Just like the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda, this Spirit Pagoda was built on an enormous octagonal base, covering a vast area. Every five floors upward, the structure narrowed inward, tapering all the way to its peak.
The journey there took quite a while. Gu You and the others first arrived at Eastsea City's central plaza.
Located at the city's heart, the central plaza was flanked by two residential districts that mirrored each other. The plaza itself acted as the main connection between them. The surrounding area was extremely bustling — small shops, barbecue stalls, vendors lined the streets. Anyone wanting to buy property here needed to pay a fortune, especially since it was so close to Eastsea Academy — prime school district land. Some families, even if it meant draining their entire savings, still fought to buy just one apartment here. After all, as long as Eastsea kept developing, the property value would keep rising. Who knew how much profit they could make flipping it later?
Wu Zhangkong called for two soul-guided taxis. With so many people, one cab wouldn't be enough.
In one car, Gu You squeezed in with Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie.
At that moment, Xie Xie grinned mischievously and said, "Hey Gu You, you and Gu Yue both have the surname 'Gu.' Are you two from the same family?"
The air instantly froze.
Gu Yue clenched her fists tightly. "Xie Xie! Has it been too long since your last beating? You itching for one?"
"Big sis! I take it back, I take it back!" Xie Xie quickly covered his head, wary of Gu Yue's wrath.
Gu You simply chuckled. 'This really fits the main team's early personalities,' he thought. 'Honestly, the reason I can't stand Tang Wulin probably comes down to that trace of naive optimism. Maybe it's not obvious yet — maybe I even kind of like it right now — but later on, it'll definitely start showing.'
Thinking back, the entire Douluo plane would eventually face the Abyss plane's invasion. The plane's master was Tang Hao, and the future's Life Tree was Ah Yin. So many tangled events… that advisor Tang sure was selfless, wasn't he?
A classic ten-thousand-year scheme, replaying once again.
For now, maybe none of it mattered much to Gu You. But the Dragon God inheritance inside his own body meant he could never truly escape. He had only one path: keep growing stronger — strong enough to rewrite fate itself. Knowing the future's upheavals, Gu You's thirst for power burned even fiercer.
After all, who wanted to live under the control of Tang the God King? That man didn't even blink while slaughtering. With just one line — "You're courting death" — he could burn all realms to ash.
"We're here! Everyone out," Wu Zhangkong called.
It was clear the academy had arranged everything in advance. When they climbed the steps up to the main entrance, the teaching director, Long Hengxu, was already waiting there.
Seeing Wu Zhangkong arrive with his group, Long Hengxu quickly walked forward. "Teacher Wu."
"Director Long." Wu Zhangkong gave a simple greeting, his face as cold as ever.
Long Hengxu turned his gaze to the new student, Gu You. His heart settled slightly. 'Alright, let's see how this one does.' He gestured. "Follow me."
Entering the first floor of the Spirit Pagoda, they were immediately stunned by the splendor inside. Several massive stone pillars held up a ceiling over ten meters tall, and the most breathtaking part was the glorious, multicolored murals adorning the pillars and dome.
These murals shone gold and jade, depicting landscapes, figures, and seemingly telling a grand story.
Wu Zhangkong explained, "These murals record the tale of the first Pagoda Master, the legendary Spirit Ice Douluo — the inventor of soul spirits — and how he led humanity's soul masters against the soul beast tide. What you see here is just a piece of the full story. The eighteen branch towers each display a portion. Only at the main headquarters will you find the complete murals, including the climactic battle where the Spirit Ice Douluo fought the strongest soul beast — the Beast God, Di Tian. After that battle, the Spirit Ice Douluo vanished and was never seen again. But according to legend, he was the victor, because from that day on, the Beast God Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian also disappeared."
Even just listening to the story, Tang Wulin felt his heart surge. He could vividly sense the immense, majestic aura conveyed by the murals: the enormous soul beasts in the beast tide, their terrifying presence, and standing against them, a single towering city.
Gu You paused briefly but didn't linger to admire the details.
Floating in the sky above the city was a figure whose bright eyes shone brilliantly. Around him floated several companions — a stunning woman in white, another in green, an icy blossom resting on his shoulder, a mighty bear, a giant white insect. Encircled by these allies, the young man's body radiated with dazzling, exotic soul rings.
'So that's the Spirit Ice Douluo…'
From a young age, Tang Wulin had heard the stories: Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, sometimes rumored to be the son of the Star Luo Empire's Duke of White Tiger, meaning his real name should have been Dai Yuhao.
He was the top genius of ten thousand years ago — rising from an ordinary boy, joining the legendary Shrek Academy, step by step becoming a supreme powerhouse who shook the continent. According to legend, he most likely transcended humanity's limits and ascended to the God Realm, ultimately becoming a god.
Because after his disappearance, his wife had vanished as well.
Tang Wulin's gaze naturally shifted to the mural's depiction of the Spirit Ice Douluo's wife, and he immediately noticed her radiant figure.
Behind her, enormous butterfly wings spread wide, glowing with brilliant, dazzling light. Her stunning face stood right at the Spirit Ice Douluo's side. Even though other companions appeared in the mural, everyone's eyes were inevitably drawn to the pair of them.
"Dragon Butterfly Douluo, Tang Wutong — Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao's wife. Wulin, look how beautiful she is! They say she was incredibly strong too. Together, she and Spirit Ice Douluo could unleash a powerful martial soul fusion technique, combining into an unmatched existence. Back in that era, they were the strongest of the strong," Xie Xie said admiringly, gazing up at the mural.
"Tang Wutong… that name's kind of similar to yours, Wulin," Gu Yue said softly, her tone carrying a subtle curiosity. "And… don't you think Wulin kind of looks like her? Especially the eyes."
Xie Xie snorted. "No way! Dragon Butterfly Douluo's eyes and hair were sky-blue and pink, but Wulin's are black. How's that similar?"
Hearing their conversation, Tang Wulin felt a strange ripple in his heart. Looking at Tang Wutong's figure in the mural, he inexplicably felt a sense of closeness.
He shook his head self-deprecatingly. 'Compared to Dragon Butterfly Douluo, what am I? It's probably just because our names sound a bit alike that I'm imagining things.'
Gu You smirked coldly to himself. 'Similar? Please — they're identical.'
"Alright, let's go," Long Hengxu's voice snapped the six students back to attention. He smiled slightly. "The first time I saw the Eighteen Pillars, I felt just as curious as you. But after seeing them enough times, that feeling fades. Still, every mural on each pillar is truly worth admiring."
Wu Zhangkong said calmly, "Steady your minds. Once you enter the Spirit Ascension Platform, you'll only be able to rely on yourselves."
"Teacher, you're not coming in with us?" Tang Wulin asked in surprise.
Wu Zhangkong shook his head. "Only soul masters below four rings can enter the basic Spirit Ascension Platform."
Long Hengxu nodded. "But don't worry. We'll be monitoring you from outside. If anything happens, you must actively retreat yourselves. We'll explain the key precautions shortly."
Led by Long Hengxu and Wu Zhangkong, the group entered an elevator. But instead of going up, it began descending.
Gu You raised an eyebrow. 'Interesting… Last time when Leng Yaozhu took me to the headquarters' Spirit Ascension Platform, they used a space transfer device — I was teleported there instantly. I never even knew where it was. This experience, though… it's indirectly telling me: it's underground.'
(End of Chapter)
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