Although the representatives from various forces were impatient to enter the Spirit Pagoda and see for themselves what mysteries were hidden within this mysterious high tower, they were, after all, from the continent's top forces.
Each person carried the pride and decorum of their respective Sect or Empire, and no one wanted to lose their composure in front of everyone.
Therefore, despite the large number of people, there was no crowding or pushing, and everyone filed in an orderly fashion.
Nearly two hundred people poured into the first-floor hall of the Spirit Pagoda, making the originally spacious area seem somewhat crowded for a moment.
Under the guidance of Princess Xu Jiujiu, the crowd naturally arranged themselves in a circular ring around the cordoned-off area in the center of the hall, standing several layers deep inside and out.
Everyone's gaze converged simultaneously on the empty area in the center of the hall, clearly aware that this was where the main event would take place.
"Thank you all for traveling from afar to accept our invitation and attend the opening ceremony of the Spirit Pagoda."
A clear and steady voice sounded in the hall without warning. The volume was not loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Then, a young figure suddenly appeared in the cordoned-off area in the center of the hall.
It had been less than three years since the last All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. Many people present had either personally participated in that tournament or had watched it from start to finish from the spectator stands.
Therefore, many people quickly recognized that this youth was none other than Huo Yuhao.
The scene from the tournament back then, where he used his cultivation as a Spirit Emperor to go head-to-head with the Spirit Douluo-level Duke of White Tiger without falling behind, still left a deep impression on them.
Now that three years had passed, just how strong had this youth become?
The experts from the major forces all straightened their expressions, not showing even a hint of contempt due to Huo Yuhao's age.
Huo Yuhao was clearly not a space-attribute Spirit Master, but the technique he just used to tear through space and descend was exquisite enough to make many veteran Titled Douluo feel ashamed of their own skills.
Looking at the various expressions of shock, gravity, and curiosity on the faces of those around him, Huo Yuhao smiled indifferently.
He did not waste time with excessive pleasantries or buildup, cutting straight to the point: "You have all likely seen the invitation sent by the Spirit Pagoda. As for the innovation mentioned in the invitation that can change the existing Spirit Master system, I presume you are all very curious, perhaps even a bit skeptical?"
The crowd did not reply, but all eyes were firmly locked on Huo Yuhao, waiting for what he had to say next.
Facing the crowd's gaze, Huo Yuhao felt no nervousness or timidity.
He just smiled faintly, cleared his throat, and said in a clear voice: "As everyone knows, if a Spirit Master wants to break through a Bottleneck and improve their cultivation, they must absorb a spirit ring. And the so-called Spirit Soul is a substitute for the spirit ring."
As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of whispers erupted around him. Although they had mentally prepared themselves for grand claims like "changing the Spirit Master system" when they received the invitation, they never expected that this Spirit Soul would actually be a direct replacement for the spirit ring.
If a Spirit Soul could truly replace a spirit ring, it would indeed be an epoch-making innovation for the entire Spirit Master system.
It was just unclear what the merits of this so-called Spirit Soul were, and how it differed from a traditional spirit ring.
Suddenly, the noise of the crowd's discussion vanished completely, and all eyes were fixed directly above Huo Yuhao's head.
There, a giant silvery-white eyeball suddenly appeared. It was the size of a washbasin, perfectly spherical, and its surface shimmered with a cold, silvery-white luster.
Behind it trailed several long, slender, and flexible tentacles. These tentacles drifted and stretched wantonly in the air, each one emitting a faint silvery light.
Xiao Yin's giant single eye was filled with undisguised pride, and it thought triumphantly, "Master truly loves me best!"
"There are so many Spirit Souls in the Spiritual Sea, yet Master chose to give me the opportunity for the first public appearance."
"What is this called?"
"This is called favoritism!"
Meanwhile, in the crowd, Ma Zhong of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy recognized it almost immediately as an Evil Eye; this was a Spirit Beast unique to the Sun Moon Empire.
This large silvery-white eyeball was clearly a high-rank Evil Eye with an extremely pure Bloodline. What shocked him even more was that this Evil Eye had ten tentacles trailing behind it; the age of this Evil Eye had actually reached eighty thousand years.
