Following the staff member, whose respectful expression carried a faint, barely perceptible tension, Zi Tian and Zi Xuan passed through the spacious, brightly lit main hall inside the Spirit Pagoda branch. Beneath the dome, which rose more than thirty meters high, the most eye-catching sight was a massive white jade statue standing in the very center of the hall.
The statue depicted a heroic young man. He stood tall, gazing into the distance, his left hand half-clenched as though holding invisible authority, while his right hand was slightly raised, palm upward, as if ice and snow were gathering there. The statue's face was handsome and resolute, bearing an air of compassion for the world and unwavering determination. Several vigorous characters were carved into its base: Founder of the Spirit Pagoda, Spiritual Leader—Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao. Soft light streamed down from special crystal lamps in the dome, coating the statue in a hazy halo and making it seem even more sacred. Many Soul Masters and civilians who came to conduct business unconsciously lowered their footsteps as they passed, casting reverent or grateful glances at it. Zi Xuan's gaze lingered on the statue for a moment, her eyes complicated. So this was the legendary figure from ten thousand years ago? Now, he looked more like a mythological symbol placed on a pedestal.
After going around the statue, they entered an even grander corridor. The walls on either side no longer bore simple reliefs, but enormous Soul Tool murals that covered the entire walls, depicting legendary scenes through dynamic light-and-shadow technology. One image was especially striking: amid towering black flames and draconic might, the blurred figure of the Beast God Di Tian looked fierce and terrifying, while the "Ice Douluo" confronting him was surrounded by dazzling ice crystals and seven-colored emotional light, posed