"You'll find out eventually."
Wang Nanxuan activated the power of the contract.
A dim figure suddenly flew out of Carter Slade's body.
It looked like an angel made of fading flames.
This was the Spirit of Vengeance.
Originally, the Spirits of Vengeance had been angels created by God and sent to Earth to purge evil. But after countless battles between demons and angels, many of them were severely wounded.
Mephisto had stolen some of those broken angels and corrupted them.
That was how the fallen Spirits of Vengeance were born.
With the Spirit of Vengeance leaving his body, the old cowboy instantly became weak.
Carter Slade stared at the flaming angel that had haunted him for half his life.
Then he spat angrily.
"So that's what you look like."
"You're uglier than I imagined."
The Spirit of Vengeance trembled in fury.
It tried to struggle.
But it couldn't escape Wang Nanxuan's control.
Wang Nanxuan wasted no time.
He pulled the Spirit of Vengeance into his own body.
Then he used the authority of a Hell Lord to forcibly erase its consciousness.
He closed his eyes.
A moment later—
They opened again.
Hellfire burned inside them.
Flames erupted across his body, spreading like a living inferno.
For a brief moment, Wang Nanxuan looked like a human-shaped blaze.
But he didn't transform into a flaming skeleton like other Ghost Riders.
Because he was different.
He didn't host the Spirit of Vengeance.
He controlled it.
"Good."
The flames vanished.
Wang Nanxuan took out Blackheart's statue again and waved his hand.
A streak of black energy flew from the statue and entered Carter Slade's body.
The old cowboy—who had been moments away from death—instantly regained his strength.
Inside the statue, Blackheart screamed.
"You're using my power again?!"
Wang Nanxuan ignored him.
"Old cowboy," he said calmly.
"Enjoy your last year of life."
"And try not to get involved in too many things."
He snapped his fingers.
Carter Slade collapsed unconscious.
The Wind Demon stepped forward coldly.
"My lord… should I kill him?"
"That wouldn't violate the contract."
Wang Nanxuan glanced at him.
"I keep my promises."
"Besides…"
"Keeping him alive isn't a bad thing."
"He can delay the Ghost Rider for us."
The Wind Demon forced an awkward smile and stepped back.
He didn't dare argue.
After thinking for a moment, Wang Nanxuan summoned two small flames.
He handed them to the Earth Demon and the Water Demon.
"Earth Demon," he said, "take this flame and travel as far away as possible."
"Water Demon, go into the city."
"Find a woman named Roxanne at the television station."
"Don't harm her."
"Wait for my orders."
These flames were his insurance.
If the coming battle failed, they would allow him to rebuild his power.
No matter what happened—
He could not be forced completely back into Hell.
"Yes, my lord."
Though confused, the two demons obeyed and quickly departed.
Then Wang Nanxuan turned to the Wind Demon.
"Take me to San Venganza."
San Venganza had once been a village of devout Christians.
Every resident worshiped God.
Then Mephisto appeared.
He promised them immortality.
The villagers turned on one another.
Within days, the entire village destroyed itself.
Men.
Women.
Children.
More than a thousand souls fell into corruption.
Their twisted spirits remained trapped within the ruins of San Venganza.
Whoever possessed the Contract of San Venganza could collect those souls.
With them, a Hell Lord could construct a Hell on Earth.
Mephisto had almost succeeded.
But Carter Slade betrayed him and fled with the contract.
That was why everything had spiraled into chaos.
"Yes, my lord."
The Wind Demon bowed.
His respect was no longer based only on fear.
He had witnessed Wang Nanxuan's methods.
This Hell Lord was dangerous.
He transformed into a violent gust of wind and rushed ahead.
Wang Nanxuan followed behind him.
Meanwhile…
Near Rocket City, a motorcycle roared through the night.
It was a Harley-Davidson engulfed in blazing fire.
A long trail of flames burned across the road behind it.
Its rider was a flaming skeleton wearing a leather jacket and wrapped in chains.
Johnny Blaze.
Years ago, he had made a deal with Mephisto.
The devil promised to cure his father's cancer.
Johnny signed the contract.
The next day…
His father died in a stunt accident.
Now Johnny Blaze had become Mephisto's Ghost Rider.
A voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Go to San Venganza immediately."
"Blackheart has obtained the contract."
It was Mephisto.
With the holy protection of Saint Michael gone, the contract's location could no longer be hidden.
To be honest, Mephisto was confused.
How had his idiotic son found the contract so quickly?
Had the boy finally developed a brain?
Johnny Blaze didn't answer.
It was his first transformation.
The Spirit of Vengeance had taken full control.
The flaming skull roared.
The motorcycle accelerated violently.
Police cars trying to intercept it exploded as flames engulfed them.
Even when the road ended at a lake, the Ghost Rider didn't slow down.
The burning motorcycle rode straight across the water.
If Newton had seen it, he probably would have overturned his own coffin.
San Venganza had long since become a ruin.
Wang Nanxuan walked through the broken village.
Ghostly wails echoed everywhere.
"A village of greedy fools," he murmured.
"But your greed solved my biggest problem."
He hadn't come here to rule anything.
He simply wanted the freedom to enter Earth.
After a year trapped in Hell…
He had had enough.
And Earth had something Hell desperately lacked.
Souls.
Without wasting time, Wang Nanxuan opened the Contract of San Venganza.
Just then—
The roar of a motorcycle echoed across the ruins.
Ghost Rider had arrived.
Seeing the contract open, Ghost Rider hurled a blazing fireball toward him.
Wang Nanxuan sidestepped easily.
At the same time, he forced the contract to activate.
"Seriously?"
"Could the timing be any worse?"
Mephisto suddenly appeared nearby.
When he saw Wang Nanxuan, his eyes widened in shock.
"You're not Blackheart."
"Which Hell do you rule?"
"Why does your aura feel so unfamiliar?"
Wang Nanxuan didn't answer.
The contract activated.
Countless ghostly spirits burst from the ruins.
They screamed with strange excitement—almost relief—as they rushed toward Wang Nanxuan.
"Stop him!"
Mephisto shrieked.
Ghost Rider revved his motorcycle and charged forward—
But a violent gust of wind slammed into him.
The Wind Demon sent him flying off the bike.
Ghost Rider rolled across the ground, then leapt up again.
His flaming chain lashed through the air.
But it passed harmlessly through the Wind Demon's storm form.
"HAHA!"
"You can't hurt me!"
The Wind Demon laughed and hurled Ghost Rider away again.
Then he whispered through the wind.
"Ghost Rider… do you remember Roxanne in Rocket City?"
"Our Water Demon is visiting her right now."
Ghost Rider froze.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Johnny Blaze's consciousness surged forward, fighting against the Spirit of Vengeance.
Roxanne was his former lover.
Meanwhile—
Hundreds of corrupted souls poured into Wang Nanxuan's body.
Using them, he began constructing a Hell on Earth.
Once completed, it would connect directly to his Hell dimension.
And when that happened—
Kamar-Taj's barrier would never stop him again.
Seeing Ghost Rider held back, Mephisto grew desperate.
Then he made a decision.
He decided to call the authorities.
Not the police.
A different authority.
He looked toward the sky and shouted:
"Ancient One!"
"Someone is building a Hell on Earth!"
"Aren't you going to do something about it?!"
Everyone froze.
Even Wang Nanxuan.
All eyes turned toward Mephisto.
A Lord of Hell…
Had just called Kamar-Taj for help.
That was a new level of shameless.