Chapter 8 The Death Saintess.
"Mother."
The man on the throne—Zhongli Wu, the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult—rose and nodded slightly.
The woman in black beside him, Vice Leader Feng Ling, also bowed to Ye Xishui, her gaze involuntarily falling on the little Xia Die, scrutinizing her.
"Wu'er, Ling'er."
Ye Xishui responded calmly, gently pushing Xia Die forward half a step.
"Her name is Xia Die. From this day forward, she is my personally taught disciple, and the new Death Saintess of the Holy Spirit Cult. Her status is second only to me, the Supreme Elder, and the Cult Leader. Seeing the Saintess is like seeing me in person."
Her voice was not loud, but it clearly resonated throughout the entire hall, carrying an unquestionable authority.
The Death Saintess's status was second only to the Supreme Leader, the Supreme Elder, and the Cult Leader.
A series of soft gasps filled the hall. The gazes of all the evil soul masters towards the silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl instantly changed, filled with shock, awe, and various complex calculations.
This meant that this seemingly frail little girl had suddenly risen to become one of the most powerful figures within the Holy Spirit Cult.
Xia Die could feel countless gazes upon her, some inquisitive, some greedy, some wary.
Her mind was clear as still water. The title of "Death Saintess" sounded prestigious, but in this dog-eat-dog world of evil spirit masters, without corresponding strength and value, such a position was nothing but a castle in the air.
Her only reliance was her powerful talent and Ye Xishui's temporary favor.
If her displayed talent didn't match the title of "Death Saintess," Ye Xishui would eventually abandon her, and the other evil spirit masters wouldn't obey her.
Only by demonstrating talent and value could she truly gain a foothold in the Holy Spirit Cult. Fortunately, she had no doubt about the talent of this body.
Awakening a congenital martial soul is even rarer than having full congenital soul power or twin martial souls, especially after the martial soul awakening ceremony, the number of congenital martial soul awakeners is decreasing.
Although a congenital martial soul awakening does not necessarily mean that one's talent is stronger than that of full congenital soul power or twin martial souls, Xia Die's talent is undeniably higher than that of full congenital soul power or twin martial souls.
To make a comparison, one must at least compare her to a divinely bestowed martial soul.
Although she does not have the congenital level 20 soul power of a divinely bestowed martial soul, the essence is the same, or even higher.
After all, both the Death Ruler Ronawa and the Death Demigod Xia Die are qualified to be called gods in this world.
"Fei Yan."
Ye Xishui spoke again.
A petite figure flashed like a red shadow, it was the previous Crimson Douluo Fei Yan, she knelt on one knee and respectfully said:
"Your subordinate is here, please give your orders, Supreme Master."
"From this day forward, you will serve as the protector of the Death Saintess."
Ye Xishui's voice carried a trace of cold killing intent.
"If anything happens to the Holy Maiden, you will pay with your head."
Fei Yan's delicate body trembled slightly, then she replied without hesitation, "I swear on my soul that as long as Fei Yan has a breath left, I will not allow anyone to harm the Holy Maiden in the slightest. Anyone who wants to harm the Holy Maiden will have to step over my dead body first."
She raised her head, her gaze towards Xia Die complex and unfathomable.
Just a short while ago, she was thinking of taking this child as her disciple, but in the blink of an eye, she had become the other's protector.
This change of identity made her feel somewhat awkward and absurd.
But having personally experienced the terrifying power of death that could kill at any moment, she knew better than anyone the terrifying potential contained within this Death Saintess.
As long as Xia Die did not perish prematurely, her future achievements might even surpass Ye Xishui and that Supreme Elder Long Xiaoyao, becoming a true pillar of the Holy Spirit Sect.
Thinking of this, Fei Yan's initial awkwardness was quickly replaced by burning desire.
She had been stuck at level 97 for far too long, with almost no hope of breaking through.
If she could protect this Death Saintess as she grew, as a protector of the dragon's path, she might truly gain a sliver of opportunity to break through her shackles and step into a higher realm.
Don't let her youthful appearance fool you; she's actually quite old, and her thirst for power far surpasses that of ordinary people.
"Very good."
Ye Xishui seemed satisfied with Fei Yan's attitude. She looked at Xia Die again, her tone softening.
"Die'er, Fei Yan will protect your safety from now on. If you have any questions about cultivation, you can ask her, or come directly to your master."
Xia Die nodded obediently, her purple eyes lowered, concealing all her thoughts, and bowed respectfully to Ye Xishui:
"Yes, Master, this disciple understands."
She knew that from this moment on, she had truly stepped into the darkest vortex of the Douluo Continent.
The title "Saintess of Death"... it was both a talisman and a death warrant.
She had to walk cautiously on this razor's edge, utilizing every available resource to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
For survival, and for her true form.
In the exquisite courtyard, a pool of clear water reflected the sky and clouds, several brightly colored carp swaying leisurely in the water.
Yin Chen stood by the pool, mechanically scattering fish food into the water, watching the fish scramble for it, creating ripples.
His gaze seemed focused, but it had already drifted far away.
Xia Die had become Ye Xishui's disciple, becoming the Saintess of Death of the Holy Spirit Cult, temporarily gaining a relatively safe foothold.
This outcome slightly eased his tense nerves.
Becoming an evil soul master was certainly not his wish; stepping into such a filthy and dark place would immediately brand him, making it difficult to clear his name. He wasn't like Ma Xiaotao and Tang Ya, with Shrek Academy backing them.
But faced with life and death, he had no choice.
To survive, to gain the power to sway fate, he would stop at nothing, even resorting to the forces of darkness.
"Only when one transcends their fears and rises above all others can one find true 'peace of mind'..."
The "peace of mind" theory of a certain blond vampire involuntarily surfaced in Yin Chen's mind.
Although it sounded somewhat extreme, he deeply agreed.
In his previous life, as a beast of burden, even during the National Day holiday he was called back to work by his boss. He had tasted enough of that feeling of being powerless, his fate controlled by others, and he hated it all. Having finally arrived in this world of Soul Masters with extraordinary power, holding the key to becoming stronger, how could he be content with mediocrity, how could he tolerate his destiny being controlled by others?
The essence of this world, stripped of all its warm facade, is still the naked survival of the fittest.
Moreover, this era harbors too many crises and injustices.
In the God Realm, there was that God King Tang San who illegally interfered, treating the mortal realm as a chessboard.
On the mainland, a powerful, destined genius is about to rise to prominence. Even more disheartening is the fact that the traditional path to godhood—the inheritance of divine positions—has almost been severed.
(End of Chapter)