Qian Ran scoffed, releasing his martial soul. The aura of holy light radiated from him, and the angelic mark on his forehead glowed brilliantly. The combined forces of sacred and light attributes concentrated into his fist.
The two Soul Emperor-level evil spirit masters weren't fools. The oppressive aura emanating from Qian Ran left them pale with fear.
To them, his aura was the embodiment of their natural predator.
Qian Ran's fist smashed forward with overwhelming force, obliterating the Second Holy Spirit on the spot.
Ordinarily, a Soul Emperor-level evil spirit master could rival a Soul Sage, but to Qian Ran, their strength was no greater than a standard Soul King.
With a single punch, Qian Ran reduced the so-called Second Holy Spirit to ashes, consumed by his flames imbued with the ultimate fire attribute.
The First Holy Spirit stood dumbfounded, unable to process the brutal demise of his comrade. Could these accursed light-attribute soul masters really be this powerful?
Realizing escape was futile, he resolved to fight to the death. If he tried to flee, the cult's central altar would never forgive him. Besides, the overwhelming strength of his opponent made fleeing impossible.
"You will all die! All light-attribute soul masters deserve death!"
The First Holy Spirit ignited all six of his soul rings, his body erupting in white flames. Within the blaze, countless wailing spirits seemed to cry out in agony.
Suddenly, a side door burst open, releasing a torrent of terrifying energy.
Translucent globes of light, each bearing a distorted human face, poured forth. These faces twisted grotesquely, their expressions filled with anguish.
The First Holy Spirit now wielded a banner, his face twisted with malice as he stared at Qian Ran.
"Let me show you the taste of Soul Devour. Your souls will be torn to shreds, and your bodies will become my puppets. All of you, die!"
So this is a Soul Banner, Qian Ran thought as he eyed the artifact in the man's hands.
When necromancers control undead creatures, their limited spiritual power restricts their range of control. However, they can use artifacts to extend their influence and enhance their ability to transform spirits. The Soul Banner was one such tool.
A fully refined Ten-Thousand Soul Banner could contain over ten thousand souls. By unleashing vengeful spirits, it could attack on a massive scale. Any living being caught by these spirits, regardless of species, would quickly become a host for the spirits and transform into an undead soldier. Even if the undead soldiers were destroyed, their souls would return to the banner, where they could continue evolving by devouring other souls.
It was said that an ultimate-level Soul Banner could rival even a god.
Qian Ran's soul skill, [Undead Legion], seemed to share similarities with this artifact. The difference was that his ability far surpassed any crafted tool. While artifacts had inherent limits, his soul skill allowed him to control undead indefinitely, limited only by the strength of his spiritual power.
"Sorry, but your vengeful spirits are too weak."
Qian Ran stepped forward, casually smashing the First Holy Spirit's head with a single strike and seizing the Soul Banner.
"That's it?" Nana stood frozen, utterly stunned.
The seemingly invincible First and Second Holy Spirits, revered as untouchable in her eyes, were annihilated so effortlessly.
One was burned to ash by a single punch, while the other's head was crushed in one blow.
Nana had always regarded Qian Ran as strong, but witnessing his overwhelming power firsthand was beyond anything she had imagined.
Even if his martial soul countered evil spirit masters, these were still two Soul Emperors!
Everything had happened so fast.
"Nana," Qian Ran called, snapping her out of her daze.
"I'm giving you two choices. One, I purify and release your parents' spirits to ascend. Two, I allow them to remain in my care. They'll no longer be human, but you can visit them as often as you wish."
"What do you mean?"
"I have a similar ability…" Qian Ran explained his situation in detail.
Nana's mouth hung open in shock. Qian Ran possessed not only the power of light but also that of an evil spirit master. It was utterly mind-boggling.
"Then… let's do it your way." Nana bit her lip, ultimately choosing to trust Qian Ran.
"Alright."
Closing his eyes, Qian Ran activated the angelic mark on his forehead. Holy light radiated outward, freezing the rampaging vengeful spirits mid-air.
At that moment, Qian Ran absorbed them into his [Undead Legion].
The spirits weren't particularly valuable—most were ordinary souls. Even though there were over 400 of them, they were nothing compared to Mu En, a single undead under his command.
Watching from the side, Nana felt a strange comfort from the aura Qian Ran exuded. Could someone with such an aura really be capable of anything vile? Even if Qian Ran wielded the power of an evil spirit master, as long as he remained in control, that was all that mattered.
With the spirits now fully absorbed, Qian Ran's eyes snapped open.
Though the 400 vengeful spirits were weak, even the smallest gain was useful. Furthermore, undead could grow stronger by devouring one another.
"What about my parents?" Nana asked anxiously.
"Follow me."
Taking her hand, Qian Ran activated his soul rings. A portal to the [Gate of the Undead] appeared before them, and he led her through.
"This is…" Nana gasped as she took in her surroundings.
It was a shadowy world with an eerie black sun hanging in the sky. The sun emitted a mysterious purple glow, casting a dim, unsettling light across the realm.
The terrain was uneven and barren, devoid of vegetation. The ground was pitch black, as if soaked in ink. A chilling atmosphere permeated the air.
Ahead lay a stretch of rolling hills, beyond which visibility faded. Behind them stood a massive gate, through which they had just entered.
Only moments ago, they had been in the Holy Spirit Cult's sanctuary. Now, they were in a place that felt like an entirely different world.
"This is a small world under my control—a micro-dimension. It's inhabited entirely by undead creatures. I can ensure your parents' absolute safety here. With my support, they might even become powerful entities within this world."
Nana finally understood the full implications of Qian Ran's offer.
A world of the undead—a micro-dimension…
She was utterly overwhelmed. It was almost impossible to believe that such a marvel could exist in this world.
(End of Chapter)