MM Racing Chapter 112 Spirit Pagoda Headquarters
Chapter 112 Spirit Pagoda Headquarters
Chapter 112 Spirit Pagoda Headquarters
"A master blacksmith?!"
Amidst the lush foliage of the ancient golden tree, a fleeting figure slowly solidified—it was none other than Long Yeyue, who had just left in a huff.
She stood with her hands behind her back, her aged eyes piercing through the layers of branches and leaves, gazing at the figure that gradually receded into the distance and finally disappeared into the horizon of Seagod Island. A terrifying light suddenly flashed in her eyes, and even the faint soul power fluctuations surrounding her body trembled slightly.
"I never expected that little guy to be a level five professional—and a master blacksmith at that!"
Long Yeyue murmured softly, her voice filled with disbelief and shock.
She finally understood why Yun Ming favored that kid so much, even going so far as to break the rules to recruit him into the inner courtyard—a level 5 blacksmith who was not even ten years old. This was no ordinary genius; he was clearly a rough gem!
A ten-year-old master blacksmith!
These seven words resounded in Long Yeyue's mind, almost causing her to lose her composure.
What does this mean?
This is an unparalleled genius capable of driving the entire Federation's forging industry mad! He is a definite future master craftsman, and even—possibly capable of challenging for the legendary position of master craftsman!
It should be noted that even a powerful institution like Shrek Academy, with its profound foundation, only has one eighth-level Saint Craftsman, Feng Wuyu, overseeing its affairs.
As for master craftsmen, forget about it.
Long Yeyue gazed at the two afterimages where the sea met the sky, her voice low and hoarse, carrying a barely perceptible heat: "If only a master craftsman could be stationed at Shrek Academy—"
Her tone abruptly shifted, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, "Then why shouldn't Shrek Academy prosper? Even that heartless man might have to come begging to us in the future! At that time—"
On the path to becoming a top-tier expert, four-word battle armor is an unavoidable hurdle.
The master craftsman is the key to forging the four-character battle armor.
As long as the academy holds the trump card of the Divine Craftsman, who would dare to provoke them? Even the Federation and the Temple of War would have to give them some leeway—after all, who wouldn't want a battle armor forged from Heavenly Forged Metal?
As for the Spirit Pagoda, it is not a threat at all. As long as the lifeline of the Four-Word Battle Armor is cut off, within a hundred years, the top experts of the Spirit Pagoda will run out of successors and gradually decline.
At that time, Shrek Academy will truly stand at the pinnacle of the Federation, and no one will dare to challenge its might!
"Um, Sister Yue—"
Just as Long Yeyue was envisioning the future and her aura was growing increasingly intense, a cautious voice suddenly came from behind her.
Crimson Dragon Douluo Zhuoshi stood hunched over in the shadows, looking quite reserved. "Didn't you have a pretty bad falling out with that kid named Lu Xingchen? Are you sure—he'll willingly stay after joining the academy?"
Zhuo Shi remembered clearly that when he landed on Seagod Island, he saw Long Yeyue confronting Lu Xingchen from afar, while Yun Ming and Ya Li were trying to persuade them to stop fighting.
The scene was so tense it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was like swords were about to be drawn.
Under these circumstances, even if Lu Xingchen agrees to enroll for Ya Li's sake, he will probably just leave after graduation and will never work for Shrek Academy.
"Bullshit! What do you know!"
Upon hearing this, Long Yeyue gave him an annoyed look, then straightened her back and said in a self-righteous tone, "That little brat named Lu Xingchen is extremely arrogant. He hasn't even entered the academy yet, but he dares to make outrageous demands, wanting to squeeze several people into the inner courtyard!"
"This arrogant brat who thinks he's got some talent and demands special privileges—if we don't temper his arrogance first, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause once he enters the academy! I'm trying to temper his character, do you understand?"
Zhuoshi muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible, "It's just shoving a few people in—it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Our academy isn't short of resources anyway—"
A level 5 master blacksmith who is not even ten years old!
