The Sun Moon Empire's flag fluttered in the wind, ornate soul tool armor encasing the soldiers, its intricate sun and moon patterns proclaiming their identity as imperial guards.
This unexpected development forced the Holy Spirit Cult to retreat, as these disciples lacked the strength to confront the imperial guards head-on.
The guards didn't pursue deeply, seemingly just passing by to assess the situation.
Back at the branch altar, the elders had yet to return, but Lin Xiao didn't believe they were facing difficulties with Shangguan Wei'er.
In his memories, the underground forces of Mingdu would later split into three factions: the Duskwater Alliance, led by the Holy Spirit Cult; the Ordinary Alliance; and the Alto Chamber of Commerce. The Duskwater Alliance's close ties with the imperial family suggested that the appearance of the imperial guards tonight might be related to this.
As for the outcome, it wasn't something Lin Xiao needed to concern himself with. After leaving the branch altar, he returned directly to the Sun Moon Imperial Academy.
With some time left before dawn, he didn't delay. Sitting cross-legged on his dormitory bed, he entered meditation.
The lingering scent of blood from earlier seemed to cling to his nose, and the scene faintly replayed before his eyes. His soul power surged within him.
The surroundings were quiet, but Lin Xiao frowned slightly. It was as if he were no longer in the calm dormitory but trapped in a prison.
Dim purple light surrounded him, and he could vaguely make out a dozen figures, around his age, confined with him.
Lin Xiao wore only a simple outfit, holding a common dagger—barely a weapon.
"Clang—"
Before he could fully adjust, a gust of wind came from behind. Instinctively, he raised the dagger to block, and a crisp sound rang out.
Turning swiftly, Lin Xiao saw five gleaming claws raking his dagger, a chilling smile on a face inches from his own.
"Crack—"
How could an ordinary dagger withstand the force of two soul masters clashing? It snapped in two. On the other side, five streaks of cold light descended toward Lin Xiao's throat.
He had never felt death so close. Nightmare Douluo's voice echoed in his ears once more.
"With your martial soul, there's likely no better training ground than this. Whether you become nourishment for others or absorb enough nutrients here depends on your choice."
There was no room for mercy here.
Lin Xiao snapped back to reality, raising his left arm. The next moment, five sharp blades pierced into his flesh, a searing pain flooding his mind. He could feel his life draining away with his blood.
But this block gave his opponent a moment's pause. Lin Xiao raised his right hand, and dark red light sank completely into the figure before him.
His soul ring lit up, and countless vines sprouted from his opponent's body, the pungent smell of blood filling his nostrils. Without pause, Lin Xiao turned toward his next target.
As his soul power surged, witnessing death after death, the eerie flower meant to bloom on the boundary of life and death grew even more vivid…
Past memories surfaced, and Lin Xiao's soul power paused for a moment before surging through his meridians with even greater force.
Something seemed to break in the void, and his soul power level rose once again.
Slowly opening his eyes, Lin Xiao's gaze still held traces of those past shadows. Raising his right hand, the Higanbana flower in his palm was a vivid, dripping red.
This was the way of evil soul masters. Beyond meditating like other soul masters, they always had unconventional methods to boost their strength.
From childhood to now, Lin Xiao had witnessed countless deaths, and each time, his soul power gained some degree of enhancement. Perhaps it was because his martial soul was inherently tied to witnessing death.
Hadn't it been less than two months since his last soul power level increase?
The soul bone from the Gold Devouring Beast had likely laid the foundation for this breakthrough. Otherwise, even with tonight's events as a catalyst, he couldn't have raised his soul power by a full level in under two months.
What kind of person was he in his past life? Perhaps a bit cowardly. But now, he had grown accustomed to living alongside death.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Lin Xiao's face. The bright light dispelled the thoughts lingering in his heart.
His newly broken-through soul power gradually stabilized. Lin Xiao rose from the bed, pushed open the door, and stepped out.
Though it was just dawn, the soul tool testing area of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy was already bustling. The roar of soul tools filled the air, and figures darted back and forth on the arenas.
Lin Xiao scanned the area, his gaze suddenly settling on a nearby arena.
Found him.
As he approached, the figure on the arena became clearer.
The person appeared only slightly older than him, with long black hair tied simply behind his head. His plain clothes contrasted with his strikingly handsome features, exuding a unique aura.
Ever since Lin Xiao failed to independently figure out how to combine mental power with soul power, he had been searching for this person's whereabouts. He wanted to know what he had been missing or whether he had been on the wrong path from the start.
As if sensing Lin Xiao's presence, the person on the arena opened his eyes and slowly looked in his direction.
"Hello, I'm Lin Xiao."
"Ji Juechen."
As expected, searching near the arenas always led to finding him.
Lin Xiao smiled and took two steps forward, but Ji Juechen frowned slightly. "You… have a strong killing intent."
Killing intent?
The phrase made Lin Xiao pause mid-step, looking up at Ji Juechen on the arena.
He wasn't sure if what Ji Juechen referred to was the same thing he was thinking of, but if killing intent truly existed in this world, he likely carried more than his fair share.
"It's none of my concern, and you're not the one I'm waiting for," Ji Juechen said calmly, without a trace of emotion. "But if you want to challenge me, I won't refuse."
"It's not about a challenge." Lin Xiao suppressed his curiosity about "killing intent" and shook his head. "I just want to test your sword."
"Come up." Ji Juechen glanced at him before slowly withdrawing his gaze. Though he made no other movements, his aura began to shift, like a sword gradually unsheathing, its sharp edge stinging Lin Xiao's skin.
Worthy of the title "Sword Maniac."
Lin Xiao's smile faded, his expression turning serious. Compared to the vivid figure before him, the textual descriptions from his past-life memories failed to capture Ji Juechen's presence.
Pure, sharp, cold… both man and sword, the closer Lin Xiao got, the more he felt that invisible edge.
Having encountered many people, this was the first time Lin Xiao began to question whether he was facing a true human.