Dark Star Demonic Insect, the Fear of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit

The first floor of the Spirit Pagoda was entirely paved with dark-gold stone. The resplendent decorations complemented the dark-gold base tones perfectly, while stone pillars over ten meters tall supported the vaulted ceiling.

The murals on the pillars and ceiling appeared lifelike beneath the surrounding lights. Tang Li could tell that they depicted Huo Yuhao's story from ten thousand years ago.

Not only was the architecture grand, but even the auras of the Spirit Masters on duty nearby were far beyond those at the Aolai City branch.

Seeing Uncle Lin enthusiastically greeting every Spirit Master, Tang Li could tell that this was not his first visit to the East China Sea Spirit Pagoda. Familiar with the place, he led Tang Li to the staff-only reception room in the hall.

The Spirit Master in the reception room stood up to shake Uncle Lin's hand the moment he saw him. After Lin Ye handed over a black card, the Spirit Master immediately allowed them into the elevator behind him.

Judging by the way he spoke to Lin Ye, the two must have had a good relationship. Knowing that Lin Ye knew the way around, he did not bother accompanying them.

"Come on, little Tang Li. Let Uncle Lin show you just how impressive the East China Sea Spirit Pagoda, one of the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven, is."

After entering the staff-only passageway, Lin Ye said this to Tang Li with great enthusiasm.

The two took the elevator to the forty-fourth floor, where the upper ranks of the Spirit Pagoda had arranged a temporary room for Lin Ye to fuse with his Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit orb assigned to him was already waiting inside.

Unlike the dark-gold grandeur of the first floor, the walls here glowed fluorescent blue with a distinctly technological feel. Special patterns derived from Soul Tool cores covered the area. Based on the Soul Tool knowledge he had learned, Tang Li guessed they were meant to gather dispersed soul power.

It was a long corridor lined with doors on both sides, colored yellow, purple, black, and red to correspond to Soul Ring colors.

Following the door colors and the numbers above them, Lin Ye quickly found his room. After facial and iris recognition, the black door opened, and Lin Ye pulled Tang Li inside.

The moment he stepped in, Tang Li felt dense soul power wash over him. Its concentration was another level above the Meditation Room at the Aolai City branch.

Just as he had guessed, the patterns outside were used to condense soul power. Lin Ye walked to a cabinet, entered a string of passwords, and passed a blood verification before retrieving the black Soul Spirit orb that sealed the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.

"Little Tang Li, this is one of the benefits available within the Spirit Pagoda. Only organization members can use a room like this for free when making a breakthrough. Under normal circumstances, staying here for one night would cost who knew how many Federation Coins. Take this—find a place to cultivate. Tomorrow, Uncle Lin will take you to the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform."

Holding the Soul Spirit orb, Lin Ye sat on a meditation cushion on the floor, then took out another one and tossed it to Tang Li.

Tang Li did not stand on ceremony. This time, he had taken advantage of Uncle Lin. Once he became successful, he would surely repay him a hundredfold.

Seeing Tang Li sit down against the wall with the cushion, close his eyes, and immediately begin cultivating at the level of deep meditative comprehension, Lin Ye felt a little envious. If only someone with such talent were my child!

It was not as if he had never considered taking Tang Li as a disciple, but he knew Tang Li would surely become a top powerhouse capable of standing on the continent's rankings one day. His own cultivation was not even among the best in Donghai City, so he would only hold the boy back.

If he could leave a good impression on this little fellow, then once Tang Li rose to prominence, as long as he remembered this old favor, Lin Ye's descendants would benefit endlessly as well.

Looking at the Soul Spirit orb in his hand, Lin Ye took several deep breaths and prepared to fuse with this Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.

Five Soul Rings—two yellow and three purple—floated around him. His Martial Soul, the Heavenly Star Stove, hovered above his head as starlight descended upon him. Slowly, he opened the Soul Spirit orb and extended his spiritual power into it...

