Xiaoye felt an ominous premonition rise in her heart and abruptly turned to look toward Lin Shen’s position.

At that glance, Xiaoye’s pupils immediately contracted.

Lin Shen was still lying on the ground, Spring Light coursing around his body like a fountain. It seemed normal at first glance, but in truth, it was anything but.

The Spring Light on Lin Shen had been present the whole time, yet his body, bathed in Spring Light, hadn’t rotted or corroded like Huai Nanxing’s–not even a trace of damage.

This was undoubtedly abnormal. Even someone like Huai Nanxing had their body melted away by the Spring Light. How could Lin Shen remain completely unharmed?

Xiaoye wanted to activate the Jade Purifying Bottle, but she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart as the glowing bottle slipped from her hand and flew away, completely out of her control.

Panic-stricken, Xiaoye reached out to grab the Jade Purifying Bottle, but it had already flown beyond her grasp, landing squarely in a hand.

“You…” Xiaoye’s shock and fury surged as she saw the hand holding the bottle belonged to Lin Shen.

A piercing scream abruptly erupted from Xiaona’s direction, her Red Gourd also breaking free from her control and flying to Lin Shen, who now gripped it firmly.

Seeing Lin Shen holding the Jade Purifying Bottle in one hand and the Red Gourd in the other, the sisters were dumbstruck, rendered speechless in sheer astonishment.

With both artifacts snatched away by Lin Shen, the Jade Purifying Bottle ceased its flow of power. Huai Nanxing’s melted and corrupted body momentarily escaped the grip of death, leaving her staring blankly at Lin Shen, who now held two Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts.

She hadn’t thought that Lin Shen would ultimately gain the upper hand. This scene brought an inexplicable sense of deja vu, reminding her of a moment from the past, as if history were repeating itself.

Xiaoye snapped out of her daze and immediately poured her full effort into communicating with the Jade Purifying Bottle, attempting to reclaim control over it.

She had been reborn alongside the Jade Purifying Bottle, symbiotically connected as one, forming an unbreakable bond that tied their fates inexorably together. The two were virtually a single entity.

Xiaoye refused to believe Lin Shen could truly control the Jade Purifying Bottle. Even with some special ability letting him temporarily wield it, she was certain he couldn’t sever the deep connection between her and the artifact.

Xiaoye’s judgment proved accurate. She could still sense the link with the Jade Purifying Bottle, even feel the bond tying them, yet she remained unable to command the artifact.

“I rescued you both from that box, provided sanctuary, and you repaid me with betrayal. I could forgive your ingratitude, but now comes the reckoning. Feel the wrath of the Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts for yourselves!” Lin Shen snarled, triggering the Jade Purifying Bottle.

The Red Gourd was still refining its powers and Divine Soul, leaving it momentarily unusable. Lin Shen raised the Jade Purifying Bottle high, and Spring Light instantly erupted from it.

In an instant, Spring Light enveloped Xiaoye and Xiaona. Xiaona immediately screamed in agony, while Xiaoye gritted her teeth, refusing to make a sound.

“You’re rather good at enduring,” Lin Shen sneered as he saw Xiaoye’s defiant demeanor, his ire rising. He commanded the Jade Purifying Bottle to amplify its power further.

“Don’t make yourself out to be so noble,” Xiaoye retorted through gritted teeth, her voice strained as if squeezed out between the gaps. “You opened the box out of your own greed. Before you did, there was already a warning engraved there. You brought this upon yourself–it has nothing to do with us!”

“You’re absolutely correct,” Lin Shen smirked coldly. “Save your arguments for your next life.” He hoisted the Jade Purifying Bottle higher, intensifying the Spring Light’s eruption.

The Netherworld Marriage Technique truly was extraordinarily effective. Despite his Nirvana Level, Lin Shen found himself capable of activating the Great Emperor’s Divine Artifact with little cost to himself. Remarkably, the artifact continued to unleash its power even without expending his energy.

“You cannot kill us…” Xiaoye managed to squeeze out.

“And why not?” Lin Shen scoffed, showing not a shred of hesitation in his actions.

“We are bound to the Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts,” Xiaoye explained. “If we live, the artifacts live with us. If we die, the artifacts will also perish alongside us. Furthermore, without us, the artifacts cannot continue to evolve, and they will never be restored to their peak forms–never becoming true Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts again.”

“Is that so?” Lin Shen dismissed her claim with suspicion, ramping up the artifact’s power against them.

Under the relentless Spring Light, Xiaona and Xiaoye’s pure white garments dissolved. Corrosive marks began appearing across their bare flesh, surprising Lin Shen.

To his shock, similar corrosion marks started forming on the surfaces of both the Jade Purifying Bottle and the Red Gourd.

“Damn it! So it’s true!” Lin Shen cursed, halting the Spring Light abruptly.

With the artifact deactivated, the injuries on Xiaona and Xiaoye began to heal, and the corrosion marks on the surfaces of the Red Gourd and Jade Purifying Bottle gradually faded in tandem.

Lin Shen’s expression shifted unpredictably, his mind racing. “This complicates things. They’re bound to the artifacts… If I kill them, the artifacts are destroyed too. But leaving them alive means the artifacts are tied to their cultivation levels. Restoring the artifacts’ full power would require elevating them to Great Emperor levels–that’s absolutely unacceptable.”

“No, they must die. Xiaoye is too dangerous,” Lin Shen decided internally, readying to strike. But the allure of the Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts held him back.

These artifacts were among the only six of their kind across the Cosmic expanse. Claiming just one was enough to dominate; possessing two made one nearly invincible.

With these two Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts, Lin Shen could challenge even the Celestial Court itself. To give them up was unthinkable.

Perceiving Lin Shen’s hesitation, Xiaoye spoke up, “Instead of killing us, why don’t we cooperate? You hold the artifacts–our fate is in your hands. You can destroy us at any moment. We’ll be your most loyal and reliable allies.”

“If you want collaboration, show some sincerity first. Where is the treasure left behind by The Ancient Realm King?” Lin Shen asked. He had assumed The Ancient Realm King’s treasure must reside within the Jade Purifying Bottle and Red Gourd, but he hadn’t found anything–or if it was there, its location eluded him.

“We’ve got plenty of time. Whatever you want can be provided in the future,” Xiaoye stated.

“Do you truly think I’m incapable of killing you?” Lin Shen’s face darkened with menace.

“You definitely can. But can you forsake the two Great Emperor’s Divine Artifacts and the vast troves of the Realm King Treasure?” Xiaoye retorted, exposing the greed deep within Lin Shen’s heart, completely unconcerned about his lethal intentions.

“You’re right–I can’t. But killing you doesn’t require any sacrifice,” Lin Shen said, extending a finger. From his fingertip, a streak of black light shot forth.

Xiaoye initially dismissed it as insignificant. But when she realized the black light had taken the shape of a small, black bell, her expression dramatically changed. “The Chaos Bell… How is it in your possession…”