Before long.
Lin Ximeng and Zhao Tao arrived at the Spirit Pagoda branch in the center of Aolai City.
It was an octagonal, three-story building, square and spacious.
Although it couldn't compare to the eighty-one-story Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, the branch was still one of the most impressive buildings in Aolai City.
After Zhao Tao explained the reason for their visit, the Spirit Transmitter who received them began telling him about the prices of Spirit Souls—
A random Spirit Soul cost thirty thousand Federal Coins, but could turn out to be defective;
A ten-year white Spirit Soul cost seventy thousand Federal Coins;
A hundred-year yellow Spirit Soul cost one million Federal Coins!
"I want to buy a hundred-year Spirit Soul!"
Hearing the Spirit Transmitter's explanation, Zhao Tao answered without hesitation.
One million Federal Coins was a lot, but it was still an amount Zhao Tao could afford.
After all, as a Reborn One, Zhao Tao was a master of all trades!
Before he was reborn, Zhao Tao had already raised his four secondary professions—blacksmithing, Mecha Design, Mecha Manufacturing, and Mecha Repair—to level nine.
Although, after being reborn, his Soul Power limitations meant he couldn't perform Spirit Forging or design Battle Armor, Zhao Tao could still forge Thousand-Forged Metal or design Mecha Blueprints with ease!
With the income from his secondary professions, a million Federal Coins wasn't much to Zhao Tao now!
"All right. Before choosing a Spirit Soul, let's test your Spiritual Power."
After Zhao Tao paid for the Spirit Soul, the Spirit Transmitter amiably led him into a room filled with various instruments and placed a metal helmet on his head.
A series of buzzing sounds followed. Numbers flickered across the Soul Guide Screen beside Zhao Tao, then finally settled.
"One hundred and fifty points. Spirit Connection Realm Early Stage? Th-this is unbelievable!"
Staring at the Spiritual Power reading on the screen, the Spirit Transmitter looked utterly incredulous!
In the Legend of the Dragon King Era, Soul Masters' Spiritual Power was divided into six major realms: Spirit Origin Realm, Spirit Connection Realm, Spirit Sea Realm, Spirit Abyss Realm, Spirit Domain Realm, and Divine Origin Realm.
Generally speaking, for a child as young as Zhao Tao, reaching thirty points in Spiritual Power—Spirit Origin Realm Mid Stage—was already a sign of extraordinary talent.
Even the Spirit Transmitter himself had only sixty or seventy points of Spiritual Power.
But Zhao Tao's Spiritual Power was a full one hundred and fifty points. It was simply astonishing!
Zhao Tao wasn't surprised by the result.
As a Transmigrator, his Spiritual Power was naturally stronger than that of an ordinary child.
And while improving the Time Meditation Method, Zhao Tao had also added a section specifically for tempering Spiritual Power.
After all, he understood that in this era, where Spirit Souls reigned supreme, strong Spiritual Power was every bit as important as a Spirit Soul's rank!
With those two factors combined, it was hardly surprising that Zhao Tao had reached the Spirit Connection Realm.
Of course, both the Spirit Transmitter and Lin Ximeng looked utterly despondent at the result. They even suspected the instrument was broken and tested Zhao Tao's Spiritual Power again.
"It really is the Spirit Connection Realm. Unbelievable."
"It's just a shame your Innate Soul Power is such a disadvantage..."
"Otherwise, you would surely grow into a mighty powerhouse!"
After confirming Zhao Tao's Spiritual Power, the Spirit Transmitter quickly pulled up his file.
When he saw Zhao Tao's Innate Soul Power, all he could do was sigh. Looking regretful, he led Zhao Tao to the storeroom where the Spirit Souls were kept.
"These are all the hundred-year Spirit Souls available in Aolai City. They include every common basic Spirit Soul."
"Of course, if none of these appeal to you, we can also request some rarer Spirit Souls from the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters."
"But their price won't be covered by a mere million."
