Wang Jian's body vanished abruptly, narrowly evading Voidblade's final devastating attack that threatened to slice him in two.
Even Voidblade was taken aback by Wang Jian's sudden disappearance, sensing that he had used Spatial Laws to escape.
Even more shocking was the fact that Voidblade couldn't sense where Wang Jian would reappear.
From the depths of the Spatial Cubic Arena, Wang Jian's voice echoed, taunting his adversary, "You could have defeated me if you had wielded that fused sword from the start."
Amusement crept into Wang Jian's tone as he continued, "Alas, your arrogance got the best of you. You believed you could easily defeat me, having prepared for all my abilities as informed by your system."
He paused, savoring the moment, before adding with a hint of triumph, "However, there's one thing you overlooked. You failed to consider that I could upgrade my abilities in real-time using my system."
Voidblade's mind raced, and he immediately commanded his system to assess Wang Jian's upgraded abilities.
To his astonishment, there was just one upgraded ability—Wang Jian's Insight in Spatial Laws had reached its peak grade.
"But how?! You didn't have enough points to upgrade your insights in Spatial Laws to its peak?!" Voidblade exclaimed in astonishment.
Meanwhile, Wang Jian's confident response reverberated through the arena, "It's all thanks to your assistance! You are the one who provided me with that powerful artifact which possesses an unreal essence of the Spatial Element."
Voidblade's eyes widened in realization, "This Spatial Azure Cubic Arena!"
"Exactly! Throughout this entire battle, I've been utilizing one of my abilities to absorb the Spatial Essence from the cubic arena, reducing the cost of upgrading the laws of Space. Although it nearly depleted all my hard-earned points from the past few days, it was well worth the sacrifice," Wang Jian declared, oozing with self-assurance.
However, Voidblade quickly regained his composure and spoke with calm determination, "So what if you've upgraded your abilities? My system has already created a counter and provided me with the artifact."
In an instant, a stunning blue bracelet materialized on Voidblade's right hand, adorned with intricate runes that shimmered with power.
Suddenly, a shocking event unfolded— a spatial rift appeared over Voidblade's right hand, severing his arm with such precision that he didn't even realize what had happened for a brief moment.
Wang Jian's voice dripped with disdain as he revealed his cunning plan, "Do you think I've been talking to you all this time just to gloat? No, I'm not that foolish. I knew your system would come up with a countermeasure to adapt to my new abilities. So, I've been strategically setting up Spatial Rifts that would open at my command. I won't allow you to wield those new artifacts against me. You're entirely within my range, and I can tear you apart into tiny pieces."
Wang Jian's words were laced with a deadly confidence, leaving Voidblade at a disadvantage as he grappled with the sudden loss of his arm and the knowledge that his opponent had been outmaneuvering him at every turn.
Wang Jian noticed that the bracelet had vanished along with Voidblade's severed arm, leading him to speculate that it must have been a unique system artifact only usable by Voidblade.
Well, whatever. Wang Jian was only mildly interested in that artifact. His focus was on Voidblade at this moment.
Voidblade groaned in agony, feeling the excruciating pain of losing his arm. But Wang Jian showed no mercy and swiftly sliced off the other arm that wielded the Yin-Yang Sword.
Just like the bracelet, the sword disappeared, but Wang Jian was unsure if they had dispersed or returned to the system's inventory.
The uncertainty lingered, causing him to reconsider his initial plan to interrogate Voidblade.
Instead, he resolved to end this once and for all, ensuring Voidblade could never wield those dangerous artifacts again.
A sense of urgency filled Wang Jian as he unleashed a torrent of spatial rifts that opened up all around Voidblade.
These rifts were calculated, designed to sever every inch of Voidblade's body into tiny, lifeless pieces.
There was no room for doubt or hesitation; Wang Jian wanted to be absolutely certain of his adversary's demise.
As the spatial rifts sliced through Voidblade's form, the arena was filled with a chilling silence.
The members of Wang Jian's faction watched in awe and relief, knowing that their leader had emerged victorious.
As the Spatial Azure Cubic Arena dissipated, Wang Jian was left to catch his breath. The intense battle had taken its toll, but the victory had been well worth it. Just as he was about to take a moment to rest, a familiar notification chimed from his system.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully dealt with an anomaly! Half of the essence of the anomaly has been absorbed by the system while the other half has been absorbed by the World's Essence.]
The words of the system brought a mix of relief and curiosity to Wang Jian's mind. Dealing with the anomaly had been no easy feat but knowing that the system had benefitted from it somehow made the struggle feel worthwhile. He pondered what exactly the essence of the anomaly could entail.
[Warning! The essence of the anomaly absorbed by the World's Essence will allow the World's Essence to raise even more powerful protagonists and countermeasures to deal with the Host!]
