MTLNOVEL Chapter 21: FIRST PAGODA MASTER TEACHING
"As a member of the Spirit Pagoda, you must remember that you cannot afford to have a 'love brain.' We must always recall the reason for the demise of the Martial Soul Hall. The Martial Soul Hall Hall was not destroyed because of a lack of strength, but because it was filled with many irrational love brains."
"If the younger generation develops a love brain, especially those who become infatuated with members of other forces to the point of life and death, and if the elders are unable to cure it, it is recommended to transfer them to the soul beast side for physical therapy! At the same time, such individuals are forbidden from becoming high-level members of the Spirit Pagoda!"
Hua Yichen stood on the podium, finished reading from the book, and placed "The Teachings of the First Pagoda master" down.
He then looked at Huo Yuhao, who was seated below.
"Yuhao, do you understand? In a few days, you will enter the academy. If you find a girl you like, you must remain rational and not lose yourself completely. Alternatively, you could bring her into the Spirit Pagoda. Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, you won't have a chance to rise to the top."
"You may not fully grasp this, but the Spirit Pagoda places more importance on this than many realize, fearing that we might follow in the footsteps of the Martial Spirit Hall. The soul beast side remains particularly vigilant, ensuring that the younger members of the Spirit Pagoda stay clear-headed and rational.
Some may complain about their methods, but as long as it doesn't harm the core principles, they generally support it."
At this point, Hua Yichen switched to a transonic voice and added:
"When Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, one of the current deputy Pagoda masters, and her sister were young, they both had feelings for Atlas Douluo. Her sister nearly became an evil soul master because of this."
"Fortunately, due to the teachings of the first Pagoda master, the Spirit Pagoda has always been vigilant in this regard. The head of the Leng family noticed the issue in time and detained Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's sister. In a fit of anger, he handed her over to the Snow Empress, who kept her in the extreme north for ten years. No one knows exactly what happened during that time."
"When she returned, she hugged Heavenly Phoenix Douluo and wept bitterly, as if everything had returned to normal. She never spoke of her feelings for Atlas Douluo again. However, even so, she is not qualified to become a high-level member of the Spirit Pagoda. Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, on the other hand, was not as extreme and eventually became a deputy Pagoda master."
Huo Yuhao: "..."
If this were the original plot, it would probably just be a resolved misunderstanding that led to her tears.
And are you sure Heavenly Phoenix Douluo is truly normal?
She's the one who once claimed she wanted to be the secret lover of Atlas Douluo.
Maybe it was only the high-pressure policy that kept her in check...
Huo Yuhao's thoughts drifted for a moment before returning to the main point.
That aside, he knows all of this, but can someone tell him what the name of that book is? Is this really his admonition?
He had never left such a book, nor had he ever suggested handing people over to soul beasts for punishment...
"Tianmeng, Bing Bing, I don't recall ever giving such an admonition, right?"
Bing Bing: "Yuhao, have you forgotten? This is an improved version of what you taught Su Tong, or rather, an upgraded version. The part about the destruction of the Martial Spirit Hall is your original wording."
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Ah, now I remember.
Because he was worried about the downfall of the Spirit Pagoda, he had high expectations for Su Tong and took the time to correct some of her ideas.
After all, looking at the great powers of the original Douluo world, how many high-ranking individuals weren't caught up in love? This is, after all, the continent of love...
It's just that he never expected Su Tong to turn his words into a doctrine, passing it down through generations and turning it into something to be studied and followed.
This is... 'Heaven's reincarnation is just, but whom does Heaven spare?'
It's utterly outrageous.
Tianmeng spoke with a hint of uncertainty, "As for handing people over to soul beasts... that must have been exaggerated by the elders of the Spirit Pagoda later, right? How could the Empress and Di Tian have the time to manage a bunch of juniors? It's probably just that Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's sister was too rebellious and ended up as an example, right?"
In the case of ancestral teachings, if someone loved another so deeply that they nearly became an evil soul master, it would have been him who handed them over to the soul beasts for rigorous training!
Huo Yuhao felt a strange mix of emotions but kept his expression neutral. He looked at Hua Yichen and said, "Teacher Hua, may I see that book?"
"Of course, this is something only the core disciples of the Spirit Pagoda are allowed to read. After all, some of these ideas might seem a bit unconventional to ordinary people."
Hua Yichen handed the book to Huo Yuhao, who opened it and skimmed through the contents.
He found that it was indeed a modified version of what he had once said. He felt both speechless and a little nostalgic.
Su Tong, that girl... If I get the chance, I'll have to talk to her again.
After instilling in Huo Yuhao the horrors of becoming a "love brain," Hua Yichen planned to take him to the training ground for some practical combat practice.
Over the past three years, Hua Yichen had noticed that Huo Yuhao required no supervision in terms of cultivation, knowledge, or comprehension. The boy learned incredibly quickly.
Strictly speaking, Huo Yuhao didn't even need combat training, but if Hua Yichen didn't demonstrate his skills, he felt he would lose face as a teacher.
Watching Huo Yuhao calmly dodge and maneuver under his suppressed attacks, Hua Yichen sighed inwardly.
