"Fang Lin, are you willing to take this old man as your master?"
Just then, an elderly yet gentle voice came from the spectator platform.
The crowd turned toward the voice in unison. Illusion Brain Douluo Han Tianyi had risen from his seat at some point.
His white beard stirred lightly, and his plain robe shifted. Standing there, he seemed to possess an air of transcendence, as though he stood apart from the mortal world.
Qiangu Dongfeng paused, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. "Elder Han, are you... taking a disciple?"
Leng Yaozhu's beautiful eyes flickered with curiosity.
Her gaze fell on Fang Lin on the awakening platform, and she seemed lost in thought.
"Mm."
Han Tianyi nodded lightly, his tone calm. "Pagoda Master, this child and I are fated to meet."
"Since that's the case, then this is the child's good fortune." Qiangu Dongfeng smiled faintly.
Han Tianyi blurred and appeared directly on the awakening platform.
"Elder Han!"
Su Tao hurriedly bowed in greeting, his voice respectful, though tinged with nervousness.
He had spent many years in the Spirit Pagoda, yet chances to meet the top figures of the organization in person were few and far between.
Now that Han Tianyi stood right before him, Su Tao couldn't help but tense up. Even his breathing grew unconsciously lighter.
"Mm."
Han Tianyi gave a faint reply, his gentle gaze settling on Fang Lin.
Su Tao immediately understood and tactfully stepped aside, careful not to disturb them.
"Your disciple Fang Lin pays his respects, Master."
Seeing this, Fang Lin didn't hesitate. He clasped his hands and bowed.
Well, jokes aside, this was a separate matter.
At those words, envy appeared in the eyes of many in the crowd.
After all, this was Illusion Brain Douluo Han Tianyi.
The Spirit Pagoda's vice pagoda master, a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, a Black-Grade Mecha pilot, a Level 98 Super Douluo, and the foremost figure in the field of spiritual power in the current era.
Becoming the disciple of such a great figure was practically the same as ascending to the heavens in a single step.
"Good."
Han Tianyi smiled and nodded lightly.
Just then, Qiangu Dongfeng's figure appeared on the awakening platform as well.
"Congratulations, Elder Han, on gaining an excellent disciple," Qiangu Dongfeng said, wearing a smile that was just right.
Compared with the authority he had shown earlier, he was now noticeably warmer and more approachable.
"Congratulations, Elder Han."
Leng Yaozhu also walked over, her red dress trailing along the ground, her graceful figure and every gesture exuding elegance and composure.
As she approached, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted through the air, refreshing the senses.
With the two pagoda masters offering their congratulations one after the other, the atmosphere in the plaza instantly reached its peak.
Countless gazes fell on Fang Lin. There was envy, jealousy, resentment, and other complicated emotions too difficult to put into words.
"Little friend Fang Lin, this is a gift to welcome you." As he spoke, Qiangu Dongfeng took out a silver-white ring.
The ring gleamed with a lustrous sheen, its surface engraved with intricate soul-conduit patterns.
Seeing this, Leng Yaozhu didn't fall behind.
With a turn of her delicate hand, she produced a completely black card, its edges inlaid with a fine golden border.
Fang Lin didn't accept them on his own. Instead, he looked to Han Tianyi. "Master."
"Go ahead and accept them."
Han Tianyi nodded slightly, his tone even.
"Thank you, Pagoda Master Qiangu. Thank you, Pagoda Master Leng." Only then did Fang Lin accept the silver-white storage ring and the black card.
Han Tianyi spoke up. "This old man thanks the Pagoda Master and Pagoda Master Leng."
Though his seniority was extremely high, Qiangu Dongfeng was still the pagoda master of the Spirit Pagoda. The proper courtesies had to be observed.
"Elder Han, there's no need to be so courteous."
Qiangu Dongfeng waved his hand with a smile. His gaze lingered on Fang Lin for a moment, and his smile deepened.
"Since this child has joined your tutelage, he is also a rising star of the Spirit Pagoda. These small gifts are nothing."
Of course, Qiangu Dongfeng's gifts were not only a sign of how highly he regarded Fang Lin's talent, but also a way to show goodwill toward Han Tianyi.
After all, drawing closer to Han Tianyi would benefit him as well.
