Lin Xiao had wandered on the edge of life and death, yet the Holy Spirit Church seemed unchanged, still the same as before.
Various sounds echoed from all directions, occasionally mixed with a few screams that drew no attention, as if they were commonplace.
Lin Xiao slightly lowered his head, his expression completely hidden beneath his cloak. He felt his senses had sharpened considerably, the voices of the wronged souls in his ears now clearer than ever.
"Leader."
Upon hearing this, Zhongli Wu looked up at Nightmare Douluo before shifting his gaze to Lin Xiao.
"It succeeded? How was the result?"
Nightmare Douluo lowered his voice slightly. "The Spirit Ascension process wasn't entirely smooth, but the outcome is good—five ten-thousand-year soul rings."
Zhongli Wu abruptly sat up straight, his gaze toward Lin Xiao shifting. Even in the Holy Spirit Church, where methods existed to enhance soul ring lifespans, possessing five ten-thousand-year soul rings at this level of cultivation was an exceedingly rare feat.
Aside from the use of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast as a sacrifice, it also had much to do with Lin Xiao himself.
Noticing Zhongli Wu's changing expression, Nightmare Douluo felt a faint unease and softly prompted, "Leader?"
"Never mind." Zhongli Wu sighed and leaned back. "Rest assured, the church won't take your disciple from you. If he achieves great things in the future, the church will credit you as well."
"Thank you, Leader." Nightmare Douluo's expression visibly relaxed.
Zhongli Wu shook his head. "Although the church will provide you with resources, if you don't strive to progress further, your cultivation will likely stagnate."
"Leader, you know as well as I do that at my level, every step forward carries significant risks. Ordinary people are of little use to me now; only soul masters can barely suffice, and such opportunities are rare."
"Hmph." Zhongli Wu let out a cold snort and said no more. He was well aware of the mindset of these evil soul masters. If they truly had the resolve to cultivate through their own strength, they wouldn't have fallen to becoming evil soul masters in the first place.
"Alright, he's just completed the Spirit Ascension Ceremony and won't recover his original state anytime soon. Let him rest within the church for a while."
Nightmare Douluo glanced uneasily at Lin Xiao twice before reluctantly nodding in agreement.
"Hm." Zhongli Wu nodded, then, as if recalling something, added, "I recall your disciple's martial soul is related to death?"
"Exactly."
"Then it's perfect. In a couple of days, have him accompany me on a trip."
"Where is the Leader going?"
Nightmare Douluo's expression shifted slightly. Although Zhongli Wu had said he wouldn't take Lin Xiao from him, judging by the current situation, it was clear the church was already intentionally grooming Lin Xiao. In the future, matters concerning Lin Xiao might no longer be his sole decision.
"Naturally, to a place where he can improve his cultivation. When it comes to death, how can the minor affairs within the church compare to war?"
War?
Nightmare Douluo understood. "The Leader is going to the front lines?"
"Correct. This Xu Jing is different from the previous Xu Chang. Since ascending the throne, he's placed great emphasis on military matters. This time, it's Xu Tianran, as the crown prince, heading to the Star Luo front lines to rally the generals. I suspect the ambitions of this father and son duo are not small."
"Especially Xu Tianran, who's been actively recruiting powerful figures and nobles from all over. Not just me, but even Mingde Hall's Master, Jing Hongchen, is involved," Zhongli Wu said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But the crown prince and the imperial family aren't entirely the same…"
"Leader, what do you mean?"
"Since he's personally invited me, I'll go with him. It's true that our Holy Church cooperates with the imperial family, but if Xu Tianran wants us to serve him, he'll need to prove his worth. After all, our Holy Church only seeks a place to cultivate."
As an elder of the Holy Spirit Church, Nightmare Douluo was not kept in the dark about Zhongli Wu's plans. As for Lin Xiao, having undergone the Spirit Ascension Ceremony, there was no need to hide too much from him either.
Lin Xiao stood silently behind Nightmare Douluo, not saying a word. It was a case of fortune and misfortune intertwined—before this, he likely wouldn't have had the chance to hear so much from Zhongli Wu.
Seeing that Zhongli Wu had stopped speaking, Nightmare Douluo led him toward the deeper corridors.
"Lin Xiao?"
The corridors were lined with stone chambers, the resting places for the Holy Spirit Church's disciples. As Lin Xiao followed Nightmare Douluo's brisk pace, a soft voice called out.
Lin Xiao paused and turned to look behind him, while Nightmare Douluo also glanced over.
"It's really you?"
The speaker was a girl around Lin Xiao's age, her clothes somewhat disheveled. Upon seeing Lin Xiao turn, she seemed to realize something and hurriedly adjusted her attire.
Looking at the person before him, Lin Xiao remained silent, and the corridor fell quiet for a moment.
The faint smile on the girl's face vanished instantly, her expression growing increasingly forlorn. She opened her mouth but said nothing.
Just as she was about to leave, a stone chamber nearby suddenly opened. Two Holy Spirit Church disciples stepped out, followed by another person who looked identical to the girl, poking her head out.
"Wu Yu, you can come in now."
"Sister." Wu Yu snapped back to her senses, her gaze leaving Lin Xiao as she walked to the side.
Lin Xiao followed Wu Yu's direction and looked into the stone chamber. The person inside was none other than her twin sister, Wu Yun.
The moment the door opened, a faint scent wafted out. Without needing to look closely, Lin Xiao knew what had just happened inside.
A thin veil barely covered Wu Yun's body, but there was little shame on her face. Upon seeing Lin Xiao, she merely bowed slightly toward him.
Lin Xiao nodded in return, then turned away, no longer looking at them.
"Sister, you…"
"It's fine." Wu Yun shook her head, her gaze lingering on the direction Lin Xiao had gone.
"I remember those twin sisters were the ones you rescued from Rising Sun City, right?"
Lin Xiao naturally remembered the two. Their parents had passed away early, and they never had the chance to awaken their martial souls. It wasn't until they were captured and subjected to torment that they awakened their Vengeance Soul martial souls in resentment.
He didn't know how the Holy Spirit Church had learned of their existence, but it was they who had tasked him with bringing the sisters back to the church.
It couldn't really be called "rescuing." Lin Xiao wasn't sure whether bringing them from Rising Sun City to this place was saving them or merely transferring them from one den of demons to another.
Seeing that Lin Xiao remained silent, Nightmare Douluo didn't press further. After all, having just undergone the Spirit Ascension Ceremony and offering his soul to the Holy Emperor, it was normal for one's spirit and memories to experience some gaps or confusion. Things would improve with time.
"This is it." Nightmare Douluo stopped. "You heard what the Leader said. In a few days, you'll follow him to the front lines. There are casualties there every day—an invaluable opportunity for your cultivation."