Becoming Leng Yaozhu's Disciple

Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, Heaven Dou City.

Tang Wulin stood before the building that towered into the clouds, his head tilted back and his mouth slightly open.

The entire building exuded a perfect fusion of technology and soul power, like a futuristic fortress that had stepped straight out of a science-fiction movie.

It offered a glimpse of the Spirit Pagoda's might.

Tang Wulin had come to headquarters today. Wondering what other perks joining the Spirit Pagoda might bring, he excitedly ran inside.

Yet just as he entered the lobby, he brushed past someone coming toward him.

It was a tall, middle-aged man with a stern face. A faint, deep aura emanated from him, and his black robe stirred without a breeze. His steps were steady and powerful, each one seeming to tread upon the heartstrings of everyone around him.

He held the hand of a little girl of five or six. She wore her hair in a ponytail and had delicate features, but her eyes were just as unfathomable.

Something seemed to stir within them.

Tang Wulin's gaze briefly met the girl's in midair.

In that instant, Tang Wulin felt the blood inside him stir slightly, as though something were resonating.

The girl frowned but said nothing and continued forward. Tang Wulin did not give it much thought either and kept running inside.

Then, a moment later, he crashed headfirst into something soft.

"Ow!"

Tang Wulin landed on his bottom. Rubbing his forehead, he instinctively looked up.

The first thing that met his eyes was a pair of straight, slender legs, dazzlingly fair and perfectly shaped. Higher up was a graceful figure wrapped in a long red dress, with a slender waist and striking curves.

Looking higher still, he saw a breathtakingly beautiful face. Long red hair flowed like flames, her features were as exquisite as a sculpture, and her slightly upturned phoenix eyes held a touch of sharpness and pride.

Tang Wulin froze.

How could anyone be this beautiful?

Leng Yaozhu was in a bad mood today because she had argued with that fellow Qiangu Dongfeng over a few matters.

Then, just as she reached the lobby, some little brat who had appeared out of nowhere crashed headfirst into her.

She was about to lose her temper when she looked down.

An exquisitely pretty little boy sat on the floor, his short black hair slightly tousled. His large eyes glistened, his lips were red, his teeth white, and his little face was flushed from the fall.

Leng Yaozhu's anger vanished in an instant.

"Little one, are you all right?" She crouched down, her voice unconsciously softening.

Tang Wulin came back to his senses. Looking at the peerlessly beautiful face before him, he blurted out, "Big sister, you're so pretty!"

Leng Yaozhu froze.

In all her years, as the Spirit Pagoda's Vice Pagoda Master, a level-98 Super Douluo, and a Four-Word Battle Armor Master whose title of Heavenly Phoenix Douluo resounded across the continent, what sort of flattery had she not heard?

But this was the first time a six-year-old brat had praised her beauty so bluntly. And when the little fellow said it, his eyes were utterly clear; it was nothing but heartfelt admiration.

The corners of Leng Yaozhu's mouth curled up involuntarily.

She reached out, scooped Tang Wulin off the floor, and held him in her arms.

"What's your name?" Leng Yaozhu's voice was utterly gentle.

"My name is Tang Wulin!" The little fellow puffed out his chest and answered brightly.

Leng Yaozhu's pupils suddenly contracted. "Tang Wulin? You're the child with innate full soul power who was born in the Spirit Connection Realm?"

Leng Yaozhu's eyes instantly lit up. At today's meeting, she had heard Qiangu Dongfeng mention that the Aolai City branch had discovered a promising child with heaven-defying talent: Innate full soul power and a natural Spirit Connection Realm. Only a handful like him had ever appeared in the Spirit Pagoda's history.

At the time, she had thought that old fox Qiangu Dongfeng would surely snatch such a gifted child up as his disciple. She had never expected to run into him here!

And... he was so adorable, too!

Holding Tang Wulin, Leng Yaozhu liked him more the longer she looked.

"Wulin, stick with your big sister from now on!" Leng Yaozhu said with a smile. "I'll have your back!"

Tang Wulin blinked and was about to speak when he suddenly sensed a deep aura approaching from afar.

He turned to look and saw a tall man walking over from the end of the corridor. The man wore a dark-gold robe, his face imposing and his gaze profound. Every step carried an invisible pressure.

The surrounding Spirit Pagoda staff stopped in their tracks and bowed respectfully. "Pagoda Master."

Qiangu Dongfeng.

Tang Wulin's heart tightened. As a transmigrator, he naturally knew this man's true background: the Spirit Pagoda's pagoda master, a level-99 Limit Douluo, and a Four-Word Battle Armor Master. On the surface, he was one of the continent's strongest experts, but behind the scenes, he had shady dealings with the Holy Spirit Cult.

Qiangu Dongfeng approached, his gaze settling on Tang Wulin as a kindly smile appeared on his face.

"So this is the child with innate full soul power who was born in the Spirit Connection Realm? An impressive young fellow indeed."

He looked at Tang Wulin and said warmly, "Little one, release your martial soul and let me have a look."

Though wary inside, Tang Wulin showed nothing on his face. He obediently nodded, and with a thought, instantly released his Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit Martial Soul.

A pair of rabbit ears rose from the top of his head, their pinkish-white fur gleaming softly beneath the lights.

Tang Wulin's body seemed to become a little lighter. Faint fluctuations of soul power surrounded him, carrying an indescribably lively aura.

Qiangu Dongfeng narrowed his eyes slightly. After examining him carefully, he unconsciously furrowed his brows.

The Soft-Boned Enchanting Rabbit... Naturally, he knew this martial soul. It was a relatively obscure beast martial soul on the Douluo Continent, and there did not seem to have been any particularly powerful soul masters with it throughout history. If he remembered correctly, Xiao Wu, Tang San's wife from twenty thousand years ago, had possessed this martial soul.

