As Ronan's call came to an end, a rustling sound echoed through the hazy Moon Tree forest, and several figures appeared before him.
These individuals were adorned with glowing patterns painted with Moon Tree sap, blending seamlessly into the environment, making them nearly indistinguishable to the naked eye.
"Uda mi u."
The leader, with a vigilant expression, stepped forward and spoke in a native dialect similar to what Ronan had used earlier.
"Uda."
Ronan responded simply, but when the other spoke again, he remained silent.
Evaque had only taught him these two phrases.
The group of natives, drawn out by Ronan's call, huddled together to whisper, then quickly turned to leave, leaving one person behind to watch him and Moriel.
Ronan's mental energy followed the departing natives deep into the Moon Tree forest, soon discovering a primitive-style tribe. The tribe was populated by ordinary mortals, but a layer of Rune Array power enveloped the entire perimeter, likely the work of Evaque.
Out of politeness, Ronan did not rush forward but quietly waited in place.
The remaining native was a robust young man with slightly dark skin, perhaps attracted by Moriel's appearance, as he kept stealing glances at him.
When he noticed Moriel's injured feet, he carefully unfastened a small pouch made of animal skin from his waist and handed it over.
Ronan glanced inside and saw it contained some kind of healing powder for external wounds. He did not stop him, simply nodding in gratitude to the young native, while Moriel disdainfully ignored the offered medicine, causing the young man to display a mix of embarrassment and inferiority.
Before long, the departing natives returned, surrounding a young girl dressed in a white wolf skin skirt.
She had an ordinary appearance, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, with a glimmer of intelligence flashing between her brows, radiating the mental energy wave of a first-level Wizard.
The girl in the white wolf skin skirt approached the two and performed a peculiar greeting, then spoke in a clear and precise common language of the southern Wizards.
"Holy One has been waiting for you both for quite some time."
It was obvious who the "Holy One" the girl referred to was.
Ronan took Moriel and followed the girl forward. Before long, he found himself in the depths of the Moon Tree forest, face to face with Evaque.
Compared to his appearance during the Herams talent competition, Evaque now looked even more wild and untamed.
He was simply wrapped in a black wolf skin, his strong physique covered in white totemic patterns.
"You didn't tell me you brought someone else."
Evaque's first words upon meeting Ronan were a question about Moriel's presence.
When he clearly saw Moriel's appearance, he was even more shocked.
"It's actually her?!"
"Some unexpected events occurred."
Ronan exchanged a knowing glance with Evaque, who immediately arranged for someone to take Moriel away. In the beast skin tent that belonged to him as the tribe's Holy One, only the two of them remained.
Ronan briefly explained how he encountered Moriel midway and the changes that had occurred to both of them.
"Such a thing actually happened."
Evaque listened to Ronan's account, expressing his astonishment.
"I have heard of the legend of the Phoenix.
It is said that this ancient creature can promote self-healing by devouring the souls of others when injured. If something goes wrong during this process, it may lead to a backlash, causing both its own and others' bodies and souls to burn away completely. However, from the ashes, a brand new individual is said to be born, which is not so much immortality as an alternative way of bloodline continuation for the species. Your current situation resembles a kind of dual soul distortion resulting from a failed 'Nirvana.'"
"Is there a way to resolve it?"
Ronan asked in a deep voice.
Evaque shook his head. "Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about it at the moment."
Ronan's brows furrowed tightly. If even Evaque couldn't help, he truly couldn't think of anyone else to turn to for assistance.
It was impossible to maintain this inexplicable relationship with Moriel indefinitely.
Moreover, even if he could accept it, Moriel might not agree.
At this stage, they appeared to be getting along well, but that was only because Moriel lacked the ability to resist; their relationship was dominated by him.
Once the powerful family behind Moriel arrived and dissolved their contractual state, Ronan would undoubtedly be doomed.
"I know what you are worried about."
Evaque seemed to read his thoughts and calmly said, "One thing you can rest assured about is that even if this state between you is resolved, Moriel will never have the intention to harm you."
"Why?"
Ronan squinted and asked.
