Before long, Mu Ye brought Jiang Xiu to a towering building.
The whole tower was made of metal, rising majestically and piercing the clouds. It had eight sides, each bearing a distinctive hue of its own. Compared with it, the surrounding buildings seemed utterly ashamed of their inferiority.
"Come on. Your granduncle should be waiting for us inside."
"Oh, and our Body Sect was once one of the great powers. Our ancestors had their glory, too. So perk up, disciple, and don't embarrass us."
After reminding him, Mu Ye strode toward the Spirit Pagoda with his head held high.
My master really is deeply attached to the Body Sect. But that's understandable. The Body Sect has fallen into such decline. Once I have the strength, I'll change things and restore the Body Sect to its former glory.
Watching his master's back, Jiang Xiu sighed softly. Having made up his mind, he followed Mu Ye.
"His Excellency Body, His Excellency Illusion Brain is waiting for you in the underground Soul Spirit world. Please follow me."
As soon as Mu Ye and Jiang Xiu entered the Spirit Pagoda's lobby, a pretty woman in uniform came over. After speaking, she led the way, guiding the two into an elevator and straight down underground.
With Jiang Xiu's granduncle, Illusion Brain Douluo, there, they didn't need to line up with the other people in the lobby to buy a Soul Spirit.
That was one of the benefits of joining a major power.
"Ding!"
With a soft chime, the elevator came to a steady stop. The moment Jiang Xiu stepped out, a vast circular platform came into view. Around it were five passageways, each a different color: white, yellow, purple, black, and red.
The woman led Jiang Xiu and Mu Ye straight into the red passage. The guards stationed nearby saw her and bowed in greeting, showing that she held a rather high position in the Spirit Pagoda.
When Jiang Xiu reached the end of the red passage, the scenery before his eyes suddenly changed. He had stepped into a lush world, covered in flowers, grass, and trees, where all kinds of Soul Beasts lived in peace.
"So this is the Soul Spirit world the Spirit Pagoda spent so much effort creating? It's practically a real world."
Jiang Xiu marveled inwardly. The Spirit Pagoda had brought the art of Soul Spirits to its pinnacle. Just then, his gaze shifted slightly.
He remembered that two of Tang San's "brothers" were secretly hidden in the Myriad Beast Platform, which the Spirit Pagoda had constructed in secret.
"His Excellency Illusion Brain, I've brought His Excellency Body, as ordered."
The woman approached a tall old man in a black-and-white robe and respectfully reported.
"Mm. Xiao Ling, you may leave."
The old man waved her off, then slowly turned around. His eyes shone silver-white, as calm as autumn waters, and his whole bearing was solemn.
He was Han Tianyi, the Spirit Pagoda's foremost expert in the spiritual realm, a Four-Word Battle Armor Master and Level 98 Super Douluo, known by the title Illusion Brain.
"Long time no see, Uncle. It looks like your cultivation has advanced yet again. Perhaps one day you'll officially reach the realm of a Limit Douluo."
Mu Ye stepped forward with a smile and greeted him.
"You should break through to Super Douluo first. Then your uncle here can finally relax," Han Tianyi said crossly. He then turned his gaze to Jiang Xiu, his eyes filling with approval.
"This must be Xiao Xiu. Good, very good. Just don't take after your master and become obsessed with Mecha."
Han Tianyi walked up to Jiang Xiu and spoke with a kindly expression, utterly unlike the look he gave Mu Ye.
"Uncle, where's that Soul Beast you mentioned?"
Mu Ye scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. Wanting to preserve his imposing image in front of his disciple, he quickly changed the subject.
"Don't worry. It's been prepared for a long time."
Han Tianyi made a small gesture. A screen of light appeared in front of the three of them, revealing a peculiar-looking Soul Beast.
Its entire body seemed shrouded in darkness, without a single speck of another color, and glimmered faintly with a dark sheen. Its lively eyes were blood-red and defiant. It was small, yet beneath its sharp claws lay a massive hundred-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear stood at the very peak of the Soul Beast hierarchy. Even at a hundred years old, it could fight ordinary Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts across a level. Yet beneath this creature's claws, it couldn't fight back at all.
With a swipe of its sharp claws, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear burst apart, transforming into a mass of pure energy that the creature swallowed.
"Is that a Dark Night Raven?! Weren't these Soul Beasts supposed to have gone extinct long ago?"
The moment Mu Ye saw it, he recognized the Soul Beast and exclaimed in surprise.
"They were supposed to be extinct, but someone found one over in the Star Luo Empire. The Spirit Pagoda eventually bought it at a high price, extracted its bloodline, and made it into a Soul Spirit."
A glint passed through Han Tianyi's eyes as he spoke calmly.
"The Dark Night Raven doesn't just possess an ultimate darkness attribute. According to legend, it can even cross through time. In other words, it has an extremely rare time attribute. The moment I received your message, I set one aside."
Han Tianyi enlarged the screen of light and carefully explained it to Jiang Xiu.
Space reigned supreme; time was king.
Jiang Xiu had never heard of this kind of Soul Beast, but he knew how precious a Soul Spirit with a time attribute was.
"That's perfect! Uncle, hurry and bring it over so Xiao Xiu can fuse with it."
Mu Ye pointed at the Dark Night Raven on the screen. Naturally, it was best to get something like this into his own hands as soon as possible.
"But I must warn you first: this Soul Beast is eight hundred years old, but it's a genuine Unyielding Soul Spirit. You should understand what makes an Unyielding Soul Spirit special, shouldn't you?"
Han Tianyi spoke with grave emphasis.
"An Unyielding Soul Spirit... Well, how about making it your second Soul Spirit, disciple?"
At Han Tianyi's words, Mu Ye's expression immediately turned hesitant. An Unyielding Soul Spirit would rather die than fuse with a human Soul Master. Though such Soul Spirits were powerful, they could backfire on their Soul Masters and damage their Sea of Consciousness.
"Xiao Xiu, I agree with your master's suggestion. You can also raise its age through the Spirit Ascension Pagoda. Once you're strong enough, it won't be too late to fuse with it."
Han Tianyi looked at Jiang Xiu and offered his own advice.
With the Spirit Ascension Pagoda now available, Soul Masters no longer placed the greatest importance on a Soul Ring's age. Quality came first.
"Master, Granduncle, I want to try."
Jiang Xiu shook his head, his voice firm.
With the Shadow Monarch within him, if he couldn't even absorb an Unyielding Soul Spirit, there was no point talking about controlling the Abyss or his plans to become a god.
"You... Ah, forgive him, Uncle. Children have minds of their own. How about letting him try?"
Mu Ye sighed, but his eyes gleamed with delight. If Jiang Xiu truly backed down in the face of danger, it would prove he lacked the heart of a strong man. No matter how talented he was, he would never go far.
But before Han Tianyi could answer, two figures appeared in a shimmer of light and walked in from outside, accompanied by a voice.
"Na'er, make sure you choose your Soul Spirit carefully later. The first Soul Spirit is very important to a Soul Master."
Han Tianyi's gaze sharpened. Spiritual power surged around him as he reached through the air, seized the Dark Night Raven inside the screen, and instantly concealed it.
But when Jiang Xiu saw the two people who had entered, his expression suddenly changed.
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