The night was deeply somber, with the bright moon hanging high in the Nine Heavens, its luminous rays cascading down and illuminating the small courtyard.
The willow trees swayed gently in the spring breeze under the moonlight, the fragrance of blooming catkins drifting through, stirring oneās heart.
Sssāsssāsssā
It sounded as though paper was being consumed by flames, its edges curling and charring, accompanied by faint crackling noises, akin to tiny insects gnawing away.
"Soul Capturing
A low, guttural voice, reminiscent of the raspy chants of priests performed during ancient rituals, opened a portal to death, summoning the souls of the departed from the void of annihilation.
Crunchācreak, an icy and ethereal aura surged within the courtyard, spiraling as though an entryway to the Netherworld had swung wide open, now hovering above everyoneās heads.
One by one, black threads rose and intertwined, slowly twisting upward from the shadow of the severed, grotesque dragon head of the Dragon Queen Consort, severed after her transcendence to the Martial Saint Realm under the moonlightās reflection.
Like droplets of black liquid, they converged bit by bit.
Vast, deep, pitch-blackā¦
The jet-black dragon shadow towered ten zhang tall, nearly filling the entire courtyard, its overwhelming and ferocious Martial Saint-level Heavenly Person Sensing pressure stirring fierce winds.
Within the courtyard.
Everyone wore black robes, their garments flapping violently in the wind, their expressions varied beneath their masks as they gazed up at the obsidian dragon shadow.
The dragon shadow grew increasingly tangible, slowly shedding its pitch-black hue, as though the death qi lingering from its descent from the Netherworld was being washed away.
The azure dragon bone emitted a faint ghostly gleam, cloaking the dragonās body, with dragon horns, dragon whiskers, dragon scales, and azure dragon eyes appearing distinct and lifelike!
This was the Dragon Queen Consort, whose Dragon God Bloodline ignited entirely during her deadly clash with Li Che.
Roarā!
The dragon uttered a cry, its chant resounding within the courtyard.
Gradually, the colossal, ten-zhang-long serpentine form reverted back to the appearance of the Dragon Queen Consort.
Closing her eyes, then reopening them, her stunningly beautiful visage glowed with ethereal blue eyes that seemed to radiate light under the moonbeam.
Soul Capturingā
Return!
The Dragon Queen Consort Ao Yuxin had awakened!
Li Che, towering and powerfully built, wore a Cute Bull Mask, his expression indifferent as he stared at the human-shaped, bewildered Dragon Queen Consort.
Once everything became clear, the Dragon Queen Consortās gaze immediately fell upon You Liqing.
You Liqing, who raised the visor of his golden helmet, looked back at the Dragon Queen Consort with a complicated expression.
The entire courtyard fell into oppressive silence.
Cat-faced Li Qingshan sat among the crowd of fiends, holding his breath.
The Dragon Queen Consort and You Liqingā¦
While neither were Martial Saints in life, they both became Martial Saints after their deaths. Now, after being resurrected by the Netherworld Ox Demon, they carried Martial Saint-level power.
This made Li Qingshan somewhat tempted.
It seemed that after death, one could grow stronger and more formidable!
Comparatively, it appeared that deathā¦ wasnāt so terrifying after all.
Of course, this wasnāt what Li Qingshan was pondering; his thoughts wandered elsewhere, with flickering eyes and a hint of gentleness, hesitation, and longingā¦
No one paid attention to what was on Li Qingshanās mind.
After all, there were only two living beings present in the courtyard.
Li Che was too disinterested to guess Li Qingshanās thoughts. His gaze remained fixed on the Dragon Queen Consort, awaiting her reaction. Should she exhibit any sign of resistance or defianceā¦
Li Che could grant her a final, true death.
In Li Cheās view, the death following Soul Capturing was the ultimate death.
The Dragon Queen Consort glanced at the towering Bull Demon.
Her exquisite face revealed an expression of deep complexity.
Soā¦
You Liqing was truly dead after all.
Yet his resurrection was merely through this manner.
Now she truly understood.
But inexplicablyā¦
Ao Yuxinās heart did not harbor rejection; instead, she felt liberated, joyful, and unburdened.
Even thoughā¦
The Bull Demon was the true culprit behind her death, the murderer of her son, and the slayer of her lover.
Stillā¦
The Bull Demon had brought her brother Liqing back to life.
"Ao Yuxin of the Dragon God Lineage greets my lord.ā
With grace and submission, the Dragon Queen Consort knelt.
No resistance, only wholehearted devotion, evenā¦
A hint of delight.
Li Cheās expression beneath the Bull Demon Mask remained unmoving.
Seeing the Dragon Queen Consort so obedient and subservient, the killing intent he had amassed slowly dissipated.
Enough. It seemed the Soul Capturersā feastā¦
Would have to wait for the next round.
You Liqingās Soul Capturer exhaled in relief, while Long Taiās Soul Capturer let out a strange cry, prompting the far-off Green Bird, arms crossed, to scoff.
"Not bad.ā
Li Che praised with a single utterance.
He glanced, somewhat surprised, at the astute Dragon Queen Consort.
Who would have thoughtā¦
That the Dragon Queen Consort would surrender and submit so decisively, without even a trace of struggle in her eyes.
Li Che had expected that subjugating the Soul Capturer of the Dragon Queen Consort would be far more troublesome.
After all, heād done much to harm herāheād slain her son, killed her lover, and ultimately slaughtered the dragon herself.
Indeedā¦
The minds of women are inscrutable.
Even a female dragonās thoughts are just as enigmatic.
Xiao Ya, now she was the purest by far.
Nonetheless, this outcome was still favorable; the Dragon Queen Consort, after all, was a Martial Saint-level existence, albeit at the First Level. Even so, she now represented a top-tier combat power under Li Cheās command.
With Yellow Sword Wine, You Liqing, and now the Dragon Maiden, that made three Martial Saint combat powers.
The Blood God Nine Yang Vajra Ape could barely qualify as Martial Saint-level combat power, though it still lagged behind an actual Martial Saint.
The Dragon Maiden hailed from the Dragon God Lineage, naturally gifted in Body Refining with exceptional talent, making her physical body extraordinarily strong.
She was far more useful than the Vajra Apeā¦