"What the hell is going on?! What did you do to us?!" The commander shouted at Yuan for answers, thinking he was responsible for the situation.
Yuan calmly replied, "I didn't do anything. Hell, I was even nice enough to give you a warning. Unfortunately, you didn't heed it, and as a result, you'll die."
In mere seconds, all of the soldiers perished under the pressure.
"AHHHH!" The commander—stronger than the rest—managed to endure the crushing pressure for a few moments longer before unleashing a final, agonized scream. Moments later, his body erupted violently, and his soul was instantly annihilated, leaving him no chance to escape.
Though the soldiers of Heaven's Mandate had been annihilated, Yuan couldn't afford to relax, as the true threat was rapidly approaching.
Moments later, a massive, ethereal figure materialized before Yuan. It had no physical form, its ghostly body wavered like mist, yet it radiated an overwhelming aura of malice that seemed to corrode the very space around it.
Of course, it was no ordinary aura, as it was formed from Eternal Essence, and the sheer concentration of it far surpassed anything Yuan had attained thus far.
"Did you really have to kill them? Aren't they on your side?" Yuan asked.
"What nonsense are you uttering?" The Eternal responded in a coarse voice.
Yuan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected response.
"The Celestial Emperor didn't send you here?"
"The Celestial Emperor…?" The Eternal repeated in a puzzled voice. "Have you already forgotten about this Mighty Saaruk? Even though you were acting so boldly not too long ago?"
"You're Saaruk?!" Yuan exclaimed after realizing the Eternal's identity.
"I didn't think you'd come after me so soon. Are you really that impatient?"
"Hahaha! Are you trembling in fear? Do you regret opposing this Mighty Saaruk?!"
After a moment of silence, Yuan responded, "To be honest, I was expecting more from an Eternal ranked in the top 20." "Hmph!" Saaruk sneered. "Because we're still within the Absolute Power's influence, I can appear only in this ethereal form, and while in this form, I can wield barely ten percent of my true strength."
Saaruk had originally planned to wait until Yuan left the Absolute Power's domain before making good on his threat, but impatience won out, so he arrived ahead of time at the cost of this inconvenience.
"Even though I am only wielding 10 percent of my true prowess, it's more than enough to handle an ant like you," Saaruk mocked.
"We'll see about that," Yuan replied.
"There's nothing to see when you can't even break out of such a simple restraint."
Saaruk pointed at Yuan, who still had his movements restricted by an invisible force.
"You mean this little trick?"
Yuan's body suddenly erupted with Eternal Essence, and within moments, he shattered the restraints binding him.
Saaruk didn't react to Yuan breaking free. Instead, his gaze shifted toward Shiva, who hovered calmly nearby, watching the scene unfold with the detached air of a spectator.
"How unexpected," Saaruk said, his tone laced with disdain. "I hadn't anticipated encountering another Eternal here, much less someone like you, Shiva. When did you regain your freedom?"
"Very recently," she calmly replied.
"Who helped you break out of the seal? Don't tell me… this ant?" "..."
Shiva didn't respond.
"Hahaha!" Saaruk burst into laughter, his voice echoing like thunder. "Truly hilarious! To think an Eternal would stoop so low as to seek help from a mere mortal! Did you lose your pride during the time you were sealed?"
"I can't wait for Ishrak to hear about this! I wonder how he'll react to you breaking out of his seal. Maybe he'll track you down to seal you again."
Shiva's eyes flickered with immense killing intent after hearing the name Ishrak.
"How dare you speak his name in my presence? I'd love to make you pay for it, but I'll let him deal with you today," she growled.
"You will make this Mighty Saaruk pay?" Saaruk started laughing again. "With what? That mortal body? You won't be able to defeat this Mighty Saaruk even if you had your eternal body, much less in that trash!"
Enraged by Saaruk's provocation, Shiva erupted in a burst of Eternal Essence. The surge was overwhelming, and Mu Xuelian, merely a mortal, could not withstand it and started bleeding from her orifices.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing? Have you forgotten that body doesn't belong to you? Or are you trying to kill Mu Xuelian?" Yuan frowned after seeing this.
"If you're just going to observe, do it properly."
"..."
Upon hearing Yuan's words, Shiva quickly calmed down and immediately withdrew her Eternal Essence before starting to heal Mu Xuelian's injuries.
"To think you'd shut Shiva up with so little effort. Not bad, mortal," Saaruk remarked with a mocking smile. "Are you done talking? If so, let's get this over with. I have other business to attend to."
"Do you really want to die so quickly? Unfortunately for you, this Mighty Saaruk has no plan on letting you die a swift death. It'll be a slow and painful one."
Without another word, Yuan activated True Dragon Awakening and retrieved Number One Under Heaven before making the first move.
However, wary of Saaruk and his unknown power, Yuan kept his distance and attacked using Supreme Sword Aura.
Saaruk didn't move an inch, showing no intent to defend himself. When the Supreme Sword Aura struck him, it fractured instantly—shattering like glass against an invisible wall—leaving Saaruk completely unharmed.
"Using a mortal's power on this Mighty Saaruk… You're nothing but talk." Saaruk shook his head in disappointment while a thick layer of Eternal Essence shrouded his entire form.
Of course, having fought Eternals before, Yuan was well aware that only Eternal Essence would be able to harm them. However, he'd never fought an Eternal in their ethereal form, so he had to do some tests.
"Don't just stand there now. Come. Keep entertaining this Mighty Saaruk. This Mighty Saaruk won't attack until you realize that you are powerless before this Mighty Saaruk and fall into despair," Saaruk beckoned Yuan, his voice full of arrogance.