Nine drops of Heavenly Phoenix True Flame encircled the Ghost Emperor and the Nether Emperor like nine blazing suns. The entire area was engulfed in fire, making it impossible for even the Limit Douluo-level Dark Blood Demon to see what was happening inside.
Sitting high on the cult leader's throne, Leng Yaozhu hardly lifted a finger. Just the nine drops of Heavenly Phoenix True Flame were enough to trap the Ghost Emperor and Nether Emperor.
Compared to when she was in the Endless Mountain Range, her strength had taken another leap forward.
In stark contrast to Leng Yaozhu's calm composure, the Ghost Emperor and Nether Emperor were utterly disheveled.
Beneath their feet surged rolling magma; above them blazed a sky of fire. Surrounded on all sides by endless flames, it felt like they were trapped in an infinite fire domain.
Nine colossal Heavenly Phoenixes continuously launched fierce assaults from every direction.
"So powerful—the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo actually used just nine drops of Heavenly Phoenix True Flame to construct a small world that has completely sealed us in. Ghost Emperor, create an opening for me. I'll try to break this realm. If we don't escape, we'll be burned to death," said the Nether Emperor, wielding the Underworld King Sword. His four-word battle armor was already damaged, and in this mini-world, the nine phoenixes were immortal. Even when decapitated, they would quickly reform.
"Understood!" Ghost Emperor nodded. The Underworld King Sword in Nether Emperor's hand was a divine weapon with immense destructive power. If any weapon could shatter this mini-world, it was that one.
A dark green light screen emerged from the Ghost Emperor, and wherever it passed, the flames in this small world began to extinguish.
As the fire dimmed, terrifying wraiths started to appear. Within moments, the entire green space was filled with vengeful spirits.
Domain Technique: Ten Thousand Ghosts Descend.
One of Ghost Emperor's most powerful trump cards.
"One With All Ghosts!" Ghost Emperor roared. Within the domain, all the ghosts surged toward the skull above his head, which immediately expanded several times over.
"Break!" he shouted again, leaping into the air and merging with the skull. The skull swelled even further, and from its seven orifices, it sprayed seven streams of ghostly flame, sweeping toward seven of the phoenixes.
The skull itself lunged at the two phoenixes closest by.
"Screech!" The nine Heavenly Phoenixes, each with the power of a Limit Douluo, faced the Ghost Emperor's full-force assault without fear. They swarmed in, instantly extinguishing the seven ghostly flames.
Seizing the moment, the Nether Emperor gathered all his power into the Underworld King Sword, which instantly expanded a hundredfold in his hand.
He leapt into the air, and with a slash of gray sword light that split the heavens, the fiery sky of this domain was truly torn open.
Both Ghost Emperor and Nether Emperor seized the opportunity and leapt out in an instant.
But as soon as they emerged, they were stunned. The nine drops of Heavenly Phoenix True Flame were still hovering around them, unextinguished.
"Hm, faster than I expected. As I thought, you both have some tricks," Leng Yaozhu said softly. "Shall we go again?"
"What do you want?" the Nether Emperor asked coldly, staring at the aloof Leng Yaozhu seated on the throne.
The flames still burning meant she could immediately reconstruct the exact same small world and trap them again.
But in their current state, they'd have a hard time breaking it a second time.
"You want to know what I want?" Leng Yaozhu pointed at the floor before them. Her voice was cold. "You have two choices: die—or kneel and speak."
"Never!" Ghost Emperor roared angrily.
"What you've done—dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough punishment. When I tell you to kneel, it's not to kneel before me, but before the countless civilians who died because of you," Leng Yaozhu's voice was icy. "You won't just kneel here. You'll kneel in Shrek City, where you killed millions of innocent people."
"What a joke. Why don't you bring the two Tang Sect leaders to kneel in Mingdu for what they did?" Ghost Emperor sneered.
"There will come a day," Leng Yaozhu replied, her voice cold as ever. "This is my final question: will you die, or will you confess your sins to those innocent lives you destroyed?"
Indeed, Leng Yaozhu wished to take control of the Holy Spirit Cult, but that didn't mean she would forgive what they had done.
She would not allow it to be swept under the rug without justice for the victims.
"Hahaha…" Ghost Emperor laughed loudly and looked toward Leng Yula—just as he was about to speak, a figure behind him suddenly dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
"Nanalie greets the Honorable Heavenly Phoenix. I was once lost and committed many wrongs. I am willing to accept any punishment from your Grace." Nanalie was drenched in sweat, golden light seeping from her nose and mouth, her expression twisted in pain. She was still enduring the agony of having the evil energy purged from her body.
Yet she forced herself to kneel.
Nanalie knew the Ghost Emperor was about to drag Leng Yulai into this. Leng Yulai had also once been an evil soul master, her hands stained with blood. Would Leng Yaozhu punish the Tang Sect, but not Leng Yulai?
By speaking up now, Nanalie deliberately interrupted Ghost Emperor. Whether Leng Yulai or Leng Yaozhu needed her help or not, she had offered it.
The Dark Blood Demon didn't know why Nanalie was in such pain, but Nanalie herself knew well.
Her soul power had dropped to level 95.
This was because the evil energy in her soul power had been purged.
However, Leng Yulai's skillful techniques didn't damage the foundation of her soul power. Though it was temporarily reduced to 95, it would recover within a few days.
The impact was minimal.
Nanalie understood her body better than anyone. Deep down, she felt nothing but joy.
She was extremely gifted. As long as she had the right opportunities, reaching the level of Ghost Emperor or Nether Emperor was absolutely possible.
Because she was too talented, the top two figures in the Holy Spirit Cult—Dark Blood Demon and Dark Hummingbird—had already started guarding against her.
She knew very well this was all under Ghost Emperor's instruction.
She belonged to the Worship Hall. Ghost Emperor didn't want the Worship Hall to surpass the Elder Hall.
Ghost Emperor had never truly trusted the Demon Emperor, nor the Nether Emperor. In his eyes, they were all pawns.
Nether Emperor was different. He had no interest in internal cult affairs. Though he was the High Worship of the Worship Hall, he never stood up for its members when the Elder Hall suppressed them.
Nanalie even knew that when Leng Yulai forged the Demon God Sword, it was Ghost Emperor and Dark Blood Demon who instigated her.
Forging that sword consumed vast resources from the Holy Spirit Cult.
Though they appeared to support Leng Yulai, in truth, they wanted the sword's backlash to hinder her, blocking her path to breaking through her limits.
Nanalie understood well—within the Worship Hall, she had no chance to surpass her limits.
To break through, she had to leave the Holy Spirit Cult.
Surrendering to the sisters Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai was a great opportunity.
Of course, the most decisive factor was the strength of Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai.
Ghost Emperor and Nether Emperor clearly weren't a match for Leng Yaozhu.
Their cult leader, the Demon Emperor, clearly wouldn't help them anymore.
The Holy Spirit Cult was finished.
Nanalie had no intention of dying with it.
To survive, surrendering was her only option.
And truthfully, she was very envious—no, even jealous of Leng Yulai.
Once reviled as an evil soul master, Leng Yula had now been "cleansed," had a good reputation, and was one of the strongest people on the entire continent.
Nanalie never believed she was inferior. Leng Yulai stood high above, while she had to hide in the far north, scorned for generations. She was not willing to accept that.
Now, by pledging loyalty first, maybe she could earn leniency—maybe even be "cleansed" like Leng Yulai.
Soon, once the evil within her was completely removed, she would no longer be an evil soul master.