All the trees on the mountain were awakened and uprooted from the ground.

After a short while, the surrounding mountains collapsed with a boom, and the bowmen who had been shooting at the tree people from the mountaintop fell with them, disappearing into the dust clouds rising with the collapse.

Seeing the mountain collapse, the tiger-headed dogs panicked and howled loudly. As they prepared to flee, the tree people entwined their limbs with roots, and overhead, formed barriers of branches like nets to prevent them from escaping.

As the thunderous roar continued, the tree people, tiger-headed dogs, and some of the slower bowmen were all buried in the rubble of the crumbling mountains.

In the sky, the Ghost King entered a new round of fierce battle with King Nanlin.

Before long, roots broke through the collapsed mountains, followed by tree people emerging from the holes where the roots had split through.

Once all the tree people had escaped, they dissolved the rocks and soil beneath their feet with their roots, allowing the flowing mud and rocks to fill the gaps between the mountainsides. Then they entrenched their roots deeply into the soil layer, solidifying it and leaving not the slightest chance for the buried tiger-headed dogs and bowmen to escape.

In an instant, the once continuous mountains and ridges became a hill bristling thickly with rooted trees.

In the sky, the Ghost King was still engaged in a ferocious confrontation with King Nanlin, exchanging blow for blow.

The fields of force, caused by the collision of Yin Qi Spiritual Power from the two, spread out in all directions, preventing the city's soldiers watching nearby from daring to approach too closely.

Each time the Ghost King raised his long blade, a chorus of wailing and howling followed as his Spiritual Power infused into the sword.

That was the dreadful scream of the Blade Soul formed from myriad ghosts inside the sword, agitated by the Spiritual Power.

Every swing of the long blade forced King Wanfa to draw a ladle of fresh red blood from the gaping wound on his left chest, which would immediately solidify and freeze into a crescent blood moon blade.

Although it could block the forceful strike of the ghost blade, the crescent blood moon blade would shatter and scatter into countless droplets of blood.

At that moment, King Nanlin would incite these scattered droplets to ignite into a mass of scarlet flame, which he would then attach to his left hand, either to drive back the Ghost King or to throw towards the observing soldiers in the distance.

Despite holding his ground in the clash, King Nanlin's strategy took a severe toll on his blood reserves.

And that was why the Ghost King was in no rush; instead, he was slowly wearing down King Nanlin.

In the Netherworld, the Yin Qi Spiritual Power within a person is mainly blended with their blood, and a loss of blood would lead to a diminishment of Spiritual Power.

"King Nanlin, tell me why you captured Chen Hao and brought him to the Netherworld?" the Ghost King asked as he swung his blade at King Nanlin.

King Nanlin sneered coldly and said, "You'd better think about how to make me speak first, before asking me where I come from."

The Ghost King's face darkened with sullen displeasure, "After your blood is exhausted later, I promise I will thoroughly torment you."

King Nanlin did not respond but suddenly leaped into the high clouds overhead, attempting to escape.

"Do you think you can get away?" the Ghost King, having seen through King Nanlin's intentions, followed him into the clouds.

Even though the clouds obscured his vision, he could feel King Nanlin's Spiritual Power and smell the blood scent on the Ghost King.

After pursuing for a while, the Ghost King suddenly felt King Nanlin's presence flickering.

Surprised, he immediately dispersed the clouds with his Spiritual Power.

Only then did he discover that King Nanlin had vanished. Although he could sense King Nanlin's presence all around, he could not see him.

Not long after, King Nanlin's presence completely disappeared.

The Ghost King raged, swinging his blade at the surroundings in fury. The clouds in the distance were driven far away by his sword qi, and in an instant, the previously overcast weather in the vicinity cleared up, leaving a vast expanse of cloudless sky.

After scanning the sky for a while, the Ghost King eventually gave up and descended back to the ground. The tree people summoned by King Nanlin were unfortunately made the outlet for his frustration and fury.

In a flash, the hill that had been densely covered with trees was leveled by the Ghost King's blade qi, and the trees that had turned into tree people were reduced to dust.

Subsequently, carrying his chagrin, the Ghost King returned to Netherworld City.

Not long after, the Dark Law King, King Wumeng, and King Shuanglin also arrived from Sunset Pass and informed the Ghost King about King Wanfa's death.

On hearing of King Wanfa's passing, the Ghost King, unable to accept it at first, flew into a furious rage and, transforming into a mastiff beast, surged into Hell, turning the entire Eighteen Levels of Hell upside down.

By the time the Ghost King had calmed down, night had already fallen.

He returned to the eastern courtyard adjacent to the Nether King Palace and summoned the Dark Law King, King Shuanglin, King Wumeng, and King Qingyu—the four Dharma Kings.

After learning about the circumstances of King Wanfa's death from the Dark Law King, the Ghost King furrowed his brows deeply and asked, "Are you saying that another mysterious woman with terrifying power has appeared? Could it be the woman who possesses the Netherworld Azure Bird?"

"It's not!" the Dark Law King said with certainty, "Although the two women are extremely similar in appearance, one is the Yang Soul and the other is the Yin Soul, and the powers they wield are also starkly different—one possesses the scorching force of blood, while the other is cold."

The Dark Law King trailed off, unsure of how to accurately summarize the power within Ye Yuqiao. Although it resembled Yin Qi Spiritual Power, Ye Yuqiao was Yang Spirit personified and thus should not be able to wield Spiritual Power moves.

The Ghost King's frown deepened, and then he inquired, "Are you saying that Chen Hao might already be dead? And that the demonic power within him stems from a heart that has yet to fully unleash its true energy?"

"Indeed," the Dark Law King replied, "If that young man were to undo the final seal on that mysterious heart, I'm afraid..."

The Dark Law King did not finish his sentence, for he could not say in the presence of the Ghost King that the Ghost King would be no match for Chen Hao.

The Ghost King's expression darkened.

..

..

Night had deepened.

Yin Mountain.

Chen Hao was still unconscious, the avatar spirit core on his chest absorbing the surrounding Yin Qi from the air, slowly repairing Chen Hao's Yin Soul.

At that moment, Ye Yuqiao finally left the tent and found Zhao Chong.

She had far too many questions. For example, when had Yin Mountain started to teem with such vitality? And why had Zhao Chong chosen Yin Mountain as the location for their base?

When she entered Zhao Chong's tent, he was drinking alone.

"You've finally come," Zhao Chong said, looking at Ye Yuqiao.

"Finally?" Ye Yuqiao frowned, "You knew I would come."

Zhao Chong nodded, his face filled with sorrow.

"Yuqiao, I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry?" Ye Yuqiao was startled, "Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Because of me!" At that moment, a voice came from behind Ye Yuqiao.

Turning around, Ye Yuqiao saw a woman wearing a mask enter the tent.

"Who are you?"

The woman took off her mask.

Ye Yuqiao was stunned and after a long while, she finally managed to say, "You're my..."

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