At just nine years old, after taking the Soul Ascension Pill, Huo Yuhao's soul power had already reached the peak of the 32nd level, and his spiritual power had even entered the Spirit Sea Realm. Hua Yichen wasn't sure how to report this progress.
There was also the matter of the Young Genius Ranking.
Where should he rank Huo Yuhao?
The boy was still young, and while some soul masters progressed quickly in the early stages, they struggled later on.
Although Hua Yichen was confident that Huo Yuhao wouldn't face such issues, he couldn't place him too high too soon.
Perhaps somewhere in the top ten would be appropriate.
"Pagoda master, President Li is here to see you!"
At that moment, a staff member knocked on the door and announced the visitor.
"What is he doing here?" Hua Yichen was momentarily stunned but then quickly realized and glanced at Huo Yuhao.
Of course, with two third-level sub-professions, it was no surprise that Li Yucheng couldn't sit still.
---
Li Yucheng sat in the simple yet comfortable reception room on the top floor of the Spirit Pagoda.
The room featured a dark brown wooden conference table at its center, flanked by off-white loveseat sofas.
"Branch Pagoda master Hua, where is Huo Yuhao's sub-profession teacher?"
Seeing Hua Yichen enter the room, Li Yucheng stood up and asked anxiously, "I'd like to meet him. How did he teach Huo Yuhao? How could he possibly..."
Huo Yuhao stepped out from behind Hua Yichen, causing Li Yucheng to abruptly stop speaking.
The man's expression turned awkward, and his gaze began to wander.
Speaking ill of a teacher in front of their student was bound to leave a poor first impression.
Hua Yichen smiled, dispelling the awkward atmosphere, and sat down opposite Li Yucheng with Huo Yuhao by his side.
"Yuhao is self-taught in his sub-professions. If he had to name a teacher, it would be the mecha builders and designers within this Spirit Pagoda. They've all contributed to his learning in some way."
Li Yucheng raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling this might be the case.
Who wouldn't cherish a genius like Huo Yuhao and nurture their talent? Letting such potential go to waste would be unthinkable.
But this also meant that Huo Yuhao's path was entirely his own choice...
Li Yucheng looked at Huo Yuhao with a complicated expression and said solemnly, "I am Li Yucheng, the president of the East Sea City Mecha Masters Association—an eighth-level mecha manufacturer. Huo Yuhao, I've seen your works multiple times. I must remind you, if you spread yourself too thin, you might miss the chance to reach the pinnacle!"
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm simply focusing on what I'm good at. I'm not wasting my talent," Huo Yuhao replied, shaking his head.
He had always known where his strengths lay.
"You're trying to follow the path of soul engineers from ten thousand years ago, aren't you? But you must understand, the world isn't the same as it was back then."
Li Yucheng sighed. "In the past, soul engineers could handle forging, design, manufacturing, maintenance, and even combat. But now, the knowledge in each field is too vast. Trying to walk this path... it's too difficult."
The soul engineers of ten thousand years ago, in the eyes of modern people, were like mythical beings, terrifyingly capable and almost inhuman.
How could they manage so many things alone? Weren't they exhausted?
A group of overachievers, no wonder they could dominate the Douluo Continent and suppress the Three Empires and Shrek...
"I just want to create a soul tool of my own," Huo Yuhao said, mentioning a name that surprised both Hua Yichen and Li Yucheng.
"Silver Moon Douluo—have you heard of him, President?"
---
"Unexpectedly, in the end, it was Spirit Ice Doulou who came to see me. As the master of the Spirit Pagoda, managing all its affairs, you have hardly any free time. Why bother visiting an old man like me?"
The voice, tinged with self-deprecation, came from the wide hospital bed.
The once-mighty Silver Moon Douluo, Kong Deming, was now in his twilight years.
Huo Yuhao, standing in the shadows of the corner, felt a pang of complexity in his heart.
"Elder Kong, won't your life's work, the natal soul guide, be passed down?"
"My juniors don't have the talent to match Spirit Ice Douluo. They can't carry it forward."
Kong Deming shook his head, his cloudy eyes resting on Huo Yuhao.
If this young man had devoted all his time to soul guides instead of martial soul cultivation, he might have surpassed even him.
But even with his energy divided, Huo Yuhao, through sheer accumulation of time and effort, had become the only soul master in this era who could hold a meaningful conversation with Kong Deming. If only he had joined the Sun Moon Empire back then... What a pity.
Kong Deming sighed. "Besides, the war is over. The empire has won. From now on, soul engineers will have no enemies. They'll only delve into their favorite fields, indulging in research."
"In the end, the title of 'soul engineer' will become synonymous with 'researcher.' Everyone will have their own area of expertise, but no one will be as all-rounded as they are now."
"And if you want a natal soul guide to truly fit you, it must be crafted by your own hands, at least the design and manufacturing. I can already foresee the decline of this art. The prototype of the battle armor you've developed is more likely to be carried forward."
Huo Yuhao looked at Kong Deming and said softly, "Then, what if I inherit it?"
Kong Deming was taken aback.
Huo Yuhao smiled. "In the name of the Spirit Pagoda... I'll take it."
Kong Deming was silent for a moment, then laughed. "Very well, I'll leave it to you!"