Spirit City! Elite Academy! Priority Training!

The two children cradled the certificates as if they were treasures, nodding vigorously, their eyes filled with sincere gratitude and reverence for Lin Xia.

Shi Lei's mother was so moved that tears streamed down her face as she tightly clasped Shui Ling'er's hand.

Politely declining the villagers' repeated pleas for him to stay, and needing no guide from them, Lin Xia packed his things, then took Bulbasaur and waved farewell to the village that had finally glimpsed the dawn of hope. Following the winding mountain path, he set off for the next scheduled awakening site.

A gentle breeze brushed against his face, and the sunlight was just right.

Lin Xia took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, feeling the smooth flow through his meridians gradually return under the nourishment of gentle Soul Power.

This... this was how a normal awakening mission was supposed to be, he reflected.

Bulbasaur at his feet also narrowed its eyes contentedly, its Vine Whip resting lazily on the ground.

"Bulba~"

It happily echoed him.

Exactly, this was what life was supposed to be like.

No pursuit, no terrifying soul beasts. Just walking around, getting things done, and basking in the sun.

The little creature sensed Lin Xia's long-missed ease and felt incomparably comfortable itself.

Bad luck or whatever had to be an illusion...

Mm, this time was going well.

This relaxed atmosphere lasted less than half an hour.

Just as Lin Xia and Bulbasaur reached the mountain pass and were about to enter the flatter official road ahead, a cloud of dust rising at the end of the road caught their attention.

A luxurious carriage, drawn by two exceptionally handsome Unicorn Scaled Horses with gleaming coats and adorned with exquisite Spirit Hall emblems, came racing down the road, clearly heading straight toward them.

The Unicorn Scaled Horses pulling the carriage were snow-white from head to hoof, their horns like jade. Their manes flowed with silver light beneath the sun, and their hooves made barely a sound against the bluestone road, displaying extraordinary strength and noble bearing.

The coachman wore an expressionless face and had sharp eyes. He was clearly no ordinary man.

Once the carriage stopped, several figures immediately stepped out from within.

The man in front wore a long robe with the gold-trimmed patterns unique to Spirit Hall elders. His face was grave, and though his Soul Power was restrained, he radiated a vast, mountain-like pressure. He was unmistakably a Soul Sage-level powerhouse!

The other two had slightly weaker auras, but they were both Soul Kings as well.

This lineup did not look like a chance encounter.

Bulbasaur instantly withdrew its languid Vine Whip. Its crimson eyes fixed warily on the rapidly approaching group, while the bulb on its back glimmered faintly.

"Bulba?!"

No way... again?! Was there really no escaping this bad-luck constitution? Everything had been going so smoothly this time! Alarm bells rang wildly in its little head.

Lin Xia frowned slightly and stopped walking.

A trace of confusion and vigilance also rose within him.

People from Spirit Hall?

This formation... they came specifically for me?

Did what happened afterward in Skyhorn Village reach the higher-ups?

Or... had something changed on Elder Salas's end?

The group stopped several yards before Lin Xia. The leading man did not spare Bulbasaur beside him a glance. His sharp gaze swept over Lin Xia from head to toe before he spoke in a deep voice carrying unquestionable authority.

"Lin Xia?"

"That's me. May I ask who you are?"

Lin Xia answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"I am Carlson, directly under Spirit Hall, an external reception envoy. By order, I have come specifically to escort you to Spirit City."

"Escort me? Spirit City?"

Lin Xia's mind buzzed, and he was instantly dumbfounded.

He had imagined every possibility—the follow-up investigation into Skyhorn Village, Elder Salas holding him accountable, even trouble caused by the Illusion Demon Spider incident—but he had never expected this outcome.

His first reaction was that it was absurd. He was merely an external deacon who had just turned seven and possessed only one soul ring. What had he done to alarm Spirit Hall enough for them to send a Soul Sage-level envoy?

Carlson seemed to see Lin Xia's confusion. With a flick of his hand, a jade slip emitting faint Soul Power fluctuations appeared in his palm.

Beneath the clear Martial Soul Sacred Sword emblem on the jade slip was Salas's distinctive Soul Power seal.

"Elder Salas personally wrote a letter of recommendation for you."

Carlson's voice remained steady, though it carried a trace of barely perceptible solemnity.

"The letter detailed your achievements in Skyhorn Village. With only one soul ring, you fought a thousand-year Skyhorn Snake alone, and in desperate circumstances, you even killed a five-thousand-year Illusion Demon Spider in return, saving an entire village from danger."

"Such temperament, courage, and potential can no longer be contained by the mere position of an external deacon. Spirit Hall has granted special approval to promote you beyond the usual ranks. We have been ordered to escort you back to Spirit City immediately, where you will enter the Spirit Hall Elite Academy for further cultivation and receive priority training."

A recommendation letter from Salas? My achievements in Skyhorn Village?

An indescribably complex surge of emotion flooded his heart.

Was he grateful for Salas's recognition and support?

Of course!

After all, this was an immense opportunity.

Salas had surely said many good things about him, perhaps even exaggerated them somewhat.

But what followed immediately was a bone-deep chill, as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head!

Spirit City! Elite Academy! Priority training!

Every word struck his heart like a heavy hammer.

What did the heart of Spirit City mean?

It meant he would be closer to that woman standing at the pinnacle of power, whose thoughts were impossible to predict—Pope Bibi Dong!

Close enough to touch!

Yu Xiaogang!

That name surfaced in his mind like Gui Mei.

Back in Notting City, he had rejected Yu Xiaogang's offer to take him as a disciple!

How special was Yu Xiaogang's place in Bibi Dong's heart?

Wasn't slapping Yu Xiaogang in the face equivalent to slapping Bibi Dong in the face?

If she found out, would she consider him an eyesore?

Would she... simply crush him in the cradle?

Cold sweat instantly seeped down Lin Xia's back.

He could not be sure!

Bibi Dong's madness and obsession had persisted throughout the original story!

Refuse? The thought flashed through his mind.

Lin Xia raised his eyes and looked at the three Spirit Hall powerhouses before him, inwardly shaking his head even harder.

A direct refusal would mean openly defying Spirit Hall's order. It would mean slapping Salas in the face!

After all, Lin Xia knew all too well about his cursed bad-luck constitution!

Salas meant well, but that goodwill had pushed him into the eye of the storm—and directly beneath Bibi Dong's gaze!

Lin Xia's breathing quickened slightly as thoughts raced through his mind, weighing the pros and cons.

Danger. Enormous potential danger!

But in this situation, there was simply no second choice.

He took a deep breath, as if drawing that deepest chill into his lungs and forcing down the fear churning within him.

When he looked up again, the confusion and fear in his eyes had been forcibly suppressed, leaving only a seemingly calm depth.

He gave Elder Carlson a slight nod, his voice carrying just the right amount of flattered apprehension and a hint of hoarseness from the long journey.

"So that's how it is... I never expected to trouble all of you to come in person. Lin Xia... is deeply honored and frightened."

He gently patted Bulbasaur in his arms. The little creature could also sense its master's complicated emotions, and its crimson eyes warily swept over the people before them.

"This is a decision of the Hall, and also your good fortune."

Carlson's expression softened somewhat, apparently fairly satisfied with Lin Xia's awareness of the situation.

"The carriage is ready. We leave immediately. The journey is long, and we cannot delay."