Lin Nuo immediately put the Soul Spirit away, then handed it to Na'er. "Na'er, keep an eye on it for me."
Na'er understood what Lin Nuo meant. Her brother was a genius with Innate Full Soul Power, which made him eligible for exclusive benefits from the Spirit Pagoda and the Sun Moon Federation: he could choose a hundred-year Soul Spirit for free. The doorbell must have been rung by a Spirit Pagoda staff member.
She immediately took the special Soul Tool box for storing Soul Spirits from Lin Nuo, then turned and ran back to her room, locking the door behind her.
Lin Nuo found the sight rather amusing. Sometimes, he really thought Na'er was adorable.
He took a deep breath and composed himself before walking to the door. He opened it slowly, wanting to see who was there.
When Lin Nuo saw that it was just an ordinary staff member, he immediately relaxed. Then again, it made sense. There were so many geniuses in this era; one more genius with Innate Full Soul Power and a Body Martial Soul was nothing special.
The Spirit Pagoda staff member smiled at Lin Nuo and greeted him. "Hello, little Lin Nuo. As a genius who awakened with Innate Full Soul Power, you've been gifted a hundred-year Soul Spirit by the Spirit Pagoda as a reward."
The wording was rather clever. The Sun Moon Federation had clearly paid for this, but the staff member said it was a gift from the Spirit Pagoda.
The Spirit Pagoda really did seem to be courting death. But in this era, the greatest threats to the Sun Moon Federation were still Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect.
So the Sun Moon Federation turned a blind eye to things like this. It couldn't afford to push the Spirit Pagoda away.
Besides, the Abyss Plane was also watching hungrily.
Lin Nuo looked at the Spirit Pagoda staff member. "Can I choose one myself?"
"Yes." The staff member replied, taking out a special Soul Spirit container and slowly opening it.
The moment Lin Nuo saw the Soul Spirits inside, a hint of speechlessness flashed through his eyes. The Sun Moon Federation was paying for this, and the Spirit Pagoda was giving the people of the Sun Moon Federation such trash? That was some nerve.
Every single one was exactly a hundred years old, without even a year to spare.
The staff member spoke again. "Little Lin Nuo, Soul Spirits are in very short supply at the Aolai City Spirit Pagoda. If you join the Spirit Pagoda, we can contact headquarters and find you a better Soul Spirit. How does that sound? At least five hundred years old."
This offer was very tempting to ordinary children, especially to parents who hoped their children would rise to greatness. It was practically an irresistible move.
As an orphan and a transmigrator, Lin Nuo could simply ignore the offer or choose to join.
When the Ghost Emperor had appeared earlier, he had actually felt that joining the Spirit Pagoda might not be a bad idea.
But he still chose to refuse. The game of chess hadn't even begun yet; for now, it was best to lie low.
Besides, there was no way a five-hundred-year Soul Spirit could tie him down.
"Sorry, big brother. I have my own plans. Could I decide when I'm a little older?" Lin Nuo replied softly, lifting his small face.
The smile on the Spirit Pagoda staff member's face stiffened at once, disbelief filling his eyes.
He couldn't understand it. He had already dangled a prize that would make any talented child from an ordinary family's heart race.
A five-hundred-year Soul Spirit was something an ordinary family couldn't afford. It could save a child more than a decade of hard work on the path of a Soul Master. And yet this little boy, who looked barely six, had refused without the slightest hesitation.
Why?
He racked his brain, but still couldn't find an answer.
In the end, the staff member left with his head full of questions, shaking it as he went. Even when his figure vanished at the end of the corridor, he still hadn't solved the mystery.
Lin Nuo held the container with the hundred-year Soul Spirit and waited until the staff member was completely gone. Only then did he turn and walk into the room, gently closing the door as quietly as if afraid to disturb something.
Just then, a small head peeked out from behind the door. Na'er opened her round eyes wide and whispered, her voice as faint as a mosquito's. "Brother, is that person... gone?"
Looking at Na'er's adorable face, Lin Nuo nodded. "He's gone."
As soon as she heard that, Na'er came out carrying the box from earlier. She looked curiously at the Soul Spirit sphere in Lin Nuo's hand. "Brother, what kind of Soul Spirit is it this time?"
"An ordinary one." Lin Nuo opened the sphere as he spoke, and a little hundred-year-old snake crawled out. "The Spirit Pagoda really is stingy, Na'er."
Of all the Soul Spirits the staff member had brought, this little snake was probably the best. It had some light affinity. The rest were either plant-type bamboo or hundred-year Blue Silver Grass. That's right, Blue Silver Grass. They were even handing out that stuff. The Spirit Pagoda really was crazy.
The little snake stared at the two humans watching it and seemed to have the same social anxiety as a human. It curled into a ball.
"Brother, this little guy is so timid." Na'er looked at the Soul Spirit, a complicated look in her eyes. She could sense that it was somewhat incomplete.
Was this how the Spirit Pagoda treated all incomplete Soul Spirits? They wouldn't even try to save them.
The Soul Spirit Method really wasn't a path to redeeming Soul Beasts after all.
Lin Nuo looked at the little snake, cowering in a ball. He slowly reached out and touched it. The snake seemed to feel someone touching it, and slowly raised its head to look at the human before it.
It could feel the warmth of the human's body. After what seemed like half a second of hesitation, it slithered around Lin Nuo's arm.
At that moment, Na'er also took out the Golden Spear Tiger Soul Spirit. She had secretly observed it in her room earlier. It was indeed a Soul Beast that had gone extinct ten thousand years ago. She couldn't understand how that mysterious person had managed to get hold of it.
The Golden Spear Tiger came out of the box again. But when its eyes fell on the little snake coiled around Lin Nuo's hand, its gentle, clear expression vanished in an instant. Obvious displeasure churned in its eyes, and a low growl rumbled in its throat. It dug its paws into the ground and charged forward, its cries full of jealousy and resentment.
Na'er watched the whole scene from the side and couldn't help smiling. "Brother, look at it. It seems jealous, afraid that the little snake will steal your attention."
At that, a hint of amusement flashed through Lin Nuo's eyes, and he instinctively looked at the approaching Golden Spear Tiger.
He smiled and shook his head before slowly extending his other hand. Seeing this, the Golden Spear Tiger immediately let go of its jealousy. It leaped lightly onto his palm and affectionately rubbed its head against his fingertips.
"Then, brother, which one are you going to absorb?" Na'er asked curiously. A Soul Master could absorb only one Soul Spirit at first, or their spiritual power would burst.
She didn't know that her question had just dug a pit for herself.
Before you continue