"What did you want to see me about, Grandmaster?"
Lin Tian asked, already knowing the answer.
"Of course I have something to discuss.
And it's something wonderful."
Zhang Hu rubbed his hands together,
his smile growing even warmer.
"Yesterday,
at Red Mountain Academy's Martial Soul Awakening ceremony,
you awakened Twin Martial Souls, creating a rare celestial phenomenon.
It shook all of Aolai City.
A genius like you, with Twin Martial Souls,
is beyond the means of ordinary forces to nurture.
Only our Spirit Pagoda can do it.
So as soon as I heard you'd woken up
and left Red Mountain Academy to return home,
I rushed over without wasting a moment.
I came here today
because I want to recommend you to the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda in Eastsea City.
A genius with Twin Martial Souls like you
will surely receive the full support of our Spirit Pagoda."
"If I join the Spirit Pagoda,
what benefits will I get?"
Since the other party had taken the initiative to invite him,
there was room to negotiate.
Lin Tian wanted to see
what benefits he could get.
The main thing was,
if he agreed as soon as they asked,
he'd seem far too cheap.
When Zhang Hu saw how interested Lin Tian was,
he looked pleased
and immediately began to explain.
"With your talent for Twin Martial Souls,
you'll certainly receive priority treatment after joining the Spirit Pagoda.
Whether it's cultivation resources,
Soul Spirit matching,
or combat training,
you'll enjoy the very best.
My superior is the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda,
and it's one of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars.
It's an extremely powerful organization."
Heh!
A Heavenly Pillar?
My goal is the Heavenly Spirit Pagoda—
the entire Spirit Pagoda.
Still, one of the Heavenly Pillars in Eastsea City should be enough for now.
"Good,
I agree.
Should I keep studying at Red Mountain Academy,
or...?"
"Why stay here?
I'll take you to Eastsea City right now.
After you meet the Pagoda Master,
she'll make plans for your future."
"But if we leave now,
that's a bit rushed, isn't it?
Could I have a day to get things in order?
I collapsed at Red Mountain Academy,
and the academy's dean saved my life.
Before I leave, I need to thank him and say goodbye."
"Of course."
When Zhang Hu heard what Lin Tian wanted to do,
he was moved by how grateful the boy was.
He felt he'd found himself a real gem.
Perhaps once Lin Tian became successful,
he'd remember him too.
"Then it's settled.
I'll wait for you at the Spirit Pagoda over the next few days.
Once you've taken care of everything, come find me right away,
and I'll take you to Eastsea City."
With that,
Zhang Hu didn't intend to linger.
But as if something had just occurred to him,
Lin Tian immediately spoke up,
stopping Zhang Hu as he was about to leave the room.
"Spirit Master, sir."
"What is it?"
Zhang Hu stopped,
then turned to look at Lin Tian.
"Well..."
Lin Tian spoke with some embarrassment.
"It's like this.
Ever since my Martial Soul awakened,
I've always felt hungry.
Today I ate all the food we had at home,
but I still wasn't even half full.
There must not be much energy in that food.
So, Spirit Master, could you lend me some money?
I want to see how much I need to eat before I'm full."
Zhang Hu was taken aback.
Could awakening a Martial Soul
really have such a big effect on the body?
But he'd been worried that he had nothing he could do to help Lin Tian.
Now, here was his chance.
"Of course."
As he spoke,
he took a card straight out of his Storage Soul Tool.
It was an ordinary Federal membership card,
which he then handed to Lin Tian.
"This is the private stash I saved up without my wife knowing.
There should be about a million Federal Coins in there.
Eat as much as you want—
until you're full."
Whoa.
A million Federal Coins in private savings!
This Spirit Master really was rolling in money.
In five years of collecting and selling scrap,
Lin Tian had only managed to save a few thousand Federal Coins.
The other man had just handed him a million.
Looks like this guy wants to invest in me.
