stonecrandall Chapter 20 Tang Wulin: The Spirit Ice Douluo is Ten Thousand Times Stronger Than Tang 3
Chapter 20 Tang Wulin: The Spirit Ice Douluo is Ten Thousand Times Stronger Than Tang 3
"Uncle Chen! I've saved enough money to buy a spirit! My dad asked me to come and ask you for advice on which spirit is best for me..."
Nine-year-old Tang Wulin finally mastered forging under Mang Tian's tutelage and saved enough money to buy a soul spirit.
He had already broken through to level ten, but he didn't have the money to buy a Soul Spirit, so he could only continue cultivating while saving money. According to Chen Yuan, a Soul Master can continue cultivating even without obtaining a Soul Ring, and any excess energy will be displayed once a Soul Ring is obtained.
Therefore, he was not in a hurry.
He knew that his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was inferior to others in the early stages. Under Chen Yuan's arrangement, Mang Tian taught him everything he knew, and he learned a lot. Tang Wulin is now a qualified second-level blacksmith!
"You told me that you did this because you didn't have money..."
Chen Yuan was speechless. He thought Tang Wulin was focused on forging, which was why he had been delayed for half a month. He was even planning to give Mang Tian a warning. So, you just didn't have the money?
"Oh, Uncle Chen, did I do something wrong?"
Seeing his expression, Tang Wulin's excitement vanished, and he stood there awkwardly, feeling somewhat lost.
"In Aolai City, a white soul spirit costs 70,000, and a yellow soul spirit costs 1 million. 30,000 Federal Coins can only be used for soul spirit extraction."
"But the extraction could yield a hundred-year-old yellow soul spirit, or it could yield a ten-year-old incomplete artificial soul spirit. Do you want to try your luck?"
Chen Yuan shrugged. They'd known each other for three years, and this kid was still a bit simple-minded—no, he should be called innocent and childlike.
"what?"
Thirty thousand, can only be drawn randomly?
Tang Wulin stared blankly, never expecting that the money he had worked so hard to earn for three years would end up like this. If he hadn't come to find Uncle Chen, his life might have been ruined because of his irresponsibility.
but……
It costs 70,000 Federal Credits to buy a ten-year Soul Spirit.
How long will it take to save up?
How hard will it be for Mom and Dad?
Tang Wulin looked at Chen Yuan with a pale face and a helpless expression. "Uncle Chen, thank you."
What else can be said? How much has Chen Yuan helped him over the past three years? At first, he was deliberately targeted because he refused to become Mang Tian's apprentice. Chen Yuan went to Mang Tian for help, and after that, his learning in forging went smoothly.
In terms of soul power cultivation, he received guidance from a Soul Master (who had already advanced) from the Spirit Transmission Tower for three years. This is a benefit that many children in Aolai City cannot obtain!
"Silly child, I haven't finished speaking yet." Chen Yuan couldn't help but roll his eyes and said, "Besides these two methods, there is actually another way to obtain a soul, which is a rule established when the Spirit Pagoda was founded."
"Soul contracts are two-way; a Soul Master can choose a Soul Spirit, and a Soul Spirit can certainly choose a Soul Master!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Wulin was the first to react, his eyes lighting up. "Uncle Chen, do you mean...?"
"Yes, if any of the spirits are willing to sign a contract with you, you can take them away directly for a fee of one thousand federal coins."
Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Furthermore, if you join the Spirit Pagoda, you'll receive even better treatment. After all, how much money would we charge you if we were family? Your first spirit will be free. You can also buy subsequent spirits at half price."
"Join the Spirit Pagoda? Me? Uncle Chen, are you serious? I can really join the Spirit Pagoda?"
Tang Wulin didn't refuse, his face beaming with delight. His spirit was only Blue Silver Grass, which, in reality, didn't have much value for cultivation. Having grown up listening to stories of the Spirit Ice Douluo, he naturally had a fondness for the Spirit Pagoda.
He didn't have this level of affection for Tang San, the Sea God, who also possessed the Blue Silver Grass martial soul.
Tang San's divine sense: ...
My son admires that fool who rejected me and refused to ascend more than he's close to me... Oh no, has he been brainwashed by the Spirit Pagoda? This won't do!
Wu Lin, you need to understand, you don't owe the Spirit Pagoda anything. It's their honor that you use their things! The evil Spirit Pagoda is just as wicked as the Spirit Hall back then!
