436 - Senior Sister Is on Top

All is lost. Ever since Chao E had killed the Demon Emperor with his own hands, sacrificing most of his assistance, he had been on the verge of defeat. But even if given another chance, he would still do the same. Yin Sheng was powerfully formidable, wielding a Heaven-Demon Halberd that could nearly shatter the Demon Realm. If not removed while weak, he would become a boundless threat. There was only one Lotus Water Throne, and there could be only one who would vie for dominance over the world. Only by placing oneself in a fatal situation might one be reborn. Chao E gradually ceased his laughter, releasing the hand clutching his shoulder. Without the suppression of ghostly power, the wound on his severed arm immediately gushed with blood. “However, it seems the Divine Emperor made a miscalculation.” He picked up the Phantom Seal, his eyes still sparkling with vitality. When he issued his order earlier, the Phantom Seal was clearly on the list but had not returned to its place—heaven did not abandon him. However, he did not realize that this “loyal” ghost seal was indeed his true tombstone. Tang Muxi’s eyes darkened, without saying a word, she simultaneously activated three divine artifacts: the Ghostly Talisman, the Soul Extermination Disk, and the Nine Fiends Sword, aiming to utterly kill her opponent. Chao E had anticipated this. When the overwhelming power of the divine artifacts was about to fall upon him, he immediately activated the Phantom Seal and vanished into the void. He did not flee, nor had he ever intended to flee. From the moment he infiltrated the Changhe Divine Realm decades ago to meet the “Demon,” he had resolved to dominate the world. With his grand plan unfulfilled, how could he resign himself? Rather than escaping to the ghost realm and spending the rest of his life in regret, he preferred to make a desperate fight. If he succeeded, the world would be in his hands; if he failed, it would merely cost him his life. Chao E evaded the attack and reappeared before the State Diagram. The Lotus Water Throne was not yet complete, with only half of its divine patterns visible. But he did not care in the least. Knowing that divine artifacts would follow the orders of the Divine Emperor, he directly severed Mo Sha, extracting the Lotus Water Throne completely from the spiritual waves of the State Diagram and began praying devoutly. “Chao E obediently follows the supreme command, intending to gather divine artifacts to present to the honored one. Yet my strength is weak, unworthy of your profound favor.” Pausing slightly, he glanced toward all four corners of the Underworld Sea, “With insufficient artifacts and an incomplete throne, I can only offer up the rest of my strength. May the honored one show mercy.” With his final words, a ghostly gate appeared out of thin air. Countless souls were attracted by the Phantom Seal, offering up the fate and karma of their countless lifetimes to the Lotus Throne. Simultaneously, all the souls that had turned into wild ghosts across the three realms began flying toward this place in overwhelming numbers. Chapter 249 The Ghost Gate had been closed for several years, and all deceased beings in the cultivation world could not enter the ghost realm to reincarnate, wandering the human world until they lost their sanity due to the corrosion of ghostly energy, transforming into wild wandering spirits attacking the three realms. Chao E never conducted meaningless massacres. From the moment he shattered the Phantom Seal and completely ended the cycle of yin and yang reincarnation, he had foreseen today’s defeat. If the nine divine artifacts could not be gathered, he could only offer sufficient power to manifest a holy intent. And these souls were his final fallback. The number of wandering spirits in the three realms was incredibly vast, impossible to eradicate even if the Immortal Alliance and the Demon Realm exerted all their efforts. Now, adding the souls stuck in the ghost realm unable to reincarnate, they gathered to form a chillingly ominous river of ghostly energy in the skies. It was as vast as the sea, and from a distance, it seemed like the advent of ghostly deities, an overpowering presence that even Wen Dai, with cultivation reaching its peak, found horrifyingly shocking. Tang Muxi, seeing the numerous souls offering themselves to the Lotus Throne, instantly reacted furiously, “Chao E! You sacrifice living beings and sever reincarnation; are you not afraid of divine retribution?!” A human life carries cause and effect. Killing leaves small traces of karmic debt, but severing reincarnation is truly vicious. The sheer number of souls before her, all being sacrificed, could destroy the very foundation of the cultivation world. As if in response to her words, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the darkened sky with overwhelming might, echoing with heavenly wrath. Chao E keenly felt the world's anger, his heart seemingly gripped tightly, making it hard to breathe. The intense killing intent made him sweat profusely. Only now did he truly feel the insignificance of a cultivator. As a Ghost Emperor ruling over a domain, he was still powerless before the heavens. He knew well the fate of severing future lives, but having decided to act, he would never cease halfway. “Divine retribution? So be it!” Chao E summoned the Phantom Seal, calling forth endless ghostly flames, shooting them straight into the clouds, intending to incinerate the thunderclouds symbolizing heavenly wrath. He succeeded, and in an instant, most of the thunderclouds were burned away by the ghostly flames. However, this blasphemy only thoroughly enraged the heavens. The next moment, countless bolts of purple thunder descended from the sky with the force to annihilate deities, targeting him relentlessly. This was true divine retribution, relentless and lethal. Once struck by these thunderbolts, no one could survive. Sweat pouring down his body, Chao E immediately pulled out tens of thousands of souls to shield himself. However, as if anticipating his move, the fierce thunderbolts suddenly split, passing through the souls without causing any harm, continuing to strike at him with undiminished force, arriving in an instant. No way to dodge, certain death awaited. Chao E trembled all over, unable to stand upright under the intense heavenly pressure, his teeth chattering. The instinct to survive made it impossible for him to maintain his composure. Clutching the Lotus Water Throne tightly, he called out loudly, “Honored one, save me!” Just as the Ghost Emperor was about to be annihilated by divine retribution, at the critical moment, the Lotus Water Throne actually responded to his plea, suddenly rising into the air to meet the lightning bolt head-on. With a deafening explosion, the thunderbolt's blast resonated across the sky, ear-shatteringly loud. The blinding lightning, like a golden sun, erupted with scorching, dazzling brilliance. The electric fire surged, and the residual power lingered, with the scorching heat even burning and tearing the space, forming rippling cracks like waves. Tang Muxi did not dare to look directly, only hearing the immense continuous sounds beside her. When she opened her eyes again, the thunderclouds remained, the Lotus Throne hovered in the air, and Chao E, who had been destined to die, was unharmed! “How can this be!” She exclaimed in disbelief, “The divine retribution was blocked by the Lotus Throne?!” The Lotus Water Throne, though a precious artifact, was too fragile to withstand even her full strike, let alone divine retribution! Unless… As if confirming her suspicion, the once-gleaming and radiant throne suddenly emitted a ferocious demonic aura, like a corrupted treasure rapidly filled with a sinister and decayed energy.