Mu Xi: So Embarrassing!

Mu Xi returned to her family's Soul Tool Vehicle and saw that Mu Chen had already arrived, chatting with an old man. She did not interrupt them and obediently stood to the side, listening.

Mu Chen did not send her away either, since it was not an important conversation.

"President Mu is doing well. You've bought quite a few Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for your daughter." The old man likewise glanced at Mu Xi, then shook his head with a smile. "This old man made a wasted trip."

Mu Chen gave a bitter smile. "The Spirit Pagoda has close ties with the two major Soul Beast gathering grounds and has no shortage of Ten Thousand Year Soul Spirits. Who would have thought Hua Yichen would also be interested in that Soul Spirit?"

"Hm?" The old man looked somewhat surprised. "President Mu, didn't you know? That Ten Thousand Year Soul Spirit was provided by the Shen Family. From the beginning, it was meant for the child beside Hua Yichen."

"No one in their clan can accommodate the Evil Eye Tyrant Soul Spirit anymore, so they wanted to make a deal with the Spirit Pagoda and obtain a Soul Spirit suitable for inheritance. As it happened, a genius with Innate Full Soul Power and a Mental Attribute Body Martial Soul appeared, giving them an opportunity."

Mu Chen and the eavesdropping Mu Xi were both stunned, secretly alarmed.

Innate Full Soul Power? A top-tier Body Martial Soul?

Either one was an extremely rare occurrence in Eastsea City.

Mu Chen was the first to recover. "I've been busy with association affairs lately and haven't paid attention to the Spirit Pagoda's movements. Is that child so special? Is he a Core Disciple from one of the Spirit Pagoda's families?"

"Neither. According to the investigation, he is merely a child born to an ordinary family in Eastsea City."

The old man sighed softly. "That is precisely why he is even more special. Hua Yichen even arranged for a Soul Douluo to secretly protect him. I'm afraid he possesses more than just Innate Full Soul Power and a Body Martial Soul. He must have other outstanding qualities as well."

"A Soul Douluo..."

Mu Chen was secretly shocked.

Eastsea City was located in a remote region of Douluo Continent. Although its economy was highly developed, its Soul Masters were relatively weak. There were not many strong experts with Ten Thousand Year Soul Spirits, and only one nine-ring Titled Douluo was publicly known to exist: the Carefree Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda, Hua Yichen!

Below Hua Yichen, the East Sea Spirit Pagoda's strongest members were two Soul Douluos. One of them had actually been sent to guard Huo Yuhao, which showed just how highly the Spirit Pagoda regarded him.

The old man continued, "The Spirit Pagoda has now taken the place of the Spirit Hall from Twenty Thousand Years Ago, awakening Martial Souls for commoners free of charge. Commoner Soul Masters naturally feel close to them. After sifting through the masses, they will always gain top-tier geniuses. They also have close ties with Soul Beasts, so they are becoming more and more prosperous."

Mu Chen gave a light cough as a reminder.

"Old Li, mind your words. The Spirit Pagoda and the Spirit Hall are still different."

Old Li froze before smiling. "Look at you, what are you thinking? Of course I know they are different. My family also came from commoner origins, and we owe the Spirit Pagoda a debt of gratitude. I have no objections to their free Martial Soul awakenings for commoners."

"I'm merely lamenting how wealthy they are. Whether it is your Blacksmith Association, our Mecha Master Association, or other forces, none of us can afford to do such a thing. Only the Spirit Pagoda, rich enough to rival a nation, is willing to spend such a huge price every year. It is only natural for talented commoners to join the Spirit Pagoda."

Mu Chen fell silent for a moment.

That was true, but the Spirit Pagoda was too powerful. Any other force facing it alone would unconsciously feel inferior.

Alone?

"Seeing that you're in no mood to chat, I'll be leaving first. Bring Mu Xi to the Mecha Master Association to play when you have time."

After saying that, Old Li patted Mu Chen on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Mu Chen stood where he was, watching Old Li's retreating figure with mixed feelings.

He had already understood Old Li's meaning, but for the two associations to join forces, even if it was only their East Sea Branches, was not something he could decide alone. A high-level meeting would be needed to discuss it.

"Let's go. We're going home."

Mu Chen turned to Mu Xi. "You heard what was said just now. If you meet Huo Yuhao in the future, don't throw another tantrum."

He had seen Mu Xi run over to find Huo Yuhao. Given his daughter's proud and competitive nature, the two of them had most likely not gotten along very well.

"Oh..."

Mu Xi nodded blankly. Then she remembered what she had said to Huo Yuhao, and her cheeks instantly flushed bright red.

