Bear Lord faintly felt a chill in the air and instinctively shivered. Turning his head, he saw Huo Yuhao smiling at him, causing him to involuntarily twitch the corner of his mouth.
Did I go too far?
Spirit Ice has a good temper. Usually, no matter what others say about him, he doesn't seem to get angry. Has he gotten angry this time?
Upon reflection, he did go a bit overboard. After all, having others witness this scene, what expressions would they have when Huo Yuhao's identity is restored in the future?
Moreover, this sacrificial ceremony involving various faction representatives is broadcasted on the guidance soul network. In short, all citizens of the Federation will be able to see Huo Yuhao paying respects to himself. And according to his suggestion, Huo Yuhao would be placed in the prominent first position...
What is this called on the soul guidance network? Social death?
But he had a legitimate purpose!
Bear Lord coughed slightly and transmitted a message:
"Spirit Ice, don't overthink it. I just publicly acknowledged you as the next heir to the Spirit Pagoda, showing my support and indicating that the Star Dou Forest has no objections to your succession as the Pagoda Master."
"Having you pay respects in front of everyone is also to solidify your position!"
Bear Lord speaks righteously, without a hint of falsehood.
No way, no way, surely no one thinks that I just said those things and brought Huo Yuhao out just for fun, right?
Further establishing Huo Yuhao's position during the Spirit Ice Ceremony is also one of his goals.
Didn't you see that even Snow Empress didn't stop it?
Of course, one thing at a time, having fun is also one of the goals, but as for which goal is more important... Bear Lord is certain that having fun is definitely not as important as helping Huo Yuhao establish his position!!
Hmm, he's quite sure of that.
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao merely composed his expression, speaking softly like a true junior, "Thank you for your support, Pagoda Master Bear Lord."
Three days without a beating, and he's already climbing the roof.
Moreover, unlike Gu Ruiqiu's restrained actions, Bear Lord was walking further and further down the path of self-destruction, escalating his antics.
If not stopped, he would probably keep going, right? After all, Bear Lord's head is as hard as iron.
Suddenly, he understood Na'er's feelings.
Once or twice is enough, but not thrice or four times. You should rein it in, Bear Lord.
"..."
Bear Lord looked at Huo Yuhao's calm expression and his heart skipped a beat.
Spirit Ice, don't be like this, it makes me feel uneasy...
As Bear Lord had said, others didn't know the relationship between the two. Seeing their interaction, they all felt that this was Bear Lord's way of encouraging Huo Yuhao.
"We have no objections," Sky Crossing Douluo and representatives from other factions nodded slightly.
This was an internal decision of the Spirit Pagoda, and it had nothing to do with them.
However, although they had no say in this matter, everyone was quite interested in looking at Qiangu Dongfeng and a few Spirit Envoys.
Among the high-ranking members of the Spirit Pagoda gathered here today, besides Qiangu Dongfeng, Snow Empress, Leng Yaozhu, and Bear Lord, there were also a few Spirit Envoys.
Leng Yaozhu and Snow Empress need no explanation. Those who know about Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and Snow Empress's relationship understand that these two will definitely stand on Huo Yuhao's side.
Now it seems Bear Lord also holds Huo Yuhao in high regard.
Under such circumstances, everyone became curious about the other high-ranking members of the Spirit Pagoda's opinions on Huo Yuhao.
Hearing Bear Lord's proposal, Qiangu Dongfeng nodded calmly, "It should be so."
Seeing this, Skycrossing Douluo raised an eyebrow and looked at a tall, thin middle-aged man.
Not just him, others also turned their gaze towards that man, their serious expressions.
One of the Four Great Spirit Envoys—Zhao Chengyuan.
This man's information was well-known among the major factions, but there were almost no records of him taking action. In fact, today was the first time many had seen his true face.
If it wasn't for his daughter, Zhao Yao, who was quite famous in some circles in Mingdu, the factions might have known even less about him.
He was the most mysterious Spirit Envoy, and possibly the strongest. After all, according to the few known pieces of information, he became a Titled Douluo before the age of twenty, a record even more terrifying than the Atlas Douluo's!
Fortunately, breaking through to Titled Douluo seemed to have exhausted his potential, and he didn't grow into a giant like the Sky Douluo. Skycrossing Douluo couldn't sense any threat from him, indicating his cultivation was below him.
However, given that terrifying record, he and others didn't dare to underestimate Zhao Chengyuan.
"Why are you all looking at me? The Pagoda Masters have agreed, I wouldn't possibly undermine our next Pagoda Masters, would I?" Zhao Chengyuan smiled.
The other Spirit Envoys also nodded in agreement.
