Shrek City's morning was shrouded in a thin mist.
Yun Ming stood in the underground treasury of the Sea God Pavilion, his brows tightly furrowed.
This was Shrek Academy's accumulation of thousands of years. The shelves were filled with precious books, Soul Tools, rare natural treasures, and more.
On the innermost row of shelves, more than twenty fist-sized spheres were neatly arranged.
The artificial soul spirits Shrek had stored away.
Yun Ming's gaze swept over those spheres one by one.
Not suitable.
Most of these soul spirits were a thousand years old, with only a few reaching ten thousand years. Yet the attributes of those ten-thousand-year soul spirits were all wrong.
There was a Blazing Suanni, a Purple Lightning Eagle, and an Earth Frenzy Bear. Each was a top-tier choice for a soul spirit, but none suited Yun Jingheng.
A moon-attributed martial soul needed a moon-attributed soul spirit.
Shrek did not have one.
He examined the crystals on the shelves once more. At last, he sighed and turned to leave.
Half an hour later, he appeared at the Tang Sect.
The Tang Sect and Shrek had a long-standing relationship, and they had always been close through the generations.
As the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, Yun Ming naturally had a certain degree of access within the Tang Sect.
The one who received him was the Tang Sect's current Vice Sect Master, also a prominent figure on Douluo Continent.
"Pavilion Master, you came in person. Is it because of that child?"
He handed over a cup of tea.
Yun Ming nodded. "His martial soul is unusual, and he needs a suitable soul spirit. Shrek's reserves have nothing appropriate, so I came to see what the Tang Sect has."
Zang Xin pondered for a moment, then rose and headed into the rear hall.
The time it took to drink a cup of tea later, he returned carrying three soul spirits.
"These are the Tang Sect's three best remaining ones."
Yun Ming accepted them and sensed them one by one.
The first was an eight-thousand-year Cyan Jade Bird, wind-attributed. It was agile enough, but had nothing to do with moonlight.
The second was a twelve-thousand-year Ice Crystal Phoenix, ice-attributed. It bore some resemblance to moonlight, but in the end, they were not of the same origin.
The third was a fifty-thousand-year Dark Night Demon Tiger, dark-attributed. It was related to the night, but its aura was cold and violent, entirely different from the cool, tranquil charm within Yun Jingheng's martial soul.
Yun Ming remained silent for a long time before gently placing the three soul spirits back on the table.
"None are suitable."
Zang Xin was not surprised. He merely sighed. "Moon-attributed martial souls are already rare. Moon-attributed soul beasts are even rarer."
"Throughout the Tang Sect's history, the number of moon-attributed soul spirits we have handled can be counted on one hand. We truly have none at present."
Yun Ming rose, thanked him, and took his leave.
By the time he walked out of the Tang Sect, the sky had already darkened.
He stood outside the mountain gate, watching the last streak of sunset sink beneath the horizon. Suddenly, a thought arose in his heart.
The Spirit Pagoda.
On Douluo Continent, when it came to the accumulation of artificial soul spirits, if the Spirit Pagoda claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.
Although that organization had a delicate relationship with Shrek, they were still allies on the surface.
If Yun Ming went himself, Leng Yaozhu should not refuse him that courtesy.
At noon the next day, Yun Ming appeared at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters.
Leng Yaozhu personally came out to receive him.
This Spirit Pagoda Master looked to be just over thirty. She was beautiful and gentle in bearing, but hidden deep within her eyes was the sharpness of someone long accustomed to authority.
She was an old acquaintance of Yun Ming's. After they met, there was no unnecessary small talk, and she led him directly into the inner hall.
"Pavilion Master Yun has come in person. Is it for that child's soul spirit?"
News traveled quickly.
Yun Ming nodded. "Neither Shrek nor the Tang Sect had anything suitable, so I could only come to the Spirit Pagoda and try my luck."
Leng Yaozhu smiled lightly. "I would like to meet the child who made the Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion run around personally."
"There will be a chance later."
Yun Ming did not follow up on that topic.
Leng Yaozhu did not mind. She rose, walked to the wall, and pressed a mechanism.
The wall slowly slid aside, revealing a secret chamber within.
Over a hundred soul spirit crystals were neatly arranged in the secret chamber. Every one floated within its own Soul Guidance Barrier, radiating light of different colors.
Yun Ming walked inside, his gaze passing over the crystals.
Fire, ice, lightning, wind, earth... every attribute was represented, with ages ranging from a thousand to ten thousand years.
Delight rose in his heart, and he began sensing them carefully.
A quarter of an hour.
Half an hour.
After an hour, Yun Ming stopped walking.
Still no good.
The attributes of those soul spirits were all wrong—there were ice-attributed ones, dark-attributed ones, and spiritual-attributed ones, but not a single one was purely moon-attributed.