This is a rare event that has never happened before in the history of the world!
With proper training, he will undoubtedly become a master craftsman in the future. When he is displayed at the entrance of the academy, the mere title of "Shrek Academy possesses a forging genius" will attract countless soul masters, and the academy's reputation will surely rise to a new level.
If they're lucky, this kid can really break through to the Divine Craftsman level, then Shrek Academy will really hit the jackpot!
In comparison, squeezing a few people into the inner courtyard is a trivial matter.
"fart!"
Long Yeyue whirled around, glaring at him fiercely. Her back was ramrod straight, and her tone was arrogant and solemn. "Our Shrek Academy only trains monsters, not idlers! How can this rule, passed down for ten thousand years, be easily broken by a mere brat?"
"Shrek Academy selects talent based not only on talent, but also on character! We aim to cultivate individuals with a global perspective..."
A monster genius dedicated to maintaining peace, not those who abuse their talent and act tyrannically!
She paused, her gaze sharp as a knife. "That Lu Xingchen is a complete troublemaker. If we don't teach him a lesson now and smooth out his rough edges, who knows what kind of deformed monster he'll grow up to be! I'm teaching him a lesson in how to be a decent human being!"
At this point, Long Yeyue's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of a brilliant idea, and a sly smile appeared on her previously tense lips.
"By the way, isn't Cai Yue the dean of the outer courtyard now?"
Long Yeyue stroked her chin, her tone laced with calculation, "I heard she's best at disciplining those unruly students. Let her handle it; you can't go wrong!"
"And what about that work-study dormitory in the Foreign Languages Department? Isn't it specifically designed to hone those arrogant freshmen?"
Throw that kid in there and teach him a lesson, see if he still dares to be arrogant!
Little girl?
Zhuoshi's lips twitched violently upon hearing this, and he almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Cai Yue'er, that old woman, is about the same age as him, both over a hundred years old, and only Long Yeyue dares to call her that.
He quickly stepped forward and cautiously reminded her, "Sister Yue, with the connection between Boss and Sister Ya Li, Lu Xingchen should go directly into the inner academy after enrollment. Cai Yue is in charge of the outer academy, which has nothing to do with him—"
This is the truth.
Cai Yue'er is in charge of the outer courtyard, and Ya Li is in charge of the inner courtyard. The two courtyards have always performed their respective duties and do not interfere with each other.
With Lu Xingchen's talent, plus the favor of Yun Ming and Ya Li, entering the inner academy is a sure thing. Why would the outer academy have the right to train him?
Upon hearing this, Long Yeyue was slightly taken aback, only then remembering this. She had been so focused on figuring out how to temper Lu Xingchen's arrogance that she had forgotten this crucial point.
But who is she?
She is an elder of Shrek Sea God Pavilion and a super strategist who has lived for two hundred years. How could such a small problem possibly stump her?
Long Yeyue closed her eyes slightly, and the next second, a mysterious aura suddenly emanated from her body.
"Amazing Wisdom" activated!
A moment later, she suddenly opened her eyes, put her hands behind her back, and said in an old-fashioned manner, "What's so difficult about that?"
In my opinion, the current rules of the inner court are outdated and need a thorough reform.
"Reform?" Zhuoshi was stunned, not understanding what she meant.
"That's right!" A meaningful smile appeared on Long Yeyue's old face, but—that smile looked sinister to Zhuo Shi no matter how he looked at it.
"Think about it, which of the disciples in the inner court now didn't climb up through countless trials and tribulations in the outer court?"
Long Yeyue paced slowly, her tone firm and resolute, "But some disciples, relying on their high innate soul power and connections at home, manage to enter the inner courtyard directly through back channels. Once they reach a certain age, they can easily pass the assessment and become official inner courtyard disciples!"
"Is this fair to those disciples who worked so hard to get into the outer academy?"
She clenched her fists, her face displaying an air of selfless impartiality. "Therefore, I have decided to convene a meeting of the Sea God Pavilion to implement reforms! Those who lack sufficient cultivation and have only managed to enter the inner courtyard through connections will all be sent to the outer courtyard to temper their character!"
