A New Beginning

At the Mo family residence, the Young Miss had apparently decided to follow Mo Hei Shen Zai and study the Soul Force of Jia Meng.

Unfortunately, once Jia Meng began researching the Soul Force boundary, she became so engrossed that she forgot the passage of time. The people from the intermarried families were also unwilling to let their guard down.

Therefore, Xia Bu took the initiative and assumed responsibility for protecting the Young Miss.

He quietly accompanied her, using his powerful Soul Force to create a barrier around her and establishing a soundproof screen around them.

Once, when Jia Meng happened to have some free time, she specifically went to Xia Bu's residence to pay him a visit.

Just as she arrived, Xia Bu happened to be coaxing the Young Miss to sleep. Jia Meng could not help laughing as she said:

"Ever since you started researching the Soul Force with her, you've been teaching more and more children. Xia Bu, I never expected you to be such a patient teacher."

His expression was solemn, and he nodded gravely. He had no comment to make; he was simply wishing Xia Bu and the Young Miss well.

The sunset bathed Xia Bu and the Young Miss in its glow. Her smile was reflected in the corners of his eyes, making the whole scene seem beautiful and peaceful.

Beneath that smile, Jia Meng knew exactly where she stood—a man who devoted himself entirely to researching Soul Force, and who was only protecting the Young Miss because Xia Bu was someone he trusted.

As for Xia Bu, he was a man with a warm smile and an open heart. With the Young Miss's father at his side to assist him, the two of them quickly filled the void in the Young Miss's heart.

Xia Bu's gentle radiance was like a ray of sunlight, piercing through the darkness in her heart. The pain she had endured gradually faded, replaced by hope and warmth for the future.

That warm figure, like a bright sun, was deeply imprinted in Xia Bu's heart.

The villagers of that place had been ensnared by fear and terror. They had easily believed the false rumors about the village chief and had consequently committed crimes that could not be forgiven.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Jia Meng had disguised himself as a divine messenger. He had stopped the rampaging monster and thus provided the villagers with a chance at redemption.

Xia Bu had deeply warned him that the people in the surrounding area were already seriously suspicious of Soul Force. Whether it was the religion or the fear that had led them out of the darkness, both could become opportunities for him.

This made Xia Bu form a bold idea—he would use the opportunity to establish a religion and develop his own teachings.

Unfortunately, establishing a religion was not as easy as it sounded.

Moreover, the matter of building the church still required the cooperation of the nobles. Thus, his gaze turned toward the already corrupt and declining Star Church.

He planned to use this as a foundation, carefully reforming the religion, removing its superstitious and backward elements, and adding some knowledge about the Soul Force realm. He would transform it into an entirely new religion that existed to spread science and knowledge.

At this moment, Xia Bu's charisma was displayed to its fullest. He was naturally a leader, possessing a charm that could win over people's hearts.

Every move he made was perfectly measured. He preserved the religion's sense of mystery while also giving it new life and meaning.

The new Star Church rapidly expanded under Xia Bu's leadership, and more and more people began to believe in it.

During this process, Jia Meng silently watched from the side, his heart filled with respect.

He knew that although he possessed exceptional skills, in the realm of human hearts and faith, Xia Bu was the true genius.

Xia Bu chose to step behind the scenes and focus on researching the Soul Force realm, entrusting this sacred mission entirely to Xia Bu. He firmly believed that Xia Bu could lead more people to accept the existence of the Soul Force realm.

Jia Meng had already accomplished this step. From then on, the path ahead would have to be walked by Xia Bu himself.

As for whether he would eventually set foot on that frightening path of corruption, Jia Meng could no longer control it.

Jia Meng knew that he possessed extraordinary wisdom and strength, but he was ultimately still human, not a god.

He had carefully arranged the fate of every role, because they were all living, breathing beings, each with independent thoughts and feelings.

At this moment, the Heavenly Origin had already completed its assimilation with the Star Church, avoiding the tragedy of being transformed into Soul Force.

As for Jia Meng, in order to lure out the hidden enemy, he had deliberately spread rumors about the failure of the Heavenly Origin's assimilation.

He had also carefully fabricated a fake Star Church alliance and sent Mo Hei Shen Zai to infiltrate it, further increasing its credibility.

After Xia Bu's death, if Mei Chu still clung to his "assimilation of all humanity into the Heavenly Origin" theory, the next step would be to force Xia Bu to use that powerful Soul Force technique.

That was because only by mastering this technique could he control the Heavenly Origin that had already been transformed into Soul Force and restore its original function.

However, Xia Bu's current strength had already reached an extremely terrifying level. If Mei Chu wanted to take the technique from him, it would be many times more difficult than reaching the heavens.

Even if Mei Chu had cultivated Soul Force for a thousand years, he might not be able to defeat him easily.

The current Xia Bu, even if he could not defeat Mei Chu, could still escape with ease.

But cautious as Jia Meng was, he naturally would not place all his hopes in a single person's hands.

He had already laid out every contingency plan in his mind to prevent mishaps.

"Huh? This Soul Force of yours is incredibly powerful, and it seems capable of absorbing anything." Jia Meng took a ball of Soul Force from his pocket. Its power was so strong that it had already reached the level of a source of water.

The Soul Force in Jia Meng's hand suddenly lost all ability to resist. It quietly waited for its fate.

Xia Bu received the Soul Force and sensed something wonderful inside it.

He quickly activated his Soul Force technique. The Soul Force was instantly transformed into a black sphere, and the entire process flowed smoothly and naturally. The Soul Force showed no sign of resistance.

"This is the latest Soul Force I created. Its structure is very similar to yours. I want to see whether your technique can absorb it."

Jia Meng explained as he gestured for Xia Bu to complete the next step—swallowing the black sphere.

Xia Bu understood and followed Jia Meng's instructions.

The moment the black sphere slid into his throat, he suddenly felt an unfamiliar power surge through his body.

In an instant, he activated the technique again. To his surprise, after swallowing the sphere, he was completely unharmed and had even expelled it intact.

At this sight, both Jia Meng and Xia Bu revealed satisfied smiles.

He knew that this was not merely the success of a test. It was also an important breakthrough on the unknown road ahead.

"Looks like your technique really does have practical value, doesn't it?" Xia Bu looked at the Soul Force in his hand, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Jia Meng gave a faint smile and explained, "Although this Soul Force can almost ignore ordinary attacks, it has another effect. Once it encounters danger, no matter where I am, I can immediately sense it."

"In that case, the matter is settled." Xia Bu's expression turned solemn.

"It's already become part of your body. Just keep it there. If you ever encounter danger, I'll be able to arrive immediately and handle it for you."

After Jia Meng finished speaking, he turned and prepared to leave. In the depths of his eyes, however, there was a profound darkness.

"I think you need me to collect your remains. It shouldn't take long."

The corners of Xia Bu's mouth lifted. He swallowed the Soul Force into his body, then casually asked him to leave it somewhere. Although the thing seemed to have little practical use, it was still a source of Soul Force. Destroying it would be a pity, so he decided to keep Jia Meng's unexpected gift.