"These… these are souls?" Nightmare Douluo quickly realized. "How could you… Of course, if your martial soul can contain souls, it's only natural you'd have the ability to manipulate them!"
The black shadow in the air trembled, and a dark glow flared again. "Sixth Soul Skill, Panic Scream—"
As the remnant souls lunged toward Nightmare Douluo, relentlessly tearing at the black shadow, Lin Xiao's soul power and mental energy were already poised for action. Just as he prepared to launch another attack, a piercing scream rang in his ears, striking deep into his soul.
His soul power instantly became chaotic. In the air, the remnant souls seemed to suffer an attack as well, with some of the weaker ones dissipating entirely under the scream's force.
Even the assassin soul, which had accompanied Lin Xiao the longest, flickered, clearly impacted heavily.
He was a Titled Douluo, after all.
Lin Xiao sighed inwardly. His soul-related abilities could indeed affect Nightmare Douluo, but they were far from enough to defeat him outright.
"My dear disciple, I must say you truly surprise me. Waiting any longer might indeed bring unexpected outcomes. But unfortunately, that won't happen anymore. After all, I am your teacher."
"Eighth Soul Skill, Nightmare Weaving—"
Nightmare Douluo suddenly spoke, his voice like a thunderclap. A thick layer of darkness spread out, completely shrouding the sky, plunging the surroundings into a night-like state without a trace of light.
Even the glow of Lin Xiao's soul rings couldn't travel far before being swallowed by the darkness.
Nightmare Douluo seemed to be saying something, but to Lin Xiao, the words were distorted, as if coming from far away. Instead, voices calling out grew closer.
"Axiao, Axiao, don't sleep! Tell us a few more stories!"
"Yeah, yeah, Axiao, why did you have to kill us in the story?"
You… kill?
"Sir, it was you who brought us sisters into the Holy Cult. If you want our lives, just take them."
"If it weren't for you, I'd probably have died completely after taking that blow for Xu Tianran. My life was yours to begin with."
"That move was strong. I lost."
"Why are you an evil soul master? I thought you were like us, fighting to eliminate evil soul masters, but why—"
Accusations and roars echoed, and Lin Xiao seemed to wake from one nightmare only to plunge into another. For a moment, he could no longer discern whether he was in reality or a dream, forgetting what he was even doing…
"Sigh—"
Another sigh sounded, but this one didn't come from Lin Xiao's dreams; it came from deep within his heart, or rather, from his sea of consciousness.
Lin Xiao's heart jolted, and he suddenly realized the voice belonged to Electrolux.
Before Lin Xiao could speak, Electrolux's voice sounded again. "I've watched your battle. Though you understand some of the essence of souls, your control over them is still quite rudimentary."
"Souls, as a force that can be controlled, are unlike any other power. They come from humans, carrying their knowledge and memories from life, imbued with wisdom and spirituality."
"Overly controlling them only makes them an extension of your power. A slight change in approach can unleash their own strength fully."
"If the souls you control retain their own spirituality, even in a disadvantageous situation like now, they can still fight for you."
Electrolux's voice wasn't loud, yet it pierced through the layers of dreams, resounding in Lin Xiao's mind.
The dreamscapes, indistinguishable from reality, began to dissipate one by one, and another scene appeared before him.
Countless remnant souls were rushing toward Nightmare Douluo, attacking chaotically like wild beasts, tearing without strategy.
Even the assassin soul was merely performing the simplest attacks, showing no trace of the eight-ring cultivator who had completed countless assassinations in life.
Meanwhile, Nightmare Douluo ignored these attacks, steadily approaching Lin Xiao.
"Learn to control your own power, control those souls, control your own soul."
Electrolux's voice echoed in Lin Xiao's sea of consciousness, and a strange syllable rang out sharply. "Kur—"
"My dear disciple, I watched you grow up. I know your fears better than anyone. But you no longer need to fear them. Sleep now, and your teacher will make good use of your body."
The translucent black shadow blended almost completely with the surrounding darkness, slowly approaching Lin Xiao. Nightmare Douluo's hoarse voice came from the shadow, tinged with barely suppressed excitement as he looked at Lin Xiao, fully consumed by the Nightmare Demon.
"I reached Titled Douluo in my youth, but my talent limited me from advancing further. I had no choice but to beg the Sovereign for a way to break through those limits. After half a lifetime of wandering, I've finally found a satisfactory vessel."
"Rest assured, you won't feel any pain."
The black shadow that was Nightmare Douluo drew closer, gently brushing Lin Xiao's cheek and hair, as if trying to merge with him entirely.
But at that moment, Lin Xiao's eyes snapped open, the deep blue in them piercing the darkness like a tangible force. His lips moved slightly, and an obscure syllable escaped his mouth. "Kur—"
The world fell silent for an instant, then a cold light sliced through the pitch-black sky.
The assassin's figure vanished from its spot, reappearing behind Nightmare Douluo.
Nightmare Douluo, who had been savoring Lin Xiao, felt a jolt in his heart, an inexplicable chill rising within him.
"Hahaha, I've been dead for over a thousand years, yet I never thought I'd have a chance to act again. Oh? An evil soul master, no less?"
A wild laugh erupted from within Lin Xiao, accompanied by a deeper, more profound black shadow. For some reason, when Nightmare Douluo heard this voice, an instinctive urge to flee surged within him, as if facing a Titled Douluo of higher cultivation.
"What… what did you do?"
Nightmare Douluo's voice trembled, devoid of the earlier confidence.
Lin Xiao's eyes were now clear. "Nothing much. I just realized something. Since I can't face you alone, Teacher, I'll just bring a few more people."
As his words fell, his right leg suddenly glowed, and his long hair was instantly dyed blood-red, billowing upward.
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