After a brief moment of rest, Lin Xiao's mind was flooded with thoughts. The disciples who underwent the Spirit Ascension Ceremony, aside from their incomplete souls, differed most significantly from others in the lifespan of their soul rings.
Among the core disciples of the Holy Spirit Church, not a single one had a first soul ring that was only a hundred years old; at the very least, they possessed purple soul rings. Initially, Lin Xiao had thought the Holy Spirit Church had some secret method to enhance the lifespan of soul rings. But now, reflecting on it, he realized it was all due to this Spirit Ascension Ceremony.
Why did the sixth Holy Servant back then not require a sacrifice, while Nightmare Douluo took him to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts? It was because the sixth Holy Servant's Spirit Ascension Ceremony was incomplete. To be precise, she had only undergone brainwashing, whereas what Lin Xiao was experiencing now was the true Spirit Ascension.
Those ten-thousand-year soul beasts, whether it was the Ghost-Faced Owl or that black cat, upon closer inspection, were all somewhat related to death—or, more accurately, shared similarities with Lin Xiao's martial soul. Another function of the Spirit Ascension Ceremony was to use soul beasts as sacrifices to forcibly increase the lifespan of a soul master's soul rings.
The people of the Holy Spirit Church claimed the Spirit Ascension Ceremony would make disciples immensely powerful, and this was precisely why.
Unfortunately, even though Lin Xiao had figured this out, he no longer had the energy to dwell on matters concerning soul rings.
He was indeed fortunate enough. Although he lost those ten-thousand-year soul beasts, he gained a hundred-thousand-year Ghost-Faced Owl to enhance his soul rings. But he was also profoundly unfortunate. The power of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast surging into his body brought far greater pain than that of a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
Coupled with the constant tearing of his soul, Lin Xiao felt his consciousness slowly fading, his sea of spirit gradually collapsing…
A faint sound of wind roused Lin Xiao. He opened his eyes slightly, finding himself in a place both unfamiliar and familiar.
It was unfamiliar because he had never been here before, yet familiar because the ground around him was covered with his martial soul, Higanbana.
Looking up, he saw a small path faintly visible amidst a sea of flowers.
Instinctively, he began walking along it. One by one, figures started appearing by his side—perhaps former disciples of the Holy Spirit Church, or maybe strangers he had only met once. They accompanied him, moving slowly forward along the path.
The breeze stirred by the hem of his clothes caused the Higanbana on either side to sway gently. They silently watched Lin Xiao pass by, just as he had once silently watched those wisps of remnant souls drift past him.
Until the sound of flowing water reached his ears.
At some point, a small river appeared ahead, its end unknown, flowing ceaselessly. Lin Xiao took a step forward, and the clear water reflected two faces.
"Here…" Lin Xiao's voice carried far in the breeze. "I've sent so many people to the other shore. It seems today, it's my turn."
"No, it's not time yet."
Lin Xiao abruptly raised his head. How could this be an unfamiliar place? This was clearly his sea of spirit. The sea of flowers had vanished, leaving only a desolate wilderness before him. Though it teetered on the verge of collapse, it still held together.
Boom—
Something seemed to crack, making his heart skip a beat. Beneath this wilderness, it felt as though something was breathing.
Boom—
The same sound came again, and Lin Xiao felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. His body trembled violently, and something warm seemed to trickle from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth. In this sea of spirit, the once-calm ground suddenly bulged with small mounds, from which tendrils and leaves began to sprout.
Boom—
At the third sound, Lin Xiao already knew what was coming next…
By the blood pool, Nightmare Douluo's eyes widened. Amid the crimson glow, the first soul ring around Lin Xiao shattered abruptly. Immediately after, a pitch-black soul ring coalesced, taking the place of the first soul ring.
Then came the second, the third, the fourth…
Even the fifth soul ring, which was already at the ten-thousand-year level, grew darker and more profound.
Black, black, black, black, black.
With only the cultivation of a Soul King, and without any increase in soul power level, the five pitch-black soul rings pulsed around Lin Xiao. Even Nightmare Douluo could faintly sense a formidable aura brewing within him.
Nightmare Douluo had seen a ten-thousand-year first soul ring before. The Holy Spirit Church's Supreme Leader, Ye Xishui, had a black first soul ring.
But what was Ye Xishui's cultivation level? Lin Xiao, standing before him, was merely a Soul King. Even with decent physical strength, he should only be able to withstand soul rings of around thirty thousand years at most. How could he endure five ten-thousand-year soul rings? Moreover, because the sacrifice was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, those five soul rings were far beyond the level of ordinary ten-thousand-year soul rings.
Indeed, how could he withstand it?
Perhaps even Lin Xiao himself didn't know. When he realized his soul rings were shattering one after another and something was continuously surging into his body, his only thought was to absorb as much of that power as possible.
He didn't know how much he had absorbed, nor did he know that even his first soul ring had turned black. He only knew he had to do everything he could to increase his strength.
The fear as the Spirit Ascension Ceremony drew near, the powerlessness in the face of a Titled Douluo—he never wanted to experience those feelings again. He had long understood that in this world, strength was the foundation of everything.
As for the pain coursing through his body? He seemed to have grown numb to it.
The liquid in the blood pool was gradually shallowing, yet Lin Xiao's aura grew stronger and stronger. Nightmare Douluo felt a trace of fear and occasionally glanced at the nearly extinguished candle flame.
Though they shared the title of master and disciple, Nightmare Douluo knew his attitude toward Lin Xiao. With the talent Lin Xiao displayed, his status in the church might one day surpass his own. The only thing he could rely on, perhaps, was this.
Time ticked by, second by second. It felt like an eternity had passed, and even Nightmare Douluo began to feel his body stiffen.
At that moment, the candle flame in the air suddenly flared up, then slowly rose to merge with the remnant souls endlessly "praising" the Holy Emperor at the top of the stone chamber.
Nightmare Douluo looked down to see Lin Xiao standing beside the now completely dry blood pool, clad only in a cloak, bowing slightly toward him.
"Teacher."
"Good, good." A smile finally spread across Nightmare Douluo's face as he repeated the word. "Since the ceremony is complete, you are now a true Holy Emissary of our church. I will take you to meet the Leader."
"Yes."
Lin Xiao's expression was cold, his voice flat as he uttered a single word.
Nightmare Douluo wasn't surprised by his demeanor. He took out a token, and as soul power surged, a stone door appeared once again. He stepped through it.
Before leaving the stone chamber, Lin Xiao glanced back slightly at the candle flame suspended above, his ears echoing with the words Dragon Douluo had spoken before entering the chamber.
Even someone as powerful as the Extreme Douluo Dragon Douluo could overlook something by mistake—how much more so for Nightmare Douluo?