"Because the fusion of your souls has been ongoing for some time. Even if you are separated now, a part of each other's soul will remain within you. This residue will lead you to recognize each other as the closest existence in this world for a long time. This intimacy stems from the soul and surpasses even blood ties. Ask yourself, Damien, if you set aside this symbiotic relationship, could you truly harm her without hesitation?"
Evaque looked into Ronan's eyes, and Ronan was momentarily taken aback.
As Evaque said, although he thought ten times a day about the idea of "once the relationship is severed, immediately kill Moriel to silence her," if he truly had to act, he found it difficult to pinpoint his true feelings.
Ronan had always believed this was due to the existence of the "symbiotic" contract, but he did not expect the reason to be more complex, rooted in the instinct of the soul affecting self-awareness.
"I think you don't even need to worry about the dissolution of this relationship. As long as this fusion lasts more than a year, it will affect your physical bloodline. The bloodline of the legendary Phoenix is not something everyone has the chance to obtain."
Evaque spoke calmly, then took out a white finger bone that resembled crystal or jade and handed it to Ronan.
"Keep this safe. At a critical moment, it can shield all your soul fluctuations, evading all detection methods under the seventh level of Twilight. When Moriel's kin come looking for you, you might find it useful."
Ronan's eyes flickered. Evaque's gift sealed his last lingering worries. He carefully accepted it and sincerely thanked Evaque.
"Alright, back to the main topic."
With the matter regarding Moriel concluded, Evaque finally shifted the conversation to the real reason he sought Ronan.
Ronan straightened up slightly. Whether it was the reminder during the competition or the white finger bone just now, Evaque had shown him considerable goodwill.
The more so, the more it highlighted the importance of what he was seeking his help for, and the risks might exceed Ronan's expectations.
"I want you to accompany me to the Hall of Spirits!"
Evaque's opening words startled Ronan.
"The Hall of Spirits of the Ancient Spirit Witch? Isn't it said to have been sealed and banished into endless time and space long ago?"
"I have found it, and I have a way to break the seal…"
Evaque's expression was calm, yet his words were shocking. "I have even been inside once, but for certain reasons, I ultimately returned empty-handed."
A deep shock appeared on Ronan's face. If this news were to spread, it would likely cause a huge uproar in the southern Wizarding community.
Currently, the rumors about Evaque were that he was merely a "lucky one" who accidentally obtained a shallow part of the Ancient Spirit Witch's legacy. He had not received the core inheritance of the Ancient Spirit Witch's lineage, so even though many were curious about Evaque's mysterious background, few delved deeper.
Who would have thought that Evaque had already entered the Hall of Spirits? He could truly be called a genuine Spirit Wizard.
Evaque continued, "I come from the Uta tribe, which is the tribe you see now.
Our Uta lineage has always preserved the complete inheritance of the Ancient Spirit Witch, but the requirements to become a Spirit Wizard are very strict. In this generation, I am the only one qualified to become a Spirit Wizard.
Five years ago, I had already cultivated to the point of being recognized by the spirits. Accompanied by several tribal elders, I entered the Hall of Spirits to undergo the spirits' trial, but unfortunately, I failed, and all the elders perished.
I am unwilling to accept this and want to try again.
However, to initiate the inheritance trial, at least one soul anomaly must assist.
I left the tribe to participate in this talent competition to find a capable soul anomaly to help me."
Hearing Evaque's explanation, Ronan couldn't help but ask, "What does soul anomaly mean?"
"It's hard to explain."
Evaque thought for a moment and said, "It refers to a person who contains more than one soul within them. You can think of it as a kind of soul distortion.
Generally speaking, this kind of distortion is formed postnatally. The Spirit Wizard lineage has a tradition of passing down parts of the soul through generations, so it is more common. Outside of Spirit Wizards, this situation is quite rare.
Especially someone like you, who clearly contains more than one soul yet still maintains a very intact self-awareness, is even rarer."
Ronan roughly understood what Evaque was describing.
He had crossed over to this world, merging with the original soul of "Ronan" upon arrival, and later, during his cultivation, inadvertently fused with a part of the ancient will of "Hekalto," thus becoming what is referred to as a "soul anomaly."
This characteristic was also the key obstacle preventing him from advancing to the fourth level of Dawn. He had come to find Evaque to resolve this issue.
