The Holy Spirit Cult's Vice Leader, Successor of the Angel

Qian Daoliu watched as the black mist surrounding Feng Ling surged violently. The deathly aura that had previously clung to her body grew thick and viscous, churning through her meridians like spilled ink. Beneath her skin, pitch-black veins writhed frantically, and her entire presence instantly turned brutal and insane.

She stared fixedly at Qian Daoliu, all traces of caution replaced by the desperate resolve of someone ready to die taking her enemy with her. A grim, harrowing arc touched her lips: "Qian Daoliu, you destroyed my Holy Spirit Cult's stronghold and slaughtered my disciples. Today, even if I, Feng Ling, must burn everything I have, I will drag you down to hell with me!"

Before the words had even faded, Feng Ling transformed into the Evil Phoenix, bracing herself against Qian Daoliu's sacred aura. She threw her head back and let out a shriek that tore through the Underground Black Market. The cry was laced with malevolent soul power, shattering the surrounding shelves and sending evil soul bones and forbidden texts scattering across the floor.

Her hands wove a bizarre seal, and a pitch-black orb of light ignited in her chest. It contained a terrifying essence of life, yet it was tightly bound by evil energy, radiating a heart-stopping pressure—it was the life essence she had condensed over a lifetime of cultivation. Now, she intended to burn it all away to seize power that transcended her own limits.

"Oh no, she's burning her life essence!" Bo Saixi's eyes narrowed. A blue-gold tide of water surged instantly, and she manifested a staff of pure water in her hand, launching a fierce assault on Nangong Wan. "Finish this quickly! Don't give her a chance!"

Nangong Wan did not back down. Her martial soul awakened in response, and a pair of massive, grotesque centipede wings sprouted from her back, covered in eerie, blood-red patterns. The deathly aura around her condensed into countless pitch-black blades that shot toward Bo Saixi, while she shouted sharply: "Vice Cult Master, I will hold Bo Saixi back! You go all out!"

She knew there was no turning back today; only Feng Ling's desperate, essence-burning strike offered a sliver of hope, however infinitesimal it might be.

Qian Daoliu's expression grew increasingly cold. Golden light blazed around him as his Angel Domain expanded wildly, clashing violently with the black mist and emitting a sizzling hiss. "Overestimating your own abilities."

He let out a cold snort, his Angel True Body becoming more solid as the golden light scorched the black market like a midday sun.

At this moment, Feng Ling's life essence burned to nothingness, and her martial soul avatar, the "Evil Phoenix True Form," manifested. Pitch-black butterfly wings blotted out the sky, and her ninth soul skill, "Sun of the Evil Phoenix," erupted, sweeping forward with flames of destruction wrapped in black mist.

Qian Daoliu's expression remained frigid, his golden light blazing. His Angel Domain expanded, clashing with the evil flames and hissing as they collided. He was far from an ordinary Peerless Douluo; facing Feng Ling as she burned her essence, his gaze did not flicker in the slightest.

Before Feng Ling's ninth soul skill could fully detonate, the Six-Winged Angel martial soul behind Qian Daoliu raised the Angel Holy Sword. He unleashed his own ninth soul skill, "Angel Descent." A brilliant flash of golden light streaked across the air, poised to strike Feng Ling down in an instant.

Seeing that she could not evade, Feng Ling triggered her life-saving technique. Her body transformed into a pitch-black egg, and she burned her phoenix essence to flee toward the exit guarded by Kong Deming.

Having learned from the last time Ye Xishui had transformed into an egg, Qian Daoliu was prepared. The Angel Holy Sword slashed down again, the golden light piercing the egg. With a crisp crack, the egg shattered into dust. Facing Qian Daoliu's level-99 Angel Holy Sword, the level-97 Holy Spirit Cult Vice Cult Master Feng Ling let out a roar of unwillingness: "No—!"

The sound of the shattering egg echoed through the black market. Feng Ling's desperate roar was cut short as her body dissolved into a sky full of black light particles and violent energy, which surged toward Qian Daoliu like a tide, slowly seeping into his meridians.

