Eastsea City.
An underground chamber.
Holy Spirit Cult members in black robes patrolled along both sides of the passage from time to time. Their loose robes hid most of their faces in shadow, and a cold, sinister aura lingered around them.
At the center of the chamber stood an altar built from black rock. Twisted, eerie patterns covered its surface, a nauseating bloody stench drifted through the air, and countless faint negative emotions gathered there.
"Jiejiejie, what a delicious aura. I can hardly wait to dig in."
The speaker was a handsome middle-aged man.
As he gazed at the things inside the altar, his eyes brimmed with longing. These were treasures that could increase his strength.
Yet, for some reason, he suddenly fell silent. A moment later, he abruptly spoke in a harsh voice laden with suppressed anger. "That idiot! Why wouldn't he listen to me? Why wouldn't he leave Shrek and return to the Holy Spirit Cult with me?"
"Leaving me all alone-it's so lonely. I don't even have a handy tool anymore..."
"Aaaah!"
Dark Hummingbird swung his hand down, slapping the altar hard with a dull thud.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Just as he wallowed in his false sorrow, a mass of dark-green ghostly fire suddenly burned above the altar. Dark-green skeletal phantoms circled and danced as a sinister aura of death spread unceasingly.
His heart shuddered slightly. He instantly buried the melancholy lingering in his heart, not daring to let any of it show, and hurried forward, bowing with his head lowered.
"Your subordinate pays his respects to the Ghost Emperor!"
Dark Hummingbird's respectful voice echoed through the stone chamber.
The ghostly flames slowly dimmed, and a tall figure emerged step by step. A suffocating, icy aura seeped from him, and a heavy pressure swept in all directions, making every inch of air within the chamber oppressive and thick.
This was none other than the Ghost Emperor, one of the Holy Spirit Cult's Two Emperors, a Quasi-God-level Limit Douluo. Within the Holy Spirit Cult, he stood above ten thousand and beneath only two.
In this era when the Holy Spirit Cult's Two Emperors held power together, the Underworld Emperor was nowhere to be found, while the Ghost Emperor remained within the Holy Spirit Cult year-round. He handled most of its affairs, and none of the Holy Church's various attacks and assassination plans could do without his guidance.
Thus, the Ghost Emperor enjoyed tremendous prestige within the Holy Spirit Cult and received widespread praise.
Evil Soul Masters: Teacher Ghost Emperor, we remember you, step by step, you...
"Rise. Why are you alone? Where is Dark Bell?"
The Ghost Emperor spoke indifferently.
"Er... um, reporting to the Ghost Emperor, she is still working hard on your plan and has yet to return."
Dark Hummingbird reported respectfully, inwardly muttering, Na Nali, you crazy woman, you'd better thank me properly.
"Hmph. You had better not mess this up."
"Get the goods to Heaven Dou City quickly. If anyone drops the ball when the operation begins, don't blame me for..."
The Ghost Emperor's hoarse voice betrayed neither pleasure nor anger.
"Yes... yes, Lord Ghost Emperor. This plan will surely be foolproof."
"Lord Ghost Emperor, may I ask when Dark Phoenix will arrive to take over this ninth-grade shell?"
"Heh heh, she's here..."
Green light shone in the Ghost Emperor's eyes as he spoke with a strange chuckle.
The entrance of a hotel facing a street in Heaven Dou City slowly opened to either side, and a blond man strolled out.
His arms encircled a pair of twin girls, one on either side, whose looks were nearly identical. Their figures were soft and alluring as they nestled close against his shoulders.
His brow carried the weary frivolity of someone long immersed in sensual pleasures. A careless smile hung on his lips as his fingertips idly stroked a girl's curves and he casually teased them in a low voice.
His laughter abruptly stopped. His gaze happened to sweep across the street, and his footsteps froze.
It was a woman.
Most of her long purplish-red hair was tucked into the hood of her black robe, with a few strands falling over her shoulders.
Even her loose black robe could not conceal her exquisite curves. The edge of her hood slipped down, revealing half of a breathtakingly beautiful face. Her cold elegance carried a lethally sinister allure as she walked slowly down the street alone.
His careless smile instantly froze on his face. Deep within his mismatched, sinister eyes, a faint white glow slowly rippled.
Intense greed burgeoned wildly. His Adam's apple bobbed hard, and his gaze locked firmly onto that beautiful lone figure, brazenly roving over her from head to toe, his greed almost spilling from his eyes.
"What an exquisite specimen!"
The man immediately lost interest in what he held. He impatiently pushed away the twin girls at his sides and casually sent them off ahead.
He reined in his aura and lightened his footsteps, following her at a distance through the crisscrossing streets and alleys.
"What was that? A useless tiger. If he didn't have a little money..."
After the man left, the twin sisters muttered quietly.
"All right, all right, forget that impotent fellow. This money is enough for us to order several men."
"Mm-hmm, let's hurry. I can hardly hold back anymore~~"
When he saw the woman enter a deserted narrow alley, delight surged in his eyes. He hurried forward and blocked her path.
"How dangerous it is for a beauty to walk down such a secluded alley alone. Why not come with me? Fine clothes, sumptuous food-whatever you want, I can find it for you."
There was no one around, so there was no need to put on an act.
The woman slowly stopped and turned sideways. A sweet yet icy smile curved her lips as her gentle voice slowly rang out. "Can you really give me anything?"
Hearing her question, his heart immediately leaped with joy. He simply assumed she was already tempted.
Ohoho, that voice-she's definitely a mature beauty.
With something good so close at hand, he could no longer restrain his long-suppressed desire.
His breathing abruptly grew heavy. Both hands hurriedly tugged at his clothes, buttons popping open one after another. His greedy gaze remained locked on the woman as his feet involuntarily carried him closer.
"Aah!"
A heart-rending scream suddenly tore through the alley's silence. The man's entire body stiffened, his legs drew inward uncontrollably, and the vicious grin of certain victory on his face instantly twisted into a knot.
"You... you-ooh, ooh... you dare hurt me?"
The man fought through the agonizing pain. "Do you know who I am? You dare hurt me? I'll rape you, then kill you, then rape you again and kill you again."
Riiip-
The scalp-prickling sound of flesh tearing abruptly echoed through the alley.
Dark-purple Phoenix Flame condensed into a sharp blade of fire and sliced straight across the man's lower abdomen.
His flesh split and curled outward to either side. Warm blood gushed forth, entwined with slippery intestines spilling out, and an intense, pungent bloody stench instantly filled the narrow alley.
The man looked down at the organs spilling from his abdominal cavity, and his mind instantly went blank.
"You said it yourself. I want your pancreas~"
Agonizing pain seized his body, and the man let out a heart-rending wail.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! No, no, I don't want this anymore!"
The marrow-deep pain shattered all his confidence. He dropped heavily to his knees, repeatedly knocking his head against the cold paving stones, snot and tears mixing with blood. "Spare me, beautiful lady! I know I was wrong! Please stop!"
"No~ Didn't you promise to give me anything?"
"Going back on your word isn't something a good man does~"
Dark-purple flames spread inward through the wound, burning his flesh, his organs, and even his soul.
In just a few breaths, his wails stopped abruptly, leaving only a handful of pale ash drifting away on the wind.
Leng Yulai swept an indifferent glance over the ashes. Without lingering any longer, she continued deeper into the alley.
"Hehehe~"