Inside the Awakening Hall of the Spirit Pagoda, Qian Jue looked at the shards of the family heirloom crystal ball scattered across the floor. A hint of apology showed on his little face.
"No need. It was probably just too old..."
Su Jiangtao managed a smile more painful than a grimace and waved a hand, telling Qian Jue not to worry about it.
Then he immediately returned to work and asked earnestly:
"Child, would you be willing to join the Spirit Pagoda?"
"Considering the unique nature of your Martial Soul and your talent, once we submit a report, you may receive the Spirit Pagoda's best resources."
Su Jiangtao sounded very serious.
"For modern Soul Masters, Soul Spirits are still the most important thing. Without a Soul Spirit to rely on, in this age when Soul Beasts are nearly extinct on land, even the best talent can only take you so far."
"Putting everything else aside, joining the Spirit Pagoda means you can get a Soul Spirit for free. That's a pretty good deal."
There was nothing wrong with what he said. On the surface, that was indeed the case.
From Douluo I to the last Douluo III installment he'd watched, the path to advancement for ordinary Soul Masters didn't seem to have changed in any meaningful way. If anything, it had gotten even harsher.
In the first installment, as long as you had Soul Power, even if you couldn't afford a Soul Master to help you hunt for a Soul Ring, you could still take a gamble and go kill a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo yourself to advance.
But now? Sorry, no money, no deal.
You had to buy Soul Spirits, and they weren't cheap. Even a decent hundred-year Soul Spirit cost a million Federation coins, while a lower-quality ten-year one still cost a hundred thousand.
Qian Jue remembered that Tang Wulin had apparently worked as an apprentice blacksmith under Mang Tian for three years just to save up enough to choose a Soul Spirit. In the end, he still got a defective one.
If he hadn't had the Golden Dragon King Bloodline to fall back on—and been the son of a God King—then that start would've been a complete disaster for an ordinary person.
Soul Spirits were essential to Soul Masters, and the Spirit Pagoda held all the power over their prices. For an ordinary Soul Master to advance, the whole family had to empty their wallets just to have a chance of climbing higher.
Sigh.
When a dynasty thrived, the common people suffered; when it fell, the common people suffered.
He was an orphan. His parents had left behind no fortune when they died, and his maternal grandparents, far away in Eastsea City, were probably too old to have much money to spare on a Soul Spirit.
If he had to pay for one himself, he'd be short on cash. It wasn't as though he could rely on this pretty face to learn the language of steel wool, right?
Or maybe ask that crazy old woman Long Yeyue?
Absolutely not!
"Uncle, I'm willing to join the Spirit Pagoda!"
As far as Qian Jue could remember, the Federation in this era seemed to have something wrong with Shrek, the Tang Sect, the Spirit Pagoda, and the War God Temple alike. But for now, he didn't seem to have much choice.
As for the Qiangu Clan?
He could take their place!
Su Jiangtao beamed. "Let's test your mental power, then I'll take you to choose a Soul Spirit."
"Don't worry. Now that you've joined the Spirit Pagoda, all these services are completely free."
"Uncle, wait a moment. I think I have another Martial Soul."
Qian Jue furrowed his delicate brows. With a thought, ripples of light spread across his left palm.
Then a pitch-black pillar rose from the ground.
Complex dragon patterns were carved into its surface, giving it an ancient, weathered feel.
"The Dragon Rising Pillar. This is my Second Martial Soul." Qian Jue called out its name without thinking.
For a moment, he seemed to hear Ten Thousand Dragons roaring together as they escorted a nine-colored giant dragon toward the shattered throne of the Dragon God.
The deity sat high upon the throne, looking dazed, as if recalling something.
Then the deity made a move.
The essence of the stars scattered across the sky was drawn in. The spirits of fallen kin from the dragon clan's battlefield were summoned. The deity even took out their own dragon marrow and poured it into the pillar.
At last, a pillar that reached the heavens stood at the center of the ruined Dragon Realm.
"I inherit the will of the previous Sovereign and forge this Dragon Rising Pillar. All members of the dragon clan may, through their own efforts, evolve their bloodlines!"
"I urge you all to strive onward. May the Dragon God Realm endure forever!"
The next moment, cheers like crashing waves shook the heavens:
"Long live the Dragon God! May Tiamat remain forever!"
From that day on, the history of the dragon clan began a new chapter.
Yet no one noticed that the deity seated high upon the throne held endless sorrow in their eyes.
The scene broke off, and Qian Jue's consciousness returned to reality.
From what he'd just learned, he had a preliminary understanding of what his Second Martial Soul could do.
Support-type Martial Soul: Dragon Rising Pillar.
Innate Domain: Ten Thousand Dragons
Within this domain, all dragon-kind receive a 20% increase to all attributes and a 20% increase in bloodline strength.
Each Soul Ring attached in the future will increase all effects of the domain by 10%.
The Dragon Rising Pillar had an innate Martial Soul talent in addition to its natural domain.
When a dragon-type Soul Master was nearby, forming a Martial Soul link would increase both parties' cultivation speeds based on the purity of the other's bloodline. A lower-ranking partner who maintained the link for a long time might even have their bloodline evolve.
For dragon-type Soul Masters, its appeal was practically on par with Huo Yuhao's grilled fish.
Woc, awesome!
"Innate Level 20 Soul Power, and Twin Martial Souls... Child, you have a bright future ahead of you!"
Su Jiangtao sounded so excited that he seemed happier than Qian Jue himself.
He could practically see the beautiful future waiting for him, with a promotion and a raise waving him over.
"Come on. I'll take you to test your mental power, then we'll go choose a Soul Spirit."
"Okay, Uncle."
Following Su Jiangtao, Qian Jue arrived outside a room. Unlike the old-fashioned furnishings in the hall, this place was full of modern touches.
Suddenly, a graceful figure approached from farther down the hall.
Her picturesque features and graceful, curvaceous figure seemed to glow with a captivating light, making it hard to look away.
Beside the woman walked a black-haired girl. Her looks were merely pleasant, not particularly striking, but her mysterious and aloof air more than made up for it.
"Greetings, Your Eminence, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo."
Reverence showed in Su Jiangtao's eyes as he bowed respectfully.
There was no other reason. The woman's status and strength were far beyond what a lowly employee like him could aspire to.
The Spirit Pagoda's vice master, a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu.
Leng Yaozhu gave a slight nod, glanced at Qian Jue, and asked, "Is this child here for a mental power test as well?"
"Yes, Your Eminence."
Leng Yaozhu nodded again, then took her disciple by the hand, intending to go ahead and have her tested.
???
She suddenly realized that her own disciple seemed to have her feet glued to the floor, standing perfectly still.
Gu Yue stood there, staring at Qian Jue behind Su Jiangtao. Her pupils trembled as all kinds of scenes suddenly surfaced in her mind.
There was no way she could mistake that aura.
The dragon clan's First Sovereign—Tiamat.
After the Dragon God died and split into two halves, she lost much of the Dragon God's memory. She didn't even know the cause of her predecessor's death.
But every little detail about her predecessor's time with Tiamat had been inherited in full.
She was the Dragon God's other half. It could be said that the Dragon God had created her, and she had inherited part of the Dragon God's memories.
So from the moment they met, Gu Yue's affection for him had already skyrocketed.
Uh...
Can someone tell me what on earth is going on?
Qian Jue stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Gu Yuena's outstretched right hand with the same baffled expression as the old man on the subway staring at his phone.