Riding in the vehicle back toward the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao watched families emerging from the tower, their children holding Soul Spirit Balls. He suddenly spoke within his Sea of Spirit:
"I am human, yet those who have helped me most have been you Soul Beasts, Brother Tianmeng. Everyone in the Extreme North looked out for me as well.
"Has this era become what you hoped for? This is the best I was able to accomplish..."
As long as Soul Masters required Spirit Rings, the conflict between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters could never truly vanish. Using Soul Spirit Contracts as a breakthrough, offering both sides a different path forward—that was the only way he could conceive for them to coexist in harmony.
"Yuhao..."
Both Ice Empress and Tianmeng froze in surprise before smiling at the same time.
"You did everything you could," Ice Empress said gently with a warm smile. "Ten thousand years ago, who could have imagined Soul Beasts and Soul Masters coexisting in relative peace? Don't dwell on it too much."
"Thank you."
Huo Yuhao smiled at her words. Just as he was about to look away, he saw two children holding Soul Spirit Balls suddenly start posturing against each other.
"My Soul Spirit is the strongest!"
"No way, my Soul Spirit is the strongest!"
"Hmph, then let's have a Soul Spirit showdown and see whose Soul Spirit really is better!"
One child gripped his Soul Spirit Ball, cocking his arm back as if to throw it.
Refusing to back down, the other child raised his Soul Spirit Ball as well. "Bring it on! Who's afraid of you? My Blazing Lion is way stronger than your Soul Spirit!"
Huo Yuhao was speechless.
Ice Empress was speechless.
Tianmeng Iceworm was speechless.
*Stop right there! That's not how Soul Spirits are supposed to be used!*
Fortunately, both sets of parents stepped in just in time. Otherwise, a crowd-pleasing Soul Spirit Pokémon battle would have erupted right in front of the Spirit Pagoda.
***
Inside the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao looked at the Whale Gel, which had been processed by an advanced Soul Master into a golden, jelly-like substance, and sighed inwardly with emotion.
He had never enjoyed something like this ten thousand years ago, yet here he was trying it now. Fate truly worked in mysterious ways.
"Absorb it as soon as possible. Whale Gel takes time to cool and harden, and right now is the optimal window to absorb it," a male Soul Master standing nearby reminded him in a gentle tone. He wore glasses and a white uniform.
"Understood. Thank you for your trouble, Senior Luo," Huo Yuhao replied politely, thanking him before beginning to ingest the Whale Gel.
Luo Yanglu, a six-ring Soul Emperor, was a fire-attribute Soul Master and the... chef of this Spirit Pagoda branch.
Indeed, a chef—though specifically Hua Yichen's personal chef. The ingredients he prepared were all extraordinarily precious, and the two seemed to have known each other for a long time, sharing a close relationship.
The piece of Whale Gel Huo Yuhao was consuming right now had been prepared by his hands.
According to Hua Yichen, Luo Yanglu would also supply him with "nutritional meals" made from various Precious Heavenly Treasures going forward, telling him he had plenty to look forward to.
Watching Huo Yuhao finish the Ten Thousand Year Whale Gel and sit down cross-legged to meditate and absorb its medicinal potency, Luo Yanglu's eyes flickered. He stepped out of the room and glanced toward a corner nearby.
"This child is neither arrogant nor impatient. His character is exceptional, and his talent is unlike anything I've ever seen. But don't you feel he's a bit too quiet?"
"So you noticed it too." Hua Yichen stepped out from the shadows, gazing at the closed door with a sigh.
He had observed Huo Yuhao's conversation with Mu Xi earlier. Despite his tender age, Huo Yuhao possessed a serenity that seemed to come from having weathered countless storms. In Hua Yichen's eyes, that was not necessarily a good thing.
Remaining as calm as still water certainly allowed a person to face anything with composure, but experiencing varied circumstances and feeling emotional ups and downs was also an essential part of growing up.
