Chapter 1766: It's Me, Xu Jingming!

"Forget it, I'll take it one step at a time; I don't necessarily have no chance."

Cody downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

The banquet lasted about two hours before the Illusion Demon Ruler waved his hand:

"That's it for today; all of you go back and prepare well.

The Abyssal Demon Tide is about to open; do not slack off."

"Yes, my lord Illusion Demon!"

The demons answered in unison and withdrew respectfully.

Xu Jingming rose and walked toward the five metal cages on one side of the grand hall.

The other three were already empty; only the two on the far right remained.

The demon-race catgirl and the human red-dressed woman.

A thought stirred in his mind, and the World Ring rippled with faint light.

He collected the cage holding Nikki into it.

As for the other catgirl, he didn't even glance at her and turned to leave.

As for Lin Yin, although she very much wanted to leave with her master.

In front of her mother, she also couldn't make the relationship between the two of them too obvious.

She could only continue staying on the Illusion Demon Ruler's side.

Returning to the west palace, the heavy palace doors slowly closed.

Xu Jingming did not rush to take out the cage.

Instead, his figure flashed, and he directly entered the internal space of the World Ring.

The World Ring's interior formed a small world of its own, complete with mountains and rivers.

On the central clearing, that pitch-black metal cage stood quietly, sealing demonic runes flowing across its surface.

Inside the cage, Nikki curled up on a soft couch, her tattered red dress unable to conceal her graceful curves.

She lifted her head, violet eyes cold as frost.

Staring dead at Xu Jingming, as if she wanted to swallow him alive.

"Phew— I was suffocating!"

The succubus little loli Vira's soul body drifted out from Xu Jingming's consciousness sea.

She spun a circle in the air, her large purple eyes curiously sizing up the woman in the cage.

"Those women from before didn't squeeze you dry yet?"

Vira grinned wickedly and drifted to Xu Jingming's shoulder:

"Just arrived in the demon race and you've already set your sights on a new one?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Xu Jingming glanced at her.

"How am I talking nonsense? Wasn't this woman chosen by you?"

Vira blinked, looking at Nikki, "But she is quite pretty, and her figure is spicy enough.

Especially that unruly and untamable little look in her eyes... your taste is not bad!"

She drifted close to the cage, an eager-to-try expression on her little face:

"Want me to help you train her?

Our succubus clan is best at this; I'll guarantee to return you an obedient one!"

"A succubus clan soul body?!"

Inside the cage, Nikki's pupils contracted sharply, all color draining from her stunning face.

She had originally thought falling into demon hands was already a dead end.

She never expected this demon would actually carry a succubus soul body with him!

Succubi are best at bewitching hearts and toying with flesh.

If she fell into their hands, she'd likely be unable to retain even her self-awareness, thoroughly reduced to a plaything.

"It's over..."

Nikki's heart turned icy cold, despair surging like a tide.

"No need." Xu Jingming shook his head instead.

He walked to the front of the cage, right hand pressing on the cage door's seal.

Pitch-black demonic qi surged, the sealing demonic runes collapsing inch by inch.

With a "Click—", the cage door opened.

"Come out." Xu Jingming's voice was calm.

Nikki didn't move at all, just coldly watching him, red lips pressed tight.

"What, still need me to invite you?" Xu Jingming raised an eyebrow.

"Demon!"

Nikki suddenly smiled, the smile tragic and resolute:

"You think letting me out means I'll be grateful and let you manipulate me?"

She slowly stood, her tattered red dress swaying gently in the wind, revealing fair, slender legs.

Despite being covered in wounds, wretched beyond measure.

Yet that proudly upright bearing still carried the dignity belonging to an Eternal God.

"I, Nikki, have roamed the universe for hundreds of thousands of years; what storms haven't I seen?"

Flames seemed to burn in her beautiful eyes:

"Falling into the hands of the demon race is my own inferior skill.

But to make me submit? Dream on!"

Before her words fell, the divine power within her body erupted violently!

Terrifying energy fluctuations burst forth from her delicate frame.

The surrounding space began to twist and crack!

She intends to self-destruct!

"Even in death, I will not be humiliated by you!"

Nikki shouted sternly, a look of determination appearing on her stunningly beautiful face.

"Damn it! Stop! Stop now!"

