Chapter 55: Let's Have a Thrilling Battle of—Wait, Pokémon? No, Inherited Spirit Souls!
"B-but Senior Sister Zi Xin isn't an outsider!"
Mu Xi nearly choked on air. Zi Xin—her best friend—not an outsider, huh?
When Mu Xi first learned that Tang Wulin had been doing morning runs with her bestie Zi Xin every day, she had really wanted to join them—
but honestly, she couldn't get up that early!
Up at four in the morning before the sun even rose—was that still human?
So she could only let them train together every day, unable to say much. One was her junior brother, the other her closest friend.
Knowing each other wasn't exactly a problem, right?
Besides, Zi Xin had once said she would never like younger boys—and Tang Wulin was four years younger. Clearly, she wouldn't consider him anyway.
That thought finally let Mu Xi relax.
"Anyway, from now on, talk to her less, got it?"
Tang Wulin opened his mouth. "But... isn't she your friend?"
"Hm? Are you going to disobey me?"
"Aww~"
Tang Wulin sighed heavily in defeat.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Spirit Pagoda.
"My family's Inherited Spirit Ancestor is the strongest!"
"Hmph, mine's way stronger!"
In a wide open arena, two young boys stood facing each other, each holding what looked like Pokéballs.
"Go! Our glorious Tian Family's Inherited Spirit Soul—Crimson Flame Lion! Use Flame Burst Charge!"
"Hmph! Go, the most respected ancestor of the Ouyang Family—Gale Chaser Bird! Use Wind Dance!"
As the balls flew from their hands, two thousand-year-level soul beasts materialized on the battlefield.
An Inherited Spirit Soul battle was about to begin!
Nowadays, nearly all major families chose soul spirits for their descendants in advance. Even if the young heir wasn't yet qualified to form a contract, this early bonding helped them get familiar with the soul spirit—and doubled as a personal bodyguard.
This habit evolved into spirit soul command battles, allowing young soul masters to practice tactics for future contracts.
It was no longer a one-person show. By the time someone reached Title Douluo, you might see one soul master commanding nine spirit souls—like a team fight.
Some maniacs even integrated all nine of their spirits into beast-type mechas!
The entire aesthetic of soul masters had completely changed.
Now, as Tang Wulin watched the flaming lion clash with the blue hurricane-cloaked bird, he was dumbfounded.
Spirit souls could do all that?
"If you want one, Wulin, Senior Sister can get you one too! Once you own an Inherited Spirit Soul, you can register with the Spirit Pagoda and become a Spirit Transmitter."
"R-really?" Tang Wulin's eyes widened. "Senior Sister, do you have a spirit too?"
Mu Xi lifted her chin proudly. "Of course! I have a ten-thousand-year Inherited Spirit Soul—plus, I'm already a Level 3 Spirit Transmitter! I've crushed every opponent in Eastsea City!"
Her martial soul was the family's inherited Radiant Sun, and her ten-thousand-year Inherited Spirit Soul was a Sun Bird. Once she reached level fifty, she could officially contract with it.
Tang Wulin couldn't hide the envy in his eyes.
"But don't worry, when it's your turn, I'll handle everything!"
"Hmph!"
Though of course, there would be conditions.
Tang Wulin scratched his head. "Wh-what kind of conditions?"
"I won't tell you yet. You'll understand when you grow older."
Mu Xi secretly thought, By then, Father's forge and wealth will all be mine. Which means... it'll all be Wulin's too!
Mu Chen: ?
"Miss Mu Xi, are you here today for an Inherited Spirit Soul battle?"
A staff member asked curiously. Every time Mu Xi came to the Spirit Pagoda, it was usually to fight.
But this time, Mu Xi shook her head and pointed at Tang Wulin.
"I'm here to get him a spirit soul. This is my father's disciple. Find him the best one! Oh, and—put it on my father's account."
Tang Wulin hesitated. "I-I don't think that's a good idea…"
"What's not good about it! Hmph!" Mu Xi's face darkened at once.
"My father's always watching me these days, forbidding me from taking you out to play. I swear, I don't even know which of us he actually loves more!"
"Anyway, it's fine. But if you really contract a ten-year spirit soul, my dad will break my legs when I get home."
"Wulin, little brother, you don't want to see your cute, beautiful Senior Sister get beaten up, right?"
"I… okay…"
Tang Wulin could only feel like his debt to her just kept piling up.
The staff checked his registration data:
Tang Wulin, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass, possessing a special bloodline, Level 19, currently listed as a "High-Priority Observation Subject" of the Spirit Pagoda.
That made the staff freeze for a second.
A key observation subject? So some big shot at the Pagoda had taken notice of him already?
A special bloodline, too?
Their attitude immediately brightened. The Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda wasn't some small-town branch—it had options, and plenty of spirit beasts on reserve.
But to Mu Xi's standards, none seemed good enough.
She frowned unhappily. "Don't you have anything better? This boy's the Saint Craftsman's direct disciple!"
Even among century-level soul spirits, the gap in quality was huge.
Though most sub-thousand-year spirits were artificial, top-tier ones always existed—otherwise, how would the Pagoda actually nurture powerful soul masters?
The staff gave an awkward smile. "Miss Mu Xi, you know the rules. He's not yet registered with the Spirit Pagoda, so certain soul spirits aren't available to outsiders."
"Not even the Saint Craftsman's disciple?"
He shook his head firmly. Rules were rules.
Those rare, powerful spirits were reserved for the Pagoda's own people. If they started giving them to, say, Shrek Academy students, it'd be like handing resources to a rival—treasonous, almost!
"Fine, fine. Then Wulin, have you thought about joining the Spirit Pagoda?"
"The Pagoda's pretty open-minded. Even if you join, you can still be part of other organizations. My father, for example—he's not just the Vice President of Eastsea's Forging Association, he's also the head of the Forging Division in the Spirit Pagoda!"
"Even I'm a Level 3 Spirit Transmitter!"
After all, Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect were almost synonymous. Most Tang Sect disciples came straight from Shrek's ranks, and their sect leader was usually a Shrek Elder as well.
Plus, wasn't one of the Forging Association's branch presidents also an Elder of the Sea God Pavilion?
"However… if you join the Spirit Pagoda, you won't be able to enter Shrek Academy or the Tang Sect."
"W-why not?" Tang Wulin asked subconsciously.
Mu Xi explained. It wasn't just a rule from the Pagoda—it was federal law.
Once you joined Shrek or the Tang Sect, you were automatically shut out from the Federation's power centers.
A thousand years ago, Shrek Academy had stood on the opposite side of the Federation—secretly supporting the Tang Sect's development of weapons and technology.
If not for Shrek's immense power, the Federation would have already used military force against them.
Worse still, Shrek repeatedly used "academy tests" as an excuse to carry out "terror strikes" against the Federation, inflicting massive economic losses every year—and occasionally even hijacking Federation battleships!
Who could tolerate that?
(END CHAPTER)
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