Chapter 973: Priestess

"Come, men, seize her!"

The command was absolute, and at once a Divine Clan divine weapon intervened, suppressing Ni Chang.

"Criminal Ni Chang forged a decree, stole the Sword of Judgment and our Divine Clan's supreme treasure, the Supreme Divine Staff; her crime deserves ten thousand deaths!"

The Divine Emperor's voice sounded like celestial divine speech, majestic and leaving no room for objection.

"No..."

Ni Chang screamed hysterically, in utter despair!

The Divine Emperor withdrew his gaze, and when he looked again at Ye Qingran, his expression made a complete 180‑degree turn, becoming exceedingly gentle.

"Daughter, father was wrong, father shouldn't have forgotten you and your mother; it's all father's fault, can you..." His Imperial Highness's voice grew softer, eventually daring not to continue.

He seemed to have no right to ask for forgiveness at all!

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Qingran's eyes.

Her stingy father—has he regained his memory?

He hadn't sought them before because he had forgotten them?

Ye Qingran looked at the overly sincere and handsome man before her, and for a moment couldn't decide whether to forgive.

"Tell me these things to my mother, not to me." Ye Qingran turned her gaze away, looking into the distance, and casually uttered that sentence.

Honestly, she harbored little resentment, but her mother Yun Ling had been comatose for years, having lost so much.

His Imperial Highness's eyes showed a flash of excitement.

He hadn't expected Ye Qingran to forgive him; he feared she would give him no chance, yet the situation turned out more optimistic than he imagined.

"Yes, yes, I will properly apologize to your mother!" He also said he would properly compensate you and your mother!

Thinking of Yun Ling, his Imperial Highness's eyes flashed with a hint of pain.

At that moment, a black Rainbow pierced the void, crushing the two divine weapons suppressing Ni Chang, turning them to ash.

When the black light faded, Ni Chang was being supported by a stout woman.

The woman wore black armor, a steel helmet with horns, and her aura appeared exceedingly cold and eerie.

"Ye Fan, you have such a cruel heart!"

The woman squinted, looking at His Imperial Highness with hatred, her whole being burning with resentment.

Ye Fan's expression darkened; in a cold voice he said, "As a Divine Clan Priestess, you should know the fate of stealing the Supreme Divine Staff!"

"But Ni Chang is your daughter!"

"Whether she is my daughter or not, you know that yourself!"

The priestess clenched her teeth, turned her gaze to Ye Qingran, the hatred in her eyes almost solidified.

Ye Qingran looked calmly, assessing the Divine Clan Priestess.

She had also heard rumors about the Divine Clan Priestess. It is said that the priestess holds a highly privileged position within the Divine Clan, and herself is extremely powerful, possessing an immaculate realm.

It is said that this Divine Clan priestess and His Imperial Highness were childhood sweethearts; the matter involving Yun Ling, Ye Qingran quickly pieced it together.

It seems this Divine Clan priestess is his father the Divine Emperor's rotten love!

Only, the divine lady has her heart set on King Wu Meng!

Now, love has turned into deep hatred.

"Ye Fan, if you kill her, I can act as if nothing happened! Otherwise, you will regret it!"

The priestess threatened in a tone bordering on madness.

"Hai La, I haven't settled our score yet, yet you start threatening me!"

Ye Fan's gaze at Hai La was filled with bone‑chilling frost.

Back then, if Hai La hadn't meddled, he wouldn't have forgotten Yun Ling and her daughter for so many years!

All these years he had treated Hai La as a younger sister, never expecting her to repay kindness with betrayal!

"Ye Fan, everything I did was for you! That bitch Yun Ling never deserved you!"

"Shut up!"

Hai La's silver tooth nearly cracked.

All these years later, he still protects that woman so fiercely!

"Ye Fan, even if you've regained your memory now, what of it? Yun Ling is already dead!"

Yun Ling is dead?

Even Divine Emperor Ye Fan was taken aback.

Hai La flashed a smug smile, "Yes, I admit your amnesia was caused by me, and I also killed that woman! Hahaha, Ye Fan, even if you love her still, what of it? She's already dead! Reduced to ash!"

Hai La's laughter grew increasingly wild, like that of a mad witch!

Ye Qingran frowned, finding the voice truly unpleasant; her father couldn't stand Hai La either, after all, which outstanding man would like a crazy witch like her?

"Who says she's dead?"

Ye Qingran couldn't help but speak up.

Ye Fan and Hai La both turned to Ye Qingran, who spread her hands and said, "My mother is alive and well!"

"Impossible! I killed her with my own hands!"

"You may have killed a phantom."

"Your mother..." Ye Fan looked at Ye Qingran cautiously.

"I don't know where this crazy witch gets her confidence, but my mother is still alive."

Ye Fan let out a sigh of relief.

Upon learning Yun Ling was still alive, Hai La's complexion turned markedly paler. All these years she had been convinced Yun Ling was dead, yet even so she had no chance; Ye Fan seemed to have devoted his life to Yun Ling, for years without a single other woman!

And on top of that, Yun Ling is still alive?

She can no longer have any chance!

So hateful!

She is so hateful!

If that's the case, then… destroy!

"Ni Chang, my dear daughter, since you cannot become a princess of the Divine Clan, then mother will let you become the ruler of this world!"

As the words fell, a stream of Black Mist flowed from Hai La's body, spreading outward in all directions.

At the same time, a powerful aura burst forth, the imperial pressure of the Flawless Emperor permeating this realm.

