Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1720: Domain? Dominions Are Better

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"{Domain Expansion}: {Myriad Twisting Blood Souls: Crimson Purgatory}!"

TRUUUM!

Maria felt a tremendous pressure crash against her own Domain. Two worlds, born from the hearts and souls of their creators, the very embodiment of their beliefs, collided and generated a colossal explosion. Massive cracks tore across the skies of Murim. The Low Heavens trembled as white clouds constantly dissipated, replaced by a heavy rain of rich Heavenly Ki.

RUMBLE!

Maria watched as Vesperine’s Domain fully manifested—or at least half of it. An endless crimson realm appeared, filled with thousands of gigantic arms covered in eyes that rose from a blazing purgatory of blood and flame. Agonized souls screamed endlessly.

The arms attacked relentlessly, punching her, wrapping around her body and tentacles, digging fingers toward her eyes, trying to rip her apart limb by limb.

"Hmph."

Maria’s eyes snapped open. Her black tears transformed into hundreds of thousands of void spheres that bombarded the arms and shredded them effortlessly.

At the same time, a tsunami of black water surged forward, smashing into Vesperine’s blazing purgatory.

CLAAASH!

"Nnngh! You’re... resisting my Domain?!"

"Oh, it’s a Domain?"

"Huh?"

The Vampiress’ eyes widened as she realized something was terribly wrong.

Her Domain began to be devoured by darkness.

"You know? There’s something even beyond Domains out there... they’re called Dominions."

Nightmares, ghosts, shadows, moonlight, swarms of insects, poisonous serpents, and chaos exploded from Maria. Vesperine witnessed the birth of what seemed like an entire pocket universe.

BOOOMMM!!!

Her Domain was instantly consumed. She found herself surrounded by eternal darkness. The black void of outer space felt more welcoming than this absolute, starless obscurity.

"Welcome to my Dominion," Maria said calmly. "Let’s begin your judgment, Vesperine."

"What sort of nonsense is this?! You can’t just... Wait, Dominion...?!" Vesperine’s eyes widened as she recalled the Family Head of the Lucarion Family.

The High Seer Xarion Lucarion.

He was the only person she knew who possessed something "beyond domains that could not be fought against."

"A-Ah...! No, it can’t be!"

She fought back desperately, pouring every ounce of power into her body. A giant Martial Soul materialized behind her, resembling a titan with hundreds of muscular arms.

"{Martial Soul}: {Thousand-Armed Demonic Blood Titan}!!!"

The titan roared, striking at the crimson eyes and black blood, slowly consuming the darkness even as it devoured him in return.

At the same time, Vesperine’s soul surged. Thousands of monstrous specters attacked everything around her, trying to tear open an escape route.

She conjured magic as well, summoning hundreds of crimson stars from her hands and detonating them in rapid succession.

"The power of Vampire Dukes is truly remarkable. I’ll keep that in mind for future battles..."

Maria stepped forward. The ocean of black tears reshaped into thousands of serpents that bit and swallowed the blood-soul specters.

Each time one was devoured, Vesperine felt a piece of her power vanish permanently.

Before, even if they were destroyed, she could summon them again. Now, thanks to Maria’s abilities, they were gone forever.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Vesperine’s face twisted with pure hatred. She charged at Maria, new hands sprouting from her wounds, phantasmal arms fusing with void tears.

"What kind of monster are you?! Who are you?! Do you even know who you’re fighting?! I am Vesperine Lucarion and—"

"I know exactly who you are," Maria interrupted calmly. "And you should already know who I am. I am Maria, a humble human from Yggdrasil."

"Yggdrasil, the sealed world?!"

"Yes."

"Wait, human?! Don’t lie to me again! You’re an aberration! Something that shouldn’t exist! Not even magicians who control Void and Space can hope to match some of your abilities...!"

"Well, I’m flattered."

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

They continued trading blows. Maria seemed genuinely impressed. Vesperine was incredibly resilient. Even covered in corrosive void-miasma tears, she was only slowly being worn down, using her own powers to resist the poison.

Her Martial Soul kept twisting and reviving in different forms, as if not yet fully defined. Golden essence poured from her chest—she was in the Golden Core Realm, likely on the verge of ascending to Nascent Soul.

That was on top of her strength as a Vampire Duchess, placing her far above the average Immortal.

Maria could tell she was definitely stronger than the White Mist Immortal.

Not just twice as strong, but at least four times stronger—and Maria knew Vesperine had yet to unleash her full power.

Now she understood, as they clashed, just how mighty the Vampires of Umbralheim truly were to have conquered ten entire floors of the tower.

Their strength justified their tyranny. They conquered as they pleased. Only a few worlds remained untouched, mostly because other Upper Floor Factions like Olympus or Thebes had already claimed them.

"I won’t die here. I’ll take you down no matter what, or at least escape...!" Vesperine muttered through gritted teeth, sweating and bleeding while slowly regenerating. She looked exhausted, yet Maria knew there was still more.

"Immortal Artifacts! Sanguine Relics!"

She called upon several treasures from her Golden Core and Blood Soul Aura. A large golden scroll unfurled, revealing glowing runes of Chinese characters that rapidly manifested into hundreds of Golden Dragon Spirits. They charged at Maria, breathing light and slashing with claws of holy flame.

Then she opened a small golden box. An Immortal Ghost of the Blazing Ki Path surged out like a vengeful spirit, transforming into a ghostly phoenix that exploded against Maria’s face again and again, reforming each time. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Finally, she equipped a pair of golden gloves imbued with Yin and Yang Essence. The image of a tall, ancient Immortal Master briefly overlaid her form, temporarily replacing her Martial Soul.

"Amazing. The Immortal Artifacts of this world are truly unique!" Maria laughed as she crushed and devoured the dragons while pulverizing the phoenix into nothingness.

"I’m not done yet!!!" Vesperine screamed, unleashing a barrage of explosive palm strikes with her golden gloves. Shockwaves of Golden Ki surged, striking Maria and beginning to tear holes through her ghostly body. "I hate using these now but screw it!"

"{Golden Palm of Yinyang Harmony}!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Maria’s form twisted and warped, massive holes glowing with harmonizing Yin and Yang energies burning and disintegrating her very being.

"Ah, that’s really strong...!"

Maria seemed slightly surprised, though far from panicking. Her countless eyes tracked Vesperine’s every move. She began to grasp the intent behind those gloves.

Though they didn’t contain a full soul like the box, they carried the condensed "Martial Intent" of the Immortal, refined into pure power.

"I see... to imbue my own self into my Martial Arts... my own self..."

Maria’s crimson eyes suddenly flashed yellow. Vesperine faltered as Maria’s movements became unpredictable.

At the same time, pure Yin and Yang Ki surged from Maria’s body, especially from her Divine Ember.

FLUOSH!

"W-What?! Such purity of Yin and Yang! What is this?!"

Vesperine could hardly believe her eyes as Maria’s power suddenly manifested into...

Countless versions of Maria.

They flickered in and out of existence, swirling like ghosts and phantasmal flames.

And then...

"{Spectral Ghostly Fist Art: First Form – Phantasmal Fist}"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Nnngaaah?!"

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