"Then I will begin your training now," said Yuan a moment later.
"G-Give me a moment to prepare myself!" Yan Hara hastily said.
Then, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.
A few moments later, she slowly opened her eyes as she declared, "Okay, I am reaā"
Before Yan Hara could even finish her sentence, Yuan commanded Demon Emperor Nightmare to activate its unique technique.
A dark crimson light flickered within the Demon Emperor Nightmareās eyes, and in the next instant, trapped Yan Hara within its illusion.
When Yan Hara fully opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. However, the Demon Emperor Nightmareās ability could do more than just create illusions. It could even create false memories and implant them into the victim, further selling its illusion.
Within moments after entering the illusion, fabricated memories flowed into her head.
Yuan calmly took a seat on the ground and waited for Yan Hara to finish her training, which could easily take weeks if not months.
"Demon Emperor Nightmare, huh?"
Yuan closed his eyes and reminisced about the war between humans and demons, specifically when he had to fight the Demon Emperor Nightmare.
Of all the Demon Emperors the Divine Paragon had faced, Demon Emperor Nightmare was arguably the most dangerous and annoying, as its unique ability had once forced him to relive the most harrowing moment of his life: the death of his childhood friend.
Naturally, Demon Emperor Nightmare was nothing more than a slight annoyance in the Divine Paragonās eyes, akin to that of a buzzing fly, and it didnāt take him too much effort to defeat it.
While Yuan sat silently, lost in the memories of his past, Yan Hara was plunged into a living nightmare, experiencing misfortune after misfortune as she watched her loved ones fall, one by one, at the hands of demons. Each loss felt painfully real, and with every passing moment, the illusion sank deeper into her heart.
At first, Yan Hara was aware she was trapped in an illusion. But each time one nightmare ended, she was immediately thrust into another, each illusion weaving a different set of memories, a different life, all ending in tragedy.
Over time, the lines between reality and illusion began to blur, and her sense of self slowly unraveled as she was forced to liveāand loseāagain and again.
Furthermore, time flowed differently within the illusion. For Yan Hara, a single day in Yuanās world felt like an entire lifetime, and each passing moment was years of love, loss, and pain.
This method of training bordered on torture. It was harsh, relentless, and unforgiving. Yet despite its brutality, the results were already beginning to show within just a few days.
With each passing day, Yan Haraās Demon Sealing Aura grew noticeably stronger, denser, more refined, and far more intimidating. Alongside it, a fierce killing intent began to radiate from her body.
Time flowed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Yan Hara began her training.
By now, Yan Hara was almost unrecognizable. Though her appearance remained the same, her aura and presence were incomparable to before.
After another month, Yuan suddenly opened his eyes when blood began flowing from Yan Haraās nose. Seeing this, he muttered, "Looks like itās time to end her training."
He commanded Demon Emperor Nightmare to halt its abilities the very next moment, ending Yan Haraās seemingly endless nightmare.
However, the moment Yan Hara returned to the real world, her eyes instantly locked onto Demon Emperor Nightmare, and they flared with unfathomable hatred and killing intent.
"DEMON!" she roared before shooting herself at it.
Yuan didnāt stop Yan Hara and decided to let her fight Demon Emperor Nightmare.
Yan Haraās body exploded with immense Demon Sealing Aura. It was so powerful that it leaked out of the training grounds and into the city outside, shocking the nearby Demon Sealers.
"Heavens! Whose Demon Sealing Aura is this?! I have never experienced such a powerful aura! Even Master Zhou pales in comparison!"
"It must be Senior Yan! Only the Divine Paragonās successor could possibly achieve this level of prowess!"
While Yan Hara had been training, Zhou Yanfei spread the news of her being the Divine Paragonās successor throughout the Demon Sealing Grotto, news that sent shockwaves through the entire faction.
Though many members were initially skeptical, they couldnāt forget witnessing Yan Hara wielding the Divine Paragonās techniques during the invasion. Coupled with Zhou Yanfeiās firm endorsement, it didnāt take long for the faction to accept her as the rightful successor to the Divine Paragonās legacy.
"The Demon Sealing Aura is getting stronger!" The Demon Sealers started gathering around the source, but none of them dared to approach since it was coming from within Zhou Yanfeiās territory.
Eventually, Zhou Yanfei appeared at the training grounds.
Though he was well aware that Yuan and Yan Hara were using the space for their training, curiosity eventually got the better of him, and he decided to step inside for a closer look.
āHeavens! What the hell is a demon doing here?! And that heavy presence... Itās a Demon Emperor!ā Zhou Yanfei was greatly shocked to see a Demon Emperor appearing in the middle of his training grounds, and he wondered if it had snuck inside to try to assassinate Yan Hara.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Zhou Yanfei showed himself and joined the battle with Yan Hara to deal with Demon Emperor Nightmare.
Yuan had already noticed Zhou Yanfeiās presence long before he arrived, but he decided not to stop him, even using it as an opportunity to test his loyalty.
Seeing Zhou Yanfei assisting Yan Hara without hesitation made him give a nod of approval.
After nearly an entire week of fighting, Yan Hara and Zhou Yanfei managed to subdue Demon Emperor Nightmare, sealing it.
"How... How and when the hell did a Demon Emperor sneak inside? We have people guarding the cityās entrance around the clock ever since the Demon Worshippersā invasion!" Zhou Yanfei exclaimed afterward, wondering if someone had purposefully let it inside.
However, Yuan quickly said, "Relax. This Demon Emperor isnāt real. Itās a puppet I created to help Yan Hara with her training."
"What...?" Zhou Yanfei stared at him with wide eyes, seeming unable to believe his ears.