Chapter 1593: Give You a Gift of Fortune! Enslavement Failed!

Xu Jingming's deep voice echoed across the battlefield.

His previously listless aura erupted like a volcanic blast, surging skyward!

Boom—!!!

Inky-black Annihilation Shenlei exploded from his body, transforming into a furious thunder ring that swept across all directions!

The last remaining insect guard and the residual battle insects emitted no cry at all—they vanished into ash within the thunderlight!

'Ding! Killed one Cosmic Peak Insect Guard, Source Points +9.5 million!'

'Ding! Killed one Cosmic Tier-5 Blade Insect...'

A string of system alerts rang out in his mind.

But Xu Jingming didn't even glance at them; his gaze locked onto Aike high above.

'What?!'

Aike, who had just begun to flee, froze mid-movement, her purple-black compound eyes bulging wide!

She turned back in disbelief, seeing Xu Jingming surrounded by swirling thunderlight.

The wounds on his battle armor were healing at a visible pace.

There was not a trace of fatigue in those deep eyes—only cold, abyssal killing intent!

'You... you were faking it?!' Aike's voice trembled.

'Correct answer. Too bad no prize.'

Xu Jingming grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

His right hand clenched into a loose fist, and black thunderlight surged wildly between his fingers!

'Run!'

Aike's wing membranes flapped furiously, turning her into a golden streak of light as she tried to escape!

'Think you can leave?'

Xu Jingming sneered, and with a flick of his will.

Hum—!!!

The Killing Domain unfolded slightly!

Within a hundred-kilometer radius, the land instantly became a sea of corpses and blood!

Aike's body stiffened, as if trapped in invisible mud, her speed plummeting a hundredfold!

'Stay here!'

With a low roar, nine thunder pillars as thick as mountains crashed down from the heavens!

The pillars formed a Nine Palaces formation, pinning Aike firmly at the center!

Each pillar pulsed with intricate law patterns; the aura of destruction warped the very space around them!

This was not a combat technique.

But to Xu Jingming, even a casual seal like this rivaled some Tier-4 combat techniques.

'No—!'

Aike shrieked, her wing membranes vibrating at high frequency, trying to tear through the thunder pillars and break free.

Yet her massive spiritual force slammed into the pillars.

It vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea—not even a ripple stirred!

'What kind of lightning is this? It doesn't react at all?!'

She finally panicked.

Insect races excelled above all in swarm tactics and soul impacts.

If these two methods failed, seventy percent of her combat power was instantly crippled!

'Only now realizing it? Too late.'

Xu Jingming stepped on empty air, walking step by step toward the thunder prison.

With each step he took, the black thunderlight around him burned brighter.

By the time he reached the edge of the thunder prison, he had become a war god bathed in thunderlight!

'What are you going to do?!' Aike demanded sharply, though her voice betrayed her trembling.

'I'll give you a gift of fortune.'

Xu Jingming smiled lightly, and his vast spiritual force surged outward.

It wove through the air into countless pink threads!

The threads drifted and darted, finally coalescing into a palm-sized, exquisitely crafted heart pattern!

It was the Tier-0 Soul Enslavement Technique.

Shi Xin Wen!

'Shi Xin Wen?! How do you know the Demon Clan's supreme enslavement technique?!'

Aike's pupils shrank sharply as she cried out in shock!

Insect races mastered the Way of the Soul and understood every soul technique in the universe.

How could she not know the name Shi Xin Wen?

This was the ultimate control technique of the Demon Clan!

'Oh? You recognize it?' Xu Jingming lightly tapped his fingertip.

Shi Xin Wen became a streak of light, piercing through the thunder cage and shooting straight toward Aike's abdomen!

'Never!'

Aike shrieked, and the insect pattern on her forehead erupted with blinding ghostly light!

A vast spiritual force solidified into a barrier, attempting to block the Soul-Eroding Mark!

Yet—

Ssssh!

The moment the Soul-Eroding Mark touched the barrier, it pierced through like a hot knife through butter!

"How is this possible?!" Aiko gasped in horror.

She was the Insect Empress, her spiritual strength rivaling that of an Immortal First Stage!

Yet she couldn't even hold it back for a moment?

"Because my spiritual force is stronger than yours."

Xu Jingming's voice was calm, as if stating something trivial.

Before the words had fully faded, the Soul-Eroding Mark had sunk into Aiko's abdomen!

"Ugh—!"

Aiko's slender body convulsed violently as she clutched her head and let out a piercing scream!

Pink patterns rapidly spread across her abdomen, rooting into her soul's origin like tree roots!

"Did it work?"

Xu Jingming raised an eyebrow slightly.

If he could enslave an Insect Empress,

it would be like possessing a mobile source point ready for harvest at any time!

But the next instant—

"Enslave me? Impossible!" Aiko suddenly lifted her head.

Her alluring, beautiful face twisted in pain, yet her eyes blazed with mad determination!

"The Princess will avenge me! All of you humans… will die!!!"

Amid her shriek, the spot where the Soul-Eroding Mark had branded her abdomen flared with blinding crimson light!

Boom—!!!

Vast energy erupted from her body, her pale golden form cracking like porcelain in countless places!

"Self-destruct?!"

Xu Jingming's expression changed instantly as he shot backward!

Almost simultaneously—

'Ding! Slain Cosmic Peak Insect Empress. Source Points +15,000,000!'

The system notification rang in his mind.

Amid a rain of blood, Aiko's shattered remains plummeted from the sky.

They crashed heavily into the forest below, kicking up a towering cloud of dust.

The Lei Yu beam slowly faded; Xu Jingming hovered midair, frowning tightly.

"Failed…"

He sighed softly, not expecting the Insect Empress to be so resolute.

She had chosen self-destruction the instant the Soul-Eroding Mark was implanted.

"The Insects excel in soul arts and possess extreme resistance to soul enslavement."

A petite purple figure drifted out from Xu Jingming's consciousness sea—it was the succubus little girl, Vila.

She hovered beside him.

Swinging her Bai Xi legs, she wore an expression of "I knew it all along":

"Even with the Soul-Eroding Mark, a T0-level enslavement technique,

it's still extremely hard to control them.

After all, every Insect Empress is a master of the spirit.

Their perception of soul fluctuations is grotesquely acute."

Xu Jingming glanced at her, puzzled:

"Then why was enslaving you so easy back then?

You were a Dominator-class remnant soul—your resistance should've been far stronger."

"You!" Vila's delicate face flushed crimson instantly.

Why bring up that exact topic?!

It was the greatest humiliation of her life, second only to being betrayed by the Illusion Dominator!

"I—I was stunned by how fast you mastered the Soul-Eroding Mark! My spirit slipped for just an instant!"

Vila placed her hands on her hips, pouting in protest:

"And I never intended to self-destruct, so you succeeded in enslaving me."

She hadn't even avenged that treacherous Illusion Dominator yet—how could she die so easily?

Even if enslaved, she would find a chance to retaliate.

"I see."

Xu Jingming nodded thoughtfully.

"Now I understand."

Vila rolled her eyes elegantly, swinging her feet:

"So next time you encounter Insects, I advise you not to have high hopes.

These bugs are all more stubborn than the last—they'd rather self-destruct than be enslaved."

"Is that so?"

Xu Jingming looked at her. "Then next time, try joining me in action."

I almost forgot—Vera is also a Mental System master.

"Uh..."

Vera's face stiffened; her large purple eyes spun twice.

She had already thought of this method, but it would drain her mental energy's origin.

That's why she deliberately didn't mention it.

She hadn't expected Xu Jingming to see through it at a glance.