Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 196 The Status of the Death Saintess

On the streets, there was no noise or dust from horse-drawn carriages; instead, there were sleek, silent soul-powered vehicles.

They travel precisely and efficiently through every corner of the city along energy circuits engraved on the ground, becoming the primary means of transportation for citizens.

On both sides of the road stand skyscrapers of different styles, all of which exude a sense of design.

Their walls reflect the sun's brilliance during the day, and at night, they light up with giant dynamic advertisements composed of countless soul-guided light tubes, dazzling the city as if it were daytime.

The signs of various soul guide shops shimmered with a mesmerizing glow, and the shop windows displayed a dazzling array of items, from the most basic lighting soul guides to complex household automation equipment and portable soul guide devices for personal use.

The view above the city is quite different.

A network of aerial tracks, driven by soul power, crisscrossed the landscape, with small, privately-owned soul-guided aircraft moving in an orderly fashion.

Higher in the sky, massive, silver-gray soul-guided airships patrolled slowly along fixed routes.

They are the aerial guardians of Mingdu, their massive searchlight beams sweeping across the city below, demonstrating the empire's omnipresent control.

The air was not filled with the freshness of nature, but with a unique scent that was a mixture of metal, energy, and vitality.

Everything here operates at high speed, full of opportunities and challenges, leaving every newcomer in awe of its almost sci-fi-like advancement and prosperity.

In the southern part of Mingdu, in a relatively quiet residential area, there is an inconspicuous little courtyard.

The courtyard walls were dusty and gray, and there were only a few ordinary plants inside. Compared with the carefully maintained gardens of the surrounding neighbors, it looked rather desolate.

However, this ordinary little courtyard was filled with a suffocating solemnity and fervor at this moment.

In the center of the courtyard, the butterfly slowly came to a stop.

She raised her hand and took off the black hood that covered most of her face.

In an instant, it seemed as if moonlight was pouring down.

Her long, smooth hair cascaded down like a waterfall, its roots a pure silver that gradually transitioned to a dreamy, magnificent purple towards the ends.

What's even more striking are her unusual ears, which taper slightly upwards, giving them an elegant and delicate pointed shape, like a fairy from the forest in legend.

Her small face was so delicate it seemed unreal, but her purple eyes held no emotion, only an unfathomable indifference.

"thump--"

As she removed her hood, all the cult members in the courtyard, dressed in black robes, seemed to be controlled by an invisible command. They all knelt on one knee in unison, bowing their heads deeply, their movements perfectly synchronized, uttering fervent and respectful whispers:

"Welcome Her Highness the Saint."

Among the crowd, there was only one exception.

The one standing at the very front was an old man, also dressed in a black robe, but his aura was far more profound than the others, clearly a Soul Saint level expert.

He did not kneel down, but bowed deeply to express his respect.

In the Douluo Continent, a Soul Saint is a powerful figure who can establish a sect wherever he goes and enjoys an extremely high status.

Even within the strictly hierarchical Holy Spirit Cult, elders at the Soul Saint level are not required to kneel in obeisance before the Holy Maiden.

However, Xia Die remained oblivious to all of this. Her indifferent purple eyes did not linger on any of the kneeling followers, nor did they pay any attention to the Soul Saint Elder who was bowing in salute.

She walked straight past them, expressionless, through the path between them, as if they were just a group of lifeless stone sculptures.

Despite being completely ignored, no one was dissatisfied. Even the Soul Saint Elder remained bowed, not daring to make the slightest move.

Because everyone knew that the saintess before them was not only the symbol of the future of the Holy Spirit Sect, but also the personal disciple of Ye Xishui, the Supreme Leader of the Sect, who was the most eccentric and ruthless in his methods.

Furthermore, behind Xia Die, there was another person following closely behind.

It was a girl who looked not much older than Xia Die, wearing an elaborate and gorgeous black Gothic Lolita dress, and holding a black lace parasol in her hand.

A naive yet eerie smile graced her face, and her scarlet eyes, like the purest blood, radiated a chilling madness and pleasure.

Crimson Douluo, Scarlet Nightmare.

The Holy Spirit Cult's three revered figures, a level 97 powerful attack-type Super Douluo.

Her presence was like an invisible shackle, gripping the throats of everyone present and making them tremble from the depths of their souls.

Beneath that seemingly elegant parasol lies a terrifying power capable of easily slaughtering an entire city.

She is the saint's most loyal protector and her sharpest sword.

The rooms in the courtyard were simply furnished, even somewhat shabby, with only a set of plain wooden tables and chairs, which was completely out of place with the decadent and extravagant atmosphere of Mingdu.

This is precisely the characteristic of many Holy Spirit Church strongholds—practicality above all else, rejecting all unnecessary embellishments.

Xia Die casually sat down in the main seat, while Fei Yan, like a shadow following her, elegantly folded up the black lace parasol and leaned it against the wall. Then, Fei Yan stood quietly beside Xia Die, his scarlet eyes scrutinizing every corner of the room with a hint of boredom.

Not long after, a light but hurried sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

The door was carefully pushed open a crack, and a young girl carrying a wooden tray walked in with her head down.

She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with a neat dark red ponytail and a healthy wheat-colored complexion from years of exercise.

The black robe she wore was the standard attire for a common saint, and it had been starched until it was somewhat faded, indicating that it had been worn for a long time.

The girl's movements were deliberately cautious. She walked to the table, and the two rough ceramic teacups on the tray made a slight clinking sound because of the slight trembling of her hands.

She first placed a cup of tea on the empty seat in front of Fei Yan, and then, with an almost sacrificial gesture, held the other cup in both hands and gently placed it in front of Xia Die.

Throughout the entire process, she kept her head down, her gaze only daring to linger on the ground three inches in front of her toes, as if looking at it even once more would be a desecration.

"Your Highness, please have some tea."

Her voice was barely audible.

After completing her mission, she felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She immediately bowed and retreated, making every move with utmost care, for fear of disturbing these two important figures.

"What's your name?"

Just as the girl was about to retreat to the doorway, thinking she could leave safely, a cold voice suddenly rang out.

(End of this chapter)