After Aether appeared in the central hall of Planet Xizhuang, the atmosphere became tense. Aether's dominating aura made Ji Wutian's 100,000 elite soldiers feel suffocated, as if the planet's gravity had increased a thousandfold.
Ji Wutian squinted his eyes with a sinister smile. "You finally showed up. I thought the guardian dragon was enough to hold you back."
Aether gave a faint smile. "A creature like that isn't even worthy of being bait. I'm disappointed with your welcome."
Yuan Jin glared at Ji Wutian with sharp eyes. "Today marks the end of your tyranny, Ji Wutian!"
Ji Wutian laughed loudly, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "The end? Who among us will meet their end has yet to be decided!"
He raised his hand, and suddenly a dark formation appeared beneath his feet. A sinister aura spread rapidly, covering the entire hall with a terrifying demonic energy. One by one, his elite soldiers transformed into dark figures with blazing red eyes.
[Soul Sacrifice Demon Formation]
Description: Sacrifices the souls of all soldiers to increase the leader's power a hundredfold.
Yuan Jin and Hu Xue were shocked to see the drastic change. Aether remained calm, merely raising an eyebrow. "Sacrificing your own soldiers? Truly foolish."
Ji Wutian lifted his right hand, and the dense dark energy formed a giant spear in his grasp. "This is the true power of the Dark Emperor! Prepare to die!"
With incredible speed, Ji Wutian dashed toward Aether, his spear blazing with dark fire. However, just before the spear touched Aether's body, time seemed to stop.
"What... what's going on?" Ji Wutian was shocked to find his body unable to move.
Aether sighed softly. "I'm not interested in playing with a child. If that's your strongest power, you truly are pathetic."
Suddenly, a blue energy circle appeared beneath Aether's feet. It was Time Domain: Eternal Silence. All movements within the domain halted, except for Aether's.
With a single hand motion, Aether shattered Ji Wutian's dark spear like a fragile twig. Ji Wutian stared in disbelief.
"Impossible... How could you stop my time?" Ji Wutian screamed in despair.
"This isn't your time. This is my time," Aether replied coldly.
Yuan Jin and Hu Xue were stunned to see how effortlessly Aether subdued such a powerful foe. However, suddenly, the ground around them trembled violently. From within the earth, a giant blood-red hand emerged, gripping the hall.
"What is that?" Hu Xue asked, staying on guard.
Aether glanced calmly. "That's the planet's guardian spirit. Ji Wutian must be desperate to awaken it."
The spirit slowly rose, revealing a massive figure with an enraged face and two large horns on its head. A deadly aura enveloped the entire area.
Ji Wutian laughed maniacally. "Did you think I wouldn't be prepared for this situation? This is my trump card! The guardian spirit of Planet Xizhuang, Bloodhorn Dragon Sovereign!"
The colossal creature opened its mouth, unleashing a roar that made the entire planet quake. Aether looked at it with an indifferent expression.
"I'm bored of such petty toys," she muttered.
Aether snapped her fingers, and instantly, the sky above the planet split open. From the rift, a pure white light pillar descended, enveloping the entire body of the Bloodhorn Dragon Sovereign.
[Absolute Technique: Dimensional Erasure]
Description: Permanently erases existence from all dimensions.
The colossal creature had no chance to struggle before its body disintegrated into dust and vanished from reality. Ji Wutian froze, his body trembling violently.
"No... Even my planet's guardian spirit was destroyed just like that?"
Aether walked closer to Ji Wutian with a cold stare. "You're wasting my time. It's time to end this."
Ji Wutian tried to retreat, but his body couldn't move due to the time domain's pressure. Aether reached out her hand toward Ji Wutian's chest, placing her index finger there.
"Feel the suffering of all those you've harmed," Aether whispered.
From that point, cosmic energy surged violently, destroying Ji Wutian's core of power. His body exploded in a brilliant light, and when the glow faded, Ji Wutian had vanished without a trace.
Yuan Jin approached and patted Aether's shoulder. "You're truly incredible."
Hu Xue nodded in agreement. "I can hardly believe we just defeated the ruler of this planet."
Aether merely gave a slight nod. "There are still many other planets that need to be freed from dark hands like his."
Yuan Jin smiled faintly. "What's your next plan?"
Aether looked up at the sky with a calm gaze. "To find the true source behind this chaos. Ji Wutian was just a puppet. There's still a mastermind controlling it all."
Hu Xue gripped her sword tightly. "Then we'll stay together and fight whatever stands in our way."
Aether gave a faint smile. "It will all end eventually. Let's move."
With a wave of her hand, Aether tore open space, creating a portal to the next realm.
To be continued...