The more Long Yeyue spoke, the more reasonable she felt, and the more imposing she became, as if she were truly acting in the best interests of the academy.
As soon as she finished speaking, she ignored the stunned Zhuo Shi, turned around and transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the Sea God Pavilion at the top of the golden ancient tree without looking back.
"Sister Yue!"
Zhuoshi watched her retreating figure, sighed helplessly, and quickly followed after her.
He finally understood: in order to hone Lu Xingchen's spirit by throwing him into the work-study dormitory, this old lady was determined to unleash a reform storm.
Now, all that can be hoped for in this chaotic world is that the little ones in the inner courtyard can withstand the turmoil.
Meanwhile, high above Shrek City, a sleek, silver-gray soul-guided flying vehicle was smoothly traversing the clouds, speeding towards the iconic and magnificent building outside the city—the headquarters of the Spirit Tower.
In the driver's seat, Li Mengjie rested her hands lightly on the control panel, her fingertips wielding her soul power to precisely control the direction and speed of the flying car.
Given her status as a Witch Douluo, why would she suffer the hardships of flying through the air like an ordinary Soul Master?
Her personal soul-guided flying vehicle was a symbol of her identity.
Previously at Shrek Academy, due to the rule that the inner courtyard did not allow the use of soul-guided vehicles, she had to conceal her sharpness and choose to travel by air.
Now that we've left Shrek's sphere of influence, there's no reason for us to humble ourselves any further.
The back seat of the flying car was spacious and comfortable, but Lu Xingchen didn't sit in the soft seat. Instead, like a spoiled big doll, he nestled comfortably in Ya Li's arms.
His head was resting on the softest cushion in the world, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were asleep.
The atmosphere inside the car was very quiet.
Because Li Mengjie needed to concentrate on driving and didn't have much to talk about with Ya Li, she simply pursed her lips and remained silent.
Ya Li looked at Lu Xingchen in her arms, seemingly wanting to say something, but seeing the child pretending to sleep, she ultimately didn't want to disturb him. She simply tightened her arms around him unconsciously.
Meanwhile, Lu Xingchen, the person involved, was feigning sleep, receiving the information transmitted from "0-01" in his mind:
Yun Ming originally intended to use the opportunity of revealing Lu Xingchen's identity as a "forging master" to make Long Yeyue see the child's extraordinary talent, thereby dispelling her thoughts of targeting him.
Unexpectedly, these words, instead of quelling Long Yeyue's dissatisfaction, ignited an even fiercer ambition. She actually wanted to completely bind Lu Xingchen to Shrek Academy's cause, using him as a weapon to exact revenge on her old lover.
To achieve this goal, Long Yeyue has decided that once Lu Xingchen enrolls, she will definitely send him to the outer academy for a thorough "training," so that he will fully understand what the "Will of History" truly means.
A massive conspiracy targeting Lu Xingchen is quietly being woven and slowly unfolding.
"Screw your massive conspiracy!"
Lu Xingchen's lips twitched uncontrollably, and he thought to himself, "This is outrageous!"
He and Long Yeyue had only met once and hadn't even exchanged a few words, yet that old woman was already plotting how to control him.
"A direct confrontation isn't feasible for now, but it's more than enough to disgust that old woman."
A sly glint flashed in Lu Xingchen's eyes. "Isn't she the most concerned about her reputation? Then I'll make her lose all face in front of certain people in Shrek City!"
An idea quietly took shape in his mind—his Sequence Three advancement ceremony would be held in Shrek City!
The place is bustling with people, and the number and quality of Soul Masters far surpass those of other cities, making it an absolutely perfect venue.
He silently calculated the time. There were still more than twenty days until the start of the semester at Tianhai Academy. As long as he could find a few more high-quality targets, he could complete the general promotion ceremony for Sequence Three before the start of the semester.
Let 100,000 people have the same dream on the same night.
