The Spirit Pagoda, eighty-first floor.
Han Tianyi explained everything about Soul Spirits to Fang Lin in detail.
From how Soul Spirits came into being and how to form contracts with them, to how different types of Soul Spirits affected Martial Souls, he left nothing out.
His tone was calm and earnest, clearly showing how seriously he took the matter.
Whenever he reached an important point, he would slow down to make sure Fang Lin understood before continuing.
After finishing, Han Tianyi lifted his teacup and took a small sip, moistening his throat.
Then his gaze settled on Fang Lin, and he asked, "Have you decided what kind of Soul Spirit you want?"
"Your Martial Soul is exceptionally powerful, but choosing your first Soul Spirit is just as important."
"A good start often determines how your future unfolds."
Fang Lin fell into thought.
Sitting in his chair with his eyes closed, he raced through his options.
In the era of Dou San, Soul Rings were no longer important. By comparison, Soul Spirits were far more valuable.
The former Spirit Pagoda Master, Qiangu Dieting, was proof enough.
He had forcibly upgraded every one of his Soul Rings to a hundred-thousand-year red Soul Ring.
A moment later, Fang Lin opened his eyes and said, "Teacher, I want to choose an Unyielding Soul Spirit."
"Good."
Han Tianyi didn't say anything more.
He simply took out a Soul Guidance screen and handed it over. "Choose whichever Unyielding Soul Spirit you want."
"Filter by attribute, thousand-year level, and the Unyielding type. After applying all three conditions, there shouldn't be many Soul Spirits left to choose from."
"All right, Teacher."
Fang Lin nodded, took the Soul Guidance screen, and began looking through it carefully.
Han Tianyi leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea slowly, making no attempt to interfere.
He preferred to let Fang Lin decide for himself. After all, the Martial Soul belonged to Fang Lin, and he would have to walk his own path in the future.
If Fang Lin made a less-than-ideal choice, his teacher would still be there to correct him in time.
That way, his disciple could make his own decisions without being led astray.
Fang Lin's gaze rested on the Soul Guidance screen as his fingertip moved across it.
Unyielding Soul Spirits.
First page: Titan Giant Ape.
On the screen was a colossal ape-like Soul Spirit, pitch-black from head to toe, resembling both an ape and a gorilla.
Short, dense black fur covered its body, each strand as hard as a steel needle. Every part of its body was packed with dense muscle, each bulging mound like a small hill, brimming with explosive strength.
Its enormous eyes glimmered like yellow crystal, steady and fierce.
Fang Lin took one look, gave a slight shake of his head, and continued scrolling.
The Titan Giant Ape was powerful, but it wasn't the best match for his Martial Soul.
Second page: Twin Cyclops.
Two heads shared one body, with a pair of independent heads rising from its shoulders. Each had a single eye.
The left head was pitch-black, its right eye gleaming with a cold, dark light. The right head was snow-white, its left eye blazing with brilliant white light.
Two utterly different auras intertwined, sending a chill through the soul.
Its black and white fur was sharply divided, and its colossal body possessed top-tier strength and mental power.
Third page: Holy Unicorn.
A magnificent snow-white horse, its mane glowing like gold and a spiraled golden horn standing proudly atop its head.
Its enormous wings were white as clouds, their outermost feathers edged in gold.
As it walked, a soft holy light enveloped its body. Golden halos rippled outward in circles, spreading like waves.
Pure, noble, powerful.
Fang Lin's gaze lingered on the Holy Unicorn for a moment.
To be fair, this Soul Spirit was truly impressive. Its appearance and strength were both beyond reproach.
But... it still felt like something was missing.
In the end, he swiped past it and continued browsing.
Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, Vajra Dragon Ape, Golden Earth Dragon King...
One powerful Soul Spirit after another appeared before his eyes. Each had its own strengths, but each had its own shortcomings as well.
Then, all at once, Fang Lin's hand stopped.
A peculiar Soul Spirit appeared before him.
Its overall shape resembled a giant mastiff, but its limbs, head, and tail all bore distinct draconic features.
Its golden fur was smooth as silk, shimmering with a faint golden radiance.
Its head combined a mastiff's ferocity with a dragon's pride. Its pair of vertical pupils gleamed like gold, radiating a majesty that pierced the soul.
Its limbs were thick and powerful, with razor-sharp claws glinting coldly.
The long, powerful dragon tail behind it ended in a slightly raised tip, exuding an innate, overbearing presence.
Unyielding Soul Spirit—the Golden Dragon Mastiff!
A descendant of the Golden Earth Dragon and the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, it had inherited the essence of the dragon clan's bloodline and the mastiff's unyielding will. It was born with two top-tier attributes: light and strength.
Fang Lin's gaze remained fixed on the screen. For a long time, he didn't look away.
He turned to Han Tianyi, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Teacher, I'll choose this one."
"Good eye."
Han Tianyi set down his teacup and looked at the Golden Dragon Mastiff displayed on the screen.
He nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
"The Golden Dragon Mastiff is indeed an excellent choice."
Han Tianyi went on, "It's far rarer than ordinary Unyielding Soul Spirits."
"Dragon and mastiff bloodlines rarely combine, and it possesses two top-tier attributes: light and strength."
"Mm."
Fang Lin nodded.
In the era of Dou San, whether a person had a Beast Martial Soul or an elemental Martial Soul, they could only be suppressed when facing the Gold and Silver Dragon Kings.
It was absolute suppression at the bloodline level, unrelated to cultivation. It was simply the natural intimidation of a superior over an inferior.
Of course, Fang Lin wasn't bound by the limitations of this version. His Golden Dragon Martial Soul had already evolved into the Golden Dragon King.
In terms of bloodline, the Golden Dragon King stood on equal footing with the Silver Dragon King and even surpassed it in certain respects.
That so-called bloodline suppression didn't exist for him. If anything, he was the one who would suppress others.
"Someone, bring the Unyielding Soul Spirit, the Golden Dragon Mastiff," Han Tianyi ordered through the Soul Guidance Communicator.
"Yes."
The voice of a Spirit Pagoda staff member came from the other end.
Not long afterward, someone gently knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
Han Tianyi's voice rang out.
The next moment, the door opened.
A Spirit Pagoda staff member hurried in and bowed respectfully. "Elder Han."
"Mm."
Han Tianyi gave a slight nod, his expression calm.
The Spirit Pagoda staff member stepped forward and presented the Soul Spirit Orb.
It was a completely transparent crystal ball, its surface flowing with a faint blue light. Through the sphere, one could just make out a Golden Dragon Mastiff curled up inside.
It seemed to sense the presence outside. Its body trembled slightly, and its golden vertical pupils suddenly opened, filled with wariness.
Ordinary Soul Spirits could be stored in Soul Spirit Orbs for long periods.
But Unyielding Soul Spirits were innately unruly and extremely difficult to tame, so they could only be sealed inside Soul Spirit Orbs for a short time.
If kept inside too long, they would batter the sphere from within and forcibly break free.
After setting down the Soul Spirit Orb, the Spirit Pagoda staff member bowed once more, then turned and left, gently closing the door behind him.
Silence returned to the office.