The golden energy circulated within Tang Wulin's body, and with each complete cycle, the barrier of the seal weakened slightly.
Tang Wulin was submerged in breaking the seal. His deep accumulation made this breakthrough smooth, but just as he was about to complete it, an extremely violent roar suddenly exploded in his mind:
"Human! Shut your mouth! If you dare to come in here every day spouting nonsense, when I break free from this seal, I will surely tear you to pieces! Tear you to pieces!!!"
As if it had been holding back for a long time, the voice was filled with a sense of frustration and echoed continuously in Tang Wulin's mind.
Tang Wulin frowned deeply and suddenly opened his eyes.
What was that sound?
"Your Majesty"... Could it be the Golden Dragon King?
He changed up at "Old Tang" and saw that the other's expression hadn't changed, realizing that only he had heard it.
Was it because of breaking the second seal? As the seal was broken, the Golden Dragon King could communicate with him to some extent?
It seems like it can only say one sentence for now...
Tang Wulin pondered thoughtfully.
"Old Tang" didn't show much emotion. He didn't know if the other party could accept the thoughts of the first-generation Tower Master, but since the Golden Dragon King had clearly expressed its disgust, that wouldn't do. It was an unfriendly gesture.
But thinking from another perspective, what the enemy hates is the most powerful weapon.
Since the Golden Dragon King hates it... Good, I'll double the time for explanations from now on!
Golden Dragon King: "..."
Tang San's Divine Sense: "..."
How did you come to that conclusion?
Stop torturing us, will you!
...
"Time's almost up, Wulin still not done?"
Xie Xie paced back and forth in the room, "We're already leaving quite late. If we miss the next soul train, what if we're late?"
"Stop pacing around. Worrying won't help. If it really comes to it, we can just use the back door," Zhang Yangzi, sitting on a chair, said, "No need to worry too much."
He arrived in Heaven Dou City yesterday. Previously, he and Wang Jinxi had been in Star Luo City, receiving guidance from their two teachers.
Heaven Dou City was a central city on the continent. With soul planes currently out of service, taking the soul train to Mingdu City from here was a good option, so the five of them had decided to meet up in Heaven Dou City.
Among the five of them, Xie Xie was the most excited about attending the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. The others weren't as thrilled, but Zhang Yangzi could understand his feelings.
After all, before joining the Spirit Pagoda, Xie Xie's dream had been to study at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Xie Xie nodded, "You're right. I'm just too excited."
It's not a big deal. Although using the back door is frowned upon, we're not mediocre talents. Why worry?
With that thought, Xie Xie's anxious mood disappeared, and he calmly sat down.
"That's more like a man," Zhang Yangzi smiled.
Xie Xie looked at him suspiciously and frowned, "What do you mean? Did you used to think of me as a woman?!"
Zhang Yangzi: "..."
His eyes shifted unashamedly.
Oops, I accidentally said what I was thinking.
But it's not my fault. Sometimes Xie Xie's possessiveness towards Wulin does seem a bit off... It always feels like if one of them were a girl, there wouldn't be room for anyone else.
Just as Xie Xie narrowed his eyes and the atmosphere in the room turned "dangerous," the door suddenly opened, and a lively figure bounced in, breaking the room's tension.
"Ah, so Xie Xie is my 'sister'?" Xu Xiaoyan, with her hands behind her back, tilted her head and leaned in front of Xie Xie with a smile, her eyes curved like crescents.
Two years had passed, and the girl's figure had become more graceful, her skin like snow, and her eyes as lively as ever.
She looked Xie Xie up and down, pretending to be surprised as she covered her mouth, "Tsk tsk tsk, how come I never noticed before? Xie Xie 'sister'~"
Xie Xie's face darkened, "Xu! Xiao! Yan! Are you itching for a beating?"
Xu Xiaoyan wasn't afraid of him and puffed out her cheeks, "Getting angry now? In Heaven Dou City, you and Wulin are the hosts. Now that Wulin is training, aren't you going to entertain us?"
What kind of food do you serve to unwelcome guests?
Although he thought so, seeing that the three of them were willing to wait, Xie Xie still asked, "What do you want to eat? I'll tell the chef to prepare it."
"Breakfast can be simple. You decide," Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi said casually.
Xu Xiaoyan, on the other hand, started counting on her fingers, "I want bread, jam, yogurt, and fried eggs... Two fried eggs, I'm still growing."
Hearing this, Xie Xie couldn't help but roll his eyes and retorted, "Yeah, you're growing round like a fried egg!"
Without waiting for Xu Xiaoyan to respond, he quickly ran off.