A normal first-ring Soul Master is enough to be equivalent to fifty to ten ordinary people. The higher the cultivation level, the more ordinary people he can eliminate, and there is plenty of time.
The soul-guided flying car traversed through the clouds for a full half hour, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from the scattered academy buildings to towering, cloud-piercing tower-like buildings.
Finally, the flying car slowly slowed down and came to a steady stop on the exclusive helipad in front of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters.
"Stars, we've arrived."
Ya Li's voice was as gentle as a spring pond. She gently patted Lu Xingchen's back, waking him from his dozing.
Lu Xingchen rubbed his eyes, slowly climbed out of her arms, and was led by Ya Li's hand as they got off the flying car.
Looking up, the grandeur of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was beyond imagination.
The tower pierces the clouds, its top invisible at first glance. The upper part is hidden in the churning clouds, appearing and disappearing, exuding an air of mystery.
A faint glow of soul power flowed across the rough and thick tower walls, as if the tower itself were an ancient behemoth teeming with boundless power.
Lu Xingchen looked at the building in front of him, which was completely different from the style of modern cities, and a genuine curiosity flashed in his eyes.
Li Mengjie took the lead and walked towards the entrance of the Spirit Pagoda, saying without turning her head, "Let's go. The Spirit Pagoda is not a physical building; it only exists in the core area of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters."
"Mm." Ya Li nodded slightly, took Lu Xingchen's small hand, and quickly followed.
The three of them climbed the steps and arrived at the entrance of the Spirit Pagoda.
With Li Mengjie, a councilor of the Spirit Pagoda, present, everything went incredibly smoothly. They only needed to complete a simple identity registration, and the guards respectfully let them through without daring to obstruct them in the slightest.
Upon entering the lobby of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, a powerful aura immediately greets you.
The space here is several times larger than the Spirit Tower branch in Tianhai City. The smooth marble floor reflects the dazzling soul-guiding lights on the ceiling, making them shine brightly.
The walls of the hall are inlaid with lifelike murals, each depicting the legendary story of Huo Yuhao, the Spirit Ice Douluo—from his hardships in his youth to his glory after becoming a god, scene by scene.
However, the three of them were already very familiar with Huo Yuhao's deeds, so they only glanced at him before looking away without lingering.
The lobby on the first floor appeared somewhat empty, with only a few reception desks and elevators leading to each floor.
Led by Li Mengjie, the three headed straight for one of the elevators, which was entirely crimson. She took out a badge engraved with intricate patterns, swiped it lightly on the sensor next to the elevator, and after a soft "beep," the heavy elevator doors slowly opened.
The red elevator is reserved for the upper echelons of the Spirit Tower; ordinary people are not qualified to ride it.
The elevator slowly ascended, the feeling of weightlessness was slight and comfortable. A full minute later, the elevator came to a steady stop, and the moment the doors opened, a breath of fresh air rushed in.
As soon as you step out of the elevator, a huge transparent glass wall comes into view.
Outside the wall, the sea of clouds churned, and the white wisps of clouds flowed slowly beneath my feet. In the distance, the entire Shrek City could be vaguely seen, bustling with traffic and people, all within sight.
"Let's keep going."
Li Mengjie continued to lead the way, and wherever she went, the staff along the route stopped what they were doing, bowed to her, and looked at her with a mixture of awe and fear in their eyes. After bowing, they quickly lowered their heads and dared not look at her for long.
It is evident that even at the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda, the reputation of this Witch Douluo was still renowned and feared by all.
After all, her infamous reputation stemmed not only from her ugly appearance, but also from her unpredictable personality.
In the upper echelons of the Spirit Pagoda, Li Mengjie is definitely one of the least popular.
Fortunately, she didn't care at all and continued to do things her own way.
After walking through a long corridor, the three arrived at another elevator.
This elevator is even wider than the previous red elevator, and it can easily accommodate dozens of people. The interior walls of the car are inlaid with dazzling gems, exuding luxury everywhere, and there is a faint energy fluctuation in the air.
"Buzz—"
The elevator gave a slight jolt, but came to a steady stop within seconds.
