The moment Yao Ziyan's gaze locked onto Phaseless Demon Monk, the atmosphere inside Origin Mall shifted.
Following her line of sight, the customers turned to look—
And saw the figure standing at the entrance.
Even though Phaseless Demon Monk's true strength remained obscured, his mere presence exuded an overwhelming pressure, like an abyss brimming with malice.
It was as if they were staring into an endless sea of blood, where countless bones floated and sank beneath the waves.
A monstrous aura of slaughter surged forth, instinctively making everyone shudder.
Faces paled.
Breaths grew unsteady.
A few even staggered backward, forcing themselves to look away.
At the threshold of the store, Phaseless Demon Monk's smirk deepened.
"Good, good… I like that reaction."
But Luo Chuan—watching this unfold—felt nothing but irritation.
"First, he dares to set his sights on my employee."
"Now, he tries to suppress my customers?"
"He really doesn't put this boss in his eyes, does he?"
Luo Chuan's expression remained calm, but the annoyance in his gaze sharpened.
At that moment, Phaseless Demon Monk turned back to Yao Ziyan.
> "The attack you launched that day—" he said with smug certainty, "came at the cost of your demon core's origin. You wouldn't be able to use it a second time, would you?"
His voice carried the confidence of a man who believed he had everything under control.
In Phaseless Demon Monk's mind, Yao Ziyan had no escape.
Why else would a once-mighty demon reside in a mortal's shop?
The answer was obvious—her strength had been crippled.
But how could he have known?
That the very first day Yao Ziyan stepped into Origin Mall, her injuries had been completely healed.
Yao Ziyan's lips curled into a mocking sneer.
She didn't even bother answering.
"Jie jie jie…" Phaseless Demon Monk let out a sinister chuckle. "A demon's Eminence-ranked core… The poor monk will gladly accept it!"
As he laughed, he raised his hand.
A golden bowl appeared in midair, radiating an ancient, holy presence.
It was a sacred weapon—its surface gleamed with the power of countless Buddhist chants.
Yet, if one looked closely—
A faint, almost imperceptible crack ran along its rim, marring its perfection.
It was the price Phaseless Demon Monk had paid for blocking Yao Ziyan's previous attack.
For a brief second, his gaze darkened as he remembered that day.
"Damn you."
Then, his expression twisted into cold hatred.
"The poor monk shall grant you early salvation!"
With a sharp command, the golden bowl surged forward, radiating brilliant Buddhist light that condensed into physical form.
A devastating force of divine judgment shot toward Yao Ziyan—
Collapsing space itself as it moved.
---
Inside the store, Yao Ziyan remained unmoved.
But the customers?
Their eyes widened in horror.
They felt it.
That breath of death, curling like a noose around their throats.
Even a faint aftershock from an Eminence's attack could annihilate them in an instant.
The only reason they still stood unharmed was the absolute protection of Origin Mall's security system.
And in the blink of an eye—
The golden bowl grew in size, swelling to match the width of the store's entrance.
Its power surged, its momentum unstoppable.
Then—
Boom.
A muffled sound.
The golden bowl slammed directly into the store's doorframe.
And then…
Nothing.
No explosion.
No shockwave.
No devastating impact.
Just—
The bowl dropping to the ground, rolling helplessly to Phaseless Demon Monk's feet.
It came to a stop with a weak, hollow clatter.
The store remained untouched.
The customers remained unharmed.
Yao Ziyan stood where she was, her expression unchanged.
The only difference—
The light within the golden bowl had completely vanished.
Its once-mighty spiritual essence—
Erased.
Like it had never existed.
For several long, unbearable seconds, Phaseless Demon Monk stood frozen, his mind failing to process what had just happened.
Then, his face drained of all color.
He staggered backward, a sharp cough racking his body—
And spat out a mouthful of blood.
His hands trembled as he stared down at the golden bowl at his feet.
His voice shook with undisguised horror.
"This… this is impossible!"
Just moments ago, he had been a man of absolute confidence.
A cultivator who dictated life and death as he pleased.
But now—
For the first time in his life—
He felt terror.
Origin Mall.
The unassuming little shop before him…
Was a place that defied all reason.
"My sacred weapon—" his voice cracked, "was completely destroyed in an instant?!"
Even the most powerful forces in the world couldn't erase a Holy-ranked weapon's spirit in the blink of an eye.
Yet here, in front of this store, it had happened effortlessly.
Not shattered.
Not damaged.
Simply… erased.
Phaseless Demon Monk' could no longer breathe properly.
"What… is this place?"
He had assumed Origin Mall was nothing more than an ordinary mortal shop.
But now—
Standing here, facing the unknown terror of its defenses,
He wasn't so sure anymore.