Chapter 122: The Path of Desperation and Light
In the dormitory of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy, Nana returned to her room after a long day of training and play. Behind her composed expression lay a heart constantly weighed down by anxiety and despair.
Her torment stemmed from a cruel truth—her parents' souls had been imprisoned by an evil soul master. She was forced to obey this monster's orders and join the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy under his instructions. Life at the Academy, which should have been filled with hope and growth, became a daily struggle for survival and sanity.
The evil soul master set a cruel condition: she could only see her parents' souls if her cultivation speed met the standards he set. Only then would the torment inflicted on their spirits be lessened. But there was a trap. If her cultivation reached level 60, she would officially become one of his Holy Servants. And deep within, Nana could sense that once she crossed that line, she would cease to be herself. Her very soul might become corrupted, twisted beyond salvation.
If she cultivated slowly, her parents' suffering would increase. But if she progressed too quickly, she would fall into darkness herself. Trapped in this painful dilemma, Nana could only maintain the bare minimum speed to ensure her parents suffered as little as possible—while hoping that the day she reached the sixth ring would never arrive.
There was no path to resistance. Her talent was considered good, but not exceptional—certainly not enough to make the Sun Moon Royal Soul Instructor Academy risk challenging the terrifying influence of the evil soul masters for her sake.
For years now, Nana had lived in constant despair. Thoughts of death often surfaced in her mind, but the knowledge that her parents' souls were still suffering stopped her from giving up. Even death wasn't a release—she couldn't abandon them.
"Dad… Mom…" she whispered, curling up on her bed as silent tears fell.
Then, a voice suddenly pierced the silence.
"Do you want to save them?"
Startled, Nana sat up in shock.
"Who's there?!"
Instantly, four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—appeared around her, releasing a strong aura. Despite cultivating reluctantly, she had still reached the fifth ring by the age of seventeen, keeping pace with top talents like Beibei and Xu Sanshi. At fifteen, she already possessed four soul rings and had reached level forty-four.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy," came a calm voice. "At least… not right now."
As the speaker stepped forward, Nana recognized him instantly—Xiao Qiang.
He had become a household name in the Sun Moon Empire after leading a team to defeat Shrek Academy. His face was plastered across posters, and his name was praised by the Emperor himself. It was nearly impossible not to recognize him.
"You… what are you doing in my room?" she asked warily.
"I asked you a question: do you want to save your parents?"
Nana's eyes widened with disbelief. "What… what did you say?"
"I said, do you want to save them?" Xiao Qiang repeated calmly.
Nana hesitated, then silently walked to the door, locking it tightly behind her.
Xiao Qiang raised an eyebrow. "Uh… what are you doing?"
She walked toward him with resolve in her eyes, hands already reaching to undo her clothes.
"Wait—what are you doing?!" he said, flustered.
"This is the only thing I can offer," she said softly. "If you can save them, I'll give myself to you. I'll be your slave if you want. I'll do anything. Just… please save them."
Xiao Qiang let out a sigh and pressed his hand to his forehead.
Right… this is exactly how she responded when Huo Yuhao imprisoned her soul in the original story, he thought dryly. Tang Jia San Shao, you really don't disappoint…
"You're misunderstanding something," Xiao Qiang said. "I'm not helping you for this reason."
With that, a soft light radiated from his body as he released his martial spirit—an Angel Spirit. The room instantly filled with sacred, divine energy that made the air feel pure and heavy with power.
Nana's breath caught. "That spirit… it's…"
"An angel spirit," Xiao Qiang confirmed. "One that specializes in restraining evil soul masters. When I kill them, part of their soul power gets fed back to me. So I have a deal for you—take me to them. Help me find these evil soul masters. You'll get your parents back, and I'll grow stronger. That's all. Don't overthink it."
Nana stared at the glowing angel behind him, her heart trembling. For the first time in years, a tiny flame of hope sparked inside her. But then she hesitated again.
"My parents… the place where they're imprisoned is guarded by a Soul Saint and two Soul Emperors. You… you only have five rings. Are you sure you can handle them?"
Xiao Qiang's lips curled slightly.
"A Soul Saint and two Soul Emperors? That's nothing. Even without my angel spirit, I can wipe them out with ease. And honestly, there's no one else you can ask for help. No one else would dare touch this."
Nana bit her lip. "Then… when do we leave?"
"Now. Get dressed. The longer we wait, the more they suffer."
Nana stared at him.
"…Your words aren't wrong, but why do they sound so weird?" she muttered under her breath.
Meanwhile — At a Branch of the Holy Spirit Church
Within a hidden location of the Holy Spirit Church, an elder with seven soul rings stood before a young man who exuded terrifying authority. Despite being accompanied by two sixth-ring Soul Emperors, the elder behaved with utmost submission, bowing deeply as he presented several sealed soul containers to the youth.
The young man, a fourth-ring Soul Sect, slowly absorbed the tortured souls into a pair of growing, jagged bone wings on his back. As more souls fused with the wings, they began to pulse with eerie light.
At last, the young man opened his eyes.
"Level 47. Not bad."
He turned to the elder. "Elder Wang, the souls you gathered this time are quite satisfactory. Your contribution is notable."
Elder Wang instantly dropped to his knees, head lowered in reverence.
"To serve the Holy Son of the Church is my honor. I dare not claim any credit."
The Holy Son—Yan Feng—nodded in approval.
"Keep performing at this level and you'll be eligible for promotion in two years."
"Thank you, Holy Son. I will strive even harder."
Yan Feng's gaze shifted toward the empty soul containers.
"With so many souls consumed, this branch is temporarily weakened. If someone attacks us now, it could be dangerous."
"Please rest assured," Elder Wang replied respectfully. "Though I am only a Soul Saint, the Church has granted me a special ability. Even an eight-ring Soul Douluo wouldn't gain the upper hand against me. Besides, no one dares to anger the Holy Spirit Church. We are perfectly safe."
"I see…"
BOOM!
Before Yan Feng could finish his thought, a deafening explosion shattered the silence.
The doors to the Holy Spirit Church branch were blasted into splinters.
A storm of wind and holy light surged in from the entrance.
A voice, calm yet commanding, echoed through the dust and smoke:
"Sorry to interrupt your evil gathering. I'm here to collect some souls… and settle a score."