Stepping out of his room, Yao Xuan's face was illuminated by a brilliant, uncontainable smile. The breakthrough still thrummed through his veins, a fresh, vibrant energy that made the very air seem clearer.
"Mom! Na'er! I did it!" he announced, his voice ringing with genuine triumph. "I've broken through! I've reached Level 10!"
Lin Ximeng, who was wiping down the kitchen counter, turned, her hands stilling. A proud, warm smile spread across her face, reaching her eyes. "Congratulations, my child! This is wonderful news!" For any inhabitant of Douluo Continent, becoming a Soul Master was a monumental life event, a crossing of the first great threshold. That her adopted son had achieved this at just seven and a half years old filled her with a deep, maternal pride for his boundless potential.
On the sofa, Na'er, who had been contentedly sucking on a lollipop, immediately perked up. She hopped down and padded over to Yao Xuan, her amethyst eyes shining with unreserved admiration. She took his hand in both of hers, giving it an excited little shake.
"Brother Yao Xuan, you are the best!" she declared, her voice a sweet, clear chime. Though the term "Soul Master" often stirred a faint, inexplicable unease within her, when it was connected to Yao Xuan, she felt only pure, unadulterated joy. His victories were her victories.
The next morning, Yao Xuan and Lin Ximeng stood in the principal's office at Red Mountain Academy.
"Oh, Yao Xuan, is it?" Principal Yang Yuzhuo, a stern-looking woman with kind eyes behind her glasses, regarded him. "You report that your soul power has broken through to Level 10? Let's verify that now."
She led them to the academy's soul power testing chamber—a quiet room dominated by a complex device with a large, blank screen. Yao Xuan stepped forward as instructed, placing his hands on the cool, metallic induction plates. He took a deep breath, relaxed his body, and willed the new, abundant soul power within his dantian to flow outward.
One... two... three...
The numbers on the screen began to climb, steady and swift.
...eight... nine... TEN!
In less than five seconds, the number '10' glowed brightly on the display. Principal Yang nodded, a look of deep satisfaction on her face.
"Excellent!" she exclaimed, giving Yao Xuan's shoulder an approving pat. "To break through to Level 10 at seven and a half years old... Yao Xuan, your achievement is the most outstanding Red Mountain Academy has seen in a decade! Furthermore, as the first in your grade to reach this milestone, the academy will reward you with a ten-year Soul Spirit!"
"Thank you, Principal!" Yao Xuan replied, his excitement genuine. This reward was a significant step on his planned path.
"It is nothing more than you deserve," Principal Yang said warmly. "Rewarding excellence encourages all students to strive harder." She retrieved a bronze-colored card from her desk, its surface etched with the emblem of the Spirit Pagoda, and handed it to Lin Ximeng. "This is a ten-year Soul Spirit exchange voucher. The school grants Yao Xuan a day's leave. Teacher Lin, please take him to the Spirit Pagoda branch to claim his reward."
Fifteen minutes later, they stood in the central district of Aolai City, before the local branch of the Spirit Pagoda.
"Yao Xuan, we're here," Lin Ximeng said, her voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. This was a place every Soul Master visited at least once in their lifetime.
"Yes, Mom," Yao Xuan replied, his gaze traveling upward. "It's... magnificent."
The building was an octagonal, three-story structure, imposing in its square, sturdy architecture. It was constructed from pale stone that seemed to absorb the sunlight, giving it a serene, authoritative presence. The main entrance was a grand archway, standing open, and the floor within was paved with polished marble that gleamed under the light. Despite its grandeur, there was a quiet hush around it. In a city like Aolai, Soul Masters were a rare breed, and the comings and goings at the Pagoda were infrequent.
Yao Xuan knew this was only a low-level branch. Above it were the seven-story intermediate Pagodas in larger cities, the thirteen-story Pagodas in metropolises, and the legendary headquarters in Shrek City—a tower that pierced the heavens at eighty-one stories, a testament to the organization's immense power.
Founded ten thousand years ago by the legendary Huo Yuhao, the Spirit Pagoda's creation of artificial soul spirits had revolutionized the world of Soul Masters, catapulting its influence to rival, and perhaps even surpass, ancient institutions like the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy. It was a superpower that spanned continents.
As he absorbed the sight, a quiet, fierce determination solidified within Yao Xuan. 'One day,' he vowed silently, 'my power will be acknowledged here. I will become strong enough to shape destiny itself, to prevent the tragedies I know are coming.'
"Yao Xuan, let's go in." Lin Ximeng's gentle voice broke his reverie. She took his hand, and together they stepped across the threshold into the cool, quiet interior of the Spirit Pagoda.
The inside was as spacious as the exterior promised. The hall was circular, with several closed, arched doors around its perimeter. In the very center stood a lone counter, and behind it sat a Spirit Master in his forties, dressed in the characteristic gray robes of a Pagoda attendant. He seemed to be meditating, his eyes closed.
"Greetings, Spirit Master," Lin Ximeng began, her voice respectful. She placed the bronze voucher on the counter. "My son's soul power has reached Level 10. We are here to acquire a soul spirit for him. This is our voucher."
The Spirit Master opened his eyes, their gaze practiced and calm. He picked up the card without a word and swiped it through a verification terminal on his desk. A soft green light blinked.
"Hmm, the ten-year soul spirit exchange voucher is authentic," he confirmed in a businesslike tone. "It entitles you to one white, ten-year soul spirit, suitable for his martial soul. Boy, come with me first. We must test your spiritual power." He looked at Yao Xuan. "The testing fee is one hundred Federal Coins. Please pay first."
"Of course," Lin Ximeng said, promptly handing over the money.
The Spirit Master accepted it and gestured for Yao Xuan to follow him through one of the arched doors, leaving Lin Ximeng to wait in the silent hall.
The room they entered was a stark contrast to the classical exterior. It was sleek and modern, filled with humming instruments and glowing panels of light. The Spirit Master directed Yao Xuan to a large, comfortable chair. With a few presses on a control panel, a sophisticated, helmet-like apparatus descended smoothly from the ceiling. It was crafted from a cool, silvery metal and dotted with tiny, glowing nodes.
"Remain still and relaxed," the Spirit Master instructed as he carefully lowered the device onto Yao Xuan's head. The world outside the helmet seemed to fade away, and Yao Xuan felt a faint, tingling sensation as the machine began its work, preparing to measure the depths of his consciousness.