Though curious about the specifics of the Spirit Ascension Ceremony, Lin Xiao didn't rush to search for the Sixth Holy Servant. It wasn't until the rest day at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy that his figure appeared outside Mingdu City.
A pair of folded wings slowly unfurled behind him. With two beams of white light shooting out from his flight soul tool, Lin Xiao's body swiftly ascended into the air.
Aside from practicing at the academy, this was his first time flying in such a manner.
Mingdu City gradually shrank behind him, and with a sweeping glance, he could almost see the entire city. The sound of wind roared in his ears, and the scenery below sped by rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the people entering and leaving Mingdu became mere specks.
Feeling the exhilaration of flight, Lin Xiao didn't forget the purpose of his trip. He raised his right hand, and as the Higanbana flower bloomed, a translucent shadow emerged alongside it.
It was a face Lin Xiao wasn't unfamiliar with—the Sixth Holy Servant, whom he had met once before.
However, the soul he had extracted from the Holy Flag was incomplete. The translucent face bore little expression, only occasionally struggling instinctively.
What exactly was a soul?
Even with a martial soul like the Higanbana, Lin Xiao couldn't answer this question at the moment.
In this world, souls could not only be seen but also possessed a certain power, even capable of being manipulated or controlled by others.
Yet, even within the Holy Spirit Cult, which delved deeply into soul research, no one could clearly explain where souls came from.
"Urgh—"
The residual soul let out a meaningless groan, a trace of pain flashing across its face.
Lin Xiao looked into the distance. Though he didn't know the true nature of souls, they undoubtedly held an extraordinarily unique power. In that direction, he sensed a faint force calling to the residual soul in his hand.
"Mommy, what are you looking at?"
In a small courtyard, the simple decorations were no different from those of the surrounding households, except for the neatly arranged flowers and plants that hinted at the owner's refined taste.
A young woman sat at the courtyard's entrance, staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought.
From behind, an eight- or nine-year-old girl hopped over and wrapped her arms around the woman's neck.
"Nana, stop messing around."
The woman snapped out of her reverie, smiling as she turned and scooped the girl into her arms.
"Hehe!" Clear, crisp laughter rang out at the courtyard entrance. "Mommy, you're not leaving this time, right?"
At those words, the woman's hand, playfully teasing her daughter, froze. The smile on her face dimmed slightly.
"Yes, I'm not leaving." Looking into her daughter's expectant eyes, she managed a reluctant nod. "By the way, Nana, where's Daddy?"
"Daddy's inside brewing medicine." Nana glanced toward a room off to the side of the courtyard. "Daddy says soul masters work hard every day, and Mommy has so many injuries that haven't been treated."
The woman also looked toward the room, her expression growing even more forlorn. Though her husband wasn't a soul master, he came from a noble family and had keen insight. He had likely already realized that her injuries came from fighting other soul masters.
She was, after all, an ill-fated person…
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Nana seemed to sense something and looked up at her.
"I'm fine—" The woman smiled, patting Nana's head, but her movements suddenly paused. "Nana, go to Daddy for now, okay? Mommy just remembered something I need to do. I'll come find you both later."
"Okay." Nana nodded obediently, then turned back after a few steps. "Mommy, you have to come back, okay?"
"I will. Now go to Daddy." The woman finished speaking and, without waiting for Nana's response, turned and darted toward the distance.
Not far away was a small forest. The woman's figure weaved swiftly through the trees. Small animals caught only a fleeting glimpse of a shadow before it vanished into the distance, too quick for them to react.
Yet, no matter how fast she moved, she couldn't shake the growing sense of suffocation closing in on her. Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt her soul trembling, as if bound by an invisible cage.
Her legs grew heavier, and before she could escape the forest, she could barely lift her feet. Glancing around, she finally stopped.
"Number Six?"
A somewhat muffled voice came from behind. The woman turned and froze upon seeing the figure before her.
She recognized that mask. That night, the Eighth Elder had personally introduced this person to them.
Though only a Holy Servant, she knew some things about the Holy Spirit Cult. Unlike the Holy Spirits and Holy Servants, Holy Envoys varied in cultivation but were, without exception, representatives of the elders, even potential future elders.
Aside from occasionally fighting like the Holy Spirits and Servants, their primary role was to eliminate heretics for the cult.
Had she been deemed a heretic by the Holy Spirit Cult for leaving without permission?
On the other side, Lin Xiao was also observing the Sixth Holy Servant.
Following the direction he had confirmed earlier, Lin Xiao had flown to this village. It wasn't too far from Mingdu, and the village had a fair number of households. Just as he released the residual soul again to confirm her identity, the Sixth Holy Servant seemed to sense something and suddenly fled.
Her movement was what led Lin Xiao to notice the unassuming courtyard.
A familiar name and a seemingly familiar experience prompted Lin Xiao to reassess the Sixth Holy Servant before him. Compared to when he had seen her in the Holy Spirit Cult, though her soul remained incomplete, her movements and behavior were now nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary person's.
What kind of power had caused such a change, or was there some flaw in the Spirit Ascension Ceremony itself?
For a moment, the Sixth Holy Servant before him piqued his curiosity even more.
"Can you… let me go?"
Despite knowing the odds were slim, the Sixth Holy Servant spoke in a low voice.
If she were alone, she wouldn't fear death. But her heart still held attachments—people she deeply loved. She wanted to fulfill the promises she had made with her beloved, to watch her child grow up day by day.
"Because of your husband and child?"
The Sixth Holy Servant's head snapped up, her fists clenching tightly, her eyes flickering as if she were preparing for something.
"Don't think about fighting. Your Ghost martial soul poses no threat to me. Besides, the other half of your soul is still in my hands."
Lin Xiao raised his hand, and a translucent shadow appeared in his palm, surrounded by swirling petals that imprisoned it like a cage.
"I… I've never revealed my identity or anything about the cult. They know nothing about my affairs. I'm willing to dedicate myself to the cult. Can you… can you…"
The Sixth Holy Servant's hands trembled uncontrollably, and she lowered her head as if all her strength had drained away, muttering words even she knew were impossible.