Indeed, Zhou Huai held no grudge or enmity toward this so-called Ancient Remnant.

But there was no helping it. Who told {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} you to run right into Zhou Huai?

He certainly didn't believe that the revival of these Ancient Remnants was for the benefit of society.

They definitely had their own agenda.

Perhaps they even wanted to overthrow the rules of the entire world.

Compared to that, Natsume Rinku herself was much more innocent.

The little girl clearly hadn't done anything, so why should she become a sacrifice for your Ancient Remnant revival?

So, rather than letting her revive, it was better to simply crush it in the bud.

Moreover, he could also absorb massive amounts of Experience Points.

This time, the energy unleashed by this Ancient Remnant surpassed its usual power.

Even a dozen or so Alien Parasites inside her body were struggling to absorb it all.

In just this short time, a white light erupted from Caesar's body.

He rose to Rank 23 right in front of her.

Zhou Huai chuckled: “There's no special reason.”

“I just simply find you irritating.”

“Either you keep wasting power fighting me like this.”

“Or I'll choke this little girl to death right now.”

“In the end, you'll still vanish into thin air.”

The current “Natsume Rinku” was furious, gritting her teeth: “I am the Princess of Great Qin, Ying Yinman!”

“If you continue this, when my Royal Father returns, he will certainly not spare you!”

Zhou Huai heard this and smiled, showing no panic whatsoever. Instead, he teased: “Great Qin died long ago, my Princess. Still thinking of threatening me at this stage? Where's your brain?”

As he spoke, the Parasites accelerated their energy absorption speed.

He stepped forward again, grabbed Natsume Rinku's neck, and pinned the young girl's body against the wall.

The young girl let out a painful moan, and her bones made creaking sounds.

She was constantly on the verge of shattering.

“No!”

Ying Yinman was greatly alarmed.

She desperately grabbed Caesar's hand with both hands and struggled fiercely.

“What exactly do you want before you'll let me go!”

Zhou Huai sneered.

“I only want you dead!”

“How dare you! I'll fight you to the death!”

Ying Yinman's hidden energy completely erupted, actually shaking Caesar away.

That energy, like a black torrent bursting through a dam, gushed out of Natsume Rinku's small body and slammed violently into Caesar's chest.

Caesar's body flew backward like a fallen leaf caught in a hurricane.

He smashed through the fragile wall of the wooden house, tracing an arc in the air before falling toward the open ground outside the courtyard.

Ying Yinman let out a roar that was both exhilarated and venomous.

Ants should meet an ant's fate.

However, the sight of shattered bones and torn tendons she had envisioned did not appear.

The Caesar who had been blasted away forcibly twisted his body at an unbelievable angle mid-air.

He stepped lightly on the air, his body as weightless as if it had no mass.

Finally, he landed steadily on the gravel ground of the courtyard, his knees slightly bent, without even kicking up a speck of dust.

The moment he landed, an even more dazzling white light shot up from Caesar's body.

His Rank reached 24.

The light of the upgrade had yet to dissipate.

In Zhou Huai's mind, a series of System notifications scrolled frantically across the screen.

“System Notification: Gained Experience Points +50,000”

“System Notification: Gained Experience Points +50,000”

“System Notification: Gained Experience Points +50,000”

...Zhou Huai exclaimed, “Good heavens.”

The Experience Points gained had increased fivefold.

How immense must this energy be?

It seemed this Former Dynasty Princess, from who knows how many dynasties ago, was preparing to fight him to the death.

Sure enough.

From the ruins of the wooden house, Natsume Rinku's figure slowly floated up.

Her appearance at this moment was utterly miserable.

Her face, hands, and even the skin visible through her torn clothes were covered in dense black cracks.

These cracks covered her entire body like spiderwebs.

Blood continuously seeped out along the cracks, staining her thin clothing a shocking dark red.

This was a sign that Natsume Rinku's physical body was about to fail under the strain of this enormous energy.

If Caesar's Parasites hadn't been constantly absorbing the energy inside her body, the young girl would probably be completely annihilated by now.

“These damned bugs!”

Ying Yinman's voice was hoarse and venomous. She stared intently at Caesar, or rather, at Zhou Huai inside Caesar.

“A mere ant dares to covet my power? Die, all of you!”

She raised her hand, and an even more violent black energy began to gather in her palm. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

She planned to use this power, just like last time, to completely eradicate the disgusting bugs hiding inside her body.

However, Zhou Huai would not give her this chance again.

“Dream on.”

Zhou Huai sneered and, with a thought.

The dozen or so Alien Parasites lurking inside Natsume Rinku launched a counterattack simultaneously.

Instead of passively absorbing energy, they thrust their collective will, like countless sharp steel needles, fiercely into the mental Domain belonging to Ying Yinman.

Reverse Control!

The energy gathering in Ying Yinman's palm suddenly paused.

Her raised arm froze mid-air.

The next second, an expression of extreme agony appeared on her face. She violently clutched her head with both hands and let out a shrill scream.

“Ugh ah—!”

She curled up, fell from mid-air, slammed heavily onto the ground, and rolled around in pain.

“W-what did you do to me?!”

Her voice was filled with terror and disbelief.

She could feel countless unfamiliar, icy wills frantically assaulting her Soul, attempting to seize control of the body.

The feeling was like countless ants biting her brain.

Zhou Huai did not answer her.

He controlled Caesar, walked forward a few steps, and looked down at the girl writhing on the ground.

He took a deep breath, used all his strength, and let out a roar that echoed throughout the courtyard.

“Natsume Rinku!”

“I know you can hear me!”

“Your chance has come!”

“Now is the time! Take back your own body!”

Those eyes, dominated by pitch blackness, stared fixedly at Caesar.

Venomous malice and ancient fury intertwined and burned within them.

“It's useless.”

“Why do you think her pathetic will can contend against mine?”

“She is merely an ordinary twelve-year-old girl.”

“Fragile, timid, and foolish.”

“Her Soul is like a piece of thin paper that can be pierced with a poke.”

Zhou Huai controlled Caesar, his face devoid of expression.

He merely watched the opponent coldly, as if observing a jumping clown.

“Oh?”

“If that's the case, why have you been unable to completely take over this little girl's body for so many years?”

“Admit it.”

“This little girl's will is stronger than you anticipated.”