Word Count: 2,476 Words
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The doors to the ninth floor of Linglong Pavilion stood open. Ling Bai and Wu Feng entered unimpeded to find Ning Fengyu lounging with practiced ease, attended by a strikingly beautiful woman.
Rather than delicate skin, gleaming white dragon scales covered the woman's body beneath her thin garment. A slender tail extended from behind her. She was unmistakably a Dragonwoman.
"Pour some tea."
"Yes, Pavilion Master."
The Dragonwoman nodded obediently. Her graceful movements left a trail of fragrance as she served tea to the visitors before quietly withdrawing from the ninth floor.
Ling Bai gave Ning Fengyu a strange look. "A Dragonwoman? You're actually serious about this?"
He recalled Ning Fengyu's outrageous suggestion from the night of the Holy Bright Festival.
"Only the dirty-minded see filth everywhere."
Ning Fengyu teased with a wicked smile. "She has a perfectly respectable job now—a maidservant.
Of course, if you get any lustful ideas and want to have a little too-close contact with her, I'll just turn a blind eye. I wouldn't want you holding a grudge against me for spoiling your fun."
"Absolutely not!"
Wu Feng instantly puffed up like an angry blowfish, glaring at Ling Bai with indignation. "Dragonwomen have mating seasons. How can they be considered normal people!
Even if you find women elsewhere, you can't go messing around with a half-human, half-beast Dragonwoman!"
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Ling Bai rapped Wu Feng lightly on the head. He and Ning Fengyu had merely been joking, yet this single-celled organism had actually believed them.
Wu Feng clutched her aching head but stared defiantly at Ling Bai. "Ning Tian is always busy studying Spirit Guidance Devices, so it's my responsibility to keep an eye on you for her. That Dragonwoman only has White Armored Dragon bloodline. She's nowhere near enough to temper a Seraphim. Besides..."
She paused, then muttered in what she thought was an inaudible whisper, "Her figure isn't even as good as mine..."
Ling Bai's ear twitched slightly, but he pretended not to hear and turned away. "Aunt Yu, it's been a month since my last visit. How has Linglong Pavilion been faring?"
"The little heartless one finally remembers to show some concern!"
Ning Fengyu huffed. "Don't worry, everything's been smooth sailing."
Since Ling Bai and Ning Fengyu had quietly eliminated Shangguan Wei Er and the Common Alliance's upper echelons—and because Linglong Pavilion preferred to maintain a low profile—they could not take over the entire underground network.
Various factions had carved up the Common Alliance's territory, but Linglong Pavilion had moved first, securing several of the most profitable operations. Combined with their preemptive raid on the Common Alliance headquarters' treasures, they had made an absolute killing.
With the Common Alliance's destruction attributed to either the Alto Chamber of Commerce or the Duskwater Alliance, Linglong Pavilion remained hidden, quietly amassing wealth.
"What about the matters I asked you to handle?" Ling Bai pressed.
"All taken care of."
Ning Fengyu's efficiency showed even through her lazy demeanor. "I personally visited the Valley of Life. That plant-type Great Beast root you gave me showed a strong reaction, confirming that evil spirit beast is definitely hiding there.
As for intelligence on the Holy Angel, we have the Common Alliance to thank. They located her first and even planned to invite her to join. Unfortunately for them, they were wiped out before they could act.
She's currently in Corona City, apparently targeting an Evil Spirit Master faction with close ties to the Duskwater Alliance. Corona City isn't far from Mingdu. With the Seraphim's flight speed, you could reach her tonight."
"Corona City then... Thank you for your hard work, Aunt Yu."
Ling Bai nodded slightly before transforming into a streak of light that vanished from Linglong Pavilion.
...
Night had fallen. A silvery moon hung high in the sky while countless stars glittered across the dark expanse.
Corona City ranked among the Sun Moon Empire's major urban centers, second only to Mingdu in scale. Even after nightfall, the city blazed with illumination. From above, white lights connected into a sea of brilliance, resembling a city of pure light.
Yet every city harbored dark corners where light could not reach, places where evil stirred and human depravity ran wild.
In the Holy Spirit Cult's Corona City branch, a small courtyard housed a pitch-black altar where Evil Spirit Masters had gathered. At the altar's center, dozens of innocent civilians lay bound with black chains.
The Evil Spirit Master presiding over the ritual lowered his voice reverently. "May the Holy Emperor live ten thousand years, may the Saint Maiden's beauty endure forever.
We offer these pure lives in blood sacrifice. May holy light illuminate the earth, may the Holy Spirit descend to the mortal world!"
His voice gradually rose to a maniacal pitch. His pupils filled with bloodshot veins as deep black evil flames ignited around his body. He advanced slowly toward the altar.
