Tian Lei chuckled, letting go of her gently. "Yes, though I've only managed to push it to a one-kilometer range for now. It's perfect for quick escapes or closing distances in battle."
Yuyan pouted, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. "You could've warned me! I thought you were going to—" she stopped mid-sentence, her blush deepening.
"Going to what?" Tian Lei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Never mind!" Yuyan turned away, trying to mask her embarrassment.
Her amazement quickly returned as she thought about the potential of Void Jump. "I've seen elders use spatial techniques, but they're so cumbersome. Yours… yours is seamless. No spatial ripples, no energy leakage—just a clean, instant transition."
"That's the power of a Divine-grade art," Tian Lei said smugly.
"I want to learn that next," Yuyan declared, determination flaring in her eyes.
Tian Lei grinned. "Of course. But first, you need to master the basics of Great Void Space art.," he said, as she nodded.
Yuyan frowned slightly but nodded. "Even though you've given me the comprehension of it, fully digesting and mastering these techniques will still take a lot of time."
Tian Lei shrugged casually, his expression unbothered. "Take your time. No need to rush perfection," he said with a smirk. Then, shifting his tone, he added, "Anyway, let's handle some pests. Some people here have overstayed their welcome—time to send them to hell."
Yuyan's lips curled into a cold smile as she nodded. Together, the two ascended to the peak of a nearby mountain, where a group of bandits had made their hideout.
Tian Lei hovered in the air, observing the bandits below. With a casual wave of his hand, he summoned the Void Blades. Multiple silvery, misty blades appeared mid-air around him as he pointed ahead, sending them all toward the bandits. The bandits didn't understand what they were seeing until it was too late. One of them looked up and shouted, "Enemy attack!" — but it was already too late. A Void Blade cleaved through him like a hot knife through butter.
"Damn, that attack took 90% of my Spirit Energy," Tian Lei muttered as he landed, grinning.
I would have held back more from now on… The Void Arts require a lot more Spirit Energy to use, Muring Yue said inside him, her voice radiating with a hint of amusement.
"Well, I didn't expect to spend so much Spirit Energy, but now it's time to test the two abilities I got from the Ancient Elephant Body," he said as he clenched his fists.
He stepped forward and punched out. The ground at his feet cracked, the air around his fist trembled, and the shockwave rippled forward. Bandits in its path were sent flying, some bleeding, most instantly crushed into a blur of red.
"Haha! Ancient Force Fist is powerful," he laughed, preparing to use the second ability granted by the Ancient Elephant Body.
Tian Lei exhaled slowly, the dust settling around him as broken weapons and shattered bones littered the battlefield. The few bandits still standing stared in stunned silence, fear overtaking any thoughts of resistance.
He cracked his neck, his muscles glowing faintly with a golden hue. "Now, let's see what the second ability can do."
His body suddenly tensed, and a deep, thunderous boom echoed from within him. The ground beneath his feet caved slightly, as if unable to bear the sudden weight of his presence.
"Elephant King's Stomp," he whispered.
He stomped down hard.
A ripple of invisible force expanded outward in a massive circle. Trees bent away from him, leaves torn off in a vortex of wind. The earth buckled. The wave hit the remaining bandits like a divine hammer — bones shattered, weapons snapped in mid-air, and men were flung dozens of meters, crumpling before they hit the ground.
Even those who had tried to flee weren't spared; the shockwave pursued them, crushing their escape.
Silence fell again.
Tian Lei stood in the middle of the wreckage, his expression calm. "The Ancient Elephant Body really is monstrous," he muttered, breathing a little heavily now.
Inside him, Muring Yue's voice returned, quieter this time. Careful… using these abilities can arouse the greed of others. You're not powerful enough to defend yourself yet.
Tian Lei nodded, then grinned. "But I have you."
Muring Yue's presence stirred inside his Divine Conciousness. I can't do anything, you know, while I'm sealed within you, she said flatly.
Tian Lei smirked. "I can take you out anytime I want," he said — then snapped his fingers.
In a flash of light, Muring Yue's spiritual form materialized beside him, pulled out of his Divine Consciousness. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"You…!" she began, startled.
"Just admit it," Tian Lei said casually, "you think I'm the reincarnation of some ancient emperor."
Her ethereal form flushed with emotion, the light around her shimmering faintly red. "You are! There's no way someone like you could control those abilities so easily. Your comprehension, your soul strength… none of it makes sense unless you're the reincarnation of a Great Emperor!" she said, arms crossed, glaring at him.
"I'm not the reincarnation of anyone," Tian Lei replied with a shrug. "If I were, why would I have needed your help in the first place?"
He exhaled slowly, then looked at her with calm determination. "Now stop sulking and lend me your aid. Let's see how much of your power you can actually use."
Muring Yue narrowed her eyes, clearly still suspicious — her gaze probing him like she could peer into his soul. But she didn't argue.
"I can access all of my powers now… but—"
"But?" Tian Lei asked.
She sighed, her voice softer now. "I need to draw Spirit Energy from you. So in a way, I'm dependent on you. I'm… bound to you."
"What?" Tian Lei exclaimed, dropping on his knees. His hopes of behaving like a mysterious, aloof young master — the kind he'd read about in cultivation novels — vanished instantly. He sighed in defeat. "I guess I need to keep myself restrained, huh?"
"You should," Muring Yue agreed with a smirk, brushing a loose strand of spiritual light behind her ear. "At least until you find a powerful master who can guide you properly."
She said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "How much freedom do I have outside your Divine Consciousness?"
"One kilometer," Tian Lei replied after consulting his fortune core, where her presence was bound. "And you can hover around me invisibly — others won't see or sense you. Not even soul-sense cultivators or great emperors can detect your presence when you're in that state."