MTLNOVEL Chapter 12: Hint
Mu Xi returned to his soul guide car and saw that Mu Chen had already arrived and was speaking with an old man.
Not wanting to interrupt, she stood obediently nearby and listened to their conversation.
Mu Chen didn't rush to address Mu Xi, as the conversation wasn't particularly urgent.
"President Mu, you have been doing well. I saw you purchased many precious treasures for your daughter," the old man said, glancing at Mu Xi and shaking his head with a smile.
"I'm just an old man, but I've come all this way for nothing."
Mu Chen smiled wryly. "Spirit Pagoda has close ties to the gathering places of the two soul beasts, and 10,000-year souls are not uncommon there. Who would have thought Hua Yichen would also take an interest in that soul?"
"Hm?" The old man seemed surprised.
"Does President Mu not know? The 10,000-year soul was provided by the Shen family, and it was always intended for the child beside Hua Yichen."
"There's no one in their clan capable of containing the Evil Eye Tyrant Soul, so they sought to make a deal with the Spirit Pagoda to obtain a soul suitable for inheritance. Coincidentally, a prodigy with full innate soul power and a Body spiritual attribute martial soul appeared, giving them the perfect opportunity."
Both Mu Chen and Mu Xi, who was listening, were stunned, feeling a sense of unease.
Full innate soul power? A top-tier ontological martial soul?
Either of these traits would be considered extremely rare in East Sea City.
Mu Chen was the first to regain his composure.
"Recently, due to the association's busy affairs, I haven't been paying attention to the movements of the Spirit Pagoda. Is that child truly so special? Is he a core descendant of one of the families in the Spirit Pagoda?"
"No, according to our investigations, he's just a child born into an ordinary civilian family in East Sea City."
The old man sighed softly.
"That's precisely what makes him even more extraordinary. Hua Yichen has even assigned a Soul Douluo to protect him in secret. It's likely that his full innate soul power and Body martial soul aren't his only remarkable traits."
"A Soul Douluo..."
Mu Chen was inwardly alarmed.
East Sea City, though economically prosperous, is located in a remote part of the Douluo Continent.
The strength of its soul masters is relatively weak, and there are few individuals capable of wielding a 10,000-year soul.
The only Nine-Ring Title Douluo in the region is Hua Yichen, the Joyful Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda!
Beneath Hua Yichen, the strongest figures in the East Sea Spirit Pagoda are the two Soul Doulou.
The fact that one of them was sent to protect Huo Yuhao speaks volumes about the Spirit Pagoda's high regard for him.
The old man continued, "The Spirit Pagoda has now taken the place of the Martial Soul Hall from 20,000 years ago, offering free martial soul awakenings to the common people. Naturally, civilian soul masters feel a strong affinity toward them."
Mu Chen coughed lightly and cautioned, "Elder Li, let's be careful with our words. The Spirit Pagoda and the Martial Soul Hall are not the same."
Elder Li was momentarily stunned, then smiled.
"Look at you, where did my thoughts wander off to? Of course, I know they're different. My family also came from a civilian background, so I naturally have a soft spot for the Spirit Pagoda. I have no objections to their efforts in helping civilians awaken their martial souls for free."
"I just feel that they have the resources. Whether it's your Blacksmith Association, our Mecha Association, or other factions, none of us are capable of doing something like this."
"Only the Spirit Pagoda, with its vast wealth rivaling that of a nation, is willing to spend heavily on such endeavors every year. It's only natural for civilian geniuses to join the Spirit Pagoda."
Mu Chen fell silent for a moment.
That was true, but the Spirit Pagoda's overwhelming strength made other forces instinctively bow their heads when facing it.
Wait, alone?
"Seeing that you're not in the mood to talk, I'll take my leave now. If you have time, bring Mu Xi to the Mecha Association for a visit."
After finishing his words, Elder Li patted Mu Chen's shoulder and turned to leave.
Mu Chen stood still, watching Elder Li's retreating figure with mixed emotions.
He understood what Elder Li was hinting at, but the union of the two associations, even if it was just the East Sea branches, wasn't something he could decide alone. It would require a high-level meeting to discuss.
"Let's go, let's head home."
Mu Chen turned to Mu Xi and said, "You heard what was said earlier. If you ever meet Huo Yuhao in the future, don't act impulsively."
He recalled the scene where Mu Xi had gone looking for Huo Yuhao.
