"I feel like playing with him a little," Lu Tao said with a faint smile, his gaze fixed on the mid-rank demon.
The demon was enormous — nearly ten meters tall. Its body resembled a mountain of flesh, its eyes pitch black, and its skin a blazing crimson.
It stared back at Lu Tao intently, a grotesque grin twisting across its monstrous face.
"I don't like this… something feels off," Deshen muttered, his eyes locked on the demon.
"Don't chicken out. It's just a mid-rank demon," Lu Tao replied calmly, without breaking eye contact with the creature.
"Well, if you're that eager to have some fun, I'll just sit back and enjoy the show. You don't mind, do you?" Deshen smirked, sheathing his blade and taking a few steps back.
"Of course not. Sit and watch," Lu Tao said with a grin, extending his hands forward to activate his technique.
A green mist burst from his palms — thick, toxic, and foul-smelling. It slithered toward the demon, slowly but relentlessly.
Seeing this, the demon opened its massive jaws. A small ball of fire flickered inside, growing larger and brighter with every second.
In an instant, the orb exploded into a torrent of flames rushing straight toward Lu Tao.
"If that hits me, I'm toast… but whatever," Lu Tao thought, quickly forming hand seals.
"Technique — Poisonous Barrier!"
A green haze enveloped his body, solidifying into a dense shell. The attacking mist dissipated, vanishing into the air.
The fiery blast struck him with a deafening roar, shaking the ground as an explosion of heat and smoke filled the ruins.
When the flames finally faded, Lu Tao stood unscathed — a faint smirk curling his lips.
"I thought Master Lu Tao would take a hit from that... but he's completely fine," Deshen thought, still amazed.
"Hey, demon! Want me to show you something fun?" Lu Tao shouted, his fingers forming a dragon seal.
Deshen straightened up slightly.
"Wait… could it be…?" he thought.
"Alternate Dimension: Realm of the Poison Dragon!"
The moment he spoke, a shimmering barrier surrounded Lu Tao and the demon. From the outside, it was invisible — but inside, the world changed entirely.
Emerald pillars towered around them, and the air was saturated with green smoke radiating danger and raw power.
"Know what this is?" Lu Tao said. "An alternate dimension. When Awakened reach the peak of the semi-high rank, they undergo the Trial of Fate. If they pass, the realm acknowledges their power and grants them the right to create their own dimension. Inside it, they are gods. Everything within obeys them."
He smirked.
"Hope that was clear enough. Now let me show you what it means."
He pointed at the demon.
"Poison Fog!"
The demon's body was instantly wrapped in thick green smoke. It coughed, choking and writhing in agony as its flesh cracked and split apart. Moments later, the creature collapsed, lifeless.
Lu Tao exhaled heavily.
"An alternate dimension amplifies elemental techniques… but it drains a huge amount of energy. I can only use it twice a day. After that, I'm done for."
The demon fell with a dull thud, its face frozen in a silent scream. The barrier cracked and then shattered completely.
Deshen ran up to him, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Master Lu Tao… did you really use an alternate dimension?"
"Yes," Lu Tao answered briefly.
At that moment, the rest of the team entered the building.
"Was that… truly an alternate dimension?" Chandler asked, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Yes," Lu Tao confirmed once again.
"I see… I wish I could've seen it with my own eyes," Kadzuhiko said in awe.
"I'd gladly show you, but I've got almost no strength left," Lu Tao said tiredly.
"Understood," Kadzuhiko nodded.
Then Russell Yamigage stepped forward.
"Clan leaders, all demons have been neutralized. We've rescued around ten thousand civilians. During the cleanup, I traced the demons' origins and discovered their nest underground. They all hatched from eggs — but one of them… was enormous. If it hatches, we'll be facing a semi-high-rank demon," he reported gravely.
"I see… then that semi-high-rank demon that appeared recently must be connected to it?" Seichel asked.
"You're right," Deshen replied. "Which means we must move faster."
With that, they all headed back toward the academy.