World Douluo and the Spirit Pagoda

After Xiao Xiao acquired her soul spirit and returned to the academy, Shrek's reserve team gained another prodigy with a ten-thousand-year third ring.

Naturally, Xiao Xiao showed everyone her soul spirit afterward. There was no need to hide it from them.

When Xuan Zi saw Xiao Xiao's soul spirit, his eyes widened. Once he recovered, he immediately brought her to the Sea God Pavilion and convened a brief meeting of the pavilion elders.

"Xiao Xiao, what is going on with this soul spirit of yours?"

Xuan Zi asked. Mu En had gone out this time specifically to research soul spirits, and had already sent over some students who happened to need soul rings.

Yet Xiao Xiao had suddenly obtained a soul spirit, and it was even a ten-thousand-year one! Mu En had only managed to negotiate for thousand-year soul spirits at most during this trip.

"Senior World promised me before. He came to see me earlier and asked whether I wanted a ten-thousand-year soul spirit for my third ring. I agreed."

Xiao Xiao said. On the way back, Xia Liang had told her that she absolutely could not mention Di Tian, so she should attribute most things to him instead, as long as it was not too outrageous.

"Him again? So World Douluo belongs to the Spirit Pagoda?"

Hearing that World Douluo was behind this once more, Xuan Zi frowned. Since World Douluo could form a Soul Spirit Contract, could he be from the Spirit Pagoda?

"Yes." Xiao Xiao nodded.

Seeing her nod, Xuan Zi found World Douluo even more troublesome. World Douluo, along with the Spirit Pagoda's ice-attribute Douluo, made two Limit Douluo already. Just how powerful was this faction?

"Show us your soul spirit. We old men are rather curious."

Elder Lin, one of the pavilion elders, said curiously. Soul spirits were truly quite extraordinary.

"Yes. This is my soul spirit, the Golden Dragon Ao. Its cultivation is forty thousand years."

Xiao Xiao summoned the Golden Dragon Ao and introduced it to the elders.

Upon hearing that its cultivation was forty thousand years, all the elders were startled. Forty thousand years? They had assumed it was only ten thousand years.

"Forty thousand years? How did you absorb it?"

"I don't know."

Xiao Xiao shook her head. She did not know how she had absorbed it either. Azure Phoenix had handled everything, saying that the Golden Dragon Ao's power had been dispersed into her soul bone and soul ring, then would slowly be released once Xiao Xiao could bear it.

As for the mental shock, there had indeed been one. However, since Xiao Xiao was its future soul master, the Golden Dragon Ao had greatly suppressed its own mental fluctuations. Though some fluctuations had still surged into Xiao Xiao's sea of spirit, Azure Phoenix had already dealt with them.

At present, the power of Xiao Xiao's skills was only at the level of ordinary thousand-year soul rings.

After all, Xiao Xiao's cheat was not that overpowered. To absorb a genuine ten-thousand-year soul ring, she would at least have to be a Soul Ancestor, and it would need to be an appropriate soul ring age. Without Azure Phoenix, Xiao Xiao would likely have needed to reach the Soul King level before she could challenge a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

"However, Senior World said that my martial soul is special. If it were an ordinary third-ring Soul Elder, they would definitely explode and die. To absorb a ten-thousand-year soul spirit, one must at least be a Soul King."

A special martial soul?

Hearing this answer, Xuan Zi nodded. Indeed, Mu En had also said that Xiao Xiao's martial soul was extremely special. It seemed that even with soul spirits, soul masters could not absorb beyond their limit.

"Yes, after all, this is a method of the Spirit Pagoda. It is normal that you cannot sense it."

Xuan Zi said. Since the Soul Spirit Contract was a method of the Spirit Pagoda, it was perfectly normal for Xiao Xiao to be unable to sense it.

"What do you think after absorbing a soul spirit? I remember hearing that soul spirits can fight and do not die?"

