The demon was filled with horror.
It could not comprehend the current situation.
Just moments ago, to it, Wu Tian was merely an ant that could be easily crushed.
But how had this ant now transformed into a beast?
Golden light flickered in Wu Tian's eyes, which shone with a brilliance that made it impossible to look directly at them, like glaring lanterns.
He gazed at the demon silently, yet his presence exuded a sacred majesty, as if all creation could not defy his will.
Under such a gaze, the demon began to feel uneasy.
It could not believe it was experiencing fear towards a ninth-level spirit cultivator, especially one who appeared to be as good as useless.
It involuntarily took two steps back, its voice trembling as it asked, "Who, who are you? How did you become like this!"
Wu Tian spoke. His voice was soft, yet to the demon, it sounded like a thunderous gong, making its scalp tingle.
Wu Tian said, "I didn't expect that after so many years, you, a demon, would reappear in the human world."
"Now that you have committed heinous crimes, you shall pay the price. Prepare yourself to face judgment."
Upon hearing this familiar voice, the demon trembled violently, almost collapsing to its knees.
It had been so arrogant moments ago, vowing to kill everyone in the world.
But now, it looked utterly terrified, like a startled mouse.
At this moment, it finally confirmed Wu Tian's identity.
With a face full of shock, it stammered, "You... you are Saint Dragon? How is this possible? Didn't you die!"
Wu Tian remained silent, but his eyes shot out a terrifying pressure.
To the demon, it felt like divine blades, about to pierce its heart!
The demon had no intention of resisting, for it knew it had no chance.
In the face of Saint Dragon, its power was utterly insignificant!
Under extreme terror, the demon's resolve finally shattered.
Without daring to linger for another second, it suddenly leaped seven or eight meters high, a pair of bat-like wings sprouting from its back!
It intended to flee!
Having recognized the immense disparity in power, it knew that escape was its only path to survival!
With a beat of its wings, it soared rapidly through the night sky, vanishing from the city square in the blink of an eye.
Wu Tian still uttered not a single word. His figure flickered, stirring up a mighty gale.
The demon believed its speed was more than sufficient. In mere seconds, it had already flown beyond the county's boundaries.
But just as it began to relax, a golden light suddenly flashed before it, and then Wu Tian, like a deity, appeared before its eyes!
The demon stopped abruptly, terrified.
At this moment, Wu Tian spoke coldly, "Give up your futile struggle. You cannot escape."
The demon was extremely frightened and quickly pleaded, "Lord Saint Dragon, I was wrong. Please spare my life. I promise I will never do this again!"
"I am willing to pledge my allegiance to you. From now on, I will serve you faithfully. Please do not hold this against me!"
Wu Tian said coldly, "It is too late for such words. You have killed so many, and you must pay the price!"
"If you truly repent, you need not become my subordinate. Instead, you shall be directly converted into my combat power. That will be your final destination."
The demon understood Wu Tian's words and knew its demise was inevitable.
However, a cornered prey will always fight back in its final moments.
Thus, it snarled, "I begged for mercy, yet you still wish to annihilate me?"
"Then I shall show you the pride of the demon race!"
With that, the demon's expression contorted in pain, and its body rapidly expanded, eventually inflating like a giant balloon!
It grinned menacingly, "Although I am not yet at my peak, my self-detonation can instantly kill even a master of the Immortal realm!"
"Guess how many people in this city will die when I explode below?"
If such a self-destruction by the demon were to occur within the county, it would undoubtedly be razed to the ground.
The casualties could number in the hundreds of thousands.
Yet, even in this critical moment, Wu Tian's expression remained calm. Instead, he said, "Is that so? Then try exploding now."
The demon was taken aback by Wu Tian's words. It snarled, "You think I dare not? Then these people below shall die with me!"
Shouting this, the demon plummeted downwards, hurtling directly towards the county!
Wu Tian's eyes blazed with golden light. His figure flickered again, appearing on the ground even faster than the demon.
He raised his palm towards the sky, and with a sudden surge, a golden wave of energy shot upwards, directly towards the demon!
The demon's body was illuminated by the golden light.
Sensing the deadly aura contained within the energy wave, it screamed in terror, "Wait! Wait!"
But Wu Tian gave it no chance to react.
The energy wave engulfed the demon in an instant. Its body rapidly disintegrated, vanishing completely.
However, something emitting a black luminescence fell from the sky.
Wu Tian caught it. It was about the size of a pellet, shrouded in dense demonic energy, appearing extremely ominous.
Wu Tian softly said, "Successor, the path ahead is yours to forge."
"You are the one I have chosen. I believe that one day, you will fully master my power and drive the demon race from this world."
After saying this, Wu Tian consumed the pellet, and the golden light in his eyes suddenly extinguished.
Then, his body swayed slightly, and he collapsed onto the ground.
...
Wu Tian did not know how much time had passed. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a hospital bed.
"Yo, you're finally awake?" a familiar voice came from beside him.
He sat up, turned his head, and asked with confusion, "Li Xingyun? What's going on? How did we end up here?"
Seeing his reaction, Li Xingyun also looked bewildered.
Li Xingyun replied, utterly confused, "Huh? What do you mean by that question?"