Chapter 1543: Succubus! Residual Soul of a Sovereign!

Boom—!

In the sea of consciousness, the purple streak did not transform into a ferocious demon.

Instead, it coalesced into a strange, graceful phantom.

She stood a hundred meters tall, her face alluring, her figure plump and full, as if she could burst into juice at the slightest squeeze.

Her long hair of violet flame stirred without wind, the tips flickering with tiny bolts of lightning.

On her head curled two elegant, curved horns, like a crown carved from obsidian.

Behind her back, a pair of semi-transparent phantom butterfly wings trembled gently, scattering phosphorescent light that bewitched the mind.

Around her swirled not violent thunder, but wisps of pink-purple soul mist.

Her aura was eerie and seductive, as if it could awaken the most primal desires of any living being.

This was unmistakably a succubus!

"A perfect vessel..."

The phantom let out a soul-stealing, seductive laugh, her voice layered with multiple echoes, drilling straight into the depths of the soul.

"A body of the third cosmic tier, yet possessing such vast blood qi and mental force."

"Even more remarkable—it harbors my clan's royal bloodline!"

She extended her slender fingers, the tips wreathed in violet mist that eroded the mind, spreading across the entire sea of consciousness:

"Surrender this body... to your sovereign..."

Yet, just as the violet mist was about to touch the sea of consciousness—

Whirrr!!!

The Ice Heart Crown hovering above the sea of consciousness suddenly blazed with light!

Nine deep-blue gems ignited in sequence, their cold, clear soul waves cascading like moonlight.

Instantly, the pink-violet mist was scattered, replaced by a crystal-clear silver veil that enveloped Xu Jingming's sea of consciousness!

"What?!"

The succubus phantom's fingertips touched the veil—and burst into blue smoke as if burned!

She let out a shriek laced with pain and fury:

"A soul artifact! This aura... is nearing the level of a Heavy Treasure?!"

The phantom recoiled sharply, her phantom butterfly wings flared violently, trying to dissolve into a streak of light and flee.

Would Xu Jingming allow her to come and go as she pleased?

"You think you can come in and leave at will?"

In the sea of consciousness, Xu Jingming's mental aggregate suddenly opened his eyes—lightning exploded within them!

He clenched his right hand, and vast mental force surged and converged.

Forming a pale golden giant hand that covered the entire sea of consciousness, it slammed down toward the demon phantom!

Swish—

The violet mist shrank under the crushing pressure of the pale golden hand.

The hundred-meter-tall seductive form shrank visibly before the eyes.

"No—!!!"

A piercing shriek echoed through the sea of consciousness:

"After tens of thousands of years, I finally accumulated this soul body! Damn it! I'll make you die!"

The violet mist writhed and struggled, but the mental hand, empowered by the Ice Heart Crown, left her utterly powerless to escape.

Under Xu Jingming's cold gaze, the hundred-meter-tall soul body continued shrinking.

Eighty meters, fifty meters, thirty meters, ten meters...

Finally, when the violet mist vanished completely, a figure entirely different from before appeared in the sea of consciousness.

It was a petite figure, barely one and a half meters tall.

The once curvaceous, plump, and alluring body was gone.

In its place stood a slightly immature girl's frame.

She wore a simple purple dress, the hem ending just above her knees, revealing a pair of white, slender calves.

Her waist-length purple hair cascaded like a waterfall, the ends slightly curled.

Most striking was her face.

A round, doll-like face with baby fat, a small nose, and plump red lips.

A tiny fang jutted from her left corner, giving her an air of playfulness and cunning.

Her large purple eyes now glared fiercely at Xu Jingming, brimming with anger and resentment.

Had it not been for the faint violet soul mist still clinging to her, and the heart-shaped tail behind her—

Xu Jingming might have mistaken her for a human little girl who had wandered into this place by accident.

"You..."

Xu Jingming frowned slightly.

He could sense that although this petite girl's soul body had weakened drastically,

her soul's essence remained undamaged.

"What are you staring at?!"

The petite purple-haired girl planted her hands on her hips.

She glared up at Xu Jingming's massive mental aggregate, her voice crisp yet furious:

"Coward! You used a soul artifact nearly at Heavy Treasure level to ambush your sovereign!"

Xu Jingming did not respond, only stirred his mind.

The pale golden giant hand closed again, attempting to crush the lingering soul completely.

Yet—

In the instant the giant hand closed, the petite loli's body flashed with violet light, and she outright withstood the crushing pressure!

Xu Jingming frowned and increased his mental output.

The giant hand's fingers tightened.

But the petite loli merely swayed slightly, her violet light swirling, utterly unharmed!

"Stop wasting your effort."

The petite loli sneered, revealing her small canine teeth, mocking:

"I am a full-fledged Dominator-class powerhouse!"

"Even if I'm only a lingering soul, I am far beyond what a mere Cosmic-stage cultivator like you can erase."

She lifted her small hand and lightly tapped the tips of the closing giant fingers, her tone flippant:

"Even if you brought a Relic-grade soul artifact, the result would be the same—you cannot destroy me."

Xu Jingming's gaze darkened.

Whether her words were true or not,

he had felt it clearly.

Though her soul form appeared fragile, it was in truth unbreakable.

The Ice Heart Crown could imprison her, but could not harm her core.

"Well? Stuck, aren't you?"

Seeing Xu Jingming silent, the petite loli grinned triumphantly, shaking her head as her long purple hair swayed:

"Release me at once.

Feed me well, treat me royally, and if you help me restore my soul form quickly,

I shall forgive all past offenses—and even grant you the title of Demon King, to rule a demonic realm."

"Come to think of it, you're not a demon race, are you? You're human?"

"Strange—a human with such pure demonic blood?"

"But it doesn't matter. Come to my demon race, and your treatment will be far superior to what you get among humans..."

The petite loli chattered on.

But Xu Jingming had already severed most of his perception, leaving only a thread of awareness to monitor.

His consciousness returned to reality.

Outside, the starry void remained profound; the soul clash had seemed long, but was in truth only a few breaths.

Xu Jingming took a deep breath, calming his turbulent spirit.

He looked down at the dark red ring in his hand.

Now it had dimmed, its runes faded, appearing no different from an ordinary ornament.

"A Dominator-class lingering soul...

I never expected that killing just a Cosmic Stage 6 would land me such a windfall."

Xu Jingming didn't know whether he was lucky or unlucky.

"Whatever.

Take it one step at a time—for now, she poses no immediate threat to me."

Crack—

A flash of black Lei Guang, and Xu Jingming returned to the cabin.

As the vessel continued its journey, his consciousness reconnected to the Virtual Universe.

This time, he did not enter the planetary fortress, but the Star Dome Academy's Combat Technique Library.

"One, open the combat technique list.

Filter for soul-based control, enslavement, and pact techniques."

Xu Jingming ordered.

Since the Dominator-class soul could not be erased,

there was another way: enslavement.

"A Dominator-class soul is itself a vast treasure trove.

If I could make it mine, it would be an unimaginable fortune."

Xu Jingming's eyes glinted faintly.