"That guy's mouth hasn't changed at all!" Xu Xiaoyan stomped her foot in frustration.
Wang Jinxi cried helplessly, "You know what Xie Xie is like. You teased him, so of course, you're going to get a reaction."
"No, I'm refuting his claim that I'm fat. I don't eat that much."
"What are you eating?" Tang Wulin's voice came from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention, "I'm a bit hungry too."
The three of them looked at Tang Wulin, who seemed completely unaware of the situation: "..."
You're really carefree, do you know how long we've been waiting?
Wang Jinxi sobbed, "Alright, now that everyone's here, let's have breakfast and then go."
After finishing breakfast, Tang Wulin and his group bid farewell to Xiong Jun and the others, then boarded the soul train and set off for Mingdu City.
For some reason, Tang Wulin's unlucky streak didn't kick in, and the group arrived safely in Mingdu City.
Sunlight spilled onto the wide streets, and in the distance, towering buildings gleamed in the morning light. The bustling scene of Mingdu City gradually came into view.
"Wow, this place is way livelier than our East Sea City!" Xu Xiaoyan leaned against the window, her eyes sparkling as she watched the endless stream of people and the shops filled with goods.
Zhang Yangzi, with his arms crossed, lazily leaning back in his seat, "Mingdu City is the core city of the Federation, the most advanced place for soul technology. Of course, it's different."
Xu Xiaoyan observed the scenery outside and suddenly pointed towards the core area of Mingdu City, "That must be the headquarters, right?"
Everyone looked in the direction she pointed out. In the core area of Mingdu City, a towering giant pagoda rose from the ground, its metal and soul crystal structure refracting a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.
Unconsciously, they all held their breaths, their throats tightened, and no one could utter a word.
"Although I always knew the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was the tallest building on the continent, seeing it in person is completely different from looking at photos," Wang Jinxi exclaimed.
"It's still early. We have a day before reporting in. Let's head to the headquarters first and check in with Brother Yuhao."
As the train arrived at the station, Xie Xie stretched and stood up first, "Let's go, no need to keep staring. We'll have plenty of time to look around later."
Xu Xiaoyan reluctantly withdrew her gaze and asserted, "I heard the top floor of the headquarters has the most advanced observatory on the continent. I wonder if we'll get a chance to go up there this time."
The observatory on the tallest building on the continent would be an excellent place for her cultivation...
After leaving the soul train, they switched to a soul car and eagerly arrived at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters. From a distance, they saw a row of law enforcement team members standing in the square, their faces cold as they watched the passing soul masters, seemingly on guard for something.
"What's going on? Did someone do something wrong?"
Xu Xiaoyan's curiosity was piqued, and she grabbed a passing female soul master, asking sweetly, "Sister, what's happening here?"
The female soul master was started at first, but then a flash of excitement appeared in her eyes:
"You haven't heard? A few days ago, there was an earth-shattering battle! Right here in the square. The law enforcement team is on high alert because they're worried someone might try to imitate it."
A battle?
Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi exchanged glances.
Mingdu City is full of martial spirits? Someone dared to fight in the Spirit Pagoda square?
Isn't fighting prohibited here!
Or was it like during the Shrek Academy entrance exam?
Xie Xie directly asked, "Who was so bold to start a fight at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters?"
"It was a core disciple of the headquarters and a reserve Spirit Envoy! They only exchanged one move, so no one had time to stop them."
The female soul master lowered her voice but couldn't the excitement in her tone, "You didn't see it, but that core disciple is called the 'Sword Madman.' The moment he drew his sword, the entire sky turned gray with sword light, and the sun hid behind the clouds in fear. His sword intent condensed into a thousand-meter-long dragon that roared into the sky, shaking the Spirit Pagoda square!"
"But that reserve Spirit Envoy, facing this world-destroying sword, simply raised his fist—"
She clenched her fist, as if mimicking the scene, "And with a 'boom'! The entire square's air was sucked away, and his fist erupted with a light brighter than the sun. With a single punch, that sword intent dragon exploded into a shower of light!"
Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing, this description sounds like something even a Titled Douluo couldn't do, right?
The female soul master grew more excited as she spoke, "What's even crazier is that the shockwave from that punch shattered the clouds for ten thousand meters around. It's said that even the Pagoda Master was startled and had to personally stabilize the space, or the Spirit Pagoda headquarters would have been affected."
"That reserve Spirit Envoy was just a core disciple before this battle, but because of this fight, he was directly promoted, and no one dared to object..."
Xu Xiaoyan was stunned: "...Is this really something a core disciple could do?"
She had seen core disciples before, but even Na'er wasn't this outrageous.
