A dense, almost tangible aura of Disaster exploded from Ye Ning, sweeping over the Witch like a tidal wave.
The Witch froze in place, her blood feeling as if it had turned to ice.
Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
That aura was too terrifying—cold, violent, and mixed with a suffocating sense of despair.
It made her feel fear from the depths of her soul.
This was not something a Witch transformed from an ordinary human like her could contend with.
Even though she was revered as a “Bishop” within the Chongtian Cult, before this aura, she was as insignificant as an ant. All her previous arrogance and cruelty vanished without a trace.
Her legs gave way, and she staggered, kneeling in the pool of blood.
Her forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground as she begged for mercy, her voice trembling with a heart-rending fear.
“I know I was wrong! I shouldn’t have offended you!”
Her body shook like a leaf in a storm.
She didn’t even have the courage to look up at Ye Ning.
“We… we are both Witches! We should be of the same kind, we shouldn’t kill each other! Please, for the sake of us both being Witches, spare my life!”
Ye Ning stood still.
The black, viscous liquid around her dripped slowly, making a drip, drip sound that was especially piercing in the silent factory.
She looked down coldly at the kneeling Witch.
There was not a shred of pity in her eyes, only a churning madness and morbid fervor.
The corner of her mouth lifted in a cruel arc, her voice as cold as eternal ice.
“The same kind?”
She scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“You dare to call yourself the same as me?”
She slowly stepped forward.
The hem of her black lace dress swept over the bloodstained ground, leaving a hideous trail.
“You ignorant puppets, without even a shred of self-awareness, blindly following so-called ‘Angels’… you dare to call yourselves Witches?”
Ye Ning’s voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised disgust and mockery.
“Worshipping those arrogant outsiders who see all life as ants as your gods, willingly becoming their pawns… how are you any different from those fanatical cultists?”
“No! That’s not true!”
The Witch jerked her head up, her face a mask of collapse and resentment.
A trace of fanatical belief in the Angels still lingered in her eyes.
“The Angels are powerful! They possess world-shattering power! They are meant to be the masters of this world! Following them is following the natural order!”
These words seemed to touch her final line of defense.
She completely broke down, her voice filled with hysterical madness.
“Heh.”
Ye Ning let out a low laugh.
The smile on her lips never faded, only growing colder and more eerie.
“Powerful?”
She leaned down slightly, her gaze locking onto the Witch’s eyes.
The madness in her own eyes seemed about to overflow.
“If they’re so powerful… why can they still be killed by us?”
She pressed closer.
The dark aura around her grew even more intense, pressing down on the Witch until she could barely breathe.
“Don’t you want to be stronger than them?”
Ye Ning’s voice carried a bewitching power, like a whisper from hell.
“Kill them. Take their power. Replace their position. Become the true ruler of this world. Why should you kneel beneath them, acting like a dog they can order around?”
These words were like a sharp knife, stabbing deep into the Witch’s heart.
Her eyes instantly grew vacant.
Her face twisted with pain and struggle as faith and desire clashed violently in her mind.
A moment later, she clutched her head and let out a piercing scream, plunging into a state of complete mental breakdown.
“No… I can’t… The Angels are sacred…”
She muttered, but her eyes grew wilder and wilder.
“You’re lying! You demon! I’ll kill you!”
Before the words had fully left her mouth, the Witch suddenly raised her hand.
The last of her dark magic gathered in her palm.
A beam of black energy, carrying destructive force, shot viciously toward Ye Ning.
She had gone completely mad, wanting only to use everything she had to kill this “demon” who had overturned her faith.
Facing the oncoming attack, Ye Ning didn’t move a muscle.
She remained standing in place, a faint indifference on her face, as if the lethal attack had nothing to do with her.
She merely parted her lips slightly and called out softly, “Xiao Zai.”
The moment the words fell, the black, viscous liquid beside her surged forward like a tide, rapidly accumulating and coalescing in front of her.
The liquid twisted and deformed, finally transforming into an indescribable black monster.
Xiao Zai let out a low growl and pounced.
Its movements were swift as lightning, easily evading the Witch’s attack.
Then, countless slender tentacles lashed out, instantly shattering the beam of black energy.
Before the Witch could react, Xiao Zai enveloped her entire body. Tentacles tightly wrapped around her, rendering her completely immobile.
“No! Stop! Let me go! I was wrong! Please, spare me!”
Trapped within the black monster, the Witch let out terrified screams and desperate pleas for mercy.
Her voice grew weaker and weaker, filled with heart-rending agony.
Ye Ning stood to the side, watching everything coldly.
Not a ripple of emotion crossed her face.
She neither responded nor showed pity, as if she were watching an irrelevant farce.
Soon, the Witch’s screams ceased entirely.
