The explosion erupted, a blinding sh of light and a deafening roar.


    The barrier shuddered violently, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.


    Wang Xiao''s muscles strained, his mind focused solely on containing the catastrophic energy.


    For a second, it seemed the barrier would fail, but then Wang Xiao opened a small hole in the barrier himself.


    Whooooosh!


    In the next moment, all the energy gushed out of that small hole like aser beam, reaching unbearable temperatures.


    The intense heat caused the ice beneath the surface to melt and scorch, the radiation emitted by the concentrated energy beam scorching everything in its path.


    The shockwave rippled out around it, making the air tremble and the ground crack.


    Wang Xiao barely managed to hold his ground against the massive force of the st.


    _________


    "Eight Prince... Huh..." Zhao Yang muttered as he turned back, his eyes catching the brilliant light of the massiveser beam that illuminated the entire battlefield.


    A spark of fascination flickered in his gaze.


    This was the same person who had unknowingly given him the idea of freedom.


    To outsiders like him, the Eight Prince, another hell spirit, was considered a traitor, an enemy to their kind.


    He had defied the highest order ofmand, an act unthinkable among hell spirits.


    In their rigid hierarchy, ranks were everything, and every hell spirit was bound to obey the leader of their monarch.


    But Wang Xiao had been the first to defy that order.


    Such rebellion was against the natural instincts of hell spirits, making Zhao Yang increasingly curious about the Eight Prince and the person behind the name.


    Little did he realize, that person was the enemy of the original host of his body.


    Wang Xiao, unknowingly, had inspired the first hell spirit to betray the monarch.


    This unprecedented act of rebellion had nted the seeds of curiosity and doubt in Zhao Yang''s mind.


    "The anxiety of freedom forever keeps us ves of others..." Zhao Yang murmured, a subtle smile ying on his lips.


    He began to walk away, not bothering to look back at the oue of the fight.


    For the first time, he wasn''t afraid of whaty ahead.


    He realized he could do whatever he wanted.


    There was no need to follow others or convince himself of their ideas or ideologies merely because he was anxious about the uncertainties of freedom.


    The chains of fear and obedience had been shattered.


    "I might as well create my own path," Zhao Yang thought, his resolve hardening with each step. "Why follow someone else''s religion when I can forge my own?"


    As he disappeared into the mist, the aftermath of the battle behind him, Zhao Yang felt a profound sense of liberation.


    The concept of freedom, once a source of anxiety, had transformed into a beacon of endless possibilities.


    He was no longer bound by the expectations andmands of others.


    Instead, he was free to shape his destiny, guided only by his will and ambition.


    In fact, even Zhao Yang himself was blissfully ignorant of his own depth, but his intuitive rejection of others'' dominion over his will signaled an intelligence far beyond the ordinary.


    This insight was not merely an act of rebellion—it was the core of his self-preservation...


    Hell Spirits, those eerie, parasitic shadows, typicallyck the instinct for self-preservation as solitary entities.


    They arepelled instead by the overarching will of their swarm.


    Thus, the exceptional spectacle of a Hell Spirit daring to assert its individual will marked a momentous leap in cognition, effectively smudging the clear lines that had long separated humans from spirits.


    For Zhao Yang, this marked the beginning of a new era, and thus for this world...


    ________


    On the other side!


    "Your time has expired," Gabrial dered, his grin widening as he observed Luna, still paralyzed by indecision.


    Frustration etched deep into her face, Luna furrowed her brows as Gabrial''s eyes began to radiate an intense silver light.


    "What!?"


    Confusion tightened her gaze as Gabrial proimed ominously, "Escape is futile. Now that you''ve dared to defy me, prepare to endure the dire consequences."


    His eyes intensified, shimmering more fiercely, as all four of his majestic wings unfurled dramatically.


    Whup-whup


    Whup-whup


    For the first time, the wings began to pulsate powerfully, and Luna sensed the air around her constricting, as if the very space were copsing inward.


    Gabrial, ascending with regal grace, thundered, "Today, the world shall witness the might of—!!"


    Suddenly, his promation was cut short by a bone-chilling sensation that overwhelmed him.


    Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!


    In the blink of an eye, the world before Luna dissolved into a blinding white void.


    She blinked in astonishment, murmuring, with a dry chuckle, "Did he just get roasted...?"


    Though theser before her stole her sight rapidly melting the surrounding ice into oblivion.


    Thud!


    Gabrial plummeted to the ground, the fury etched into his expression unmistakable.


    Two of his wings had been seared away by the fierce st, leaving only two remaining, smoldering remnants trailing behind him.


    As he hit the earth, Wang Xiao disguised as Valen rushed to his side, offering a steadying hand.


    Gabrial''s lips twitched, a mix of rage and exhration quivering through him as he regained his footing.


    His eyes, now bloodshot, locked onto Luna with an intensity that made the air around them seem to crackle.


    "You think you have won?" Gabrial spat out, his voice a low growl as Valen supported him.


    He straightened up, brushing off Valen''s hands, standing on his own despite his injuries. "This is merely the beginning. You''ve unleashed a storm you cannot contain."


    Valen, his voice a soothing whisper meant only for Gabrial. "Gabrial, perhaps we should—"


    "Silence, Valen!" Gabrial snapped, his re never leaving Luna.


    He took a staggering step forward, his voice rising. "You will regret your insolence, Humans. I will teach you the true meaning of power and pain."


    As he spoke, the remaining wings fluttered weakly, making Wang Xiao raise his brows.


    ''Could he still possess so much strength?'' Wang Xiao, masked as Valen, marveled internally.


    Despite enduring such a devastating st, only two of Gabrial''s wings had sumbed, leaving him surprisingly formidable.


    Whoosh!


    A towering pir of light surged around Gabrial, its power swelling with each passing moment.


    Luna''s brow furrowed, a strange unease creeping over her as she peered into the luminous column.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    What was this peculiar sensation as she beheld the light?


    It was undoubtedly light, yet it seemed not to beposed of photons...


    Crash!


    Before Gabrial could unleash his intended strike, his features twisted into an expression of rage mixed with betrayal. "Valen... You..."