Building a faction?

Nana's voice trembled with disbelief, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

The kneeling Holy Servants behind her also looked up, their gazes toward Lu Ren filled with awe and bewilderment.

They did not understand what the name "Lu Ren" meant, but Nana's reaction told them that the youth before them, who had casually wiped out a Branch Altar of the Holy Spirit Cult, was far from ordinary.

Nana remained kneeling, a single thought turning over and over in her mind.

She had not expected this. Not at all.

This powerhouse who had slain a Soul Saint elder single-handedly was actually that rising genius student from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

To think his actual combat strength was this formidable. Even a Soul Saint elder of the Holy Spirit Cult was no match for him, yet his cultivation was only that of a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.

"I didn't expect to meet a fellow student here."

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow, his tone growing a little more relaxed.

The presence that had been as cold and sharp as a blade when he slew the Evil Soul Masters quietly faded, replaced by a casual amiability.

"I remember you're in the Practical Soul Tool Department too?"

Nana nodded blankly.

She was indeed in the Practical Soul Tool Department, but she had never known that Lu Ren actually remembered her.

At present, Nana was merely an inconspicuous student whose cultivation was only rank thirty-nine, like a speck of dust amid the wealth of talent at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

Ordinarily, she remained unknown and never drew attention. Perhaps only a few years later, when she broke through to Soul King, would she gain any notice.

Lu Ren, meanwhile, was an extraordinary genius personally recruited by Hall Master Jing Hongchen, a monster whom even Ji Juechen willingly followed, and the focus of discussion among the academy's entire staff and student body.

Someone like him actually remembered a nobody like her.

A faint blush rose on Nana's cheeks, and she instinctively lowered her lashes.

Because her parents had been imprisoned by the Holy Spirit Cult, she had been forced to obey them, don these black robes, and become a Holy Servant at this Branch Altar.

Under the Holy Spirit Cult's rules, only once her cultivation broke through to Five-Ring Soul King and she demonstrated sufficient talent would they truly accept her as a full member.

By then, there would be no turning back for her.

Yet Lu Ren had unexpectedly broken that process.

All this time, she had lived each day in fear and torment.

During the day, she had to attend classes at the academy as though nothing were wrong; at night, she returned here to face the Evil Soul Masters' chilling gazes and the threats that were everywhere.

She dared not flee, seek help, or even show anything unusual in front of anyone, because she knew that the slightest suspicious move on her part would mean her parents' souls were scattered into oblivion.

She had never imagined that a student from her own academy would save her.

Much less that it would be Lu Ren.

"Senior Lu Ren..."

Nana bit her lower lip and rose from the ground.

The Holy Servants behind her also stood, each with their head lowered, their expressions respectful and restrained.

"If not for you, we would probably have been controlled by the Holy Spirit Cult for the rest of our lives. Our loved ones' souls would have remained imprisoned here forever, never to be reborn."

Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened further.

"We truly have no way to repay this kindness."

She took a deep breath and raised her head, an utterly resolute light appearing in her eyes.

"I know you're powerful, Senior, and perhaps you have no need for followers like us, but we're still willing to do anything for you. Even if we must brave boiling water and raging fire, we will never shrink back."

Behind her, the Holy Servants echoed her words.

"We'll brave boiling water and raging fire, and never shrink back!"

Their voices echoed through the empty courtyard.

Most of these pitiful people had seen their families shattered and loved ones killed through the Holy Spirit Cult's cruelty. Now that they had regained their freedom and owed Lu Ren their lives, they already regarded him as their sole support.

Lu Ren looked at the earnest faces before him without answering immediately.

He lowered his lashes, sinking into thought.

As he was now, he did indeed need people.

He had always acted alone.

Having to handle everything personally ultimately limited his efficiency.

He needed to build a faction of his own, even if it was only a fledgling one, even if it was merely a group of people who could handle miscellaneous tasks for him.

And the people before him were precisely the most suitable choice.

They had suffered persecution at the hands of the Holy Spirit Cult and hated Evil Soul Masters to their very bones. Their loyalty was absolutely dependable.

They had no other way out and no one left to rely on in this world.

More importantly, they had personally witnessed the entire process of his destroying the Branch Altar and delivering the souls. That awe and gratitude formed a bond no exchange of benefits could replace.

But there were still some things he needed to ask first.

"Do you trust me that much?"

Lu Ren spoke, his gaze slowly sweeping over every face.

Nana gave a bitter smile.

That smile carried a world-weariness and helplessness that did not suit her age.

"I don't want things to be this way either. But we've been enslaved for a long time, and almost all of us are orphans. We have no family left in this world."

Her voice grew quieter, as though she were speaking to herself.

"If you won't take us in, we don't even know what we should do."

"Besides, we've long suspected that Mingdu might have ties to this evil organization calling itself the Holy Spirit Cult. Otherwise, we would have found someone to report this to long ago."

"But we didn't dare, because we don't know which of those lofty figures belong to them and which don't."

"So now that this base has been destroyed, I certainly can't go back to the academy. And it's not just me. None of us can go back."

"The Holy Spirit Cult won't spare traitors, even if we never truly pledged our loyalty to them."

Nana picked up the thread, a hint of pleading in her voice.

"Senior Lu Ren, please give us your instructions. Even just pointing us toward a path forward would help."

She turned sideways, her gaze passing over the eight people behind her.

"Among the eight of them, there are four Soul Ancestors and four Soul Kings. Four are also Soul Engineers who can make and repair Soul Tools."

She turned back and looked Lu Ren directly in the eye.

"If you refuse to take us in, I'm afraid we won't escape the Holy Spirit Cult's pursuit either."

Lu Ren did not answer immediately.

He was considering something else.

Should I report this situation to Jing Hongchen?

He suppressed the thought the moment it surfaced.

Impossible.

This matter already involved the Holy Spirit Cult.

Not to mention that the Holy Spirit Cult very likely had countless tangled ties to the current crown prince, Xu Tianran, and other high-ranking figures of the Sun Moon Empire.

In the original story, it was precisely through the protection of Xu Tianran and the other high-ranking figures that the Holy Spirit Cult had been able to take root and grow in Mingdu, eventually becoming a major source of support for the Sun Moon Empire.

Although Jing Hongchen was the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall and held an exalted position, he was ultimately only a Soul Engineer, a researcher.

He did not take part in struggles for imperial power, nor was he willing to become embroiled in this conflict.

Telling him about this would only put him in a difficult position, and might even force him to make choices that went against his conscience.

Moreover, Jing Hongchen had treated him well. He could not toss a scalding potato into the man's hands.

He would have to clean up this mess himself.

A moment later, Lu Ren raised his head.

"As for the academy, Nana, I'll help cover up what happened with you."

"I'll also clean up every trace in this base. I'll create the illusion that all of you are already dead, so the Holy Spirit Cult believes that you all lost your lives alongside those Evil Soul Masters in tonight's attack."