The Spirit Transmitter introduced the dazzling array of hundred-year Spirit Souls.
"Mm, I understand. I'll take that one."
At the Spirit Transmitter's words, Zhao Tao nodded and pretended to carefully examine the options. In the end, he picked a Spirit Soul called "Spring Silkworm."
Although the Spring Silkworm wasn't powerful in the traditional sense, it was exceptionally compatible with the Spring Autumn Cicada.
It could also absorb the Power of Time and evolve continuously, eventually breaking out of its cocoon and becoming the Time Butterfly—and potentially evolving even further!
Before he was reborn, one of Zhao Tao's Spirit Souls had been the Time Butterfly. It had proved both its strength and its compatibility with the Spring Autumn Cicada.
That was precisely why Zhao Tao had chosen it as his Spirit Soul.
"As a benefit of buying a hundred-year Spirit Soul, you can break through here at the Spirit Pagoda. Come with me."
The Spirit Transmitter personally took out the Spirit Soul Orb containing the Aged Silkworm and handed it to Zhao Tao. Then he led him to the Training Room in the Spirit Pagoda branch.
"Before fusing with the Spirit Soul, let's help the Spring Silkworm evolve!"
After closing the Training Room door, Zhao Tao summoned his Spring Autumn Cicada Martial Soul, then took the newly acquired Spring Silkworm Spirit Soul out of the Spirit Soul Orb!
Looking at the Spring Autumn Cicada Martial Soul and the Spring Silkworm Spirit Soul before him, Zhao Tao focused his thoughts.
The Power of Time that had long been building within the Spring Autumn Cicada was guided by Zhao Tao's Spiritual Power, flowing in wisps into the Spring Silkworm Spirit Soul.
As the Power of Time poured into it without end, the Spring Silkworm Spirit Soul grew larger and larger. Markings appeared across its surface, like traces left by the passage of time!
A moment later, as if it had reached a critical point, row after row of mysterious Bronze Rings suddenly appeared across the Spring Silkworm Spirit Soul's body. Countless Silver Threads also emerged across its form.
At that moment, after absorbing a vast amount of the Power of Time, Zhao Tao's Spring Silkworm Spirit Soul finally evolved into a Thousand-Year Spirit Soul—the Aged Silkworm!
This was naturally not its limit. As long as the Aged Silkworm continued absorbing the Power of Time and Spirit Energy, it could evolve again into the Time Butterfly once it reached ten thousand years.
Of course, that was still a little far off for Zhao Tao.
For now, he needed to fuse with the evolved Aged Silkworm Spirit Soul and break through to become a Soul Master.
For other Soul Masters at level ten, fusing with a Thousand-Year Spirit Soul as their First Spirit Soul would be unthinkable.
After all, only someone whose Spiritual Power had reached the Spirit Connection Realm could fuse with a purple Thousand-Year Spirit Soul.
If a Spirit Origin Realm Soul Master forcibly tried to fuse with one above their level, they would suffer severe injuries at best. At worst, their cultivation would be unable to advance for the rest of their life.
But Zhao Tao had already reached the Spirit Connection Realm in Spiritual Power, so fusing with a Thousand-Year Spirit Soul was easy for him!
At the same time, the Thousand-Year Soul Ring produced by fusing with a Thousand-Year Spirit Soul placed great demands on a Soul Master's physical strength.
However, as a Reborn One, Zhao Tao had long prepared a special secret method. It could greatly reduce the strain on his body during the fusion and prevent problems of this kind!
After resting briefly, Zhao Tao focused his thoughts, sat cross-legged, steadied his breathing, and began fusing with the Spirit Soul.
With a thought, the Spring Autumn Cicada Martial Soul before Zhao Tao pressed close against the Aged Silkworm Spirit Soul, and the two began to fuse!
As the Spirit Souls fused, surging waves of Soul Power erupted from deep within Zhao Tao's body, furiously battering the Soul Master bottleneck he had just reached!
Before you continue