What had she said?

She had told a Spirit Pagoda Core Disciple with Innate Full Soul Power and a Soul Douluo protecting him that she hoped he would be worthy of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Spirit?

That Soul Spirit had even been put up for auction because of him in the first place...

This... just thinking about it was embarrassing.

But he really had looked so ordinary. It was not like she had said anything wrong.

Mu Xi thought indignantly while lowering her flushed face, turning into an ostrich.

When Mu Chen did not call out to stop him immediately, Li Yucheng sighed regretfully and left directly.

Among the four major sub-professions, Soul Masters who chose the path of blacksmithing in the major academies were the fewest, and blacksmithing talents were likewise the rarest. Yet many sub-professions could not reach their peak without the aid of Blacksmiths, further elevating the status of high-ranking Blacksmiths.

Mu Chen was an Eight-star Saint Craftsman, second only to a nine-star Divine Craftsman. If the East Sea Blacksmith Association and the Mecha Master Association could deepen their cooperation, it would greatly benefit their association.

He was old, but his heart was not.

Whether it was nurturing outstanding successors or achieving Cooperation with the Blacksmith Association, he wanted to do something more for the association before retiring.

But from the looks of it now, neither goal showed much hope. When he went to the headquarters in the future, he would not even have much confidence to show off to his old friends.

Li Yucheng smiled helplessly.

"Here."

Hua Yichen walked out of the museum and handed a small ball to Huo Yuhao.

"The Soul Spirit is inside. You've read so many books recently, so you should know how to use a Soul Spirit Ball."

A Soul Spirit Ball was a spherical Soul Tool used to store Soul Spirits. Like a Storage Soul Tool, it contained a space where Soul Spirits could live. It was relatively expensive.

Its manufacturing principles were similarly close to those of Storage Soul Tools. After all, Soul Spirits were creatures caught between life and death, so the restriction against storing living things did not apply to them.

As for its uses, one was to store Soul Spirits, which the Spirit Pagoda used most frequently. Its other function was to allow Soul Spirits to accompany Soul Masters closely as they grew, nurturing their bond.

After all, a Soul Spirit Contract required the Soul Spirit's consent. Yet the stronger a Soul Spirit was, the pickier it was about its Contractor. At such times, aside from using strength to earn the Soul Spirit's approval, one had to play the emotional card.

If a Soul Spirit watched a Soul Master grow up from childhood and got along well with him, then even if the Soul Master was weak, its urge to resist would not be too strong.

Huo Yuhao accepted the half-red, half-white Soul Spirit Ball, his expression difficult to describe.

To him, the thing resembled a Spirit Ball in both appearance and function. He had no idea who had come up with it; it was not even recorded in the History Books.

That was right. Huo Yuhao needed to clarify one thing: he had not invented it. He had absolutely not invented this Soul Tool!

He had merely mentioned the concept of a Spirit Ball Ten Thousand Years Ago. Who could have expected someone to actually make one...

Taking a breath, Huo Yuhao looked at Hua Yichen's calm expression.

"What was their request?"

They had even prepared a Soul Spirit Ball, so it was obvious they had targeted him from the start. However, since they had handed the Soul Spirit over through an auction, what they sought should not be much.

"They only wanted to spend money on a ticket to the Soul Spirit Tower. It's nothing serious. You don't need to concern yourself with such matters. Just focus on cultivating."

Hua Yichen smiled calmly and teased, "I'm counting on you to become successful in the future so I can use your connections to find a leisurely post for my retirement."

Huo Yuhao put away the Soul Spirit Ball. Their recent time together had made him realize that Hua Yichen was not someone who liked putting on airs, so he smiled and replied directly.

"Then that's unfortunate. If I truly become successful, I might make everyone busy."

"You're saying I'm idle by beating around the bush, aren't you?"

Hua Yichen paused, then shook his head with a smile. "All right, we've got the Whale Rubber too. Let's go."

Huo Yuhao was about to nod when he suddenly noticed an old man. He paused. "Teacher Hua, it isn't against the rules for a Spirit Pagoda member to study a sub-profession and join the relevant association, right?"

Hua Yichen followed his gaze and saw Li Yucheng. He raised a brow. "You want to join the Mecha Master Association and study a sub-profession?"

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Yes."

Hearing this, Hua Yichen fell into thought. "Your Soul Skills are indeed well-suited for mecha design and manufacturing. Just remember to exercise restraint and don't let it interfere with your cultivation."

"Don't worry. I know my limits."

Huo Yuhao rarely showed such a confident smile.

His talent in other areas might not be exceptional, but whenever Soul Tools were involved, he was very confident.