Meanwhile, in an ancient castle within the Western underworld.
"What happened?"
A man with peculiar pupils suddenly turned his gaze towards the direction of the Heavenly Mandate Divine Hall. A faint blue glow emanated from his eyes at that moment.
"Why do those two energies instill in me a primal sense of dread!"
The man clenched his fists, appearing enraged by the emotions his body was experiencing.
"Dark Lord, Miss Emily has news!"
At this point, a shadowy figure appeared behind the man.
"Speak!"
The man suppressed his inner fury and said in a low voice.
"According to Miss Emily, the Divine Lord of the Heavenly Mandate Divine Hall, who had disappeared... has returned!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this news, the man's anger vanished instantly, replaced by utter astonishment. The Divine Lord, who had been missing for three years, had reappeared.
"Could it be..."
The man looked once more in the direction of the Heavenly Mandate Divine Sword, his eyes now filled with solemnity.
...
Outside the Heavenly Mandate Divine Palace, a young girl in a deep blue dress put on a uniquely designed earring. She glanced at a distant branch hall, a faint smile playing on her lips. The girl's features were exquisite, each detail perfectly placed, giving one a comfortable feeling at first glance. Her figure was well-proportioned, with no particularly prominent features, yet combined with her pleasing appearance, she seemed utterly perfect.
"If I had the chance, I'd truly like to meet that Divine Lord."
The girl murmured, a flicker of anticipation in her beautiful eyes.
"Emily! I'd also like to meet the Divine Lord! How about... we go together?"
Just then, a pleasant voice echoed from behind the girl. Emily turned and saw another girl wearing the same style of long dress, though hers was a rose red. This vibrant color, combined with the girl's exceptional beauty and perfectly proportioned figure, lent her a hint of allure beyond her years, sparking a desire to explore.
"Thea, didn't you dislike the ceremonial dress the Divine Hall gave us? Why are you wearing it now?"
Emily looked at the sudden appearance of the woman, somewhat surprised but not alarmed. She also didn't immediately respond to the girl's question.
"You're right! I really don't like this long dress the Divine Hall gave us! It's too common."
Despite her words, Thea had indeed worn it.
"But this time, Lorelai has gathered all of us, and I don't want to... be too conspicuous!"
Thea added as an explanation.
"Oh! Is that so?"
Emily said with a half-smile, "But your identity is already quite conspicuous!"
This statement clearly implied something. However, Thea remained unfazed, a faint smile still on her face. "Didn't I just say I don't want to be too conspicuous!?" Thea then looked Emily up and down and added, "Actually, in terms of identity, we are quite similar!"
At this point, Thea's tone shifted abruptly, carrying a hint of threat. "If I'm not mistaken, you were just communicating with the Dark Fortress!"
The Dark Fortress! One of the three major powers in the Western underworld.
"That's right! I was indeed in contact with the Dark Fortress just now! Why..." Emily's voice lowered slightly. "Are you going to report me to Lady Lorelai?"
Since she had been discovered, Emily decided to be upfront. She knew very well that if she had reported to the Dark Fortress, Thea would not have been idle.
"No! Of course not!"
Thea waved her hand gently. "I was just wondering if the content of our reports is the same!"
Upon hearing this, Emily gave her a deep look, her brows furrowed slightly.
"Don't look at me like that." Thea stepped forward, linked arms with Emily, and chuckled. "I came to find you because I want to cooperate!"
"Cooperate?"
Emily didn't pay attention to Thea's action, but rather seized on the key two words. "How do you wish to cooperate?"
Hearing this response, a hint of slyness flashed in Thea's eyes. "As you know, we both know very little about the returned Divine Lord. Therefore, we need... intelligence sharing!"
Intelligence sharing! Thea's intention was simple: from now on, any intelligence they obtained must be shared with the other. This would benefit both parties.
"Alright!"
After a moment of thought, Emily agreed to Thea's proposal.
"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation, little sister Emily!" Thea extended her right hand.
"Mm!"
Emily nodded and offered her hand. Although their hands were clasped at this moment, their true intentions remained unknown.
...
The remote branch hall.
Ye Ming was still using his energy to counteract the Edict Source released by Ain. However, as time passed, the black energy formed by the Edict Source began to dim and dissipate bit by bit.
"It should be about done!"
Seeing this, Ye Ming breathed a sigh of relief. As he increased his energy output once more, the Edict Source was completely driven back into Ain's body. The moment the Edict Source returned, Ain directly fainted. The previous exertion had left Ain's body extremely weak. Ye Ming picked her up, entered the courtyard, found Ain's room, and placed her on the bed. Looking at the weakened girl, Ye Ming's expression became serious. With his current strength, he could still suppress her Edict Source. But as Ain grew older, the Edict Source would continue to strengthen. By then, when Ain's body could no longer bear it, it would likely...
"I hope there is a solution within the Immortal Cultivation Manual."
Ye Ming then sat down and entered a meditative state. In his mind, a book radiating golden light appeared. The Immortal Cultivation Manual! Ye Ming merged his consciousness into the Immortal Cultivation Manual, searching for any information about Edict Spirits.
Half an hour later.
When Ye Ming opened his eyes, they were filled with disbelief. "How could this be the outcome?" His gaze was somewhat vacant, completely unable to accept the information he had seen. The Immortal Cultivation Manual did record some methods for suppressing the Edict Source, but no solutions. And the so-called suppression methods were ultimately just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. In the end, when the body of the person bearing the Edict Spirit could no longer withstand it, it would backfire, turning them into a harbinger of disaster walking the earth. Therefore, the Immortal Cultivation Manual had solemnly warned that upon discovering an Edict Spirit, one must act without hesitation or pity:
Kill on sight!