"Alright."
Bai Yan immediately closed his eyes and focused.
That "door" could be opened temporarily, but once it closed, it could not be opened again until after midnight.
Besides that, the duration of Hyperdimensional Space had also increased, from twenty-five minutes to fifty.
He would send Jingliu out first.
With a slight thought, Jingliu vanished.
"After the Gem of Desire disappeared, my condition became completely different from before."
Bai Yan could sense that the gem was not inside his body, but existed in a special manner.
For example, it was as though it had been embedded in the "door" leading to Hyperdimensional Space.
"The implantation experiment failed, but Hyperdimensional Space saved me. And now, I guess I've become a Herrscher of Wind too..."
Time to test my authority.
Bai Yan clenched one hand. As if by instinct, the surrounding air immediately began to flow, and howling winds formed a tornado in an instant.
The wind swept up the water, and a column of water shot into the sky like a dragon soaring through the heavens and sweeping across the land.
"Hyperdimensional Space has gotten a little bigger. Its height... and radius have grown to nine hundred meters, though that's not particularly useful."
He controlled the tornado as it flew through the sky. Its power rivaled that of a tornado on the North American plains, enough to destroy a parking lot in an instant!
"Alright, now let's test my control."
Bai Yan stretched out his hand and focused his attention.
The waterspout in the sky lost its support and immediately crashed down, splashing like torrential rain.
The next moment.
Bai Yan's hand suddenly vanished before his eyes.
He smiled.
"Physical Shadowless Sword. I can even use Optical Camouflage now!"
Bai Yan reached into the water again.
Soon, the clear water obeyed his will, rising from the surface in strands like little fountains.
After playing around for a while, Bai Yan suddenly sensed that a "registered user" was requesting entry.
After he accepted, Jingliu appeared once more.
She lightly leaped from the water, stepping over its surface like a dragonfly skimming the water before returning to it in front of Bai Yan.
"Take this."
She handed him a golden pendant. Light flowed across its surface, and it faintly emitted a special aura.
The moment Bai Yan touched it, he felt his body and mind cleansed. The fatigue that had accumulated over time and the discomfort in his body were swept away.
He seemed to know what had produced this item.
"This pendant can heal any irreversible fatal injury three times. It is a creation of the Path of Abundance... A friend gave it to me. Perhaps you'll need it later."
"Thank you, Master!"
Bai Yan silently recited "Medicine King's Compassion" and put away the pendant.
Jingliu was also afraid that if he died, she would have nowhere to soak in water. Without bathing, her mara-struck condition would explode, which would be extremely unpleasant.
"How is it?"
Bai Yan knew she was asking about his power.
"The gem fused with me. In a sense, I'm a Herrscher now too, and I've become much stronger."
Bai Yan had previously told Jingliu about his world, so she understood what a Herrscher was.
"That's good. Are you confident you can break free of your restraints when you return?"
"I'm not sure. I'd rather wait a little longer."
Better to play it safe. Ideally, his teammates would storm directly into the secret laboratory.
"That's fine." Jingliu nodded, then suddenly conjured two Ice Swords and handed one to Bai Yan. "Come. Let your master test your current level."
"Huh?"
"No objections. We start now."
Bai Yan looked at himself, then at Jingliu.
He swallowed.
"Then... Master, please."
"Come."
Jingliu held her sword in one hand, with her other hand behind her back. Her body slowly rose, and she once more stood atop the water.
Bai Yan controlled the airflow and flew up as well.
"As expected, that gem's power is related to wind. It seems your luck is quite good."
"A blessing in disguise."
Jingliu nodded. "You attack first. Use your strongest move. You didn't bring your earrings this time, but it doesn't matter. I'll suppress my power to your level."
Bai Yan relaxed slightly, steadied himself, and activated his authority.
The Ice Sword vanished.
"Hm?"
"My new ability is to control fluids. I can refract light to create the illusion of invisibility."
"Very good." Jingliu nodded in satisfaction.
Then, without any warning, Bai Yan suddenly drew his sword.
One Sword Startling Swan!
At this moment, he discovered that this move could no longer attack just one sense!
But three!
The Gem of Desire improved me this much?
Luoshen Swordplay belonged to water, and water was also a fluid. Their compatibility was excellent.
At this moment, Bai Yan simultaneously attacked Jingliu's sight, hearing, and touch.
