out, the inherent majesty of a powerful expert made Zhai Xin's heart pound. Nevertheless, she mustered her courage and spoke, "It's not that I fear you will harm me, but I want to strive through my own efforts. Perhaps, having accepted a legacy and another's power from the very beginning, I have no right to say this. But this most crucial step, I wish to break through using my own ability. Otherwise, no matter how strong I become, I will forever be overshadowed by the achievements of predecessors."

Zhai Xin’s words were quiet, yet resolute and unwavering.

Yi Ren stared at her determined expression for a long moment, confirming she was not merely boasting, and nodded slowly. "Good. It is rare to see such spirit. It was not in vain that I was reborn within you. Only now are you worthy of my assistance."

Zhai Xin opened her mouth, about to say more, but Yi Ren waved a hand. "Don't misunderstand. The assistance I speak of now is different from before. I only want to tell you that if you encounter any questions you don't understand, you may ask me. But beyond that, I will not offer any further aid. Do you understand?"

Hearing this, Zhai Xin was overjoyed and nodded emphatically. "Yes!"

Yi Ren watched her excited reaction, her own mood not unfavorable. However, moments later, as her gaze lifted toward the heavens, a shadow of worry crossed her eyes: The Mirror of Truth had appeared. She wondered if this was a good omen or a bad one?