Purification

Just then, a beastly roar erupted behind her, shaking leaves from the trees—the Evil Soul Master possessed the beast Martial Soul, the Nether Demon Wolf. Purple-black soul rings suddenly lit up as his third soul skill, Netherworld Breaker Cannon, took shape! A dark-purple energy blast carrying a foul stench roared forth with a piercing shriek, hurtling straight at the girl's back.

A searing pain pierced her back, as though she had been smashed by a red-hot branding iron. She instantly lost her balance and crashed forward like a kite with its string cut, slamming heavily onto the gravel-strewn ground. Her plain white outfit was blasted open, leaving a charred hole, and blood streamed from the wound, quickly staining the soil beneath her. Her silver-white hair was caked with dust and blood, while the holy glow on her shoulder faded completely, leaving only faint motes of light struggling to remain.

Coughing up blood, the girl braced herself against the ground and tried to rise, but every bone and muscle screamed in pain. The slightest movement made her vision go black. Turning her head, she saw the Evil Soul Master with the Nether Demon Wolf Martial Soul approaching with a cruel grin. Several companions with cold, sinister auras followed behind him, their eyes filled with greed and brutality.

The people who had died protecting her flashed through her mind again—their warm blood, their final instructions, the unwillingness in their eyes as they fell... Grief and rage surged through her chest like molten lava, nearly burning her to ashes. She knew she could not escape. Her cultivation was simply nothing before these Evil Soul Masters. But she refused to accept it. She refused to die like this, and she refused to let those people's sacrifices be in vain!

"Since I can't live, I'll take one of you down with me!"

A resolute light burst from the girl's eyes. Her remaining soul power rushed madly toward her chest, and the phantom of a Holy Angel flickered behind her, carrying the bleak resolve to perish together with her enemies. She suddenly raised her head and lunged at the nearest Evil Soul Master. Even though her body was already swaying on the verge of collapse, she would use her last bit of strength to tear a piece of flesh from him.

At that critical moment, a black shadow suddenly shot out from the side, moving so fast that only an afterimage remained. The newcomer did not release his Martial Soul. He merely raised a hand and gave a light wave, and an invisible force blocked the girl's path, firmly stopping her charge. At the same time, it sent the approaching Evil Soul Masters staggering back several steps.

Caught off guard, the girl was carried by that force and fell into a seated position. Her blood and energy churned in her chest, but her suicidal attack had been forcibly interrupted. She looked up blankly and saw only a figure standing tall as a pine before her, surrounded by a faint chill. She could not make out his face, yet he radiated an unquestionable pressure.

"Where did this brat come from? You dare meddle in my business?"

The Evil Soul Master with the Nether Demon Wolf Martial Soul steadied himself, then saw that the newcomer was merely a young boy. He immediately began cursing with a vicious grin. His companions jeered as well, their eyes full of mockery. "Look at that tender little face. Is he some baby who hasn't been weaned yet, trying to play the hero and save the beauty?"

"You're just a kid. Don't you know your own limits? This little brat of the light is someone our Holy Spirit Cult wants to capture. Get lost if you know what's good for you, or we'll refine your soul too!"

The six-ringed Evil Soul Master looked even more disdainful. His purple-black soul rings lit up again, and his fourth soul skill, Netherworld Rend, condensed claw-like energy that lunged straight at Huo Yuhao with a foul wind. "You ignorant fool! Today, I'll show you what it means to be worse off than dead!"

Huo Yuhao remained where he was, his expression unchanged. Only when the Evil Soul Master's attack closed in did his fingertips swiftly trace a strange rune. The next moment, the ground split open with a boom, and a puppet glowing with dark-golden light slowly rose from the Undead Demi-Plane—it was a puppet made from a hundred-thousand-year Golden Tortoiseshell. Ancient patterns covered its shell, exuding a heavy, icy aura.

"Defend," Huo Yuhao said calmly.

The Golden Tortoiseshell Puppet immediately raised its thick shell before itself, and a dark-golden glow spread out in an instant. The Evil Soul Master's Netherworld Rend slammed viciously into the shell with an ear-piercing crash. Shockwaves scattered in every direction, shaking the surrounding trees, yet not even a mark appeared on the puppet's shell. It had forcibly blocked the full-powered attack.

"What?!" The Evil Soul Master's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief. "What the hell is that thing?"

Huo Yuhao ignored his cry. His fingertips moved again, and the energy of Necromancy surged forth like a tide, carrying an aura capable of purifying all evil as it coiled around the six-ringed Evil Soul Master. "Undead Purification."

The icy energy instantly invaded the Evil Soul Master's meridians. The sinister soul power within him fled madly as if it had encountered its natural nemesis, but there was nowhere for it to hide. The Evil Soul Master let out a shrill scream as his body gradually dissolved within the purifying energy. His purple-black soul rings dimmed and shattered, until not even a trace remained. Only a wisp of green smoke dissipated into the air.

The other Evil Soul Masters nearby were scared out of their wits. How could they dare remain? They turned and tried to flee into the depths of the forest.

Huo Yuhao's gaze turned slightly cold as the rune at his fingertips flowed once more. He said in a low voice, "Bind."

The Golden Tortoiseshell Puppet received the command. The ancient patterns on its shell suddenly lit up, and dark-golden energy transformed into six chains that shot forth as though alive, accurately wrapping around every fleeing Evil Soul Master. The chains tightened with sharp metallic clanks, binding all six firmly in place. They struggled and roared, but the aura released by the chains suppressed the sinister soul power within them. They could not even form a soul skill and could only writhe helplessly.

"Let me go! You freak!"

"The Holy Spirit Cult will avenge us! If you dare kill us, His Holiness the Pope will never spare you!"

The Evil Soul Masters cursed in shock and fury, but they could not conceal the fear in their voices. Their gazes toward Huo Yuhao were filled with dread.

The girl sat on the ground, clutching the wound on her back as she stared blankly at the scene. The boy before her was not very old, yet his actions were ruthless and decisive. That dark-golden puppet and the strange black energy clearly carried the chill of the undead, but they also possessed the pure power to cleanse evil. Her heart was filled with shock.

Huo Yuhao ignored the Evil Soul Masters' shouts. The energy of Necromancy around him surged once more, even more vast than when he had purified the six-ringed Evil Soul Master before, yet it still carried a sacred aura that allowed no evil to approach. A wave of black energy swept out, engulfing all six bound Evil Soul Masters. Their screams came to an abrupt stop as their bodies rapidly dissolved within the energy. The evil soul power inside them was completely stripped away and purified, leaving not the slightest trace of filth behind.

A moment later, the energy dispersed. The Golden Tortoiseshell Puppet's chains slowly retracted, the glow on its shell dimmed, and it gradually sank into the ground, vanishing into the Undead Demi-Plane. Only a faint purifying aura remained in the forest. The previous stench of blood and rot had completely vanished.

Huo Yuhao turned around and looked at the girl still sitting on the ground. The coldness in his eyes faded slightly as he asked in an even tone, "Are you all right?"