The masked figure's voice was sinister, and an aura of nobility emanated from his entire being.
With a wave of his hand, the God-Slaying Formation that had trapped the nine of Chu Hezhou vanished into nothingness.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The nine of Chu Hezhou knelt trembling and said in unison.
Your Majesty? The Ghost Emperor?
Zi Linling, Elder Du, and Shen Liuxing exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.
"Nine against three, and you were still trapped in a formation? You've disgraced the Ghost Realm!"
The Ghost Emperor's icy gaze fell upon the nine of Chu Hezhou.
His voice was chilling, devoid of any anger, yet the nine of Chu Hezhou's faces paled, and they quickly kowtowed, begging for mercy. "Your Majesty, spare us! Your Majesty, spare us!"
"Three months in the Netherworld Pool!"
The Ghost Emperor said calmly.
The Netherworld Pool was the most terrifying place in the Ghost Realm, its most severe place of punishment.
Within the Netherworld Pool, evil spirits roamed.
Every midnight, the evil spirits would not only devour the bodies of those being punished but also their souls.
Let alone three months, even three days could drive a person mad.
The nine of Chu Hezhou simultaneously wore expressions of utter despair, yet they dared not retort. They respectfully said, "Thank Your Majesty for your grace. Your subordinates will go to receive our punishment immediately!"
The nine bowed respectfully, carefully stood up, and began to retreat with their backs hunched.
"Did I permit you to leave?"
The hunched backs of the nine of Chu Hezhou visibly stiffened, and their bodies trembled violently.
Shi Liuxiang, Qiao Mu, He Miao, Qing Kun, Fan Siren, Zhao Ci, and Sai Wei subtly glanced at Chu Hezhou.
Although Chu Hezhou was also trembling, he mustered his courage and respectfully asked, "May I know if Your Majesty has any other orders?"
The Ghost Emperor let out a cold snort and said, "Whatever you lost just now, go and get it back!"
Chu Hezhou froze in place, unable to comprehend the Ghost Emperor's meaning.
The Ghost Emperor's gaze turned icy. "Hmph! Did you just discard the Ghost Realm's reputation so easily? And you're not even going to deal with that idiot?"
As he spoke, he looked at Sun Bu'er, who was bound like a zongzi by the Ghost King Vine.
Sun Bu'er felt a chill run through his body. He knew that his actions had been completely seen through by the Ghost Emperor.
He desperately wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, but the Ghost King Vine tightly bound his legs, making it impossible for him to even bend them, let alone kneel.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
Sun Bu'er could only plead with his mouth.
The Ghost Emperor ignored him, turning his attention to Zi Linling. "Little girl, if one of you three can defeat Number One in a one-on-one fight, I will not pursue your intrusion into the Ghost Realm. What do you say?"
The shock in Zi Linling's eyes had long since been replaced by calmness. She smiled faintly and said, "You say fight, so we fight? Based on what? Besides, does it matter if you pursue our intrusion into the Ghost Realm?"
"Audacious! How dare you speak to His Majesty like that!"
Chu Hezhou quickly reprimanded.
He wasn't trying to curry favor with the Ghost Emperor, but rather feared that Zi Linling would anger him, bringing disaster upon everyone.
As the saying goes, a Ghost Emperor's wrath leads to widespread slaughter.
As the leader of the Ten Great Ghost Messengers, he understood profoundly how cruel the Ghost Emperor was.
The Ghost Emperor shot Chu Hezhou a piercing glance and warned, "For every extra word you speak, your time in the Netherworld Pool increases by a month!"
Chu Hezhou's face changed drastically, and he quickly shut his mouth, falling to his knees with a thud.
The other eight of the Ten Great Ghost Messengers also knelt down.
The Ghost Emperor, however, didn't even spare them a glance, his gaze fixed on Zi Linling, a peculiar glint appearing in his eyes.
"Little girl, you are not old, but you are quite bold! Those who have spoken to me like that before have long since reincarnated countless lifetimes ago!"
Zi Linling scoffed, "Is that so? I've always been brave, and I'm certainly not afraid of threats!"
"Oh?"
The Ghost Emperor suddenly smiled. "Interesting, interesting! Little girl, you suit my taste. If you are willing to stay by my side, I will spare the lives of those two. How about it?"
As he spoke, he pointed at Elder Du and Shen Liuxing.
Zi Linling blinked, momentarily unable to keep up with the Ghost Emperor's train of thought. But soon, she understood his meaning.
She smiled coldly and waved her hand, "Sorry, you don't suit my taste! Of course, if you are willing to hand over the Gate of Hell to me, we can be friends!"
"The Gate of Hell?!"
The Ghost Emperor said with understanding, "You truly dare to ask! Do you know that no one has ever dared to demand it from me?"
Zi Linling smiled, "But I love being the first person in history!"
The peculiar glint in the Ghost Emperor's eyes flashed again.
"The Gate of Hell is not impossible to give to you, but if you want something of mine, you must pay a price, right?"
Zi Linling paused. Was this still the Ghost Emperor whom everyone feared?
"Oh? What price does Your Majesty the Ghost Emperor require me to pay?"
The Ghost Emperor took a step forward and appeared before Zi Linling, his masked face almost touching hers.
He said charmingly, "The price is... to become mine!"
Zi Linling's forehead buzzed as if struck by lightning.
The ten people, including Chu Hezhou, were also stunned by these words, their faces displaying expressions of disbelief.
Elder Du and Shen Liuxing were also dazed.
The Ghost Emperor seemed pleased with their reactions. He snorted, "What do you say?"
Zi Linling finally regained her senses, took two steps back, and smiled faintly, "Become yours? Like them?"
As she spoke, her contemptuous gaze swept across the ten of Chu Hezhou.
The Ghost Emperor approached Zi Linling again, "How can they compare to you? I mean, I want you to become the Mistress of the Ghost Realm!"
"No!"
"No!"
Elder Du and Shen Liuxing refused simultaneously.
Elder Du had watched Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan grow together and knew the depth of their affection.
He naturally allowed the Ghost Emperor to take advantage of the situation, to dig a corner while Ye Lingyuan was trapped in the Illusory Realm of the Other Shore.
Shen Liuxing had long since fallen deeply in love with Zi Linling and would never allow the Ghost Emperor to harbor designs on her.
But the Ghost Emperor seemed not to hear their words, or if he did, he simply ignored them.
Zi Linling activated her Phantom Dragon Step, rapidly widening the distance between herself and the Ghost Emperor, and said with a smile, "I'm sorry, I already have a husband, so I cannot afford this price."
The Ghost Emperor's aura instantly turned cold, and with murderous intent, he said, "Husband? Who is it?"
Zi Linling stood there quietly, showing no intention of answering him.
The Ghost Emperor seemed to sense his own loss of control, quickly reined in his aura, and then let out a chilling smile, "It's normal for a unique little girl like you to be liked, but if you want to deceive me, you should find a better reason, shouldn't you?"