Before the Tianmeng Iceworm could even finish speaking, Huo Yuhao unhesitatingly poured Tianmeng's origin, which had already fused with his own, into the spirit ring.
Tianmeng's origin was a spiritual origin. Without it in the future, his cultivation—especially of his spiritual power—would no longer advance as rapidly as before.
Yet Huo Yuhao did not lack resolve. If the effect of that soul skill matched his expectations, once this third soul skill took shape, it would become one of his greatest trump cards.
"Brother Tianmeng, just focus on condensing the spirit ring. Leave the rest to me. Ice Empress, prepare to release my origin!"
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes and said softly, "If that's still not enough, I will awaken the other soul spirits."
The Ice Empress said solemnly, "Understood."
Without Huo Yuhao having to spell it out, she knew full well what kind of gains solidifying Tianmeng's ability to bestow a second martial soul into a soul skill would bring.
Seeing this, the Tianmeng Iceworm felt a strange twinge of emotion.
Were it not for his absolute trust that Tianmeng could pull it off, Huo Yuhao would never have gone this far...
With all of the origin Tianmeng had left behind poured into the spirit ring, it finally ceased to be transparent, but it was still just shy of solidifying completely.
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to have the Ice Empress release his origin, wisps of grayish aura blended into the spirit ring, gradually turning it a grayish-gold.
Electrolux spoke up: "Yuhao, child... don't forget that I'm still here. Strictly speaking, I could count as your third martial soul as well. Allow me to lend a hand; save those origins for future use."
"Elder Yi..."
"Focus."
Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened. "Yes!"
With Electrolux assisting using the power of his divine sense, the spirit ring was finally sculpted into complete form.
The grayish-gold spirit ring rose from beneath him, hovering above two platinum spirit rings.
Sensing the effect of the third soul skill, Huo Yuhao took a deep breath.
Through this soul skill, he could distinctly perceive the connection between his two martial souls. Utilizing this skill, the probability of achieving a Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill was exceptionally high!
Furthermore, with this soul skill present, there might even be a chance to elevate the Ice Empress Martial Soul...
Having confirmed the soul skill's capability, Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed. He stood, recalled the spirit ring, and condensed his spiritual avatar in the Sea of Spirit, speaking solemnly to the silhouette of Electrolux:
"Thank you, Elder Yi. If you hadn't stepped in, condensing this spirit ring would likely have cost a great deal of my origin."
"It is nothing. Strictly speaking, this is the big worm's greatest ability, and I was quite curious about it myself."
Electrolux nodded with a smile.
The two conversed pleasantly, and even the Ice Empress joined in to ask about the soul skill's capabilities. Only the limp Tianmeng Iceworm rolled his eyes.
*Did all of you forget who the biggest contributor here is?*
The world had forgotten him...
Just then, Huo Yuhao looked toward him with a gentle smile. "I plan to call this soul skill Heavenly Silkworm Transformation. Thank you, Brother Tianmeng."
The Tianmeng Iceworm blinked in surprise, then grinned cheekily.
"Nothing less from your big bro's name! It sounds just as majestic as a soul skill!"
...
"What?! Thirty thousand Federation Coins can't buy a hundred-year soul spirit, only a random draw?"
The gray-robed Spirit Pagoda Master stood up, his gaze falling upon Tang Wulin's adoptive father, Tang Ziran.
"That's right. Here in Aolai City, white soul spirits cost seventy thousand, and yellow soul spirits cost one million. Thirty thousand Federation Coins only gets you a soul spirit draw."
"However, a draw could yield a hundred-year yellow soul spirit, or it could yield a ten-year defective artificial soul spirit. Do you really want to try your luck?"
"I wouldn't recommend it. Even though the Soul Spirit Contract left behind by the first Pagoda Master allows a soul spirit to receive feedback and increase its cultivation age as the soul master grows, if you happen to draw a defective soul spirit, trying to advance it on your own is extremely difficult. It might take several generations of effort."
Tang Ziran turned to look at Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin stared blankly, never having expected that after three years of grueling work to earn money, this was the reality awaiting him.
A pang of heartache struck Tang Ziran. "Wulin, let's go back. I'll borrow some money to make up seventy thousand."
"No need, Dad. You and Mom already work hard enough. Besides, my martial soul is Bluesilver Grass; any kind of soul spirit will do."
Tang Wulin shook his head and turned to the Spirit Pagoda Master. "I choose the draw!"
Seeing how filial the child was, the Spirit Pagoda Master pondered for a moment before speaking:
"Aside from the two methods I mentioned, there is actually another way to obtain a soul spirit. It's a rule established back when the Spirit Pagoda was first founded."
"The Soul Spirit Contract is a two-way street. A soul master can choose a soul spirit, and a soul spirit can naturally choose a soul master as well!"
Hearing this, Tang Wulin was the first to react, his eyes lighting up. "Lord Spirit Pagoda Master, do you mean...?"
