Chapter 598

Ming Wang's words sent a jolt through Yun Che's heart, filling him with a momentary unease. He immediately crushed the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal in his hand without hesitation.

He had dared to rush in, hoping to rescue the Little Demon Empress from Ming Wang's sinister grasp, relying primarily on the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal that Mu Feiyan had just given him. When Mu Feiyan presented him with it, he had been brimming with pride, confidently declaring that the protective barrier it formed in times of crisis was impenetrable and would last for three hours—more than enough time for Yun Qinghong to arrive.

But...

With a soft crunch, Yun Che easily crushed the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal. A blue light rapidly diffused, instantly forming an ice-blue barrier, three zhang in diameter, around them. It enveloped Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress, separating them from Ming Wang and Prince Huai.

Although the process was brief, for a peerless expert, a single breath of time is enough to accomplish much. Yet, Ming Wang simply watched with a smile, showing no intention of intervening. When the protective barrier materialized, his expression remained entirely unchanged—in fact, his eyes held a subtle hint of disdain and amusement.

The moment Ming Wang uttered the name "Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal" while it was still clutched in Yun Che's hand, Yun Che felt a surge of apprehension. Ming Wang's expression at that moment amplified his unease tenfold. Yun Che had held the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal from the start, ready to activate the protective barrier instantly. To prevent its aura from escaping, he had naturally used profound energy to tightly conceal it, yet Ming Wang had seen right through his concealment!

And simply by its aura, Ming Wang knew it was the Mu family's "Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal," clearly indicating his familiarity with it. He must have known how resilient the protective barrier it emitted was! Yet, Ming Wang, who plainly knew Yun Che had the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal, made no move to seize it, nor did he stop Yun Che from crushing it, showing not the slightest surprise or alarm...

All these reactions were completely outside Yun Che's expectations!

"Hahahaha!" Ming Wang roared with laughter, gazing at the protective barrier formed by the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal. "So that's it. I was actually looking forward to seeing what ingenious method you would use to escape my grasp. This result is truly disappointing."

"It's just this mere Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal!"

Yun Che's brows furrowed tightly, a sudden alarm flaring in his heart. With an undiminished aura, he retorted, "Mere? The Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal is the Mu family's most prized protective treasure. Since you hold it in such contempt... why don't you try shattering it then!"

"Hahahaha," Ming Wang laughed maniacally once more. He slowly stepped forward; though separated by the barrier, the pressure on Yun Che intensified exponentially with each step Ming Wang took. In front of the protective barrier, he casually extended his palm. "A hundred years ago, I truly couldn't have destroyed it. No one in the entire Illusory Demon Realm could have."

"But my profound strength is no longer at the Sovereign Profound Realm Nine as it was a century ago; I have reached Sovereign Profound Realm Ten! It is the peak realm of this world. At this level, my palm can almost touch the very laws of this world. Even space itself, beneath my palm, will instantaneously... shatter into fragments!"

Ming Wang suddenly twisted his wrist. In an instant, a colossal vortex abruptly appeared and rapidly spread. This was not a vortex of air or profound energy, but utterly twisted space!

This spatial distortion wasn't fleeting; it spread like ripples across an ocean, reaching the ice-blue barrier in the blink of an eye. The barrier, which they had believed to be indestructible, instantly twisted like a fragile soap bubble under this terrifying spatial vortex. It contorted more and more violently, deforming into an incredibly exaggerated shape... perhaps only a breath away from being completely torn asunder.

"!!!" Yun Che was utterly astonished. He instinctively moved to shield the Little Demon Empress, his brows tightly furrowed and veins bulging on his hands. Mu Feiyan had sworn that this protective barrier, formed by the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal, could endure for three hours, claiming that even his grandfather, were he alive, couldn't destroy it...

What kind of person was Mu Feiyan? He was not only Yun Che's maternal grandfather but also the highly respected head of the Mu family. His words carried absolute weight. Furthermore, the exaggerated reactions of Mu Yubai and others when Mu Feiyan produced the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal, coupled with the joy shown by his own parents, had left him with no reason to doubt the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal's formidable defensive power. Otherwise, he would never have dared to simply charge in and confront the supremely powerful Ming Wang.

At this moment, let alone three hours, even if it could only sustain itself for one, it would have been more than enough for Yun Che.

He never imagined that the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal's life-saving barrier would be so vulnerable before Ming Wang.

You tricked your grandson!

And it's my life you tricked!

"The Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal is indeed one of the rare life-saving artifacts in the Illusory Demon Realm," Ming Wang said, his hand ceasing its motion, though the spatial distortion persisted. The protective barrier was now at the very brink of collapse, ready to shatter completely with Ming Wang's next slightest move. "That's because the profound energy level it can resist goes up to Sovereign Profound Realm Nine. But before power that surpasses this level, it's no different from a thin sheet of ice! In the entire Illusory Demon Realm, only I can easily destroy it. Yun Che, you miscalculated."

Yun Che: "..."