"What a strong aura!" Even a mighty being who is also a Great Emperor was shaken by Hai La's aura.

Hai La's strength has already far surpassed the Flawless Emperor of the same realm!

"Hai La, enough!"

Ye Fan commanded in a deep voice.

"Ye Fan, from now on, I Hai La will no longer obey your orders!" Hai La roared.

"Hai La, don't force me to act!" Considering their childhood friendship, he was willing to give Hai La a chance.

Hai La gave a strange smile, "Ye Fan, did you think I didn't keep a fallback?"

Ye Fan was startled, then heard Hai La laugh, "Back then, besides erasing your memory, I also planted a curse in your soul, precisely to prevent this day from arriving!"

Speaking, Hai La's expression grew painful, "I thought this spell would never be needed, but unexpectedly…"

All her thoughts turned to ash at this moment.

Ye Fan, since you cannot become my Empress, I will destroy your Divine Kingdom!

Let your subjects be buried for my love!

"! @#￥%……&*" Hai La muttered a string of obscure incantations, and Ye Fan shivered all over as his divine power rapidly drained.

"Ye Fan, your divine power has already dwindled by more than half; your current spiritual strength is merely that of a mortal emperor! Moreover, you can never return to your peak cultivation!"

The curse she left took effect!

The Black Mist spread rapidly, with wails rising and falling.

"Dead Qi?" Ye Qingran sensed that this Black Mist felt familiar, almost identical to the Dead Qi in the ancient battlefield ruins.

What exactly is the relationship between this Divine Clan priestess and the Dead Qi?

Without a moment's hesitation, Ni Chang's gritted‑teeth voice came over, "Mother, quickly help me kill her!" Her gaze at Ye Qingran was full of hatred and jealousy.

"No rush." Hai La touched Ni Chang's crown, smiling reassuringly, then slowly looked at Ye Qingran as if gazing at a corpse.

"Will you die on your own, or shall I give you a hand?" The daughter of Yun Ling, in her hands there can be no good ending!

"I choose, you die."

Ye Qingran said softly.

"Arrogant!" Hate flashed in Hai La's eyes.

Ye Qingran, like that woman Yun Ling, is extremely proud, making her grind her teeth in hatred!

"Hai La, dare you touch her, try it!"

"Ye Fan, you can barely protect yourself, yet you still want to guard her?"

"Even if I give everything, I will not let you hurt her!"

"Fine, then you father and daughter go reunite underground!"

Hai La said, then suddenly struck; endless Dead Qi transformed into a roaring Black Dragon that surged toward Ye Qingran.

Ye Qingran's expression hardened, she grasped the Supreme Divine Staff to block, and the Black Dragon shattered into pieces upon hitting the staff.

"I think you can only hold out for how long!"

Hai La said, and another fierce attack came, but this time Ye Fan flashed forward to stand before Ye Qingran, blocking Hai La's assault.

"Quick, use the divine staff to lay down a Barrier, to block the spread of Dead Qi!"

Ye Qingran nodded.

The Dead Qi spreads at extreme speed; before long the entire Wànlíng Chéng will fall, and under such dense Dead Qi, those without sufficient cultivation cannot survive!

Ye Qingran did not hesitate, activating the Supreme Divine Staff; a divine light shot out, exploding like fireworks in the void, endless shimmering radiance falling like falling stars in all directions. Soon a Barrier appeared, seemingly as fragile as a bubble yet as hard as steel, isolating the Dead Qi from the outside.

Hai La let out a cold snort, taking no notice.

"Ye Fan, unless it's you, the Supreme Barrier cannot last long!"

Ye Fan's strength, under her curse, is insufficient to cause trouble.

Thus, the outcome is the same, sooner or later.

"Dead Spirit Legion, emerge!"

Hai La waved her hand, and a black void wormhole appeared on her chest, releasing strange silhouettes from within.

Hundreds to thousands of dead spirits, each grotesque—some with beast heads and human bodies, some missing limbs, some massive, some emaciated—yet regardless of appearance, all were uniformly powerful!

All exuded Great Emperor‑level aura!

Ye Qingran's eyes flickered; these dead spirits resembled the one Fu Hanxiu killed in the ancient battlefield ruins at Shen Zhou Academy.

"Slaughter them! Leave no armor behind!" Hai La licked her lips, madness burning in her eyes.

Ni Chang also showed a ferocious smile.

Dead spirits darted through the crowd, killing indiscriminately.

No one noticed that Fu Hanxiu, amidst the crowd, was immersed in Dead Qi, his eyes gradually turning blood‑red…

The crowd screamed and ran toward the outside of the Barrier. The Barrier can block Dead Qi but not people, so most escaped successfully; some dead spirits were halted by the Barrier, crouching on it, their sharp claws piercing the Barrier, fangs exposed, emitting terrifying howls.

"Fei Xue, lead everyone out first!"

Ye Qingran calmly instructed.

Regardless of whether it is Qin Feixue or Xuan Yuan Luo, their power has not yet reached the Great Emperor realm, they are no match for the Commander; forcibly staying in the Barrier is nothing but courting death.

Qin Feixue's party did not hesitate either; knowing their strength was insufficient, they left the Barrier with Xiao Hu Xiao Chen.

"Qiqi, you go out first as well."

"But…"

"You know, I am the Nirvana Emperor; nothing will happen to me," Yun Zhonghe said gently.

"Alright, you must stay safe and protect Qingran."

"I will!"

Zhu Qiqi, unwilling to part, walked toward the outside.

"Where are you all running to?"