The moment the door opened, a huge circular hall appeared before them.
The hall is hundreds of meters in diameter and over fifty meters high, with a sharp triangular top. At the very top floats a fist-sized golden gem, emitting a soft yet powerful golden light that illuminates the entire hall.
In the very center of the hall stands a stone platform several meters high.
Below the stone platform are hexagonal steps that extend upwards, and at the top is a simple and ancient altar, covering an area of over a hundred square meters.
At the very center of the altar, a golden gate, fifteen meters high, stood silently. Strange runes flowed across its surface, and faint fluctuations of soul power emanated from it.
The hall was surrounded by all kinds of sophisticated instruments, and hundreds of staff members in uniform were busy moving around, with the beeping sound of the instruments running from time to time.
Li Mengjie stepped forward, stopped a passing staff member, and indifferently ordered, "Give me a complete list of the current souls in the Soul Tower."
"Okay, Representative Lee."
The staff member clearly recognized Li Mengjie and dared not be negligent in the slightest. He quickly turned around and ran to the worktable next to him, found a silver-white tablet computer, and handed it over with both hands: "This contains detailed information about all the souls in the Soul Tower, including their types, ages, and abilities. Please operate it carefully."
"Okay." Li Mengjie took the tablet and casually handed it to Lu Xingchen next to her.
Lu Xingchen took the tablet, lightly swiped his fingertips across the screen, and began to examine it carefully.
Wind Wolf, Flame Lion, Armored Rhinoceros, Ice Bear, Demon Lizard Dragon, Thunder Beast, Vajra Baboon —
More and more spirit names flashed across the screen, and their quality gradually improved.
At first, they were just ordinary souls that had existed for hundreds or thousands of years, but as they were being searched, many powerful beings capable of fighting beyond their level appeared.
However, Lu Xingchen had no interest in these thousand-year-old soul spirits at all. He quickly swiped his fingertips, skipping over these entries and flipping to the section on ten-thousand-year-old soul spirits.
Twin Cyclops, Man-Faced Spider, Ghostly Leopard King, Scorpion Tiger, Dark Gold Bear —
One after another, imposing names came into view. These spirits not only had cultivation levels of tens of thousands of years, but were also of top quality. Each one was enough to give a spirit master a qualitative leap in strength.
Yali stood to the side, quietly watching him browse the list, without the slightest surprise in her eyes.
Although Lu Xingchen's current cultivation level is insufficient to absorb a ten-thousand-year-old soul spirit, so what? It's a rare opportunity to come to the Spirit Transmission Tower headquarters to select a soul spirit, and he doesn't even have to break through the tower, so naturally he'll aim for the highest quality.
It doesn't matter if he can't absorb them now. With Lu Xingchen's talent, it won't be long before he grows to the point where he can control these ten-thousand-year-old souls.
Ya-li firmly believed this.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious office at the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda.
A tall, beautiful woman stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, listening to her subordinates report intelligence. A hint of excitement, which she had been looking calm, suddenly flashed in her eyes.
"What? You mean Yali came to the Spirit Pagoda? Is she alone?"
"Reporting to Minister Leng, she also brought a child with her; they should be at the Soul Tower now. It's Li Mengjie—"
The congressman led them in.
"child?"
Leng Yaozhu raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt flashing across her face, but this doubt was quickly suppressed by the excitement that was about to arrive.
She turned around, her gaze falling on the little girl with black hair and black eyes beside her, her face delicate and pretty, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
"Moon, let's go."
Leng Yaozhu took the little girl's hand, her tone a mix of teasing and determined ruthlessness, "Today, Teacher will take you to meet a very important person! Don't disappoint your teacher!"
She deliberately emphasized the words "big shot," and then, ignoring the little girl's reaction, hurriedly dragged her out of the office.
"Teacher, slow down—"
The little girl stumbled as she was pulled along. Looking at her teacher's impatient expression, her delicate face was full of helplessness. She felt as if she had just become an apprentice and jumped into a fire pit.