The Spirit Pagoda Needs Reform, Artificial Soul Spirits

"We're here."

Na'er stopped at the lakeshore.

She turned to face Chen Xing and Tang Wulin, the lake's rippling light reflected in her purple eyes.

"Brother, Wulin, this is the deepest part of the Great Beast Grounds."

Tang Wulin looked around. The silence felt eerie. There was not even a birdcall.

Chen Xing said nothing. He simply watched Na'er and waited for her to speak.

Na'er was quiet for a long while before she said softly,

"There's a lot I've never told you."

Her gaze settled on the lake, and her voice held a calm beyond her years.

"Over the past few years, fragments of the Silver Dragon King's memories have appeared in my mind."

"They come in pieces. I can't fit them all together."

"But I see blood. I see soul beasts falling one after another. I see human figures standing amid the flames, grinning viciously."

"Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and those images come back on their own. I can barely breathe under their weight."

"I used to think I was born to seek justice for them."

She lowered her head and looked at the fingers clutching Chen Xing's sleeve.

Na'er took two steps forward, stopped before Chen Xing, and looked up.

"But after I met you, Brother..."

She raised a hand and gently pinched his sleeve between her fingers.

"When you held my hand as we walked, half the weight of those fragments fell away."

"When you picked me up, I learned that someone could be there to catch me, too."

"When you said you'd protect me..."

She lowered her head, her voice growing faint.

"I didn't want those images to keep pushing me along anymore."

"I don't want to forget them. I want to carry them with me and walk toward a place where you are."

Standing behind them, Tang Wulin suddenly felt his nose sting.

Chen Xing reached out and gently rubbed her head, just as he had countless times over the past six years.

Na'er did not pull away. She even tilted her head slightly and nuzzled his palm.

After a while, she took a deep breath and stepped back half a pace.

"Brother, you once said there might be other worlds beyond Douluo Star..."

"And I saw other things in those memories, too."

Na'er's gaze drifted into the distance, toward the sky broken into patches by the treetops above the lake.

"They were the Dragon God's memories. In them, the universe held all kinds of planets, and some had civilizations of their own..."

She turned back to Chen Xing.

"That's why I believe what you said."

"I want to travel with you to the planets in those memories. Perhaps one of them would be a place where soul beasts could begin a new life?"

Her words reminded Chen Xing of the original story ten thousand years later. By Lan Xuanyu's era, humanity had reached for the stars.

And the soul beasts of that time had put down roots and found a stable home on a planet called Sen Luo Star.

"What do you plan to do next?"

Chen Xing suddenly wanted to know what Na'er intended to do now.

Na'er thought for a moment, then took out a Token.

She had obtained it yesterday from the East Sea branch of the Spirit Pagoda.

"I've watched them for a long time. The Spirit Pagoda claims its Soul Spirit System helps Soul Masters and soul beasts coexist, but in reality, it still exploits the soul beasts."

"Most of those Soul Spirits' consciousness is stripped away. What little remains is bound to Soul Masters, turning them into tools."

"I want to change that system, but I don't want to destroy the Spirit Pagoda."

"I want to go inside and find a better path from within."

Chen Xing looked into her eyes.

"So you want to join the Spirit Pagoda?"

Na'er nodded.

"With my abilities, slipping in won't be hard."

Chen Xing nodded.

Getting into the Spirit Pagoda would not be hard for Na'er. She had done it in the original story.

But finding that path would take no small amount of effort.

Perhaps he could lend her a hand.

With that thought, Chen Xing stepped forward.

"If you're going inside the Spirit Pagoda to find a way to reform it, I can offer you a path."

Na'er blinked.

"What path?"

A slight smile touched Chen Xing's lips.

"Artificial Soul Spirits."

"What?"

Na'er was startled.

"My World-Painting Authority isn't limited to Imagenesis of inanimate objects. I can create Soul Spirits, too."

Chen Xing looked into her eyes and said, stressing every word,

"So if you need help, I can absolutely give it to you."

Na'er froze.

She stood there staring at Chen Xing for a long time, complicated emotions churning in her purple eyes.

She had already made her plans.

She would infiltrate the Spirit Pagoda and slowly look for an opportunity.

She had never expected Chen Xing to propose a completely different path.

Artificial Soul Spirits?

Perhaps it really could work.

"But Na'er, if you want to enter the Spirit Pagoda, I think there's one more thing we need to deal with."

"What is it?"

Na'er looked at Chen Xing in confusion.

Chen Xing's expression hardened.

"We need to deal with the Qiangu family..."

"The Qiangu family?!"

"That's right..."

The chill in Chen Xing's eyes deepened.

Almost everyone in that family was a monster.

Under their control, the Spirit Pagoda had only grown worse.

Of course, the Qiangu family was not the only problem.

The Spirit Pagoda was rotten to the core.

If Na'er wanted reform, the Qiangu family would have to go first. Then the entire Spirit Pagoda would need a thorough purge.

Only then could the Spirit Pagoda become something new and help bring Na'er's vision to life.

"Na'er, you know how rotten the Spirit Pagoda is now. If you want to realize your vision, you'll have to clean it out from the inside."

"Only by taking firm control of the Spirit Pagoda will you have the right environment to make it happen."

"Don't worry. I can help with that, too. We can do it together."

As Chen Xing spoke, he rubbed her head.

"After all, you're my sister."

Na'er lowered her head, her cheeks faintly pink.

"Brother..."

Tang Wulin had been standing behind them for ages. At last, he could not help clearing his throat.

"Um... I don't really understand what you two are talking about, but it sounds impressive..."

Na'er hurriedly stepped back half a pace, then turned and smiled at Tang Wulin.

"You can help later too, Wulin."

"Me? Help with what?"

"Testing Artificial Soul Spirits. You can be the first subject in a bonding experiment."

Tang Wulin's eyes widened.

"Wait, how did I become a test subject...?"

"Because you're my brother's little brother."

Na'er turned away as if that settled it.

"It's decided."

Tang Wulin opened his mouth, then gave up trying to argue.

"Fine, fine..."

Besides, this would benefit humanity, too.

Tang Wulin could hardly refuse to take part in something that would do so much good.

The sky