Xiao Jietian's gaze sharpened like lightning. As his words fell, his hands swiftly formed a seal.
The sky instantly darkened. The earth below began to crack and groan. A massive crimson sun slowly rose in his palm, radiating an aura of absolute annihilation that seemed capable of erasing everything in existence.
He raised his hand and slammed the Great Sun Heaven Fury downward toward the Third Celestial Venerable!
The black-robed man scrambled to his feet in panic, frantically forming hand seals. A shield of dense black mist rose in front of him—but it was too late.
The colossal sun crashed into his body. The half-formed shield shattered like glass. The destructive flames and the annihilating force of heaven and earth descended without mercy.
Boom!
The power of the Great Sun Heaven Fury erupted in full. It swallowed the Third Celestial Venerable completely.
"No!!!"
A shrill, desperate scream tore across the sky… before fading into utter silence.
Under that obliterating might—which targeted both body and soul—the Third Celestial Venerable's physical form disintegrated into ash, scattering between heaven and earth.
Even his soul could not escape. The Great Sun Heaven Fury didn't merely destroy the flesh; it annihilated the spirit itself, leaving nothing behind.
When the violent energy finally subsided, Xuan Yi and the two girls—who had retreated far away—carefully returned to the battlefield.
What met their eyes was utter devastation.
The surrounding void was riddled with cracks, slowly mending itself. On the ground below lay a gigantic crater a hundred kilometers across—clear evidence of the apocalyptic clash.
Xuan Yi couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath. She had witnessed countless battles in her life, but scenes of destruction on this scale were exceedingly rare.
Her eyes frantically searched for Xiao Jietian. Finally, she spotted him high in the sky. The Third Celestial Venerable was nowhere to be seen.
Relief flooded through her. At least he was unharmed. An involuntary smile curved her lips.
Right now, Xiao Jietian stood tall and straight amid swirling lightning. Surrounding him were giant crimson wings, giving him the appearance of a supreme Thunder God descended upon the mortal realm—domineering, awe-inspiring, and untouchable.
Behind him loomed a vague, enormous blue phantom that faintly resembled his own silhouette.
This version of Xiao Jietian was completely different from the teasing, roguish man she had known in the mountain cave. If he had been a shameless scoundrel before, now he was an overbearing sovereign ruling over the heavens.
Xuan Yi instinctively moved to approach him, but two small hands tugged her back.
"Aunt Xuan, wait! Daddy's Great Sun Heaven Fury is still active. If you go too close right now, you'll get burned," Xiao Meng warned urgently.
"Great Sun Heaven Fury?" Xuan Yi had never heard the name before. She couldn't help asking.
"Yes—Great Sun Heaven Fury," Xiao Ling nodded. "It's a technique Daddy created himself. It fuses the energy of heaven and earth with Heavenly Flame to form a massive sun that can annihilate anything within its domain."
Xiao Meng added a little more explanation for Aunt Xuan. In their eyes, she was no longer an outsider, so there was no need to hide it completely. Of course, they only gave the basic version—Daddy would explain the deeper details himself later when the time was right.
Xuan Yi stared at the unfamiliar, heaven-and-earth-shaking technique in quiet awe.
Gradually, the lightning around Xiao Jietian faded. The massive wings dissolved into nothingness. His aura returned to its usual gentle, scholarly calm.
Seeing this, Xuan Yi immediately grabbed the two girls and flew toward him.
When she reached him, she carefully examined him from head to toe. His clothes were only slightly disheveled; there were no visible injuries at all.
Just as Xiao Jietian opened his mouth to speak, a jade-white hand appeared in front of him. Several pills were gently popped into his mouth, instantly melting into a clear, nourishing stream that flowed through his body.
He sensed them carefully—three mid-to-high-grade seventh-grade recovery pills.
Xiao Jietian raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Is this what a top-tier rich woman is like? I don't even have any real injuries, yet she immediately feeds me three seventh-grade pills."
"And a rich woman with such peerless beauty and figure… who could possibly refuse a life this soft and comfortable?"
"Rich woman, I'm hungry!!"
"Truly, I was born to live off a woman. Unlike those poor fools who have to work themselves to death."
Then he felt a soft hand gently touching him all over—checking for wounds.
When the hand wandered somewhere it definitely shouldn't, Xiao Jietian quickly caught it.
"I'm fine. Not a single injury. Don't worry."
Xuan Yi's face flushed faintly when her hand was caught, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she asked softly, "That's good."
She lowered her gaze. Her long lashes trembled slightly. Her lips pursed as though she wanted to say something but swallowed the words back.
Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng stood side by side, exchanging knowing smiles as they watched the two adults holding hands. Their own little lips curved upward in delight.
Seeing Xuan Yi like this, Xiao Jietian asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Xuan Yi was silent for a moment. Then she suddenly lifted her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Are you… really okay?"
Xiao Jietian was briefly stunned, then chuckled. "Why would I lie to you?"
Xuan Yi didn't reply. She only gave a soft "Mm" before gently withdrawing her hand from his and carefully straightening his disheveled clothes.
Xiao Jietian watched the gentle, focused expression on her face. An unconscious smile tugged at the corner of his own lips.
After she finished fixing his collar and moved to adjust other parts of his robe, she suddenly froze. Her entire body stiffened slightly.
Earlier, she had been too anxious to think clearly. Now that she had calmed down, she abruptly realized what she had just touched.
But… this seemed a little different from what others had described. It felt… rather intimidating.
She couldn't help but wonder inwardly: Are you sure this thing won't kill someone?
Xuan Yi hastily shook the dangerous thought from her mind. Under Xiao Jietian's surprised gaze, she lightly patted her own flushed cheeks, trying to regain composure.