Outside the palace gates.
A large number of guards clashed with the Shadow Ninjas, but more than a dozen guards still surrounded Dai Xieyue.
"Heh heh, a bunch of insignificant clowns." Dai Xieyue sneered contemptuously.
With a casual flick of his hand, he fired a White Tiger Evil Light Wave. A black beam shot toward the crowd.
"Foul fiend!"
The burly man in golden armor at the head of the group stepped forward and angrily summoned his Blazing Blade Martial Soul.
The crimson blade blocked the attack with ease.
That kind of power... was he a Soul Emperor?
A mere Soul Emperor dared to trespass into the palace? He clearly didn't know what death meant!
The burly man leaped high into the air and brought his enormous flaming blade down with a cold laugh.
"Prepare to die! I'll use your head to atone before the Emperor!"
The blade came crashing down, but struck only the hard flagstones.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal striking metal rang out from the ground.
"What!" The burly man looked around in panic.
The man who had been standing there moments ago had vanished, as if he'd turned into a shadow and escaped in an instant.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He sprang away from his spot in a few quick leaps, gripping his flaming blade warily.
"Be careful. There's something strange about him!"
"Yes, Captain."
Inside the palace, some of the Shadow Ninjas had already broken through the guards and made their way in. At the very front of the mass of shadows, one figure stole the show.
Dai Xieyue turned his head and sneered, then headed straight for the depths of the palace.
"Damn it, he's inside! Hurry and stop him!" the burly man shouted. The others rushed after their quarry.
So clumsy!
Dai Xieyue disdainfully dodged the flaming blade flying at him from behind, then kicked it into the palace.
Rumble—
A tremendous explosion rang out, and the once-magnificent building collapsed into a heap of rubble.
The burly man felt his Martial Soul trapped beneath the debris, unable to summon it. His expression darkened, and he quickened his pace.
Dai Xieyue, however, looked at his own power and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
"Shendu really is powerful. Just half a mask has brought me to this level."
Wearing the mask had raised his strength to that of a Soul Emperor, and he had also gained the same shadow-like traits as the Shadow Ninjas.
With this ability, he could go anywhere in the world. There was no place he couldn't enter.
The Crown Prince Palace.
Dai Xieyue kicked the door open and walked inside with an evil grin. He saw an elegant, refined man sitting calmly in a chair, watching him.
"If I've offended you in some way, please tell me. Why take things this far?" the man said evenly.
He was Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, widely regarded as the finest crown prince the empire had ever had.
But his true identity was Qian Renxue, the daughter of the Pope of Spirit Hall.
Dai Xieyue already knew who she was. He stepped forward and sneered. "Heh. Qian Renxue, you can stop pretending. I came on Spirit Hall's orders to make you hand over the Talisman!"
"Spirit Hall? The Talisman?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Qian Renxue's eyes. Before she could react, he shot straight toward her.
She followed his gaze and looked down, then immediately understood.
His target was the thing at my waist.
She hurriedly gripped the Talisman at her waist, instinctively protecting it.
Just as Dai Xieyue was about to reach her waist—
"Foul fiend!"
An angry, cold snort rang out. A tremendous force sent Dai Xieyue flying.
Smack—smack—
Dai Xieyue landed nimbly and saw an old, frail woman step out from behind the screen, her eyes cold as she looked at him.
Unnoticed by both the old woman and Qian Renxue, a Shadow Ninja emerged straight from the floor and reached out to grab Qian Renxue's soft hand, the one clutching the Talisman.
"Ah!" Qian Renxue cried out, startled by the pitch-black thing.
But she held tight to the Talisman and didn't let go.
At the same time, the sheep-shaped pattern on the Talisman suddenly radiated a pure white light.
Qian Renxue instantly felt her soul separate from her body. She fell to the ground with a thud, and the Talisman slipped from her hand, allowing the Shadow Ninja to snatch it.
"Miss!" The old woman rushed over and anxiously checked her mistress's condition.
After getting the Talisman, Dai Xieyue immediately withdrew and sprinted for the door, wasting no time.
Above the room, Qian Renxue's soul wore a grim expression.
"Little thief, you're not getting away!" How could she let him simply walk away? She immediately flew after him and plunged straight into his body.
As soon as she entered, she felt nothing but boundless darkness and a shattered soul.
Dai Xieyue froze in place, too, his eyes vacant as he stared ahead, as if he'd been possessed.
Qian Renxue's soul seemed to set off a chain reaction. Dai Xieyue, the Mask Consciousness, and Qian Renxue's soul—all their consciousnesses tangled together, becoming hopelessly jumbled.
After this state lasted a moment, Dai Xieyue regained control of his body, his face darkening.
Damn woman, how dare you fight me for this body? You're asking for death. Hmph!
He cursed inwardly, then quickly left the place.
Inside the room, the old woman was left anxiously shaking Qian Renxue, trying to wake her.
It's over. Something's happened to the miss. How am I supposed to explain this to the Grand Pontiff?
After leaving Heaven Dou City, Dai Xieyue headed back along the same route. When he passed through Skywater City, he carefully examined the Sacred Dragon Carving again, but couldn't sense the Talisman's presence. He couldn't help feeling puzzled.
But with his mission still unfinished, he had no time to dwell on it. He went straight back to Spirit Hall.
Spirit Hall, secret chamber.
Dai Xieyue respectfully returned the Talisman to Shendu.
"Excellent! Well done!"
Shendu praised him with satisfaction. Dai Xieyue was so thrilled that he wished he could give everything he had to Shendu.
"I will always be loyal to Shendu!"
"Mm."
Shendu nodded casually and had a Shadow Ninja embed the Sheep Talisman into his body. Then he eagerly accepted his reward.
Unexpectedly, the reward this time was the same as before. He received only some divine power and an increase in his World God affinity, followed by the divine token corresponding to Zhong Su, the Thunder Demon: the Castanets of Cao Guojiu.
Shendu was somewhat disappointed with the result. He'd hoped the divine position would give him some special rewards.
But even if you collected all the divine tokens, there were still at least four of the twelve Talismans. What reward could you possibly give me? He couldn't help speculating about the divine position's rewards.
Shendu withdrew from the space and was about to order Dai Xieyue to continue searching when he noticed something was wrong with him.
His sharply defined face was now marked by panic.
"Where is this?" Dai Xieyue opened his mouth, but a clear, feminine voice came out.
Qian Renxue was in a panic. As soon as she took control of the body, she found herself in a secret chamber. Apart from a dragon-shaped statue in front of her, there was nothing else.
"What's going on with this guy?"
Shendu found it rather fascinating. His gaze flickered as he began examining the other person's condition.
Before you continue