Tang San didn't lash out; he just planned to instill some ungrateful... ah, no, I mean, the talent of using someone else's resources to his advantage in this little combo tonight.
"Of course. Wu Lin, what do you think of our Spirit Pagoda? In fact, it is precisely because of the addition of Soul Masters like you that we have become so powerful today."
Chen Yuan explained to him,
"You don't need to underestimate yourself. Do you still remember the commotion when you awakened your martial soul? Your Blue Silver Grass is definitely not ordinary."
"Then I'm willing to join the Spirit Pagoda! Uncle Chen, thank you for being so kind to me."
Tang Wulin nodded excitedly and expressed his gratitude.
His childhood dream was to join this legendary organization, and now that he actually had the opportunity to become one of them, how could he possibly refuse!
"Okay, let's go to the Spirit Pagoda and talk as we walk," Chen Yuan said happily, leading him out of the house and towards the Aolai branch pagoda. The distance was neither too far nor too short, and the two of them walked.
"Now that you've joined the Spirit Pagoda, let me tell you about the great achievements of the first Pagoda Master."
"The first Tower Master's contribution to this era went far beyond just the spirits. He was like a true saint who extended his compassionate gaze to all life, without distinction of race, and was truly selfless. The origin of Awakening Day is also because of him."
"The Awakening Day is because of the First Tower Master? Uncle Chen, then, how did people awaken their Martial Souls before the First Tower Master?"
Tang Wulin's worldview was crumbling. When he heard the story, wasn't there an Awakening Day in the era of the Sea God? What happened? Or is there a discrepancy in the story? How come the Awakening Day was created by the first Tower Master?
"You've got it wrong," Chen Yuan saw right through him. "The first Tower Master merely pushed for the reinstatement of Awakening Day. Twenty thousand years ago, the Spirit Hall was destroyed, and the corrupt empire directly overturned Awakening Day, simply for easier rule. Ten thousand years ago, there wasn't actually an Awakening Day; Spirit Masters could only awaken their Spirits by paying someone to help them. It was only after the first Tower Master established the Spirit Pagoda that it was gradually reinstated."
Tang Wulin felt something inside him was about to shatter, and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't the Sea God consider these things when he defeated the Spirit Hall?"
"Who knows? Gods are beyond our reach. We are lucky to live in a good era. If it were ten thousand years ago, let alone hunting for spirit rings, we might not even be able to awaken a martial spirit."
Chen Yuan shook his head. He didn't admire the Sea God much and wouldn't say anything good about him. After all, the Sea God was the ancestor of the Tang Sect, and the relationship between the Tang Sect and the Spirit Pagoda could only be described as extremely hostile.
"The meditation methods we use now were also created and open-sourced by the first tower master."
"Furthermore, the rule about the hidden soul spirits was set by the first tower master. Initially, many internal members thought it was a losing proposition. But the soul beast side and several generations of tower masters have been implementing and promoting it."
This rule is the main way for most commoner Soul Masters to obtain Soul Spirits. After all, ten-year-old Soul Spirits are not very intelligent and will follow Soul Masters whose attributes are close to their own.
However, most commoner soul masters cannot grow up and earn money, and the basic work of awakening martial souls does not require so many people. In fact, they cannot help the Spirit Pagoda in any way.
However, for soul beasts, the more humans who acquire soul spirits, the more stable their status becomes, and the more hopeful they are of coexisting with humans as humans grow stronger.
And some people who are not capable of obtaining a soul spirit suddenly have the hope of becoming a soul master because of the recognition of a soul spirit. How can they not worship these soul spirits?
Many legendary souls were cultivated in this way, generation after generation. Although their bloodlines were not strong, they were the starting point for this family to defy fate and watched their descendants grow up!
In this way, it is passed down from generation to generation and is revered by later generations.
At the same time, the existence of this legendary soul spirit also allows the descendants of soul masters who initially failed to grow to go further and spread their branches. Many of these families are quite close to the Spirit Pagoda, helping the Spirit Pagoda to increase its reputation and bring in considerable benefits.
Even now, they still have business dealings with the Spirit Pagoda.
Occasionally, mutations occur, defying fate and breaking through the family's limits to reach new heights, becoming pillars of the Spirit Transmission Tower.
After hundreds of years of time proved how wise this rule was, the higher-ups of the Spirit Pagoda no longer opposed it and even promoted it, and repeatedly studied the manual of the first tower master.
