After listening to Yin Hongye, Di Tian slammed a fist into a tree trunk by the Lake of Life outside the Heavenly Screen. The giant tree was punched clean through, leaving a transparent hole.
"Humans truly can't be trusted, not a single one!" His roar made the ancient trees around him tremble. Flames practically burst from his golden pupils. "Why would I, ten thousand years from now, trust humans?!"
The lake water had yet to finish falling when a voice suddenly sounded from the depths of the lakebed. It was extremely soft and faint, yet it easily drowned out every sound of water and wind.
"Di Tian, calm down. Keep watching and see what happens in the future. By twenty thousand years from now, my injuries should have healed. That will be when we strike back."
Di Tian's fury was suppressed in an instant. He withdrew his fist, and the lake surface returned to calm, reflecting his lowered face. "Yes, my lord."
Meanwhile, the atmosphere among the human camp outside the Heavenly Screen was completely different.
All the Soul Masters were whispering among themselves, their eyes flickering. The statement that a single Soul Spirit could provide multiple Soul Rings instantly ignited their desire.
The consumption of using Soul Rings would also decrease. The Titled Douluos present might still be able to maintain their composure, but the Soul Sages and Soul Douluo-level Soul Masters were already counting on their fingers.
If they could obtain the method for creating Soul Spirits from the Heavenly Screen, the entire Soul Master landscape of the continent would be completely rewritten.
Everyone's eyes refocused on the Heavenly Screen. This time, however, they were no longer watching mere combat. They wanted the key that would open the door to changing the Douluo Continent.
"How are these Soul Spirits made?" Qian Renxue asked curiously. Everyone outside the Heavenly Screen hoped Yin Hongye could give them a precise answer.
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I want to know too! This is a Spirit Pagoda secret!"
Yin Hongye spread his hands and said the words that broke everyone's hearts before the Heavenly Screen. After all, he genuinely had no idea.
Qian Renxue fell silent for two seconds before finally asking, "How are you going to get me a Soul Ring?"
Yin Hongye answered naturally, "I've already taken care of your identity. You're a celebrity, after all. I changed the Ren character on your ID to the character for blade."
"This way, you'll qualify to challenge the Spirit Pagoda."
"What is challenging the tower?"
"The Spirit Pagoda has a rule. To obtain Soul Spirits above the thousand-year level, you have to clear the tower. Two types of people can enter: Spirit Pagoda members, like I used to be, or exceptionally gifted geniuses."
"The qualification to challenge the Soul Spirit Tower is only open to Soul Masters under thirty. For the eighth Soul Ring you need, this may be your only chance in this lifetime."
After hearing Yin Hongye's words, Qian Renxue sucked in a breath. "By myself?"
"You can form a team of up to seven. The age difference among team members can't exceed three years."
"Of course, I put you down as twenty-one on your ID. One Soul Spirit gives you two Soul Rings, so you won't need to go in again."
Yin Hongye was no saint. If he could fleece the Spirit Pagoda for resources, why not? It wasn't his money being spent anyway.
"Twenty-one? I can disguise my bone age. My inherited Soul Bone can do that!" Qian Renxue spoke directly. Her Soul Bone had concealment abilities; faking her age was easy.
"That's perfect. I'll call another teammate. He should be about to break through to Soul Sage too. I'll bring him over to fleece them." The corner of Yin Hongye's lips curled up. He was a Sky-Bearing Carry, after all.
Back then, Yun Ming had also carried Cai Yue'er and the others. He could carry his friends too. A brother willing to let him put expenses on his tab was a true bro.
He picked up the phone. "Hong Chen..."
"Hongye, why are you calling me so late? I'm still training hard." From the other end of the communication Soul Tool came the faint sound of metal cracking, crisp and crunchy.
This was one of Yin Hongye's few good brothers, Mu Hongchen, whose Martial Soul was the Three-Legged Golden Toad. After all, everyone else had been discouraged by the gap. Only this one thought he simply wasn't working hard enough.
"Absorbed your seventh ring yet?"
"I just broke through. I was about to head to Shrek City and try my luck. What's up?"
"You and I are the same age... Soul Spirit Tower... guaranteed hundred-thousand-year ones."
