"It is I who has lost."
"Kill me or do with me as you wish."
The terrifying existence spoke once more. Though its voice remained thunderous and carried its full weight of authority, if one listened carefully, it was clear that something had changed. Gone was that unyielding arrogance, the domineering certainty that placed all else beneath it.
Moreover, there was a deliberate attempt to conceal its weakness.
"All I ever asked for was some information. When did I ever intend to kill you?"
The man's voice drifted from the distance once more, its tone as composed as before. And as those words fell, the nine-colored lightning that had been coiling across the sky dissipated in silence.
Not only the lightning—even the aura of annihilation vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind.
The world returned to its original state.
As though nothing had ever happened.
"You truly won't kill me?"
The terrifying existence was surprised. It had not expected the other party to genuinely spare its life. After all, it had been entirely serious in its intent to kill just moments ago.
"Come to think of it, you did show a measure of care toward my son back then."
The man in the distance spoke again.
"Your son?"
"Heh heh... So it really is that brat Chu Feng's family."
"I must say, that brat—I did grow rather fond of him. He did quite a bit for the Ethereal Immortal Peak."
"The people of the Ethereal Immortal Peak are nothing more than my playthings and puppets, I suppose, but they are still mine nonetheless."
"Truth be told, I recognized long ago that the brat was no ordinary person, even when he first arrived here and was still far too weak."
The terrifying existence spoke to this point and let out a faint laugh, though the laughter grew increasingly complex, and after a brief moment, it turned into a sigh.
"But in the end, I still underestimated that brat."
"However... don't mistake these words for a plea for mercy. I'm merely stating facts."
"The victor takes all. You've won—say what you want to do, and I'll hear it."
The terrifying existence addressed the distance once more.
"There was never anything serious to begin with."
"Whatever they wish to know, tell them."
"Don't make things difficult for them, and we'll call this matter settled."
"As for why you dwell here—I won't ask."
"And what you intend to do in the future—I won't interfere."
"We'll each mind our own business."
The man's voice rose once more from afar. Within that calm tone, there was an unmistakable air of magnanimity.
"You've made me reconsider how I view the martial cultivators of this era."
"What is your name?"
The terrifying existence asked.
"A contemporary martial cultivator."
Those were the last words the man's voice ever spoke.
After that, no matter how the terrifying existence called out, there was no response.
And the gaze of the terrifying existence turned pensive.
"A contemporary martial cultivator, you say?"
"To think that among the martial cultivators of this era, there exists one who has cultivated the Heaven-level bloodline to such a degree."
"It seems I truly did underestimate the cultivators of this age."
After a long while, the terrifying existence let out a laugh tinged with emotion.
Crack—
Crack—
Before long, fissures began to appear in the space surrounding Xianhai Shaoyu and the other two.
Seeing the cracks emerge, the terrifying existence seemed to realize what was happening, and the colossal face that had been blanketing the void began to fade.
Whoosh—
The instant the face vanished from the sky, the cracks shattered like the surface of a broken mirror, and in the moment they fractured, they dissolved into wisps of energy and dispersed into nothing.
And at that very instant, Xianhai Shaoyu and his two companions regained their consciousness, their bodies once again free.