The Spirit Pagoda

Since the Sun Moon Empire unified the Douluo Continent and was later renamed the Sun Moon Federation, ten thousand years had passed. With internal conflicts gone, human technology had naturally entered a period of rapid development.

The ascent of the technological tree had brought a tremendous leap in humanity's overall strength. Armed with advanced soul guidance technology, the soul beast clans could no longer contend with mankind.

Even the once-prosperous Star Dou Great Forest had declined with the tide of the times over those ten thousand years. Under humanity's relentless logging, less than one percent of its original area remained.

Yet across the wilderness from the shrinking and decaying Star Dou Great Forest, neighboring Shrek City had followed a completely opposite path of development.

This ancient city, with a legacy of more than twenty thousand years and countless storms and wars behind it, had relied on the prosperity of the Federation, its premier soul guidance academy resources, its advantage as a transportation hub connecting the entire continent, and the support of major powers such as Shrek Academy, the Spirit Pagoda, and the Tang Sect. It had flourished ever more vigorously, becoming the core center and civilizational benchmark of the entire Douluo Federation.

Today's Shrek City had long shed the rustic appearance of an old city-state, becoming a super-metropolis that fused ancient foundations with futuristic technology. A warm, translucent pale golden halo lingered above the entire city year-round, soft yet undispersed, eternal in its presence.

This was a top-tier, high-level soul guidance defensive array covering the entire city. It operated day and night, filtering ultraviolet rays, blocking harsh weather, purifying the city's air, stabilizing the concentration of Soul Power within the city, and preventing malicious external Soul Power from probing inside. It was the culmination of the Federation's finest technology.

More than a hundred meters above the ground, crisscrossing transparent soul guidance railways ran through the entire city like silver veins floating among the clouds. Countless streamlined silver-white hovercars moved back and forth, swift yet orderly. When traffic surged, they resembled schools of silver fish gliding through a sea of clouds, lively and precise.

Occasionally, massive cargo soul guidance airships dozens of meters long drifted across the sky, trailing faint energy flames. Their enormous hulls blocked the sunlight and cast fleeting, heavy shadows across the ground, displaying the magnificent grandeur of a metropolis in its golden age.

On the streets, soul masters in all manner of uniforms brushed shoulders with ordinary pedestrians. Neon holographic billboards played advertisements for "The Federation's Latest Soul Guidance Communicator" and "Limited Black-Grade Soul Spirit Quotas from the Spirit Pagoda."

A pitch-black soul guidance hover sedan traveled steadily along a dedicated lane. The Spirit Pagoda's emblem was displayed on its body, and most passing vehicles tacitly kept their distance—there were not many people in the entire Federation who could travel at this altitude without being restricted by traffic controls.

Inside the car, Xiao Ran rested with his eyes closed.

He wore a casual outfit of interwoven azure and gold today. The fabric was deep-sea cloud silkworm silk, a specialty of Eastsea City. It looked soft, but blades and swords could scarcely damage it. Time had been especially kind to him. Though fifty years old, he looked only a little over thirty.

His features remained handsome, but decades of authority had settled between his brows. Like a drawn sword that had sheathed its edge, he appeared all the more intimidating. His fingers unconsciously stroked an ancient ring set with an azure gemstone, within which space itself seemed to twist.

"Martial soul awakening truly is a turning point in one's fate..." Xiao Ran murmured. His thoughts drifted back decades, to how he, too, had once been a dream-filled youth from Eastsea City, struggling step by step from the bottom and relying on talent and relentless effort to reach his present position.

His father, Xiao Zhan, had been a commoner soul master from Eastsea City. He had been rather fortunate, possessing the Azure Shadow Snake, a high-grade wind-attribute martial soul. With innate eighth-rank Soul Power and astonishing perseverance, he had passed the Spirit Pagoda's stringent assessments and become one of its members.

