The original plan was now completely useless. But since that was the case, why not make the best of a bad situation? The current circumstances were even more favorable than their initial strategy. Not seizing this opportunity would be utter foolishness.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In Zhao Li's hands, the Soul Extinguishing Gun continuously fired golden Soul Extinguishing Bullets. His marksmanship was exceptionally cunning, and his weapon was of extremely high grade—its firing speed was astonishingly fast. Even if someone could see the trajectory, they couldn't dodge in time. One by one, soldiers of the Scarlet Flame Army were struck, and the moment they were hit, their bodies began to disintegrate, turning into countless motes of light that quickly evaporated—their souls scattered, their spirits destroyed. Only a sliver of true spirit drifted toward the cycle of reincarnation.
Of course, this sliver of true spirit would eventually give birth to a new soul and reincarnate anew—completely fresh, devoid of any past memories. Even if they became great cultivators in the future and could look back into their past lives, they would never recover memories from before their soul was extinguished. That is the horror of true soul annihilation.
From this moment on, all ties to past lives were severed.
Souls scattered, true spirit survives.
"Ghost army within Scarlet Flame City, listen well! Your Scarlet-robed Ghost King has slain ghost envoys without cause, stolen the Yin-Yang Token, and seized the Gate of the Underworld! Today, he shall be punished—his soul destroyed, his essence shattered. Those who do not wish to die, drop your weapons and kneel! Any resistance will result in total annihilation of the soul!"Zhao Li's voice echoed with authority.
"You've been exposed! Dare resist and you'll all take a trip through hell!"
A ghost envoy, appearing like a little girl, wielded a massive iron chain. As her arm swung, the chain whipped around like a spirit serpent, piercing through one Scarlet Flame Army soldier after another. With a flick of her wrist, even their souls shattered into fragments and were devoured by the chain.
Weapons like Soul-Binding Chains and Soul-Suppressing Blades used by ghost envoys often had the ability to devour souls and grow stronger. Under normal circumstances, ghost envoys were not allowed to destroy souls, but this was war. In such conditions, soul extinction was entirely expected—a veritable feast for the ghost envoys.
However, none of this affected Yi Tianxing.
Even when he heard the chaos behind him, he didn't pause for a moment—rushing straight toward the dungeon.
"Fellow Daoist Yi, the dungeon is just ahead."
Under the guidance of the Paper Craftsman, they quickly arrived at the dungeon entrance. There, a large force of ghost soldiers stood guard, their killing intent palpable.
"Stop! This is a restricted area! Trespassers will be executed!"
The guards shouted.
"Then die."
Yi Tianxing's voice was ice-cold. Nine Yin-Yang Locks appeared out of thin air and instantly transformed into countless glowing Yin-Yang Rings, sweeping toward the guards like a divine tide.
Sensing danger, the guards instinctively tried to destroy the rings. But their spells and weapons either missed or were deflected. The Yin-Yang Rings behaved like divine weapons—unyielding and incredibly resilient. In mere moments, all the guards were bound and pulled into Yin-Yang Space, where they were suppressed and refined.
Boom!
Yi Tianxing kicked open the dungeon gates, shattering them to pieces, and strode inside.
"This is the dungeon. Your sister should be in here, unless something unexpected has happened," the Paper Craftsman said, secretly shocked by Yi Tianxing's violent ferocity. Calm on the outside, he had completely snapped when he heard his sister was captured. His aura now was far more terrifying than before.
"What's going on? There's fighting outside!"
"The dungeon gates have been blasted open! Has someone come to rescue us?"
"Could it be true? Did the Paper Elder really go out and bring back help? Are we finally saved?!"
Inside the dungeon, many living souls heard the commotion and turned toward the entrance with hope in their eyes. They saw three figures step in.
"Everyone, you're safe now. The guards have been dealt with. However, the city is still in chaos—ghost envoys and Scarlet Flame soldiers are still clashing. Once the battle ends, you'll be able to leave safely," the Paper Craftsman announced.
