"Spiritual Detection Sharing..."
Luo Yanglu looked knowingly at Hua Yichen and teased, "Were you jealous earlier?"
"Of course not," Hua Yichen retorted, rolling his eyes.
Luo Yanglu chuckled and shook his head, pressing no further. The two waited quietly until Huo Yuhao finished his breakthrough before stepping into the room one after the other.
The moment they entered, their eyes landed on the purple spirit ring encircling Huo Yuhao.
Even though they had anticipated this outcome, their expressions still shifted subtly.
A thousand-year first spirit ring at six years old was rare even during the bygone era of soul beasts, and it was scarcer still in today's era of soul spirits.
Major powers never lacked precious heavenly treasures to strengthen physical constitution, but those capable of boosting spiritual power were extraordinarily rare. They could not simply be sought out at whim; Soul Masters had to rely almost entirely on themselves.
If one's spiritual power fell short, raising a soul spirit to the thousand-year tier was utterly impossible.
Huo Yuhao rose to his feet and stretched slightly. A series of crisp pops resonated from his joints, and his frame seemed to have grown a fraction taller.
The soul bone had originally belonged to him, so reabsorbing it presented no difficulty whatsoever. Beyond the rise in soul power it brought, the effects of the ten-thousand-year whale gel had elevated his physical constitution to a level comparable to an ordinary four-ring Soul Ancestor.
Once he absorbed his torso bone later on, supplemented by other precious heavenly treasures provided by the Spirit Pagoda, his physical strength would rival a Soul Emperor before his cultivation even reached four rings—far faster than ten thousand years ago.
At the very least, he no longer had to worry about his physical durability holding back his spiritual power.
Noticing Huo Yuhao looking over, Hua Yichen reined in his excitement, stepped forward to examine him, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Excellent! A thousand-year first soul spirit at this age—you're the very first."
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists, feeling the steady swell of strength within him. Looking at the delighted Hua Yichen, his eyes glinted.
Huo Yuhao took note of Hua Yichen's generosity. While Hua Yichen might view it merely as an investment, Huo Yuhao judged people by their actions rather than their motives and would never take such favor for granted.
And in the eyes of an elder eager to nurture an exceptional powerhouse, nothing brought greater joy than watching that investment bear fruit.
Looking up at Hua Yichen, Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "I'm not without ambition, Teacher Hua. If you place me on a ranking list, I won't stay low-key just to sit at the bottom. That would be a denial of my own capabilities—and a denial of those who granted me so many opportunities."
He had kept a low profile for nearly a century ten thousand years ago, staying hidden in the shadows. In this life, he might as well be a little bolder.
Besides, he had only said he lacked the means to protect himself as a Soul Master; he had never said he couldn't defend himself as a Soul Engineer...
Hua Yichen paused, then smiled warmly at Huo Yuhao's willingness to change.
A young man brimming with high spirits, fearless of heaven and earth—what was wrong with that?
That was... how youth ought to be!
"Also, I would like to enter the Ascension Platform to hone my combat skills," Huo Yuhao added. "Please grant me permission, Teacher Hua."
Hua Yichen hesitated. "Your first soul skill isn't combat-oriented. There's no need to rush. First—"
Before Hua Yichen could finish, a potent wave of spiritual power rippled outward. The air within ten meters warped and distorted, causing even Luo Yanglu, a Soul Emperor, to subtly change countenance.
Huo Yuhao had already retracted his spirit ring, yet the effect spanned this entire range. Could this soul skill be...?
Hua Yichen took a deep breath and voiced the answer for him.
"An Innate Martial Soul Domain."
Seeing Huo Yuhao manifest a skill resembling a domain without illuminating a spirit ring, Hua Yichen could think of only one explanation: an Innate Domain.
A domain-type soul skill could alter everything within its perimeter according to its wielder's rules. It was arguably the supreme category of control soul skills, historically as rare as an Ultimate Martial Soul ten thousand years ago.
Although advanced Battle Armor could now incorporate domains, making them less of an absolute anomaly, domains could stack. An additional domain soul skill meant an extra layer of amplification.
Moreover, most martial souls that carried an Innate Domain were tied to a single word:
Formidable!
For instance, twenty thousand years ago, the Six-Winged Angel possessed the Angel Domain by nature, and the sheer might of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul needed no explanation.
"A top-tier Body Martial Soul, terrifying spiritual talent, and now an Innate Domain... Just how many more surprises do you have in store for me?"
Hua Yichen exhaled deeply, studying Huo Yuhao with profound intensity.
Luo Yanglu's gaze grew equally complex.
Even though it had lasted only an instant and he hadn't put up any resistance, during that brief window he had clearly seen Huo Yuhao standing there, yet could not sense a shred of his presence or fluctuating soul power. If Huo Yuhao ever used this skill for an assassination, it would be virtually unstoppable.
"Very well, I'll arrange it for you," Hua Yichen said. "However, I must remind you of one thing. Yuhao, remember this: whenever someone possesses the power to threaten you, no matter how close you are to them, you must remain guarded. Never bare your heart and lay out every single trump card."
Huo Yuhao's expression shifted, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes before he smiled.
"Teacher Hua, if you went into teaching, you would surely produce extraordinary students."
...
The three made their way down to the ground-floor lobby and took an elevator downward. It descended for three full minutes before finally coming to a stop.
Stepping out of the elevator, they entered a sprawling hall where over a dozen staff members were stationed. Beyond the hall lay several corridors framed with metallic architecture.
Seeing Hua Yichen, the staff bowed in greeting one after another. "Greetings, Pagoda Master."
Hua Yichen nodded with a smile. "Carry on with your duties. I'm taking Yuhao into the Ascension Platform."
"This..."
One of the staff members hesitated, then stepped forward and whispered, "Pagoda Master, students from East Sea Academy are currently inside the Ascension Platform."
Bearing the name East Sea, East Sea Academy was one of the premier institutions in East Sea City.
When hiring general staff, the Spirit Pagoda often recruited locally from Soul Masters who had graduated from East Sea Academy, maintaining a cordial relationship with the school. The academy also paid on occasion to send its top talents into the Ascension Platform.
Hua Yichen's eyes glinted. "Is that so? No matter. Go make the arrangements—just place Yuhao in the quarantine zone."
*The quarantine zone?*
The staff member glanced at Huo Yuhao in surprise.
Rumors said the Pagoda Master favored this newcomer exceptionally, and it seemed those rumors were entirely true.
As the staff member headed down a corridor to make preparations, Hua Yichen's group followed close behind.
Along the way, Luo Yanglu smiled and asked, "Yuhao, the soul beasts in the quarantine zone aren't virtual replicas. They are genuine soul beasts that have lived and fought in places like the Star Dou Great Forest and the Extreme North. They're experienced and formidable, and you aren't permitted to gravely wound them. Do you feel confident handling them?"
Huo Yuhao nodded.
The Ascension Platform had been constructed to elevate the age of soul spirits, simulating the environment of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the soul beasts within were virtually all artificial constructs created by the Spirit Pagoda. That was common knowledge to the outside world.
Yet the Ascension Platform contained another area.
The quarantine zone.
It was a domain open strictly to Spirit Pagoda insiders, for the soul beasts residing there were genuine, living soul beasts... or rather, soul spirits!
Chapter 15