Sealed within was a Dark Star Demonic Insect, a Soul Beast mutated from a Silver Beetle. It was not particularly powerful among Soul Beasts, but its defense and recovery abilities were outstanding, making it a high-grade Soul Beast.

Moreover, this Soul Beast had a violent temperament and was extremely aggressive. Fortunately, it only had ten thousand years of cultivation; otherwise, Lin Ye would not have exchanged for it.

As a Level 60 Soul Master, Lin Ye's spiritual power was not especially strong, but he could still handle an insect-type Soul Beast. Just as he focused completely and prepared to enter the Soul Spirit orb to subdue the Dark Star Demonic Insect, the creature suddenly charged out!

The Soul Spirit's illusory body shimmered with dark-purple starlight. Its enormous, savage mouthparts and heavy shell made it look terrifying. With a shriek, it charged straight at Lin Ye!

Lin Ye hurriedly used the Heavenly Star Stove to block the insect and began suppressing it with his spiritual power, hoping to subdue the Soul Spirit that the insect had become as quickly as possible.

However, the insect seemed to have gone mad, repeatedly slamming into the Heavenly Star Stove. Lin Ye could not take it down immediately, so he prepared to wear it out until it weakened before making his move.

Just as he and the Soul Spirit were locked in a stalemate, a blue-gold radiance suddenly lit up around Tang Li. The Demon-Sealing Pot flew out from above his head and spun rapidly through the room.

The instant that blue-gold divine light fell upon the Dark Star Demonic Insect, the frenzied insect collapsed onto the ground as though it had played dead, its limbs twitching.

Its six eyes gradually filled with the desire to survive. It no longer thought of escaping and immediately accepted Lin Ye's spiritual power, transforming into a streak of dark-purple starlight that merged into Lin Ye's body.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. One second, Lin Ye had been fighting the beast; the next, the thing had voluntarily fused with him.

Feeling the Dark Star Demonic Insect's lingering terror and nervousness within his body, Lin Ye, now bearing an additional black Soul Ring, was momentarily speechless...

So the thing had suddenly gone berserk because it had been frightened by Tang Li's aura and wanted to escape! Yet it had failed to get away and had nearly been casually swatted to death like a fly...

I'll die! I'll definitely die!

This thought kept circling through the Dark Star Demonic Insect's mind, startling Lin Ye as its master as well.

Tang Li had told him that his Martial Soul could suppress Soul Beasts and even Beast Martial Souls, but Lin Ye had never expected that someone who had not even become a Grand Soul Master could frighten the Dark Star Demonic Insect so badly that it would rather become his Soul Spirit than remain outside for another moment beneath that blue-gold light!

"What a little monster! Even Shrek Academy probably has never produced someone like this, has it?"

Lin Ye sighed inwardly. He had originally thought he was bringing this little fellow here to broaden his horizons, but now it was this little fellow broadening his horizons instead. This was truly... absurd!

Lin Ye held the Heavenly Star Stove in his hands. He could sense that Tang Li's Martial Soul possessed an absolute suppression over his own in terms of quality. It had simply not taken effect because Lin Ye held no hostility toward him.

His Heavenly Star Stove was already a fine Martial Soul, passed down through so many generations. Let alone seeing it, he had never even heard of a Tool Martial Soul capable of exerting such suppression over the Heavenly Star Stove...

Looking at it this way, Tang Li's Martial Soul was simply too monstrous. Beast Martial Souls would be rendered useless before him, while Tool Martial Souls would be crippled by at least half. How could anyone fight him then? With their fists?

If this power to suppress Soul Beasts had existed ten thousand years ago...

Lin Ye did not even dare think about it!

Putting aside those chaotic thoughts, Lin Ye calmed himself and began familiarizing himself with his Sixth Soul Skill.

Meanwhile, Tang Li, who was meditating, confirmed through his spiritual power that Lin Ye had completed the fusion. He withdrew the Demon-Sealing Pot and continued cultivating with focus.

His Demon-Sealing Pot could even frighten the Silver Dragon King into tears. Suppressing a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was naturally effortless.