With a command from the Ghost Emperor, over a thousand miniature skulls erupted into a frenzied dance, blazing with fierce violet ghostfire.
Each of these small skulls sprouted a pair of ghostfire wings, the violet flames pulsing in a stable rhythm.
As the violet ghostfire wings flapped, the high-level evil soul masters piloted their skulls toward the massive World-Ender Skeleton controlled by the Ghost Emperor. Together, they formed an inverted tetrahedral array above it.
The ghostfire wings vibrated in perfect synchrony, and the soul power of the thousand-plus evil soul masters poured into the World-Ender Skeleton through the formation, channeling power to the six Limit Douluo, including the Ghost Emperor.
Originally just a massive skull, the World-Ender Skeleton now grew a torso and limbs under this surge of power.
It transformed into a giant skeletal figure radiating a chilling white aura of death that spread outwards, directly rivaling the demonic domain of the Demon Empress's armor — the Eternal Night Ambush Field.
"Hmph!"
The Demon Empress sneered, her aura suddenly shifting from pure crimson to a majestic purple-gold.
Vortex Annihilation!
The purple-gold aura around her compressed violently, forming a cocoon of light in the blink of an eye.
The cocoon began spinning wildly, like a top, and shot forward with the might of a boundless sea.
In the next instant, it looked like a purple-gold meteor — an entire miniature world crashing down upon the World-Ender Skeleton.
The same soul skill, when unleashed post-godhood, possessed power utterly incomparable to before.
Though both the Ghost Emperor and Demon Empress held control over the Blood River Godslayer Formation, a trap effective against Abyssal Sovereigns like the Spirit Emperor, it barely hindered a god-level being like the Demon Empress — only slightly delaying her.
Most of the Vortex Annihilation's destructive force had to be countered by the Ghost Emperor directly using the World-Ender Skeleton.
The Skeleton stepped forward, facing the attack head-on. Dense gray-white death energy solidified around its body, forming a thick defensive layer over its bones.
Even so, it was still blown back by the strike.
With a deafening boom, the World-Ender Skeleton was knocked almost to the edge of the massive pit, nearly out of the kill zone prepared for the Abyssal Sovereigns.
Yet the Demon Empress gave the Ghost Emperor no time to breathe, launching relentless, aggressive attacks.
The World-Ender Skeleton was simply too large. Though powered by over a thousand high-level evil soul masters and on par with the Demon Empress in god-level combat strength, its agility lagged far behind.
Fighting immobilized Sovereigns who had fallen into traps was easy. But against the living, breathing threat of the Demon Empress, it was a whole different challenge.
So from the very start of the battle, the World-Ender Skeleton had been on the back foot.
Occasional counterattacks did little — they could hardly harm the Demon Empress, who possessed a powerful beastly body and defensive godly artifacts.
After dozens of rounds, the advantages and weaknesses of each side became crystal clear.
Seizing the momentum, the Demon Empress decided to escalate, turning her edge into an overwhelming victory.
Her relentless assault shifted toward the extreme tactic of a direct strike at the enemy commander.
Her fist, as vast and heavy as an ocean, smashed toward the Skeleton, threatening to shatter its bones and strike directly at the Ghost Emperor hidden within.
The battlefield unfolded just as she predicted — she began focusing all her firepower precisely on the Ghost Emperor.
To execute this strategy, she even took several god-level death strikes from the Skeleton head-on.
The Skeleton appeared utterly suppressed, sticking to its same old strategy, stubbornly enduring each hit.
Hundreds of exchanges later, her relentless assault finally shattered the Skeleton's thick, turtle-like shell, exposing the long-hidden target: the Ghost Emperor.
Inside the World-Ender Skeleton, the Ghost Emperor had no hope of fighting the Demon Empress on equal terms.
With divine artifacts empowering her, the Demon Empress landed a punch with blinding speed straight into the Ghost Emperor's body the moment she entered the Skeleton's core.
Endless blood aura surged forth, slicing flesh from bone.
In an instant, the Ghost Emperor's flesh was torn to shreds, leaving behind only a thin skeleton.
Frowning, the Demon Empress noted that the blow hadn't completely destroyed him — but she immediately saw why.
The Ghost Emperor had fused his skeleton with his four-word battle armor, and embedded in his chest was a divine artifact — the Netherworld Dirge Crossblade, companion weapon of the Nether Emperor.
Seeing it all clearly, she prepared to land a second blow to finish the job.
But just as her punch was about to land, her pupils suddenly contracted — on that skeletal face, she saw a manic grin of success.
The skeleton — made of semi-divine bones and four-word battle armor — suddenly ignited.
Dark purple flames blazed forth, and a handful of ash floated into the air — ordinary ashes, scattered like the last remnants of a burning soul.
The final act of obliteration had been completed by the Ghost Emperor himself.
At that moment, deep inside the Skeleton, the Nether Emperor used his newly achieved divine-level spiritual power (Divine Core Realm) to break through the Demon Empress's divine force barrier.
He activated the external divine artifact — the Netherworld Dirge Crossblade — triggering its special property:
Hundred-Pierce!
And through that power, the Ghost Emperor's divine consciousness, fueled by the burning of his battle armor and quasi-divine bones, invaded the Demon Empress's body — launching an attempt to seize control.
This was the best method the Ghost Emperor could devise to possess the Demon Empress. With his own divine core-level spirit power, this spiritual confrontation was his best chance.
Soon, the chaotic godforce within the Skeleton began spiraling out of control.
That uncontrolled godforce wreaked havoc within the World-Ender Skeleton. Cracks spread across its massive frame, bones shattering under the pressure.
The five Limit Douluo of the Holy Spirit Cult, located at the core, could only raise their soul power shields and endure the storm.
At the center stood the Demon Empress — now in a bizarre standoff of dual possession.
One body, two conflicting forces. Her left eye glowed with blood-red light, while her right burned with eerie green ghostfire.
"Ghost Emperor, do you really think you can possess me?"
"Without a physical body as your power source, your divine consciousness is nothing but rootless grass."
From that single body, two voices emerged, as if two minds were fighting over its control.
A hideous cackle burst from her lips — the Ghost Emperor's laughter:
"Gahahaha…"
"My beloved Empress, you're absolutely right — I truly cannot possess you."
"Without a body to fuel me, sooner or later, you'll suppress my divine consciousness and regain full control."
"But did I ever say I wanted to possess you?"
"Me possessing your body? That was the Abyssal Wisdom Sovereign's idea."
"Do you think I, the Ghost Emperor, would let myself be anyone's pawn?"
"Of course not! Absolutely not!" the Ghost Emperor declared excitedly.
(End of Chapter)