Lottery

"This is the place."

The Spirit Pagoda master pushed open the last heavy metal door at the end of the corridor.

Beyond the door was a room twice as large as the spiritual power testing room they had just visited.

The ceiling was exceptionally high, over five meters tall.

The walls were dark gray, without any unnecessary decorations. Only a ring of recessed cool lights cast a bright yet non-glaring white glow.

The entire room was eerily quiet, without the slightest trace of noise.

The air carried a faint, refreshing scent reminiscent of mint, along with an extremely subtle energy fluctuation that unconsciously calmed the mind.

At the very center of the room stood a massive machine, all by itself.

The machine stood three meters tall and six meters wide. Its entire body was made from a special silvery-white alloy, its surface covered in dense, intricate soul guidance patterns.

Pale blue energy flowed through the patterns like glowing little streams, slowly moving across the machine's surface.

At the front of the machine was a huge pane of transparent tempered glass.

Through the glass, they could clearly see the scene inside the machine.

At least a hundred spherical objects, each around a foot in diameter, floated within.

These Soul Spirit Orbs were all exactly the same size, their surfaces smooth and round like flawless crystal balls.

Every Soul Spirit Orb gave off light of a different color: white, yellow, green, blue, and even a rare few red and purple ones.

The light was soft and warm, bathing the entire interior of the machine in a dazzling array of colors.

They were arranged neatly along designated tracks, quietly floating in midair like brilliant stars.

"This is the Random Soul Spirit Drawing Machine of our Aolai City Spirit Pagoda."

The Spirit Pagoda master pointed at the enormous machine and introduced it with a smile.

"All basic Soul Spirits are stored inside. The drawing is completely random, absolutely fair and impartial."

"Pay first."

He pointed to a small card reader beside the machine.

"One random Soul Spirit costs thirty thousand Federal Coins. Two will be sixty thousand."

Tang Ziran nodded and took two thick envelopes from his clothes.

He first pulled out three stacks of brand-new Federal Coins from Tang Wulin's envelope, then another three stacks from Huang Feng'er's envelope, and handed them all to the Spirit Pagoda master.

The Spirit Pagoda master accepted the money, carefully counted it once, then placed it in the safe beside him.

He raised his Soul Guidance Wristband, tapped it a few times, and registered the payment information.

Then he printed two receipts and handed one each to Tang Ziran and Huang Feng'er.

"All right, the formalities are complete."

The Spirit Pagoda master pointed at two brightly colored large buttons on the machine's control panel.

"The operation is very simple. The green one on the left is the start button, while the red one on the right is the stop button."

"Press the green button once, and the Soul Spirit Orbs inside will begin moving."

"When you think the timing is about right, press the red button. The machine will randomly release a Soul Spirit Orb. It's that simple."

He paused before adding,

"Remember, you only get one chance. Once you press the red button, you can't change it. Make sure you've thought it through before pressing it."

Tang Wulin nodded and was just about to step forward.

"Wulin."

Huang Feng'er suddenly called out to him.

Tang Wulin turned around and looked at her in confusion.

"You do it for me."

Huang Feng'er looked at him. Her golden eyes were completely calm, and her tone was flat, as though she were talking about something insignificant.

She had never cared about things like luck.

No matter what kind of Soul Spirit she drew, it would all be the same to her.

Since Tang Wulin had been willing to share his money with her earlier, she believed his luck could not be too bad.

Tang Wulin froze for a moment, then nodded firmly.

"Okay! No problem! I'll definitely draw the best one for you!"

He took a deep breath and walked over to the control panel.

Tang Ziran followed him over as well, nervously clutching the corner of his clothes, his palms already sweating.

He was even more nervous than Tang Wulin. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the machine's interior as he muttered under his breath.

"Please draw a good one. Please draw a good one."

The Spirit Pagoda master stood nearby with an expectant smile on his face.

With the spiritual power of these two children, even if their luck was terrible, they surely would not draw defective Soul Spirits.

Tang Wulin stretched out his little hand and placed it on the green button.

Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed it down hard.

"Bzzzz—"

A deep, resounding hum came from inside the machine.

Immediately, a series of dazzling lights lit up within it.

The hundred or so Soul Spirit Orbs that had been floating quietly all lit up at once, radiating even brighter light than before.

Then, every Soul Spirit Orb began to move. They sped along their respective tracks, circling rapidly. Their speed increased until they became blurry streams of colored light darting through the machine.

The sound of wind, the friction of the tracks, and the flow of energy intertwined and echoed through the silent room.

Tang Ziran was so nervous that he held his breath, not daring to blink.

The Spirit Pagoda master leaned forward slightly as well, staring intently into the machine.

Yet Tang Wulin was not nervous at all.

He did not even wait for the Soul Spirit Orbs to truly start spinning. Just two seconds after pressing the green button, he swiftly reached out with his other hand and forcefully pressed the red stop button.

"Click."

A crisp button press sounded.

The rapidly spinning Soul Spirit Orbs stopped instantly.

All the lights dimmed along with them, returning to their original state.

The inside of the machine became calm once more.

Tang Ziran and the Spirit Pagoda master were both stunned.

Neither of them had expected Tang Wulin to press it so quickly.

Wasn't that far too casual?

"Well done."

Jin Qiu snapped his fingers in the Spirit Sea and said with satisfaction.

"It's all the same anyway. As long as it's an animal- or plant-type Soul Spirit, with my bloodline here, I can raise it several grades. Just draw one at random. There's no need to waste time."

Just then, a rolling sound came from the outlet beneath the machine.

A flawless white Soul Spirit Orb rolled out from the opening.

It radiated a soft white glow. Its smooth, rounded surface resembled a precious pearl carved from creamy white jade.

With a soft "thump," it dropped into the metal box beneath the outlet, bounced slightly, then lay still inside.

"This one is Feng'er's."

Tang Wulin carefully picked up the white Soul Spirit Orb and handed it to Huang Feng'er.

Huang Feng'er accepted the Soul Spirit Orb and weighed it in her hand.

The Soul Spirit Orb was cool to the touch and felt quite nice.

She lowered her head for a glance, her face expressionless.

"All right, now it's your turn."

The Spirit Pagoda master came back to his senses and spoke to Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin nodded and walked up to the control panel again.

Just like before, he did not hesitate in the slightest.

He quickly pressed the green button, then immediately pressed the red button before the Soul Spirit Orbs could start spinning.

"Click."

Another crisp sound rang out.

A few seconds later, a fiery-red Soul Spirit Orb rolled out of the outlet.

It gave off a warm red glow, like a tiny sun illuminating a small patch of the surrounding area.

It likewise fell into the metal box with a soft "thump."

Tang Wulin reached out and picked up the red Soul Spirit Orb.

A warm temperature passed through his fingertips, carrying a faint scent of vegetation.

He raised the Soul Spirit Orb before his eyes and examined it carefully.

The red light shone through his fingers, casting a warm blush across his face.

Tang Ziran hurriedly leaned over and asked nervously,

"How is it? Tangtang, can you tell what kind of Soul Spirit it is?"

"I can't tell."

Tang Wulin shook his head.

"The Spirit Pagoda master said we won't know what it is until we open it."

The Spirit Pagoda master smiled and nodded. "That's right."

"The Soul Spirit Orb is a specially made sealed container. Before opening it, you can only see its color, not the Soul Spirit inside."

He looked at the Soul Spirit Orbs in the two children's hands, a gratified smile appearing on his face.

"One white and one red."

"Judging by the brightness of their glow, they're definitely both quality Soul Spirits that are over ten years old. No defective ones. Your luck is really good!"