The Evil Spirit Master cackled with an eerie 'kekeke' that sent shivers down spines, moving like some deranged witch doctor. The civilians were not even Spirit Masters. When had they ever witnessed such a terrifying scene?
Gripped by overwhelming fear, their faces turned deathly pale. Some begged tearfully for mercy, others resigned themselves to their fate with closed eyes, while a few gazed skyward, desperately praying for even the slightest hope of salvation.
The heavens seemed to answer humanity's prayers. Bathed in pristine moonlight, a Holy Angel with immaculate white wings descended from above. Though she wore no makeup, her face radiated breathtaking beauty. Her expression remained detached, as if she were a celestial fairy untouched by mortal concerns, a sacred beauty that etched itself into memory with a single glance.
Ye Guyi surveyed the dark ritual below, ice-cold fury flashing through her eyes. Five spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—rose from beneath her feet, orbiting her delicate body with rhythmic precision. The final 10,000-year ring erupted with power!
Her innate sense of justice ignited with fury at the evil before her. Without hesitation, she unleashed her fifth spirit skill. Her right hand transformed into dazzling gold-white radiance that condensed into a seven-star longsword emanating holy energy.
"Fifth Spirit Skill, Holy Sword!"
She pointed the longsword forward. A massive blade of light slashed toward the Evil Spirit Master. Searing pain blazed through his chest as he dropped to his knees with a heart-rending wail. Black smoke rose from his body while his cultivation and life force drained away rapidly.
The civilians covered their mouths, desperately trying not to make a sound. Their trembling bodies betrayed their terror, yet watching the Evil Spirit Master's agonized expression also sparked a dark satisfaction, the feeling of vengeance fulfilled.
The Seven Star Longsword fell again and again. Each strike claimed another Evil Spirit Master's life. Though she continuously expended spirit power, Ye Guyi's aura only grew stronger.
This was the Holy Angel's innate talent: Holy Purification of Evil. Slaying Evil Spirit Masters fed her power, allowing her cultivation to rise ever higher through righteous slaughter!
Merciless killing intent suddenly enveloped Ye Guyi as if countless wronged souls shrieked in her ears.
A side door exploded outward, and surging evil power swept forth. Ye Guyi's pupils contracted. The newcomer's cultivation far exceeded her own; she could only channel all her strength into the Holy Sword to defend.
BOOM—
Ye Guyi staggered backward. Spider-web cracks spread across her Seven Star Longsword as clusters of transparent, multicolored light gushed out. Each cluster formed a human face, and those faces writhed in agony.
These were souls that Evil Spirit Masters had refined while their victims still lived!
She bit down hard on her lips, crimson beads of blood seeping through.
"A simple ritual, yet it brings such an unexpected prize..."
Two black-robed figures emerged from the doorway. Ye Guyi recognized one of them: the Corona City branch's leading elder, a 7-ringed Evil Spirit Saint. Though his spirit power exceeded hers by nearly twenty ranks, her Holy Angel's holy attribute might let her hold him off long enough for the civilians to escape.
But the Evil Spirit Master beside him radiated an unfathomable aura. He was likely a Titled Douluo!
"Elder Wronged Soul, it's this damned Holy Angel who has caused our branch such heavy losses!"
The Evil Spirit Saint's tone dripped with obsequious flattery. "Please, you must act!"
Wronged Soul Douluo toyed with the soul light clusters while appraising Ye Guyi with playful interest:
"The Mingdu branch hasn't contacted headquarters in a full month. The Holy Cult sent me to investigate. I happened to stop in Corona City for one night, and look what prize I've found..."
He breathed deeply, savoring the holy power in the air despite the burning pain of holy and evil clashing. His voice turned intoxicated. "What pure, clean soul aura. You will surely become my most perfect creation!
Seize her!"
The soul light clusters rushed fearlessly at Ye Guyi. Unable to disobey Wronged Soul Douluo's command, they could only weep while they roared!
How powerful were souls refined by a Titled Douluo? In just two or three breaths, Ye Guyi found herself completely overwhelmed, barely managing to use her holy power to drive the souls back. It was only delaying the inevitable.
"Struggling is pointless..."
Wronged Soul Douluo spoke with the cruel amusement of a cat toying with a mouse, constantly attacking Ye Guyi's mental defenses with his words. "Even among angels, there are differences. You're a Holy Angel, not a Seraphim. You lack the Angel God's protection and don't even have an innately awakened Angelic Domain. What can a mere Spirit King use to fight me..."
"As evil grows, so does holiness!"
Ye Guyi's voice rang ice-cold. "Ten thousand years later, the Seraphim has returned to the continent. He is the Angel God's divine punishment against you Evil Spirit Masters!
