Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1738: Golden Prince? More Like Golden Fraud!
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"I can tell they are powerful," Diomedes said. "And I was not saying I was afraid, mother-in-law. I am a proud War Hero of Olympus. My soldiers and I will show our true worth in this battle. Not just us, but the power we can summon into this world."
If Diomedes were merely a powerful Demigod, the Sunshine Empress would never have chosen him as her daughter’s husband.
His true value lay in connections, binding her sect to Olympus.
Olympus was a feared super faction of the upper floors, even stronger than the Vampires of Umbralheim.
In one hand, Diomedes held a sand hourglass overflowing with the Divinity of Time.
In the other, he grasped a small golden door embedded with a radiant red sun, brimming with the Divinity of Sunlight.
Both were wedding gifts from Chronos and Helios, mighty Gods of Olympus.
"With these Divine Treasures... our victory is assured. And even more..."
RUMBLE!
Everyone glanced skyward as a gigantic golden Buddha statue descended, radiating heavenly brilliance.
It began to move, light pouring from its form as a powerful halo formed behind its head.
"Maria, Usurper of Sects, Slayer of Immortals, Demonic Slaughterer, and Ruthless Necromancer!"
A voice thundered from within the Buddha. A tall Immortal emerged from its interior, youthful in appearance with long blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. He wore a flowing white robe decorated with yellow dragons.
"You’ve given me quite the flattering titles," Maria smiled.
"You despicable invader! You are a Player, yet you show no respect! You do not belong in this world. The Heavenly Palace and the Murim Alliance have decreed your execution today!" he bellowed furiously. "All sects present here will now completely—"
RUMBLE!
Black thunder exploded where Maria stood. In the next instant, she vanished.
"Wha...?!"
The man turned just in time to see her appear behind him, fist already descending. His Aura flared desperately to shield him.
{Spectral Ghostly Fist Art: First Form – Phantasmal Fist}!
Hundreds of blazing phantasmal fists rained down like meteors, hammering his body.
The Immortal unleashed a radiant veil of Yang Ki from his robes to protect himself.
Yet Maria had already mastered and refined that very power.
{Spectral Ghostly Fist Art: Second Form – Sword Soul Heart}!
Without hesitation, she manifested her Soul, overflowing with Sword Ki, Phantom Ki, Dream Ki, Nightmare Ki, and balanced Yin and Yang Ki.
"Impossible! What are you— Nnggh—AAACK!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Dozens of slashing attacks shattered his veil and carved his body apart. Arms and legs flew in different directions. Before he could react, his head was severed.
Everyone in the skies gasped in disbelief as Maria seized the still-conscious head and raised it high while standing atop the blood-soaked Buddha statue.
Her sheer brutality and shamelessness were beyond anything they had witnessed.
Or rather, they were unfiltered—unlike the false virtue of those who orchestrated sect massacres and the slaughter of innocent children while pretending to be righteous.
"Here is the head of your damned leader, Heavenly Palace! I beheaded him before he could even fight back! Why are all your disciples so pathetically weak?! Now watch as he becomes my eternal servant!"
Maria unleashed her Necromancy. Ten seconds after death, the man became a headless zombie. The purity of his body prevented him from becoming a Rakshasa. His eyes widened in horror as he clutched his own severed head. Golden phantasmal flames erupted from his neck.
He was dead—turned undead—in mere seconds.
"W-What?! What is this...! My head...! I’m holding it?!"
"Welcome to my eternal army of the dead! You work for me now!"
"Aaaagh!"
The Heavenly Palace Elder struggled against her control, but it was useless. Golden phantasmal flames engulfed his body as he slammed his fist into the Buddha, hurling it into the mountains below in a massive explosion of light.
BOOOMMM!!!
Even Maria’s own disciples stood speechless, watching in awe as their sect master ridiculed the Heavenly Palace before the entire Murim Alliance.
"M-Monster...!"
"What is she?!"
"She beheaded the Golden Prince?!"
"Wasn’t he one of the Heavenly Emperor’s many children?!"
"No, what has she done?!"
"Monster...! MONSTER!"
The members of every Murim Alliance sect present trembled in shock and fear, overwhelmed by her undying presence.
To them, her Aura and Ki radiated one raw, overwhelming emotion.
Endless Malice.
Terror overtook them. A tenth of the allied armies began screaming and fleeing.
Maria did not pursue the cowards. She let the small fry escape with their lives.
They were wise to betray their sects and run.
This was known in Murim as the Mercy of the Strong.
"Those too afraid to fight me may flee, and I will not chase you," Maria declared. "But if you ever cross paths with me or my people again, the Ghostly Fist Sect will show NO MERCY!"
"Aaaaggh!"
"Monster! Monster!"
"Run! Run!"
"I don’t care about the Murim Alliance!"
"Uuugh! No, no, no!"
"My head and soul tremble just looking at her!"
"What is she?! WHAT IS SHE?!"
The Sunshine Empress watched in fury as her own disciples screamed and scattered.
"Stop that! Don’t run away! I-I didn’t teach you to be cowards, you fools!" she roared, waving her long blazing fan and unleashing her Aura of intimidation to force them back.
Yet they preferred death by her flames over facing Maria and risking eternal enslavement as undead.
"COME BACK!" Her Martial Soul blazed forth, manifesting as a gigantic phoenix that spread its wings across the sky. "YOUUUUU!"
She glared at Maria with burning wrath for what she had done. The white-haired demon smiled back, her ghostly aura surging as her unique Martial Arts flared once more.
"Do you want to fight too, Sunshine Empress? I’ll kill you in ten seconds," Maria said calmly, her hands glowing with phantasmal flames. "Today, I’m in quite a hurry, you see."
"CHARGE!"
Diomedes roared. His army of three hundred Trojans, along with massive golems and other "War Machines" forged by Hephaestus, surged into the skies. The Murim Alliance soldiers heard his mighty cry and felt a divine blessing enveloped them, granting renewed courage.
"DON’T COWER AND FEAR! SHE IS NOT INVINCIBLE! WE WILL BREAK THROUGH AND FIND VICTORY TOGETHER!"
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