Nether Emperor, Yun Ming Arrive

"Now isn't the time to dwell on this. I think we should leave Baiye City as soon as possible," Chen An said seriously.

He had neither the mood to ask about his father and mother's story nor the time to analyze whether Chen Yan's Martial Soul had become like this because of him. None of that mattered anymore.

What mattered most was getting out of here and lying low, lest someone come looking for them.

Chen Yan had merely awakened an evil Martial Soul; she was not yet an Evil Soul Master. But those people would not care about that distinction.

After thinking it over, Chen Feng did not object. An evil Martial Soul with Innate Full Soul Power was no laughing matter.

Chen An and Chen Feng quickly packed their things, while Chen Yan sat helplessly on the sofa with her head lowered, overwhelmed by guilt.

The family of three left Baiye City in the pouring rain, proceeding carefully for fear of drawing attention.

To avoid attracting too much notice, they did not drive and instead left the city on foot.

What they did not know was that they had been followed from the moment they left the estate.

Chen Yan's evil Martial Soul had indeed drawn attention—far more attention than they could have imagined.

Had Chen An calmed down and examined Chen Yan's Martial Soul more carefully, he might have remembered something.

This sword was even more extraordinary than he had imagined. Before her, only one person in the world had possessed it.

And that person stood at the very pinnacle of this world, with few rivals under heaven.

Most crucially, that person had sensed the aura of this Martial Soul at that very moment.

That intangible connection allowed him to detect it even from thousands of miles away.

Five days later, in the wilderness more than four hundred kilometers from Baiye City, Chen An, Chen Feng, and Chen Yan rested beneath a large tree.

They had neither driven nor taken any transportation, since that would require them to show identification and expose their whereabouts.

"Brother, my feet hurt," Chen Yan complained pitifully to Chen An.

Seeing his little sister's miserable state, Chen An quickly finished his rations and began massaging her feet.

A long-missing smile appeared on Chen Yan's face as she ate the dry biscuits she normally could not stand.

Chen Feng smiled with relief as he watched the siblings. With a son and daughter like them, his life had not been in vain.

"Big brother, why are you staring at me?" Chen Yan suddenly asked in her childish voice.

"Hm?" Chen An and Chen Feng both looked at Chen Yan in confusion. Was she talking to herself?

They saw that Chen Yan was looking in a certain direction, so they followed her gaze—and froze in horror.

Several dozen meters away in that direction stood a Pale-Faced Man.

His face was deathly pale and bloodless, yet he was exceptionally handsome, possessing a delicate, almost feminine beauty.

He wore black armor with a cloak draped behind him, his long, smooth hair falling over his shoulders.

His attire alone made it clear that he was no ordinary person.

Neither Chen Feng nor Chen An had noticed anyone there before, nor had they heard any footsteps.

Had Chen Yan not spoken up, they probably would not have noticed even if he had walked right up to them.

As Chen An looked at the man's distinctive face, a memory surfaced, making his heart pound violently.

Could this... could this be Netherworld Emperor Halosa of the Holy Spirit Cult mentioned in the book? Chen An was deeply shocked.

He quickly connected it to his sister's Martial Soul, and his guess seemed to be confirmed.

Xiao Yan's Martial Soul is actually the Nether King Sword? How is that possible?

While Chen An was reeling, the Pale-Faced Man slowly approached. His gaze settled on Chen Yan and never left her.

Chen An instinctively stepped in front of Chen Yan, even though he knew the other man could kill him with ease.

But the responsibility of being an older brother gave him the courage to protect his sister.

Only then did the Pale-Faced Man notice Chen An. He showed no reaction, treating him entirely as if he were air.

"Since you have awakened the Nether King Sword Spirit, you are fated with me. Come with me."

"I will raise you into the most powerful being in this world," the Pale-Faced Man said. His voice was imposing and cold, devoid of emotion.

Yet when he mentioned the Nether King Sword Spirit, he was clearly more excited, unable to conceal his agitation.

He was not excited because he was about to gain an heir to his legacy, but because he had seen hope of becoming a god.

As long as he could raise her to the limit and then devour her, he would certainly be able to take that step.

Chen Yan hid behind Chen An, staring fearfully at the unfamiliar man as her grip on Chen An's clothes tightened.

"You should leave, sir," Chen An said, gathering his courage and trying his best to remain calm.

The Pale-Faced Man halted. Chen An mistakenly thought he was a reasonable person who would listen.

But that was not the case. The Pale-Faced Man turned around and looked behind him, where several figures were rapidly flying in from the distant sky.

Chen An looked over as well. With his strength, he naturally could not make out anything.

But he could guess that someone capable of making the Nether Emperor wary was likely arriving.

This filled him with both hope and worry. The arriving person might not necessarily help them.

Even if they truly could deal with the Nether Emperor, they might not spare Chen Yan from harm.

"I won't trade blows with you today," the Pale-Faced Man said with a frown.

As soon as he spoke, he vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already beside Chen Yan.

"What are you doing?" Chen An roared, instinctively trying to stop him.

But how could Chen An compare to Netherworld Emperor Halosa in speed?

The moment Chen An raised his hand, the Nether Emperor had already seized Chen Yan and was about to leave with her.

"Halosa, since you've shown yourself, don't even think about leaving!" A deep, powerful voice rang out from afar.

An incomparably terrifying aura came with it, along with a long spear shooting toward them.

Both Chen An and Chen Feng wore pained expressions. They could not breathe, and their bodies felt as if they were about to be crushed apart.

Netherworld Emperor Halosa naturally could not care less whether the two lived or died. He immediately drew his sword to meet the attack.

"Yun Ming, after all these years, you're still as confident as ever. Do you really think you can keep me here?"

Ha Luosa laughed loudly, wild and domineering. Facing Yun Ming, he lost his refined demeanor.

There were only a handful of people in the world qualified to be his opponents, and Yun Ming was one of them.

Yun Ming was also the man he regarded as his strongest opponent. His defeat back then still rankled him to this day.

Chen An watched the sword and spear collide with a pained expression, realizing disaster was upon them.

Before a clash of this level, he never believed he had any chance of surviving.

"Brother!" Chen Yan cried in fear as Ha Luosa held her in one arm.

Chen Yan's tear-streaked face was reflected in Chen An's eyes, and his heart was torn apart.

He hated his own weakness. If he had been stronger, he could have protected his sister.

Instead of being as powerless as he was now, where merely the shockwave from their collision was enough to take his life.

Boom! Ha Luosa's attack collided with Yun Ming's, and violent energy shockwaves swept outward.

Chen An and Chen Feng bore the brunt of it. Chen Feng's body exploded on the spot.

Chen An, meanwhile, was blasted away. His body did not shatter, but he had already stopped breathing.

"Dad! Brother!" Seeing this, Chen Yan broke down completely and wept uncontrollably.

Chen An's body flew far away before crashing heavily to the ground, covered in blood.

The flesh all over his body had split open, held together only by some unknown force.

He had lost control of his body and ceased breathing. He was already dead.

His soul floated out of his body, ethereal and insubstantial. No one else could see him.

Yet he could see everyone else, and everything was as clear as it had been when he was alive.

This was the first chapter today. The new book is setting sail, and I hope everyone will add it to their favorites and cast some recommendation votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Thank you for every bit of support.