Below the World, in the Sea at the Southernmost Edge of the Eastern Continent.
A lonely island flickered faintly in the night. The waves crashed against the reefs, producing a dull roar.
"Crack!"
A blinding silver snake cut through the sky, and the furious thunder illuminated the entire deserted island, turning it pale. The shockwave swept across, and the ground cracked into spiderweb-like fissures.
The towering Crimson Flame Celestial Horse let out a scream and retreated violently. Amidst the rising magical mist, it transformed into a muscular, red-haired giant.
"You, two-legged sheep, are no match for me," the Redbeard Demon King grinned, revealing a blood-red mouth, as he stared at the distant figure of Ruan Chaoan, saying mockingly.
This Redbeard Demon King wasn't in a hurry to invade the Eastern Continent.
At this moment, it had reached the pinnacle of the Demon King realm, only awaiting the last barrier to be broken before it could ascend to the Demon Lord realm. By then, this mere half-step Martial Saint in front of it would be nothing more than an ant.
"..."
The Crimson Flame Demon Horse steadily advanced, and Ruan Chaoan forcefully suppressed the surging blood in his body, letting out a bitter smile.
He had originally thought that after His Majesty and his Master ascended, there would be no one left beneath the heavens who could rival him. Yet, he never expected to find himself in such a predicament.
His half-step Martial Saint cultivation could barely keep up with this demon's relentless onslaught.
It was even more embarrassing that it was he who had led this demon here.
Before His Majesty ascended, he had been tasked with investigating a place known as the *Wuxiang Bone Sea*. With his unparalleled strength, he hadn't concealed his movements at all. Instead, he had marched directly into that forbidden area. Looking back now, it was a reckless move.
This recklessness had caught the attention of the Crimson Flame Demon Horse.
Not only was this demon powerful, but it had also tracked his scent all the way to the Eastern Continent. Now, the East and West continents might suffer unspeakable carnage due to his moment of arrogance.
Fortunately, this demon was greedy by nature, and its desire to consume alone had overridden its plans to send word back to the *Wuxiang Bone Sea*. If it had, there would likely be far more demons here right now.
Ruan Chaoan slowly calmed his breath, his expression unchanged. "I advise you, leave now while you still can."
"I'm just a pawn sent ahead. Once the true strong of the human race arrive... you won't even have a chance to escape."
"Heh."
The red-haired giant laughed, as though hearing an absurd joke. "Do you take me for a fool?"
"Every time, it's just you alone coming to deal with me, and yet you say that the human race is full of strong warriors?"
Of course, despite saying this, the Redbeard Demon King didn't dare let its guard down. At that moment, it was seated on a solitary island at the edge of the Eastern Continent, waiting for its breakthrough into the Demon Lord realm before launching its invasion.
If, during this time, a true human warrior were to appear, it wouldn't be hard for the demon to escape with its current strength.
"Heh, believe it or not, as you wish."
A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Ruan Chaoan's mouth. He turned and walked away, and in the blink of an eye, his figure vanished from the Demon King's sight.
The Demon King looked at the retreating figure, suppressing its urge to pursue. Perhaps this was a trap, a ruse to lure it in. The human race was always full of tricks. Once it reached the Demon Lord realm, no matter how many schemes the human race had, they would be powerless against it!
"Don't act too hastily..."
"To find this place filled with human cultivators is already a heaven-sent opportunity. What harm is there in waiting a little longer?"
"It would be foolish to ruin everything in a rush..."
The Redbeard Demon King continued to admonish itself, forcing itself to calm down. Just as it was about to return to its lair on the island to rest, a sudden chill ran down its neck.
Looking up, it saw a figure standing above the island.
It was a young man dressed in black robes. His eyes, dark as ink, were sharp like an eagle's, locking onto the Demon King.
Although the young man did not release any aura, the Demon King felt as though a mountain had collapsed upon it, a suffocating despair washing over it, as though it were about to fall into an abyss.
Its soul trembled violently, on the brink of collapse!
This was an absolute suppression from the very essence of life!
The demon hadn't even noticed when the young man had appeared!
No, wait... did Ruan Chaoan's words earlier hold truth? Could it be that such a mighty figure had indeed been stationed here all along? Was this the rumored figure of unimaginable power?
Before it could finish thinking, a force that felt like thousands of mountains had suddenly descended!
**Swish!**
The Demon King's body shattered in the blink of an eye, falling apart like dust, and was entirely consumed by the sea, leaving not even a single cry behind.
"I didn't expect such a near-Demon Lord power to emerge in this world. Could it be that the world's copy has leveled up?"
Fang Yuan muttered to himself, casually shifting his gaze, and the entire sea returned to its previous calm. It was as if the earth-shattering pressure from earlier had never existed.
The world was once again serene.
---
**After leaving the sea region**, Ruan Chaoan soared on the wind, finally landing at the local town's Magistrate Office by the sea.
Now, the Great Xia Empire had fully conquered the Eastern and Western continents, and every town across the continent had established a Magistrate Office.
Even this remote coastal town had one.
Mo Tianxing and Gao Shang had been waiting here for a while. Upon seeing Ruan Chaoan return, they hurried forward and asked, "Senior Ruan, how did it go this time?"
"It's no good, I couldn't defeat it..."
Ruan Chaoan shook his head and sighed, his expression heavy.
"This is really tricky..."
Mo Tianxing and Gao Shang frowned upon hearing this. They never imagined that after His Majesty's departure, they would encounter such a powerful and unprecedented demon.
In front of this demon, even their grandmasters were helpless. Only Ruan Chaoan, at half-step Martial Saint, could barely put up a fight.
"By the way, any news from His Majesty?" Gao Shang asked.
"No news..." Ruan Chaoan shook his head. "Perhaps the situation in the higher world is extremely dire, and even with His Majesty's strength, he might not be able to return."
In fact, before leaving, His Majesty had given him a treasure called the *True Sight Guardian* and instructed him that if he encountered danger, all he needed to do was place it at the site of the event, and His Majesty would be able to see everything and come to their aid.
Thus, Ruan Chaoan had already secretly placed the *True Sight Guardian* on the isolated island where the Redbeard Demon King resided. However, he had yet to receive any response from His Majesty.
Mo Tianxing pondered for a moment and then quietly said, "It's also possible that His Majesty is restricted by the laws of heaven and cannot assist the lower world. Even if he knows what's happening, he might be powerless."
Mo Tianxing was well aware of His Majesty's character.
Beneath His seemingly indifferent divine appearance, there was a deep concern for the lives of all. Although His Majesty often appeared aloof and above all, in his heart, he harbored a sincere devotion to the people.
If His Majesty had known about the changes in the lower world, he would have come back without hesitation.
The fact that he hadn't returned meant either that he hadn't received the message or that he had yet to find a way back to this world...