More than a dozen years had passed in the blink of an eye, yet in Xiao Hua's eyes, those dozen-odd years had been the tempering of an entire kalpa. Throughout that kalpa's ordeal, Xiao Hua had not only pondered bitterly every moment, but suffered torment every moment as well. A simple cycle of karma was merely a journey for one of Xiao Hua's avatars, but the experiences of an avatar across an entire kalpa were an immense, unimaginable experience for Xiao Hua's true body! Especially since this cycle of karma belonged not only to Xiao Hua's true body—the experiences of Phoenix Body Xiao Hua, Bone Tempering Xiao Hua, Dragon Vein Xiao Hua, and Demon Spirit Xiao Hua, these four avatars, had likewise been imposed upon Xiao Hua's true body. By that count, it was the experience of five kalpas! What human who possessed merely a Mahayana cultivation level had ever undergone so much tempering? Back in the Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm, not only had Xiao Hua's fleshly body been drained dry again, even his Dao Foundation, consciousness, Primordial Spirit, and more had shown signs of collapse! Had there not been that tiny obsession in his heart, that wish to hold Xue Xue's hand once more, he would likely have perished long ago within the Star Moon Palace conjured by the Heavenly Demon!
The first slash that ambushed the Heavenly Demon had been a slash Xiao Hua delivered with every last bit of essence he possessed, and likewise a concentrated slash before his own collapse. Though Xiao Hua had appeared calm and unruffled at the time, he truly had no strength left to swing a second slash! He and the Heavenly Demon had been alike. The Heavenly Demon had been struggling to maintain its demonic body, doing everything possible to keep