"Ding! Congratulations to the host for signing in Nana."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the soul skill [Gate of the Undead]. The host can now summon all undead creatures weaker than themselves to fight."
Qian Ran was thrilled. Wasn't this Huo Yuhao's soul skill?
Electrolux had a small undead dimension, teeming with undead creatures, which Huo Yuhao could summon for battle. However, the creatures summoned by Huo Yuhao were often unstable.
Qian Ran's [Gate of the Undead], however, was entirely different. Unlike Huo Yuhao, whose summons varied in strength, Qian Ran could summon targeted entities with precision.
More importantly, his existing soul skill, [Undead Legion], now became significantly more powerful under the enhancement of [Gate of the Undead]. Even Mu En and other undead could enter the small undead dimension for nourishment.
Qian Ran's fifth soul skill, a 100,000-year level ability, previously contained only [Undead Legion]. With an open slot, he seamlessly integrated [Gate of the Undead] into it.
These two skills—[Undead Legion] and [Gate of the Undead]—complemented each other perfectly.
The next morning, Qian Ran and Nana set off.
Nana donned a black tactical outfit. Her dark hair was tied into a neat ponytail, accentuating her tall and slender figure.
As they passed through the academy gates, the guards on duty merely glanced at her and let her through without issue.
Nana's reputation as a control-system genius preceded her. She was a likely candidate to represent the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy in the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, making her a well-known figure at the academy.
In terms of talent and strength, Nana far surpassed Ke Ke and Ju Zi.
As they left the academy, Nana glanced at Qian Ran with a complicated expression.
Qian Ran walked in and out of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy as though it were his personal playground. The two guards hadn't even noticed his presence. It was almost unbelievable.
Given Qian Ran's mastery over spiritual power, it was laughable to think any ordinary soul master could detect him. If Qian Ran chose to conceal himself, even standing right under someone's nose, he would remain undetected.
Only a Hyper Douluo-level expert could possibly see through his disguise.
Nana couldn't understand how someone younger than her could be so much stronger.
And why, possessing such an unparalleled martial soul, would Qian Ran bother researching and creating soul tools? Wasn't he just making life harder for himself? In her eyes, soul masters held a much higher status than soul engineers.
Qian Ran, of course, understood her thoughts. But he believed that one day he might create soul tools of unparalleled quality—even god-tier devices. After all, these so-called divine artifacts were nothing more than crafted items.
"Are you sure you want to do this alone? Shouldn't you ask your sect for reinforcements?" Nana exhaled deeply, her emotions a mix of nervousness and excitement as she prepared for what lay ahead.
"I'm more than enough. Even if a Title Douluo shows up, it's no problem," Qian Ran replied with a shrug.
He was certain that attacking this Holy Spirit Cult outpost would draw their attention.
In fact, the Cult should have noticed him the moment he used his martial soul in Star Luo City.
"I wonder how Ye Xishui is doing," Qian Ran mused inwardly.
Ye Xishui was a woman who had captured the attention of both Long Xiaoyao and Mu En, two of the most powerful Hyper Douluos.
The Sun Moon Empire's capital, Mingdu, was vast and bustling. This massive city, devoid of walls, was now aglow with lights as night fell.
Nana moved swiftly, navigating the streets with practiced ease. Her towering height of over 1.8 meters gave her long, striking legs. Even her light, graceful steps carried a sense of wind-like speed.
Despite her brisk pace, it still took them half an hour to reach their destination. Staring at an unassuming building in the distance, Nana seemed momentarily lost in thought.
"There it is. Three hundred meters ahead, the courtyard with the black-roofed building inside," she said.
"Don't worry. I've got this," Qian Ran reassured her, patting her shoulder.
"Okay." Nana nodded. She had seen a glimpse of Qian Ran's power the night before, when his mere presence had overwhelmed her. His strength was undoubtedly formidable.
Coupled with his Holy Light attribute's natural suppression of evil spirit masters, she had little reason to worry.
"Should I go in first while you follow me invisibly?" Nana asked.
"No need for all that trouble. Let's just barge in and kill them all," Qian Ran replied, taking her hand and heading toward the building she had indicated.
"Alright," Nana said, taking a deep breath. At this point, she had no choice but to go along with him.
The courtyard was inconspicuous amidst the surrounding buildings. Nana knocked lightly on the door, five times—three long and two short.
A young man in black, wearing a bamboo hat, came to open the door.
Before the man could react, Qian Ran placed a hand on his shoulder. In an instant, the man was engulfed in flames, reduced to ashes.
"So strong…"
Nana's pupils contracted, her heart filled with shock.
Those chosen by the Holy Spirit Cult were never weak, especially those stationed near Mingdu. Most were at least Soul Ancestor-level.
Yet Qian Ran had incinerated this man in the blink of an eye, leaving Nana speechless.
Qian Ran quickly repeated the process, effortlessly eliminating several other Holy Spirit Cult elites in the area.
"We have intruders!"
Qian Ran made no attempt to conceal his aura, alerting the two strongest evil spirit masters in the sanctuary.
"Holy Servant Six, how dare you betray us?" A sinister aura emanated from the two as they released their martial souls. Six soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—rose around each of them.
Seeing no signs of movement from the rest of the sanctuary, they realized all their subordinates had likely been silently killed.
It made sense. For the enemy to reach the sanctuary's core unnoticed, the lower-ranked disciples probably didn't even know how they died.
"These are the First and Second Holy Spirits of this sanctuary. They're the strongest ones here," Nana explained, her unease evident as she recognized the two.
She knew that if Qian Ran couldn't defeat them, her parents' souls would remain tormented, and she would face the most severe punishment. The Holy Spirit Cult was infamous for its ruthless treatment of traitors, sparing no effort to make an example out of them.
"Step back. I'll handle this," Qian Ran said.
"Alright." Nana, though initially wanting to help, realized her presence might hinder him and retreated to a safer distance.
"Traitors meet a grim end."
"And as for you, outsider, since you've learned our secrets, you'll never leave this place alive," the Second Holy Spirit declared, lunging forward. His right arm extended nearly a meter, pitch-black and reeking of a foul stench, aiming straight for Qian Ran's head.
The First Holy Spirit wasted no time either. Stomping the ground, he activated his first two soul rings, causing a wall to crack open. From it emerged six skeletal creatures, their burning forms charging toward Qian Ran in coordination with the Second Holy Spirit's attack.
(End of Chapter)
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X