The instant Ye Jingyu's fist slammed into Xuanmiao Tianjun's chest, the immense force pulverized the sternum into dust, tearing a gaping, bloody wound where his heart should have been, the terrifying power relentlessly dismantling his physical form.

"Aargh..." The force of Ye Jingyu's punch was overwhelming. By the time Xuanmiao Tianjun reacted, attempting to summon immortal energy to resist the onslaught, it was far too late. His body shattered, beyond any hope of immediate repair. A golden phantom, identical to him in every detail, rocketed out from within the wreckage and bolted directly toward the formation of the Heavenly Soldiers.

Seeing the nascent spirit flee into the array, Ye Jingyu sneered but made no move to pursue and destroy it. The merits he had accrued today were already monumental, and the strength he displayed had been potent enough. If he were to utterly annihilate Xuanmiao Tianjun now, how would Yuan perceive him? Would such absolute power not breed deep suspicion?

He needed to feign complete exhaustion, to project an image of having expended all his might, thereby reassuring Yuan and the others. After all, even though he had just slain one Absolute Immortal and gravely wounded a peak Absolute Immortal, both feats had been achieved through ambush. At best, they would attribute it to meticulous planning, but they must never glimpse the true depth of his inherent power.

If he could merely convince Yuan and the rest that he possessed formidable strength capable of serving them, yet lacked the capacity to threaten their supreme authority, that would suffice. He could fell an Absolute Immortal of the same rank because their physical bodies were inherently fragile, and he required the element of surprise. Demons, however, possessed bodies of immense resilience, making them impervious to such tactics unless utterly caught unaware.

Witnessing the great Xuanmiao Tianjun, one of the Ten Heavenly Lords, have his physical form utterly pulverized by a single ambush strike from Ye Jingyu, every single Heavenly Soldier gasped in collective shock. Xuanmiao Tianjun—one of the Ten Heavenly Lords! He was a being at the absolute peak of the Zhou Tier! Even if his carelessness had invited the ambush, his body should not have been destroyed! Their commander, the one leading them, reduced to ruin? How could they possibly continue this fight?

Even Daoist Hanbing paused for a beat, but seeing his sovereign's vessel destroyed, he dared not linger. With a flash, he vanished back into the grand formation.

Below, Yuan and his entourage watched the meticulous coordination between Ye Jingyu and the two Desolate Beasts, their faces alight with surprised elation. Three entities whose strength topped out at the Mid-Zhou Tier had managed to collaboratively kill an early-stage Absolute Immortal and shatter the body of a peak Absolute Immortal. Such a record was enough to shake the entire Celestial Realm.

It was crucial to remember that while all were Zhou Tier, the gulf between peak Zhou and early, mid, or high-grade Zhou was vast. Those who reached the peak had begun to grasp the subtle threads of Rule Power. Against other Zhou masters, the contest was almost always one-sided. Yet, Xuanmiao Tianjun hadn't even managed to deploy the sliver of Rule Power he understood before Ye Jingyu dismantled his physical shell.

Heh heh, how much strength remained to an immortal, even a peak Absolute Immortal, once his physical body was annihilated?

Yuan felt a twinge of regret that Ye Jingyu hadn't fully exhausted himself. Had he possessed even a shred more energy, that last strike might have completely extinguished Xuanmiao Tianjun. A pity, a true pity. However, observing Ye Jingyu’s seemingly precarious state in the air brought a wave of relief. That's more like it. If Ye Jingyu had achieved total victory, wouldn't Yuan himself need to treat this man with caution?

A human whose cultivation rested at the Hong Tier, yet whose physical strength soared to the Zhou Tier, accompanied by two Zhou-level Desolate Beasts—this combination was anything but simple.

Thank heavens, thank heavens he didn't possess the power to finish Xuanmiao Tianjun outright. Having a figure capable of threatening him at any moment lurking nearby would have been deeply unsettling.

With a casual wave of his right hand, the gates of Tianman City swung open. Tens of thousands of demons surged forth amidst the ensuing chaos within the Heavenly Soldier ranks.

The destruction of Xuanmiao Tianjun's body had utterly shattered the Heavenly Soldiers' morale. Their fighting spirit plummeted to its lowest ebb. Even Xuanmiao Tianjun himself was terrified; his body had never been destroyed before! He dared not even engage, issuing an immediate order for a full-speed retreat. He had only one thought: to return to the Heavenly Alliance as swiftly as possible to reconstruct his physical form.

Otherwise, any damage sustained by his nascent spirit could mean the complete erasure of his cultivation accumulated over these long years.

Consequently, the grand formation conjured by the Heavenly Soldiers could no longer exert its former might. Their inherent close-combat strength was inferior to the demons', and once the demons closed the distance, the Heavenly Soldiers were left with nothing but slaughter. A bloody pursuit commenced.

Fear gnawing at his core, Xuanmiao Tianjun fled, even forgetting to retrieve his three magical artifacts. Ye Jingyu swiftly secured the Dragon-Binding Rope, the Dragon Soul Whip, the great cauldron shielding Ni Bo, and Daoist Hanbing's Thunder Hammer, before bringing the heavily scarred Ni Bo and Xiao Tao Tao to Yuan’s side.

"This general is ashamed, failing to extinguish the villain’s life. I beg my Lord's pardon!" Ye Jingyu bowed deeply, holding the three artifacts, his expression clearly conveying deep regret. That look told Yuan and the others one story: it was so close—just a hair's breadth away from killing Xuanmiao Tianjun, one of the Ten Heavenly Lords! That would have been an opportunity for eternal renown throughout the Celestial Realm! His regret was profound...

"Hahaha, General Jing, what words are these? Not only are you blameless this time, but you have earned immense merit! That was Xuanmiao Tianjun! Even I would find it difficult to injure him, yet you destroyed his physical body! This is undeniably a massive contribution. These four artifacts are rightfully yours, as you seized them. Furthermore, I bestow upon you twenty million Jin of Blood Crystal Stones, one hundred thousand Purple Crystal Stones, and I name you the City Lord of Mieyan City!" Yuan had observed every nuance of Ye Jingyu's performance and was profoundly satisfied. Though he coveted the ancient cauldron and the Thunder Hammer Ye Jingyu possessed, the strict rules of the Demon Race dictated that spoils belonged to the victor, leaving him no grounds for seizure. Even if Ye Jingyu offered them willingly, rewarding such a monumental achievement would be impossible if Yuan then confiscated his spoils; such an act would surely erode his authority.

"I thank my Lord..." Ye Jingyu had already guessed Yuan's internal calculus; he knew Yuan couldn't possibly demand his earned loot, which was why he offered it so generously. Hearing Yuan's rewards, Ye Jingyu's face showed gratitude, yet inwardly, a cold laugh echoed. Twenty million Blood Crystal Stones meant little. One hundred thousand Purple Crystal Stones were beneath his notice. As for the City Lordship? Heh heh, I hope you won't regret this later...

(Four chapters presented, hee hee...)B