Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao's jaw tightened, his teeth grinding in frustration.

His muscles tensed, veins bulging as the strength of the attack neared. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, the fury in his voice growing.

He didn't have time to think.

He was already fighting three transcendents at once, and now this?

His mind was already strained, his body already moving.

Without hesitation, he made his decision.

He couldn't let his guard down—not with these two.

But he also couldn't let the woman from another world—his prize—fall into someone else's hands.

With a violent flick of his wrist, he hurled Yuriko's body away, sending her crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact, creating a massive crater below.

She hit the earth with bone-shattering force, the ground cracking beneath her, dust and debris exploding upward.

"Ah...."

She groaned in pain, her body twitching as she tried to recover, but Wang Xiao had already shifted his focus.

WHOOSH!

The impact from above was seconds away. The sky above him was filled with blinding light, the force of the incoming attack heating the air, scorching the clouds as it descended like a blazing comet.

Wang Xiao gripped the fiery woman from the other world tighter, his hand tightening around her throat as her eyes fluttered weakly.

She gasped, trying to catch her breath, but he held her firmly, making sure she couldn't escape.

"Not so fast," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

In that split second, his entire body exploded with energy.

Dark matter, like an endless sea of shadow, erupted from his body, pouring into the sky above him.

It was thick, ominous, and suffocating—an inky black void that spread like a swarm of ravenous beasts, engulfing everything in its path.

FWOOOOOOSH!

The dark matter shot upward, swirling into a massive barrier, stretching wide across the sky.

The impact collided with it, sending violent shockwaves rippling outward. The pressure was immense, but Wang Xiao held firm, his eyes blazing with fury.

His muscles strained as he poured more of his power into the shield, ensuring that the attack wouldn't touch him or the woman in his grasp.

BOOOOOOM!

The force of the attack slammed into the dark matter shield with catastrophic force, shaking the heavens.

The sky lit up with flashes of white-hot light, the sound of the explosion reverberating like a thousand thunderclaps.

The ground below buckled under the pressure, fissures tearing through the earth as the shockwave spread across the battlefield.

Wang Xiao grimaced, his teeth grinding as the impact pushed him downward, his feet digging into the ground.

His skin glowed under the pressure, the heat from the attack burning into him, but he didn't let go of the fiery woman.

His grip on her remained firm, his fingers digging into her skin as he held her in place.

"Who the fuck dares to sneak attack me…! Come forward bastard!" he growled, his voice trembling with rage.

His eyes shot upward, scanning the sky for a glimpse of his attacker.

For a brief moment, he saw it—an unknown entity, retreating at an incredible speed.

The figure vanished smirked, before disappearing into the distance.

Wang Xiao's fury boiled over.

This bastard must be the one who has been plotting against him for a long time, and today, he timed his strike perfectly, taking advantage of the chaos.

"You're dead," he spat, his voice venomous. He would find whoever had dared to interfere, and he would make them pay for this.

But now was not the time.

The dark matter continued to swirl around him, absorbing the remnants of the attack, dispersing the energy across the sky.

The heavens, once blindingly bright, now grew dim, as Wang Xiao's power settled like a mist over the battlefield.

With a final surge of strength, Wang Xiao crushed the last of the incoming force, his divine energy erupting outward, scattering the remains of the attack into the wind.

SHOOOOOOOOM!

The sky returned to a deathly quiet.

The world, once filled with fire and destruction, now lay in ruins beneath him.

Wang Xiao's breath came in slow, controlled bursts as he steadied himself.

His body glowed with residual energy, the sheer power radiating off him like a star on the verge of collapse.

He glanced down at the woman in his hand—the fiery woman who had come from another world.

Her body was weak, her eyes barely able to stay open, but she was alive.

He'd made sure of that.

Despite the incoming attack, he had made a split-second decision to protect her.

She was important.

She had something that interested him far more than the others.

And he wasn't about to let some unknown fool take that from him.

Wang Xiao's fingers tightened around her throat, making her gasp.

He grinned, his expression cold and dangerous as he looked down at her.

"You're not going anywhere," he whispered, his voice laced with amusement.

His gaze shifted to the sky, his mind already plotting his revenge against whoever had dared to strike at him.

But first—he had to check this piece of marvel by himself.

Can someone pass through the portal to the another world with their body? Even he can't do that.

______

Qing Dynasty, Tibetan Region!

Hours had passed since the battle, but the searing pain in Yuriko's chest remained, a constant reminder of her defeat.

Swish...

She drifted like mist across the Yunan Plains, her body barely holding together.

Her once radiant form was now a broken shell, her skin pale, her breath shallow.

Blood dripped from the gaping hole where her heart had been, torn from her chest by Wang Xiao's merciless hand.

As she approached the cave nestled within the mountains, her legs gave out for a moment, forcing her to lean against the entrance, gasping for breath.

The fireflies inside glowed softly, their lights casting flickering shadows across the cave floor.

But their beauty was lost on her.

Cough… cough…

She hacked up more blood, staining the cave's entrance.

Her vision blurred, her legs trembling as she forced herself inside.

Her blood, thick and dark, dripped with every step, splashing against the ground. Wherever her blood fell, life erupted—massive trees growing instantly, twisting skyward with shimmering silver bark.

But even as the forest blossomed around her, her thoughts remained consumed by bitterness.

"This timing… I should have known…" Yuriko whispered to herself, her voice weak and trembling.

Her breath hitched, her lips trembling as she pressed a shaking hand to her chest, where the hollow cavity throbbed painfully.

'Why did I go there?'

The thought filled her, the regret piercing her mind as deeply as Wang Xiao had torn her heart from her body.

She had entered that battlefield with confidence—too much confidence.

She had thought her timing was perfect, that she could seize the moment while Wang Xiao was locked in battle with others.

But she had been wrong.

She hissed under her breath, her teeth gritting in frustration. "I walked into 'his' hands… just like that."

Each step sent fresh waves of agony through her body, her hands gripping the walls as she staggered forward.

The fireflies danced around her, their soft light flickering across her gaunt, pale face.

But her mind was lost in a spiral of regret.

Thud.

Her hand slapped against the stone wall, her legs buckling beneath her. She stumbled, barely able to keep herself upright as her blood smeared the ancient stone.

Her life force was fading fast, but her thoughts wouldn't stop swirling, a torrent of bitter regret and pain.

Drip… drip…

Her blood continued to fall, and with each drop, the cave responded. Massive trees sprang forth from the ground, their roots spiraling out, their trunks towering high above.

The earth beneath her feet rumbled, and from the depths of the cave, enormous figures began to rise—golems, forged from the stone and soil itself.

But even as these ancient guardians awoke, Yuriko's thoughts remained consumed by her failure.