A Level 98 Super Douluo and the foremost figure in the field of spiritual power—their significance went without saying.
Leng Yaozhu had the same intentions.
Hearing this, Han Tianyi naturally understood what the two of them had in mind.
He spoke slowly. "In that case, this old man will take his disciple and be on his way."
"Take care, Elder Han," Qiangu Dongfeng said with a smile.
Leng Yaozhu also nodded lightly, seeing them off in silence.
The next moment, Han Tianyi swept his sleeve, and an invisible wave of spiritual power abruptly spread out. Space warped slightly.
Immediately afterward, the figures of Han Tianyi and Fang Lin turned indistinct.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished completely.
The Spirit Pagoda, eighty-first floor.
A faint ripple passed through space, and Han Tianyi and Fang Lin appeared.
Fang Lin steadied himself and instinctively looked around.
The furnishings seemed simple, yet everything here exuded an air of distinction.
A row of tall bookshelves stood against the wall, neatly lined with countless old books and scrolls.
A broad desk stood before the window, with several documents and a fine soul-conduit pen scattered across its surface.
In the corner, a bronze incense burner sent up wisps of delicate sandalwood smoke, lending the office a serene, tranquil air.
"Master."
Fang Lin turned his gaze back and called out respectfully.
"Mm."
Han Tianyi walked to the chair behind the desk, brushed his sleeve, and sat down at ease.
"This is my office. You'll be coming here often, so take some time to familiarize yourself with the place. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me anytime."
"Yes."
Fang Lin nodded.
A moment later, Han Tianyi rose to his feet. "Come on. I'll test your spiritual power first."
"Let's see just how strong your spiritual power is now. That will help me plan your cultivation going forward."
"All right, Master."
Fang Lin replied.
Then Han Tianyi led Fang Lin out of the office.
Outside the door was a broad, brightly lit corridor.
Soul-conduit wall lamps stood at regular intervals along both sides, their soft glow illuminating the entire corridor.
After walking for a while, Han Tianyi stopped in front of a room.
"Come in."
Han Tianyi casually waved his hand, and the door opened without a sound.
Fang Lin followed him inside. The moment he entered the room, he couldn't help but pause in surprise.
The walls were covered with silver metal panels, densely engraved with soul-conduit runes that gave off a faint blue glow.
The runes overlapped in intricate layers, their exquisite complexity seemingly concealing profound patterns. Just looking at them made one's vision swim.
Several large, cutting-edge machines stood in the center of the testing room, their mechanisms precise and their indicator lights blinking.
"This is a spiritual power tester, specially designed to measure spiritual power." Han Tianyi walked up to one of the machines and tapped it several times.
The machine immediately began to hum softly, and its indicator lights came on one after another.
"Sit down."
Hearing this, Fang Lin sat in the chair beneath the device and put the cold metal helmet on his head.
"Bzzzz—"
A faint hum sounded as the spiritual power tester started up.
A soft white light began to shine from the metal helmet.
On the screen, the number representing his spiritual power began to climb.
1...50...150
The number rose at incredible speed, barely pausing at all, as if nothing could impede it.
200...220...240...
The number easily broke through the two-hundred mark and continued climbing at a terrifying pace!
The graph on the screen rose almost vertically.
At last, the number slowly stopped at two hundred and eighty.
It flashed three times on the screen, then finally stabilized.
"Born in the Spirit Connection Realm!"
Han Tianyi stared at the scene before him in disbelief. "Spiritual power... two hundred and eighty?!"
Among his peers, a score of two hundred and eighty was already a cheat-like, overwhelming advantage.
For a child who had only just awakened his Martial Soul, a spiritual foundation like this was monstrous—one could even call it demonic.
Yet at that moment, Fang Lin had no awareness of the outside world.
His consciousness seemed to be pulled by some force, suddenly arriving in a space unlike any he had ever known.
A Nine-Colored Origin Core floated in the void. Golden radiance, azure mist, blue haze, crimson flames, yellow earth, light, darkness, time, and space.
Nine streams of light flowed ceaselessly, their ancient, boundless aura like the breathing of heaven and earth.
Beside it stood a Gate of Darkness.
Countless intricate patterns were engraved across its surface. Its doors were tightly shut, yet it radiated an oppressive force that made the heart tremble.