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*****
"Congratulations to the Holy Maiden on achieving the realm of Titled Douluo!"
In a dense forest shrouded in poisonous mist, a group of evil soul masters in black robes knelt in unison before a woman enveloped in evil flames.
The woman's eyes were jet black, and around her were nine soul rings, including two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red. The ninth, a 100,000-year-old soul ring, emitted a deep crimson glow.
"Thank you, Chief, for your support."
Ma Xiaotao bowed to Zhongli Wu, the leader of the Holy Spirit Sect, who had personally helped her obtain the ninth soul ring by slaying a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
The colossal corpse of the soul beast lay silently nearby.
Zhongli Wu responded with a calm look, his eyes hinting at a deeper meaning.
With the Holy Spirit Sect's resources, it wasn't difficult to obtain a 100,000-year-old soul ring for Ma Xiaotao. The reason he personally intervened was to ensure everything went perfectly.
"The Grand Elder wants to see you."
Suddenly, Zhongli Wu spoke, catching Ma Xiaotao off guard. She quickly nodded in acknowledgment.
"Don't resist," Zhongli Wu said as he waved his sleeve. A surge of terrifying soul power enveloped Ma Xiaotao, carrying her swiftly into the distant sky.
In no time, Zhongli Wu brought Ma Xiaotao to a secluded and desolate area within the Holy Spirit Sect's territory. The place was enveloped in dark mist, with a pervasive purple hue and a foul stench of blood and decay. A lone ancient castle stood beneath a gnarled, rotting tree.
Zhongli Wu arrived at the castle's entrance. The massive doors opened slowly, and ghostly blue flames lit up the previously dark hall.
"Mother, I've brought her," Zhongli Wu said, his voice tinged with nervousness. His gaze focused on an ancient stone chair in the center of the hall, where a white-haired woman in a black robe sat.
Despite her youthful appearance, the woman exuded a dense aura of death and an overwhelming Titled Douluo presence, hinting at her true age.
This woman was none other than Ye Xishui, the former leader of the Holy Spirit Sect and the current Grand Elder.
"Ma Xiaotao greets the Grand Elder," Ma Xiaotao said as she knelt on one knee, showing a rare expression of reverence and respect.
"Ma Xiaotao, come closer," Ye Xishui said. Her usually stoic expression revealed a hint of something different.
Ma Xiaotao moved closer to Ye Xishui, who took her right hand and channeled a surge of pure soul power into her.
With a sudden burst, Ma Xiaotao felt an internal shock as the pure soul power merged with hers, eliminating any hidden dangers from her rapid advancement to the Titled Douluo level.
"To reach the Titled Douluo level before twenty is remarkable. You are the most talented soul master our Holy Spirit Sect has seen in centuries. Don't let the cult's support go to waste," Ye Xishui said with a hint of seriousness.
"The Holy Spirit Sect's kindness will never be forgotten," Ma Xiaotao replied, her voice filled with gratitude. Initially, it would have taken her three to five years to stabilize her soul power after such a rapid advancement.
But with Ye Xishui's intervention, it only took a few breaths to stabilize her soul power. This level of assistance was far beyond what Shrek Academy could offer.
The Evil Fire Phoenix was truly formidable because of the evil fire it wielded. Yet suppressing that fire had been a constant struggle, binding Ma Xiaotao's potential.
If only she had unleashed the evil fire earlier, she might have reached new heights and embraced the allure of the evil soul masters much sooner.
Ma Xiaotao regretted not joining the Holy Spirit Sect earlier.
However, she didn't realize that her current perspective was entirely due to the Sect's brainwashing.
Beneath the grand hall, Zhongli Wu witnessed the entire scene, his eyes briefly glinting with intrigue.
"Mother truly values Ma Xiaotao," he thought to himself. Although he knew Ye Xishui had a keen interest in Ma Xiaotao, he hadn't expected his mother to personally stabilize her unstable foundation.
