A Familiar Yet Unfamiliar Spirit Pagoda

However, there were hardly any people coming and going outside the Spirit Pagoda. After all, only Soul Masters came to the Spirit Pagoda, and in a small place like Aolai City, Soul Masters were truly few and far between.

For that very reason, the Spirit Pagoda in Aolai City was merely a lowest-tier branch. Even so, it was practically the largest building in the city.

Above the low-level Spirit Pagodas were seven-story mid-level Spirit Pagodas, found in the Sun Moon Federation's medium-sized cities, while the Spirit Pagodas in major cities stood thirteen stories tall.

The Spirit Pagoda headquarters, meanwhile, was located in Shrek City. It was a full eighty-one stories high and one of the most magnificent buildings on the Douluo Continent.

Speaking of becoming a Soul Master, there were actually subsidies for it—around a thousand credits. And a monthly Soul Master subsidy of one thousand credits was more than enough for a seven-year-old child.

Besides, since they would leave Aolai City sooner or later, having a subsidy meant they could rely on themselves a little more.

Someone else might have struggled to control their emotions, but both Wu Yang Jin and Tang Wu Lin were far more mature than their age suggested, and their mindsets were much steadier.

Lang Yue had originally planned to come along for the soul spirit purchase, but she truly could not get away from work. Tang Zi Ran, on the other hand, had successfully taken leave.

Back inside the Spirit Pagoda, the interior was just as spacious, exuding a mysterious air while also feeling highly advanced.

Rows of closed archways lined the surroundings. Further inside was a counter, behind which sat a Spirit Transfer Master around forty years old, dressed in a gray robe and resting with his eyes closed.

"Hello. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Spirit Transfer Master. I brought my son and his friend here to purchase soul spirits."

Wu Yang Jin and Tang Wu Lin stood to one side, while Na'er curiously looked around, holding Wu Yang Jin's hand.

"Did you bring enough money?" he asked flatly.

"Yes, yes, we did!"

"What level of soul spirit would you like to purchase?"

"Um... Spirit Transfer Master, we don't really understand this. Could you please explain it to us? We would really appreciate it."

"You came without finding out first? Unbelievable. Remember this: in a small place like Aolai City, we only provide ten-year white soul spirits, hundred-year yellow soul spirits, and random soul spirit draws."

The sudden shift in his attitude gave Na'er quite a fright, though she did not make much of a fuss. Wu Yang Jin reassured her that it was all right.

At the same time, he did not think much of the man. Just because this was a small place, he looked down on them and treated them with such disdain. But really...

"There are seventy-three choices of ten-year white soul spirits and eleven choices of hundred-year yellow soul spirits. White soul spirits cost seventy thousand, and yellow soul spirits cost one million. Which one do you want?"

"Spirit Transfer Master! Aren't soul spirits only thirty thousand? How... how could they..."

Wait, Wu Yang Jin suddenly thought. Could this guy be ripping them off?

"Tch! That is the price. That's what you get for not asking beforehand! Those are the listed prices, and they have not changed. Can you afford them or not? If not, you can spend thirty thousand on a random soul spirit draw. That's what the thirty thousand is for," the Spirit Transfer Master said.

"How could this be?" Tang Wu Lin exclaimed.

"Wulin... forget it. Take mine first. Go buy yourself a better one."

As he spoke, Wu Yang Jin handed his money to Tang Wu Lin.

"No, no, Yang Jin. This is your money. You need a soul spirit too!"

"It's fine. If you keep acting like this, I won't talk to you anymore. What are we?"

"Bro... brothers? Best friends..."

"Exactly. So take it and get yourself a better one."

Seeing this, the Spirit Transfer Master suddenly asked, "Child, what is your Martial Soul? If you give him your money, won't you be unable to buy one yourself?"

"Hello, my Martial Soul is the Snow Enchantress. But it's all right. I can save up more money."

"Hm? Snow Enchantress? Can you show me?"

At those words, an idea flashed through Wu Yang Jin's mind. The Snow Empress noticed it as well and said it was fine.

"Okay!"

As he spoke, he released his Snow Enchantress Martial Soul. That sensation of an icy, frozen world emerged once more, as though frost was gradually forming all around them.

Cold. Icy wind. A bone-piercing chill. That was what the Spirit Transfer Master felt, and he was utterly stunned. He could clearly sense that this was a powerful Martial Soul.

"C-Child, y-you... p-put it away!"

the Spirit Transfer Master said, shivering.

"Ah, okay."

After he withdrew his Martial Soul, the Spirit Transfer Master remained deeply shocked, though he soon regained his composure.

"Um, child... your Martial Soul is quite unusual. Your Innate Soul Power is?"

"Spirit Transfer Master, my Innate Soul Power is Rank Four. I'm only Rank Ten now."

"What? Rank Four? Hiss... that's a little miraculous. Still, it really is a pity."

"Hm? A pity?"

"Yes, child. You don't know this, but if you had been Rank Seven or above, you might have been recruited by the Spirit Pagoda for training."

"Wow! Really?!"

He was not actually excited. Though he was somewhat shocked, for some reason, he did not find it particularly appealing.

"Yes. Oh, and that other child—I can't bend the rules too much, but I'll give him one free random soul spirit draw. First, follow me so we can test your Spiritual Power."

Hearing that, though there was still a trace of disappointment, they were even more shocked and happy.

"Spirit Transfer Master... really? You're giving my son a soul spirit?"

"Yes, more or less. That child's Martial Soul is rather unusual. As for this child called Wulin, consider it his lucky day."

With that, he led the two children into a room. It lacked the ancient simplicity of the outside hall and was instead filled with a modern atmosphere, with many instruments arranged throughout.

"Do you know what Spiritual Power is?"

"Yes, I do," Wu Yang Jin answered.

"Then do you know one of its characteristics?"

"A characteristic? Do you mean that it has ranks?"

"That's right. From low to high, Spiritual Power is divided into six major levels: Spirit Origin Realm, Spirit Connection Realm, Spirit Sea Realm, Spirit Abyss Realm, Spirit Domain Realm, and the legendary God Origin Realm. The Spirit Origin Realm refers to the beginning of all things and the renewal of all phenomena. It is the most basic spiritual level."

"Oh, so that's how it is," Tang Wu Lin said.

"All right, I'll test what level you've reached. Remember, don't be nervous. Relax."

After the two children sat down, he pressed a button on the console. Immediately, numbers began flashing across the screen.

"How is that possible? No, no, no, this is outrageous! Is there something wrong with the machine? Or is something wrong with me?"

"Huh? We have to do it again?"

The two had just started to get down when they were called back and sat down again. The result was still exactly the same as before.

Tang Wu Lin's Spiritual Power remained fixed at seventy points, while Wu Yang Jin's remained fixed at one hundred and ten points. The facts proved that reality was simply that straightforward.

"Hm? Has the world changed?"

the Spirit Transfer Master thought. It was not that having two such children was bad, but he had seen far too few of them!

They were only seven years old, both with Innate Soul Power at Rank Four or Five—Wu Yang Jin had lied about his—and one had seventy points while the other had one hundred and ten?

"Huh? Mine is seventy points! It's actually that high? Yang Jin... yours is way too high!"

"Huh? Mine is actually this high too..."

For some reason, he felt it could have been even higher. It was not arrogance or complacency; he simply faintly felt that he should possess such strength.

Tang Wu Lin's previously gloomy mood immediately improved somewhat.

Moreover, the Spirit Transfer Master's explanation of the spiritual levels had shown him the splendor behind another door of the Soul Master world.