Promotion to Soul Douluo

Following a vague sensation, Hals slowly took a step forward.

Boom.

It was as if a thunderous muffled sound suddenly rang out between heaven and earth, yet at the same time, it seemed that no sound had been made at all.

The sky seemed to darken all of a sudden.

The Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring behind Hals flickered with a bloodthirsty, ominous light, but dimmed again in an instant. A Black Mist filled with an indescribable aura quietly emerged from the surface of Hals's body, tainting the air around him.

Though it was Black Mist, it seemed to flow like water as it slowly sank toward the ground. Once it touched the earth, it gradually spread in every direction.

The snowy ground the Black Mist flowed over seemed contaminated, turning a lifeless black.

Because Hals hadn't used much Soul Power, the Black Mist spread less than a hundred meters in every direction before vanishing completely.

What was worth noting, however, was that even after the Black Mist disappeared, the ground it had passed over remained black, radiating an aura of utter lifelessness.

"So that's how it is..."

Hals's voice was hoarse and low, but the flames flickering wildly in his eye sockets showed how unsettled he was.

"The Lost Land... Only the dead and souls can survive there. Living beings have their strength suppressed, while the dead and souls are enhanced... Not bad at all. Heh, heh."

"And..." Hals murmured as he looked at the blackened ground, which showed no signs of fading even after a long time. "Does it last forever, or does it just fade very slowly?"

"If it lasts like this, it could make up for the lack of strength and poor longevity of the souls in my Lantern. Unfortunately, this Soul Ring doesn't do much to enhance me personally. You could even say it barely enhances me at all."

"No, wait." Hals suddenly thought of something. "Does my Martial Soul Avatar count as being in a soul state? If it does, then my combat power will receive a massive boost."

"Forget it. No point thinking about it." The Soul Ring behind him vanished, and the flames on his body gradually died down. After taking one last look at the Dew-Condensing Ice Toad and the Realm of the Dead lying on the ground, he turned and left. "I've been gone too long. My master will be worried..."

At some point, the snow began falling again. Before long, not a trace of Hals's visit remained on the snowfield.

Niya was one of the outstanding members of Spirit Hall's newest Golden Generation. Countless people believed they had the potential to claim the captivating seat of Holy Maiden, and many secretly urged Niya to target Bibi Dong, bring her down, and take her place.

In such an environment, Niya had gradually changed from the earnest, humble little girl she had once been into the sharp-tongued, self-serving, and intensely jealous person she was now.

Niya enjoyed the flattery of her many subordinates and some of the provisional elders. They were only provisional, but that was practically the same as being elders, wasn't it?

But lately, Niya had been having a very hard time. Her subordinates had started obeying her only on the surface. When she asked the provisional elders to handle something, they would agree to her face, then promptly forget all about it. Some had even shut their doors and refused to see her.

At first, Niya had been furious. She had no idea how many things she had smashed in her bedroom. But after this had gone on for a week, she finally began to panic. So she carried a pile of precious tonics to the home of an elder she was on fairly good terms with.

"Who's there?" A low voice came from inside.

"It's me, Elder Yan Yu. Niya." Niya lowered her head and spoke wearily. She raised a hand to tidy her messy hair, trying to make herself look a little less disheveled.

Creak. The door opened a crack. A middle-aged man peered through it, glanced around, then pulled Niya inside.

"Damn it, what are you doing here?" Elder Yan Yu's face was full of irritation. He anxiously tugged at what little beard he had left and glared angrily at Niya.

Niya was a little surprised by Elder Yan Yu's expression, but she didn't think much of it. Instead, she poured out all her grievances to him.

"Wait, wait." Yan Yu interrupted her complaints, his face furious. "You went to knock on their doors, and none of them would open up or speak to you?"

Niya stared at him in bewilderment, her mouth slightly agape. "Y-yes."

Smack!

Elder Yan Yu slammed his hand on the table. "They're already dead, damn it! They're dead!!!"

"Wait, dead?!" Niya looked utterly incredulous.

"Yes, and it was all because of you! Because of you!!"

"N-no, Elder Yan Yu, you must have misunderstood." Niya forced a smile as she looked at him.

"No, I haven't misunderstood. This is because of you." Yan Yu angrily thrust a finger toward her. "You—you discussed a plan with them to force the Holy Maiden out of her position, didn't you?!"

"Y-yes. So what?" Niya shrank back, sensing that something was wrong.

"Yes, they're dead. They were killed because they conspired with you to harm the Holy Maiden. That lackey of hers, Hals, took them out. No one knows how they died. They never even left Spirit Hall."

"That's impossible. I—I heard of Hals, but isn't he only a Soul Emperor? How could he be so strong? Could he really kill a Spirit Saint?"

"Strong? Is that all you think he is?" Yan Yu drew back his finger and slumped into a chair. "He was already a Spirit Saint then, but he took out three Spirit Saints and an eighty-fifth-level Soul Douluo. He killed them without a sound! And he was only twenty-one. Can you understand that? A twenty-one-year-old Spirit Saint is bound to become a Titled Douluo, unless something goes wrong. He might even have a chance to reach that legendary realm, Limit Douluo."

Niya was speechless. With an enemy this powerful, what could she do?

Damn it, why is it like this? What right does she have to such a powerful servant? Why don't I have one? Damn it, damn it, damn it!

"But that's not the most terrifying part. After word got out that four Soul Masters had died, someone suspected Hals was responsible. But when that person went to see the Pope, His Holiness said nothing and showed no reaction. He simply waved a hand and dismissed him."

Niya's body trembled uncontrollably. It was a sign of sheer terror.

"What do we do, Elder? What are we supposed to do?" Niya murmured, her eyes vacant.

Yan Yu didn't answer. He simply lowered his head and pondered.

After a long while, Yan Yu finally raised his head and spoke firmly. "Strike first! Once you become the Holy Maiden, you'll be Spirit Hall's highest-priority candidate for cultivation. By then, there'll naturally be Titled Douluo-level experts to deal with this problem for you."

"Strike first..." A trace of resentment showed in Niya's eyes. "Then let's see which of us is truly worthy of becoming the Holy Maiden."