Huo Yuhao ignored the rising exclamations and discussions below and continued to introduce it to everyone: "This is a Spirit Soul. During the process of Spirit Soul Fusion, the Soul of the Spirit Beast is completely preserved."
"A Spirit Soul can provide a Spirit Master with a Spirit Beast partner that shares a mental connection and coordinates perfectly..."
Subsequently, during Huo Yuhao's explanation, he detailed the characteristics and advantages of Spirit Souls, while the people present gradually realized just how revolutionary the advantages of Spirit Souls were compared to traditional spirit rings.
After a brief silence, the entire hall erupted once again with discussions even more intense than before.
After a long while, the surrounding discussions gradually subsided.
When everyone converged their gaze on Huo Yuhao again, their expressions had changed significantly, with an added touch of fervent emotion!
Just then, an aged and resonant voice suddenly rang out from the crowd: "What are the conditions for Spirit Soul Fusion? What is the success rate?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the speaker was an elderly man with gray hair.
He was wearing a simple gray cloth robe and looked like an ordinary neighborly old man. However, when he raised his eyes, a heart-palpitating glint occasionally flashed in his seemingly cloudy old eyes.
Those who recognized the old man's identity had their pupils shrink slightly, and they lowered their voices to say: "It is the Phantom Dragon Douluo of the Heavenly Soul Empire."
Phantom Dragon Douluo, Grand Elder of the Heavenly Soul Empire, a level-97 Super Douluo. Looking at the entire continent, he was one of the few people standing at the very pinnacle of the pyramid, and perhaps the one with the highest Spirit Power cultivation among all the forces that had come to observe the ceremony.
Standing side by side next to the Phantom Dragon Douluo were two young figures.
One was a woman with a slender figure and a beautiful, refined appearance. Her features were exquisite and three-dimensional, and her temperament was noble and composed. She was Princess Weina of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
The other was a tall and sturdy young man with striking, fiery red hair. He was Long Aotian, the current Young Sect Master of the Body Sect, and also Princess Weina's fiancé.
Long Aotian was currently looking up, staring fixedly at the large silvery-white eyeball above Huo Yuhao's head. His eyes, usually unbridled and unruly, were now filled with astonishment.
He couldn't help but shout in his heart: "Master, oh Master, you really should have come in person. If you had seen this with your own eyes, you wouldn't be spouting nonsense about 'bullshit Spirit Souls'."
Huo Yuhao turned to look at the gray-haired, imposing old man in the crowd and answered in a clear voice: "At this stage, only Spirit Masters with a cultivation of Spirit King or higher can undergo Spirit Soul Fusion."
"As for the success rate, it can be stably maintained at over eighty percent."
He paused, swept his gaze slowly across the surrounding crowd, and added: "Among you all present, there should be some who happen to need a spirit ring, right? You can try it on the spot."
"Hearing is believing, seeing is reality. No matter how much is said, it is not as convincing as experiencing it personally."
This had indeed been specifically mentioned in the invitations sent to various parties, so many forces had actually brought along their own Students or Disciples who had just reached a Bottleneck when they sent their representatives to observe the ceremony.
At this moment, as soon as Huo Yuhao said this, the crowd instantly exploded. Arms were raised in a scramble, accompanied by shouts of "Me! Me! Me!"
Huo Yuhao's gaze swept quickly through the crowd, and he raised his hand to point casually three times, saying succinctly: "This one, this one, and this one."
He only selected three people, one of whom naturally included Wang Donger, the insider who had long been pre-selected.
Wang Donger was relatively calm when her name was called; she just nodded slightly and walked out of the crowd.
One of the other two came from the Heavenly Dragon Gate. His name was Yu Tianxing, a burly young man with a resolute face, his face flushed with excitement.
The other came from the Star Luo Empire Spirit Master Academy. Her name was Shao Min, a seemingly quiet woman wearing silver-rimmed glasses.
While full of excitement, both of them also felt a bit uneasy.
Looking at their excited yet nervous expressions, Huo Yuhao smiled and reassured them: "Don't be nervous, relax. Even if the Fusion fails, it won't cause any harm to the Spirit Master."
"Since the Spirit Pagoda dared to invite you all to observe the ceremony, we naturally have absolute confidence."
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.