Tang Wulin listened attentively. The popular versions of the story didn't have these elements; they were all told in the form of folk tales and legends, and they had no access to such stories anyway.
At this moment, Tang Wulin was extremely grateful that he had joined the Spirit Pagoda.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly.
Why couldn't the first tower master, such a good person, become a god?
As for Poseidon?
Sorry, I don't recognize this.
Tang San: Wu Lin! You really need to correct your wicked thoughts, you evil Spirit Pagoda! Once Wu Lin successfully ascends to the position of Pagoda Master, I will definitely make him reform you all!
They were just crickets. Once he corrected Wu Lin's thinking, he would understand just how hateful and evil Huo Yuhao was, and he would know who he should really worship.
Why did he overturn the Awakening Day? If things continue like the Spirit Hall, the number of Soul Masters will grow uncontrollably! How many Soul Beasts will perish then? He promised Xiao Wu and Da Ming to protect the Soul Beasts.
As for why he didn't change the cultivation system of the Douluo Continent, each realm has its own way, and how could he do something that would steal creation for his own selfish desires?
Moreover, how easy is it to overthrow, create, or promote a cultivation system?
As for Huo Yuhao, he created the Soul Spirit System, vigorously promoted Awakening, and spread the Xuan Tian Gong for free. It seemed to alleviate the conflict between the two sides, but in his view, it was nothing more than selfish pursuit of the power of faith.
Moreover, now that soul beasts have become the ancestors of humans, standing above various families and swaggering around, wouldn't Huo Yuhao be a traitor? You know, even Tang San understood that those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts, and that helping some kind soul beasts is enough.
And with the superiors setting an example for the subordinates, and with no respect whatsoever for him as a deity among the entire Spirit Pagoda, spreading evil doctrines, poisoning Wu Lin, and endangering the continent, it is clearly yet another Spirit Hall!
They all have a way to die!
If Wu Lin didn't need the Spirit Pagoda to regroup his fortune and become the Child of Fortune, he would have already lost his temper.
The old figures of the Spirit Pagoda have been poisoned by Huo Yuhao for a long time and cannot be corrected. After the battle against the Abyss ends in the future, none of these lingering poisons of Huo Yuhao will be revived!
Soon, Tang Wulin followed Chen Yuan to the Spirit Pagoda.
"Xiaoyun, please register Wulin. He's now a member of the Spirit Pagoda."
Chen Yuan went to the front desk and spoke to the staff member.
"Oh, this child... Okay, come on, is this Wu Lin? Take a picture and fill out some information." The staff looked at Tang Wu Lin in surprise. Someone his age who could join the Spirit Pagoda was truly a rare sight in Aolai City.
But Xiaoyun knew her place. Chen Yuan was a Purple-level Spirit Transmission Master, so the child he had his eye on must be extraordinary. Without asking any more questions, she got to work.
The procedures were few, and Tang Wulin filled them out neatly. With curiosity, he looked around at the various arrangements of the Spirit Transmission Tower. This was what the inside of the Spirit Transmission Tower looked like.
What will his future organization be?
The Spirit Pagoda is octagonal, with three stories and four sides. The interior is very spacious, with marble floors bearing the pagoda's insignia, and a large hall. A ring of doors surrounds the pagoda, their destinations unknown.
"Wu Lin, you don't need to look anymore. Our Aolai branch tower isn't that great. You'll be going to Donghai City soon, and that's where you'll develop your power. It's one of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars."
Chen Yuan smiled and told him that he had the same expression when he first entered the Spirit Pagoda, but he came from another distant city.
The Spirit Pagoda branch in Aolai City, located in the city center, is a three-story tower-like building. This is the lowest-level Spirit Pagoda branch; Spirit Pagodas in medium-sized cities are seven stories high, and those in large cities are as high as thirteen stories. The Spirit Pagoda headquarters in Mingdu, after years of renovations, has eighty-one stories and is known as the most magnificent building on the Douluo Continent.
The Eighteen Heavenly Pillars are definitely taller than thirteen stories; the East Sea Spirit Pagoda alone is over four hundred meters tall!
"Even our Aolai City branch tower is so mysterious, I wonder how magnificent the Spirit Transmission Tower in the East Sea must be... If I become powerful one day, could I upgrade our Aolai branch tower as well?"
Tang Wulin didn't aspire to great achievements; he only wondered if he could give back to his hometown, especially his Uncle Chen. Perhaps it would be enough if he became a powerful Soul Master.