Huo Yuhao looked at the Spirit Envoys, his gaze lingering on Zhao Chengyuan for a moment, then glanced at the female senator sent by the Federation.
Could this be considered a tradition he left behind?
This person's disguise is no less impressive than Na Nali's...
Since everyone agreed with Bear Lord's proposal, the matter was decided.
Just as Qiangu Dongfeng was about to lead everyone to the sacrificial site, a gentle voice rang in everyone's ears.
"It seems I'm not late."
All eyes turned to the entrance of the Spirit Pagoda.
The newcomer was a beautiful woman in her twenties, dressed in a water-green long dress, simple yet elegant, exuding a natural vitality. Her dark green hair cascaded down her back, swaying gently in the breeze, like a fairy from a painting.
"Holy Spirit Douluo?"
Some faction representatives were surprised.
Holy Spirit Douluo, the second most powerful healing-type auxiliary soul master on the continent after Bi Ji, was little known on the continent because she had always been indifferent to fame and fortune, never deliberately promoting herself.
However, in the eyes of those who knew of Holy Spirit Douluo, she was a legend.
Not only because of her powerful healing abilities, but also because of her demeanor. After all, she was the only one who dared to reject the Spirit Pagoda, War God Hall, Illustrious Virtue Hall, and Shrek Academy's olive branches.
Holy Spirit Douluo, Yali, was of common birth. Her martial soul was the Praying Angel. After awakening her martial soul at the Spirit Pagoda, she could have directly joined the Spirit Pagoda to receive better guidance, but she didn't. Due to her inherently kind nature, she stayed in her hometown, always helping the townsfolk with healing.
But because of this, Holy Spirit Douluo accidentally discovered the secret of her martial soul.
Auxiliary-type soul masters' soul power increases relatively slowly, and the Praying Angel martial soul's soul power increases even more difficulty than other auxiliary-type soul masters through normal cultivation methods.
The true cultivation method of this martial soul requires faith power. Holy Spirit Douluo discovered that every time she heals someone, she can gain faith power from them, increasing her cultivation.
However, this didn't disrupt her mindset. Holy Spirit Douluo simply grew step by step. When she reached a certain age, she left her village and began traveling across the Federation, healing others.
Many factions took notice of her and extended olive branches, but Holy Spirit Douluo simply smiled and declined, "I don't want fame or high positions. My wish is simply to heal. If someone is injured or ill, they can come to me."
Perhaps some couldn't understand her actions. But Yi Hongchen understood; it was a purity similar to Ling Zichen's.
Holy Spirit Douluo had her own faith, her own path. So when the factions realized she truly had no interest in joining any faction, only wanting to quietly travel around healing people, they stopped bothering her.
The Mecha Master Association and Illustrations Virtue Hall could only regretfully give up.
As for forcing her?
Not only would force her to be unpleasant and only cause resentment, but Holy Spirit Douluo also had a group of powerful suitors, including Atlas Douluo. Would you like to fight them?
If it wasn't for the martial soul awakening and the incident fifty years ago, which indirectly connected Holy Spirit Douluo to the Spirit Pagoda, Yi Hongchen wouldn't have asked Snow Empress about Holy Spirit Douluo's whereabouts.
As Snow Empress said, strictly speaking, she wasn't part of the Spirit Pagoda. Of course, she wasn't part of any other faction either.
She was a healer, nothing more.
"Your Holiness Holy Spirit Douluo."
As Holy Spirit Douluo gracefully walked over, everyone either bowed or nodded slightly in respect.
Holy Spirit Douluo smiled gently, returning the courtesy. Her slender fingers lightly brushed her skirt, the water-green sleeves fluttering in the breeze.
When her gaze accidentally swept past Huo Yuhao, her fingertips trembled slightly, a look of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Your Holiness Holy Spirit Douluo, what's wrong?" Yi Hongchen, who had come over to discuss matters with Holy Spirit Douluo, noticed her change in expression and was puzzled.
"Nothing."
Holy Spirit Douluo regained her composure, smiling and shaking her head, then looked towards Qiangu Dongfeng.
"Pagoda Master Qiangu, I hope I haven't delayed the timing?"
"Of course not, everyone please follow me."
Qiangu Dongfeng turned and led the group towards a soul guidance elevator.
The elevator door slowly closed, the metal surface reflected the varied expressions of everyone inside. Huo Yuhao stood in the corner, feeling Holy Spirit Douluo's subtle gaze, but his expression remained unchanged, quietly sensing everything around him.
Ding—
The elevator stopped, and a cool breeze greeted them as the doors opened. Before they were a long, dimly lit corridor, the walls embedded with glowing deep-sea silver, like a starry path.
