"Who knows?"
Isabelle Frost replied coldly, raising both hands. Dark red lines appeared all around, weaving together in an instant like a sphere, wrapping tightly and trapping both Emperor God and herself within this space made of threads.
"Stop for now, little girl. If Ethan Zhang is here, let him come out. I still want to have a proper conversation."
"Then go find him yourself."
As she spoke, Isabelle Frost waved her hand, sending the dark red threads lashing at Emperor God like whips. Facing this attack, Emperor God did not resist at all, but quietly closed his eyes.
"Since we are the creators of this world, what do we truly possess? When the flesh is destroyed, only the will remains. And all of this must submit to the absolute authority called Order."
Suddenly, Emperor God opened his eyes and pressed two fingers together at his chest.
"Flame of Order."
In an instant, the dark red threads that Isabelle Frost had lashed out like whips were reduced to ash in the golden flames.
"Flame Dragon..."
With a thunderous roar, a dragon composed entirely of golden flames surged forward, its massive jaws snapping toward Isabelle Frost.
In an instant, the dark red threads recoiled back into Isabelle Frost's body. A flash of green light appeared as she began to dodge, not daring to approach the roaring, spiraling Flame Dragon.
Emperor God seemed to be controlling the Flame Dragon, his two fingers moving continuously.
Isabelle Frost turned into a streak of green light, darting through the air, desperately evading the golden flames erupting from the Flame Dragon's body.
Light, water, air—everything in this world belongs to me. All that I see is of my own creation.
Suddenly, the once pale sky blazed with light. The sun appeared, sizzling in the air. I swallowed nervously, exclaiming in shock.
Impossible—the sun from the living world.
The light shining on Isabelle Frost's body made a sizzling sound—highly detrimental to ghosts.
Everything Emperor God did in that instant felt like myth, beyond my understanding. This world, clearly built from ghostly energy, somehow possessed the light of the living world.
Isabelle Frost could only flee, dodging the Flame Dragon with incredible speed while enduring the blazing sun overhead.
Perhaps for you ghosts, the final destination is hell. It's almost time—hell descends...
A rumbling sound echoed. Suddenly, I saw a streak of black, then more and more darkness. In the sky, a massive floating island appeared, its surface crawling with white skeletons and echoing with wails.
Hell... Jukuryo...
With a crash, black sludge poured from the floating island above Isabelle Frost, sealing her in from all sides. She stopped moving, and the Flame Dragon drew near.
Suddenly, Isabelle Frost waved her hand, sending a massive red petal of the otherworldly flower to wrap around the Flame Dragon. She deftly slipped past its side, but a streak of black blocked her path. As she tried to escape downward, her right hand was caught by the black sludge. Her eyes widened as she was dragged toward the dark, oval-shaped island in the sky.
With a thud, most of Isabelle Frost's body sank into the island's surface. Instantly, countless skeletons reached out, grabbing her as the black sludge surged closer.
With a crash, the skeletons lunging at Isabelle Frost shattered, and a large portion of the black island caved in. Her red dress billowed as she crouched in the hollow, while the surrounding sludge surged like a tsunami, threatening to engulf her.
With a splatter, black sludge sprayed everywhere. A flash of green light burst out as the sludge filled the hollow, and Isabelle Frost shot out from within.
Emperor God looked surprised, holding up his two fingers. At that moment, several jets of black sludge erupted from the island's surface, surging toward Isabelle Frost to try and catch her again.
Absolute force clashes against force—the power of curse killing is useless now.
Death Curse spoke, clenching his fists in anguish. With a thud, he struck the ground while half-crouched, gritting his teeth as a crack appeared in the earth.
Take me there, Jiang Tianci. Let me go help Miss Yi.
I had seen that thing once before—the black, sludge-like substance. During my first confrontation with the Golden Mask from the Immortality Society, the Fifth Yama used Huixiang to create Hell's Jukuryo and helped us once. Now I understand: all power, especially ghost power, is useless in this Jukuryo. Once dragged in, you can never escape.
Jiang Tianci looked at Death Curse.
Hurry up.
Wait a moment.
I shouted. Isabelle Frost showed no sign of retreat, dodging the black Jukuryo again and again. I could sense her speed increasing. Emperor God manipulated the Jukuryo with both hands, his expression growing more severe.
It's better not to go. Little Yi is very proud, you know. Long ago, she even refused my help.
Ghost-Painting Immortal said from the side. Jiang Tianci watched everything on the screen in silence. If we wait just a bit longer, the tower where Huansheng is will begin its assault. For now, everything Isabelle Frost is doing is meant to show the other two groups just how powerful these old rulers of hell are.
It's fine. Miss Yi said she would trap Emperor God—she can do it.
I shouted loudly, my emotions running high. Isabelle Frost had nowhere left to retreat. Walls formed by the black Jukuryo blocked every escape route, and the Flame Dragon was descending from above.
With a thunderous boom, a golden light shot out as the Flame Dragon passed straight through Isabelle Frost's body.
I cried out in shock. Green blood trickled from Isabelle Frost's lips as her body was engulfed by the Jukuryo and dragged toward the floating island in the sky. Emperor God slowly lowered his hands.
It's over, little girl. No ghost can resist this Jukuryo. After being wounded by it in a fight with that black-faced guy, I spent thousands of years analyzing its makeup and created this version that exists only in this world. It rivals the true Jukuryo of hell. You have no chance of winning.
Isabelle Frost was firmly fixed inside the black island, only her head exposed. She was in terrible shape—her ghost aura had faded and her power was rapidly declining.
I'll go and have my subordinates attack the place where Huansheng is.
Jiang Tianci said, but Ghost-Painting Immortal grabbed him.
Don't rush. Even if the outcome is already decided, the process of victory and defeat hasn't played out yet.
Death Curse burst out laughing.
Looks like it's time to get serious.
Instinct?
I stared at Isabelle Frost in surprise. Her eyes were cold and devoid of emotion.
For us Qing ghosts, once we reach the top level and gain instinct, fighting with instinct is worlds apart from fighting without it.
Death Curse looked excited as he watched the scene.
Still trying something, little girl? The strongest aspect of Hell's Jukuryo is that it endlessly devours your ghost aura. So once a ghost falls in, it's basically impossible to escape.
Maybe so, haha.
Isabelle Frost sneered, looking at Emperor God, who now showed signs of fatigue.
Let me ask you this: if this move fails and you can't suppress me, what will you do?
There was shock in Emperor God's eyes.
Is it instinct?
Isabelle Frost laughed, her voice chilling and sinister.
Ah, that which slumbers in my ghostly soul, inscribed upon my spirit—what you call instinct.
It looks like you already know how my power attacks. Interesting. Then I'll show you my true strength—so you'll understand the difference between heaven and earth.
As Emperor God spoke, golden threads began to appear on his body, weaving in and out of his skin like needles and thread.
As the Order of this world, what I control is the world itself, and my power is everything you see before you.
Isabelle Frost said nothing, closing her eyes.
What is that?
I stared wide-eyed as red blood streamed from the center of Isabelle Frost's forehead. A flower began to bloom there, and in the center of its petals I saw a vertical, black eye.
Gradually, the flower turned black, and the blood became black as well. Suddenly, Isabelle Frost opened her eyes.
With a thunderous boom, the Jukuryo restraining her snapped away, and a fierce wind swept through. The entire black island seemed to disintegrate, rapidly turning to dust.
Isabelle Frost's gaze was blazing as she slowly raised her head. Black blood formed a blooming flower pattern on her cheek, and the black eye on her forehead locked onto Emperor God.
Instinct... called... Funeral...