A girl? A girl?

The dark shadow slipped soundlessly into space.

It came softly and left quietly.

Before long, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows and stood there in silence.

The newcomer's slit pupils shone like molten gold, their faint golden light seeming capable of piercing the darkness.

"What a nauseating aura... why would someone from the Holy Spirit Cult be here?"

His divine sense swept rapidly through every corner of the house: the kitchen, the study, the bathroom... until it reached a certain room. His pupils abruptly contracted, and his brows drew tightly together. Astonishment first filled his eyes, followed by a surge of intense delight.

This... wasn't this precisely the aura he had been searching for? They weren't even bothering to keep up the act anymore, those filthy, hypocritical false gods.

But then a trace of worry flashed through his eyes. Could the Holy Spirit Cult also be connected to this aura...

"Forget it. I'll report back first. My Lord should be nearly finished with her preparations."

At that thought, he felt somewhat helpless. To infiltrate human society, his lord had begun studying it in earnest.

In the end, she had concluded that infiltrating the Spirit Pagoda was their first step toward conquering the continent.

A faint layer of dark ripples stirred through space, and his figure vanished as though he had never appeared, leaving the spot completely empty.

Early morning.

The breeze that missed you blew all the way to the Spirit Pagoda.

"Well? Have you decided?" Leng Yaozhu teased.

"Master, all you ever do is tease me," Tang Qingye said helplessly.

Behind him, Leng Nu Jiao raised her eyes to look at him. Her eyes glistened, their outer corners drooping slightly, her gaze clinging to him and refusing to move away. They brimmed with silent anticipation; she clearly wanted to come along.

It was an established fact that the Heavenly Phoenix Mecha could carry two people, because Tang Qingye sat on Leng Yaozhu's lap like an accessory.

That meant Leng Nu Jiao could only stay obediently at the Spirit Pagoda, so the second option was to take the Soul Guidance Train.

"Of course I'll choose the Soul Guidance Train." Tang Qingye would never admit that Jiaojiao's white stockings today had drawn him in.

Hearing this, Leng Nu Jiao's eyes curved into crescents, a faint smile spreading at their corners. Young Master was the best.

Their visit to Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua in Heaven Dou City was merely a stop along the way. Their real purpose was to travel and relax their minds and bodies.

Who said six-year-olds had no stress? This was the golden age of everyone's life. Without some relaxation, they would end up with the blues.

Before leaving, he had already informed Master Mo. Although they did not officially bear the titles of master and disciple, that was what they were in practice. This was the most basic respect.

Besides, Master Mo genuinely taught him things. It was hard to imagine someone so impatient explaining and demonstrating every detail to him, but he truly regarded Tang Qingye as his successor.

Yet the further he progressed, the less Master Mo could teach him. Very few had that ability, and Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua was undoubtedly the best possible draw.

Tang Qingye told Master Mo that he would bring him a gift after a while-a budding Divine Craftsman-which delighted him to no end.

The waiting area in the station hall.

Tang Qingye and his two companions waited there. They were already keeping a low profile, but their otherworldly bearing and exquisite looks made passing travelers turn their heads again and again.

The boy in the middle still bore his childish innocence, his delicate face like jade; he was a soft, adorable little boy of a kind rarely seen. The girl beside him was ethereal and graceful, though her expression was somewhat cool. The woman at his side had a gentle, warm demeanor, every frown and smile carrying the charm unique to a mature woman.

But no one approached them to strike up a conversation. To onlookers, this was simply a stunning woman taking the train with her children. As law-abiding citizens of the Federation, how could they do something like hit on a young married woman!

Just then, the Gourd Mark inside Tang Qingye grew slightly warm, and a faint tug arose from deep within his heart.

This sensation was beyond the reach of the five senses. Instead, it was an instinctive stirring born deep within his divine soul.

The faint message conveyed by the mark during his first sensing of Jiu'er had been to merge into one. This time, the message felt more like a craving for food.

"What's wrong?" Detecting the slight change in her disciple's expression, Leng Yaozhu stroked his face and asked softly.

"Master, I need to use the restroom." Tang Qingye gently rubbed his cheek against her waist, his expression returning to normal, his nose filled with her fragrance.

"All right."

"Wait for me." Leng Nu Jiao, somewhat exhausted from being put through her paces, hurried after them.

The three of them did not need to queue; they only had to wait for the train to arrive. Being a VIP really was nice.

The public restroom.

Tang Qingye was inside, while his master and senior sister were outside.

With a thought from Tang Qingye, the Gourd Mark hummed and trembled softly. An invisible barrier spread out around him, isolating any soul power fluctuations.

He flicked his fingers, and a wisp of green light drifted from his palm, turning into a palm-sized gourd, emerald green all over.

"Big Baby, go find it." Tang Qingye shared the sensation with Big Baby.

The little gourd nodded his illusory head and turned into a faint green mist that scattered in all directions. Every Soul Master concealing their soul power would be quietly marked by the green light, and all the sights and auras gathered would be relayed into Tang Qingye's sea of consciousness.

Big Baby: I followed your trail, trapped within this hall, with no way to escape...

Drawing on part of the Seven-Colored Gourd's power and his own Sword of the Firmament origin, Big Baby's strength was roughly around level 90. He could not maintain it for long, though; after all, Tang Qingye was currently only a lowly Soul Scholar.

But when it came to spiritual perception and concealing himself, aside from Elder Han and a few old monsters, if he claimed second place, no one would really dare claim first.

After finishing all this, Tang Qingye came out, finding his stunning master and sensitive Jiaojiao waiting right in front of him.

"Let's go. The train will be here soon." One on either side, the two took Tang Qingye's freshly washed hands and walked toward the train.

A moment later, the scattered green mist gathered in a corner. The scene showed a bench, with a shapely girl seated upon it, her long, fair legs crossed, a small gap faintly visible between them.

Heaven Dou City.

As far as the eye could see were buildings of ancient simplicity and towering old trees.

At the end of a certain street, a four-story building stood quietly beside an old tree.

All the furnishings inside were old-fashioned wooden pieces. Pearwood tables and chairs and carved wooden couches were placed casually along the walls. Old ink paintings hung on the walls, bluestone slabs paved the floor, and a plain wooden cabinet stood in a corner. The overall style was simple and antique.

Yet the girl by the window, her plain white dress setting off skin like ice and bones like jade, had violet eyes of peerless, otherworldly beauty. Her presence alone seemed to lend wisps of immortal grace to the entire silent room.

Suddenly, silver light flickered in the depths of the girl's eyes. The space before her twisted slightly, and a tall figure stepped out of the void, dropping to one knee with his head bowed. "My Lord."

"Mm. Rise." The girl set down the materials her subordinates had gathered from far and wide and spoke evenly.

"Yes, My Lord."

Di Tian rose and reported everything he had encountered in Aolai City.

"The Holy Spirit Cult, an ordinary resident's home..."

"Take this and go to Aolai City again. It will guide you." Gu Yuena released a wisp of Silver Dragon origin into Di Tian's sea of consciousness.

"Investigate everything thoroughly, including that household..."

She did not believe divine consciousness would appear in an ordinary resident's home without reason.

"As you command, My Lord."