"Mother."
The man on the throne—Zhong Liwu, the Cult Master of the Holy Spirit Cult—rose and nodded slightly.
The woman in black beside him, Vice Cult Master Feng Ling, also bowed to Ye Xishui, but her gaze involuntarily fell upon the small Castorice, filled with scrutiny.
"Wu'er, Ling'er."
Ye Xishui responded plainly, gently pushing Castorice half a step forward.
"Her name is Castorice. Starting today, she is my Personal Disciple and the new Death Saintess of the Holy Spirit Cult. Her status is second only to me, the Supreme Enshrined, and the Cult Master. Seeing the Holy Maiden is like seeing me personally."
Her voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the entire hall, carrying undeniable authority.
The Death Saintess, a position second only to the Supreme Cult Master, the Supreme Enshrined, and the Cult Master.
A collective gasp immediately sounded in the hall. The gazes of all the Evil Soul Masters toward the silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl instantly changed, filled with shock, awe, and various complex calculations.
This meant that this seemingly fragile little girl had instantly become one of the most powerful figures in the Holy Spirit Cult.
Castorice could feel countless gazes—some probing, some greedy, some wary—falling upon her.
Her heart was clear as water. The title of Death Saintess sounded prestigious, but in this den of Evil Soul Masters where the weak were prey to the strong and strength was respected, if she did not possess corresponding strength and value, her so-called status would be nothing more than a castle in the air.
The only thing she could rely on was her powerful talent and Ye Xishui's temporary favor.
If the talent she displayed did not match the title of Death Saintess, Ye Xishui would abandon her sooner or later, and the other Evil Soul Masters would not obey her either.
Only by demonstrating talent and value could she truly gain a foothold in the Holy Spirit Cult. Fortunately, she had no doubt about the talent of this body.
Innate Martial Soul Awakening was even rarer than Innate full Soul Power and twin spirits, especially since the introduction of the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony, making those with Innate Martial Soul Awakening increasingly scarce.
Although Innate Martial Soul Awakening did not necessarily mean the talent was stronger than Innate full Soul Power and twin spirits, Castorice's talent was undoubtedly superior to Innate full Soul Power and twin spirits.
If a comparison had to be made, it would at least need to be compared with a God-Bestowed Martial Soul.
Although she did not possess the Innate level twenty Soul Power of a God-Bestowed Martial Soul, the essence was the same, or even higher.
After all, whether it was Regent of Death Ronova or the Demigod of Death Castorice, both were qualified to be called Divinity in this World.
"Fei Yan."
Ye Xishui spoke again.
A petite figure flashed like a red shadow; it was Scarlet Douluo Fei Yan from before. She knelt on one knee and respectfully said:
"Your subordinate is here, please give your command, Supreme Cult Master."
"Starting today, you will serve as the protector of the Death Saintess."
Ye Xishui's voice carried a hint of cold killing intent.
"If the Holy Maiden suffers any mishap, you will bring me your head."
Fei Yan's delicate body trembled slightly, and she immediately responded without hesitation:
"Your subordinate swears upon her Soul, as long as Fei Yan draws breath, she will never allow anyone to harm the Holy Maiden in the slightest. Anyone who wishes to harm the Holy Maiden must first step over my corpse."
She raised her head, her gaze toward Castorice complex and hard to decipher.
Just a short while ago, she had considered taking this child as her apprentice, but in the blink of an eye, she had become her protector.
This change in identity inevitably made her feel awkward and absurd.
But having personally experienced the terrifying power of death that killed upon contact, she understood better than anyone the dreadful potential contained within this Death Saintess.
As long as Castorice did not perish prematurely, her future achievements might even surpass Ye Xishui and the Supreme Enshrined Long Xiaoyao, making her a true pillar of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Thinking of this, the awkwardness in Fei Yan's heart was quickly replaced by fervor.
She had been stuck at Rank ninety-seven for far too long, seeing almost no hope of a Breakthrough.
If she could protect this Death Saintess until she matured, as the protector who aided her rise, she might truly gain a sliver of Opportunity, Break through her shackles, and step into a higher Realm.
Although she looked like a tender loli on the outside, her actual age was already considerable, and her desire for power far exceeded that of ordinary people.
"Very good."
Ye Xishui seemed quite satisfied with Fei Yan's attitude. She looked back at Castorice, her tone softening.
"Die'er, Fei Yan will protect your safety from now on. If you have any questions about Cultivating, you can ask her, or come directly to find me, your Master."
Castorice nodded obediently, her purple eyes lowered, concealing all her thoughts, and she respectfully bowed to Ye Xishui:
"Yes, Master, this Disciple understands."
She knew that from this moment on, she had truly stepped into the darkest center of the vortex on the Douluo Continent.
Death Saintess... this title was both a protective talisman and a death warrant.
She had to walk carefully on the edge of a blade, utilizing every available resource to quickly strengthen herself.
For survival, and for her true form.
Inside the exquisite courtyard, a pool of clear water reflected the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds, and several brightly colored carp leisurely swayed their tails in the water.
Caelus stood by the pond, mechanically scattering the fish food in his hand into the water bit by bit, watching the fish rush to peck at it, creating ripples.
His gaze seemed focused, but in reality, it had drifted far away.
Castorice becoming Ye Xishui's Disciple and the Death Saintess of the Holy Spirit Cult had temporarily secured a relatively safe foothold.
This result allowed his taut nerves to relax slightly.
Becoming an Evil Soul Master was naturally not what he wished for. Stepping into such a filthy and dark place would immediately brand him, making it difficult to clear his name. He was not Ma Xiaotao or Tang Ya, who had the endorsement of Shrek Academy behind them.
But in the face of life and death, he had no choice.
For survival, and to obtain the power sufficient to leverage destiny, he could resort to any means, even borrowing the power of darkness.
"A person can only achieve true 'peace of mind' when he surpasses his own fears and stands above all living beings..."
In Caelus's mind, the "peace of mind theory" of a certain blond vampire inevitably surfaced.
Although it sounded somewhat paranoid, he deeply agreed with it.
In his previous life, working like a dog, he was called back to work overtime by his boss even during the National Day holiday. He had long tasted and hated the feeling of being helpless and having his fate controlled by others.
Having finally come to this Spirit Master World possessing extraordinary power and holding the key to becoming stronger, how could he be content with mediocrity again? How could he tolerate his fate being dominated by others?
The essence of this World, stripping away all gentle pretenses, was still naked survival of the fittest.
Moreover, this era harbored too many crises and injustices.
In the God Realm, the God King Tang San illegally intervened, viewing the Lower Realm as a chessboard.
On the Continent, a cheat favored by Luck was about to rise, and what was even more despairing was that the traditional path to becoming a god—the God Position Legacy—was virtually cut off.