"Hey, Ethan Zhang, come over here for a second."
Mona Ouyang called out to me. I noticed John Chou's smile had frozen on his face. I drifted over to Mona Ouyang's side, when suddenly, Mona's eyes widened in shock.
"John Chou, what are you trying to do?"
All of us turned to look at John Chou. He raised Belle, aiming it at Redmond's neck.
With a crisp clang, Yvonne May gripped Belle in John Chou's hand. A surge of ghostly energy erupted from his body, blood-red particles instantly enveloping all of us.
Redmond coughed up a mouthful of black blood with a wet splatter.
"Sorry, Redmond, I'll go easy on you. Watch out for those three—everyone, stay alert!"
John Chou shouted, no longer caring that Yvonne May was gripping the blade. He stabbed downward, severing half of Yvonne May's palm. Before anyone could react, Redmond suddenly clutched his chest, and with a cry, a golden light burst forth—a golden dragon flew out of Redmond's mouth.
With another clang, Belle was caught by the dragon. Redmond's eyes widened in agony, screaming, while Lady Meng stared around in terror. Suddenly, the sky around us turned into a fiery sea of clouds, bathed in sunset hues.
"What exactly are you trying to do, Emperor God?"
The golden dragon biting John Chou began to glow, transforming into Emperor God. He gripped Belle in John Chou's hand as we warily watched the fiery clouds closing in around us. On a drifting cloud, I saw Phantom Sage seated, his long pale blue hair floating like water, eyes cold and fixed on us.
"Hold your fire for now."
Lady Meng shouted. I looked down at Redmond on the ground—he was in terrible shape, his ghostly energy draining away rapidly.
"What did you do to Redmond, Emperor God?"
I stared at Emperor God, his face expressionless. He calmly released Belle from John Chou's grip. In an instant, he vanished, and when he reappeared, Yvonne May was already raising her hand.
"Wait a minute, young lady. If you want to lock us in time, that's impossible. The three of us are immune to time—neither space nor time can affect us. Let's resolve this peacefully between ourselves!"
John Chou pressed down on Redmond's chest, but Redmond kept coughing up black blood. Blood streamed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears; his ghostly energy was still draining uncontrollably.
"Hmph, you've already made your move. There's no way this ends peacefully."
Mona Ouyang snorted coldly. Purple mist was spreading all around us. Lord Shenyan gripped his sword, and Basil Bertram waved a hand—suddenly, a serene lake appeared beneath our feet, with a huge, round moon reflected in its waters.
Yuna Ji smiled coldly, her fist clenched so tightly it creaked.
"Are you newcomers to the Ghost Path? No, you’re Ghost Sovereigns at the very top—true representatives of power. It’s not that we’re clever, it’s that you were careless, John Chou—especially you. We struck the moment you regained your strength, after years of suppression, just as you finally overcame the Divine Law and reclaimed your power. Even a Ghost Sovereign lets down their guard for a moment. When you excitedly struck Divine Law with your blade, that was our chance. Redmond is still resisting, trying to keep us from taking Divine Law away."
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Lady Meng's eyes widened as she flew straight to Emperor God, who gave her a cold, indifferent glance.
"We're just taking Divine Law, that's all. Don't worry—we won't let it unleash too much power. The link between Divine Law and the Six Paths of Reincarnation won’t be broken. We're only moving Divine Law to the shadow realm."
John Chou's face was furious but silent, Belle trembling slightly in his grip.
With a bang, Lady Meng slammed her cane angrily against the ground, and cracks spidered across the space around us.
"No need for you to get involved, old woman. Just step aside and rest."
John Chou spoke icily, already blocking Lady Meng's way. Except for Yvonne May, who was still tending to Redmond, the other five Ghost Sovereigns drifted over. I gritted my teeth, drew Endbringer, and floated forward.
"Coming here so confidently to do this—if the Underworld intervenes, we’ll lose face. Old woman, when you go back, tell the Yanluos there’s no need for double-dealing. Fighting these guys is only a matter of time—as long as we remain Ghost Sovereigns."
Mona Ouyang's expression changed completely, her voice now deep and masculine.
"Moving Divine Law—is it just to make those things on Isle of Nine Shadows even stronger?"