Moreover, losing one's sharp edge meant that when the time came, one might lack the fierce bloodlust required to stake everything on a single gamble.
"Perhaps his complicated family background shaped his temperament."
Hua Yichen frowned. "Do you have any good ideas to fix it?"
Luo Yanglu shook his head. "A personality doesn't change overnight. What can I do? Even so, we can't just leave him to cultivate peacefully inside the pagoda forever in this state. He needs trials and stimulation."
Saying this, his eyes flashed as if a thought had struck him. "What about putting him on the Junior Genius Ranking in three years? A prodigy's pride and sharp edge are forged through battle. Making the list should serve as good motivation."
"The Junior Genius Ranking?" Hua Yichen furrowed his brows.
The Junior Genius Ranking was a sub-ranking of the Continent Wind and Cloud Ranking, established by the Spirit Pagoda specifically for Soul Masters.
Its stated purpose was to promote the development of the Soul Master community and encourage Soul Masters to elevate themselves—though of course, its true function went far beyond that.
The Continent Wind and Cloud Ranking contained one hundred spots, recording the hundred most formidable Battle Armor Masters. As its sub-ranking, the Junior Genius Ranking listed young talents under the age of eighteen, functioning as a feeder list for the Wind and Cloud Ranking.
Aside from these two, there were other rankings for forging, mecha manufacturing, and similar fields.
The requirements for the Junior Wind and Cloud Ranking were strict: candidates had to be under eighteen years old, evaluated comprehensively across talent, combat prowess, secondary professions, and soul power ranks. It contained only thirty slots in total.
Even if the prodigies who entered were calm at first, as their potential turned into reality and their ranks climbed, their pride and fighting spirit would inevitably be ignited. Thinking about it that way, placing Huo Yuhao on the ranking was indeed a viable solution...
At that very moment, inside the room, Huo Yuhao felt his physical constitution improving. He opened his eyes, his expression shifting slightly.
The two outside had made no attempt to conceal their conversation. In fact, they had likely let him overhear on purpose, hoping he would recognize the issue himself.
Still, while Huo Yuhao appreciated their concern for his mental state, the truth was... he simply knew his own limitations.
From a gamer's perspective, he was at best a paying player who whale-funded his account, whereas that salted fish from Douluo 4 was the real hacker running cheat codes.
As everyone knew, paying players couldn't beat hackers unless the hacker's account got banned—and even then, it didn't change the fact that they were outmatched from the start.
In terms of raw talent, there were people greater than him.
In terms of willpower, he had nearly passed out when fusing with Ice Empress; as a reincarnated soul, he was hardly any tougher than the original Huo Yuhao had been.
Under such circumstances, Huo Yuhao naturally would not let himself grow arrogant over talents bestowed by others.
Yet he had no intention of belittling himself, either.
Compared to the original Huo Yuhao, he possessed broader knowledge, mature life values, foresight regarding future events, and awareness of far more opportunities.
And most importantly of all... he was not romance-brained, and he would fight back!
Only by knowing oneself clearly could one travel further.
*I won't claim to be greater than Long Haochen. As your master, I might not even be truly worthy.*
*Still, since you haven't chosen to leave in ten thousand years, would you be willing to lend me a hand?*
Huo Yuhao's consciousness peered through the mark at the deepest depths of his Sea of Spirit, gazing into a boundless void.
Just looking at it brought a sense of endless darkness and silence, as if standing at the edge of the cosmos where the very concepts of time and space lost all meaning.
Yet a radiant throne caused a subtle transformation in everything here, breathing life into the desolate expanse.
Entirely jet-black, its tall back was archaic and imposing, exuding a faint, majestic aura. Carved into the backrest were the sun, moon, stars, flowers, birds, fish, insects, and all manner of plants.
Huo Yuhao knew its origin.
A Super Divine Tool, the seat of the God of Creation—the Divine Throne of Eternity and Creation!
Chapter 13