Susanoo's words fell, and translucent tentacles emerged from the surrounding barrier, swiftly coiling around Ye Ling and beginning to invade his soul.
Concurrently, below Ye Ling, a multitude of souls converged, forming a hexagonal altar. The Yang Nation Dragon Soul was pulled onto the altar by the translucent tentacles and severed into several pieces.
A vast amount of soul power surged from the Yang Nation Dragon Soul, pouring into the altar, causing it to emit a deep, eerie glow as if brewing something.
Susanoo's phantom stared intently at Ye Ling, sneering, "Ye Ling, I advise you not to resist, for resistance is meaningless!"
"If you obediently accept the soul sacrifice, you might suffer a little less..."
Ye Ling allowed the tentacles to bind him, glanced at the altar below, and then looked at Susanoo, smiling as he asked, "Do you truly believe the outcome will be as you imagine?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Susanoo sneered. Before he could continue his mockery, he suddenly felt something was wrong, his expression changing drastically.
"No, this is wrong... Why is this happening? Why can't the Soul Returning Domain connect to your soul?"
With the sudden anomaly, Susanoo became flustered, looking at Ye Ling with confusion, seeking an explanation.
The door to the Emperor Realm was opening before him; he only needed to step through it to stand at the pinnacle of this world!
But now, the Soul Returning Domain couldn't touch Ye Ling's soul, and he couldn't break through to the Emperor Realm using Ye Ling's power...
His dream, on the verge of realization, shattered. Susanoo's emotions plummeted like a roller coaster, leaving him in extreme distress.
Soon, the translucent tentacles wrapped around Ye Ling dissipated. Ye Ling then disregarded Susanoo's palm, flying out from Susanoo's grasp. His form rapidly expanded, soon matching the size of Susanoo's colossal phantom.
Ye Ling met Susanoo's panicked gaze, smiling, "The Soul Returning Domain is ineffective. Do you want to know why?"
Susanoo, under Ye Ling's piercing gaze, felt fear for the first time.
He was merely a phantom here, yet for some reason, he felt that Ye Ling could threaten his very life in the real world!
Instinctively, Susanoo asked Ye Ling, "Wh-why?"
"Because..." Ye Ling narrowed his eyes and smiled at Susanoo, "The gap between our levels is too vast. Your Soul Returning Domain has no effect on me."
Hearing Ye Ling's answer, Susanoo's pupils contracted sharply, and a bad premonition washed over him!
What did "the gap between our levels is too vast" mean?
Susanoo had already stolen Izanagi's cultivation, becoming a true Saint. Coupled with the amplification from the Soul Returning Domain, he was confident he could defeat any Saint within this domain!
And he had told Ye Ling all of this earlier, assuming Ye Ling knew his predicament.
Yet, even so... Ye Ling could still utter such words...
Could it be that Ye Ling's cultivation was above Saint?
As this wild thought took root in Susanoo's mind, it began to grow deeper, anchoring itself in his heart!
It was irremovable!
Recalling Ye Ling's previous actions, and the way he had instantly killed Izanagi...
Susanoo's breathing grew rapid.
Initially, when Ye Ling used Twilight to kill Izanagi, Susanoo had thought Ye Ling had acquired a killing move from somewhere, using Twilight as bait to eliminate Izanagi.
But from the current perspective, the power Twilight wielded could very well have been borrowed from Ye Ling!
Ye Ling was an Emperor!
The thought sent waves of fear through Susanoo.
He had provoked an Emperor?
The more Susanoo thought about it, the more frightened he became. He looked at Ye Ling and said, "No, impossible... You must be bluffing. You can't be at the Emperor Realm!"
Ye Ling chuckled, "I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already this terrified?"
"Ye Ling, you can't fool me!"
Seeing Ye Ling's reaction, Susanoo grew even more panicked. He began to manipulate the Soul Returning Domain, causing more tentacles to emerge from the surrounding barrier, coiling around Ye Ling, attempting to salvage his offense and prove Ye Ling was not an Emperor.
But this time, the tentacles, capable of absorbing the souls of Saints, disintegrated in mid-air before they could even touch Ye Ling's body!
Nothing within the Soul Returning Domain could get close to Ye Ling!
If Ye Ling were merely a Saint, he absolutely couldn't achieve this!
At this moment, no matter how unwilling he was to admit it, Susanoo knew that his arrogance had led him to kick a steel plate.
The Soul Returning Domain could allow him to devour Saints and advance to the Emperor Realm.
But the Soul Returning Domain could not allow him to devour an Emperor!
Susanoo didn't even have time to consider where Ye Ling, an Emperor, came from; his mind was a muddled mess.
He had trapped an Emperor within the Soul Returning Domain, forcing himself into a no-win situation!
Even with the Soul Returning Domain's assistance, he couldn't eliminate Ye Ling. And if he released Ye Ling from the domain, he couldn't guarantee Ye Ling wouldn't seek retribution!
What was he to do?
In his panic, Susanoo was terrified. He didn't want to be trapped in the Soul Returning Domain forever with Ye Ling.
Seeing Susanoo's panicked state, Ye Ling knew Susanoo was completely out of options. He sighed, "Alas... the mysteries of the Soul Returning Domain haven't been fully explored, and you're already out of moves. It seems you're just half-baked. My evaluation of you has lowered."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Susanoo snapped out of his fear and stared at Ye Ling, asking, "Could it be that you can discern deeper mysteries of this Soul Returning Domain?"
In reality, he hadn't learned about the Soul Returning Spirit Crystal from Izanagi very long ago and hadn't conducted further in-depth research into the Soul Returning Domain. Moreover, Izanagi had always been secretive about matters concerning the Soul Returning Domain, leaving him with only a superficial understanding.
It was similar to Izanagi's rune stone tablet. Susanoo knew it was a treasure no less valuable than the Soul Returning Spirit Crystal, but ultimately, before Izanagi's death, he was merely a minor deity in the True Martial Realm, utterly incapable of exploring the profundities of such top-tier treasures.
Fearing that Izanagi might revive through other means, he had no choice but to waste a treasure and ruthlessly destroy the rune stone tablet.
Now, Susanoo was certain that Ye Ling's cultivation far surpassed his. Therefore, it wasn't impossible for Ye Ling to see through the deeper mysteries of the Soul Returning Domain!
Susanoo grew increasingly fearful, while Ye Ling shook his head and chuckled, "Alas... the Soul Returning Domain is not as simple as you think."
With that, Ye Ling waved his hand, and the Soul Returning Spirit Crystal attached to the Yang Nation Dragon Soul reappeared, flying into his hand.
The next moment, Ye Ling's body became a translucent phantom, while Susanoo, who was originally a phantom, now became corporeal!
Ye Ling had seized control of the Soul Returning Domain from Susanoo!
"My control? Why is this?"
Seeing himself pulled into the Soul Returning Domain, Susanoo's fear intensified, his body trembling violently.
Having lost control of the Soul Returning Domain, he was utterly panicked!
What was happening now far exceeded his imagination!
Ye Ling, holding the Soul Returning Spirit Crystal, smiled at Susanoo, "Let me show you... a miracle."
As Ye Ling's words fell, a powerful pressure erupted from within him, bearing down heavily on Susanoo!
Boom!!!
Susanoo was directly crushed into the altar by Ye Ling's aura!