Later, during a dangerous mission assigned by the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, his fourth soul spirit, the ten-thousand-year Wind-Splitting Sub-Dragon, had unexpectedly uncovered the bloodline of a Thorn Dragon. It granted Xiao Zhan a spatial soul skill, added a trace of spatial attribute to his martial soul, and laid the groundwork for Xiao Ran's future awakening of the Azure Sky Snake Emperor.

Fate truly was impossible to fathom!

"What are you thinking about?" A gentle voice came from beside him.

Xiao Ran turned his head and saw his wife, Mu Wan, tranquil and beautiful.

Mu Wan wore a simple, elegant outfit today. A pure white flowing-cloud dress accentuated her slender figure and otherworldly bearing, while a light, translucent pale azure gauze jacket draped over it, making her seem refined and untouched by worldly dust.

Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, her delicate brows and eyes painted with exquisite precision. There was not the slightest hint of sharpness or ostentation about her; instead, her temperament was as calm as a deep abyss and as warm as polished jade. Her clear, profound eyes were immaculate and translucent, seemingly able to see through every emotion and thought hidden deep within a person's heart.

As a disciple of the Body Sect, her martial soul was the "Body Martial Soul: Brain." Though she did not excel at frontal combat, her control over spiritual power had long reached perfection. She had sensed the complicated emotions in her husband's heart. She gently squeezed his hand, silently offering comfort.

Xiao Ran opened his eyes, the shifting lights outside the window gliding across his pupils. "Nothing," he said in a deep voice carrying a distinctive metallic resonance. "I was merely marveling at the wonder of fate. Fortunately, I seem to be someone favored by fate. I only hope fate will continue favoring our child."

He paused, his gaze falling on the little boy curled up in the seat ahead.

Xiao Cheng wore a specially made formal suit today, dark blue in color with silver-gray patterns representing the Spirit Pagoda embroidered onto the cuffs. He sat ramrod straight, his small hands resting on his knees as he tried to imitate his father's usual bearing. Yet the slight tension in his toes still betrayed his nervousness.

"Cheng'er." Xiao Ran suddenly spoke.

"Here!" Xiao Cheng jolted and sat even straighter.

"Are you nervous?"

Xiao Cheng pursed his lips and nodded honestly. "A little." He paused, as if recalling something, then muttered softly, "I hope I don't have a malignant martial soul mutation like a certain 'Teacher of Gods'..."

Xiao Ran froze for a moment before chuckling. He gently patted his son's shoulder. "Haha, silly child, how could such a coincidence happen? Your father is a genius, and your mother is an extraordinary expert from the Body Sect. How could our Cheng'er possibly be lacking?"

Though he said that, how could he not harbor even a trace of concern deep down? Martial soul awakening was seventy percent dependent on bloodline inheritance and thirty percent determined by heaven. Both his and Mu Wan's martial souls could be considered top-tier, and they had never lacked resources. Xiao Cheng had also consumed quite a few precious heavenly treasures since childhood.

Yet apart from bloodline and resources, martial soul awakening truly involved a little luck. The probability was indeed extremely low, but what if?

Still, when he thought of how intelligent and clever his child had been since infancy—able to walk and run just months after being born, able to recognize all the characters, speak, and write by the age of two, and having even finished and understood the complete Basic Principles of Soul Guidance Devices by age five—that innate brilliance had been obvious at a glance.

Before awakening their martial souls, the descendants of soul masters were generally much more intelligent than ordinary children, but children like Xiao Cheng were truly rare. No matter how one looked at it, he did not seem like someone who would suffer a malignant martial soul mutation.

Thinking that, Xiao Ran secretly relaxed. Still, he quickly added, "However, no matter what martial soul you awaken, it will be a part of you. Just as our love for you will not change whether you are a genius or an ordinary person."

"Let's go. It's about time." Xiao Ran gathered himself and resumed the composed demeanor of a powerful Spirit Envoy. "Today is the martial soul awakening ceremony for internal Spirit Pagoda members. The attendees are all descendants of old friends, so there is no need to be reserved."

The hovercar slowly decelerated and came to a stop.

