Poison Douluo

In terms of resources, what Ye Xishui had invested in Castorice far exceeded the limit of what the Star Luo Imperial Family could provide Yin Chen.

In terms of talent, the advantages of this Chrysos Heirs body in Soul Power absorption efficiency and spiritual power cultivation utterly crushed all the so-called geniuses of this era.

"An unprecedented eight-year-old Soul Elder..."

Feiyan murmured softly.

She still remembered that when Castorice's Soul Power reached level thirty and she came to report it, even Ye Xishui, the ever-unfathomable Supreme Cult Leader, had been stunned for a rare moment.

As for Cult Leader Zhongli Wu, he had been beside himself with joy, repeatedly proclaiming that the era of the Holy Spirit Cult was about to arrive. Castorice's level of importance and protection had instantly been raised by several ranks.

One had to know that Yan Feng, Zhongli Wu's own disciple and a genius with the Bone Dragon Martial Soul, cultivated at an equally astonishing pace.

But in Zhongli Wu's eyes now, Yan Feng and Castorice were as far apart as clouds and mud.

Over the past two years, Castorice had been anything but a hothouse flower in the Holy Spirit Cult.

She had fought nearly every elite disciple at headquarters whose cultivation was below Soul King.

Whether they were Evil Soul Master geniuses who had rapidly raised their cultivation through strange evil arts, or opponents a whole major rank above her, not one of them could last the time it took for an incense stick to burn before her pure power of death. She had never lost a single battle.

Feiyan looked at the girl before her, whose aura had grown ever deeper and whose delicate beauty made her seem less like a mortal being, and felt a storm of emotions.

She was Castorice's protector. In a sense, she was also an observer, watching the growth of an unprecedented monster personally created by the Supreme Cult Leader.

Just as Castorice had stabilized her realm and before her three Soul Rings had fully withdrawn, a slightly hoarse voice with an unusual accent came from the crown of a tall dead tree nearby:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... An eight-year-old Soul Elder, two purple and one black. Little girl, you really are an out-and-out monster."

The voice appeared without any warning, as though it had blended into the surrounding forest of death.

Feiyan's pupils suddenly contracted. Scarlet Soul Power instantly condensed around her body, and she almost instinctively stepped forward, completely shielding the not-yet-recovered Castorice behind her.

She raised her head, her gaze as sharp as a blade as she locked onto the source of the voice. Her tone was icy and filled with undisguised hostility.

"Old poisoner, what are you doing here?"

Leaning against one of the branches of that dead tree was a figure who had appeared at some unknown time.

He had long dark green hair, an aged face, and an unhealthy pallor to his skin. A faint aura of death lingered around him, blending with the forest's own atmosphere of death while carrying a distinct, heart-palpitating toxicity.

Most striking were his eyes. Their emerald green was clouded by the murk of countless years, and they were now fixed on Castorice below with undisguised amazement and complicated emotions.

Castorice raised her eyes, and an imperceptible flicker passed through her amethyst-like gaze.

She recognized him.

Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.

In this era, he was not a living person, but a soul randomly resurrected by the "True Blood of Myriad Karmas," pulled back from the dust of history ten thousand years ago—a Nirvana Corpse possessing the memories and strength he had held in life.

By some stroke of fate, he had been encountered by Ming Lei Douluo, the Holy Spirit Cult's Third Elder, while the latter was out on business. In the end, he had been recruited into the Holy Spirit Cult.

Unlike the inhuman state he might have displayed just after being resurrected, he now looked no different from an ordinary person. Clearly, as a powerful Nirvana Corpse, he had achieved extreme control over his flesh and blood, concealing his true nature.

Castorice's thoughts raced as she confirmed that Dugu Bo likely did not know she was the source of the "True Blood of Myriad Karmas."

His appearance here was most likely a coincidence. Perhaps he had been drawn over by the energy fluctuations from hunting the Soul Beast and absorbing the Soul Ring just now.

Hearing Feiyan's hostile question, Dugu Bo revealed a helpless, bitter smile. He waved a hand, his posture relaxed to show that he meant no harm.

"Why is Scarlet Douluo so tense? This old man merely happened to be passing by. I sensed the energy fluctuations and came to take a look, that is all."

His gaze fell upon Castorice again, and the amazement in his eyes deepened.

"I mean no harm, nor would I dare to."

The loneliness in his voice deepened as he mockingly said,

"This old man is merely an antique who died ten thousand years ago and was fortunate enough to gain a second life. How could I possibly harbor even the slightest malicious thought toward the Death Saintess personally chosen by the Supreme Cult Leader? Besides, the Holy Spirit Cult took in an aberration like me, one rejected by the world, and gave me a place to stay. This old man remembers that kindness."

He paused, and his voice lowered, carrying the desolation of someone who had crossed through the ages.

"Otherwise, with this living corpse appearance of mine, I would probably seem even more heretical than an Evil Soul Master in the eyes of those great powers who pride themselves on righteousness. Sooner or later, they would uphold justice on heaven's behalf and grind my bones to ash."

As he spoke, an indescribable loneliness and confusion flashed through Dugu Bo's emerald eyes.

After his resurrection, he had gone through a period of muddleheadedness and adjustment. He had also secretly investigated this unfamiliar new era.

Ten thousand years had passed. Seas had turned into fields.

The former Heaven Dou and Star Luo had changed beyond recognition, while Spirit Hall had long since become dust in history.

And the little monsters from his memories—Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others—had reportedly long since attained godhood and ascended to the God Realm.

Former friends, opponents, even his granddaughter, whom he had worried about most, had all long turned to dust.

This world no longer held anything familiar to him.

He was like a wandering soul that had stumbled into the wrong era, possessing immense power yet having nowhere to place a heart that belonged to the past.

Upon hearing this, Feiyan's taut nerves eased slightly, though the vigilance in her eyes did not completely fade.

She said coldly, "It is good that you understand. The Saintess has just broken through and needs to stabilize her realm. If there is nothing else, then please do as you please."

Dugu Bo gave Castorice a deep look. That gaze was complex and difficult to read, filled with amazement and curiosity.

After all, Castorice's talent was far too terrifying. Even Tang San of those days would not have dared call himself a genius before her.

He said no more. His figure seemed to merge into the air, silently disappearing from the dead tree branch as though he had never been there.

Star Luo Royal Junior Spirit Master Academy, Star-Gazing Platform behind the mountain.

The night was cool as water, and the sky full of stars was embedded in the deep heavens like scattered diamonds.

Yin Chen sat alone on the cold steps, gazing up at the vast sea of stars. Starlight reflected in his shattered golden eyes, yet they were deeper and more unfathomable than the stars themselves.

He slowly closed his eyes and sensed the connection coming from the depths of his soul.

In a distant direction, another body was emitting stable and powerful Soul Power fluctuations—level thirty-three, three rings, two purple and one black.

"A Soul Elder already..."

A faint smile curved Yin Chen's lips, and he was in an excellent mood.