Given his daughter's proud and competitive nature, their interaction hadn't been particularly pleasant.
"Oh…"
Mu Xi nodded dumbly, then remembered what she had said to Huo Yuhao. Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
What had she said?
She had told a core disciple of the Spirit Pagoda, someone with full innate soul power and the protection of a Soul Doulou, that she hoped he could match the 10,000-year soul?
Even that soul had been on the auction floor because of him…
This… just thinking about it was embarrassing.
But he really did look so ordinary, and she wasn't wrong about that.
Mu Xi thought defiantly, though her face remained flushed as she lowered her head like an ostrich.
...
Seeing that Mu Chen didn't stop him immediately, Elder Li sighed with a hint of regret and left.
Among the four major sub-professions, forging attracted the lowest soul masters in the major academies, and the number of forging talents was also the smallest.
Mu Chen, an eight-star saint craftsman, was second only to the nine-star divine craftsman.
If the East Sea Blacksmith Association and the Mecha Association could form an alliance, it would greatly benefit both organizations.
Elder Li was old, but his spirit was still vigorous.
Whether it was nurturing a worthy successor or forging a partnership with the Blacksmith Association, he wanted to accomplish something meaningful for the association before retiring.
But now, it seemed that neither of them could see any hope for the future, nor did they have the confidence to return to the headquarters and show off in front of old friends.
Li Yucheng smiled helplessly.
...
"Here."
Hua Yichen walked out of the museum and handed a small orb to Huo Yuhao.
"The soul is inside. You've been reading so many books lately, so you should know how to use a soul orb."
A Soul Orb, a spherical soul tool designed to store souls, functions similarly to a storage soul guide.
However, it is tailored for souls to inhabit and is significantly more expensive.
The manufacturing principle is akin to that of a Storage Soul Guide, as souls exist in a state between life and death.
The restriction of Storage Soul Guides not being able to store living beings doesn't apply to them.
As for its purpose, one is to store souls, something the Spirit Pagoda uses extensively, and the other is to allow souls to grow alongside soul masters, fostering a bond.
After all, a soul contract requires the soul's consent, and the more powerful the soul, the more selective it becomes about its contractor.
If a soul watches a soul master grow up and develops a good relationship, even if the soul master is weak, the soul's resistance won't be too strong.
Huo Yuhao took the half-red, half-white soul orb, his expression complicated.
To him, this thing resembled a Poké Ball in both appearance and function.
He had no idea who had created it, as there was no record of it in the history books.
That's right, Huo Yuhao wanted to make it clear that this wasn't his invention, and it definitely wasn't a soul tool he had created!
He had only come up with the concept of a Poké Ball 10,000 years ago. Who would have thought someone would actually make it…
Taking a deep breath, Huo Yuhao looked at Hua Yichen, who appeared calm.
"What did they ask for in return?"
Even the Soul Orb had been prepared, clearly indicating that the soul was intended for him from the start.
But handing over the soul in the form of an auction shouldn't have come without a price.
"They just wanted to buy a ticket into the Spirit Pagoda. It's not a big deal. You don't need to worry about these things; just focus on your cultivation."
Hua Yichen smiled nonchalantly and quipped, "I'm still counting on you to rely on your connections to find me a cushy retirement job once you become famous."
Huo Yuhao put away the Soul Orb. His recent interactions with Hua Yichen had taught him that the man wasn't one for pretenses, so he replied with a straightforward smile.
"Unfortunately, if I do become famous, I might end up keeping everyone busy instead."
"Are you implying that I'm idle?"
Hua Yichen was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled and shook his head.
"Alright, I've also got whale gum. Let's go."
Huo Yuhao was about to nod when he noticed an old man nearby and paused.
"Teacher Hua, it's not against the rules for members of Spirit Pagoda to practice sub-professions and join relevant associations, is it?"
Hua Yichen followed his gaze and saw Li Yucheng. He raised an eyebrow.
"Are you thinking of joining the Mecha Association and taking up a sub-profession?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Yes."
Hua Yichen pondered for a moment.
"Your soul technique is indeed well-suited for mecha design and manufacturing, but you'll need to balance your time carefully. Don't let it interfere with your cultivation."
"Don't worry, I know my limits."
Huo Yuhao rarely showed a confident smile.
He might not excel in other areas, but when it came to soul tools, he was brimming with confidence.