Chapter 96: Hei Xue — You Are Too Weak!
Dozens of blood-red eyes suddenly lit up within the dark thickets, gleaming like those of ferocious beasts poised to devour their prey.
Immediately thereafter, more than twenty figures—clad in black robes and bearing eerie, blood-red markings painted upon their faces—stepped out from the shadows.
Leading the group was a frail, withered old man; his back was hunched, and he leaned heavily upon a twisted bone staff.
"Heh-heh-heh..."
The old man let out a grotesque, owl-like cackle as his cloudy eyes swept over the members of the Knight Order.
"We originally intended to sneak up on you wretched knights and finish you off covertly, but circumstances have changed; now, we have no choice but to engage you head-on."
He paused, his tone turning chillingly cold: "I’ve heard that a squad from the Holy Knight Order has recently been patrolling the border provinces between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, slaughtering quite a few of our fellow ’scum.’ I never expected you lot to have such audacity—to actually dare to trespass into the Yunluo Duchy!"
A sudden, powerful surge of Soul Power erupted from the old man’s body as eight Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black!
An Eight-Ringed Soul Douluo!
The four figures standing beside him simultaneously manifested their own Soul Rings—revealing them all to be Seven-Ringed Soul Sages!
Tian Yue gasped in shock: "Four Soul Sages? And a Soul Douluo on top of that?!"
Alarm bells rang wildly in her mind. The true strength of this band of ’Fallen Ones’ far exceeded the estimates provided by their intelligence reports!
Qian Renxue was merely a quasi-Soul Douluo, while the rest of the squad consisted entirely of Soul Emperors.
Facing a Soul Douluo, four Soul Sages, and over twenty additional black-robed figures of unknown cultivation levels, their situation was direly unfavorable.
"We have to find an opportunity to break through their lines..."
Tian Yue gritted her teeth, subtly shifting her stance to position herself slightly ahead and to the side of Qian Renxue.
"Sister Xue, once the fighting starts, you make your escape first; I’ll cover your retreat!"
Qian Renxue, however, shook her head; the golden radiance emanating from her Angelic Sword flared brilliantly.
"I am the Captain. It goes against every principle of the Order to abandon my subordinates and flee ahead of them."
Concealed in the shadows, Light Feather Douluo silently summoned his Light-Feather Bow, his gaze locking firmly onto the elderly Soul Douluo.
"These Fallen Ones are truly growing stronger by the day..."
He felt a silent alarm rise within him, yet he simultaneously stood poised, ready to strike and intervene at any moment.
"At her—now!"
The withered old man brandished his bone staff, and four Soul Saints instantly surged forward, making a direct lunge for Qian Renxue.
Clearly, they, too, had recognized that Qian Renxue was the linchpin of this small squad.
The remaining black-robed figures swarmed in like a rising tide, fanning out to isolate and encircle the nine members of the Holy Knight Order.
Most of these black-robed figures possessed cultivation levels ranging from Soul Sect to Soul King.
While they were no match for the Knight Order in single combat, their teamwork was seamless.
Moreover, wreathed in a layer of blood-red, malevolent energy, they fought with a fearless disregard for death, managing to completely entangle the members of the Knight Order.
With the spirit of the Heavenly Moon Golden Crocodile King manifested upon her, Tian Yue unleashed a punch that sent the black-robed figure before her hurtling through the air; yet, two others immediately rushed in to fill the gap.
"Damn it! These people are under the control of dark sorcery!"
She sensed that the Soul Power of these black-robed figures was laced with a bizarre, corrosive energy—an energy that would subtly seep into one’s body during the clash of battle, serving to disrupt and cloud the mind.
Facing the simultaneous siege of four Soul Saints, Qian Renxue found herself under immense pressure.
Her Angelic Sword danced through the air, weaving a dazzling web of golden light.
The Holy attribute of her power held a natural suppressive effect against the malevolent energies of the Fallen Ones; however, her opponents employed a fighting style that was both bizarre and insidious, specifically targeting her vital points and blind spots.
"Holy Sword!"
Qian Renxue let out a sharp cry. Behind her, a colossal Angelic Sword materialized into existence before thrusting forward toward one of the Soul Saints.
That Soul Saint neither dodged nor retreated; instead, he formed a series of hand seals, causing a blood-red bone shield to coalesce directly before him.
Boom! The golden light slammed into the bone shield; the shield shattered, and the Soul Saint recoiled backward, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
It was at that very moment that the withered old man made his move.
Rather than joining the fray, he reached into his robes and withdrew an ancient, black-bound tome.
Inscribed upon the book’s cover in dark-red ink were three large, twisted characters: The Scripture of the Holy Spirit.
The old man flipped to a specific page within the book and began to chant an incantation in a bizarre, arcane tongue.
"Hakimi Nanbei Green Bean, Ashiga Hayaku Nairo, Hakimi Nanbei de Green Bean, Ouma Ojiri Mambo..."
As the incantation rang out, a brilliant crimson glow erupted from the old man’s body; the Scripture of the Holy Spirit levitated of its own accord, its pages fluttering as if stirred by an unseen wind.
In the sky above, the radiant full moon began to take on a blood-red hue!
"This is bad! He’s casting a large-scale dark spell!"
Alarmed by the sight, Tian Yue attempted to rush forward to interrupt the ritual, but she was inextricably pinned down by three figures clad in black robes.
A blood-red pillar of light—several meters in diameter—shot upward from the Scripture of the Holy Spirit, piercing straight toward the crimson moon.
