Those pink flames appeared to descend slowly, yet for some reason, with a single flash, they landed squarely upon every demon below, not even sparing the winged man who was fleeing for his life.
The sound of "pfft pfft" erupted in a chorus. The instant the pink flames touched the demons, blinding crimson light burst forth, and in the blink of an eye, each of them dissolved into wisps of greenish smoke, vanishing without a trace into the void.
In the blink of an eye, only that tall demonic shadow remained alone near the passage.
The demon lord gazed up at the crystalline tree high above, disbelief written across his face. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he dropped to his knees in a deep bow.
"Paying respects to Lord Bao! That Keyun can still see the Lord in my lifetime — I have no further regrets in this life." The demonic shadow's voice trembled with overwhelming emotion.
"Keyun, the last time you saw me must have been many, many years ago, wasn't it?" A soft sigh drifted from the void. A ripple shuddered through the tree, and two figures — one in white, one in black — materialized simultaneously.
It was none other than Ancestor Baosheng, clad in her white palace robes, and the black-armored giant.
Bao lowered her gaze to the demonic shadow below, a faint trace of wistful emotion crossing her features.
"Lord, it truly is you! Many have been spreading rumors that you had already perished. But I never once believed it. With your Lordship's power, no matter how dire the circumstances, how could you possibly lack means to preserve your life?" The moment the demonic shadow beheld the true form of the palace-robed woman, all remaining doubt evaporated, and he replied with undisguised excitement.
"Mm. Back then, I managed to survive the combined assault of those two, but I was forcibly knocked down an entire realm. I tore open the space and brought a portion of my subordinates here to the Spirit World. As for you in the covert division — that you've remained unharmed all this time does bring me some comfort. However, to be safe, I need to examine your spiritual consciousness." Bao fixed her beautiful eyes on the demonic shadow, narrowing them slightly.
"Yes, my Lord! That is only proper. Those two possessed power not far below your own back then. If they had secretly placed some restriction within me, I truly would have been unable to detect it." The demonic shadow's form shuddered ever so slightly, yet he agreed without a moment's hesitation.
"Good — at least you know. Rise, then."
Bao's expression softened. Her jade-like feet shifted, and she drifted gently downward from the sky. The black-armored giant followed close behind without a word.
The crystalline tree high above flashed once and transformed into a streak of rosy light that vanished into the woman's body.
The demonic shadow rose to his feet and stood respectfully at attention, hands clasped before him.
The demonic energy emanating from this lord then retracted of its own accord, revealing his true appearance.
He was a middle-aged man with a square, weathered face and a pair of jet-black curved horns sprouting from his head!
Ancestor Baosheng wasted no more words. The moment she arrived before the demonic shadow, she raised a slender jade finger and gently tapped it against the center of his brow.
With a soft "pu" sound, a translucent crystalline thread sprang from her fingertip and, flashing in an instant, vanished into the space between the man's eyebrows.
Bao slowly closed her eyes.
A flicker of pain crossed the man's face, but as the sharp light in his eyes scattered, his expression immediately went vacant. Beneath the ceaseless trembling of the crystal thread, his face remained locked in a blank, dazed look.
Time trickled past, second by second!
Suddenly, the palace-robed woman's brows furrowed slightly. The crystal thread in her hand blazed with golden radiance, and an unusual wave of energy surged violently from it, pouring into the man's skull.
The man let out a muffled groan. Faint traces of blood appeared at his ears and nose, but they bizarrely dried up almost instantly. Then his face contorted, and from his ears and nostrils shot forth several tiny grey motes of light, each no bigger than a bean. They spiraled once and rocketed off toward the horizon, tearing through the air.
"Stay where you are!"
Bao's lovely face darkened. Her other hand rose, and she gave those fleeing motes a light flick.
Several crystal threads, identical to the previous one, shot forth in a flash. They pierced through the grey motes in an instant, coiled around them, and drew them back into her sleeve.
But her movements did not stop there. Her gaze swept across the man's face once more, and she opened her mouth, spitting several pink motes of light directly into his brow. They vanished without a sound.
Only then did the golden crystal thread shatter inch by inch, dissolving into flecks of white light and disappearing.