"Follow me." The Spirit Pagoda Master tested Tang Wulin's spiritual power first, then turned and led the way down a corridor. "I will take you to see the Spirit Pagoda's soul spirits. If any of them are willing to form a contract with you, you can take it with you on the spot, paying only a one-thousand-coin processing fee."
"In return, however, after you graduate from a soul master academy, you must perform duties within your power for the Spirit Pagoda, or pay to cover the full cost of the soul spirit. If you choose to pay, there is no interest before you graduate from intermediate academy, but after graduation, a set interest rate applies each year."
Tang Wulin was overjoyed, but Tang Ziran weighed the cost and asked, "May I ask, what sort of duties within his power?"
"The people who helped awaken your son's martial soul belong to this group," the Spirit Pagoda Master explained. "Those without strong cultivation serve essentially as non-permanent staff of the Spirit Pagoda. They receive a salary and are dispatched to remote regions to handle tasks like martial soul awakenings. Naturally, it can't compare to being a formal member, but it is at least enough to cover daily expenses."
"I will let you look over the detailed terms later. First, I'll take you to see the soul spirits. After all, if it's only a ten-year soul spirit, you should be able to pay off the cost in the future, right?"
"Yes, absolutely."
Tang Ziran breathed a sigh of relief.
Put that way, it was entirely acceptable. The Spirit Pagoda truly was a major power—generous and open-handed.
Glancing at Tang Ziran, the Spirit Pagoda Master withdrew his gaze.
This rule was the primary route through which most commoner soul masters obtained soul spirits. After all, ten-year soul spirits possessed little intelligence; if they encountered a soul master with affinities compatible with their own, they would willingly follow them.
However, most commoner soul masters never grew strong enough or earned enough money, and basic work like martial soul awakening didn't actually require that many people. In truth, they could hardly offer much help to the Spirit Pagoda.
Thus, at the outset, this arrangement was practically a losing deal for the Spirit Pagoda.
Yet there was no changing it; several Pagoda Masters and the soul beast faction had consistently upheld this rule.
After all, from the perspective of the soul beasts, the more humans who obtained soul spirits, the more secure the status of soul beasts became, giving them a fighting chance of coexisting with humanity as humans grew ever stronger.
And when people who lacked the means to obtain a soul spirit suddenly gained the hope of becoming a soul master thanks to the recognition of a soul spirit, how could they not revere and enshrine it?
The grandfather generation: *The only reason your grandfather is here today—and the only reason our family is here today—is that this soul spirit chose me back then! From now on, the family will enshrine and worship it! As long as our family exists, it will receive offerings every single day! Does anyone have an objection?*
Descendants: *None!*
This was why many Heirloom Soul Spirits, despite not possessing particularly powerful bloodlines, were handed down through generations under such circumstances, revered by descendants... It had become a form of faith.
Naturally, had this rule benefited only a faction within the Spirit Pagoda, it would never have persisted for ten thousand years.
This owed itself to the Heirloom Soul Spirits.
With the emergence of Heirloom Soul Spirits, the descendants of certain soul masters who initially could not grow strong were able to go further and branch out into flourishing clans. Many such families maintained close ties to the Spirit Pagoda, elevating its prestige and bringing substantial benefits.
Occasionally, an exceptional outlier would even "defy fate and change destiny," rising to become a pillar of the Spirit Pagoda.
Seeing this, the other higher-ups of the Spirit Pagoda ceased objecting and preserved this rule for acquiring soul spirits.
Since they were already spending money to awaken martial souls for free, investing a few ten-year soul spirits was no big deal.
*You might make a modest gain, but we never lose.*
To this, the Spirit Pagoda Master could only say:
*The first Pagoda Master was truly brilliant!*
It was as if he possessed foresight, anticipating every single angle...
Along the way, Tang Wulin listened to the Spirit Pagoda Master recount the origins of this rule, and finally heard him add:
"The origin of Awakening Day is also thanks to the first Pagoda Master. After Spirit Hall was destroyed twenty thousand years ago, there was actually no Awakening Day ten thousand years ago. If a soul master wanted to awaken a martial soul, they had to pay someone to help. It was only after the first Pagoda Master established the Spirit Pagoda that the practice was gradually reintroduced."
"You were born in good times. If this were ten thousand years ago, let alone hunting for spirit rings, you wouldn't even have been able to awaken your martial soul."
Hearing this, Tang Wulin subconsciously looked over at Tang Ziran. Seeing his father's smile fade as he gave an earnest nod, Tang Wulin instantly understood that this was the truth. For a moment, even his reverence for the Sea God diminished considerably.
*How did someone like the first Pagoda Master not become a god?*
*In terms of contributions to the world, he seems far greater than the first-generation Shrek Seven Devils no matter how you look at it...*
Tang San's divine sense: "..."
*True body, danger at home, return at once!*
*Wulin is about to be brainwashed by the faction that idiot left behind ten thousand years ago!*
Chapter 19