Nanli narrowed her eyes, finding Xue Shengnan’s words strange.
"I didn’t specifically come to find you; you ran back to the capital yourself and then foolishly returned to the Xue residence."
Xue Shengnan lay on the ground, her soul still not dissipated. She looked at Nanli’s increasingly exquisite and beautiful face with growing fear. The moment of death is often the most terrifying, and Xue Shengnan’s soul was still fading away.
"I... I am Yan Zhen! Father!" Xue Shengnan’s memories gradually became clear. She decided to fight desperately, shouting to the sky, "Father! Come and save me!"
Everyone was stunned. Lord Xue had just been killed by her--why was she still calling for her father to save her? Even if Lord Xue were alive, he wouldn’t come to save Xue Shengnan, right?
However, with her cry, the dark sky suddenly flashed with lightning and thunder, with rolling storm clouds forming a vortex.
In that vortex, there seemed to be a gigantic door surrounded by countless auras.
The Xue family, despite their experiences, were not fortified; they were instead shocked:
"Thunder! Could she be the reincarnation of the Thunder Emperor’s daughter?!"
"Why are you still standing there? Get to safety!"
Except for the Third Lord Xue’s household, all the Xue family members took cover. They didn’t want to be struck by lightning.
The vortex’s door opened a crack.
The wind howled, lifting Nanli’s skirts. A bit of the aura seeping out spread into the mortal realm, first falling into the Xue family’s front courtyard.
The Third Lord Xue’s family in the courtyard felt the aura and immediately felt refreshed and clear-headed. The aura gathered around Xue Shengnan, breaking the soul-destroying spell and gradually repairing her soul.
It was spiritual energy, immortal energy!
Nanli realized that the vortex contained the Immortal Sect! She had suspected Xue Shengnan possessed such talents and fortune, suggesting she was not an ordinary soul reincarnated. It turned out Xue Shengnan was from the Immortal World, likely here to undergo trials. If successful, her cultivation might advance.
The Immortal World’s spiritual energy had almost repaired Xue Shengnan’s soul and was about to pull her back to the Immortal World.
Nanli looked up at the aura with a cold gaze.
Xue Shengnan laughed in midair: "I didn’t expect us to meet in the mortal realm. Once I return to my true form, I will definitely avenge this lifetime."
"Is that so?" Nanli raised an eyebrow. "Then you definitely can’t go back."
"This is Immortal World spiritual energy. How can you stop it?" Xue Shengnan was not worried, as Nanli was merely a mortal.
Nanli’s lips curved up slightly as she pulled out a golden hairpin from her bag and tossed it up: "This spiritual energy should suit your taste."
The Hairpin Elf, who was sleeping soundly in the golden hairpin, was summoned. Initially intending to complain, it quickly noticed the rich spiritual energy surrounding it.
In the mortal realm, such a thing was rare!
The Hairpin Elf darted out of the hairpin, realizing the spiritual energy was from the Immortal World, and happily exclaimed, "Master, I love you! I will serve you faithfully from now on, without a single complaint!"
As a Hairpin Elf, it needed spiritual energy to thrive. Without hesitation, it darted in, severing the connection between the spiritual energy and Xue Shengnan, and began greedily absorbing it.
Xue Shengnan was astonished. She hadn’t expected Nanli to possess such a treasure capable of devouring spiritual energy. In the mortal realm, a mere touch of spiritual energy could enhance one’s health and prolong life, but excessive absorption could burst the body.
Nanli’s tactic was extremely cunning!
However, Xue Shengnan’s soul had already been repaired. Even without spiritual energy protection, her strong soul could return to the Immortal World!
"I told you, you can’t go back." Nanli picked out talismans from her bag. "Your soul is extraordinary. Ordinary talismans can’t disperse it... Ah, here it is!"
She drew out a Soul-Burning Talisman.
Seeing it, Xue Shengnan’s face changed immediately: "You truly are a demon, hiding Hell’s Ghost Fire!"
She desperately wanted to reach the Immortal Sect. The Immortal Sect was now lowering and was directly above the Xue residence, seeming ready to crush the entire estate.
Just a bit closer, and she could return!
But Nanli had already deployed the Soul-Burning Talisman.
The talisman turned into ghostly green flames in midair, shooting directly toward Xue Shengnan’s soul, aiming to engulf and burn it!
"Father!" Xue Shengnan cried out again.
A second wave of spiritual energy burst from the Immortal Sect’s crack, quickly enveloping Xue Shengnan, fiercely protecting her from the Ghost Fire’s burn.
Xue Shengnan dared not say another word, fearing to anger Nanli.
Her only thought was to return to the Immortal World!
The Hairpin Elf, though enhanced, was still a minor magical item, and couldn’t absorb such a large amount of spiritual energy all at once. Moreover, the spiritual energy was protected by a soul-protection spell.
It seemed that Xue Shengnan’s father from the Immortal World was determined to bring her back.
Nanli sneered, "Let’s see which is stronger: your soul protection spell or my Ghost Fire."
She threw out a talisman and used hand gestures to open the Nether World’s gate.
The dark aura surged, causing the Third Lord Xue and others to shiver.
The other Xue family members were stunned, seeing doors in the sky and on the ground. Why were there so many doors?
"Qiu Hai!" Nanli called out, "Lend me some Ghost Fire!"
In the Nether Sect, the atmosphere was eerie and quiet, but then a joyful and excited voice came: "When the ancestor speaks, there’s no need to borrow. Just take it!"
Qiu Hai couldn’t leave the Nether World, but sending out Ghost Fire was easy.
The blazing Ghost Fire shot from the Nether World’s gate, deep purple and enchanting.
Such Ghost Fire could incinerate souls in an instant. Even the indestructible souls of cultivators would fear it!
Xue Shengnan had no choice but to angrily warn: "Chu Nanli, I am the eldest daughter of Penglai Island. If you dare to destroy my soul, Penglai Island will certainly exterminate your entire family!"
Nanli raised an eyebrow, "Penglai Island? Come back and threaten me when your Immortal Sect is openly accessible!"
Previously, a mysterious woman had shattered her Spirit Pearl, suggesting that she had long-standing grievances with the Immortal World.
So, she was not afraid now!
"Goodbye then." Nanli deployed another talisman to direct the Ghost Fire straight at Xue Shengnan.
"Don’t!" Xue Shengnan’s voice broke, "Father..."
Calling for her father was now useless.
The Ghost Fire broke through the soul protection spell, instantly engulfing her soul, turning it to ash and then to nothingness, with no possibility of reassembly.
The Immortal Sect’s crack widened slightly, and spiritual energy dispersed into the surroundings.
The Hairpin Elf, delighted, flew over and absorbed the spiritual energy with abandon.
Xue Shengnan’s father, seemingly enraged, showed golden light in the crack, intending to come after Nanli for avenging his daughter’s death.
Qiu Hai stood at the threshold of the Nether World, only a step away from the mortal realm. His face was grim, watching vigilantly.
He had failed to protect the ancestor before, but he would not let her fight alone again!