"Oh, oh, oh! Got it!"
"As long as you get it."
"You're such a bastard. Does the Spirit Transmission Douluo know about this?"
"So what if he does? Let him try to stop me!"
Yin Hongye was not worried in the slightest. He was a Super Douluo now. If anyone dared stop him, then when he became a Limit Douluo in the future, it would be time to settle accounts.
"That's what I'm talking about! I'm going back to training first. When you challenge the tower, I'll bring some people to cheer you on." Mu Hongchen did not chat any longer and immediately went back to grinding.
He ate metal above the Spirit Forging grade. He was not qualified to absorb Heavenforged Metal.
According to the Federation's estimates, he could become a Titled Douluo before the age of twenty-five without damaging his foundation.
Of course, Yin Hongye had always treated Mu Hongchen like a cash cow. He believed that was Mu Hongchen's proper use.
Right, Mu Hongchen would naturally cover all the Soul Spirit expenses. How could Yin Hongye have that much money? What he had robbed was not even enough for himself to spend.
If it came down to it, he could just put it on a tab. Money had to be spent where it mattered, such as on Heavenforged Metal.
"Is that your friend?" Qian Renxue asked.
"What, I'm not allowed to have friends?" A chill seeped into Yin Hongye's voice.
"It's just that, with your talent, I really didn't expect anyone your age to be willing to hang out with you."
"He's a good brother." Yin Hongye's voice was calm as he stood up. "You should get some rest too. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Shrek City and show you the mechas that only exist in this era."
Qian Renxue nodded and went to her room to wash up. Once she entered, the Heavenly Screen went dark again.
Anything private would never be revealed.
The people beneath the Heavenly Screen also went to rest. The major factions left one person on watch, to notify the others once the Heavenly Screen opened again.
The next day, Yin Hongye took Qian Renxue aboard a Black-Class Mecha. Naturally, he could not afford to build one himself; the Federation had specially custom-made it for him.
More precisely, it was made to make Yin Hongye's travels more convenient. Once, Yin Hongye had been driving normally on a road beside the railway when a Soul Tool train encountered Evil Soul Masters. He received the notice and went to provide support. In the end, everyone on that train developed mental problems.
Yin Hongye had ultimately found a way to force the out-of-control Soul Tool train to stop.
Because they had been tainted by Yin Hongye's killing intent, even the Holy Spirit Douluo needed a month to soothe the mental state of everyone on that train.
After that, the Federation reflected deeply and held an emergency meeting. They unanimously concluded that Evil Soul Masters posed far less of a threat to public safety than Yin Hongye's killing intent.
This kid had a ninety percent chance of encountering Evil Soul Masters whenever he went out. It was absurd. Every time he dealt with Evil Soul Masters, something went wrong.
That was how Yin Hongye got this Black-Class Mecha. After all, Evil Soul Masters were less dangerous than Yin Hongye's killing intent.
Compensation for the dead could still console people. But those left half-dead... they were truly a massive headache.
Qian Renxue sat in the back seat of the cockpit and looked out the window. The mecha slowly rose from the garage. The ground shrank beneath them, the fountain in the manor became a tiny speck of light, and the streets of Heaven Dou City stretched out through the morning mist.
"Does everyone in this era have something like this?"
"They're ranked by Soul Ring color." Yin Hongye gripped the controls as the mecha steadily turned, skimming past a layer of low clouds. "White Class is for training, for recruits to practice with. No one feels bad if they wreck one. Yellow Class is mass-produced. Anyone can drive one, like the carriages exclusive to nobles in your era. Starting from Purple Class, they're custom-designed according to the driver's Martial Soul. Not just anyone can operate one."
"Black Class is completely exclusive. A six-ring Soul Emperor piloting a Black-Class Mecha can rival a seven-ring Soul Sage."
"Remember, the primary purpose of mechas is combat. War."
Qian Renxue nodded, roughly understanding the main role mechas played in this era.
Like noble carriages, they represented status and position. Soul Tool vehicles on the streets could be driven by anyone with money.
They had originally been made to contend against a Soul Sage's Martial Soul Avatar.
"We'll reach Shrek City in about half an hour. When we get there, don't be too shocked."
"I won't."
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