The invisible Ice Sword came down like a raging storm, and its sharp edge enveloped Jingliu in an instant.
Feeling the power of One Sword Startling Swan, Jingliu was immensely gratified.
This little fellow could finally make an appearance now!
"Your move is very powerful, but since it is incomplete, its effect is greatly diminished. You need to fully complete it and take it a step further."
Jingliu directly ignored the changes to her five senses and casually swung several consecutive strikes toward Bai Yan.
Bai Yan was startled and immediately flashed aside to evade.
Soon, Jingliu's senses recovered, but she paused in surprise.
"So that's how it is. It also inflicts a certain degree of damage to the senses, and recovery takes some time. If the opponent fails to notice the sensory distortion caused by this damage, they will still be affected."
Jingliu nodded with some approval.
True Gale, Submit to Me!
Although Jingliu had praised him, she said those words with a blade at Bai Yan's throat.
Before her, One Sword Startling Swan was still just a parlor trick.
Bai Yan suspected that even if he mastered the total destruction of all five senses, it would still be a parlor trick.
Jingliu could wield an invisible sword to cleave through the sun, moon, and stars. Her understanding of the sword was beyond Bai Yan's reach.
Bai Yan was not discouraged. It was already good enough that he could crush inexperienced opponents now.
Afterward, Jingliu seized the time to give Bai Yan further guidance, benefiting him greatly.
Once one's energy level rose, the things one could learn changed as well. Lobsters could only fight for their lives with pincers, while a single ram from an orca could leave someone completely disoriented.
The lesson lasted for over an hour. The two of them had never stayed in Hyperdimensional Space for so long.
The situation outside was still unclear, and Bai Yan was in no hurry to leave, but the time would eventually run out.
With the sensation of the tide receding, Bai Yan lay back down on the experimental table.
The laboratory was empty now. Even some highly valuable equipment had vanished without a trace.
"They ran?"
The ropes on the experimental table had somehow already been untied. Perhaps Cocolia's people had casually undone them while investigating, but they had not expected him to return to his original position.
Bai Yan jumped down from the experimental table and discovered that his earrings were gone.
He was still wearing an ice-blue long dress, with shoulder-length short hair and slender, well-proportioned legs clad in black stockings.
Bai Yan touched the pendant hanging on his chest, and his heart became very steady.
He had gone through it all, after all. His mindset was no longer what it had once been.
Looking around, he spotted a crowbar that had somehow been left in a corner.
"Probably used for dismantling equipment. These scientists are pretty devoted."
Bai Yan picked up the crowbar and walked out.
It was dark and deserted all around, with only a bright moon in the sky.
Using the moonlight, Bai Yan crouched down to inspect the ground and found tire tracks as well as deep pits left by mechs.
Bai Yan snorted coldly. A fierce wind instantly enveloped him, and his entire body rose with it.
Then, he flew rapidly in the direction of the footprints.
Bai Yan was still unfamiliar with flying. At first, he easily swerved around and struggled to control his direction, but after adapting, he found it increasingly enjoyable.
Judging by the time, from when Cocolia and the others discovered he had disappeared to when they packed up and fled, the process probably had not been short.
A large group's travel speed would be limited, and since he was flying in a straight line, he should be able to catch up.
Sure enough, Bai Yan soon spotted a convoy traveling along a small road.
Bai Yan quietly lowered himself and flew close to the ground. When he approached, he found that it really was Anti-Entropy's cargo.
These people were clearly not combat personnel, but lab-coated researchers from the laboratory.
Extremely uneasy voices drifted over.
"Has Lady Cocolia not come to meet us yet?"
"We're trying to contact her."
"There's no news..."
"Is that Valkyrie dead yet?"
"She'll probably hold on for another two days. If Lady Cocolia hadn't said to keep her alive, I wouldn't want to bring her along!"
"What about the disappearance of the specimen and the gem..."
"Don't report it yet. We'll pin it all on Schicksal and World Serpent later!"
Bai Yan struck the moment he heard that.
A raging wind howled and swept across the entire convoy.
Aside from the heavy vehicles, everyone and everything was sent flying into the sky.
They were swept higher and higher. The sudden tornado made them scream in terror, and the approaching death filled them with utter dread.
But they soon fell silent after losing consciousness.
Before you continue