"You're threatening me?"
Kong Tai instantly understood Im's intention.
As Kong Tai's words fell, an inexplicable fluctuation swept through the space.
Then Im found that the space around her body, which had been invisible and ethereal, had materialized.
It turned into solid ice, instantly freezing both her and Uranus within it.
However, Im showed no panic; this was something she had always known.
She raised her hand, her arm, like a reflection beneath water, ignoring the frozen space, gently brushed through it. Her dark red pupils reflected the ripples in the space before her, and a hint of amusement curved her lips.
She looked at the boy with a trace of anger behind the spatial ripples, her tone still calm, even tinged with playfulness.
"No, no, no, this isn't a threat, it's just a transaction."
She lowered her hand and stepped forward, her figure like a ghost, instantly appearing before Kong Tai.
They stood face to face, like looking into a mirror, seeing only each other's eyes.
"This world is merely a stopover on my wandering journey. I don't care about this world, nor the people or things on it."
"If it weren't for the long, cold drift through the universe, and the rare encounter with a life-bearing planet, do you think Joy Boy could have trapped me in the planet's core?"
"No, I could have come out, of course I could have. If I wished, I could have easily destroyed this planet."
"It's just that he threw me into the planet's most vulnerable spot!"
"Hahahaha!!"
Speaking of which, Im stepped back, her gaze shifting from Kong Tai.
She raised her head, looking at the rising sun on the horizon, and said mockingly, "That fellow thought he was the sun god, but he was merely a false god who obtained divine power. I did want to borrow his strength to break free from my seal."
"This was a win-win situation from the start. I helped him advance this world's technology and gave him infinite knowledge, and he only needed to help me break the seal and grant me freedom after he ascended."
"But in the end, that fellow didn't grant me the promised freedom and instead threw me into the planet's core."
Im shook her head, her mockery deepening.
"Foolish people make foolish decisions. Otherwise, with my help, he could have ascended to godhood and wouldn't have ended up in that state."
Kong Tai watched Im quietly, not interrupting.
He wanted to know from Im why Joy Boy ultimately didn't help Im escape.
Unfortunately, Im stopped speaking there.
Clearly, she herself didn't know why Joy Boy had inexplicably reneged on their deal.
However, even though Im didn't know, Kong Tai had a partial guess.
It was likely that Im was too powerful, and Joy Boy lacked the confidence that if Im were released and decided not to leave, she would enslave this world, and he would be powerless to stop her.
This worry about the future led to Joy Boy's breach of contract and his foolish decision to throw Im into the planet's core.
Those confined within the well could never know the greatness of the world outside.
Although the era Joy Boy lived in had seen earth-shattering progress due to Im's arrival, the perspective of that being trapped on this planet hadn't improved much.
His fear of Im was thus inevitable.
After all, humanity was too insignificant and too fragile compared to Im, who brought an explosion of knowledge. Therefore, Joy Boy, despite breaking his promise, did not release Im.
Looking at Im, the trace of anger in Kong Tai's eyes dissipated with the wind.
As this anger faded, the surrounding space instantly smoothed out. The revealed void retreated to its original orbit, and the world, previously like flowing water, returned to its normal state.
"I can agree to your transaction."
"But once you're out, I hope you leave quickly. I don't want a threat like you existing in my world."
"Don't worry."
Seeing Kong Tai agree, a hint of excitement flashed in Im's eyes.
Then, with a mysterious smile, she said, "As I said before, I won't care about this world. After all, to me, this world is too insignificant."
"Mm!" Kong Tai nodded. "I hope so."
Their thoughts were different, but Kong Tai, after some consideration, still agreed to the transaction of releasing Im.
Im didn't care about this world, but Kong Tai did!
After all, this world held his lover, his family, his master, and his friends.
Im cast a deep look at the boy, then eagerly turned, tilting her head to meet Uranus's eyes.
Under her gaze, Uranus rapidly melted, its massive form reverting to the silver ionic state they had first seen.
"There was originally a passage directly to the underground, but Joy Boy filled it in after throwing me in."
As she spoke, she waved her hand downwards towards the garden ahead.
Then, the silver ions floating in the air instantly transformed into a giant drill.
The moment the drill appeared, it began to spin, then slammed down into the ground. With a rumble, it rapidly burrowed downwards.
"Is this the peak of technology in your world?"
Standing at the edge of the immense abyss created by Uranus's transformation into a drill, Kong Tai looked at the dark silhouette and asked Im curiously.
"Peak?"
Im tilted her head, looking at Kong Tai with a hint of condescending superiority in her eyes. "This is just basic technology. When you truly venture into space, you will realize how insignificant this world is."
As she said this, she once again taunted Joy Boy. "That fellow's shortsightedness cost this world the opportunity to connect with a truly advanced civilization, and it cost this world its greatest fortune."
"Fortune?"
Kong Tai remained noncommittal about Im's taunt.
Whether it was a fortune or not, Kong Tai didn't know.
But one thing he did know was that this world, this universe, could not be peaceful, and there were no free lunches.
Survival of the fittest was the fundamental law of the world.
This applied not only to the animal kingdom, but to humanity, to this world, and even more so, it was a universal rule of the cosmos.
Im's release might mean she would leave this world without a second thought, but a greater possibility was that she would conquer this world, enslave it, and make it her personal domain.
After all, gods were still living beings, just beings far more powerful than humans.
And as long as there were living beings, there were desires. With desires, they would not let go of this beautiful planet. Even if they didn't enslave it, selling it would fetch a hefty sum, wouldn't it?
Kong Tai understood Joy Boy's distrust of Im.