Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 361: The Seven Nymph Emperors

"Put simply, the demon races are distinctly separate from each other due to their bloodlines each having their own attributes. These innate differences prevent them from becoming too close. The nymph races, however, are not like this. They are mostly related to plants, and their bloodlines have far higher potential to merge; in fact, they can even graft multiple bloodlines. In essence, a clever grafting of several nymph bloodlines might even produce a stronger race. The nymph races don’t face the innate rejection seen among demons, nor do they encounter problems like those of the Lion-Tigers."

"The more inclusive nature of the nymph races fosters closer and more united relationships among them. In terms of overall strength, the Solstice Empire is not much weaker than the Empyrean Dominion."

"The top-ranked Nymph Emperor, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor, is second in the Ancestral Court, so it ranks above the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. It’s a Solitary known as the Sunborne Flower, and its bloodline was created over centuries of careful cultivation and grafting, from the Sunflower Nymphs and eight other nymph bloodlines. The process involved several powerful bloodlines and plenty of failures, and it has the same problem as some other Solitaries—its bloodline cannot be replicated. It’s two thousand years old by now, and if the Solstice Empire cannot produce another like it, they will have a serious problem.Its title, 'Sun-Nurtured,' acknowledges its unique heritage.”

"What are its powers?" Tang San asked.

"I don't know. There are few records of it taking action, but it's acknowledged as the strongest among the nymphs, ranked just below the Crystal Demon Emperor. As for who is stronger between it and the Crystal Demon Emperor, there's no clear consensus. However, it must be truly mighty for it to rank above the Master of Fate, not to mention the latter must acknowledge it as well," explained Zhang Haoxuan.

"The second-ranked Nymph Emperor is known as the Earthshade Nymph Emperor. It’s an Earthshade Grass, and it is co-ruling the world of the nymphs with the Sunborne Nymph Emperor in a balance of light and darkness. Just like the Sunborne Flower, the Earthshade Nymph Emperor is the result of grafting multiple bloodlines. It’s not as unique or difficult to replicate, but whether the new sprouts can attain the Nymph Emperor level is a different story altogether.

"It's said that the Earthshade Nymph Emperor possesses the power to control the earth and exert a strong suppressive force over other nymph clans. Thus, its title is 'Earth Suppressor.' Among the nymph races of the Solstice Empire, the authority of these two surpasses that of the other five, making them the true rulers of the Solstice Empire."

Tang San noted that Zhang Haoxuan didn’t detail the powers of the Sunborne Nymph Emperor or the Earthshade Nymph Emperor. Undoubtedly, this implied that the Redemption Society’s knowledge of the nymphs in the Solstice Empire wasn’t as extensive as that of the Empyrean Dominion. Or perhaps, the nymph races were relatively more reserved. However, being on par with the Crystal Demon Emperor and the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor meant that the power of these two Nymph Emperors was without a doubt formidable.

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Zhang Haoxuan continued, "Ranked third among the Nymph Emperors is the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor, a Soul Capturer Tree. His spiritual power is incredible; among all the Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors, only the Crystal Demon Emperor might match it in spiritual power. It's said that wherever the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor passes, it can control everything, especially the nymph and tree beings. It even has the power to give rise to life, turning lifeless stones into sentient entities. Its title is 'Animator of the Inanimate.'

"The fourth-ranked Nymph Emperor is called the Parasol Tree Nymph Emperor. It might sound odd for a tree, but its attribute is actually fire. It can burn anything and convert it into its own sustenance, so its title is 'Heaven-Burning Earth-Boiling.' Although it's only fourth among the Nymph Emperors, it's crucial to note that it has the closest relationship with the Demon Emperors, as his partner is the Undying Demon Emperor. They are a pair."

As Zhang Haoxuan spoke, the words "Phoenix Nesting in the Parasol Tree"[1] flashed through Tang San's mind. Undoubtedly, when these two were together, their combined strength likely increased dramatically, making them an immensely formidable duo.

The Demon and Nymph Emperors were already powerful enough by themselves. To think they even had marital alliances! How could other races thrive like this?

"The third-ranked Demon Emperor and the fourth-ranked Nymph Emperor together make up a formidable pair, feared across the Daemon Continent. However, due to the overwhelming strength of their union, they voluntarily gave up control of their cities when they decided to come together, choosing instead to reside within the Ancestral Court to alleviate the fears of other Demon and Nymph Emperors. Within the Ancestral Court, their authority is immense. Even the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, who usually presides over daily affairs, shows them great deference."

"Moving on, the fifth-ranked Nymph Emperor is a rather peculiar being. As mentioned earlier, the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor has the ability to animate stone, and this Nymph Emperor is precisely that: stone. It is a Glazed Stone that gained spirituality and eventually reached the twelfth tier. Apparently it has a myriad of mysterious abilities, which earned it the title of the Thousand-Faceted Glazed Glass Nymph Emperor."

"The sixth-ranked is the Diamond Nymph Emperor, a piece of Diamond Spirit that gained sentience. Diamond Spirit is a type of metallic ore renowned as the hardest substance in existence. It does not conduct any kind of energy, and it actually possesses resistance against almost all attributes. Therefore, while the Diamond Nymph Emperor’s offensive abilities are somewhat average, it is the strongest among all the Nymph Emperors in terms of pure defense. When demons and nymphs talk about the 'absolute toughest,' that’s who they are talking about.

"The title of the Diamond Nymph Emperor is 'Indestructible.' His relationship with the Sky Splitting Demon Emperor is quite poor, perhaps due to them having opposing abilities. They've fought many times. Although it cannot defeat the Sky-Splitting Demon Emperor, the latter also can't do much against the Diamond Nymph Emperor. These clashes are what made them famous.

"The seventh and final Nymph Emperor is known as the Endless Nymph Emperor. It’s said to be a bottomless spring that cultivated the water attribute to its extreme. Hence, it is called 'Endless Water.' Among all the Demon Emperors and Nymph Emperors, it has the largest attack range. It can control rivers, lakes, and seas, and it is the master of the water element. The name 'Endless' is derived from the Endless Blue Sea, showcasing his control over all waters. His official title is 'Universe-Flooding.'"

With that, Zhang Haoxuan finished outlining the basic details of the seven Nymph Emperors.

Sun-Nurtured Sunborne Nymph Emperor.

Earth-Suppressor Earthshade Nymph Emperor.

Animator of the Inanimate Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor.

Heaven-Burning Earth-Boiling Parasol Tree Nymph Emperor.

Thousand-Faceted Glazed Glass Nymph Emperor.

Indestructible Diamond Nymph Emperor.

Universe-Flooding Endless Nymph Emperor.

Just these titles alone were enough to fuel the imagination. Nine Demon Emperors and seven Nymph Emperors—these were the pillars of power on the Daemon Continent, and they were truly mighty pillars. And that was not even considering the possibility of hidden superpowers.

Tang San murmured, "Sunborne Flower, Earthshade Grass, Soul Capturer Tree, Parasol Tree, Glazed Glass, Diamond Spirit, Endless Water. They encompass yin and yang, flowers, grasses, trees, and stones. They even include wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. They embody all aspects of nature! Impressive."

With this in mind, it made perfect sense to him that the Nymph Emperors were on par with the Demon Emperors despite being fewer in numbers. They shared a close bond and their powers complemented each other, so they could very well deal with the individualistic Demon Emperors.

1. This phrase is translated from 凤栖梧桐木, it originates from Chinese mythology and ancient poetry, where the phoenix, a symbol of virtue, is said to choose only the parasol tree as its nesting place, reflecting an idealized harmony between nature and virtue. ☜