"You're a child who still thinks about repaying us; you're certainly grateful. With your talent, if you could become a master craftsman, Aolai City would rise because of you."
Chen Yuan was satisfied with Tang Wulin's thoughtfulness; it was worth all the time he had instilled these ideas in him. With Tang Wulin's current development, he estimated that it wouldn't be long before he could benefit from his success and get promoted.
But he didn't expect Tang Wulin to actually become a Saint Craftsman. Despite how much he praised Tang Wulin, he knew perfectly well that without great opportunities, Tang Wulin could only reach the Soul Emperor level in his life. As for Saint Craftsman, Mang Tian himself was only at level six, and he would probably stagnate for the rest of his life. What could he possibly teach Tang Wulin?
Compared to the inheritance of Soul Masters, the master-disciple relationship of blacksmiths is more strict. Once you have apprenticed to a blacksmith master, it is basically impossible to become an apprentice to someone else.
Without a mentor's guidance, it's practically impossible to make further breakthroughs.
"Let's go. You're a disciple of the Spirit Pagoda. Since you're getting your first soul spirit for free, we can't let you suffer," Chen Yuan chuckled, leading Tang Wulin to the room where soul spirits are stored.
The door was made of an extra-thick, burglarproof material; in Tang Wulin's eyes, its quality was far superior to his teacher's Thousand-Refined Door. Moreover, it seemed to possess some kind of will.
"This was transported from headquarters and is made of spirit-forged metal. This is a field that only level five blacksmiths can handle."
Chen Yuan explained to him that even though he believed no one would attack the Spirit Pagoda, and no one would be foolish enough to cause a ruckus or even steal souls from it, it was just in case.
This spirit room must be thoroughly reinforced.
Stepping inside, I discovered it was surprisingly large.
Tang Wulin wondered if it was just his imagination, but this room seemed larger than the Spirit Pagoda itself. Could it be? Wasn't this a room inside the pagoda?
The walls, made of some special metal, emanated gentle energy fluctuations, lending the space an air of mystery and tranquility. The interior wasn't like a supermarket display case; instead, it resembled a small ecosystem, with lakes, forests, and mountains, upon which spirit orbs were scattered, their forms faintly visible, awaiting their future companions.
"Go ahead, try communicating with the spirit first. If it accepts you, that would be the best outcome, saving you time in cultivating a relationship later."
Tang Wulin nodded and seriously released his martial soul aura. Tang San frowned slightly upon seeing him. Considering that he was his son, and that he was already here, he couldn't use a ten-year-old martial soul. So, he secretly released some of his own aura as well.
Although that rule existed, Chen Yuan didn't actually believe that Tang Wulin could gain the recognition of a soul spirit immediately. Very few people could gain the recognition of a hundred-year soul spirit; most were ten-year soul spirits. Back then, he didn't join the Spirit Pagoda and benefited from this rule, but he only obtained a ten-year soul spirit.
However, after Tang Wulin turned around, Chen Yuan was dumbfounded. What was going on? How come after turning around, several hundred-year-old souls wanted to become his soul?
"Uncle Chen, what's going on?"
Tang Wulin burst into tears, completely bewildered by the situation.
He just wanted to choose a soul spirit he wanted, so why do these hundred-year-old soul spirits seem to be stopping him?
"Wu Lin, you've been accepted by them... lucky little guy."
A hundred years of souls.
In this era where almost everyone is a Soul Master, although Soul Spirits have become widespread, the higher the level of the Soul Spirit, the rarer it becomes.
Even in Donghai City, there are very few families that possess ten-thousand-year-old soul spirits. Most of them have thousand-year-old soul spirits, which are passed down as heirlooms.
With a hundred-year-old soul spirit, Tang Wulin could practically establish a large family in this small town of Aolai.
Chen Yuan admitted that he felt a little bitter, but the thought that he was the one who had brought him to this world made him feel better.
"But I can only choose one soul. Which one should I choose?"
Tang Wulin was also stunned, then a surge of joy rose in his heart, and his gratitude and faith in Lingbing Douluo reached a new height.
He never dreamed that he would actually gain the recognition of a hundred-year-old soul!
In response to Tang Wulin's inquiry, Chen Yuan murmured and looked at the spirits, saying:
"Seaweed comes from the sea and is a type of sea spirit beast."