Not far away, a crystal hall seems made of ice quietly standing. Around the hall floated twelve crystal lamps emitting a soft blue light, illuminating the entire space like the eternal night of the far north.
In the center of the hall, a crystal-clear spirit tablet floated in mid-air, with the words "Spirit Ice Douluo" engraved in bold, powerful strokes. Below the tablet, nine ice lotuses slowly rotated, each petal covered in tiny ice crystals, refracting a dreamlike light.
On the walls, lifelike ice carvings recorded the significant moments of the first Pagoda Master's life:
The founding of the Spirit Pagoda, the signing of the contract with the soul beasts... The most striking was the wall facing the spirit tablet, which depicts Spirit Ice Douluo signing contracts with Snow Empress and Di Tian.
Huo Yuhao looked at the surroundings, feeling a sense of emotion.
Su Tong... you've put a lot of thought into this.
This place was originally established by Su Tong. Over the millennia, the Spirit Pagoda continuously renovated it, maintaining it until now, becoming what it is today.
And here, without needing to be reminded, the many powerful figures had already released their soul spirits.
Behind Sun Douluo, a radiant golden sun appears, a giant bird soul spirit wrapped in golden flames flapping its wings and singing; on the shoulder of Blazing Dragon Douluo coiled a fiery red dragon, its whiskers dancing like flames; even Holy Spirit Douluo gently raised her hand, a crystal-clear angel slowly spreading its wings behind her.
The lights of various soul spirits intertwined, illuminating the hall like a dreamscape.
Seeing this, Xu Xiaoyan and the others also released their soul spirits.
The first Pagoda Master connected soul beasts and humans, so naturally, soul spirits and soul beasts were not excluded from the sacrificial ceremony.
Someone once remarked, with such a sacrificial ceremony in place, forgetting the original purpose of the Spirit Pagoda would be difficult.
Amidst the dazzling brilliance of the soul spirits, an ice silkworm appeared on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, and he stepped forward first.
His steps were light, yet each seemed to resonate in everyone's hearts.
Snow Empress and Gu Yuena's gazes followed his back. Xu Xiaoyan and the others held their breaths, watching Huo Yuhao step by step approach the floating spirit tablet.
When Huo Yuhao stood before the spirit tablet, feeling the warmth that only he could feel, his thoughts couldn't help but returned to before the founding of the Spirit Pagoda, to his conversation with Elder Yi.
...
"Using a pagoda structure to construct the magic array can make the soul spirit contract process smoother, while effectively enhancing the soul master's mental power concentration... How about naming the organization the Spirit Pagoda?"
Huo Yuhao smiled, "Of course, but I have a question. Elder Yi, if I can master the ability to collect faith power and integrate it into the pagoda magic array, what kind of abilities would the Spirit Pagoda established this way possess?"
Elder Yi was stunned, then smiled, "Then the Spirit Pagoda could serve as a faith collection device, increasing your chances of becoming a god."
"However, completing research in this area is no easy task. Fortunately, you've already reached the Divine Yuan Realm, allowing you to directly observe the existence of faith power..."
...
The memory flashed by, and Huo Yuhao quickly refocused on the present.
All Spirit Pagoda buildings, even those built later, retain the core structure, the pagoda structure and magic array designed to make soul spirit contracts more convenient.
For ten thousand years, they had been working.
And the reason they could keep working was because the Spirit Pagoda had never forgotten its original intention...
Thinking this, Huo Yuhao stood solemnly before the spirit tablet, holding incense, reciting the sacrificial text, and bowing deeply.
The Spirit Pagoda's ability to stand for ten thousand years was not the work of one person. Today, Huo Yuhao was here, sincerely expresses his gratitude.
Because of your perseverance, my "departure" has meaning!
Bear Lord thought he could hold back his expression in such a scene, not showing any unusual emotions. But when Huo Yuhao actually began the ceremony, he found his expression unconsciously becoming serious, and the thought of having fun was gone from his mind.
He could see that Spirit Ice was paying respects very seriously, and the object of his respect was definitely not himself.
Who was it?
The answer was revealed in the next moment from Huo Yuhao's sacrificial text.
"Over the past ten thousand years, the Spirit Pagoda has not forgotten its original intention. Countless predecessors, soul spirits, and soul beasts worked together to achieve today's prosperity."
"..."
Bear Lord smiled wryly in his heart, then bowed deeply towards Huo Yuhao.
I've really lost to you.
Snow Empress and Gu Yuena's eyes flickered, and they also bowed solemnly towards Huo Yuhao.
Following their lead, all the soul masters and soul spirits present bowed in unison.
But only Snow Empress and the others knew.
They were bowing to him.
And not just him.