Emergency Rescue Signal

The Soul Power of the two of them fluctuated faintly when their palms touched.

The Seraphim Martial Soul within Qian Renxue began to circulate on its own.

Xiao Jin also flew above them, golden light shining across the surface of its wings.

The two auras of light intertwined.

This resonance was clearer than the one in the sacred pool.

Chu Jin could feel the Overlord Army changing at that moment as well.

Although Qian Renxue had trained and sparred with him in the past, and helped him with many things, she had always harbored concerns over her hidden identity and mission.

Now, for the first time, she truly stood before Chu Jin as Qian Renxue.

Without disguise.

And without lies.

[Detected the first companion who truly acknowledges the host and is willing to fight alongside the host.]

[The Overlord Army has gained its first Faith Anchor.]

A pale golden point of light appeared within Chu Jin's spiritual world.

The point of light was connected to Qian Renxue's Soul Power aura.

Whenever the two were within a certain range, Chu Jin could vaguely sense Qian Renxue's location, Soul Power condition, and fighting will.

Qian Renxue likewise sensed a strange connection.

"What is this?"

"My innate ability."

Chu Jin did not hide it.

"When someone is truly willing to accept my command and fight alongside me, a Faith Anchor forms."

"What does it do?"

"For now, it can only sense location and condition."

"It should grow stronger in the future."

Qian Renxue fell into thought.

"So I'm the first?"

"Mm."

The corners of her lips rose unconsciously.

The embarrassment and irritation from before completely vanished.

"Then the vice-captain position is mine too."

Chu Jin looked at her.

"I don't have a team yet."

"You will in the future."

Qian Renxue's tone was utterly certain.

"When you have one, I'll be the vice-captain."

"What if someone is more suitable than you?"

"Then beat me."

The phantom of the Six-Winged Angel behind her spread its wings slightly.

"Among Spirit Hall's younger generation, who can beat me?"

Chu Jin gave it some thought.

At this stage, there truly was no one.

"Then I'll save the position for now."

Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction.

Xiao Jin circled above their heads a few times before finally landing on Qian Renxue's shoulder.

It sniffed the lingering aura of light from the Six-Winged Angel, then affectionately rubbed against her cheek.

Qian Renxue reached out and stroked Xiao Jin.

"From now on, you're under my care too."

Xiao Jin froze.

It turned to look at Chu Jin, seemingly asking when it had changed owners.

Chu Jin did not help explain.

The setting sun shone over Consecration Mountain.

The two walked down the mountain side by side.

Qian Renxue did not put her disguise soul bone back on.

For the first time in all these years, she walked beneath the sunlight of Spirit City in her true identity.

A year passed in the blink of an eye.

Third Training Ground, Consecration Mountain.

The waterfall roared.

A torrent dozens of meters high crashed down from the cliff, smashing against the bluish-black rocks below and throwing up vast clouds of white mist. At the center of the waterfall, a figure stood with his feet apart, firmly planted at the bottom of the pool.

Bare-chested, Chu Jin gripped an eight-hundred-pound Heavy Halberd in both hands.

The icy current continuously pounded his shoulders, back, and arms. The powerful impact reddened his skin slightly, yet his body remained completely motionless.

He had grown much taller than he was a year ago.

At seven and a half, he was already nearly the size of an ordinary ten-year-old boy. His shoulders were not particularly broad, but his muscles were taut and defined. Every movement of his body was crisp and efficient.

"Straight thrust."

Golden Crocodile Douluo's voice came from the shore.

Chu Jin pushed off the ground with both feet, driving through his waist, abdomen, and back as the eight-hundred-pound Heavy Halberd shot forward.

Boom!

The halberd tip tore through the curtain of water.

A large mass of water was forcibly split to either side, briefly forming a clear passage.

"Horizontal sweep."

Chu Jin turned his wrist and swept the Heavy Halberd across the water's surface.

The pool seemed to be cleaved in two by an immense force.

White spray surged several meters into the air before crashing back down with a splash.

Golden Crocodile folded his arms. His expression remained stern, though there was a trace of satisfaction in his eyes.

A year ago, when Chu Jin had first arrived in Spirit City, he could only maintain a straight thrust beneath the waterfall for thirty breaths. Now, he could carry an eight-hundred-pound Heavy Halberd and complete an entire set of basic halberd techniques beneath the pounding current.

The increase in his strength was certainly astonishing.

But his control over that strength had improved even faster.

His Double Pupils allowed Chu Jin to see flaws in his exertion, while Golden Crocodile used the most direct methods possible to hammer those flaws away one by one.

After a year, it was difficult to find any unnecessary movements in Chu Jin's body.

"Withdraw."

Chu Jin planted the Heavy Halberd into the riverbed, stomped down, and leaped out of the waterfall.

Droplets slid down his black hair and skin.

He took the clothes from the shore and draped them over himself. Soul Power trembled gently within his body, and faint white mist quickly rose from his drenched hair.

"Level nineteen."

Golden Crocodile spoke. "How long have you been holding it back?"

"Ten days."

"You're only one step away from level twenty. You should break through tonight."

Chu Jin rolled his wrist.

From level thirteen to level nineteen, he had cultivated four levels on his own.

[Level Up!] had additionally granted him two levels.

This cultivation speed was already astonishing among those his age, yet Chu Jin had not relaxed his training by relying on the system. Every day, he meditated, tempered his body, practiced halberd techniques, and studied soul beasts and battlefield theory. His time was packed full.

Xiao Jin had also changed noticeably.

A golden figure flew in from the other side of the training ground.

Its pair of golden wings beat powerfully, and its flight had become very stable. It was now nearly the size of a young leopard, with long limbs and scales tougher than before. The two dragon horns on its forehead had also grown a little.

Xiao Jin held a fiery red crystal in its mouth.

After flying before Chu Jin, it released its bite, and the crystal fell into his hand.

"Huo Yun Crystal?"

Chu Jin looked in Guang Ling's direction.

Guang Ling was sitting on a distant tree branch, holding a small ice bow.

"This old man just got it from the Materials Repository."

"It did well in remote evasion training today, so it gets an extra meal."

Xiao Jin raised its head, looking immensely proud.

Chu Jin handed the Huo Yun Crystal back to it.

It bit down on it in one mouthful, then lay down beside him and began gnawing on it.

"Training is over for today."

Golden Crocodile glanced at the sky.

"Go back and break through."

Just as Chu Jin was about to put away the Heavy Halberd, urgent bells suddenly rang from the foot of Consecration Mountain.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Three rings in succession.

The three of them in the training ground raised their heads at once.

This was Spirit Hall's emergency rescue signal.

Only when a regional branch suffered a major attack, evil soul masters appeared on a large scale, or an important soul master team was in danger would the alarm bell of the Worship Hall be sounded through a special transmission method.

Guang Ling leaped down from the tree branch.

The leisurely look on his face vanished at once.

"This old man will go take a look."

Chu Jin had already lifted his Heavy Halberd.

"Together."

Golden Crocodile did not stop him.

The three quickly rushed toward the main hall of the Worship Hall.

Several elders had already gathered within the great hall.

Qian Daoliu stood above them, holding a bloodstained identity token.

Bibi Dong was not present, but the Papal Hall had sent Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

A heavily injured middle-aged soul master knelt on one knee in the center of the hall.

His left arm was gone, and thick bandages wrapped around his chest, though blood was still seeping through.

A Spirit Hall healing soul master stood beside him, continuously sending healing Soul Power into his body.