Yan Dansheng struggled to get up from the ground, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Ye Ling.
His spiritual energy was completely depleted, leaving him as an ordinary person!
Ye Ling's methods were unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
How could anyone in this world be so powerful?
He couldn't even begin to imagine!
"You, you..." Yan Dansheng instinctively retreated a few steps, his eyes fixed on Ye Ling, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
The fear of Ye Ling was almost overwhelming his reason!
Ye Ling smiled and asked, "Have you considered it? Do you want to join the Demon Palace?"
Yan Dansheng swallowed hard and said solemnly, "I am but an ant before you. Why are you so insistent on recruiting me?"
Ye Ling chuckled, "In reality, you're not that important. I just find you somewhat agreeable and wanted an excuse to spare your life. Of course, if you refuse, I'd be happy to send you on your way."
Yan Dansheng's pupils contracted slightly, and he fell silent again.
To be honest, although he feared Ye Ling, he did not wish to betray the Shadow Hall. After all, the Shadow Hall had shown him kindness, and he had received much favor over the years. To betray his organization simply because of an external threat would weigh heavily on his conscience.
Yan Dansheng took a deep breath, then mustered his courage and looked at Ye Ling, saying, "You can kill me or torture me as you please. The Shadow Hall has been kind to me, and I do not wish to betray them out of fear for my life."
Ye Ling shook his head slightly and sighed, "A tough bone indeed. Honestly, I quite admire your character. It's a pity you belong to the enemy faction. Since you have made your choice, I shall show no mercy."
Ye Ling raised his hand slightly, and Yan Dansheng felt an invisible force grip his neck, making it impossible to breathe.
Yan Dansheng's feet left the ground, his face turning purple, his consciousness gradually fading.
Having been completely reduced to an ordinary person, he was utterly incapable of resisting Ye Ling's power. He could only struggle wildly in the air, hoping to catch a breath of oxygen.
Ye Ling watched impassively as Yan Dansheng thrashed in the air. He tightened his grip slightly, and five finger marks appeared on Yan Dansheng's neck, threatening to crush it!
"Your Majesty, please show mercy!"
At that moment, Blood Lotus Xuan Nü flew out from the Heavenly Gate, calling out to Ye Ling with a hint of panic.
Blood Lotus Xuan Nü quickly landed before Ye Ling and knelt, kowtowing. "I beg Your Majesty to spare Yan Dansheng's life. He did not wish to be your enemy!"
"Sister?"
Seeing Blood Lotus Xuan Nü suddenly appear and kowtow to Ye Ling, Yan Dansheng was struck by a wave of shock, unable to believe his eyes.
Blood Lotus Xuan Nü was Ye Ling's subordinate?
Yan Dansheng found this impossible to accept!
Blood Lotus Xuan Nü, disregarding Yan Dansheng's thoughts, continued to plead with Ye Ling, "I implore Your Majesty to give him a chance! I will definitely make Yan Dansheng pledge allegiance to Your Majesty!"
Ye Ling shook his head and said, "Whether Yan Dansheng joins my Demon Palace or not is of no consequence to me. This is his own choice, and I have no need to give him a second chance."
"And Blood Lotus Xuan Nü, do not overestimate your own importance."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Blood Lotus Xuan Nü trembled all over, and fear involuntarily flickered in her eyes. She dared not even look up at Ye Ling!
Indeed, she had only recently pledged allegiance to Ye Ling, and it was under duress of his immense power!
She had accomplished nothing for Ye Ling. To put it bluntly, she was a captive. How could she make demands of Ye Ling?
However, Blood Lotus Xuan Nü was unwilling to give up. She kowtowed three more times to Ye Ling and said, "As long as Your Majesty is willing to spare Yan Dansheng, I will do anything!"
As she spoke, Blood Lotus Xuan Nü drew forth a spark from within her body and offered it to Ye Ling. "Your Majesty, this is a spark I cultivated over a million years. It is the source of all my power. Please take it!"
"Sister! That's your primal spark!"
Yan Dansheng cried out in alarm as he saw Blood Lotus Xuan Nü offering her primal spark, quickly calling out.
Both he and Blood Lotus Xuan Nü were spirits born from the primordial chaos fire during the Great Desolation era. Their primal sparks were their inner cores, equivalent to their lives.
Once they lost their primal sparks, they would become ordinary people forever, unable to cultivate again!
Yan Dansheng never imagined that Blood Lotus Xuan Nü would pay such a heavy price to save him!
Ye Ling looked at the primal spark hovering before him and sighed softly, "Alas... you have gone to such lengths for him. This makes it difficult for me to play the villain."
"Very well, I shall spare his life."
With that, Ye Ling withdrew his power and released Yan Dansheng.
Yan Dansheng fell to the ground and quickly crawled to Blood Lotus Xuan Nü, crying, "Sister! Why would you do something so foolish for me? I've already become an ordinary person. Even if you save me, I won't live much longer. There was no need for you to sacrifice your cultivation!"
Blood Lotus Xuan Nü smiled and gently stroked Yan Dansheng's head. "We have relied on each other for so many years, my brother. How could I bear to watch you die?"
Yan Dansheng shook his head and cried, "No... I can't accept this..."
As he spoke, Yan Dansheng turned to Ye Ling and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, please return my sister's primal spark to her. You can take my life; I won't even flinch!"
Blood Lotus Xuan Nü quickly stopped Yan Dansheng. "You rascal! I finally managed to get His Majesty to show mercy. Don't go and lose your own life again!"
"No! I cannot implicate my sister!"
"No! You leave this place immediately, go as far away as you can!"
"Why? I've always listened to you since we were young. It's time you listened to me!"
"You scoundrel! Are you not listening to your sister anymore?"
"Not this time!"
Suddenly, Blood Lotus Xuan Nü and Yan Dansheng began to argue, their words escalating, showing signs of a physical confrontation!
Ye Ling watched the siblings quarrel before him, his mouth twitching. He truly hadn't expected the situation to turn out this way.
Frankly, neither Yan Dansheng's cultivation nor Blood Lotus Xuan Nü's primal spark were enough to even fill Ye Ling's teeth. He would gain no benefit from absorbing them.
The gap in their realms was too vast. The daily energy Ye Ling used to maintain his basic bodily functions far exceeded the combined cultivation of Yan Dansheng and Blood Lotus Xuan Nü by a hundredfold!
However, while these things were useless to Ye Ling, they were the lifelines of Yan Dansheng and Blood Lotus Xuan Nü. Watching the siblings argue before him, Ye Ling suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
After all, he had read Blood Lotus Xuan Nü's memories and knew how difficult their journey had been. Forcing the siblings into this situation made Ye Ling feel like a great villain.
"Enough, enough. This matter ends here."
Ye Ling waved his hand, returning Blood Lotus Xuan Nü's primal spark. He then said to Yan Dansheng, "I am sparing your life this time for your sister's sake. However, you are still a member of the Shadow Hall, and I will not return your cultivation. When you one day see the true face of the Shadow Hall, come find me, and I will restore your cultivation."
"You may leave."