Facing Ma Zhong's question, Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, "My three teachers are all unwilling to toil over worldly matters and have no interest in the position of Tower Master. Thus, although I am young and of humble virtue, I have temporarily taken the position of the Spirit Pagoda's first Tower Master."
Everyone was shocked once again upon hearing this. They hadn't expected Huo Yuhao, a youth who looked barely fifteen years old, to actually be the official Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda.
However, what caught their attention even more was another piece of information Huo Yuhao had inadvertently revealed just now. What did he mean by "three teachers"?
These shrewd figures immediately began calculating rapidly in their minds as a reflex. Weren't there only two Vice Tower Masters?
One was the Sky-Supporting Douluo, and the other was the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo. Then who on earth was this third teacher?
Could the Spirit Pagoda be hiding a third Limit Douluo?
Huo Yuhao knew very well that too much of a good thing could be counterproductive, so this so-called opening ceremony of the Spirit Pagoda did not actually last very long.
He only needed to truthfully display the power of Spirit Souls, and the major forces would naturally beg to cooperate with the Spirit Pagoda afterward.
After everything concluded, the various forces returned to their respective residences in Star Luo City, but not a single one packed their bags to leave immediately.
The representatives of all sides stayed behind tacitly, either staying behind closed doors or moving about frequently. They were clearly racking their brains, thinking of how to board the Spirit Pagoda's express train as quickly as possible, which was enough to change the future landscape of the continent.
However, the three from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy did not leave the Spirit Pagoda with the crowd. Instead, they received a private invitation from Huo Yuhao and were led to the spacious and bright Tower Master's office on the top floor of the Spirit Pagoda.
Ma Zhong sat down on the soft sofa with the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. Jin Li busied herself pouring steaming hot fragrant tea for them before sensibly leaving the office.
From the moment Jin Li entered the room, Meng Hongchen's eyes seemed to be glued to her, her gaze following wherever Jin Li went.
As someone highly obsessed with looks, Meng Hongchen had no resistance to beautiful things. Whether it was a handsome man or a beautiful woman, as long as they looked good, she could stare at them for a long time.
Jin Li's lava-like golden-red long hair and her heroically beautiful face perfectly matched her aesthetic. Even after the office door was gently closed, she still smacked her lips, wanting more.
Xiao Hongchen glanced at his embarrassing younger sister and frowned unconsciously, ultimately deciding to pretend he hadn't seen anything.
He turned his gaze back to the calm and composed youth opposite him. After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "I didn't expect that after not seeing you for three years, you've actually become the Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda."
Xiao Hongchen was known as the Sun Moon Empire's number one Genius, so he was naturally used to being proud. The number of people this young master truly respected could be counted on one hand, and Huo Yuhao was clearly one of them.
He had been thoroughly defeated in the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament three years ago.
Back then, he could at least still see the other's back and felt that as long as he worked twice as hard, he would catch up sooner or later.
But now, he was just a student still studying step-by-step in the academy, while Huo Yuhao had already become the leader of a rising super force with limitless potential. With two Limit Douluos backing them, even the Beast God of the Star Dou Great Forest had established a partnership with the Spirit Pagoda.
This gap was simply like the difference between clouds and mud, giving Xiao Hongchen a sense of powerlessness for the first time in his life, feeling that no matter how hard he tried, he would never catch up.
Huo Yuhao stuck to his usual explanation, replying in a casual tone, "It's just that my teachers don't wish to make public appearances, which is why they pushed me into the position of Tower Master."
Xiao Hongchen shook his head noncommittally. He wasn't a fool, so he could naturally tell that Huo Yuhao's words carried an element of modesty.
However, he didn't bother to delve deeper and instead asked the question he had been holding in for a long time straight out: "So, what level has your Spirit Power cultivation reached now?"
Huo Yuhao merely smiled, picked up his teacup, took a gentle sip, and did not give a concrete answer.
It wasn't that he was afraid of exposing his true cultivation level, but rather that he feared telling him would deal too much of a blow to the other party.
Ma Zhong, who had remained silent the entire time, finally couldn't help himself and chimed in, "Tower Master Huo, let's not beat around the bush. Why did you specifically ask us to stay behind? What is it that you want?"
Huo Yuhao also put away his casual expression from his chat with Xiao Hongchen and spoke in a solemn tone, "I wonder if the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy would be willing to contribute to the promotion of the Spirit Soul technique?"