"Is there really only me in the entire south?"
Ronan asked again.
"No."
Evaque shook his head. "In fact, there is another person. To some extent, he is more suitable than you. The other part of the soul within him is stronger and has fused better.
However, his personality is extremely unstable. I tried to contact him but felt I couldn't establish a relatively stable cooperative relationship, so I gave up."
"Who?"
Ronan pressed.
Evaque calmly uttered a name: "Anglie Leo.
He is the opponent you faced during the second round of the blood battle."
Anglie?!
Anglie harbors a soul even more powerful than the Ancient Frost Hydra "Hekalto"?! Ronan's mind was shaken, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"I left Fairy Ancient City after watching your battle."
Evaque pondered, "From my perspective, at that time, if he had been willing to reveal all his methods, no one would have been his opponent."
Ronan fell silent.
He had thought he had defeated Anglie head-on, tearing apart a long-standing nightmare in his heart.
Little did he know, Anglie was hiding deeper than anyone.
"Hiss—"
Ronan took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within him, and asked Evaque, "What do I need to do to accompany you into the Hall of Spirits?"
"I will tell you when the time comes. It's not particularly difficult."
"Is there any danger?"
"Of course, there are risks, but with your strength, it should not be a problem."
Evaque explained, "The Uta tribal elders who accompanied me into the Hall of Spirits were all only second-level Wizards, and they were quite old. Shortly after entering, they were directly called by the spirits and remained there forever. This was also the main reason for my trial's failure."
Evaque's gaze was sincere, filled with unwillingness.
Ronan felt that his words did not seem false, but of course, he could not fully trust Evaque.
"I need to think about it."
Ronan spoke.
Evaque nodded. "Of course. You have plenty of time to consider. Even if you ultimately refuse, it's fine.
In fact, I already have another candidate; it just requires some time to cultivate."
Ronan instinctively thought of the girl in the white wolf skin skirt who had led him into the tribe on Evaque's behalf. After inquiring, Evaque indeed nodded.
"...In as short as half a year, or as long as three to five years, I will contact you again.
Entering the Hall of Spirits will also benefit you; it should be able to resolve the soul fusion issue you are currently facing."
Ronan's expression shifted. He realized that Evaque had already seen through the obstacles he faced in advancing to Dawn and had smoothly brought up his problem.
Evaque was generous with his guidance.
"The incomplete fusion of the two souls within you is because you have not understood the obsessions they held before being merged by you.
Soul fusion is akin to redeeming lost souls; achieving the goals they wished to accomplish but did not, will naturally make them docile."
As a Spirit Wizard, Evaque was a master in the study of souls. His words cut precisely to the heart of Ronan's issues, clearing the heavy fog in his mind.
"Obsession."
Ronan silently mulled over these two words. There is a tradition in the Wizarding community that when a Wizard dies, their friends and family often recite a "Lament for the Soul," which serves to comfort the lost souls.
He was unclear about Hekalto's obsession, nor did he want to understand it. He didn't even plan to merge with Hekalto's remnants; if given the chance, he would certainly want to expel it from his body.
However, regarding the original "Ronan," he thought of the letters from his hometown piled up in his space ring, realizing it was time to return.
"Where is the entrance to the Hall of Spirits?"
"In the Central Continent."
After asking the last question, their conversation came to an end.
As he followed Evaque out of the beast skin tent, he noticed that the Uta tribe had already lit a welcoming bonfire in the center of the tribe.
As the highest Holy One of the Uta tribe, Evaque's guest, Ronan was deeply respected by all the Uta tribesmen.
Under the arrangement of the girl in the white wolf skin skirt, the Uta tribe held a grand feast, and Ronan gladly took his seat.
The main dish of the feast was a thick soup made from various crushed berries and boiled with beast meat, seasoned with many spices, making it quite delicious, paired with a homemade fruit wine called Uta wine
.
Under the moonlight, by the bright bonfire, Ronan enjoyed a tranquility he hadn't experienced in a long time.
He saw Moriel sitting alone in a corner, not eating anything, instead staring blankly at the flames, lost in thought.
(End of Chapter)