The instant the formation above Wanyuan Residence activated, the four of them snapped their eyes open where they were meditating. Their natal treasures moved on their own, shielding their masters at once.
Han Lian's soul sank directly into a pale blue ice lotus. Yun Chen was held in a golden giant palm. Xun Kun's soul attached itself to a black soul bell. Face cold, Yunxi lifted the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella against the tremendous suction and stepped out of the cultivation room.
"Hei Yao!"
Yunxi uttered only the name. The next breath, the black dragon on the umbrella's canopy soared skyward and slammed straight into the massive eerie green formation overhead. The boom carried far, drawing the attention of many underworld envoys.
Black and green forces collided and sent shockwaves rippling outward, almost leveling Wanyuan Residence. The eerie green array only shrank by a ring, not shattered.
Hei Yao returned to the umbrella, gathering strength for a second strike. Yunxi frowned. This formation was stronger than the one they had encountered at "Qianbao Pavilion." Now she understood why the evil cultivators had done this. They were testing strength.
To be precise, testing the power of their souls after Out-of-Body, then setting up this more reliable soul-draining array.
Yunxi moved her divine sense, recalled the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella into her body, and summoned the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff into her hand. She drove it into the floor of Wanyuan Residence with a heavy thud and spoke two words, cold as ice: "Heaven's Punishment."
In an instant, the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff lengthened and enlarged, piercing toward the heavens. With it rose countless strands of violet lightning, blooming like violet flowers. They streaked like meteors into the soul-draining array above.
The destructive might of Heaven's Punishment obliterated the entire array. The eerie green formation crumbled midair, blasted into fragments, then churned to dust.
The vortex in the sky began to close rapidly. Xun Kun shouted,
"Han Lian, Yun Chen, Sever the Soul!"
At the same time, he decisively cut the strand of soul the array had extracted from his body.
Han Lian and Yun Chen did the same without hesitation, severing the link between those detached soul threads and their true selves.
Yunxi clearly saw the black, pale blue, and golden threads get sucked into the vortex. The vortex closed at top speed.
"Thunder Shines Across the Nine Heavens!"
Unwilling to let her companions' soul power be stolen, Yunxi unleashed another ultimate move. The phantom of the violet staff stabbed at the heart of the vortex, carrying a fierce thunderstrike with it.
Countless bolts of violet thunder spread from Wanyuan Residence as the center, sweeping a radius of ten li. The pallid-violet flashes drew a chorus of wails from wandering souls. Rolling thunder boomed over the entire district, as if the sky of the Ghost Realm would be torn open.
With a muffled groan from somewhere unseen, the vortex vanished completely. The heavens of the Ghost Realm returned to darkness. Only violet lightning flickered in the black clouds, restless and unwilling without a target.
Yunxi was furious as well, but she still recalled the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff, then turned to check on the others.
Xun Kun's lips were pressed into a hard line. He was clearly livid. Seeing Yunxi approach, he withdrew the soul bell and said at once, "We were ambushed. Except for you, the three of us had a thread of soul drawn away."
Yunxi's expression sank. Her brows knit. "Should I send you back to the Misty Snow Domain first? That would sever any residual link between those threads and your bodies, so the mastermind can't harm you."
Xun Kun's tone was low. "Not yet. Your attack should have hurt them. Let's check Han Lian and Yun Chen first."
Han Lian and Yun Chen also withdrew their natal treasures and flashed over to rejoin them.
"Amitabha. We still fell for the mastermind's trick. Fortunately, Xun Kun warned us in time. Han Lian and I severed the detached threads immediately. I just don't know what they plan to do with our soul strands."
Han Lian's handsome face was so cold it could drop ice shards. She ground her teeth. "Our lodging was arranged by the Judge Division. Whether it's Judge Cui or Black and White Impermanence, even that Li Ze kept telling us to stay in Wanyuan Residence.
Did they create this opportunity for the mastermind, or are they in on it? Do they think we need them so badly they can act without scruples?" She was truly enraged, and the accusation in her words was heavy.
"Amitabha. Han Lian, that's only your suspicion. Without evidence, don't speak rashly," Yun Chen said.
"Hmph. What evidence do we need? We've barely arrived in the Ghost Realm and trouble keeps piling up. They bully us because we don't know the place, or because they think we need them and don't matter.
We've been breaking our backs helping the underworld clean up their mess. If they want to burn the bridge after crossing, at least do it cleanly." Han Lian stayed cold, not even giving Yun Chen face.
Yunxi frowned. "The enemy hides while we are exposed. We are too passive. We must not sour relations with the underworld. I will send you back to the Misty Snow Domain to nourish your souls in your bodies. I will stay out here to stall them, and bring you out when needed."
"No."
All three spoke at once.
Han Lian: "Knowing it's dangerous, how can I let you face it alone? One person's destructive power is not the same as the four of us together. Worst case, we make noise at the 阎罗殿. They failed at their job."
Yun Chen: "Amitabha. Precisely because they hide and we are exposed, we must protect one another."
Xun Kun: "Solo work will only make them look down on us. You need someone you can trust to guard your back."
Seeing their expressions, Yunxi knew she could not dissuade them. She nodded. "Fine. Soldiers block the road, water blocks the flood."
Her words had just fallen when a squad of patrol soldiers rushed into the nearly leveled Wanyuan Residence. At the front was Li Ze, followed by Black and White Impermanence and the four underworld envoys Ox-Head Horse-Face.
Yunxi turned and stared straight at Li Ze without speaking. The other three swept their unfriendly gazes over every envoy present from head to toe, ready to act at the slightest provocation.
Li Ze felt his breath shorten. He could only cup his hands and say, "Everyone, our patrol was negligent. I am truly sorry that you were attacked."
"No need to apologize. I want to see Judge Cui. If he has no time, I will go to the Yama Palace to request audience with the First Hall Yama. You invited us here. We never intended to cling to the Ghost Realm and refuse to leave.
Captain Li Ze wants to use us as bait. Then you had better have the ability to catch the mastermind. Are your blades only for show?" Yunxi's words were anything but polite.
Before Li Ze could speak, a ghost soldier behind him snapped in displeasure, "That's going too far. When you unleashed your ultimate move, you didn't care this was the Ghost Realm. Your strike injured many ordinary ghost cultivators. Even we didn't dare approach recklessly."
"Shut up!"