But she did not seem to have had any particularly outstanding battle achievements.

Although Tang Wulin's talent was truly astonishing, this martial soul itself... seemed rather unremarkable.

"Hmm... not bad." Qiangu Dongfeng betrayed nothing on his face and nodded.

"Although your martial soul is ordinary, your talent speaks for itself. Given time, you may well become a great expert of your generation. Little one, would you like to become my disciple?"

At those words, the surrounding staff sucked in sharp breaths. The pagoda master was personally taking a disciple!

This was an incredible opportunity! Countless people had nearly cracked their heads open fighting to enter Qiangu Dongfeng's tutelage, only to fail, yet this child had prompted the pagoda master to offer it himself!

But before Tang Wulin could answer, Leng Yaozhu spoke first. "Qiangu Dongfeng, what do you mean by this? I had my eye on this child first!"

Qiangu Dongfeng smiled faintly. "Yaozhu, this child is exceptionally gifted. Only with my personal instruction can he realize his greatest potential. As Vice Pagoda Master, you're busy with your duties. I'm afraid you won't have much time to teach a disciple, will you?"

Leng Yaozhu snorted. "I'll teach my own disciple myself! You needn't concern yourself!"

The atmosphere between them instantly turned to drawn swords and bent bows. The surrounding staff hardly dared to breathe as they exchanged glances. None of them had expected things to develop this way.

The esteemed pagoda master and Vice Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda were actually fighting over a child who had only just awakened his martial soul?

Qiangu Dongfeng, however, was quite confident. He was the pagoda master, a level-99 Limit Douluo, and one of the strongest experts on the entire continent.

Anyone with any sense would know whom to choose. He looked at Tang Wulin with a smile of assured victory. "Little one, what do you think?"

Tang Wulin blinked, looked at Qiangu Dongfeng, then looked at Leng Yaozhu.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Leng Yaozhu's neck and declared brightly, "I want to stay with the pretty big sister!"

The smile on Qiangu Dongfeng's face froze.

"Pretty big sister is beautiful!" Tang Wulin said with complete conviction. "And she's soft and smells nice when she holds me! I don't want to go with an uncle. Uncle isn't good-looking!"

The air seemed to freeze.

The surrounding staff stared wide-eyed, their faces displaying a spectacular array of expressions. Some wanted to laugh but dared not, turning red from holding it in.

Qiangu Dongfeng's face twitched. The smile froze at the corners of his mouth, as though someone had doused him with a basin of cold water.

Leng Yaozhu was stunned at first, then could not help laughing aloud. Holding Tang Wulin, she shook with laughter like a flowering branch trembling in the breeze. "Hahahaha! Did you hear that, Qiangu Dongfeng? My disciple said you aren't good-looking!"

Qiangu Dongfeng's face darkened, then paled, then darkened again. He opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Leng Yaozhu's smug expression, he forcibly swallowed the words.

Everyone in the Spirit Pagoda knew he had liked Leng Yaozhu for years. Now her disciple had rejected him to his face for being "not good-looking," but he could hardly pick a fight with a little brat, could he?

"Hmph." Qiangu Dongfeng swept his sleeve and left. Before leaving, he gave Tang Wulin a meaningful look. "Since Yaozhu likes you so much, stay with her, then."

Watching Qiangu Dongfeng's retreating back, Tang Wulin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course he knew the benefits of becoming Qiangu Dongfeng's disciple: personal guidance from a level-99 Limit Douluo, preferential access to resources, and greater status. Those were all tangible advantages.

But he knew even more clearly that Qiangu Dongfeng was colluding with the Holy Spirit Cult and was destined to become a major problem in the future. Following someone like that was no different from bargaining with a tiger for its hide.

By comparison, although Leng Yaozhu was a little haughty, she was at least an upright person.

And... Tang Wulin stole a glance at Leng Yaozhu's peerlessly beautiful face and chuckled inwardly. Sticking with a pretty big sister would at least give me something pleasing to look at every day!

Leng Yaozhu held Tang Wulin, her mood soaring. She pinched his little cheek and said with a beaming smile:

"Come, my good disciple. Your master will take you to choose a soul spirit! As my personal disciple, you must have the very best!"

Holding Tang Wulin, she strode toward the soul spirit storage room, humming a tune along the way, clearly in excellent spirits.

The soul spirit storage room was enormous. Transparent soul-guiding glass cabinets were embedded in all four walls, displaying soul spirit orbs that radiated light of various colors.

From white to yellow to purple, soul spirits of every quality were available, making for a dazzling sight.

Leng Yaozhu carried Tang Wulin around the room, her gaze sweeping over the soul spirit orbs before finally settling on one that glowed purple.

"This one."

She reached out, took down the soul spirit orb, and handed it to Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin accepted it and looked inside. A tiny rabbit-shaped soul spirit was sealed within, its entire body snow-white but its eyes gleaming blood-red. Its limbs had sharply defined muscles, and it exuded a ferocity that belied its appearance.

"This is a mutated rabbit-type soul beast—the Violent Rabbit," Leng Yaozhu explained.

"It's said to be a rare variety that mutated from a thousand-year soul beast. Its bloodline is exceptionally powerful, and it's extremely aggressive. Although it's only a thousand-year soul spirit, its quality ranks among the very best of purple soul spirits. It's ideal for a child like you who was born in the Spirit Connection Realm. The stronger your spiritual power, the better the fusion will be."

Tang Wulin looked at the soul spirit orb in his hands and sensed the faint fluctuations coming from within. A smile unconsciously curled at the corners of his mouth.

Violent Rabbit—even the name sounds exciting.

He raised his head, looked at Leng Yaozhu's beautiful face, and said earnestly, "Thank you, Master!"