Ma Zhong was stunned upon hearing this. His eyes widened beneath his thick, rugged eyebrows, and he asked back in disbelief, "Tower Master Huo is willing to accept our Sun Moon Empire into the Spirit Pagoda?"
In his view, although the relationship between the Sun Moon Empire and the three original empires of Douluo could not be described as irreconcilable, they were definitely hostile, and friction between the two sides along the border had never truly ceased.
Moreover, the Spirit Soul technology displayed by the Spirit Pagoda today was enough to change the landscape of the entire Spirit Master system. Logically speaking, such core technology should be kept firmly in the hands of their own people.
He originally thought that even if the Spirit Pagoda were to expand, they would only prioritize the forces within the three original empires of Douluo, and he had never dared to hope that such a good thing would fall upon the Sun Moon Empire.
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded, his tone candid. "The Sun Moon Empire is also a part of the Douluo Continent. The promotion of Spirit Souls naturally cannot do without the participation of the Sun Moon Empire. The purpose of the Spirit Pagoda is to benefit the Spirit Masters of the entire continent, rather than being limited to a single nation or region."
Ma Zhong's heart shook upon hearing this. He had lived for so many years and met countless people, yet at this moment, he couldn't tell for a while whether Huo Yuhao's words were truly sincere and free of sectarian bias, or if he had other motives.
However, no matter what, as long as they could board the giant ship of the Spirit Pagoda that was about to set sail, it would be an incredibly wonderful thing for the Sun Moon Empire.
He immediately straightened his expression and said in a deep voice, "What does Tower Master Huo want us to do?"
Huo Yuhao had already prepared his thoughts and said directly, "The Spirit Pagoda has just been established, and the promotion of Spirit Souls has only just begun. If the Sun Moon Empire is interested in cooperating, you can choose a site in Radiant City to build a Spirit Pagoda, and join the Spirit Pagoda Council as an official member."
Ma Zhong wished he could agree on the spot, but he truly could not make the decision on such a major matter.
He quickly stood up, his tone urgent yet still maintaining the appropriate solemnity. "This matter is of great importance. I will set off immediately to return to Radiant City and report Tower Master Huo's proposal truthfully to the Dean. I believe he will not refuse to cooperate with the Spirit Pagoda."
Huo Yuhao knew it would turn out this way and smiled, "That would be for the best. If the Sun Moon side agrees to cooperate, I will personally make a trip to Radiant City afterward to discuss the relevant details face-to-face."
Hearing that Huo Yuhao would personally visit the Sun Moon Empire, the suspicion in Ma Zhong's heart dissipated a bit more.
He immediately said solemnly, "If Tower Master Huo is willing to personally visit Radiant City, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy will certainly welcome you with the highest courtesy."
With the official business settled, the two sides exchanged a few more polite, trivial pleasantries, and Ma Zhong stood up to take his leave with the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
Huo Yuhao watched the three of them disappear through the office door, then leaned his entire body heavily back into the soft cushions of the sofa. Closing his eyes, he let out a long breath as his mind began rapidly organizing his next plans.
Not just the Sun Moon Empire, but also Shrek City, the Dou Ling Empire, and the Heavenly Soul Empire—all of these places would gradually begin the construction of Spirit Pagodas.
This was called borrowing a hen to lay eggs. Since these forces wanted to join the Spirit Pagoda Council and enjoy the massive dividends brought by the Spirit Soul technique at the first opportunity, they had to pay some price. Providing money, land, and manpower was only natural.
As for why he contacted the Sun Moon Empire first, besides the fact that Yun Ming was about to travel far to the Sun Moon Empire to go undercover in the Holy Spirit Cult, there was a deeper reason: Huo Yuhao needed the Sun Moon Empire's rare metals.
The development of soul tool technology was inseparable from rare metals, and almost all of the continent's many rare mineral resources were concentrated within the borders of the Sun Moon Empire, firmly controlled by Mingde Hall.
Ma Zhong's previous worries were not actually wrong; Huo Yuhao indeed had other motives.
It was just that what he sought was not some underhanded conspiracy, but an open scheme laid out on the table.
If they wanted to join the Spirit Pagoda and enjoy the massive benefits brought by Spirit Soul technology, they would have to exchange it for the rare metals unique to the Sun Moon Empire. Surely Jing Hongchen would not refuse.
After all, the Sun Moon Empire had plenty of rare metals, but the Spirit Soul technique was a unique monopoly, the only one of its kind on the entire continent.
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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.