"The Mandragora Serpent, needless to say, you should know about it. It will likely gain the abilities of constriction and venom."
"Ghost Vine, a mid-level plant-type soul beast, can evolve into Ghost King Vine and join the ranks of the top-tier. It can grant you parasitic abilities."
"And this... Thunderous Hell Vine..."
When introducing the fourth spirit, Chen Yuan hesitated, unsure whether it was the right thing to do or not. Although this thing was powerful, it also came with risks.
"To be honest, I recommend you choose one of the three plant-type spirit beasts, not the Mandragora Serpent," Chen Yuan said, explaining as Tang Wulin listened attentively. "The Blue Silver Grass's characteristic is its vitality. Giving it a poison-type spirit ring might seem like a short-term gain, but it will have negative consequences later. Besides, animal spirits do provide some enhancement to the physical body, but that's probably useless for you. I don't know why it chose you; perhaps it has heard the story of the Sea God? What a pity... We've been researching the legendary spirit beast Blue Silver Emperor for many years; plant-type spirit beasts are the best."
Tang San:……
The spirit of the mandala snake: ...
Why do your words sound like you're mocking me, Lord Sea God? What's wrong with the Mandragora Serpent? What's wrong with this spirit? Beware of Blue Silver Entanglement!
Tang Wulin nodded without any doubt. In terms of the combination of martial souls and soul rings, the Spirit Pagoda was the authoritative organization. Could the Sea God's era have had modern science? The Sea God Tang San was probably deceived by the Grandmaster.
As for the remaining three spirits, forget about the seaweed; Uncle Chen didn't say what abilities it could give him, so he probably doesn't think it's a good choice. As for the ghost vine, parasitism is useful, but why not choose the better option when there is one?
Thunderous Hell Vine is a plant-type plant that should also possess lightning abilities. It can be said that it neither clashes with Blue Silver Grass nor hinders its own powerful attack.
Seeing Tang Wulin's thoughts, Chen Yuan said seriously, "Have you thought it through? I need to remind you how special this soul spirit is. They cultivate by drawing lightning, but they often lack restraint and may self-destruct halfway through their cultivation. Although becoming a soul spirit will stop their growth, they will still evolve as their spirit ascends. In the history of our Spirit Transmission Tower, we have never seen a Thunderous Hell Vine that is more than 50,000 years old."
"Even ascended spirits can explode?"
Tang Wulin was stunned.
"That's right. What do you think? If a soul with such extraordinary talent truly has the potential to resolve the jealousy of the heavens, it will only appear at headquarters, becoming the soul of some important figure."
"But don't be afraid. After all, you might not be able to raise his spirit to 50,000 years in this lifetime."
Seeing Tang Wulin hesitate, Chen Yuan smiled and comforted him. Although his words were a bit harsh, they were the truth. "Even internal staff can't use the Spirit Ascension Platform often. Once a year is a great opportunity. If your physical fitness and mental strength don't meet the standards, you can't complete the Spirit Ascension."
If one can truly cultivate to become a Title Douluo, the 40,000-year-old Thunder Hell Vine will be sufficient. However, once one reaches the later stages of cultivation, the skills of the spirit rings added earlier will become largely useless.
At this stage, Soul Masters often focus on the sixth to ninth Soul Skills. Some even explore their own path and are no longer confined to Soul Skills, instead using self-created or inherited combat skills.
"Then I'll choose it. Uncle Chen, since you've said so, what am I afraid of?" A cunning glint appeared in Tang Wulin's eyes. Anyway, the hidden danger would take more than 50,000 years, but did he have the ability to elevate its spirit? Therefore, Tang Wulin believed that this hidden danger did not exist for him.
"Alright, then let me draw up the contract for you. Are you ready?"
"Um!"
Seeing this, Chen Yuan led him to another room, stood on the six-pointed star magic circle, released the Thunderous Hell Vine from the soul sphere, and then four yellow soul rings rose from his feet, chanting incantations, the nature of which was unknown.
Tang Wulin's gaze was completely drawn to the four yellow rings around Chen Yuan's head. He remembered that when they first met, Chen Yuan had a white and two yellow rings. Is this what it means to ascend to spirit level? Ten years becoming a hundred?
Tang Wulin was completely unaware of what was happening, his attention was entirely focused on the four rings. By the time he realized what had happened, he was already a formal Soul Master.
Soul power, level twelve!
A century-old spirit, terrifying beyond belief!