Ming Wang's brow relaxed slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, his face retaining its calm, unchanging expression. "Yun Che, truthfully, I am quite reluctant to kill you. Your strength is extraordinary, your mind is shrewd, and your potential is astounding. Yet, even under my gaze, you remain completely unperturbed, indicating remarkable spiritual power. To dare to intrude, knowing I am here, demonstrates truly exceptional courage and audacity... For someone your age to possess such talent, it makes even me sigh. It would be a great pity for you to die just like this."

"So?" Yun Che's eyes narrowed. "Is Ming Wang perhaps preparing to give me a chance to live?"

"Allow me to plant a soul imprint on you, and from then on, you shall pledge allegiance to me. Not only will you live, but when I rule the world, you shall share in a lifetime of power, prestige, and glory. I can even show leniency towards your Yun clan," Ming Wang said calmly. "I have never hesitated or shown mercy when killing; you are the first. This is my immense benevolence towards you! Do not disappoint me."

"Benevolence? Heh..." Yun Che scoffed softly. "Your so-called benevolence is utterly worthless to me! Even if I die, I will never let my soul be defiled by a beast like you!"

"Very well." Ming Wang nodded slowly. "Since you choose foolishness, then... die!!"

Boom! RUMBLE...

The space trembled madly. The gigantic spatial vortex instantly swallowed the protective barrier formed by the Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal, tearing it into countless fragments. In that moment, it seemed as though the entire world was being swept into this horrifying spatial vortex.

The overwhelmingly terrifying profound energy aura completely suffocated Yun Che; his feet were paralyzed, and he couldn't even utter a sound. At that moment, a slender, grayish-white figure flickered slightly and stepped in front of him, just as the surging spatial vortex violently crashed into the gray figure...

A muffled, painful groan brushed past Yun Che's ear. His arm was then tightly grasped by a small hand. On the wrist of that small hand, a deep crimson bracelet instantly shattered, releasing a fiery glow...

WHOOSH!

The instant the fiery light flashed, Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress simultaneously vanished from the spot. The spatial vortex swept through where they had been, pulverizing layers of space. Under this extremely terrifying power, not to mention ordinary people, even a common Emperor Monarch would be easily shredded.

Prince Huai's face showed surprise, and he quickly stepped forward. "Father, what happened? How did they disappear? Could it be..."

"Heh!" Ming Wang slowly withdrew his palm, his face devoid of any anxiety or surprise; it seemed this, too, was within his expectations. "It's merely a spatial escape triggered by the shattering of the 'Crimson Blood Ring.' The Little Demon Emperor's memories indeed mentioned such an item, and as I predicted, the Little Demon Empress was wearing it. Unfortunately, the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley is an independent world. While the Demon Emperor Seal's blood escape could allow her to flee to the outside world, this Crimson Blood Ring never can."

"It's merely a pitiful last struggle before death. How could she possibly escape my grasp?" Ming Wang slightly turned, his eyes narrowing into a smile. His gaze eventually settled on the northwest, a faint, gentle smile, like a soft breeze, slowly curving his lips... but the glint in his eyes was colder and more piercing than the most venomous snake in the world.

Northwest of the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, at the edge.

The world suddenly became several times hotter, and the air grew so thin it was almost impossible to breathe.

Yun Che was flung aside by the Little Demon Empress, landing heavily on the ground. After a brief moment of stunned confusion, he immediately understood what had happened. He stood up and looked around. "Where... where is this place?"

"The northwest edge," the Little Demon Empress said coldly, her back to him. As soon as the words left her lips, her body stiffened, and a jet of blood spurted from her mouth, falling several zhang away. She then collapsed weakly, kneeling on the ground.

"Little Demon Empress!"

Yun Che quickly moved forward, intending to help her up, but as soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she forcefully pushed him away. "Don't touch me!"

Yun Che stood there, not daring to move again. The Little Demon Empress painfully gasped for a while before finally slowly standing up and turning around. Her youthful face was utterly pale, and the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth were a shocking sight.

In Yun Che's rapidly calming mind, scenes from moments ago began to surface clearly... Ming Wang's attack had not been directed at the Little Demon Empress first, but at him! Under the profound energy suppression of a peak Emperor Monarch, how could he possibly have avoided it? He survived not only because the Little Demon Empress used spatial evasion to take him with her... but also because she had used her own body to withstand Ming Wang's fatal blow for him.

Yun Che's chest heaved violently, and he said sincerely: "...Thank you for saving my life."

Compared to this... his unreliable maternal grandfather!

The Heaven Smiting Ice Crystal Mu Feiyan had given him not only failed to save his life in a moment of crisis, but almost ended it... because without it, he would never have dared to barge into the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley in the first place.

"Saved your life?" The Little Demon Empress clutched her chest, her voice low and cold. "Ridiculous! Do you think you'll live past today?! The Demon Emperor Seal has already been taken by Ming Wang, and we have no way to escape the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. With Ming Wang's strength, it won't be long before he finds us again... You arrogant fool, why did you rush in just to throw your life away for nothing?!"