With a hint of caution, Lin Xiao opened the door, only to find Shangguan Qing standing outside, someone he hadn't seen in days.
"I saw your fight with Ji Juechen today. You're not injured, are you?" Shangguan Qing's eyes were filled with concern as she looked him up and down.
"No, I'm fine. Thank you," Lin Xiao replied.
"That's good." Shangguan Qing patted her chest, letting out a long sigh of relief. "You probably don't know how formidable that Ji Juechen is. Don't be fooled by the fact that he just recently obtained his fifth soul ring. Many level-six soul mentors and Soul Emperors have already been defeated by him."
Shangguan Qing went on enthusiastically sharing the rumors she had heard, while Lin Xiao simply listened quietly, neither interrupting her nor showing any intention of inviting her inside to sit.
Their acquaintance began because they enrolled at the same time, followed by further conversations due to her appearance, and now this show of concern. For other inexperienced students in the academy, this sequence of events might lead even the densest among them to wonder if this girl had feelings for them.
However, having grown up in the Holy Spirit Cult, Lin Xiao was always wary of those who approached him without clear reason. If the "Shangguan" in front of him was connected to Shangguan Wei'er of the Ordinary Alliance, then with the kind of business the Ordinary Alliance ran, cultivating someone like her would be all too easy.
If, by some one-in-a-million chance, this person genuinely had feelings for him, Lin Xiao could only say he was sorry. His identity didn't allow him to pursue an ordinary, sweet romance like other students.
"It's getting late. A girl like you being here might stir up some gossip," Lin Xiao suddenly said.
"Huh?"
Shangguan Qing seemed to snap out of her thoughts, a blush quickly spreading across her face. "Tch-then I'll head back," she stammered.
Her tone was slightly flustered as she hurriedly took a few steps away. Then, her pace slowed. She glanced back at Lin Xiao once more before quickly running off.
The Ordinary Alliance…
Muttering to himself, Lin Xiao turned and closed the door.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed. Because of his victory over Ji Juechen, Lin Xiao's name had caused quite a stir among the students. But at this moment, the person they kept talking about was already outside Mingdu City.
The withered hand of Nightmare Douluo grabbed Lin Xiao's arm, and they soared into the air.
The wind whistled past his ears. Lin Xiao glanced at Nightmare Douluo. After just a few days, the man's arm seemed even more shriveled.
"Teacher, where are we going?" Lin Xiao asked, channeling his soul power to envelop his body as he spoke to Nightmare Douluo.
Nightmare Douluo was still clad in his cloak, unchanged even in broad daylight.
"Have you ever heard of the Star Dou Great Forest?" he asked.
The Star Dou Great Forest?
The name was all too familiar to Lin Xiao. "Yes, I've heard that the Star Dou Great Forest is the largest gathering place for soul beasts on the Douluo Continent. There's no place in the Sun Moon Continent that can compare to it."
"You're correct. That's exactly where we're headed," Nightmare Douluo said, his cloak shifting slightly as if he noticed Lin Xiao's confusion. "The soul beasts there are not only numerous but also of high quality. I'm taking you there to prepare some things needed for the Ascension Ceremony."
The Ascension Ceremony?
Lin Xiao's heart jolted. According to the Holy Spirit Cult's customs, the Ascension Ceremony was typically considered only for those who had surpassed the sixth soul ring. Although his soul power had improved significantly recently, breaking through to the sixth ring would still take considerable time.
Back when he spoke with the Sixth Holy Servant, Lin Xiao hadn't heard anything about needing to prepare for the Ascension Ceremony in advance. Even if preparations were necessary, there would be plenty of time once he reached the sixth ring. Why was Nightmare Douluo setting out so early?
No, it didn't necessarily require the sixth ring. The Holy Spirit Cult held the Ascension Ceremony to bind talented disciples to the cult permanently, and there wasn't a strict requirement for their cultivation level.
Nightmare Douluo's original plan was likely to wait until Lin Xiao reached the Soul Emperor stage before holding the ceremony. But now, his plans had changed.
Lin Xiao quickly recalled his recent fight with Ji Juechen. He had thought it was merely an opportunity to break the restriction Nightmare Douluo had placed on him. But now, it seemed that the same event had made Nightmare Douluo wary, prompting him to move up the Ascension Ceremony.
Lin Xiao's heart turned cold. Having seen the Sixth Holy Servant, he knew that after the Ascension Ceremony, one's soul would no longer be fully under their own control, and their life would hang in the balance of another's whim.
He had thought he still had time to prepare, perhaps even deliberately slowing his cultivation to delay things. But now, it was imminent. All his previous plans were in vain, decided by a single word from Nightmare Douluo.
"Teacher, what does the Ascension Ceremony involve? What preparations are needed?" Lin Xiao asked, keeping his expression as calm as usual despite the storm of thoughts raging within.
"You don't need to know too much in advance. Just understand that the Ascension Ceremony is a blessing bestowed upon all disciples of the Holy Emperor. After it, your strength will reach unprecedented heights," Nightmare Douluo replied.
Even the usually sinister Nightmare Douluo spoke with a rare fervor when mentioning the Holy Emperor, a tone completely at odds with his usual demeanor.
"I often hear the title of the Holy Emperor, but I've never seen his true appearance," Lin Xiao said, subtly adjusting his tone.
"Don't worry, you will see him," Nightmare Douluo replied without suspicion. "It won't be long now."
Lin Xiao wanted to ask more about this "Holy Emperor" Nightmare Douluo spoke of, but after some thought, he held back.
In Nightmare Douluo's eyes, Lin Xiao wasn't the type to question everything. Pressing further might only arouse suspicion.
The Holy Spirit Cult was never a harmonious sect where teachers and disciples got along amicably. Betrayals between masters and disciples, or disciples fighting each other, were commonplace. Lin Xiao wasn't the first disciple Nightmare Douluo had taken, and the fact that he was still by his side naturally meant he had his own ways of survival.
With the speed of a Titled Douluo, it didn't take long for the two to cross the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Heavenly Soul Empire from an uninhabited area.
The scenery below changed constantly. From this vantage point, the view was entirely different from the Sun Moon Continent.
The Sun Moon Continent was rich in minerals, with most areas being mountainous and giving off a sense of desolation in uninhabited regions. But here, on the original Douluo Continent, all one could see was an endless expanse of green.
Even before reaching the Star Dou Great Forest, they were already surrounded by sprawling forests, with soul beasts occasionally passing through.
Lin Xiao's emotions gradually calmed. Even if this Holy Emperor possessed some supreme power, and all resistance was futile, he had no intention of sitting idly by and awaiting his fate.