Without a doubt, the Evil-Eyed Holy King was ultimately extracted by Huo Yu'er.
Huo Yu'er had initially assumed that the divine realm had discovered some anomaly regarding her and Ye Wen, and thus sent someone to infiltrate and investigate. Who would have thought it would turn out to be such a pathetic creature?
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the Evil-Eyed Holy King but remained silent. After all, the Evil-Eyed Holy King's intentions had never been pure—he had come under the guise of offering benefits.
To offend her future master over a mere spirit beast would have been unwise.
The Evil-Eyed Holy King stared at Zhu Zhuqing, who remained silent, his gaze gradually turning frenzied. He had finally decided to make a comeback, only to be instantly exposed and betrayed yet again.
Who could possibly endure such a fate?
"Damn you! You wretched woman! If it weren't for me, you'd still be stuck circling around that useless trash! How dare you do this to me? How dare you do this to me?! AHHHH!!!"
The Evil-Eyed Holy King roared in defiance, unable to accept his fate. Though he said nothing further, the soul power beginning to surge within him caused Huo Yu'er's eyes to narrow slightly.
With a simple gesture, Huo Yu'er raised her hand and clenched it into a virtual grip. The Evil-Eyed Holy King's soul form froze midair.
Spatial Restraint!
"Do you really think you can pull off a self-destruction act in front of me? Who do you think I am?" Huo Yu'er sneered disdainfully.
Having completely subdued the Evil-Eyed Holy King, Huo Yu'er turned her attention to Zhu Zhuqing, who stood nearby.
"Bai Ling'er, I've removed this hidden danger from your body. From now on, it belongs to me as my spoils of war. Do you have any objections?"
Zhu Zhuqing gave a slight nod.
Gaining a new martial soul and greater potential had already left her deeply satisfied. As for the uncontrollable force of the Evil-Eyed Holy King—a spirit beast residing within her—it would be a lie to say she hadn't felt uneasy about it.
This resolution was truly a win-win situation.
After receiving Zhu Zhuqing's affirmation, Huo Yu'er turned her attention back to the Evil-Eyed Holy King. With another subtle motion of her hands, the phantom-like soul form of the Evil-Eyed Holy King began to twist and compress until it transformed into a jewel shimmering with red, blue, and gold hues.
Looking at the gem in her hand, Huo Yu'er smiled contentedly. She hadn't expected that her husband taking in a subordinate would bring such an unexpected bonus. This was what it meant to be a child of destiny—everything seemed to conspire in their favor.
Though the Evil-Eyed Holy King had long abandoned his physical form, leaving only his soul behind, the cultivation he once possessed could not be faked. At this moment, the Evil-Eyed Holy King was equivalent to the Heavenly Dream (Tianmeng) Ice Silkworm tens of thousands of years later.
Huo Yu'er estimated that, if handled properly, the soul of the Evil-Eyed Holy King could produce a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and even grant a soul master a second martial soul imbued with spiritual attributes.
Of course, Huo Yu'er herself had no interest in such a martial soul. After all, both she and Ye Wen were once God Kings. If they truly desired dual or triple martial souls, they could have arranged it before their reincarnation.
Why let such a lowly divine beast taint their noble bloodline?
However, the allure of a second martial soul and a hundred-thousand-year soul ring was immense for other soul masters.
"Who should I recruit next?" Huo Yu'er mused quietly.
At this moment, seeing Huo Yu'er lost in thought, Zhu Zhuqing hesitantly murmured:
"Madam, everything has been resolved. Can you take me to register and join now?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice pulled Huo Yu'er out of her thoughts. Looking at the elegant, white-haired, heterochromatic-eyed girl before her, Huo Yu'er suddenly had an idea.
Huo Yu'er gently raised her hand and tilted Zhu Zhuqing's chin upward, speaking with an air of superiority:
"Bai Ling'er, I can make you a dual martial soul possessor and grant you a god-level soul ring. In the future, you may even become the sole empress of the Douluo Continent.
So, are you willing to swear absolute loyalty to me?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's pupils dilated, her eyes filled with disbelief.
What Huo Yu'er proposed seemed too fantastical.
But recalling the power represented by the Evil-Eyed Holy King and how easily it had been crushed, Zhu Zhuqing realized that this was not only a chance to change her fate but also a pivotal turning point in her life.
Huo Yu'er withdrew her hand, stepping back slightly, and watched with interest as Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flickered with excitement and greed.
As Huo Yu'er had anticipated, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze eventually hardened, and she dropped to one knee.
Once a caged bird had tasted the freedom of soaring through the skies, how could it ever willingly return to being bound and enslaved?
"Madam, from this day forward, my life belongs entirely to you."
Zhu Zhuqing no longer referred to herself as Zhu Zhuqing, choosing instead to embrace the name given to her by Huo Yu'er.
In this moment, Zhu Zhuqing ceased to exist. In the future, the name that would echo throughout the Douluo Continent as the legendary female emperor would only be Bai Ling'er.
Looking at the fervent and devout Bai Ling'er before her, Huo Yu'er softly spoke:
"The contract is sealed. Remember, from this day forth, you are my vassal. I will grant you unparalleled strength and the qualifications to ascend to empress. But in exchange, you must pledge absolute loyalty to me. Betrayal will come at a heavy price."
Bai Ling'er lowered her head, accepting her fate, though her heart trembled involuntarily as she recalled the Evil-Eyed Holy King's words about the fate of those who betrayed it.
At this moment, Huo Yu'er continued: "Raise your head."
As Bai Ling'er lifted her head, Huo Yu'er pressed the jewel containing the essence of the Evil-Eyed Holy King against her forehead once more.
This time, though the Evil-Eyed Holy King returned to Zhu Zhuqing's body, he had been completely subjugated by Huo Yu'er, stripped of his will and reduced to a mere puppet, initiating a sacrificial offering.
In the next instant, a blinding golden light shot into the sky, signaling not only the fall of a deity but also the manifestation of a divine sacrificial barrier.
Fortunately, Huo Yu'er had prepared in advance, activating a concealed domain expansion that transported them to a separate space. The outside world remained oblivious to the fact that a divine beast was undergoing a sacrifice.
Bai Ling'er felt an overwhelming sense of euphoria, as if her entire being was immersed in a soothing hot spring.
Unaware that she had yet to obtain her third soul ring, Bai Ling'er didn't realize that her cultivation, which had just reached level 30, was now skyrocketing toward an even higher realm.
When the phenomenon subsided and Bai Ling'er regained her senses, she was momentarily dazed, having never felt so powerful in her life.
If not for Huo Yu'er's presence, Bai Ling'er would have immediately performed a dramatic display of strength, like lifting massive boulders or challenging the heavens themselves.
Huo Yu'er observed her handiwork with satisfaction.
Due to the granting of a second martial soul, Bai Ling'er's previously multicolored three eyes had now transformed into a uniform platinum hue. Even her originally white hair now shimmered with a platinum glow.
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