With just a single sound, Lin Xiao had already guessed whose technique it was. As the golden light shone, his spiritual sea churned restlessly.
Dragon God Douluo had long since faded from the public eye, and many soul masters had forgotten this renowned master. But Lin Xiao was well aware of the connection between Zhang Lexuan and Mu En.
However, just as he thought he could relax slightly, Zhang Lexuan's voice came again. "Hurry, this technique can only hold it off temporarily. It can't defeat a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."
Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned, then realized that Zhang Lexuan was indeed alone in the Star Dou Great Forest. The commotion behind wasn't Munn himself acting, but a protective strike he had left for her.
Not daring to let his guard down, Lin Xiao poured his soul power relentlessly into the soul thruster.
Just as his soul power was nearly depleted, the surroundings suddenly brightened, and the view opened up—no longer the dense forest from before.
Lin Xiao landed on the ground, stumbling forward a few steps from momentum before finally stabilizing himself. Looking back, they had left the range of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the aura of the hundred-thousand-year soul beast was no longer detectable.
Here, he finally let out a breath of relief and turned to Zhang Lexuan. Her face showed some unease from the earlier events, and she was gazing toward the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As expected of someone with a powerful background.
Lin Xiao sighed inwardly. Such a protective measure gave her a chance to catch her breath even against a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Even if someone could withstand that strike, they'd have to consider the person backing Zhang Lexuan. This was far better than his own teacher, who abandoned his disciple to flee alone.
Zhang Lexuan seemed to sense Lin Xiao's gaze. She turned, meeting his eyes, and gave a soft smile at his disheveled appearance.
But her expression quickly shifted as if she remembered something, and she composed herself. "My mission is complete. I'm heading back. The Star Dou Great Forest is dangerous. You shouldn't come here alone."
With that, she turned without hesitation, gliding away under the moonlight.
Lin Xiao stood in place, watching her slender figure gradually disappear.
"When did you make a friend like that?" a sinister voice came from behind.
Lin Xiao felt a chill down his spine. Turning around, he saw Nightmare Douluo standing not far away, looking at him with a half-smile.
Like a lingering ghost.
The thought flashed through Lin Xiao's mind, but he still bowed slightly. "Teacher, that was the person who took Xu He away last time."
"Is that so?" Nightmare Douluo glanced into the distance. "No wonder she had such a technique."
After a moment, he suddenly turned his gaze back to Lin Xiao, eyeing him up and down. For some reason, he gave a cold snort. "Fine. Since she's from Shrek, let her go. Let's head back to prepare for your Ascension Ceremony."
"Teacher, do we need to retrieve more soul beasts?" Lin Xiao asked.
"Hmph, no need." Nightmare Douluo looked at Lin Xiao. "I must say, your luck is quite good. Though we lost those soul beasts, we now have a better substitute. That strike just now severely injured the hundred-thousand-year soul beast, and it's all to your advantage, kid."
With a wave of his hand, a sack flew out from behind him. Though the soul beast inside was motionless, Lin Xiao was all too familiar with the oppressive aura it emitted.
His body stiffened instantly. The relief of escaping the hundred-thousand-year soul beast vanished without a trace.
He had thought this incident would at least buy him some time, but he hadn't expected the Ascension Ceremony to come so quickly. Even if he had some guesses about how to handle it, there was no time to act on them.
Looking up slightly at Nightmare Douluo, Lin Xiao's mind churned with thoughts, calculating the possibility of attacking a Titled Douluo and escaping.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. Though Nightmare Douluo's strength was among the weakest of Titled Douluo, for Lin Xiao, who was only a Soul King, he was an insurmountable opponent.
"Let's go back. Once you complete the Ascension Ceremony, you'll become a true disciple of the Holy Spirit Cult," Nightmare Douluo said, unaware of Lin Xiao's thoughts. He stepped closer, grabbing Lin Xiao's arm without further discussion.
Lin Xiao controlled his breathing to calm himself. "Yes, Teacher."
The scenery beneath his feet shifted constantly, transitioning from pitch black to scattered points of light. Lin Xiao knew they had entered the Sun Moon Empire's territory, where illumination soul tools were gradually becoming part of ordinary people's lives.
The closer they got to Mingdu, the colder Lin Xiao's heart grew. Images of the Holy Spirits he had seen flashed through his mind, their fragmented souls vivid in his perception.
He had long understood that in this world, without strength, one could only be at the mercy of others.
The wind roared in his ears, and in the distance, a brightly lit area appeared—it was Mingdu.
But Nightmare Douluo showed no intention of stopping. He slightly adjusted his direction, bypassing Mingdu's airspace and heading toward the Demonic Forest in the west.
Lin Xiao was no stranger to this place. The Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters was located within the Demonic Forest.
No soul beasts blocked their path, and soon, the underground structure appeared before Lin Xiao once more.
"Elder," greeted the Holy Spirit Cult disciples at the entrance, naturally recognizing Nightmare Douluo.
"Mm," Nightmare Douluo nodded, walking inside. Lin Xiao, his face already masked, followed behind.
Dim purple lights flickered along the dark corridor, a faint smell of blood lingering in the air. The atmosphere felt much colder than outside.
Tap—tap—
The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, and Lin Xiao felt his heartbeat synchronizing with them.
"Old Eight, what are you doing here instead of staying in Mingdu?" a low voice suddenly sounded from ahead.
The entire Holy Spirit Cult headquarters seemed to come alive with that voice. The sound of other disciples' footsteps and hushed conversations reached Lin Xiao's ears.
"Leader, I've brought Lin Xiao for the Ascension Ceremony," Nightmare Douluo replied.
"So soon?" Zhongli Wu, seated in the main position, lowered his head slightly, glancing at Lin Xiao. "His cultivation hasn't reached that level yet, has it?"
Nightmare Douluo also looked back at Lin Xiao. "His talent has always been exceptional. I believe he'll gain something from it."
"Mm," Zhongli Wu said, no longer pressing the matter. His gaze returned to Lin Xiao, but when he saw the sack behind him, his expression shifted. "A hundred-thousand-year soul beast?"
It was no surprise he was shocked. He knew Nightmare Douluo's strength well enough to know he wasn't a match for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.