"Those are... the Thousand Rock Army of Guili Plains?!"
High in the sky, the demon god's face darkened and brightened by turns.
As a witness to that ancient war, he had seen with his own eyes the might of the Thousand Rock Army.
Though as a demon god he feared no mortal troops, what truly terrified him... was the one behind that army.
If the Thousand Rock Army was here—did that mean the Wood Spirit Adeptus of Guili Plains was here as well?
Down below, Jiang Yan pressed his palms together. A great Wood Dragon erupted from beneath his feet, lifting him up into the heavens.
Standing atop the dragon's head, Jiang Yan gazed calmly at the demon god before him.
"So... you are the Wood Spirit Adeptus of Guili Plains?"
The demon god of the Minlin Tribe frowned, his expression grave as he faced the Wood Dragon.
"Yes," Jiang Yan said evenly, folding his arms across his chest. "So may I ask what business brings you here today?"
"The Domain of Salt is my chosen territory! Is the Guili Plains planning to interfere?"
The demon god's furious roar shook the air—no one took what belonged to him without paying the price.
"Emmm... well, if you put it that way, I suppose so."
Jiang Yan chuckled, a playful glint in his tone.
"I am interfering. So what will you do about it?"
"You—!"
The Minlin demon god trembled with rage but did not lose his reason.
He was, after all, merely a lower-ranked demon god. Even the God of Dreams and Chi Dragon couldn't withstand the Wood Spirit Adeptus—how could he hope to?
"Hmph! I'll remember this! One day, I'll make you pay for this insult!"
Leaving those harsh words behind, the demon god prepared to retreat.
But Jiang Yan brought his palms together once more.
The earth rumbled. Massive wooden giants burst from the ground, their colossal hands seizing the fleeing demon god in an unbreakable grip.
"Whoa, whoa—no need to wait for 'one day.' Let's settle this today."
Jiang Yan smiled cheerfully at the demon god thrashing in panic.
"Tell you what—I've just developed a new technique. If you can withstand this next attack, I'll let you go. Sounds fair?"
Withstand this next attack?
The demon god froze. That line sounded far too familiar.
He remembered that day—the sky-darkening Buddha, the endless storm of fists that shattered the heavens.
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. Oh, and I forgot to mention—resistance is futile."
Jiang Yan's lips curved upward. His right hand clenched into a fist, glowing with blinding white light.
He swung.
Crack... crack...
Before him, the very air shattered, spiderweb cracks spreading outward from his fist.
He had punched through space itself!
The demon god's fear spiked into sheer terror. The sight of those spreading fractures filled him with a suffocating dread.
Outside the shattered domain, Havria stood at the gate, staring wide-eyed at the youth who could break space with a single blow.
To crush space itself—such was the terrifying might of the Wood Spirit Adeptus of Guili Plains!
"It's coming now~"
Jiang Yan's voice reached the demon god's ears.
The demon god broke free of the wooden giant's grasp and fled in utter panic.
"Trying to run? A little too late for that."
Jiang Yan smiled faintly.
"Tremor—Skyquake!"
Crack!
The fractured space collapsed entirely, and boundless shockwaves exploded outward. The very earth and air quaked violently.
In an instant, the land itself split open, mountains shifted from their roots—
A massive earthquake swept through the entire Domain of Salt!
"AAAHHH!!!"
The fleeing demon god screamed. His body convulsed violently, countless fissures opening across his flesh.
Boom!
His lower body detonated under the pressure, the explosion blasting him further away as he fled, grievously wounded.
"Ahh, still hanging on, huh? Tough hide, I'll give you that."
Jiang Yan sighed softly, glancing over the devastated terrain, then at the distant demon god staggering toward the horizon.
He didn't bother giving chase. Losing half his body, the demon god was already as good as dead.
This had merely been an experiment—to test the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
And judging by the results, even this "Skyquake" alone was enough to shake heaven and earth.
Below, the people stared up in stunned horror.
Havria's jaw hung open, her eyes glassy with disbelief.
What kind of power was this?
They had seen it with their own eyes: one punch to shatter the sky, the air itself collapsing, the world trembling in its wake.
Even standing behind Jiang Yan, they could feel the earth convulsing from the aftershock.
"So... strong..."
Havria murmured in awe.
Beside her, Ganyu cast a glance her way and spoke softly,
"Lady Havria, you should gather your people. We were merely passing through. As for your journey to Guili Plains—you'll need to make that on your own."
Havria blinked, then nodded hurriedly in acknowledgment.
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