The figure hidden within the black mist raised a mirror above the head of the First Palace Lord Yama, flicking a puff of gray qi into it. The mirror absorbed the gray qi, grew in size, and released a pillar of black light that enveloped Lord Yama, attempting to siphon away his divine soul power.
"Hmph!"
Lord Yama let out a cold snort. His body instantly expanded, manifesting his towering true form. A mountain-sized fist smashed down onto the mirror overhead.
With a deafening bang, the mirror shuddered, unable to dodge in time. Cracks rapidly spread across its surface, and in an instant, the artifact lost all power, shrinking back to palm-size and tumbling through the air. Lord Yama snatched it up and crushed it effortlessly.
The shadowy figure clearly hadn't expected its trump card to be so easily destroyed. In a panic, it transformed into black mist and tried to flee, only to be stomped under Lord Yama's massive foot. It didn't even have time to scream before it was reduced to ash.
"Anyone who dares cause chaos in my domain must be prepared to have their soul scattered to the winds."
Lord Yama's thunderous voice rolled through the battlefield, sending shivers down the spines of ghost soldiers struggling to capture fleeing evil spirits. They could feel their leader's wrath boiling. None dared slack off.
At that moment, Yunxi arrived at the entrance of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, led by the trembling ghost soldier. From a distance, she could already see Lord Yama's towering manifestation, evidence of the battle that had just taken place.
Though Yunxi held the ghost soldier in her grasp, he hadn't forgotten his mission. Clutching a black token engraved with "First Palace," he presented it to every ghost guard along the way, clearing their path until they reached Lord Yama.
Shielding her companions Han Lian, Xun Kun, and Yun Chen under the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella, Yunxi landed respectfully before Lord Yama and cupped her fists.
"Lord Yama, we've arrived!"
Lord Yama shrank his towering form and turned to the group. "The evil cultivators used your soul power as a key to shatter the barrier of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, releasing a horde of punished spirits. I must repair the barrier, but to do that, you need to reclaim the soul power that was stolen from you and fed into the Breaking Formation."
He gestured toward the still-active formation.
Yunxi immediately sensed that their presence was accelerating the formation's destructive effect on the barrier. Its power was fueled by Han Lian, Xun Kun, and Yun Chen's soul forces, as well as another unfamiliar soul energy.
The three companions were already seated, concentrating hard to stabilize their souls and slow the drain, but the effort was in vain. Their soul power continued to leak away.
They had tried every method but failed to sever their connection with the Breaking Formation or reclaim their power.
Yunxi's anxiety grew. She could not simply watch her comrades' souls be drained away. Raising the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella over their heads again, she turned to Lord Yama. "Lord Yama, what should we do next?"
Lord Yama gave her a deep, meaningful look. "There are two methods. The first: let your companions' souls be annihilated. Without their power, the formation will collapse on its own."
"That's not an option." Yunxi's voice was ice-cold.
Nearby ghost soldiers, busy wrangling evil spirits, froze. They could practically feel the tension. In their eyes, Lord Yama had a fearsome temper. They expected him to crush her companions without hesitation.
But to their surprise, Lord Yama only glanced at Yunxi before speaking calmly. "Then reclaim the soul power your companions lost to the formation."
Yunxi bowed slightly. "My earlier tone was disrespectful. Please forgive me, Lord Yama. Why not destroy the formation outright?"
She was certain he had the power to do so.
"I could shatter it by force," Lord Yama said evenly, "but your three companions would suffer backlash. The tear in the barrier would also widen, allowing countless more spirits to escape. Even I cannot completely annihilate all the evil souls that belong in Hell. They must remain imprisoned to receive punishment.
Repairing the barrier would then take much longer. That is why I said these two methods are the best options."
Yunxi bit her lip, knowing he wasn't exaggerating. Her mind raced for a solution but found none.
Just then, a strange voice whispered in her ear: "Little Cloud, use an array to counter the array. Inscribe one on your companions' bodies and draw their soul power back."
Her eyes lit up. She didn't even respond to the voice. Instead, she sat cross-legged beside her companions and pulled out the beast-hide scroll she had obtained from the Wu Tribe. She flipped through the pages at top speed. Ordinary formations wouldn't work here, and such techniques were often aligned with demonic practices she had no training in.
So she placed her hopes on ancient inscriptions. These glyphs were powerful enough to seal the spirits and Long Ya within the Shanhe Scroll, so perhaps they could work again.
Lord Yama's gaze flickered as he watched Yunxi search the scroll, but he didn't interfere.
Beneath the Nine Nether Dragon Umbrella, Han Lian, Xun Kun, and Yun Chen had overheard everything. Their souls were visibly weakening, and they feared Yunxi would risk herself for them.
"Amitabha… Ran Xi, do not burden yourself. You have already done enough," Yun Chen murmured. "We were bested and had our power stolen by evil cultivators. Just… take my relics back to Yunmen Temple."
Xun Kun held the soul bell, his natal artifact, tightly. "Ran Xi, if Lord Yama destroys my soul, a wisp of me will remain in this bell. Give it, and my artifact, to my Master Lin Lang."
Han Lian glared at them both, touching the icy lotus mark at her brow. "Ran Xi, don't listen to their nonsense. If Lord Yama forcibly severs our link to the formation and you manage to grab even a shred of our souls, bring them back along with my artifact. The ice coffin's formation can nourish souls. Maybe, after ten thousand years, our spirits will recover.
Also, bargain with Lord Yama for more soul stones. Maybe that will speed up our revival."
"Enough!" Yunxi snapped. "I will not let your souls be destroyed."
She returned the scroll to her storage and summoned their ice coffins from her spatial treasure, setting them in place.