437 - Senior Sister Is on Top

Countless souls poured in, transforming into the purest form of nourishment, continuously perfecting the lotus throne. Just at the moment when Dao patterns rapidly emerged inside, a pitch-black radiance descended from the sky, striking the lotus throne with unerring precision. In the next instant, a figure cloaked in a mesmerizing and sinister aura appeared above the lotus throne. This being was dressed in a red blood gown, with a silver chain adorning their alabaster bare feet. Their skin was as delicate as snow, their figure alluring and graceful, stunningly beautiful, yet their expression remained cold and their eyes icy. From the moment they appeared, they exuded a chilling and terrifying killing intent. "Where is the artifact?" Chao E, still not fully recovered from the relief of narrowly escaping death, snapped out of his daze and quickly responded, "Lord... I am sorry, though I found six artifacts, I couldn't guard them. Now... only this Wraith Seal has not been taken by the God Emperor. Helpless, I had no choice but to use souls to complete the throne." Fearing his master's anger, he hastily added, "Rest assured, Lord. The Ghost Gate is closed, and the myriad souls of the Three Realms are more than enough for you to regain your strength." The "Demon" let out a cold laugh, "Regain strength? When did I ever say I lacked that bit of power?! Since you love sacrificing souls so much, why not throw yourself into the altar and become the nourishment for my power restoration!" As the words fell, they suddenly raised a hand and crushed Chao E's soul flame from a distance, absorbing it entirely into their body. Chao E hadn't even had time to react before his body trembled, plunging from the thousand-zhang high sky into the Yellow Springs Sea. He never imagined that after surviving the heavens' tribulations, he would ultimately die at the hands of the master he served loyally. The "Demon" did not lack power. Ten thousand years ago, they had split nearly half their power to save Jiang Yin, which greatly reduced their strength. But even so, they were able to strike down the gods and kill the Stream Emperor with unstoppable force. Later, they sacrificed their body and returned to the heavens, contending with the heavenly way for dominion. The power they touched was far beyond the past and did not concern itself with minor losses. However, losing their physical form made it difficult to intervene in the human world. Most of the heavenly powers were hidden within artifacts scattered throughout the cultivation world, necessitating someone to collect them on their behalf. That person was the Ghost Emperor. Initially, the "Demon" tempted him with promises of immortality and power, merely to gather artifacts for seizing heavenly authority. Unexpectedly, Chao E proved so incompetent, losing the artifacts, and using countless souls to forcibly summon them into the world. They had not, like the heavenly way, cut off all retreats and had left a hidden passage in the mortal realm—the Lotus Water Throne. However, there was only one such throne, and the Statecraft Map could only be shown once. Once used, there was no turning back. The sole chance to merge heavenly power with a human body had now been squandered by Chao E. How could they not be furious when a ten-thousand-year plan came to naught? Wen Dai sensed the overwhelming aura of the being before her, feeling as though she was facing the vastness of heaven and earth. Even a Qingluan with rich bloodlines found it difficult to confront. Seeing the being's lazy eyes turn in their direction, Wen Dai instinctively shielded Tang Mu Xi, "God Emperor, be careful." Si Jun Yin Qing and the others also guessed the identity of the woman and stood like formidable enemies before the God Emperor. Jiang Yin even gripped his junior sister's hand tightly, his nerves taut. The "Demon" let out a sneer but did not act rashly. They casually picked up the Wraith Seal, playing with it mockingly, "Is the mighty Stream Emperor hiding behind their subordinates? Where is the godly prowess from ten thousand years ago?" Whether it was due to the incomplete manifestation of the Lotus Water Throne, the “Demon’s” aura now was substantially weaker than before. Before Tang Mu Xi could say anything, Wen Dai struck first, "Less talk! A sinner like you will be executed by me!" She transformed into a hundred-zhang long Qingluan and attacked the opponent. As she made her move, Si Jun and the others also attacked in unison, fully aware of the opponent's formidable strength that could kill a full-strength God Emperor. They dared not hold back, giving their all at the start, intending to overwhelm with numbers. The "Demon" furrowed their brows, not anticipating this group was eager for death. Just as well; their anger had not yet been vented. Since they were so insolent, they couldn’t blame the Demon for being ruthless. An instant explosion of chilling demonic energy erupted, like a thick, polluted fog, sweeping out with hundreds of sharp wind blades. Wen Dai immediately spat out her life flame, combining efforts with Wen Fei to burn away the oncoming demonic energy. She then let out a long cry, condensing several Qingluan shadows to attack the "Demon." Si Jun extended countless vines from their divine wood body to entangle the opponent. Yin Qing, Xun Yi, and Feng Kai also unleashed their killing moves, encircling from all directions. The "Demon" showed not an ounce of fear, observing the six with interest. Until the attacks were near, they suddenly activated the Wraith Seal, tearing the void, reflecting all attacks back. Not just that, but they also activated the decayed lotus throne beneath them, dispersing waves of demonic light, forming countless invisible chains to bind everyone. This move was too sudden. All six were caught off guard, using all their mystical abilities trying to escape but could not break free from the mysterious demonic light, struggling in vain. Seeing that they were about to be severely injured by their own attacks, Tang Mu Xi could not stand by any longer. Holding the Nine Fiends Sword in her left hand and gripping the eerie bone sword in her right, she made a swift move. A flash of cold light and crimson glow, severing the chains binding four of them. The remaining two were saved by Jiang Yin wielding the Demon Prison Blade. Knowing they couldn't act brashly, neither Tang Mu Xi nor Jiang Yin dared to face the full force of six powerful entities, both stepping aside and setting up defensive formations with the Eight Trigrams to guard against further attacks. "Heavenly authority," Tang Mu Xi said gravely. "No wonder it required the Lotus Water Throne to manifest; it turns out you sacrificed your body ten thousand years ago to steal heavenly power." Tang Mu Xi had used similar powers to restrain Chao E's clone before, instantly recognizing it. Coupled with the demonic aura binding her for all lifetimes, she nearly guessed the backstory on the spot. The "Demon" faintly smiled for the first time, a cold grin crossing their face, then suddenly struck, again attempting to bind Tang Mu Xi with the lotus throne. As expected, the chains were not even near before being forcefully dispelled by an invisible power. The "Demon" was not surprised by this outcome and did not expect mere tricks to subdue Tang Mu Xi. Their gaze fell on the various artifacts surrounding Tang Mu Xi, eyes showing battle intent: "Ten thousand years ago, fearing I would obtain authority, you scattered the nine divine artifacts, leaving yourself with godly powers but effectively handicapped, unable to contend with me. Now, with artifacts returned and a new divine body, I suppose you won’t flee again this time?"