"It's the Paper Elder!"
Hearing his voice, hope welled up in the captives. Survival seemed finally possible.
"Strange... Where's the girl I spoke with earlier?"
The Paper Craftsman scanned the cells but found that the cell where the girl had been was now empty. All the souls inside were gone. A foreboding chill ran through his heart.
"Paper Elder, the guards took everyone from that cell away just moments ago. They were taken to the Ghost King's Palace."
"How long ago?" Yi Tianxing asked, face expressionless, a killing aura surging so intensely it was almost tangible.
He knew that the Scarlet-robed Ghost King was devouring souls to cultivate forbidden arts. That was common knowledge in the Yellow Springs Inn. If Nannan had been taken to him, she was on the verge of death. Yi Tianxing's fury flared like a raging inferno—he was ready to destroy the entire city.
"Less than fifteen minutes ago."
A soul answered, trembling under the overwhelming pressure. It felt like a volcano was about to erupt—one that could obliterate everything in its path.
"I'll lead the way. I know where the Scarlet-robed Ghost King is in seclusion," the Paper Craftsman said without hesitation, bolting toward the exit. Every second now was crucial—any delay could be fatal.
Whoosh!
Yi Tianxing caught up in a flash, grabbing the craftsman's arm.
"Just point the way!"
"City Lord's residence!"
In a streak of divine light, Yi Tianxing flew straight to the estate.
"That secret chamber right there!"Without a word, Starshatter Hammer appeared in Yi Tianxing's hands, and he swung it mercilessly at the chamber.
Boom!
The entire secret room collapsed under the blow, revealing its interior. Inside, the Scarlet-robed Ghost King had a group of living souls bound and was about to swallow them whole, black and white flames flickering around him.
"Nannan, where are you?"
Yi Tianxing scanned the captives—there were young and old, men and women—but none of them were her. His face darkened; rage surged in his chest like wildfire.
She had been taken from the dungeon, but was not here. There was only one conclusion—and it was one Yi Tianxing refused to accept.
"You dare trespass into Scarlet Flame City, destroy my meditation chamber, and interrupt my cultivation?! No matter who you are—you die today!"
"If I don't destroy your soul and scatter your essence, then I'll write my name backward!"
"Today, I've completed my divine art! From now on, the underworld is mine to roam freely! I, Scarlet Robe, shall reign supreme! Who dares say otherwise?"
The Ghost King's face was iron-dark as he glared at Yi Tianxing.
"Looking for someone? They're not here. That means they've already been eaten by me—turned into fuel for my cultivation. She should be honored—her death had purpose. And you will be next!"
His tone was arrogant, filled with malice.
"Eaten?"Yi Tianxing's roar thundered."Then you'd better cough her back up!"
"Yin-Yang Shears—Sever Yin from Yang!!"
A black and white Yin-Yang Scissors manifested in the air, etched with dragon-scale-like patterns. They transformed into two Yin-Yang serpents that shot forward like lightning.
"That's a Yin-Yang divine art!" the Ghost King shrieked.
Yet he remained calm. Black and white flames surged, and a Yin-Yang Jade Ruler appeared above his head.
Crack!
The scissors slashed through him at the waist—yet in the next instant, his body reformed as if untouched.
"Your divine art may be sharp, but how can it cut through the formless—Yin-Yang Divine Fire?"
"I am fire. I exist between Yin and Yang. I am immortal. You can sever mountains, stars—but not flame!"
The Scarlet-robed Ghost King sneered.He had successfully cultivated Yin-Yang Divine Fire, refining his fire-ghost body to near invincibility. Now, he stood at the threshold of being undying and imperishable.
Of course, this so-called immortality was relative, not absolute—even saints could fall. But it gave him a powerful edge: a body forged in divine flame that was extremely hard to destroy.