After further inquiries, Ye Xishui continued speaking with Ma Xiaotao for another quarter of an hour. Once the conversation ended, Zhongli Wu led Ma Xiaotao out of the ancient castle.
As soon as they left, a burly middle-aged man emerged from the shadows of the dimly lit hall.
"You hold her in high regard," he said, his voice filled with the aura of a Titled Douluo. His gaze followed the direction in which Ma Xiaotao had departed.
"She's more capable than I am," Ye Xishui replied before closing her eyes. The kindness in her expression vanished, replaced with cold indifference.
"Sigh," the man sighed quietly. As the Holy Spirit Sect's chief enforcer, he could tell that Ye Xishui intended to groom Ma Xiaotao as her successor.
The young woman's talent was striking, and her personality had become as ruthless as Ye Xishui's, thanks to the Sect's brainwashing. She was the ideal candidate to lead the cult into another three hundred years of dominance.
"Let it be," he said, shaking his head. Having chosen to stay in Ye Xishui's service, he wasn't about to meddle in other matters.
...
Over a month had passed, and Shui Wuya and his group had been resting in the Ice Phoenix Valley. Originally, Shui Wuyah's goal was to recover his mental strength while waiting for the Ice Phoenix to appear. However, even after fully regaining his mental strength, there was still no sign of the Ice Phoenix.
"We've searched across hundreds of kilometers, but there's no trace of the Ice Phoenix," said Shui Yuanchen, who descended from the sky to join Shui Wuyah. He wore a black robe adorned with golden patterns.
Throughout this period, while Shui Wuyah had been recovering his mental strength in the Ice Phoenix Valley, Shui Yuanchen had been out searching for the Ice Phoenix.
Shui Wuya frowned. When his soul had temporarily possessed Shui Bing'er, he had warned her to ensure that the Ice Phoenix didn't leave the Ice Phoenix Valley easily.
It seemed that the reason the Ice Phoenix wasn't in Ice Phoenix Valley was likely due to some unforeseen event.
"We can't keep waiting to get a soul ring," Shui Yuanchen said with a serious expression. "The Sun and Moon Empire has a nearly 800,000-year-old soul beast, the Evil-Eye Tyrant Dominator, which could serve as your seventh soul ring."
"Agreed," Shui Wuya replied without hesitation. Normally, he wouldn't consider taking on the Evil-Eye Tyrant Dominator, but with Shui Yuanchen, a top-level expert, by his side, even an encounter with Di tian wouldn't faze him much.
"It's a shame about the Ice Phoenix," Shui Yuanchen sighed, clearly disheartened by their inability to find it. "It would have been the perfect match for your martial soul's attributes."
"Don't worry, Uncle," Shui Wuya said with a laugh. "Let's set off in half an hour."
Shui Yuanchen, still feeling uneasy, took to the sky again, releasing his mental strength to conduct a final sweep of Ice Phoenix Valley.
Meanwhile, Shui Wuya took advantage of the moment to secretly use his soul possession ability. With a soft chime in his mind, his consciousness traveled back to the snowy plains of ten thousand years ago.
"Ancestor, has the Snow Emperor caught up with you?" Shui Wuya's voice echoed in Shui Bing'er's mind as he extended his mental strength in all directions.
"No, we've been safe for over a month," she replied, relieved to hear Shui Wuya's voice. It brought her a sense of security. A month ago, Shui Wuya had unleashed the mental strength of a million-year-old soul beast, allowing them to escape from the Snow Emperor's grasp, leaving a lasting impression on her.
"Given the journey we've taken over the past month, we should be very close to the northernmost point," Shui Wuya explained. His mental strength had not detected any formidable soul beasts within their vicinity.
This meant Shui Bing'er's group was safe for the time being.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," she said, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Shui Wuya fell silent, but he, too, was curious about what might be found at the northernmost point. What mysteries could be waiting there?
(End of Chapter)