Immediately thereafter, a massive blood-red magic circle unfurled slowly across the sky, spanning the entire valley. Its intricate patterns were twisted and bizarre, exuding a nauseating aura of pure evil.
The old man continued to chant, his pace quickening and his voice growing increasingly shrill: "I don’t want to, I don’t want to Mambo! Hakimi doesn’t want to Mambo either..."
The blood-red magic circle flared with blinding intensity, and a crushing force—heavy as a mountain—suddenly descended, bearing down mercilessly upon the nine members of the Holy Knights Order!
All nine let out a muffled groan in unison; the flow of their Soul Power abruptly stalled, and their movements lagged by several beats.
Yet, the Fallen Ones remained completely unscathed; on the contrary, bathed in the crimson glow, their collective aura surged to even greater heights!
"This is... a domain-type dark spell?!"
Qian Renxue sank to one knee, propping herself up with her Angelic Sword.
She felt her Angel Martial Soul being ruthlessly suppressed by the malevolent force, rendering her utterly unable to summon even the slightest shred of Holy Power.
Even more terrifying was the sensation of that dark energy—like a living entity—burrowing into her body and surging straight toward her Sea of Spirit!
"Heh-heh-heh... Heh-heh-heh!"
The withered old man cackled maniacally; illuminated by the crimson light, his gaunt face resembled that of a vengeful wraith.
"Today, this old man shall become the very first Holy Emissary to slay an Angel! Heh-heh-heh!"
He raised his bone staff and pointed it directly at Qian Renxue: "First, let’s slaughter this Angelic Successor!"
Four Soul Sages lunged forward simultaneously, unleashing the full force of their killing moves!
Hidden in the shadows, Light Plume Douluo’s gaze turned razor-sharp; the ice-blue arrow nocked on his bowstring flared with blinding radiance, poised to strike!
But in that very instant, he suddenly froze. He sensed that within the valley—amidst the crimson, malevolent energy—a brand-new wave of power had inexplicably materialized out of thin air!
That power... emanated from Qian Renxue!
All eyes turned to the kneeling Qian Renxue.
From within her body—where her brilliant golden Soul Power had previously been suppressed—wisps of purplish-black light were now seen seeping out, emerging from who knew where!
The purplish-black light seemed almost sentient, writhing and spreading outward. Wherever it touched, the oppressive crimson energy was gradually corroded and devoured!
"What is happening?!"
The withered old man also sensed the anomaly, and his expression shifted drastically.
"Isn’t her Martial Soul of the Holy attribute? What is this purplish-black power?!"
Acting decisively, he channeled his energy; a grotesque skull materialized atop his bone staff, spewing crimson flames as it hurtled toward Qian Renxue.
"I don’t care what you are—die!"
However, just as the skull reached the halfway point, the purplish-black light surrounding Qian Renxue erupted with sudden, explosive force!
"Boom—!"
A towering pillar of purplish-black light shot skyward, rising to stand in equal opposition to the crimson pillar of light!
Within the radiant column, Qian Renxue slowly straightened her body, lifting her previously bowed head.
In that instant, everyone witnessed the purplish-black flames burning within her eyes.
...
Inside Qian Renxue’s Sea of Spirit.
The once-tranquil golden ocean was now a tempestuous maelstrom, and the sky above was cleaved in two—divided between crimson and purplish-black hues.
At the very center of this turbulent ocean, Qian Renxue’s true consciousness stood unsteadily; clutching her head with both hands, she gasped in agony.
"Qian Renxue... you’ve reached your limit..."
A voice—teasing, yet laced with seductive allure—echoed through her mind, reverberating in wave after wave.
"Surrender your body to me... and I shall handle everything for you..."
Qian Renxue snapped her head up, fixing her gaze upon the source of the voice.
High above the Sea of Spirit, the purplish-black orb of light—which had previously hovered in silent stillness—was now radiating an eerie, bewitching glow.
The orb slowly shifted and stretched, until finally, it coalesced into the distinct silhouette of a human figure. It was a woman with the exact same face as her.
Beneath her flawless features—skin as white as snow, phoenix eyes brimming with charm—grown six pure black wings, each feather seemingly capable of swallowing light.
She wore an eerie black dress, its hem flowing like shadows, completely devoid of the holy aura of a six-winged angel, replaced by an extreme allure and sinister charm.
Her eyes held a playful smile, yet deep within lay endless darkness and madness.
"Who...are you?!" Qian Renxue asked through gritted teeth.
The dark woman landed lightly on the sea, her bare feet creating ripples. She tilted her head, her smile seductive: "I...?"
She approached Qian Renxue step by step, reaching out her hand, her cool fingers caressing Qian Renxue’s cheek with an intimate touch, as if caressing her reflection in a mirror.
"I...I am you."
Qian Renxue’s beautiful eyes widened instantly. She tried to back away, but found herself unable to move.
Dark Qian Renxue circled behind her, gently embracing her from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder, and breathing softly into her ear: "You are too weak...weakness is a sin..."
Her voice was gentle, yet every word pierced the heart: "You can’t protect the people you want to protect, nor can you avenge the grudges you want to take. That woman named Bibi Dong took everything from you, and you could only swallow your anger. Now even a group of filthy, fallen people can drive you to the brink..."
"What’s the point of living like this?"
Qian Renxue trembled violently, her eyes clashing fiercely with a battle between golden and purplish-black light.
Dark Qian Renxue continued to whisper, her voice like a call from the abyss: "Come...give me your body. I will slaughter all enemies, I will make the whole world grovel at my feet, I will accomplish everything you could not..."
"Give me your body...I will take care of everything for you..."