Shrek City

"How could you eat so much?" Shen Yue stared in astonishment.

Before her, Gu You was devouring his food. It was nothing like mountain delicacies or exotic seafood, but there were plenty of buns, noodles, and the like.

Still, the scene was rather awkward. Xin Ya watched him as if he were a food-streaming broadcast.

Gu You was puzzled as well. He did not possess Bloodline Power like Tang Wulin that required vast amounts of energy, so why was he still not full after eating so much? Could it be that people with Dragon Martial Souls were naturally big eaters?

"Oh, right. I've already reported Yue Tian's situation. He can enroll directly once he comes back." Xin Ya looked toward Shen Yue. The Sun Moon Federation had corresponding policies for talented but impoverished children. Ordinary families received three years of free compulsory education at junior academies, while intermediate academies required tuition. If a child was talented, the government would cover the costs itself. For poor families, both junior and intermediate academies were free, though securing a disadvantaged student quota was extremely difficult.

"Thank you." Shen Yue nodded heavily.

Two days later, a Soul Guidance Automobile sped along the Tianhai Expressway. Xin Ya drove with one hand while admiring the scenery of the West Coast outside.

Gu You also opened the window and looked out at the boundless sea, his heart full of emotion. The Star Dou Great Forest was nearing extinction. How much longer would this vast, endless ocean last?

Xin Ya noticed that Gu You was lost in thought and occasionally glanced back at him.

"I know I'm handsome." Gu You ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, aren't you full of yourself? You know, sometimes I really feel like you aren't the same age as the others. At the very least, you shouldn't be six." Xin Ya spoke calmly.

"What's wrong with maturing early?" Gu You was speechless. Thanks to Xin Ya's interruption, the sadness he had felt upon leaving his teacher and grandmother, along with the melancholy stirred by the sea, gradually faded away.

Shrek City.

There were not many skyscrapers as he had imagined. Instead, the city was filled with rather retro architecture, ancient and elegant in style. Still, this was a historic city as famous as Heaven Dou City, so the presence of old buildings was only natural.

The addition of many advanced Soul Guidance technologies in later generations gave those ancient structures a unique charm. For example, a medieval-style house in the distance emitted faint yellow motes of light. That was a Soul Guidance barrier, which stored Soul Power through solar energy and could withstand fixed-installation Soul Guide Cannons below the fifth rank. That was Shrek City's charm: a powerful sense of security.

Gu You gazed into the distance. A towering structure pierced the clouds—it was the headquarters of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars' Spirit Pagoda, known as the Heavenly Spirit Tower. It had eighty-one floors and stood nearly three thousand meters tall.

This was also Gu You and Xin Ya's first destination. He would first choose a suitable Soul Spirit and become a Soul Master before heading to Shrek Academy.

"The government has already spoken to the Spirit Pagoda. Your Soul Spirits for the first six rings will all be free, and you can choose whichever ones you want. Also, one of Shrek's elders has taken notice of your talent. Even without that councilor's recommendation, your admission into Shrek is already certain." Xin Ya spoke beside him with envy.

Gu You could only smile. Talent was certainly a good thing, but it could also be discouraging to others. Still, the Federation had definitely paid some price for this. After all, having the first six Soul Rings free, with unrestricted selection, was no small matter.

Inside the Heavenly Spirit Tower headquarters, Leng Yaozhu looked at the report in her hand and frowned. The Federation government had actually offered such generous terms for a child.

Innate Full Soul Power and a Martial Soul unseen in ten thousand years—how interesting. Although he was not loyal to the Spirit Pagoda, there was nothing excessive about taking on a disciple, was there? If she acted in her own name, the Federation likely would not object. At that thought, Leng Yaozhu smiled. She did not believe that she, the dignified Heavenly Phoenix Douluo and one of the continent's renowned experts, would be refused when taking a disciple.

Thinking of this, Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction, then called softly, "Yali!"

"I'm here, Vice Tower Master." Long Yali pushed open Leng Yaozhu's office door and walked in.

"I have something for you to arrange..."

By noon, after lingering by the roadside for an unknown amount of time, Xin Ya and Gu You finally arrived beneath the Spirit Pagoda.

Only when he stood close to the magnificent structure did Gu You truly appreciate its breathtaking craftsmanship. The entire building had an octagonal design, with three tiers, four sides, and eight directions. Every nine floors upward, it narrowed inward until it reached the spire at the top.

Once inside, they found the space immensely broad and resplendent. The floor was paved with dark-gold stone, covered in gorgeous natural patterns, while massive stone pillars supported a dome dozens of meters high.

At the very center stood two statues. Gu You recognized them at once: the once-renowned Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao and his wife, the Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong. On the surrounding walls, some unknown Soul Tool continuously projected scenes of Huo Yuhao's seven great Soul Spirits and tales that shook heaven and earth. Yet this was only a portion of it. Each of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars recorded different stories, and only together did they form a more complete account.

As for Huo Yuhao, what could Gu You say? He had started by changing his surname and dedicating himself to revenge, then later willingly took the Dai surname. In the end, because of Tang Wutong, he still became a loyal dog of the Tang Clan.

Many visitors wandered around the area. The Spirit Pagoda's income from selling Soul Spirits alone was enough to rival that of entire nations.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked with a smile.

Xin Ya took out a special black card and swiped it over the card reader beside him. Information instantly appeared through the projection of a Soul Tool.

"Selecting a Soul Spirit, thank you." Gu You widened his eyes.

"Are you Gu You?" The staff member's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes." Gu You scratched his head, unsure what was going on.

"Please wait a moment, I understand!" The staff member hurried away, leaving Gu You and Xin Ya utterly bewildered.

"Is that any way to treat customers? If she weren't a girl, I'd have started cursing already." Xin Ya frowned in displeasure.

"Sister Yali, you're here! That child you mentioned has arrived." The girl who had left found Long Yali, her voice excited.

"I understand, Hui Qing. Be quieter next time. There are many senior offices here." Long Yali patted Hui Qing's head. How could she not know what materials those offices were made from? Even if Shrek City exploded, the sound from the blast might not reach their ears. Her purpose was simply to make this young girl, new to the workplace, understand certain subtle principles.

"I understand... Sister Yali."

While waiting, Gu You wondered what he should choose as his first Soul Spirit. Then, the words Tyrant Dragon suddenly occupied his mind. A Sub-Dragon Species focused on offense—it could not be more suitable. The main question was whether the Spirit Pagoda had one. He remembered that Tang Wulin's Tyrant Dragon Soul Spirit had been brought out from the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"Hello, child." The sudden voice caught Gu You off guard. Xin Ya froze beside him, while the surrounding crowd turned their eyes toward them. The girl looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. She wore a dark, pale-black long dress and carried herself with an air of nobility. The newcomer was Long Yali.

Gu You was curious. That outfit would have seemed unremarkable outside, but this was the Spirit Pagoda, where hierarchy was strictly defined. Much like Soul Rings, white represented the lowest rank, with each level rising from there. Perhaps it was a matter of preference, but Gu You had noticed that people on Douluo Continent loved using colors to indicate status.