My Xianxia Harem Life-Chapter 164 Permanent

"So, you have chosen death. So be it," the old devil said, his voice cold and final. A cruel glint flashed in his ancient eyes, a gaze honed through countless battles and soaked in the blood of the fallen.

"Let's do this," he growled.

Without hesitation, the three figures moved as one, abandoning all techniques in favor of their most devastating weapon—the killing formation. In their arrogance, they believed sheer force would be enough. Perhaps their gravest mistake was ignoring Riley's warning.

"Thousand Swords Burial!"

A deafening bang shattered the silence. The sky darkened as if eclipsed by an endless storm of steel. A thousand swords, each different in shape, size, and aura, materialized from the void, glistening like the fangs of a celestial beast. They hovered for a mere breath before locking onto their sole target—Riley.

Without mercy, the blades descended in a relentless tide, shrieking through the air like a chorus of death. The sheer force of the attack split the earth beneath them, sending tremors rippling outward.

Mountains in the distance quivered, and the once-still air howled as if mourning the inevitable end. Dust and debris shot skyward, rising in a pillar that blotted out the sun, swallowing everything in its wake.

The three elders stood unmoving, their expressions calm, their minds already filled with thoughts of victory.

"A pity. He overestimated his abilities," the old sect master said, his voice tinged with indifference as he felt Riley's spiritual signature flicker—then vanish entirely.

"His death brings us immense fortune!" another elder said, barely containing his excitement. "With his secrets in our grasp, our strength will soar!"

"Yes," the third one murmured in agreement, his lips curling into a satisfied smirk.

They had seen countless foes fall. Riley was no different.

But what they saw next shattered their minds.

"This…!"

As the dust and debris settled, the three elders stood frozen in disbelief. Riley remained exactly where he had been—untouched. Not a single strand of his hair was out of place, his robes remained immaculate, and worst of all, he was smiling.

It was not an arrogant smirk nor a mocking grin, but something far more terrifying—a serene, knowing smile, as if the outcome of this battle had never been in question.

Their strongest technique, the Thousand Swords Burial, a formation that had wiped out entire sects, had done nothing.

Impossible.

They had poured everything into that attack. Their swords should have shredded him into nothingness, turned him into dust, erased him from existence. And yet, Riley stood there, as if they had never even attacked.

Fear began creeping into their hearts, a primal dread they had not felt in centuries.

"W-what trickery is this?" one of them stammered, taking an involuntary step back.

The old sect master clenched his fists, his mind racing for an answer. "No… No! This can't be! That attack was absolute! How… how are you still alive?!"

Riley tilted his head slightly, his expression as calm as ever. "Alive?" He chuckled softly. "I was never even in danger."

Little did they know, Riley had simply folded space and stepped into an alternate dimension using his Divine Step technique. To him, their so-called ultimate attack using the killing formation had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience, an ant trying to topple a mountain.

This battle had been over before it had even begun.

"You three have been weighed…"

Riley's voice, now devoid of all warmth, echoed like a divine proclamation.

"…And found wanting."

The amusement disappeared from his face, replaced by something far more chilling—indifference. There was no hesitation, no mercy. He had already decided their fates the moment they dared to challenge him.

"It's time for me to send you to hell."

The three elders barely had a moment to react. Their bodies tensed, their survival instincts screaming at them to flee, to do something.

But it was already too late.

There was no grand movement, no complex technique, no dramatic flourish. Riley simply willed it.

A ripple in space. A silent command.

And then…

BOOM!

A sickening explosion erupted as the three elders were crushed into nothingness. Their bodies imploded in an instant, reduced to a grotesque storm of flesh and bone. Blood painted the ground in a gruesome display, but even that was not the end.

Their souls, the very essence of their existence, which should have been able to escape or resist, never even got the chance. In the next instant, an invisible force descended upon them, snuffing them out like candle flames in a storm.

They did not even have time to understand how they had died.

