Aolai City Spirit Pagoda

The Spirit Pagoda organization was spread across the continent. Not only was it found throughout Douluo Continent, but it had also extended to the other two continents discovered over the past several thousand years.

Ten thousand years ago, the remnants of the Heaven Dou Empire, defeated by the Sun Moon Empire of that era, sailed far across the seas with their battered troops. After enduring countless hardships, they discovered a vast continent. It was inhabited by native humans, but its development lagged far behind that of Douluo Continent. They occupied it and named it Heaven Dou Continent.

Friction between the remaining Sun Moon Empire and Star Luo Empire on Douluo Continent never ceased. As the Sun Moon Empire developed at high speed, the Star Luo Empire gradually declined. However, they found another path and conducted in-depth research into ocean voyages, eventually discovering another continent. The Star Luo Empire quietly occupied that continent and relocated the entire nation there, taking vast resources with them. They named that continent Star Luo Continent. The later Star Luo Empire also adopted a federal system and became the Star Luo Federation.

After unifying Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Empire was renamed the Sun Moon Federation.

The Spirit Pagoda organization had existed for ten thousand years. Because of its importance to Spirit Masters, as well as its groundbreaking research into artificial Spirit Souls, its status had risen steadily. It spread across all three continents and became one of the most powerful forces.

Aolai City also had a Spirit Pagoda branch, located at the city center. It was a three-story tower-shaped building, the lowest grade of Spirit Pagoda branch. Spirit Pagodas in medium-sized cities stood seven stories tall, while those in large cities reached thirteen stories. The headquarters located in Shrek City, after years of renovations, stood eighty-one stories tall and was known as the most magnificent building on Douluo Continent.

Although the Aolai City Spirit Pagoda had been built in the city center, few people came and went. The main reason was that Aolai City had very few Spirit Masters.

The Spirit Pagoda had a standard octagonal design, with three floors and wide-open interior space in all directions. The floor was paved with marble bearing the Spirit Pagoda emblem, and the hall was spacious.

Inside stood a door leading who knew where. Directly opposite it was something like a service counter, behind which sat a Spirit Transmitter dressed in a gray robe.

The moment he saw them, the Spirit Transmitter immediately walked over. "Old Xu, what brings you here? Huh? Is this the precious son you keep talking about?" As he spoke, he shifted his gaze to Xu Mengqing.

Xu Zhan smiled and patted Xu Mengqing on the shoulder, his tone full of expectation. "That's right. My Xiao Qing successfully broke through to level ten yesterday, so I specially brought him to our Aolai City Spirit Pagoda branch. I'll have to trouble you to help him choose a good white Spirit Soul."

The Spirit Transmitter was named Zhou Hai. He had worked at the Aolai City Spirit Pagoda for nearly twenty years and was an old acquaintance of Xu Zhan's. Upon hearing this, he first looked Xu Mengqing over from head to toe. Seeing that the boy stood tall and straight, with steady eyes and none of the restlessness common among children his age, approval immediately appeared in Zhou Hai's eyes.

However, when he thought of the child's Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, the smile on Zhou Hai's face faded somewhat, and he let out a soft sigh.

"Blue Silver Grass..."

He hesitated, his voice carrying a trace of regret that even he himself did not notice.

"Old Xu, and, uh..."

"Uncle, my name is Xu Mengqing."

"Right, little Meng Qing. Come with me!"

Zhou Hai led Xu Zhan and Xu Mengqing into the Spirit Pagoda, introducing it to them as they walked:

"Our Spirit Pagoda offers three ways to purchase Spirit Souls: ten-year white Spirit Souls, hundred-year yellow Spirit Souls, and randomly drawn Spirit Souls.

"There are seventy-three choices for ten-year white Spirit Souls, and quite a few of them are suitable for Blue Silver Grass..."

The three of them soon arrived in a room. Unlike the antiquated exterior, the room was filled with a modern technological atmosphere, with many instruments Xu Mengqing had never seen before placed inside.

Zhou Hai pointed at a metal chair and had Xu Mengqing sit down, then explained, "This is an instrument specifically used to test a Spirit Master's Spiritual Power value. Little Meng Qing, do you know why we're testing your Spiritual Power now?"

Xu Mengqing answered, "It should have something to do with fusing a Spirit Soul, right?"

Zhou Hai paused, then continued, "It seems you already know something about it. Like the Spirit Beasts of the past, today's Spirit Souls are divided into five grades: white, yellow, purple, black, and red. The strength of one's Spiritual Power directly determines what grades of Spirit Souls a Spirit Master can fuse with. You'll learn this knowledge in intermediate Soul Master Academy in the future, so I won't explain too much."

Zhou Hai then walked behind the metal chair and slid a soul-guided screen aside. A metal object shaped like a helmet descended from above and covered Xu Mengqing's head.

"Don't be nervous. You may feel slightly dizzy later, but that's perfectly normal. Just keep your whole body relaxed," Zhou Hai instructed carefully.

"Okay."

A faint humming sound rose. Soft white light began to shine from outside the helmet, and the Spirit Transmitter turned to look at a soul-guided screen, where numbers began to appear.

The numbers jumped rapidly at first. After a short while, the data gradually stabilized, and shock appeared on both Zhou Hai and Xu Zhan's faces.

After a while, the value stopped rising and merely fluctuated slowly within a certain range.

Zhou Hai shut off the instrument, and the helmet rose.

"That's incredible, little Meng Qing. Your Spiritual Power value is seventy-eight, very close to the Spirit Connection Realm. Other than some Spiritual Power-type Martial Souls listed in the records, I've never seen a Soul Scholar with Spiritual Power higher than yours," Zhou Hai said in astonishment.

Xu Mengqing put on a confused expression and asked curiously, "Uncle Zhou, what does the Spirit Connection Realm mean?"

Xu Zhan explained from the side, "Spirit Origin Realm Spiritual Power ranges from one to one hundred. Below thirty is the initial stage of the Spirit Origin Realm, thirty to fifty-nine is the middle stage, sixty to eighty-nine is the high stage, and ninety to ninety-nine is the peak. At one hundred, it becomes the Spirit Connection Realm, and even bearing a purple Spirit Soul wouldn't be a problem."

Zhou Hai nodded and continued from Xu Zhan's words. "I'm already a level-twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster, yet my Spiritual Power value is only eighty-seven, just a little higher than yours. It's a pity that your Innate Soul Power is too low, and your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. Otherwise, I would have recommended that you go to the Spirit Pagoda branch in East Sea City." Afterward, he gave Xu Mengqing another regretful look.

"Remember this value. I'll issue you a test report, which you can hand directly to your teacher when you attend intermediate Soul Master Academy."

With that, Zhou Hai led Xu Zhan and Xu Mengqing to another room next door.

This room was even larger. Inside stood an enormous instrument three meters tall and six meters wide. Within it were many spherical objects about a foot in diameter, emitting faint glimmers of light.