The black monster’s body wriggled slightly a few times, then grew still.
A moment later, Xiao Zai slowly stretched its body.
The Witch’s figure was nowhere to be seen—she had been completely devoured by Xiao Zai, not a single trace left behind.
Ye Ning narrowed her eyes slightly, a look of enjoyment flashing across her face, as if savoring something. She gently beckoned, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible tenderness.
“Come back.”
Upon hearing the command, the black monster Xiao Zai immediately retracted its ferocious aura.
Its body rapidly contracted and transformed.
Its previously indescribable form gradually faded, finally turning into a small, delicate black kitten.
It trotted over with light steps and obediently leaped into Ye Ning’s arms.
The kitten’s fur was soft and smooth.
Its eyes were a dark red, holding a spark of intelligence—a completely different creature from the terrifying monster of before.
Ye Ning lowered her head and gently stroked the kitten’s head, her fingertips tenderly combing through its fur.
Then she looked up at Hua Niao not far away.
The madness and morbidity in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a touch of softness.
This monster named “Xiao Zai” was the embodiment of the Disaster power within her.
It had disturbed her will countless times, pushing her to the brink of collapse.
Only after she formed a Contract with Hua Niao was this Disaster incarnation bound by the power of the Contract.
It could no longer affect her consciousness.
Instead, it became a docile existence, like a pet, loyally protecting her.
To commemorate this coexistence with Disaster, she had named it “Xiao Zai.”
Xiao Zai seemed particularly happy from having gotten “food.”
It rubbed its little head against Ye Ning’s palm, then stuck out a pink tongue and gently licked her fingertips, letting out a soft meow.
Ye Ning chuckled softly.
The coldness in her eyes completely dissipated.
Holding the little black cat in her arms, she slowly walked toward Hua Niao.
The moment she reached Hua Niao’s side, the black lace dress on her body instantly turned into specks of black light, dispersing into the air.
It changed back into the blood-stained, light gray School Uniform.
The little black cat Xiao Zai in her arms also transformed into black liquid, merging into her body and disappearing.
Deprived of the support of the Disaster power, Ye Ning’s face instantly turned as pale as paper.
Her body swayed, and she could no longer hold on, falling forward.
Hua Niao, quick-eyed and swift-handed, immediately stepped forward and caught her steadily in her arms.
“Hua Niao… quick, quick…”
Ye Ning leaned against Hua Niao’s chest, her body trembling incessantly.
Hua Niao looked down at the frail girl in her arms and sighed helplessly.
She gently pinched Ye Ning’s chin, forcing her to look up, then slowly leaned down and moved closer.
Warm Mana flowed into Ye Ning’s body, nourishing her exhausted form like a warm current.
A long while later, Hua Niao finally straightened up.
Leaning in Hua Niao’s embrace, Ye Ning finally regained some strength. Her eyes gradually cleared.
She frowned slightly and touched her own chest, her voice weak.
“My body feels a bit better, not as uncomfortable. But it seems my Mana hasn’t recovered much.”
Hua Niao held her tightly, her chin resting on top of Ye Ning’s head.
“You forcibly activated the power of the Death-Bringer this time and even used that unique immortality ability. The Mana consumed far exceeds any previous instance. A simple transfer like this isn’t nearly enough. Once we get back, we’ll need to replenish it through a… deeper method.”
“Wha—?!”
Ye Ning’s cheeks instantly flushed a scalding red, like a ripe apple.
She subconsciously averted her gaze, not daring to meet Hua Niao’s eyes.
Her voice became stammering.
“I… I understand…”
She struggled to get up but was pressed back into Hua Niao’s embrace.
Hua Niao’s arms tightened even more, firmly imprisoning her within her hold, letting her clearly feel the steady beat of her heart.
“Ning Ning.”
Hua Niao lowered her head and whispered into Ye Ning’s ear.
Warm breath brushed against her earlobe, carrying a faint scent of mint.
Ye Ning couldn’t help but shiver all over. Her ears instantly turned bright red, and even her neck flushed with color.
“D-Don’t talk like that…”
Ye Ning’s voice held a trace of flustered annoyance.
Her body stiffened in Hua Niao’s embrace, not daring to move.
But Hua Niao didn’t stop.
“Next time, don’t do that. I don’t want to see you like that again.”
Ye Ning’s body stiffened abruptly. Her struggling movements ceased instantly.
She looked up at Hua Niao’s face.
The light in the factory was dim, only allowing her to vaguely see the sharp outline of Hua Niao’s profile, not her expression.
After a few seconds of silence, Ye Ning’s heartbeat gradually calmed.
The blush on her cheeks still hadn’t faded.
She nodded gently.
“Ah… Okay. I promise. I won’t do it again next time.”