The Failed Return
"This is the reward for solving that riddle?" Su Ming suddenly realized.
"Hmm." Zijin responded playfully, then patted Su Ming's shoulder. "Alright, let's get this done first. We can figure out what comes next later."
A loud cracking sound rang out, the bow of the ship suddenly sank, followed by a clanging sound as it plunged into the sea.
After the loud voices from Zijin and the others subsided, she continued, "Anyway, I'm already very lucky and very satisfied!"
"In some things, greed isn't a bad thing," Su Ming said with a smile.
****
While breaking through the ice, the Pansy's speed decreased significantly. The final leg of the icy sea route, which wasn't very long, was expected to take two days to clear.
Su Ming used this time to sort through the prisoners of war on the ship. Most of the prisoners had already been identified by Qiluo. Those whose faction aura was dark were immediately turned into materials by the necromancers.
Of the three Feather Race traveling with her, Yuya was particularly skilled in memory-based magic. She conducted another thorough investigation of the prisoners and uncovered several more hidden villains who deserved to die.
As night fell, the Pansy, like a tireless giant, continued its advance across the vast ice sheet, the roar of its hull breaking through the ice echoing in the silent, cold night.
Viewed from above, it resembles a giant silkworm, nibbling away at mulberry leaves in the night.
Su Ming and Zijin arrived at the empty aft deck, ready to deal with a "soul" prisoner who should have been dealt with long ago - the Radiant Chanter.
His body was used by Zijin to make a "Mourning Choir." The Soul Dawn and Dusk Bracelet didn't want it, and the Divine Favor Scepter didn't react, so it was useless. The two planned to interrogate him and then dismantle it.
If this sealing continues, the soul of the Radiant Chanter will soon dissipate naturally.
Su Ming released the seal from the Soul Bottle, and the Soul of the Radiant Chanter immediately floated into the air. Unlike the other souls he had encountered before, he showed no signs of panic, anger, or pleading. Instead, he immediately began a devout prayer. His soul's fluctuations were filled with silent and focused prayers, as if nothing in the outside world could interfere with his communication with the divine.
"How dedicated!" Su Ming sneered. "Don't you want to chat, Your Excellency Radiant Chanter?"
But the Radiant Chanter completely ignored Su Ming's presence, continuing to immerse himself in the prayer, the light of his soul flickering slightly with the rhythm of the prayer.
****
Thousands of kilometers away, in the heart of the Northern Continent Jurisdiction of the Temple of Light, deep within the magnificent North Star Cathedral.
Inside the secret ritual hall known as the "Corridor of Mercy," a faint fluctuation suddenly occurred. The priest on duty instantly widened his eyes, his face beaming with uncontrollable ecstasy.
He immediately stumbled out and summoned the archbishop in charge of the area.
"That's right! It's the soul fluctuations of Radiant Chanter!" After carefully sensing it, the Archbishop also showed a relieved and joyful expression. "Begin the ritual now to guide Lord Radiant Chanter back!"
More bishops and priests, dressed in magnificent robes, rushed to the scene and quickly formed a solemn array around the "Corridor of Mercy." As large quantities of expensive and rare magical materials were poured in, the intricate magic circle patterns lit up one by one, and the location of the Radiant Chanter's soul gradually became clear under the power of the ritual.
This is the core of the Temple of Light's proud "resurrection" system: when the soul of the deceased prays, its unique faith wavelength is sensed by the "Corridor of Mercy." Then, through powerful ritual force, the soul is guided back, and combined with the light puppet body created by the "Nirvana" technology, the deceased can be allowed to "re-enter" the world to a considerable extent.
Although this method has many drawbacks, the resurrected often lose some memories or emotions, their condition is far from perfect, and the resources consumed are astronomical, but for the core leaders of the Divine Covenant Faction, it is regarded as a sacred right and supreme blessing that they should enjoy!
As the bishops and priests channeled their spiritual energy into the magic circle, the dense runes on the "Corridor of Mercy" burst forth with dazzling light. A powerful and precise pulling force instantly formed, like an invisible chain, traversing a vast spatial distance and acting upon the fragile soul of the Radiant Chanter.
However, after so many days of sealing and exhaustion, the Soul of the Radiant Chanter was already extremely weak. Although he had successfully summoned the guiding ritual through tireless prayer, he was now as powerless as a candle flickering in the wind to actively respond to this pulling force.
Unfortunately, the Fate Manipulator, who is most skilled at manipulating souls and guiding such return rituals, disappeared some time ago and his whereabouts are unknown.
The archbishop gritted his teeth, a flicker of pain crossing his face, but it quickly turned into determination. "Double the materials! Everyone, go all out, increase output!"
Amidst an unsettling, discordant noise reminiscent of metal scraping, the output of the "Corridor of Mercy" was forcibly pushed to its limit. The pulling force finally yielded a response!
****
On the Pansy.
Just as the pull from the "Corridor of Mercy" suddenly intensified, Su Ming grabbed a heinous criminal prisoner who had been dragged out during the day, raised his hand to end his life, and tore out his soul.
Then, Su Ming pushed this soul towards the location of the Soul of the Radiant Chanter.
This "fresh" and vibrant soul responded to the pull of the "Corridor of Mercy" far more strongly than the weakened Radiant Chanter. With a "whoosh," he completed his return and vanished.
The true soul of the Radiant Chanter remained in place. Having sensed the entire process, he could no longer maintain his previous detached demeanor. His soul trembled violently, uttering an incredulous cry of horror and despair, "You! You! What have you done?!"
"Um," Zijin yawned lazily, feeling a little sleepy in the middle of the night, "the Fate Manipulator has already exposed all of your Temple of Light's 'soul return' tricks."
"That guy got lucky!" Su Ming interjected, a hint of mockery in his voice. "He's really fortunate to enjoy the 'Nirvana ' treatment that only the top-tier Divine Covenant Faction faction leaders are entitled to!"
"It's useless." Zijin shook her head, pouring cold water on the idea. "The Fate Manipulator have said that they themselves know the flaws in the Return Ritual; they sometimes 'return' to the wrong person. Once they discover the soul is not right, the temple will not hesitate to strangle it."
"That's a real shame." Su Ming shrugged.
Upon hearing this, the Radiant Chanter was thrown into chaos, his soul's light flickering violently, filled with terror. Suddenly, Zijin raised her hand, and a beam of light, like a silver lightning bolt, shot from her fingertips, instantly wrapping around the Radiant Chanter's fragile soul.
"Soul Punishment!"
The next moment, the Radiant Chanter's indescribably mournful soul howl echoed through the void.