To die for angelic justice is a worthy death. I would rather die than become a slave to evil!"
Just as Ye Guyi resolved to self-destruct, a stirring rose from the depths of her soul. At the same moment, Wronged Soul Douluo's triumphant smile froze. He sensed a bone-chilling pressure approaching at terrifying speed!
Wronged Soul Douluo's hair stood on end. His nine spirit rings manifested one after another, offering a sliver of psychological security. The Corona City branch's Evil Spirit Masters were already drenched in sweat, their legs trembling like pendulums, ready to collapse at any moment.
In the sky, holy fire pierced the thick night clouds, which burst forth with countless golden dragon-shaped lightning bolts. Ye Guyi raised her head as holy fire illuminated the night like day. A golden domain crashed down, and majestic hymns echoed across the sky. Amidst endless holy light and flames, the Seraphim strode through the air!
Her heart skipped a beat. For reasons she could not explain, the sight of Ling Bai stirred something deep within—a reckless, overwhelming urge!
The Holy Angel blood within her began circulating on its own, without her conscious activation. Her blood gradually warmed, then boiled. That emotion flowed like magma through every part of her body. Influenced by the Seraphim above, a brilliant golden light flickered to life in her pupils!
"The fallen shall find no mercy!"
The cold voice of judgment tolled like a verdict. The Evil Spirit Masters felt a sudden, searing heat. They looked down in panic to find holy flames had ignited across their bodies at some unknown moment. Their skin reddened under the holy fire as the Seraphim destroyed their flesh and souls alike!
Burned alive by holy fire!
The Evil Spirit Masters, who were supposed to be the demons of the mortal world, now struggled chaotically in the holy fire. They resorted to any means to escape the inferno that was a living purgatory for them, but it was all in vain.
The glorious figure in the sky cast down flames that could reduce all evil to ash!
"Seraphim!"
Wronged Soul Douluo's eyes looked ready to split. He did not know why Ling Bai was here, but he had heard of his record of slaying Evil Spirit Masters!
Ancient Demon Douluo, Death Knight Douluo, Undead Knight Douluo, Malevolent Douluo…
Four of the Holy Spirit Cult's Titled Douluo had died tragically under the Seraphim's sword, including the Super Evil Douluo, Ancient Demon Douluo. This string of jaw-dropping feats had even made the Holy Spirit Cult Leader postpone assassination plans, opting to bide his time.
Mingdu was the Holy Spirit Cult's most important branch, and he had come only to investigate why it had fallen silent. Before he departed, the Cult Leader had specifically warned him that the Seraphim now resided at the Sun Moon Imperial Spirit Guidance Academy, cautioning the Rank 91 Wronged Soul Douluo to avoid him at all costs.
The problem was, he had not even taken half a step into Mingdu—yet here in Corona City, he had run straight into him!
Wronged Soul Douluo went mad. He knew encountering the Seraphim alone meant certain death. Ignoring the branch elder pleading for help, he swept his ferocious gaze over the two angels—the Seraphim and the Holy Angel—and roared insanely:
"Good, good, GOOD! Two angels meeting at once!
I'll kill you both! You'll all die, ALL DIE!
Ninth Spirit Skill, Ten Thousand Souls Devouring Body!"
His ninth spirit ring blazed. Wronged Soul Douluo bit down hard on his tongue and sprayed blood into the air. Thousands of soul light clusters instantly transformed into hideous blood-colored vengeful spirits.
The sixth and seventh blood-red 100,000-year spirit rings lit up simultaneously. Under the dual enhancement of Angel Avatar and Great Sun Angel, Ling Bai did not even spare the blood-colored vengeful spirits a glance. He simply raised the Angel Sword. Holy, light, and fire—three ultimate attributes merged as one as the Angel Sword erupted with incomparably brilliant sword light!
Wronged Soul Douluo left no memory for the world. The Seraphim's holy sword erased all traces of his existence.
Under the Angelic Domain's golden radiance, the souls floating mid-air shed their blood-red hue. No longer fierce and twisted, each soul became a simple, peaceful human face.
They knelt in the air, expressing their most sincere gratitude to Ling Bai from afar. Their forms slowly faded as they embarked upon the proper path of reincarnation.
Ling Bai's eyes softened slightly. His six angelic wings beat once, and in the next instant he appeared before Ye Guyi, less than half a meter separating them. Their holy auras of the same origin intertwined and mingled as both angels felt an instinctive closeness through their resonating bloodlines.
"Seraphim…"
Ye Guyi stared in a daze. The Seraphim's power and radiance had illuminated her world, sending tremors through the lake of her heart that refused to calm.
Divine light shone across Ling Bai's handsome face as he spoke softly:
"Holy Angel, your righteous actions summoned me here.
May the light grant you salvation."