The train's broadcast came on.
"Dear passengers, we have now entered Shrek City. Shrek City has a long history. It is home not only to the continent's number-one academy, Shrek Academy, but also to the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
"Everyone, please enjoy the scenery outside your windows. Look into the distance to your left. That towering structure is the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters..."
After Di Tian left yesterday, Bi Ji had helped Yang Fan and Na'er obtain identification documents and filled Yang Fan in on many of the basics of the Legend of the Dragon King era.
After several hours aboard the train, the trio of Bi Ji, Yang Fan, and Na'er were finally about to arrive in Shrek City.
When they heard the broadcast, Yang Fan and Na'er both turned to look out the window on their left.
Sure enough, a towering structure that seemed to pierce the clouds stood in the distance.
They were too far away to see anything but the upper-middle portion of the tower. It had eight sides, and its peak disappeared into the clouds.
Bi Ji had told Yang Fan the day before that the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters was the tallest building on the continent, and that the Federation had explicitly forbidden any building from exceeding its height.
This was a sign of respect for the Spirit Pagoda organization.
So much time had passed that Yang Fan could no longer remember the minor details of the original story. Only after Bi Ji's lessons did he recall that the original story had apparently mentioned this, too.
Besides the distant Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, the buildings outside the window had changed as well. Some had an antique elegance, while others were modern.
Shrek City was neither as full of technology and youthful energy as the newly founded Eastsea City, nor as quaint and luxurious as Heaven Dou City in the era of Spirit Hall.
To Yang Fan, Shrek City felt more inclusive and more expansive.
It was an absolute work of art!
Perhaps only in the unique world of Douluo Continent could a city emerge that blended fantasy, ancient elegance, and futurism.
After entering Shrek City, the high-speed train traveled for another full hour before finally pulling into the station.
Shrek City's station was the largest Yang Fan had ever seen, more than five times the size of the Soul Guidance Train station in Eastsea City, where he had boarded.
The enormous dome, the antique architectural style, and the stone sculptures everywhere all spoke to the city's profound heritage.
Yang Fan figured that only Ming Capital, the seat of the Federation's headquarters, could rival it.
After leaving the station, Bi Ji hailed a driverless taxi and took the two children to the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters. Along the way, she carefully reminded them to call her Feiyi in front of outsiders and explained a few other things they needed to know about the Spirit Pagoda.
When they reached the Spirit Pagoda, Yang Fan saw that the magnificent building, hundreds of meters tall, was even more splendid up close. The entire tower looked like a sword thrusting straight into the clouds, its presence all the more imposing.
They entered the first-floor lobby of the Spirit Pagoda.
"The honored guests from the Dragon Abyss family have arrived."
At the announcement, a Spirit Pagoda staff member in a black uniform hurried over.
The lobby had been filled with a low hubbub of conversation, but the moment people heard the words "Dragon Abyss," it fell silent.
Dragon Abyss was an extremely low-profile yet unfathomably deep-rooted reclusive family on Douluo Continent. They were said to have extensive cooperation with several high-ranking Spirit Pagoda officials.
The crowd parted on its own, opening a path.
Bi Ji emerged slowly from the shadows with Yang Fan and Na'er.
Yang Fan had ink-black hair and deep-set eyes. Though still young, his steps were remarkably steady.
"Please come with me, Young Master Yang Fan and Miss Na'er. Your Excellency Feiyi, please wait in the reception room."
The staff member bowed slightly and gestured for them to follow.
Bi Ji nodded without a word, indicating that Yang Fan and Na'er should go ahead.
Yang Fan obediently took Na'er's delicate hand and followed the staff member, failing to notice the helpless displeasure in Bi Ji's eyes as she stared at his hand holding Na'er's.
After passing through a long Soul Guidance corridor, the two were led to a spacious secret chamber.
At its center, an octagonal Soul Guidance Awakening Array glowed with soft white light, ready for use.
Three Soul Masters in the uniforms of high-ranking Spirit Pagoda officials stood around the array.
"Miss Na'er, please stand in the center of the array and relax your mind,"
the elderly man in the middle said gently.
Seeing this, Yang Fan guessed that Di Tian had wanted the Spirit Pagoda to awaken Na'er's Martial Soul while they were there.
In the original story, Na'er was one of the rare people whose Martial Soul had failed to awaken on her first attempt. On Douluo Continent, being unable to awaken one's Martial Soul was even rarer than having Innate Full Soul Power.
Na'er stepped into the array timidly.
The moment her feet touched the center of the array, a warm stream of Soul Power flowed into her through the soles of her feet.
Just three seconds later, a sudden change occurred!
"Hmm—"
A low dragon's roar rang through the chamber without warning.
The array's soft white light abruptly turned a mysterious silver-white.
An ancient, overbearing aura erupted from Na'er's small body.
"This is..."
The old man's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the center of the array.
Na'er slowly raised her right hand. A long spear, silver-white from end to end and ringed with dragon scales, gradually took shape above her palm.
Behind her, a vague silver dragon shadow flashed into view, radiating terrifying pressure.
"The traits of a fusion between an item Martial Soul and a Beast Martial Soul?"
The old man's voice trembled.
Yang Fan watched Na'er standing there quietly and wasn't surprised.
In the original story, Na'er's Martial Soul most likely failed to awaken because the Spirit Transmitter in Aolai City was too weak and the awakening array wasn't advanced enough.
But this was the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters. Those certainly weren't problems here.
The Silver Dragon Spear? It seemed that even the headquarters couldn't truly awaken Na'er's Martial Soul.
Na'er's true form was the Silver Dragon King, so her Martial Soul after taking human form was naturally the Silver Dragon King as well—the shadow these people had mistaken for a fusion of an item Martial Soul and a Beast Martial Soul. These people still weren't capable enough.
She would have to wait a few years, until Na'er recovered her memories, before she could fully reclaim her power.
"Test her Soul Power."
The old man took a deep breath and immediately instructed his assistant.
The assistant handed Na'er a Soul Guidance crystal ball that glimmered faintly.
Na'er raised her left hand and gently placed it against the crystal ball.
In an instant, light welled up from within and filled the entire orb. It even gave off faint cracking sounds, as if it couldn't bear the strain.
"Innate Full Soul Power!"
The secret chamber fell into a brief, deathly silence.
The old man looked at the calm girl before him with a hint of ingratiation in his eyes.
He immediately pulled a golden badge from his robes, one representing the highest level of authorization in the Spirit Pagoda, and solemnly held it out to Na'er.
"Miss Na'er, the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters formally invites you to join us. From today on, you will be designated a 'core cultivation target' of the Spirit Pagoda and granted the privilege of training in the high-tier Spirit Ascension Platform at any time."
His Excellency Tian Feng had instructed him that if Na'er's talent proved average, he should give her a red badge as a token gesture out of respect for that family. But if she had Innate Full Soul Power, he was to give her a golden badge; His Excellency would then personally take her as his disciple.
"What about my brother?"
Na'er didn't even glance at the badge. Her eyes were fixed only on Yang Fan.
"He only has an ordinary Monocle Martial Soul. He's nearly twelve and only at level twenty, so he can naturally join the Spirit Pagoda as an ordinary core disciple. Out of respect for the Dragon Abyss family, I can authorize him to receive a black badge."
The old man awkwardly took a black badge from his robes and showed it to Na'er and Yang Fan.
Given his position, a black badge was the highest he could offer. He himself only had a red one.
On Douluo Continent, people were usually ranked according to the colors of their Soul Rings.
The Spirit Pagoda followed the same system. Its Soul Ring colors were white, yellow, purple, black, red, and, at the highest level, gold.