Are all the core disciples at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters this strong?
Xie Xie looked at Tang Wulin expressionlessly and whispered, "Hey, Wulin, do you believe this?"
Tang Wulin was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "...If even one-tenth of what she said is true, then this 'reserve Spirit Envoy's' strength has probably surpassed that of an ordinary Titled Douluo."
The female soul master, still not done, leaning in mysteriously, "There's even more! It's said that after throwing that punch, the reserve Spirit Envoy didn't even catch his breath. He just calmly said—"
She suddenly lowered her voice, imitating a profound tone, "The sword is good, but the one wielding it... is too weak."
This reserve Spirit Envoy sure knows how to put on a show.
Thinking this, Xu Xiaoyan pointed to the marks on the ground, "So these were leaving from their fight?"
The female soul master looked at the claw marks stretching over a thousand meters and waved her hand, "No, those were left a hundred years ago when Pagoda Master Xiong Jun attacked an evil soul master who broke into the headquarters. The battle between the Sword Madman and the reserve Spirit Envoy was still a violation of the rules, so the higher-ups wouldn't leave the marks."
So this is where the evil soul master was attacked by Master Xiong Jun?
Tang Wulin's thoughts paused, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at the ground.
That was a Limit Douluo-level evil soul master. Master is indeed amazing!
Xu Xiaoyan then thanked her, "Thank you, sister. I didn't catch your name. I'm Xu Xiaoyan."
"Me? I'm Zhao Yao," Zhao Yao smiled, "You're a cute little girl. If you run into any trouble, you can come to me."
...
"Brother Yuhao, this is what we saw and heard along the way."
Gathered in the room preparing for Huo Yuhao at the headquarters, Xie Xie looked at Huo Yuhao.
"Are all the soul masters at the headquarters like this? Fighting in the square, how arrogant."
Huo Yuhao: "...That reserve Spirit Envoy was me."
The room fell silent.
Gu Yuena, beside him, covered her mouth, almost laughing out loud.
Xie Xie's expression froze instantly, his mouth opening wide enough to fit an egg: "Wh...what? That showoff... I mean, that reserve Spirit Envoy who shattered the sword light with a punch was you?!"
The others also looked shocked.
Huo Yuhao sobbed, "It was me, but it wasn't as exaggerated as that girl made it sound."
"But..."
"I passed the assessment just a few days ago."
Huo Yuhao explained, "The situation at the headquarters is a bit complicated. There are many family factions, and I didn't want to get too involved in their disputes. Being a reserve Spirit Envoy helps me avoid some of the trouble."
"You should also focus on improving your strength at this age. Don't get distracted."
Xu Xiaoyan's eyes lit up, "I understand. My teacher also said something similar in the first-generation Tower Master's teachings. The Angel God from ten thousand years ago is a cautionary tale."
The Angel God, Qian Renxue, with her innate level 20, was a divine being, yet she went undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, wasting much time.
If she hadn't gone to Heaven Dou, given her talent and potential, she could have become a god a few years earlier than the Sea God and the Rakshasa God, and might have defeated them before they ascended.
"..."
Huo Yuhao looked at Gu Yuena, who showed no reaction, then took out several passes and documents, "These are the accommodations arranged for you at the headquarters. Go and settle in first. I've also had someone register you at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. With your strength, getting in won't be a problem. As for me and Gu Yuena, we'll join as researchers through the Mingde Hall."
For Spirit Pagoda members, entering the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy is almost an unwritten rule.
After all, many of the first-generation members were recruited by Huo Yuhao from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Now that the Spirit Pagoda headquarters is located in Mingdu City, just a wall away from the academy, it's the natural choice for high-ranking members seeking advanced education.
After everyone received their items and left the room, Xu Xiaoyan asserted, "I feel like Brother Yuhao is like us elder... Na'er doesn't seem like it, but when she stands next to Brother Yuhao, she does."
The others nodded in agreement.
...
Not long after the group left the room, a tall figure appeared at the door. Several times, the figure raised a hand to knock but hesitated and lowered it. Finally, as the evening light outside gilded the metal door frame for the third time, there came two soft knocks.
A calm response came from within, and the figure let out a sigh of relief before stepping in, only to feel as if they had plummeted into an abyss.
"Two years ago in the Deep Sea Abyss, you were cautious enough to turn and leave."
A deep voice echoed in the air, each word like a hammer striking the heart, "Now that you've received my summons and haven't left, do you think I wouldn't recognize you? Deep Sea Demon Whale... or should I say, Lan Fuzi?"
The figure froze, as if pinned by an invisible pressure, their breath caught in their throat.