The car door slid open soundlessly, and air carrying a mixture of Soul Power fluctuations and metallic scent surged inside.

Outside stood a magnificent tower-shaped structure, like a colossal silver sword piercing the heavens. Its eighty-one floors rose straight into the clouds, and even the farthest drifting clouds could only curl around its middle.

Its base was a majestic octagon, with thousands of feet of dark blue-black raw stone laid across the ground. Every inch of the stone surface was engraved with ever-flowing spirit patterns. Whenever the wind passed, faint soul beast roars seemed to echo through the air.

From the base upward, the tower narrowed inward every ten floors. Its pale silver glazed exterior reflected the daylight, making it look from afar like a solid mass of frozen moonlight. The higher it rose, the hazier it became. Its spire had long vanished into spirit mist that never dispersed, and only occasional glimmers of spiritual light leaked through the clouds, drawing soul masters throughout the city to stop and gaze upward.

The entire tower stood more than four hundred meters tall. It was recognized across the Douluo Continent as the most magnificent building in existence. Even from Shrek City's gates, one could look up and see its silver-white tip, like an anchor of peace for this continent, firmly nailed between heaven and earth—this was the Spirit Pagoda.

The three of them got out of the car. An attendant in a black uniform immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Spirit Envoy Xiao, this way, please."

The interior of the Spirit Pagoda was extraordinarily spacious, with an extremely high dome. Countless glowing soul guidance gemstones were embedded in the surrounding walls, illuminating the entire space as brightly as day. The floor was made of some dark golden metal, polished smooth as a mirror and reflecting everyone's figures.

At the center of the hall stood a massive hexagonal awakening platform. It was engraved with profound runes and currently emitted gentle energy fluctuations.

Quite a few people had already arrived.

Most were department heads, elders, and their families from the Spirit Pagoda. When they saw Xiao Ran enter, they stopped their conversations and cast looks of reverence, eagerness, or scrutiny in his direction.

"Spirit Envoy Xiao!"

"Your Excellency Azure!"

Greetings rose one after another. Xiao Ran wore a smile and nodded slightly, responding to each in turn. His manner was humble and courteous without losing its sense of distance. He did not seem arrogant, yet neither did he appear overly warm and compromise his status.

Xiao Ran walked forward with steady steps, Mu Wan elegantly holding his arm. Xiao Cheng followed behind his parents and could clearly feel all those gazes landing on him like needles. He instinctively puffed out his chest, trying his best to look like an important figure with a promising future.

"Oh, isn't this Spirit Envoy Xiao? It's been a long time."

A hearty laugh came from the side ahead.

Xiao Ran paused, and the first genuine smile of the day appeared on his face. He turned toward the voice and cupped his hands. "Deputy Pagoda Master Leng! I trust you have been well."

In the corner of the hall, a middle-aged man sat on a cushioned couch. He looked to be around forty, his features so handsome they bordered on bewitching. His black hair was impeccably groomed. Though time had left faint lines at the corners of his eyes, they only added to his mature charm.

He wore a dark red robe embroidered with golden patterns, his aura restrained as though he had merged with the surrounding space. This man was the Spirit Pagoda's deputy pagoda master, second only to Pagoda Master Qiangu Dieting, a Rank 99 Limit Douluo, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo—Leng Zhaoran! Two adorable little girls stood behind him.

The older one was around seven. Her red hair resembled burning flames, and she had fair skin, delicate features, and a small face carrying a composure and pride beyond her age. She was Leng Yaozhu, who had awakened the Heavenly Phoenix martial soul one year ago and was widely recognized as a genius.

The younger one looked very much like her sister, but their temperaments were completely different. She had shoulder-length wine-red hair, and her lively eyes contained a hint of shyness, like a little bird ready to flutter away at any moment. She was Leng Yulai, one of today's main figures.

"Hello, Uncle Xiao. Hello, Aunt Mu." Leng Yaozhu greeted them properly, her voice crisp.