Good eye.
I'll repay him ten thousandfold in the future.
"Thank you, Spirit Master."
Lin Tian took the card, extremely moved.
"Don't mention it.
Go fill your stomach first.
I'll report back to my superiors.
I'll come see you again at this time tomorrow
and take you to Eastsea City."
With that,
Zhang Hu left.
As soon as Zhang Hu was gone,
Lin Tian immediately took Na'er by the hand,
his face full of excitement.
"Na'er,
come on.
Big Brother Tian will take you to eat something delicious."
He'd only just met Na'er,
so of course he had to build a good relationship with her.
Bringing her along to enjoy this was a sure bet.
Besides,
the Silver Dragon King must have a huge appetite.
She was a dragon, after all,
so she definitely wouldn't eat any less than him.
Na'er was slightly taken aback when he took her hand,
then obediently nodded.
"Okay,
Big Brother Tian.
I'm not full yet either."
"Good. You shouldn't be full."
Lin Tian didn't hesitate.
He took Na'er by the hand
and headed straight for the center of Aolai City.
Aolai City might not be very developed,
but its tourism industry was thriving.
Lots of restaurants from Eastsea City had opened branches here.
Linhai Pavilion was the biggest restaurant in Aolai City,
where all kinds of delicacies made with high-grade energy were sold.
It was a place only the rich could afford to eat.
Before long,
the two of them arrived at the entrance.
The hotel was decorated in splendid style,
and everyone coming and going was dressed in fine clothes.
After seeing Lin Tian's outfit,
the attendant's face showed a trace of disdain,
but
Na'er, standing beside Lin Tian, caught his eye,
since she exuded an air of nobility.
So
the attendant immediately and respectfully welcomed Na'er inside.
In his eyes,
Lin Tian was just Na'er's lackey.
As they entered the hotel lobby,
a rich aroma wafted toward them,
making Lin Tian even hungrier.
He went straight to the front desk
and said to the staff member,
"Bring me one of every high-grade energy food you have here."
The staff member at the front desk froze,
then looked Lin Tian up and down.
"Sir,
what did you say?
You want one of every high-grade energy food?
The high-grade energy foods here aren't cheap,
and there are many kinds.
Most importantly,
even a high-ranking Lord Soul Master
can't eat much in one sitting."
"Don't worry about that.
Money isn't a problem.
Just bring it all out.
I'm starving to death."
Lin Tian tossed the card Zhang Hu had given him onto the counter.
The staff member at the front desk hesitated,
then immediately picked up the bank card and swiped it.
When they saw the balance,
their expression changed at once,
and they put aside their contempt.
"All right.
Please wait a moment.
We'll arrange everything for you right away."
With that,
Lin Tian led Na'er to a window-side table and sat down.
Before long,
the attendants brought out plate after plate of exquisite food containing high-grade energy.
Golden, crispy Deep Sea Fish-Dragon Steak,
thousand-year-old sea cucumbers brimming with Soul Power and energy,
deep-sea abalone,
even the meat of artificially raised Soul Beasts,
along with fruit and drinks packed with energy,
until a whole table was covered.
The aroma spread through the room,
making the other guests in the lobby turn to look.
Looking at all the delicious food,
Lin Tian could practically feel his mouth watering,
and his heart bled at the sight.
Normally, he wouldn't even dare dream of eating things like these.
Now, he was actually going to eat them.
He wasn't some nouveau riche,
blowing money the moment he got his hands on it.
Only these expensive delicacies packed with high energy
could provide him with unimaginable amounts of energy.
He didn't need to stuff himself until he was full,
or put a strain on his body.
Eating the smallest amount possible to gain the greatest amount of energy—
that was the only sensible choice.
Money wasn't a problem.
He had Twin Martial Souls,
and he would never be short of money in the future.
Worrying about money now would be far too lowbrow.
He needed to think about how to use the least amount of time
to maximize his own value.