A sound like anguished wailing echoed continuously, and the howls of the Ghost-Faced Owl rang in Lin Xiao's ears once more, as if blades were slicing toward him or the owl's sharp claws were tearing at his soul.
The Higanbana martial soul had unknowingly appeared beside him, its surface now covered with cracks, as if unable to withstand the overwhelming force.
Time dragged on in agony, but Lin Xiao seemed to grow accustomed to the pain, gradually regaining his senses.
His meridians felt as though they were breaking inch by inch, the violent energy surging through his body causing it to swell.
No, something was wrong. If the Ascension Ceremony was merely about splitting a disciple's soul to control them for the Holy Spirit Cult, his body shouldn't be enduring such intense pain. The sensation felt vaguely familiar, as if there was something he hadn't yet realized.
"Hmph—"
A piercing pain struck, forcing a muffled groan from Lin Xiao, interrupting his thoughts.
A sticky sensation enveloped his body, and the surrounding temperature rose, as if the entire blood pool were boiling. Lin Xiao's chest heaved as he forced himself to search his memories for anything related to the Holy Spirit Cult and the Ascension Ceremony.
Even in his past life's memories, there was little mention of the Ascension Ceremony, only that those who underwent it would be controlled by the Holy Spirit Cult.
In his years within the cult, others treated the topic as taboo, never daring to speak of it.
So what set apart those disciples who had undergone the Ascension Ceremony? Aside from their incomplete souls, there was also… also…
"Hmph—"
Another groan escaped him. Unlike before, this pain didn't come from his body but struck directly at his soul. His spiritual sea churned violently, as if his soul were being forcibly torn apart.
His limbs grew numb, his vision darkened, and his consciousness seemed on the verge of leaving his body. Compared to the agony in his soul, the physical pain was now insignificant.
At that moment, a sudden warmth spread from above his head.
Lin Xiao lacked the strength to look up and see what it was, but the closer he got to it, the more the pain in his body began to subside, drawing him irresistibly toward it.
"Come, offer your soul to the Holy Emperor, dedicate everything to the Holy Spirit Cult. This world is a sea of suffering, and only where the holy light shines can you find a moment's warmth," Nightmare Douluo's voice came from somewhere, jolting Lin Xiao awake.
Unknowingly, he was clutching a gray candle in his arms. As its flame flickered, the pain in his body gradually receded.
Lowering his head slightly, he saw another "Lin Xiao" lying in the blood pool below, eyes closed, as if asleep.
He didn't know what had happened in his dazed state, but he knew the body in the blood pool was where he belonged.
However, as he reached out, a sharp sting made him instinctively retract his hand.
Away from the candle's protection, the soul-tearing pain surged back, as if confirming Nightmare Douluo's words—that only in the light's embrace could he escape the torment.
Looking around, beyond the candle's glow was only darkness. Only his body in the blood pool and the increasingly close statue of the Holy Emperor stood out clearly.
The brief respite allowed Lin Xiao to understand what this so-called "Ascension" brainwashing ritual truly was.
No wonder all disciples who underwent the Ascension Ceremony seemed to lose themselves, harboring a fanatical devotion to the Holy Spirit Cult. It wasn't just because part of their soul was taken and controlled by the cult.
It was also because, in this pain beyond endurance, the so-called "Holy Emperor" offered them relief from suffering.
At the edge of mental collapse, the cult instilled in them the idea of dedicating themselves to the Holy Spirit Cult, subtly making them accept this belief as they instinctively sought to escape the pain.
No wonder the Sixth Holy Servant recalled the Ascension Ceremony with such anguish.
Lin Xiao looked at the gray candle in his arms, its flickering light bringing warmth. He glanced around again, but the memory of that excruciating pain left him without the courage to reach out again.
Perhaps he wasn't the first to realize the Ascension Ceremony was a brainwashing ritual, but that pain was something no one wanted to endure again. In the end, they might choose to offer their soul for a moment's peace.
Lin Xiao stood up. The statue of the Holy Emperor drew closer, and from its blurred face, he seemed to see a handsome man opening his arms to shield him. The pleasant chants in his ears made him want to join in.
But—
Lin Xiao took a step forward. The hymns in his ears abruptly turned into the pained groans of residual souls. Agonizing pain assaulted him from all directions, and in an instant, it felt as though his soul was being torn to pieces.
He might not be the first to refuse to offer his soul, and he didn't know what would happen next. He only knew that the body in the blood pool was where he belonged.
"Hm?" By the blood pool, Nightmare Douluo's eyes flickered.
He looked up at the increasingly faint candle floating in midair and let out a soft sigh.
"What a pity. It's rare to take in such an obedient and sensible disciple, one who's been so effective over the years. I didn't expect you to fail at this step."
As he spoke, he stepped closer to the now-boiling blood pool. "With your talent, you could have achieved so much more. Such a shame. Now, I can only…"
Before he could finish, a splash erupted from the blood pool. Lin Xiao's bare body shot into the air, eyes tightly closed, his body covered in glaring red lines resembling blood vessels, with the blood pool's liquid flowing through them.
The Higanbana spun around him, its yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black soul rings flickering intermittently.
"Still alive?" Nightmare Douluo glanced at the candle in the air, his face filled with uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiao, unaware of what was happening outside, felt his consciousness return, accompanied by the resurgence of physical pain.
The swelling sensation made him finally understand where that familiar feeling came from.
When he first absorbed a soul ring, its power had flooded his body, filling his meridians with a force not his own.
Now, that sensation was merely more intense, more violent.