"Uncle Xiao, Aunt Mu." Leng Yulai followed suit, though her curious gaze had already drifted toward Xiao Cheng.

Xiao Ran smiled and rubbed the two little girls' heads, then looked at Leng Zhaoran. "Deputy Pagoda Master Leng, you seem to be in fine spirits today. Has your cultivation improved again recently?"

Leng Zhaoran laughed heartily and patted Xiao Ran's shoulder. "Improvement is too much to say. Seeing young people like you take on the burden, this old man has to keep holding on. But you, Azure Douluo, have already reached Rank 97, haven't you? That pace is quite impressive. Your Cheng'er should be awakening today as well, right? This child has extraordinary bones and talent. His future accomplishments may not fall below yours."

Xiao Ran modestly said a few words before quickly having Xiao Cheng step forward to greet him.

Xiao Cheng stepped forward as well, imitating the adults as he bowed to Leng Zhaoran. "Hello, Uncle Leng."

Leng Zhaoran studied Xiao Cheng with interest, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. "Xiao Ran, your boy has an exceptional bearing. He must take after you."

"Not at all. His mother taught him well," Xiao Ran said modestly, though the pride in his eyes could not be concealed.

The two little girls naturally turned their gazes to Xiao Cheng as well. Leng Yaozhu looked him up and down, her small chin raised slightly as though assessing this "peer." Leng Yulai shyly hid behind her sister, revealing only a pair of large eyes that blinked and blinked.

Leng Yaozhu tilted her head and asked, "You are Xiao Cheng? Hello, I'm Leng Yaozhu. I heard you have a photographic memory and memorized the entire Basic Principles of Soul Guidance Devices at age five?"

Xiao Cheng was utterly charmed by the cute little girl's head tilt. His face reddened as he said softly, "N-No, I'm not that impressive. I just have a slightly better memory."

Before his voice had faded, Leng Yulai, hiding behind her sister, quietly poked out her head. Her large, moist, lively eyes blinked as she asked in a soft voice, "Then what kind of martial soul do you want to awaken today?"

Her tone carried a touch of childish pride and anticipation, her eyes shining. "When my sister awakened the Heavenly Phoenix martial soul last year, the martial soul pressure made the entire awakening platform shake! Even the uncle officiating the ceremony was frightened. It was super amazing!"

"I'll definitely awaken the Heavenly Phoenix martial soul today too, and be as amazing as my sister!" The little girl straightened her thin chest, her face full of certainty and radiant excitement. Her childish appearance was especially adorable.

"Yu Lai, don't make trouble or speak recklessly." Leng Yaozhu gently tugged her sister's sleeve and softly reminded her, composed and dignified like a proper elder sister.

Leng Yulai stuck out her pink tongue and obediently fell silent, though the anticipation in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Looking at the pair of sisters, Xiao Cheng suddenly felt much less nervous.

Xiao Ran crouched down as well, meeting Xiao Cheng's eyes as he solemnly said, "Cheng'er, remember this. Although martial souls have ranks of superiority and inferiority, a martial soul is only one part of a person, not their entirety. A true powerhouse can make even a useless martial soul shine with dazzling brilliance."

Just then, a faint commotion stirred through the hall.

An elderly man wearing the robes of a high-ranking Spirit Pagoda deacon stepped onto the awakening platform and announced in a deep voice, "The hour has arrived. The awakening ceremony officially begins! All those awaiting awakening, please take the stage in order!"

The parents below the platform began giving their children instructions. Xiao Ran released Xiao Cheng's hand and said only two words. "Go on."

Mu Wan gently adjusted his collar.

Xiao Cheng took a deep breath and walked toward the elevated platform where light flowed and shifted. His heart pounded fiercely, like a startled rabbit trapped in his chest. He looked back at his parents, then at the gazes below the platform—some expectant, some scrutinizing. Finally, his eyes swept over Leng Zhaoran and his daughters, as well as several other children of Spirit Pagoda higher-ups waiting to awaken nearby.

He turned back and looked toward the center of the awakening platform.