Just like that, while Wang Chen continued sneaking and hunting across the desolate plains, a year slipped by in the blink of an eye.

In this land where time had long since lost its meaning, a lone figure darted lightly across the cracked terrain—his movements smooth, precise, and silent. The faint gleam of determination lit his eyes. In his hand, he held a sharp, curved bone—the remains of some ancient creature long since forgotten by history. Yet in Wang Chen's grip, it radiated faint sword qi, a dim golden aura that shimmered with a gentle warmth utterly alien to this cold and lifeless world.

A few meters away, a resentful ghost shrieked in agony as his blade sliced through its spectral body. The faint light of sword qi tore through the miasma like sunlight through storm clouds, dispersing the ghost's gray form into wisps of smoke. The lingering wails faded into silence, swallowed by the endless winds that swept across the barren plain.

Wang Chen landed lightly, eyes scanning the fog-drenched surroundings. His breathing was calm but measured. Even a minor disturbance here could attract predators that would rip him apart before he had time to react.

He waited. Listened.

The wind carried only the usual chorus of distant whispers—resentful murmurs of the dead echoing through eternity. No other presences approached.

Only then did he allow himself to relax, exhaling a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Glancing down at the bone sword in his hand, Wang Chen's brows furrowed slightly. He turned it in his palm, watching the faint glow pulse along its jagged edge.

"Who would've thought I'd actually be able finally able to use my sword here…" he murmured to himself, half in disbelief.

By all logic, this shouldn't have been possible. The Tower's rules had always been absolute—No matter what he did, Wang Chen had been unable to use his strength.

"Could it be…" he muttered, his thoughts spinning. "This has something to do with my increased strength in real world."

This was a valid conclusion, although he could use the sword, it wasn't as strong as in reality.

No clear answer came. The Tower of Infinite Enlightenment was never one to explain itself.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a subtle shift in his fate. The impossible had become possible. And that was enough to make him wary.

After a moment, he pushed the thought aside and refocused on his true goal.

Now that his strength had grown substantially, it was finally time to repair the Thousand Souls Flag.

The cursed artifact still slumbered in his grasp—a relic pulsing faintly with dormant power. If he could restore it, he would gain control over these restless spirits rather than run from them.

But just as he was about to move forward, the air around him shivered.

A voice—soft, smooth, and unmistakably feminine—drifted across the wasteland.

"You're a rather strange creature…"

Wang Chen froze.

The words weren't loud, but they reverberated in his bones, carrying a weight that made his instincts scream. He turned sharply toward the sound—and what he saw made his heart lurch violently in his chest.

Standing a few paces away, half-veiled by mist, was a woman.

She wasn't just beautiful—she was divine. Her skin glowed with a pale, ethereal radiance that made the surrounding miasma seem dull in comparison. Her hair, as dark as midnight, flowed freely down her back, its tips glowing faintly violet, as though dipped in the dying light of dusk. Her eyes—twin amethysts that seemed to contain galaxies—met his, and for a fleeting instant, Wang Chen felt as though the universe itself had paused.

Her black, form-fitting gown clung to her body like liquid shadow, emphasizing every graceful curve. The faint pulse of spiritual energy danced along its hem, distorting the air around her. Her mere presence seemed to rewrite the rules of the world—like beauty had become a law of existence.

Wang Chen's breath caught.

For a moment, his will faltered. His chest tightened, and his knees nearly buckled beneath the sheer pressure of her presence. It wasn't lust—it was worship. The irrational, all-consuming urge to kneel before something greater than oneself.

"What's… happening to me?" he hissed under his breath, forcing his fingers to curl into a fist.

It took everything he had to fight against the suffocating pressure pressing down on his mind.

No.

No matter how beautiful she was, no matter what kind of charm she wielded—he would not bow. Not to anyone.

Anger flared in his chest, burning away the fog clouding his thoughts. His gaze sharpened, his teeth gritted as he forced out the words through clenched jaws.

"Who are you?"

The mana in his veins stirred faintly. It wasn't much—but it was enough. The subtle hum of Chronoblade rippled through his consciousness, ready to be invoked at the first sign of danger.

The woman's lips curved into a soft, knowing smile.

"No need to fear me," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "This big sister isn't here to eat you."

The tone was teasing—half mockery, half amusement—but there was something deeper hidden beneath the playfulness. A weight. A power that didn't belong to mortal realms.

Her violet eyes glowed faintly as she continued, "My name is Mo Huyan."

Then, with a soft, almost wistful smile, she added—

"The Sole Empress of the Nether Realm."

After her introduction the pressure Wang Chen was greatly diminished, it was as if the earlier pressure had been a test.

Realizing this the anger in his heart went up by a notch, was this woman that appeared out of nowhere was playing with him?

Although furious he did not let anger cloud his judgement.

His expression slowly returned to normal, with a nod he simply accepted her existence, "I see."

Meanwhile the entire time Mo Huyan focused on Wang Chen's expression especially when she introduced herself.

Her long eyelashes fluttered, her interest in this unusual human growing without stopping.

Mo Huyan herself wasn't able to express why she was feeling this way, maybe it was because she was encountering another living being after millions of years.

Hehehe..it appears this little fellow is not from the upper realm so I can let him live

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