One of the extremely well-informed pavilion elders asked. These rumors had all come from the Extreme North.

"They can die. After a soul spirit is severely injured, it enters the soul ring and uses the soul ring's origin to replenish itself. Soul ring origin is difficult to replenish afterward. But if a soul spirit dies, it directly devours part of the soul ring origin and the soul master's origin to repair itself. If it dies too many times, the soul ring origin will be exhausted until it becomes an empty soul ring. The soul master will also fall in cultivation or even die."

Xiao Xiao explained. These were clauses within the contract, intended to prevent soul masters from forcibly ordering soul spirits to their deaths.

Next, Xiao Xiao began explaining the combat principles of soul spirits.

"In battle, soul spirits can use the soul skills of a soul master's soul rings and soul bones. Their power is roughly the same as when the soul master releases them personally. If the soul skill a soul spirit uses is one it originally possessed, its power may become stronger."

After all, those were the soul skills of its own body. It had used them for hundreds of years, so it was certainly more familiar with them than humans were with soul skills they had only acquired for a few decades. Its control over soul power flow and soul power manipulation would naturally surpass that of a soul master.

"Mm, it seems the restrictions are considerable."

After hearing this, Xuan Zi felt that soul spirits had many restrictions as well. Even so, the Soul Spirit Method was still far stronger than ordinary soul rings.

"All right, Xiao Xiao, go back first. We old fellows will discuss this a little longer."

"Yes."

Over the past month, Xia Liang had been setting up formations around Shrek City.

After the Golden Tree was freed, the power within it grew stronger and stronger, continuously feeding back into the origin of the Douluo Continent. Xia Liang had drawn upon some of that power to arrange his formations.

Just as Xia Liang was finally resting in a tea shop, Mu En appeared at the neighboring table.

"Lord World, do you know why the Golden Tree has become so lush recently?"

Mu En asked. He had seen Xia Liang nearby these past few days, though he did not know what he was doing. However, the Golden Tree had become increasingly vibrant, as though it had broken through some restraint. It had flourished over this past month faster than it had in the previous several decades, as if some kind of suppression had been lifted.

"The world of the Douluo Continent is growing stronger. As a Limit Douluo, you should have sensed it as well."

Xia Liang said. The Golden Tree no longer being drained dry by Ah Yin was one thing, but the origin of the Douluo Continent was also strengthening, which in turn strengthened the living beings of the Douluo Continent. Naturally, the Golden Tree was among the first to sense it.

As a Limit Douluo, Mu En should have had some perception of it.

"I have sensed it faintly."

Mu En replied. He had indeed felt the Douluo Continent growing stronger. In the future, Rank 99 might not be the limit of the Douluo Continent. There could be a possibility of further breakthroughs.

"The Golden Tree's true body is immensely powerful. Naturally, as the world of the Douluo Continent grows stronger, it will grow stronger as well."

"I see..."

After hearing Xia Liang's explanation, Mu En felt that it should indeed be so.

"Would the Spirit Pagoda be willing to establish a branch tower in Shrek City?"

Mu En said. This was the main reason he had come.

"That is not something I can decide."

Xia Liang did not wish to deal with that yet. The main issue was that no one here could take charge. There were not many strong people in the Extreme North, so the problem was not too significant there. But this place was different.

"What about the Twilight Portal?"

Mu En suddenly asked. If Xia Liang had wanted the Spirit Pagoda to establish a branch tower here, construction would have begun long ago. Since there had been no movement for so long, it meant that he currently had no intention of building one in Shrek City.

What Mu En truly wanted was the Twilight Portal.

"Hmm? That will work. It can give little Yuhao some experience before his tournament."

Xia Liang wanted to see what it would look like for soul masters of the Douluo Continent to form teams and enter Twilight Forest. More importantly, everything was ready now. If Tang San dared to send a projection down from above because of Twilight Forest, Xia Liang could give him something big. He had not spent this past month setting up formations for nothing.