Early the next morning, on the eighty-first floor of the Spirit Pagoda.
Han Tianyi's office.
The office was spacious and elegant, its bookshelves packed with all kinds of ancient books and records. A faint scent of ink lingered in the air.
Sunlight spilled through the half-drawn curtains, casting mottled shadows across the floor.
Fang Lin sat cross-legged, eyes lightly closed, his breathing long and steady.
He had sunk into Deep Meditation. The aura around him was ethereal and profound, as if he had become one with heaven and earth.
"Not bad. You've already grasped the basics of the Illusion Meditation Method."
Han Tianyi's gaze fell on Fang Lin, and he gave a slight nod.
A trace of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
Just then, a crisp knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Han Tianyi withdrew his gaze and spoke calmly.
The next moment, the door was gently pushed open.
A figure entered first.
She was a tall woman with an outstanding bearing.
She wore a well-tailored, fiery-red dress that outlined her mature, voluptuous curves, her figure graceful and captivating.
Below the hem of her dress, her shapely calves were wrapped in ultrathin black stockings.
On her feet were simple yet elegant black high heels.
A girl followed behind her.
The girl wore a white dress. Her long black hair was tied into a neat ponytail that hung behind her head, revealing a delicate, coolly beautiful face.
Her entire bearing was cool and otherworldly.
"Heavenly Phoenix Douluo."
Han Tianyi's expression was calm, his tone indifferent. "May I ask what brings you here today?"
"Elder Han."
Leng Yaozhu nodded slightly, her red lips parting as she spoke in a cool voice. "This is my disciple, Gu Yue."
"Junior Gu Yue pays her respects to Your Excellency Phantom Brain."
Gu Yue bowed slightly, her voice crisp and respectful.
"Mm."
Han Tianyi nodded faintly. His gaze lingered on the girl for a moment before he looked away. "Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, please have a seat."
Leng Yaozhu nodded lightly and settled gracefully into the chair opposite the desk.
Gu Yue went over to a nearby sofa and sat down quietly.
Yet her gaze couldn't help but drift toward Fang Lin, who had sunk into Deep Meditation.
"This is... the Golden Dragon King's aura!"
Gu Yue's heart gave a slight jolt, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
Her eyelashes fluttered, but outwardly she remained as calm as still water, even as turmoil surged within her.
How could the Golden Dragon King's aura be here?
Who exactly was this young man?
"Please, have some tea."
Han Tianyi picked up the teapot, slowly poured the brewed tea into a cup, and handed it to Leng Yaozhu.
The tea was clear and bright. A wisp of fragrant steam rose from it, soothing to the senses.
"Thank you, Elder Han."
Leng Yaozhu lifted the cup and took a small sip. The tea's fragrance spread across her lips and teeth, slightly bitter at first, then sweet on the finish.
She set down the cup, raised her eyes to Han Tianyi, and got straight to the point. "Elder Han, I came here for one thing."
"Mm?"
Han Tianyi remained composed, merely giving a quiet acknowledgment to prompt her to continue.
"Cooperation."
Leng Yaozhu's voice rang clear and cool. "The Spirit Pagoda is now divided into two major factions: the Qiangu Family and the Phoenix Family."
She paused, then continued. "The Qiangu Family has three Limit Douluo, while the Phoenix Family... has only me."
"I'm sure you understand the situation that leaves us in, Elder Han."
"Mm."
Han Tianyi lifted his teacup and took another sip. His expression didn't change, giving no hint of what he was thinking.
A brief silence fell over the office.
Only the incense burner in the corner sent up curling wisps of smoke, carrying a faint sandalwood fragrance.
But in the next instant, a terrifying surge of spiritual power suddenly burst from Fang Lin!
"This is..."
Leng Yaozhu's eyes flashed with surprise. She turned sharply toward Fang Lin.
If she remembered correctly, Fang Lin, the disciple Han Tianyi had taken in, possessed the Golden Dragon Martial Soul, hailed as the progenitor of strength.
A Martial Soul renowned for physical might shouldn't, in theory, possess such terrifying spiritual power.
Yet the fluctuations of the spiritual power now clearly reached the Spirit Sea Realm.
"???"
Gu Yue remained calm on the surface, but countless question marks had already risen in her mind.
She couldn't help thinking to herself, Are you the Silver Dragon King, or am I?
This spiritual power was far too unreasonable.
"That kid's finished constructing his Spirit Illusion Realm."
Han Tianyi set down his teacup. Surprise flashed in his eyes, quickly turning to satisfaction.
For Fang Lin, his innate Spirit Sea Realm spiritual power meant that practicing the Illusion Meditation Method wasn't especially difficult. Reaching the basics was only a matter of time.
But constructing a Spirit Illusion Realm was another matter entirely.
It required not only spiritual power to sustain it, but also a foundation in one's Dao, from which to build a complete spiritual world out of nothing.
What was this foundation?
It was the most essential Dao in the builder's heart, the "core" of the spiritual world.
The deeper the Dao, the sturdier the foundation. The resulting Spirit Illusion Realm would be stronger and more real.
Han Tianyi's own foundation was "space."
From it, he had constructed a Mental Space as his Spirit Illusion Realm.
Once he pulled someone into it, they would have entered a spiritual world that belonged to him.
Within that spiritual world, he was the absolute master.
Most importantly, death in a Spirit Illusion Realm meant true death.
"Elder Han, your disciple is quite something."
Leng Yaozhu looked away, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. She gave Han Tianyi a sidelong look that was almost a smile, her tone carrying a deeper meaning.
"He's only so-so."
Han Tianyi set down his teacup, his tone indifferent.
As the spiritual fluctuations gradually settled, Fang Lin slowly opened his eyes.
A faint golden light flickered in his eyes, then they returned to their deep black.
Fang Lin slowly stood up and stretched his slightly stiff limbs. His bones gave off a faint series of crackles.
"Teacher."
He spoke in a calm, steady voice.
Only then did Fang Lin notice the two guests who had joined them in the office.
"Your Excellency Heavenly Phoenix."
Fang Lin bowed slightly, his tone respectful.
"Mm."
Leng Yaozhu nodded slowly, her gaze lingering on him a moment longer, as if trying to see something in him.
Fang Lin sensed something and looked toward the black-haired girl.
He thought to himself, Holy crap, isn't that World-Shocking Wisdom?
The black-haired girl stood and walked over to him.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you."
She paused slightly, her voice cool and calm. "My name is Gu Yue."
As she spoke, Gu Yue held out her hand.
It was a fair, slender hand with long, graceful fingers and skin smooth as jade.
"Hello, I'm Fang Lin." Fang Lin smiled faintly, his tone warm.
He reached out and gently took her hand.
The instant their skin touched, Fang Lin's Golden Dragon King Martial Soul suddenly resonated in a strange way with Gu Yue.
An indescribable sense of comfort welled up in both of them.
Fang Lin and Gu Yue both froze for a moment, forgetting to let go. They simply stood there, holding hands.