Ice and the moon were ultimately different, and darkness and the moon did not share the same origin either.
Yun Jingheng's martial soul had far too great an affinity with moonlight. If an ordinary-attributed soul spirit fused into it, it would either be rejected or contaminate that pure power of moonlight.
"Not suitable?"
Leng Yaozhu's voice came from behind him.
Yun Ming turned around and shook his head.
Leng Yaozhu looked at him, a trace of surprise flashing through her eyes. "Pavilion Master, that child's martial soul... what exactly is it?"
Yun Ming did not answer.
Leng Yaozhu did not press him. She merely nodded thoughtfully. "Moon-attributed soul spirits are indeed rare. In the Spirit Pagoda's history, we have only created three. The most recent one was bought decades ago, and none have been replenished since."
She paused, and a hint of deeper meaning entered her tone. "If you mean naturally born moon-attributed soul beasts, then there are even fewer."
Leng Yaozhu seemed to mention it casually. After speaking, she turned and walked out. "Pavilion Master, it is rare for you to visit. Stay for a meal before you leave."
"There is no need."
Yun Ming's voice was calm. "I appreciate Pagoda Master Leng's hospitality. I will come again another day to offer my thanks."
With that, he strode away.
That night.
Yun Ming stood alone before the window, looking at the bright moon in the distance.
Ya Li came up from behind and gently leaned against his shoulder. "Still nothing?"
"Mm."
"Then what do you plan to do?"
Yun Ming was silent for a long time.
"I want to make a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest."
Ya Li's body stiffened slightly.
"I know it is dangerous there."
Yun Ming turned and looked at her. "But Jing Heng's martial soul cannot wait. This is the period when a martial soul grows fastest. If he misses this opportunity, it will be difficult to make up for it later."
"But..."
"I am only going in to look for a soul beast, not to fight."
There was a hint of laughter in Yun Ming's voice. "That old fellow Di Tian may find me irritating, but he will not fall out with me over something so minor."
Ya Li looked at him. After a while, she softly said, "Be careful."
Yun Ming lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
"Alright."
Three days later, Yun Ming's figure appeared on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
He did not enter through the main entrance, instead choosing a remote path.
Moonlight flowed like water through the forest, stretching the shadows of those enormous trees long across the ground.
Yun Ming's steps were light, so light that his footsteps were nearly inaudible.
He concealed his aura to the utmost, like an ordinary traveler of the night, silently moving through the forest.
The deeper he went, the denser the surrounding soul beast auras became.
The thousand-year soul beasts that ruled the outskirts could only hide in the corners here and tremble.
Ten-thousand-year auras began to appear.
Twenty thousand years.
Thirty thousand years.
Fifty thousand years.
Yun Ming's speed never changed. Like a wisp of wind, he swept past the edges of those powerful soul beasts' territories.
His destination was the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The place known as the "Core Area."
Every soul beast there was more than a hundred thousand years old, and each possessed intelligence no less than that of humans.
The king there was called Di Tian.
An old monster who had lived for a very long time.
Yun Ming and Di Tian had dealt with each other several times. They could not be called friends, but they acknowledged each other.
A Limit Douluo and a peak ferocious beast, both standing at the summit of this continent, knew the other's measure.
Because they knew, they would not act lightly.
An hour later, Yun Ming stopped.
Ahead lay an open lake, its surface calm as a mirror as it reflected the bright moon overhead.
The water glimmered with a faint silver hue, like liquid condensed from moonlight.
He had reached the Core Area.
Just as Yun Ming was about to step forward, he suddenly stopped.
Auras rose one after another from the surrounding darkness.
Hundred-thousand-year.
Several figures slowly emerged from every direction, surrounding Yun Ming in the middle.
At the front stood a humanoid figure.
She was a woman of exceptional beauty, with purple hair cascading like a waterfall. She wore a long purple dress and stood barefoot on the grass.
Her eyes were a deep violet. Whenever she looked at someone, it was as though she were examining an amusing toy.
"What a rare guest."
She spoke in a cool voice. "Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, what brings you to our backwater?"
Yun Ming looked at her. "I did not come to cause trouble."
"Then what did you come for?"
Zi Ji tilted her head. "A stroll? Moon-gazing? Or did you want to reminisce with us?"
The figures around them let out low laughter.
Yun Ming ignored their laughter and simply said calmly, "I want to see Di Tian."
"Hmph, see Di Tian? You must be up to no good."
Another voice rang out, this time a man's. He was broad and muscular, with a head of golden hair and eyes like burning gold.
"Bear Lord," Yun Ming looked at him, "what if I force my way in?"
The atmosphere instantly froze.
The surrounding ferocious beasts' auras surged, and killing intent poured toward him as though it were tangible.
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