Xu Jingming's expression changed, and he roared urgently.

He hadn't expected Nikki to be so unyielding, actually choosing self-destruction without the slightest hesitation!

The only way to stop the self-destruction is to strike first and kill her.

But if he killed Nikki, what meaning would there be in saving her?

In the split second of a spark flashing, Xu Jingming could no longer bother to conceal himself!

The demonic qi around his body instantly converged, the four-meter-six ferocious demon body shedding away like a tide.

The demon horns atop his head vanished, the twin wings behind him retracted, the pitch-black scale armor sinking into his skin.

Simultaneously, the Thousand Illusion Ice Heart Pendant at his neck flashed with light, all disguises peeling away completely.

"Teacher Nikki! It's me! Xu Jingming!"

A clear and urgent voice reverberated within this small world.

The energy Nikki was about to fully detonate suddenly stagnated.

She widened her beautiful eyes, staring blankly at the outside of the cage.

That towering, terrifying demon figure had already disappeared.

In its place stood a young man with a tall, straight bearing, black hair and black pupils.

Familiar brows and eyes, familiar contours.

Even that flash of helplessness and concern in those eyes......

All slowly overlapped with that disciple of the Holy Land who had stunned the crowd at the Noah Holy Land back then.

Who had shone brilliantly at the Cosmic Genius Battle.

"Xu Jingming?"

Nikki's red lips parted slightly, subconsciously murmuring the name.

But the next instant, intense wariness surged in her heart once more!

"Illusion Demon?! You must be an Illusion Demon in disguise!

Your Illusion Demon clan excels most at disguise and transformation, bewitching hearts!"

She shouted sternly, the energy within her body beginning to rampage once more!

She doesn't believe it! And dares not believe it!

How could Xu Jingming possibly appear in the demon race's territory?

And possess the strength to instantly kill a Titled Eternal?

This must be an Illusion Demon conspiracy!

"Teacher Nikki."

Xu Jingming smiled bitterly, "Illusion Demons can't be this real.

Back at the Noah Holy Land, you led the team for the Lingzhu Empire exchange competition, and personally applied for a reward for me.

And six years ago, it was also you who told me you were going to venture into the outer domain battlefield.

Do Illusion Demons have these memories?"

Nikki's delicate frame trembled.

These details were indeed known only to her and Xu Jingming.

Even if Illusion Demons could read memories, it would be impossible to be this clear......

"I was still thinking of repaying you."

Xu Jingming continued: "It's a pity that year you said you were going to venture into the outer domain battlefield, and then there was never any news again.

A while ago I just returned to Blue Star once, and even saw the Noah Lord and them.

Just didn't expect that when we met again, it would be under these circumstances."

Nikki stared blankly at him, the coldness in her beautiful eyes gradually melting.

Replaced by bewilderment, shock, and a trace of... unbelievable hope.

"Is it really you?" Her voice trembled.

"It's me."

Xu Jingming nodded, withdrawing all his spiritual sense defenses, allowing her to perceive freely.

Nikki's spiritual sense carefully swept over Xu Jingming's entire body.

Soul fluctuations, life aura......

Everything, all pointed to that genius student she had once thought highly of.

No disguise, no illusion.

The person before her eyes was undoubtedly, truly Xu Jingming!

"It really is you..."

Niki murmured, her tense mind suddenly relaxing.

That relaxation made the world spin.

She had originally been severely wounded and captured by the demon clan.

Afterwards, she was imprisoned for several consecutive months, her divine power nearly exhausted.

Just now she had forcefully triggered her self-destruction; she was already at the end of her strength.

Now that her mind had relaxed, her legs went weak, and she was about to fall to the ground.

"Be careful!"

Xu Jingming reacted swiftly, stepping forward to support her.

Warm fragrance and soft jade entered his embrace; the skin beneath her torn red dress was icy cold, yet the touch was still startling.

"You are badly injured."

Xu Jingming frowned, taking out several pills from his spatial ring, "Take these first, stabilize your condition."

Niki did not refuse, allowing him to feed the pills into her mouth.

The pills dissolved, and the warm medicinal power circulated through her limbs and bones; her nearly exhausted divine power began to slowly recover.

After a moment, her pale cheeks regained a hint of color.

Struggling to stand firm, she still leaned against Xu Jingming's embrace.