Na'er: Gu Yue, you skipped class!

The two stepped out of the Blacksmith Association. The afternoon sun in Heaven Dou City was pleasant, the streets lined with bustling shops and a constant flow of pedestrians.

Xiao Mu bought a skewer of candied hawthorn by the roadside and handed it to Na'er. She took it and bit down, her cheeks bulging as she mumbled that it was delicious.

They ate their way along the street. They paused at a grilled squid stall, where Na'er finished ten skewers.

They stopped by an old man selling sugar figurines, and Xiao Mu bought Na'er one shaped like a dragon. At a ring-toss stall, Xiao Mu didn't even need to use his soul skills; he tossed three rings and landed all three, leaving the owner's face turning green.

How could this guy hit the mark every single time?

As they walked, a massive building rose from the cluster of towers at the end of the street. It was pure white, its spire piercing the clouds, the tower walls embedded with countless translucent crystals that glowed with a gentle luster under the sun.

Surrounding the base of the tower was a vast plaza with fountains, flower beds, and neatly trimmed hedges, while soul masters in Spirit Pagoda uniforms bustled in and out.

The Heaven Dou City Spirit Pagoda.

Xiao Mu glanced at his communication Soul Tool; the connection had been forcibly cut off.

They were suddenly back in the prehistoric era.

"Since we're here, let's go buy some Soul Spirits."

Na'er stuffed the last piece of squid into her mouth and wiped the sauce from the corner of her lips. "Why buy Soul Spirits? Brother, are you at level forty?"

"No." Xiao Mu tossed the bamboo skewer into a trash can by the road and clapped his hands. "Let's just go inside and take a look."

The two crossed the plaza and walked into the lobby of the Spirit Pagoda. A blast of cool air greeted them, and the clamor outside was cut off by the doors. The lobby ceiling rose dozens of meters high, with a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the dome, and the marble floor was polished so brightly it reflected their figures.

People flowed through the lobby, and soul masters in Spirit Pagoda uniforms hurried toward the areas outside the tower.

Unsurprisingly, a painting of a man hung on the wall of the lobby.

It was the first founder of the Spirit Pagoda—Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao.

Xiao Mu stopped in front of the mural, feeling that the artist hadn't captured his essence; it would have been better if they had added a dog's tail.

Xiao Mu walked to the counter and tapped his fingers on the surface.

"I'd like to buy a Soul Spirit."

The Spirit Master behind the counter looked up. He was a man in his thirties wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a professional smile plastered on his face. He tapped his keyboard a few times, a window popped up on the screen, and his smile froze.

"I apologize, but the system has been experiencing technical difficulties these past few days. Transactions are currently unavailable."

"System failure?" Xiao Mu leaned against the counter. "The Spirit Pagoda's system just breaks down like that?"

"It is indeed a system failure," the Spirit Master said, pushing up his glasses. "It's not that we won't sell, we simply can't. You may return in a few days."

"If Eastsea City's worked, do you think I'd come all the way here?"

The Spirit Master's smile began to fray; why was this kid so difficult to deal with?

Just as Xiao Mu was about to say something else, a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Xiao Mu?"

Hearing this, Xiao Mu turned around. Gu Yue was standing beside a pillar in the lobby, clutching a stack of documents and wearing a Spirit Pagoda uniform.

She looked at Xiao Mu and Na'er, slightly stunned, clearly not expecting to run into them here.

Na'er was also startled to see Gu Yue. "Gu Yue, you're skipping school!"

The corner of Gu Yue's mouth twitched.

Skipping school?

She had been working hard, studying at the Spirit Pagoda, researching the production principles of Artificial Soul Spirits, and staring at data until the middle of the night, only for Na'er to label it as skipping school.

She took a deep breath, deciding not to dwell on the issue with Na'er.

Xiao Mu spoke first. "Gu Yue, why are you here?"

"I should be asking why you two are here." Gu Yue pulled the documents closer to her chest. "Shouldn't you be at the academy?"

"I asked for leave, didn't I?" Xiao Mu said.

"You've been on leave for eighty-two days," Gu Yue raised an eyebrow.

"You certainly remember that clearly." Xiao Mu looked at her Spirit Pagoda uniform. "So, you joined the Spirit Pagoda?"

Gu Yue looked down at her uniform, saw no reason to hide it, and nodded.

"Yes, I've joined the Spirit Pagoda."

Na'er blinked from the side; so she wasn't skipping school, even though school was quite boring.

"You're here at the right time." Xiao Mu leaned against the counter and gestured toward Gu Yue with his chin. "I want to buy a Soul Spirit."

Gu Yue frowned and shifted the documents to her other hand. "It's not possible these few days; the system is malfunctioning."

"System malfunction?" Xiao Mu asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Gu Yue nodded. "The Spirit Pagoda headquarters' Soul Spirit trading system has been having issues since a few days ago. The technical department is still investigating the specific cause. Regardless, all Soul Spirit transactions are currently suspended, whether in Heaven Dou City or Eastsea City, it's all the same."

Xiao Mu certainly knew why the system was malfunctioning.

After all, he was the one who had wiped it out; he was the culprit. But he didn't show anything on his face, merely shrugging his shoulders.

"I still want to buy one."

Gu Yue stared at him for two seconds. Those eyes were calm and waveless, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that he was plotting something.

"What exactly do you want?" she asked.

"To buy a spirit soul," Xiao Mu said. "Legally, officially, and with money."

Just then, the sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor echoed from the end of the hallway, steady and unhurried.

Leng Yaozhu walked over from the depths of the hall. Her red hair reached her waist, hanging smooth and straight down her back, and her crimson eyes were warm and gentle, radiating a dignified aura. She wore a cream-colored modified qigong, embellished with crimson feather patterns at the collar and cuffs. The hem fell past her knees, swaying slightly as she walked. A matching shawl draped over her forearms, fluttering gently with each step like two clouds brushed by a breeze.

She stopped beside Gu Yue, her crimson gaze sweeping over Xiao Mu and Na'er before finally resting on Gu Yue.

"Why did it take so long to get the documents?"

Gu Yue instinctively straightened up. "Teacher, I ran into some acquaintances. These are my classmates, Xiao Mu and Na'er."

Leng Yaozhu's gaze shifted back to Xiao Mu. She looked him up and down—the boy hadn't fully grown into his frame yet, but he didn't look the least bit constrained standing in the Spirit Pagoda's lobby, nor did he flinch under her scrutiny.

"So you are Xiao Mu."

"Yes, beautiful sister," Xiao Mu said, his mouth sweet.

Leng Yaozhu didn't seem to mind the address; all women liked to be called younger.

Her red lips curved slightly. "This child, your tongue is certainly sweet."

Na'er poked her head out from behind Xiao Mu, blinked her eyes, and followed suit: "Sister."

Leng Yaozhu glanced at her—silver hair, silver eyes, about the same age as Xiao Mu.

"Hello."

Gu Yue watched this scene, her eyes filled with confusion. Na'er was one thing, but how had Xiao Mu's mouth become so sweet? He was definitely playing favorites based on who he was talking to; he was doing this on purpose.

Wait, if Xiao Mu called her teacher 'sister,' didn't that mean he was putting her a generation below him?

He was here to mess with her!