Feeling the vast and pure energy and faith power gained from killing Feng Ling, Qian Daoliu sighed in a deep voice: "People of the Holy Spirit Cult truly deserve to die!"

On the other side, Bo Saixi could have finished off Nangong Wan long ago, but she had held back, instead using her "Ninth Soul Skill—Sea God Imprisonment!" to restrain Nangong Wan, specifically to leave the kill for Qian Daoliu.

Watching Qian Daoliu finish the battle, Bo Saixi said: "Qian Daoliu, come quickly and kill Nangong Wan to claim the energy!"

Hearing this, Qian Daoliu accepted gladly: "Very well!"

With a flash of his blade, the deed was done.

Nangong Wan's eyes widened, staring in terror as Qian Daoliu's Angel Holy Sword descended.

A single scream: "No!"

Following that, Nangong Wan was completely converted into the energy and faith power that Qian Daoliu required.

Feeling the strange changes in his body, Qian Daoliu sighed to himself: "As expected, killing evil soul masters is the fastest way to improve one's cultivation!"

"It's just a pity that there are no decent evil soul masters left in the entire Ming Capital!"

Qian Daoliu lamented inwardly.

Seeing the battle conclude, Kong Deming carried the angel girl over to Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi.

Kong Deming said to Qian Daoliu with a serious expression: "Brother Qian, Bo Saixi, on behalf of all the citizens of the Ming Capital, I thank you for your righteous actions!"

"Brother Kong, you are too kind!"

"There is nothing else to do here; I will leave the cleanup to you. I am going to take this girl back for treatment!"

As Qian Daoliu spoke, he reached out to take the girl from Kong Deming, intending to leave with Bo Saixi.

"Brother Qian, wait a moment!"

Kong Deming called out to stop him.

Then, to Qian Daoliu's confusion, he quickly gathered the storage soul tools scattered on the ground and handed them to Qian Daoliu.

Kong Deming pointed to the storage soul tools he was handing over: "Brother Qian, these two were high-ranking members of the Holy Spirit Cult. They have quite a few good resources on them!"

"Oh, really?"

Qian Daoliu was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant. He quickly probed the soul tools with his spiritual power and indeed discovered many rare metal materials for soul tools that he was in desperate need of.

"My, so many metal materials! Then I thank you, Brother Kong!"

Kong Deming replied: "It is I who should thank you, Brother Qian!"

Seeing that Qian Daoliu was so interested in the metal materials, Kong Deming immediately recalled that Qian Daoliu had shown interest in soul tools the day before.

He quickly took a large quantity of rare metal materials from his own soul tool and handed them to Qian Daoliu: "Brother Qian, I noticed you seem quite fond of metal materials for soul tools!"

"As it happens, I have some here. Consider it a token of my gratitude for your mission today!"

Since Qian Daoliu was indeed lacking materials for soul tools, he stopped standing on ceremony, cupped his hands toward Kong Deming, and said: "Many thanks!"

Afterward, he left the scene to Kong Deming and departed with Bo Saixi and the angel girl.

Sun Moon Continent, a mysterious altar.

A dark figure roared at a figure in white: "Mother, Vice Cult Master Feng Ling and Second Elder Nangong Wan are dead! The foundation of our Holy Spirit Cult in the Ming Capital has been completely destroyed. Are you satisfied now?!"

Ming Capital Offering Hall, Qian Daoliu's residence.

"You're awake!"

Qian Daoliu gently placed the girl on the bed. Golden light surged around him, and pure angelic power slowly seeped into the girl's body, smoothing away the scars on her skin.

Once the girl's breathing stabilized, he withdrew his power. His voice softened as he looked at the girl, who was now opening her eyes, and asked gently.

The girl's eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Qian Daoliu's handsome, upright face. Her eyes were filled with astonishment and a hint of reliance as she whispered: "Your Excellency Angel! It was you who saved me!"