The battlefield, once filled with the echoes of their confidence and arrogance, fell silent.

Riley exhaled, glancing at the spot where they once stood.

"How boring." With a wave of his hand, he erased even the remnants of their existence, as if they had never been there at all.

And with that, it was over.

"At least I got some rewards for killing these three fools," Riley muttered, shaking his head.

With a mere thought, three storage rings flew into his palm. He turned them over between his fingers, his divine sense sweeping through their contents.

Spirit stones, high-grade pills, rare herbs, cultivation techniques, and even a few soul-bound artifacts—nothing extraordinary, but useful nonetheless. He smirked.

These three had considered themselves powerful, yet the wealth they carried barely qualified as pocket change to him.

Riley expected more!

Still, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Every resource mattered, especially now.

His cultivation path was destined for greatness, but he wouldn't be walking it alone. The number of women by his side had grown, and as they followed him, their needs would only increase.

Cultivation required boundless resources, and he would never allow them to stagnate or fall behind. If he was to ascend beyond mortality, they, too, would follow in his footsteps. Immortality wasn't just his goal—it was theirs as well.

A flicker of warmth passed through his usually indifferent gaze. He envisioned the future he sought: a world where they would have nothing to fear, where power, longevity, and happiness were theirs to claim. No struggles, no suffering—only an endless eternity at his side.

But for that to happen, he needed more. Much more.

His gaze swept across the ruined battlefield. The lingering remnants of the battle, the bloodied ground, the deep cracks in the earth, the faint echoes of spiritual energy—it was all an unsightly mess.

He disliked leaving traces. With a casual wave of his hand, a surge of unseen power rippled outward. In an instant, the battlefield was restored. The earth knitted itself back together, the scorched marks vanished, and the air returned to its natural stillness.

It was as if the battle had never happened. It was back to its ugly state again.

Satisfied, Riley cast one final glance at the empty space where his enemies had once stood.

"How meaningless," he murmured.

A step later, he was gone, vanishing without a trace—just as effortlessly as he had arrived.

Riley found himself back at the Thousand Stars Summit, his arrival as silent as the night breeze. The familiar energy of the land embraced him, the air thick with spiritual essence, the towering peaks standing as eternal sentinels beneath the vast, starlit sky.

The first to notice his return was none other than Ruby.

"That was fast," she remarked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement as she materialized before him in a blur of crimson light. Her movements were effortless, graceful—like a flicker of fire in the darkness. Her long, ruby-red hair swayed slightly, her piercing eyes studying him with mild curiosity.

Her words weren't an exaggeration. Riley had been gone for mere minutes, yet he had already returned, completely unharmed, not even a speck of dust on his robes.

"They were mere ants, nothing more," Riley said with a faint smile, shaking his head. There was no pride in his voice, no arrogance—only the simple truth. The so-called battle had been nothing but a fleeting nuisance, a minor distraction on his path.

Ruby smirked. "I figured as much. Those old fools never stood a chance." She stepped closer, her arms folding under her ample chest as she scrutinized him. "Did you get anything useful out of them?"

"Some storage rings, but nothing worth mentioning." Riley waved dismissively. "Just enough to be considered a minor benefit."

Ruby chuckled. "Well, at least they weren't completely worthless. So, what now?"

A glint flickered in Riley's eyes as his gaze shifted toward the grand pavilion nestled within the heart of the summit.

"Now?" he mused, his lips curling into a slow smirk. "I've been away for a while. It's time to reconnect with my women."

Ruby rolled her eyes, though a knowing smile played on her lips. "Of course. You just got back from wiping out some arrogant old men, and the first thing on your mind is pleasure. And you've been away for a few minutes."

"Is that so? I must be getting older then." Riley chuckled, stepping past her.

Ruby scoffed but didn't argue. "Just don't wear them all out at once."

Riley laughed, his figure already disappearing into the depths of the summit. He had spent enough time dealing with insignificant enemies—now, it was time to indulge in far more pleasurable pursuits.