The moment Tang Wulin joined the Spirit Pagoda, Tang San's divine sense awakened once more—and froze in utter disbelief.
Half of Tang Wulin's Fortune had completely vanished, leaving only the other half sustained by some unknown force.
*Wrong. This is completely wrong!*
*Wulin, how could you join the Spirit Pagoda? Who dragged you into the Spirit Pagoda?*
*Or perhaps you too have courted death... no, earned the right to receive my guidance!*
A grimace twisted the expression of Tang San's divine sense, though he was utterly powerless to intervene.
*Just what is going on? Did Father fail to completely take over the Douluo Plane? Who is helping the planar will sustain itself?*
Questions flooded his mind, but as a mere wisp of divine sense, Tang San lacked the means to uncover the answers.
Moreover, the Abyss was lurking right outside. Any unnatural movement from his father risked being detected, and if that happened, his ten-thousand-year grand design would be ruined.
His expression shifted between gloom and agitation before Tang San's divine sense finally forced himself to calm down and take stock of the forces at his disposal.
Da Ming, Er Ming, and the Haotian Sect; Shrek Academy; the Tang Sect merged with Shrek; the Sea God Douluo lineage; the Sea Soul Beasts; the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well; the Qiankun Inquiry Valley; the Star Luo Federation; the Heaven Dou Empire...
Tallying the earthly support he could muster, Tang San breathed a sigh of relief.
*That is enough. God-level entities cannot exist on the Douluo Plane. Da Ming and Er Ming alone are more than enough to give any unknown adversary a hard time, to say nothing of the long chain of factions behind them. As for Wulin... it's better not to count on him after all.*
*Still, have these forces suffered any attrition over the years?*
Tang San's divine sense frowned at the thought.
A single day in the God Realm equaled a year on the mortal plane, making it impossible for him to observe the lower realms with complete accuracy. After all, a momentary lapse in attention meant several years would slip by below. Furthermore, as a Godking, he could hardly spend all his time keeping watch over a realm that lacked a Child of Fortune.
Beyond that, the God Realm was plagued with constant headaches—The Destroyer stirring up trouble day after day, Xiaoqi avoiding him, Rong Nianbing looking for a chance to slip away, and then the great war that erupted in the God Realm. All of it had left him with even less opportunity to look down upon the mortal world.
When he tried to recall the current state of the pieces he had arranged across the Douluo Plane... oh no, he couldn't remember.
Tang San's divine sense: "..."
Then again, how could a mere sliver of divine sense retain all the memories of his true self as a Godking? The very fact that he could remain lucid was only because his primary body had specifically reinforced him.
"*Sigh...*"
Life was never easy; the Sea God let out a heavy sigh.
***
With the assistance of the staff, Tang Wulin swiftly completed all the formalities, receiving his Spirit Pagoda identification credentials alongside a sleek, compact crystal wafer.
Examining the wafer in his palm, he asked with curiosity, "What is this?"
"A portable soul tool optical screen," the staff member replied with a smile. "You can use it to access information across the soul tool network or search for anything you need on the Spirit Pagoda's internal network. Cultivation-related news—such as upcoming auctions, Precious Heavenly Treasures, and cultivation insights—can all be found on it."
She offered an encouraging smile. "Of course, it's just an aggregation of information. Anyone with well-informed sources usually knows about these things anyway. It's simply a handy feature to make sure Spirit Pagoda members don't miss out on opportunities."
"Really?"
Tang Wulin was pleasantly surprised. For him, this feature was an immense help.
He had heard Xie Xie mention that the three spiritual items needed to break his seal might appear at auctions, but their prices were astronomical.
With this in hand, he might just find spiritual items at a lower cost.
Under the receptionist's guidance, Tang Wulin quickly learned how to operate the screen. He browsed until he found what he was looking for, but the moment he caught sight of the listed prices, he immediately sobered up.
*Sorry, never mind.*
He had been indulging in wishful thinking; how could such bargains ever be waiting for him to pick up?
Putting away the crystal wafer, Tang Wulin looked back at the receptionist. "Big Sister, now that I've joined the Spirit Pagoda, can my family move here to live?"
What he wanted most from joining the Spirit Pagoda was to provide his parents with a safe home; spiritual items were not his primary concern.
"Of course you can," the receptionist agreed with a nod and a warm smile. "There are dedicated family apartment complexes right nearby, very close to the tower. And if your parents possess any specialized skills, they can even apply for positions here and settle down directly within the Spirit Pagoda."
Having received an answer to his greatest worry, Tang Wulin felt completely relieved. He followed up by asking:
"Excuse me, does the Spirit Pagoda have any paying jobs? Like forging, for instance?"
"Have you forgotten? Like I said, joining the Spirit Pagoda means you will receive tailored training."
The receptionist smiled. "We'll arrange a forging instructor for you later on, and your monthly stipend will be increased. You don't need to worry about money."
Seeing her smile, Tang Wulin refrained from mentioning money again. After a moment of silence, he said seriously:
"I already have a forging instructor, so..."
"That's no problem at all." Meeting Tang Wulin's surprised gaze, the receptionist chuckled. "The Spirit Pagoda's forging department recruits interns. Just like teachers in a school, you'll simply be one among many students, so there's no need to worry about apprenticeship conflicts."
Tang Wulin paused. Something about that logic felt slightly off, yet he couldn't put his finger on it at the moment. In the end, he could only nod. "Thank you. I'll work hard!"
"Well then, follow me."
The receptionist led the way forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
*Fantastic—promotion! Raise!*
***
Meanwhile, on an upper floor, Hua Yichen received a message from Guang Biao.
"The Evil Soul Master has been apprehended. Thank you for the heads-up."
Hua Yichen raised an eyebrow, replied with a brief "no need for thanks," and walked over to the window to gaze out at the towering skyscrapers.
Word had also arrived earlier from Skysea City: the suspected Evil Soul Master base was a decoy, and they had only managed to capture a single Soul King.
Recalling this, Hua Yichen narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
*After all these years, why hasn't a single high-ranking member of the Holy Spirit Cult surfaced? Where has their leadership gone?*
*Could the rumors be true—that the Holy Spirit Cult shifted its focus to the ocean, the Star Luo Continent, and the Heaven Dou Continent?*
The Federation no longer offered fertile ground for the Holy Spirit Cult to thrive, making a shift in focus only logical.
Leaving aside the boundless ocean that the Federation could not control, both the Star Luo and Heaven Dou Continents were blind spots for the Spirit Pagoda. As a power rooted in the Federation, they naturally would not establish branch pagodas there.
Those regions largely retained the system from ten thousand years ago, relying on Spirit Rings, though factions within the Federation seemed to be aiding them by supplying Soul Spirits to both nations.
As things stood, the Federation lacked a clear picture of their internal development, though they were undeniably inferior to the Federation.
For that reason, ever since the development of long-range maritime navigation, federal hardliners had consistently advocated sending forces across the sea to wipe out both nations before they could develop into a future menace. However, due to internal disagreements, conflict had never actually broken out.
*If the Holy Spirit Cult is genuinely developing over there, what stance are the Star Luo Federation and the Heaven Dou Empire taking?*
Hua Yichen's thoughts turned to the Sun Moon Empire, which had allied with the Holy Spirit Cult ten thousand years ago. He pressed his lips together, gripped by an inexplicable, ominous premonition.
He had reviewed Tang Ziran's dossier as well. Had the man truly been targeted by the Holy Spirit Cult solely for his research capabilities?
Chapter 52