Without any pity, Bai Qi looked at the severely wounded Cleven, his expression unchanged.
Bai Qi waved his hand, and the two异魔 (Yimó - demon-like beings) holding Cleven simultaneously released him, letting him crash heavily to the ground.
"How is it? Can you stand up?"
Cleven swayed his body, enduring the stabbing pain in his back, and slowly stood up. He looked at Bai Qi with a forced smile and replied, "No problem, Your Majesty."
"Very good."
Seeing that Cleven could still stand on his own, Bai Qi nodded with satisfaction.
The next moment, the wounds on Cleven's back healed at a visible rate.
That's right, Bai Qi used his own magic to heal Cleven, and the effect was remarkably significant, though the process was extremely painful. The rapid apoptosis of damaged cells and the rapid proliferation of new cells would cause immense agony, a torment no less than repeating the previous punishment.
This time, Cleven could no longer bear it and let out a pained roar. Fortunately, he ultimately endured and did not faint from the pain.
After the healing was complete, Cleven collapsed on the ground, panting heavily for air with no regard for his image.
Bai Qi was not in a hurry, simply gazing down at Cleven from above.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Cleven finally recovered his strength. He also remembered where he was and quickly scrambled to his feet, about to beg for forgiveness from Bai Qi.
However, before he could utter a word, Cleven felt something was off. His body felt considerably lighter than before. He tried throwing a few punches forward, and the speed and power of his blows had slightly increased compared to before.
"Thank you for your bounty, Your Majesty."
There was no doubt that the slight physical enhancement was the result of Bai Qi's potent healing. Receiving the benefit, Cleven immediately dropped to his knees before Bai Qi.
"It's nothing."
Bai Qi waved his hand and continued, "That Koro is just a pathetic puppet controlled by desire. Now I'll give you a chance to atone. Follow Koro. If he fails to defeat Luo Si, or is killed by Luo Si, then you will eliminate Luo Si. If Koro succeeds, then you will eliminate Koro and bring me the Dragon Pattern Lamp Ring."
That's right, from the very beginning, Bai Qi had no intention of letting Koro live. In terms of strength and character, Koro did not meet Bai Qi's standards. A few simple spells were enough to incite his desires, and more importantly, his character was too weak. Under minimal pressure, he would become frantic and uncontrollable.
The reason he gave Koro the lamp ring was simply to witness the spectacle of these two fellow disciples killing each other.
Furthermore, Bai Qi stated that if Cleven could resolve both Luo Si and Koro this time, the Dragon Pattern Lamp Ring on Koro's hand would be his.
At the same time, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Bai Qi also assigned four 异魔 to accompany Cleven on this mission, with full authority to command them.
Naturally, the 异魔 were extremely reluctant to serve this ugly-looking human, but since Bai Qi had spoken, they could only obey.
After arranging this matter, Bai Qi turned and left the underground palace, beginning to search for a suitable location to absorb the energy of the Soul Stone.
Looking here and there, Bai Qi ultimately settled on a place he considered the safest: the Shadow Kingdom.
To be safe, Bai Qi did not immediately absorb the gem's energy after arriving deep within the Shadow Kingdom. Instead, he set up over a dozen powerful restrictions and numerous magical traps as the first line of defense. Then, he gathered all the Shadow Ninjas to form the second line of defense. Finally, the 异魔, piloting magic dragons, formed a Dragon Knight Legion, Bai Qi's true personal guard, as the third line of defense.
Bai Qi made so many preparations for a reason.
Once the absorption began, it would be difficult to stop midway. Even if forced to stop, there would be significant energy dissipation, and if not controlled properly, it could even endanger the collapse of the entire Shadow Kingdom's space. Moreover, dimensional beings drawn by the scent of the gem's energy would swarm in like piranhas smelling blood. Bai Qi had to guard against this.
Just as everything was in place and he was about to begin absorbing, the space beside him suddenly rippled, and a golden portal appeared. The Ancient One, clad in a yellow robe, stepped out from behind it.
Seeing the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, arrive alone in the Shadow Kingdom, Bai Qi showed a hint of amusement.
He remembered when he first arrived in this world, how cautious he had been to ensure his safe revival. At that time, when he was inhabiting someone else's body and moving through the world, the Ancient One had approached him, which had terrified Bai Qi greatly.
But now, things were different. Facing the Ancient One, Bai Qi felt truly unfettered.
"What is it, Sorcerer Supreme? Do you have any advice for me?"
As soon as Bai Qi finished speaking, the surrounding Dragon Knight Legion turned their attention to the Ancient One. The magic dragons roared, and the 异魔 riders on them brandished their greatswords, ready to charge at any moment.
The Ancient One looked at Bai Qi's Dragon Knight Legion and said with a hint of mockery, "As expected of The Holy Lord, you are truly overflowing with wealth."
It was no wonder the Ancient One said this. Looking at the Dragon Knight Legion Bai Qi had assembled, both the 异魔 and the magic dragons beneath them were clad in high-grade magical armor, each piece a coveted item by various factions. Their weapons were also remarkable: hand crossbows capable of firing magic bolts, lances for charging, and greatswords carried at their waists, all of which were rare, high-grade enchanted weapons, now standard issue for every soldier.
If this legion were deployed, no more than five of them could annihilate a small country within a single day.
Facing the Ancient One's flattery, Bai Qi replied with an unperturbed expression, "If you have come solely to offer such compliments, I see no need for it."
"Of course not," Bai Qi had barely finished speaking when the Ancient One immediately said, "The Holy Lord, I know what you intend to do. I am here to stop you, to prevent you from absorbing the power of the Infinity Stones."
"Hahahaha, stop me? With just you?"
"Yes, with just me."
The Ancient One said fearlessly, "You have set up so many defensive lines; you must be well aware of what will come when you absorb the power of the Infinity Stones. Perhaps I am not your match, but it won't be so easy for you to deal with me. By then, your three lines of defense will be breached, and your power will be diminished. Do you still dare to guarantee that no accidents will occur during the absorption process?"
At these words, Bai Qi's expression immediately turned grim.
Indeed, the reason Bai Qi had so ostentatiously displayed his might upon seeing the Ancient One was to make him retreat. Otherwise, even if he could defeat the Ancient One, as the Sorcerer Supreme, their battle would inevitably lead to some expenditure of his own power, and the three lines of defense would also be affected by the aftermath of their fight, suffering varying degrees of damage.