Lease

Tang San had been feeling incredibly unlucky lately.

Just a few days after he finished absorbing the Mandala Snake Spirit Ring, the Spirit Hall suddenly issued a shocking announcement that reverberated throughout the entire Spirit Master world.

They had developed a brand-new method for forging contracts with Soul Beasts.

This wasn't just a simple Spirit Ring absorption technique; it was a revolutionary breakthrough that allowed Spirit Masters to establish an equal partnership with Soul Beasts.

Master Yu Xiao Gang nearly shattered his glasses when he saw the announcement.

The master of theory had never imagined that the Spirit Ring system he had dedicated his life to researching would be completely overturned by such an unheard-of method.

Within just half a year, a "Soul Beast Pokemon" craze had swept through Nuoding City.

Children could be seen everywhere on the streets, accompanied by all sorts of Soul Beasts. Tang San's eyes burned with envy as he looked at these uniquely shaped and capable Soul Beast companions.

After all, these were battle partners one could entrust their life to!

This new type of Soul Beast Pokemon had completely changed traditional combat modes.

Major Douluo Arenas had canceled their original team competitions and introduced specialized "Soul Beast Pokemon Battles."

After all, as a Spirit Master's rank increased, so did the number of Soul Beasts they could contract. A high-ranking Spirit Master with multiple Soul Beast companions possessed combat power that far surpassed traditional seven-person teams.

Even more terrifying was the fact that Spirit Masters and their contracted Soul Beasts shared a telepathic connection, making their coordination seamless.

Even Wang Sheng from the seventh dormitory, whom he had easily defeated before, had now contracted a hundred-year Dark Tiger. Every time they met at the academy, Wang Sheng would proudly show off his Soul Beast companion.

What frustrated Tang San the most was that Wang Sheng, now working with the Dark Tiger, could actually exchange a few blows with him. Of course, this was when Tang San didn't use his hidden weapons.

Tang San felt a wave of annoyance just thinking about future scenarios.

If this trend continued, by the time Wang Sheng's rank increased and he contracted more Soul Beasts, he might actually be able to overpower him.

At that point, Tang San would be left staring enviously at his single, lonely Spirit Ring.

"This little punk is truly pathetic, a pure orphan," Ye Su remarked from Heaven as he sipped his tea. "But his luck is indeed heaven-defying. I suspect his turning point will come soon."

"Can't you, as God, intervene in matters like this?" Solomon asked, frowning slightly as his fingers tapped idly on the table.

Just as Ye Su was about to reply, a sharp voice interrupted him: [No! You absolutely cannot lay a hand on the male protagonist! This is a serious violation! I'm reporting you to the Sovereign!] The System suddenly burst out, making a scene as if it were Tang San's personal system.

"See? This idiot is getting in the way," Ye Su said with a helpless shrug.

The primary reason he wasn't acting was precisely because of this System.

Although the System wasn't particularly intelligent, its capabilities were not to be underestimated.

Ye Su's current immense power relied heavily on the System, a power that was as unstable as a rootless duckweed.

Before he could truly establish himself, he absolutely could not afford to fall out with the System.

Besides, who knew what other tricks the System had up its sleeve?

"What about Michael's situation?" Solomon, understanding this perfectly, changed the subject.

Speaking of Michael, the wielder of the Angel Spirit had left Nuoding City months ago.

He had obtained clues about Tang Hao from Tang San and personally traveled to Holy Soul Village to investigate.

He discovered a hidden cave behind a waterfall, where the aura of the Blue Silver Emperor lingered. Michael was now fully focused on tracking down Tang Hao.

"He's quite dedicated to his work and a decent person," Ye Su commented briefly.

After a few more casual remarks, the two disconnected.

After ending the communication, Solomon began contemplating new plans.

With the matters at hand temporarily concluded, his mind started to wander again.

As a transmigrator, he could never understand how other transmigrators adapted so easily to this world that resembled the Middle Ages.

No mobile phones, no WiFi, no iced watermelons, and certainly no AAA games or delicious food... it was simply torture!

"Since the current tasks are done, why not use my main body's abilities to develop a Spirit Guide Network?" Solomon mused to himself. "And then, organize Soul Beast Pokemon leagues in various cities..."

As he thought about it, he suddenly realized he seemed to be neglecting his primary duties.

"Never mind, I'll deal with these things after unifying the Douluo Continent," Solomon sighed, then irritably scratched his hair. "Damn it! I really don't want to work!"

Meanwhile, in the back mountain of Nuoding Academy, Tang San was cultivating alone.

The afterglow of the sunset fell upon him, casting a long shadow.

The distant laughter of other students playing with their Soul Beast companions made Tang San feel even more dejected.

"Why can't I find a suitable Soul Beast?" Tang San gazed at his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, lost in thought.

Since the Spirit Hall announced the contracting method, he had tried to communicate with Soul Beasts, but he had never been able to establish a true connection. Of course, a significant reason for this was that Tang San's own Spirit Power was only level 16, far from enough to contract a Soul Beast.

However, there was now talk that even if one's Spirit Power was insufficient, they could still cultivate tacit understanding and affinity with a Soul Beast first. Then, they could eventually contract their desired Soul Beast.

The problem was, Tang San had no money.

Not to mention that most Soul Beasts were contracted in the Soul Beast Forests. Aside from public places like the Star Dou Forest, there were private locations like the Soul Hunting Forest. To contract a Soul Beast within these places, one had to pay a certain fee.

That's right, contracting Soul Beasts also cost money.

First, one had to purchase a special contract book from a Spirit Shop, which cost one Gold Spirit Coin. Then, the entrance fee to the Soul Hunting Forest was another Gold Spirit Coin. After a successful contract, one also had to pay annual rental fees to the Spirit Hall. After all, officially speaking, the Soul Hunting Forest belonged to the Spirit Hall, and the Soul Beasts within naturally belonged to the Spirit Hall as well.

Furthermore, most people have limited lifespans, with human lifespans peaking at around a hundred years. In contrast, Soul Beasts possess lifespans that are immeasurable.

Once a contract concludes, any Soul Beasts originally belonging to Spirit Hall are reclaimed by Spirit Hall.

This is the reason for the annual rental fee.

Within the Soul Hunting Forest, contracted Soul Beasts do not belong to the Spirit Master themselves but are considered borrowed items.

However, the price isn't particularly high. A ten-year Soul Beast only requires five Copper Spirit Coins annually, a hundred-year Soul Beast requires five Silver Spirit Coins annually, and a thousand-year Soul Beast requires one Gold Spirit Coin annually.

For most Spirit Masters, this price is equivalent to just one meal, making it not expensive at all, and in fact, quite affordable.