Hikaru gave the Demon no time to hesitate.
Like a lightning-fast predator, he launched a new wave of attacks—swift, fierce, and precise.
Under the vast expanse of the starry sky, his figure became streaks of blinding light.
Each strike, each blow carried terrifying destructive power, as if he meant to erase the Demon from existence itself.
For the first time in eons, the Demon felt fear.
Not rage. Not humiliation.
But genuine fear.
It curled through His being like icy tendrils, binding His heart and shaking His will.
Wounds bloomed across His body like dark flowers—each gash bleeding not just power but life itself.
And just as the Demon began contemplating escape, Hikaru suddenly halted.
Floating silently amidst the stars, Hikaru appeared calm, composed—
as if the battle just now had been nothing more than a game.
In this star-forged space, spoken words were unnecessary.
Instead, his voice echoed directly within the Demon's mind—
clear, cold, and razor-sharp:
"How dull.
I thought I finally found a worthy opponent.
But you're already crumbling?"
"In the end, you're just a coward."
His gaze sliced deeper than any blade, and the Demon flinched under that withering contempt.
The Demon said nothing.
For He knew—deep down—Hikaru was right.
Doubt had infected His resolve.
And the longer He hesitated, the faster His fighting spirit eroded.
But Hikaru would not wait.
He understood all too well:
For a warrior, hesitation is fatal.
So, he struck.
In that moment—when the Demon's thoughts were clouded—
Hikaru unleashed everything.
Brilliant light exploded from him, swallowing the starfield in a kaleidoscope of radiance.
It wasn't just beauty—it was annihilation.
The Demon felt it immediately.
That light—imbued with destruction—was targeting Him precisely because His soul was incomplete.
He could not withstand it.
Still, the Demon did not kneel.
He straightened His back, facing the blast head-on.
If He was to die, He would die with the pride of a god.
The light consumed Him.
The stars trembled.
And when the brilliance faded…
The Demon was gone.
Only silence remained.
Only Hikaru, floating in the void.
At the very moment of the Demon's death, it was as if the entire world sighed in relief.
Invisible chains shattered.
A weight lifted from the hearts of every living being.
Cultivators everywhere found themselves surging forward, breaking bottlenecks they'd been stuck at for years.
It was as if the heavens had parted just for them.
Even atop Mount Longhu, Zhang Zhiwei looked to the sky in awe.
He could feel it—his Tianshi Du, the weight that had bound him, had vanished completely.
His strength skyrocketed.
He felt young again.
But more importantly… he comprehended something new.
Rules.
The rules of the world that the Demon had hoarded—
now returned to the earth, nourishing all life once more.
Zhang Zhiwei understood:
The Demon had been hijacking the world's laws.
That was why mortals had been stuck below a certain ceiling.
But now—
those restrictions were gone.
As the one who defeated the Demon, Hikaru received a blessing.
The System window appeared before him.
[World feedback detected. Mission rewards enhanced.]
[Current reward: Idle Training Speed +2000%. World Source +1. Fire Shadow World Ascension Progress: 90%.]
His idle gains had multiplied twentyfold.
At this pace, in five years tops, all of his stats would rise to a whole new level.
Hikaru couldn't help but sigh:
"No wonder the system said that 'Color-tier' is just the beginning…
It was foreshadowing the insane amount of idle time required."
But then—he remembered something critical.
Feng Baobao's soul was still stored in his pocket dimension.
And in this world, a soul separated from its body wouldn't last long without special preservation methods.
Even worse—he had forcefully extracted it through the rune array, leaving it even more fragile.
Hikaru hurried back.
Inside, he found Xia He and Chen Duo surrounding Baobao's soul—now a glowing blue sphere—
watching curiously.
He clenched his fist.
Without hesitation, Hikaru activated the laws of Life, Creation, and Rebirth.
Using his mastery over rule power, he carefully crafted a new body for Feng Baobao—
one perfectly attuned to her soul.
As her essence fused with the newly-forged vessel,
the blue glow receded and finally disappeared inside it.
Xia He and Chen Duo stared in astonishment.
Even knowing how strong Hikaru was,
they hadn't expected this.
To create life?
To resurrect someone from a severed soul?
It was divine.
Hikaru exhaled slowly.
She was safe.
And her new body—
fit her so naturally,
it was as if she'd been born with it all along.