The Spirit Pagoda's first floor was paved entirely with dark golden stone. Resplendent decorations complemented its dark gold foundation, and stone pillars more than ten meters tall supported the vaulted ceiling.
Murals across the pillars and ceiling looked lifelike in the surrounding glow. Tang Li could tell they depicted Huo Yuhao's story from ten thousand years ago.
The building was impressive, but the Spirit Masters on duty also had a presence far beyond that of the staff at the Aolai City branch.
From the way Uncle Lin greeted each Spirit Master so warmly, Tang Li could tell this was hardly his first visit to the East China Sea Spirit Pagoda. He led Tang Li straight to a staff-only reception room in the lobby.
The Spirit Master there stood to shake Uncle Lin's hand the moment he saw him. After Lin Ye handed over a black card, the Spirit Master let them into the elevator beyond.
Judging by the way he spoke to Lin Ye, they knew each other well. He knew Lin Ye could find his way, so he left them to it.
"Come on, little Tang Li. Let me show you just how grand the East China Sea Spirit Pagoda, one of the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven, really is."
Once they entered the staff-only passage, Lin Ye spoke to Tang Li with animated delight.
They took the elevator to the forty-fourth floor. The Spirit Pagoda's leadership had assigned Lin Ye this room temporarily so he could fuse with a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.
The Soul Spirit Orb containing his Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit was already waiting inside.
Unlike the grand dark gold of the first floor, the walls here glowed a technological blue. Special patterns derived from Soul Tool cores covered them. Based on what he had learned about Soul Tools, Tang Li guessed they gathered ambient Soul Power.
A long corridor stretched ahead, with doors lining both sides in the colors of Soul Rings: yellow, purple, black, and red.
Lin Ye quickly found his room by the door's color and number. After a facial and iris scan, the black door opened, and he pulled Tang Li inside.
The moment he entered, dense Soul Power washed over Tang Li. Its concentration was another level above that of the Aolai City branch's Meditation Room.
Just as he had guessed, the patterns outside gathered Soul Power. Lin Ye walked to a cabinet and entered a password, then verified his identity with a drop of blood before retrieving the black Soul Spirit Orb that sealed the Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit.
"Little Tang Li, this is one of the Spirit Pagoda's internal benefits. Only members breaking through can use a room like this for free. Normally, who knows how many Federation Coins a single night would cost? Take this and find somewhere 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. He took out another cushion and tossed it to Tang Li.
Tang Li accepted without hesitation. He was benefiting from Uncle Lin's kindness this time. Once he had made something of himself, he would repay it a hundredfold.
Tang Li set his cushion by the wall, sat down, and closed his eyes, beginning to cultivate at the level of Deep Meditation. Lin Ye felt a pang of envy. If only a child with such talent were mine!
He had considered taking Tang Li as his disciple, but he knew the boy would one day stand among the continent's foremost powers. His own cultivation was not even considered top-tier in Eastsea City. He would only hold Tang Li back.
If he could leave a good impression on Tang Li, then once the boy rose to greatness, remembering even this small kindness would benefit Lin Ye's descendants beyond measure.
Lin Ye looked at the Soul Spirit Orb in his hand and took several deep breaths, preparing to fuse with the 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, casting starlight down upon him. He slowly opened the orb and extended his Spiritual Power inside...
Sealed within was a Dark Star Demonic Insect, a Soul Beast mutated from a Silver Beetle. It was not particularly powerful by Soul Beast standards, but its defense and recovery stood out, making it a high-tier Soul Beast.
This kind of Soul Beast also had a violent temper and was extremely aggressive. Fortunately, it had only ten thousand years of cultivation. Otherwise, Lin Ye would never have exchanged for it.
As a level-sixty Soul Master, Lin Ye's Spiritual Power was not especially strong, but he could still handle an insect Soul Beast. Just as he focused on entering the orb to subdue the Dark Star Demonic Insect, it charged straight out!
The Soul Spirit's illusory form shimmered with dark purple starlight. Its massive, vicious mouthparts and heavy carapace made for a terrifying sight. With a shriek, it charged Lin Ye!
Lin Ye hastily blocked it with the Heavenly Star Stove and pressed down on it with his Spiritual Power, hoping to subdue the insect, now a Soul Spirit, as quickly as possible.
But the insect seemed to have gone mad. It slammed into the Heavenly Star Stove again and again. Unable to bring it down at once, Lin Ye decided to wait until it weakened before making his move.
As he remained locked in a stalemate with the Soul Spirit, a blue-gold light suddenly flared around Tang Li. The Demon-Sealing Pot flew out from the crown of his head and spun through the room.
The instant its blue-gold divine light fell on the Dark Star Demonic Insect, the frenzied creature dropped as if playing dead. Its limbs twitched as it lay on the floor.
All six of its eyes slowly filled with a desperate will to survive. It no longer thought of escaping. It accepted Lin Ye's Spiritual Power at once and turned into a streak of dark purple starlight that merged into his body.
It all happened in a flash. One moment, Lin Ye was fighting the beast; the next, it had willingly fused with him.
Feeling the Dark Star Demonic Insect's lingering terror inside him, Lin Ye stood speechless, a new black Soul Ring around him...
So it had gone berserk because Tang Li's presence frightened it. It was trying to escape! But it hadn't made it, and it had nearly been swatted dead like a fly...
I'll die! I'm going to die!
That thought kept circling through the Dark Star Demonic Insect's mind, startling Lin Ye, its master, too.
Tang Li had told him that his Martial Soul could suppress Soul Beasts and even Beast Martial Souls. But Lin Ye had never imagined that someone who was not yet a Soul Grandmaster could frighten the Dark Star Demonic Insect so badly that it would rather become his Soul Spirit than spend another moment under that blue-gold light!
"What a Little Monster! Has even Shrek Academy ever produced someone like him?"
Lin Ye sighed inwardly. He had thought he was bringing the boy here to broaden his horizons. Instead, the boy had broadened his. It was... absurd!
Lin Ye cupped the Heavenly Star Stove in his hands. He could feel that Tang Li's Martial Soul held an absolute advantage over his in quality. The suppression had not taken effect only because he meant Tang Li no harm.
His Heavenly Star Stove was a fine Martial Soul, passed down through generations. Yet he had never seen—never even heard of—a Tool Martial Soul capable of suppressing it like this...
By that measure, Tang Li's Martial Soul was monstrous. Beast Martial Souls were rendered useless against him, and Tool Martial Souls lost at least half their strength. How was anyone supposed to fight him? With their fists?
If that power to suppress Soul Beasts had existed ten thousand years ago...
Lin Ye did not dare imagine it!
Putting those scattered thoughts aside, Lin Ye settled down to familiarize himself with his Sixth Soul Skill.
Meanwhile, Tang Li confirmed through his Spiritual Power that Lin Ye had completed the fusion. He recalled the Demon-Sealing Pot and returned his full attention to cultivation.
His Demon-Sealing Pot could frighten even the Silver Dragon King to tears. Suppressing a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was naturally effortless.
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