Chapter 9: The Unexpected Arrival

"Your sister has left," Yilaikesi remarked with a sigh.

"Indeed!" Xiadie nodded, "We are twins, and with our overlapping Authorities, we can meet even across the universe."

"Before awakening my martial soul this time, I had a feeling I would see her."

"How incredible," Yilaikesi said curiously, "Are you saying your martial soul is your sister?"

"Not exactly!"

Xiadie pondered and shook her head gently.

"My martial soul is Bolvkesi, the dragon that just appeared in the sky; it is the manifestation of my Authority."

"However, regarding my relationship with Bolüxiya, under specific circumstances, Bolüxiya can contact me through Bolvkesi."

"Hmm..."

Yilaikesi did not reply.

He was becoming increasingly interested in Paths, Emanators, and Aeons.

But even if Xiadie were willing to explain, without experiencing it firsthand, he probably wouldn't be able to understand much.

"I should return."

Xiadie's figure began to fade, "The appearance of Bolüxiya will likely cause disturbances in the outside world; I hope no accidents occur!"

Xiadie was unsure if the resonance of Authority would stir up a massive commotion in Xingluo Cheng, especially if Tang Shenwang discovered any abnormal changes.

That would surely lead to a "You have already invited your own death."

"Very well."

Yilaikesi nodded, watching as Xiadie's projected figure vanished into his Spirit Sea.

"Hoo—" Xiadie opened her eyes, her consciousness having returned to the outside world.

A death aura surged around her, though it was much weaker than her true Authority.

Not in quantity, but in quality.

Xiadie already knew how to convert Authority into soul power.

Striking while the iron was hot, she placed her palm on the soul power testing device.

"Beep, beep, beep, beep—"

Several crisp sounds rang out.

The reading on the Soul Guidance Device for testing soul power climbed rapidly until it stopped at a certain mark.

"Level 20 soul power."

Xiadie put down the testing device; her current soul power was about what she had estimated.

What she needed to do was to make it compatible with the laws of this world, rather than degrading divine power into soul power like Di Tian, which would then make it impossible to restore to divine power.

"Level 20, plus the Extreme Death Attribute, that should be enough."

Xiadie lifted her fair palm gently, and wisps of purple light converged to form a long-handled scythe in her palm.

Xiadie felt the condensed weapon carefully and frowned slightly: "Stabilizing soul power into a form, it can probably last for one minute."

"Too short," Xiadie shook her head, "It seems I need a medium?"

Finding an object to serve as a medium was the only way to allow the Authority to convert into soul power and maintain a stable state.

Xiadie pondered, murmuring to herself:

"I remember the Xingguang Auction House has a listed Engraving Knife, which has remained unsold due to its malevolent nature of consuming its master."

This thing might be able to serve as a weapon to carry her Authority.

Come to think of it, when Huo Yuhao first entered the Xingguang Auction House, it was this very Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife that Yilaikesi had him buy.

I wonder if the Spirit-Devouring Engraving Knife has been sold yet, and what the price is.

"I remember in the original story, the price of this knife was 100,000 Gold Soul Coins."

"Hiss—"

Xiadie gasped.

100,000 Gold Soul Coins; even if she sold herself, she couldn't come up with that much!

"Is Miss Xiadie in?"

A knocking sound—knock, knock, knock—interrupted Xiadie's thoughts.

"What is it?" Xiadie collected her thoughts.

"Miss Xiadie, you haven't left your room for a week."

"Does your business concern how long people stay in your hotel?" Xiadie asked in confusion, "If I recall correctly, I paid for a month's stay, right?"

"It's not like that."

The hotel manager's bitter voice came through, "Something happened a few days ago..."

After listening to the hotel manager's account from outside the door, Xiadie fell into a long silence.

The darkness that had shrouded Xingluo Cheng for several days, and the Xingluo Royal Family wanting to register all travelers?

"Troublesome!"

Xiadie sighed.

"Miss Xiadie, you'll get a 30% discount on your stay this time," the hotel manager sensed Xiadie's dissatisfaction and added,

"We have no choice; it's an order from the royal family, so please come out and register."

"Fine."

Xiadie stood up and pushed open the room door.

The hotel manager wore a face full of apologetic smiles.

Not long after, Xiadie followed the hotel manager to the front of the lobby.

Many people were gathered in the hotel lobby, and quite a few were Soul Masters.

In the center of the hotel front desk lobby, a golden-haired woman was looking at an information sheet.

The woman had a graceful figure, the kind that would become the focus of attention just by being looked at.

A high-level Soul Ancestor, likely no older than 15, and there were hidden powerhouses in the shadows.

"Your Highness the Princess." The hotel manager bowed respectfully to the golden-haired woman, "This is the last registered Soul Master guest practicing in our Xingchen Hotel."

The woman addressed as the Princess slowly turned around, and the moment she saw Xiadie, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"You take the others and leave first; I wish to have a chat with this young lady."

"Yes." The hotel manager and several attendants crowded around, ushering the others away.

Seeing this, Xiadie fell into silence; it seemed this Princess had come for her.

Indeed, she shouldn't have entered deep meditation, but she hadn't sensed any killing intent, so there shouldn't be any major trouble.

If it really came to it, she would just have to tear through space and run.

Before awakening her martial soul, she had been suppressed too severely to do so, but now...

One must know that to tear through space, one usually needs the strength of a 95th Level Titled Douluo.

To be able to use spatial abilities for travel, aside from spatial-type Soul Masters, one must reach the level of a Limit Douluo.

Just as Xiadie was pondering, the golden-haired woman spoke slowly: "Nice to meet you, Miss Xiadie. My name is Xu Jiujiu, and I am the eldest princess of the Star Luo Empire."

Both in her speech and her demeanor, Xu Jiujiu was very proper.

Xu Jiujiu?

So that was it; although she had expected it, she was still a bit shocked.

"Does Your Highness the Princess have any business with me?" Xiadie raised her guard.

As a four-ring Soul Ancestor, with the Extreme Attribute she could unleash, plus her own Domain, it would not be difficult to take the other party down.

The trouble was what lay behind: that powerhouse suspected to be a Titled Douluo.

From the manager, Xiadie had already learned quite a bit of information, but the matter of the Star Luo Great Black Heaven had still caused too much of a stir.

Locking down the martial soul awakening of an entire city.

This was either the emergence of a peerless great demon or the manifestation of a peerless genius.

Bolüxiya, look at you; if you wanted to come see me, you could have just come, why make such a huge commotion?

"Sigh!"

Xiadie felt helpless in her heart.

Since things had come to this, she could only take things as they came.

"Miss Xiadie, you were previously awakening your martial soul, correct?" Xu Jiujiu spoke directly, not intending to beat around the bush.

"Yes, Your Highness the Princess." Others either waited until her martial soul awakening was finished to appear, or had been staying here for a period of time.

But a Titled Douluo was incredibly sharp; it was not difficult to detect subtle fluctuations in the air.

Xu Jiujiu did not seem to have any intention of prying into Xiadie's martial soul; she cleared her throat and said:

"I wonder, Miss Xiadie, do you have any thoughts of joining our Star Luo Empire?"