"Are you all insane?"
I smiled faintly, looking at Emperor God and Sylvia Yan before me. The Fifth Tribunal Yama and Fourth Tribunal had already left; only Isabelle Frost and I remained to block these two from breaking into the other hells.
"At the birth of the world, everything was one. But as it expanded, that unity was slowly divided. Every conflict in existence stems from division. What we must do is reunite this world, piece it back together."
I shook my head. All around us stretched vast seas of Red Spider Lilies, glowing with crimson light. Isabelle Frost was still struggling to hold on. I could sense a familiar presence rising from deep underground, while the Yamas seemed to be making their final preparations.
I had no idea what was going through Emperor God's mind. To merge all the worlds into one—such a mad idea surpassed even their father.
"You must be out of your minds."
As I spoke, I raised the Endbringer Blade in my hand. Waves of Red Spider Lilies drifted past me. Isabelle Frost used her innate ability to create a Spirit Realm, but it could only trap Emperor God and Sylvia Yan here temporarily. All we could do was buy time.
With the cooperation of the Fifth Tribunal Yama and Fourth Tribunal, we managed to trap the consciousness of those two—Emperor God and Sylvia Yan—here for now. They were nothing but immortal, indestructible aggregates of thought, yet their minds could still link to parts of themselves in other worlds, drawing power across realms.
I wasn't sure how they did it, but I knew one thing: I still had a way. If I could find the endpoint in their consciousness and use the power of Endbringer to shatter their minds in the Netherworld, I could finally defeat them.
All I needed to do was keep attacking. Isabelle Frost would help me hold back their power.
"Earthly Soul, your attack patterns are far too obvious."
Isabelle Frost's voice rang in my ear. I smiled and nodded. My attacks meant nothing to those two, but delay was our only hope. Before leaving, the Fifth Tribunal Yama had said they'd put Hell to sleep for a while, then the ten Yamas would join the battle. Even if they couldn't destroy Emperor God and Sylvia Yan, they could trap them forever. All we had to do was hold out until they arrived.
"Earthly Soul, Isabelle Frost, what have you actually witnessed on your journey?"
I didn't answer, just stared blankly at Emperor God. He wore a faint smile, but what concerned me more was Sylvia Yan, who kept probing every aspect of the Spirit Realm, searching for a way out. But Isabelle Frost wouldn't give them any chance.
If you want to break through a world, you must understand its Principle. In the Spirit Realm Isabelle Frost constructed, the Principle exists—woven purely from curse power.
The Principle is like a thorn embedded in your body. If you stay still, it poses no threat. But once you move, the thorn begins to sting. If you try to pull it out, you die—and are expelled from the realm.
Emperor God and the others aren't that foolish. If they trigger the Principle, the laws of the Netherworld—which they'd already broken—will reactivate, and they'll be expelled.
"Everything is like this. In the end, it all comes together. To solve Hell's problem, merging the worlds is inevitable. We've prepared a safe method. Once the worlds become one, a truly new world will be born."
I shook my head.
"So how many innocents do you intend to drag into this?"
Emperor God raised a hand, revealing a sword with a coiled dragon pattern, radiating golden light. I had to be careful—Dragonbite was dangerous. I'd nearly died to it several times before, saved only by Isabelle Frost.
"Words are meaningless. Only the victor has the right to do as they please."
With a swoosh, Emperor God appeared before me in an instant. In the blink of an eye, I'd completed a spatial jump, but before I could land, I felt myself pulled back. This time, I was smarter—I blocked Dragonbite with the Endbringer.
Instantly, golden spikes shot toward me. A Red Spider Lily petal drifted over, rapidly expanding to envelop my body. I felt a violent impact, and when I regained my senses, Emperor God was quietly watching from afar as streams of flame snaked across the ground, exploding and scattering.
I could feel Isabelle Frost's Ghost Aura continuing to drop. She couldn't hold out much longer.
The aura from Hell was growing stronger, as if Hell itself had awakened from this war. Now, things had quieted a little—apparently, the Yamas had managed to calm Hell.
Sylvia Yan was still trying to use her power to break through Isabelle Frost's Spirit Realm. The place was like a massive labyrinth; if you couldn't escape, any forced breakthrough would just send you from one shore to the other, and back again.
All around, countless Red Spider Lily petals floated—each one connected, yet each an independent shore. I was curious how Isabelle Frost had acquired this power.
"And what then, after merging the worlds? What will happen to you?"
I asked, continuing my assault on Emperor God. He kept blinking in and out of short-range, dodging my attacks. Black Shadow Lightning crackled, swirling with dark currents. The fight was pointless, and Emperor God knew it—he wasn't in a hurry to attack.
"The world only has meaning if it's merged together. Think carefully, Earthly Soul, Isabelle Frost. If we don't intervene, no one can stand against my father. I fear the Ghost Sovereigns are already wiped out."
"Even if you go, you won't be able to defeat the Wraithlord."
I said bluntly. Emperor God nodded.
"Indeed, no one in this world can oppose my father. But we don't plan to confront him head-on. We'll act at the right moment, and my father will merely serve as the catalyst for the world's merging."
I burst out laughing.
"It's a pity, Earthly Soul. We've been preparing for this for a long time. Only by merging the worlds can everything be resolved. And when I say merging, I mean including Hell as well."
I stared at Emperor God in surprise. In an instant, he struck again—so fast I didn't even sense it. Dragonbite was suddenly at my throat, a truly incredible sword. I felt as if a thousand blades pierced my heart, visions of my own death flashing through my mind.
With a soft clang, I heard a gentle tapping sound. Suddenly, a hand yanked me back. I gasped for breath and looked around. Isabelle Frost stood pale behind me as rumbling continued. Sylvia Yan seemed to have found something.
"It's time to end this. If you two don't stop, you'll end up like Lady Meng."
Suddenly, Isabelle Frost turned into a streak of red light, flashing past Emperor God. I was startled and followed quickly. Emperor God failed to react; Isabelle Frost was targeting Sylvia Yan behind him.