As Wang Jian read the warning, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The only reason he survived this time was due to his quick wit. If not for his quick thinking and the fact that his opponent was a simple-minded fool, he would most definitely have died today.
[The essence of the anomaly has allowed the system to meet the requirements for an upgrade.]
The final sentence brought a sense of accomplishment. Wang Jian knew that upgrades to the system meant more opportunities and more powerful abilities.
"Alright, do it," Wang Jian whispered, and the system's upgrade began.
As the upgrade process commenced, he slowly descended to the ground where Ye Chen's lifeless body lay.
The demon forces that had attacked Wang Jian's faction had been subdued by this point.
The two Human Emperor Realm experts who had fought against Yue Yanling and Grand Elder Yi had been defeated, leading to the surrender of the devil forces under the overwhelming might of the victorious pair.
As all eyes fell on Wang Jian flying down and approaching Ye Chen's corpse, an otherworldly power emanated from the lifeless form.
Wang Jian channeled his qi, making the mysterious object within Ye Chen's body float before him.
A bead, about the size of a tiny tennis ball, emerged from Ye Chen's remains.
This was none other than the Chaos Essence Bead that Ye Chen possessed.
Wang Jian pondered for a moment how to assert his mastery over this powerful item. An idea struck him, and he resorted to a rather cliché method. Without hesitation, he cut his finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall onto the Chaos Essence Bead.
The bead seemed to greedily absorb the drop of blood. Suddenly, it launched itself at Wang Jian and began to fuse with him. The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before. It was as if a surge of immense power was flowing into his body, merging with his essence.
In that moment, Wang Jian felt a profound connection with the Chaos Essence Bead. As the bead recognized him as its master, he sensed another dimension within it, but he decided to explore that realm later.
Despite defeating Voidblade, the aftermath of the battle was tumultuous. Chaos spread across the battlefield as the news of Wang Jian's devil heritage circulated.
Some members of his faction had fled during the battle, and this information had now reached the Crown Prince's faction, which meant it would soon spread throughout the Empire.
Despite the potential consequences of this revelation, Wang Jian remained composed and focused on handling things step by step.
Firstly, he gathered his harem and honestly spoke to them about his heritage. To his relief, his women didn't care about his half-devil, half-human nature.
Some of them had already known and were fine with it, while others who had just learned felt it would have been better if he had told them sooner.
Hong Meilin and Chen Yiyan were among those who wished he had shared this information earlier, but Wang Jian promised to make it up to them.
With that matter addressed, Wang Jian turned his attention to his faction members, including Stella.
"Listen, everyone, I need to be honest with you. Although I was born a human, it turns out one of my parents has a trace of devil blood, and I awakened it during my exile in Zhenguan Region. This is what has allowed me to advance rapidly in cultivation and combat prowess. I want to make it clear that I have never harmed anyone to acquire this power. If any of you choose not to support me, I respect your decision. But if you stand by my side, be prepared to oppose the Empire!" Wang Jian declared with a firm and resolute voice that carried throughout his entire faction, including the devil forces.
The members of his faction exchanged glances and whispers, clearly contemplating the situation. Some looked hesitant, unsure of how to respond, while others wore expressions of unwavering loyalty.
Stella's determination shone in her eyes as she stepped forward to voice her support for Wang Jian, "I can't speak for everyone in your faction, Wang Jian, but I can vouch for the beasts back in the Sacred Dominion. Despite your heritage, you fought for us against the devils who had taken our home. Your actions, not your bloodline, should be the measure of your character. And your actions till now have been nothing but exemplary. As the Butterfly Spirit Queen, I promise you that I shall continue to support you as long as your actions remain pure and noble."
Wang Jian smiled, appreciating Stella's unwavering loyalty. He had expected her to stand by his side, as their bond had deepened through their shared experiences.
It was much different when comparing the situation to Ye Chen's, for whom Stella held hatred when his devil heritage was revealed.
This was because Wang Jian had utilized various strategies to make Stella believe that Ye Chen was actively colluding with the devils.
Meanwhile, in this case, Stella and all members of Wang Jian's faction had witnessed Wang Jian fighting against the devils and causing them immense damage.
This proved that he wasn't colluding with them and was actually helping the humans earnestly.
Thus, hating him immensely for his heritage only wouldn't make sense.
"We support you, Your Highness!" someone else from the faction shouted, and soon, the entire crowd echoed their approval, showering Wang Jian with words of praise and encouragement.
With a smile, Wang Jian raised his hand to calm the fervor. "That's enough, everyone. I appreciate your support and faith in me," he said, his voice carrying a mix of gratitude and determination.
"But we need to strategize and prepare for the challenges ahead. My eldest brother and second sister will likely send their forces to capture me. We must be ready to face them."
The once raucous crowd fell silent, now focused on the gravity of the situation.
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