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"Frost Crow, activate!"
The training model was a purely manual mecha. Gu La pushed the control lever forward, making the mech take two steps. As he gradually grew more familiar with its controls, he began to experiment further.
"Run, jump!"
"Backflip!"
Even though it was just a training model, perfect mastery of the "Frost Crow" could unleash combat power equivalent to that of an ordinary Soul King. After all, a three-meter-tall, fully metallic construct moving around naturally possessed formidable strength.
"Boom!"
Amidst the deafening roar of grinding metal joints, the silver-gray mecha traced a flawless Z-shaped zigzag across the training field.
Through the holographic viewport, Gu La closely monitored the rapidly fluctuating data streams. His left hand danced across the twelve-key control panel like a butterfly in flight. The Frost Crow's unique condensation system kept the cockpit perpetually shrouded in mist, but it couldn't suppress the sweat evaporating from his palms.
"Thruster output at 65%, joint torque overclocked by 20%—" The electronic voice suddenly shifted to a piercing alarm. Gu La grinned and forcefully shoved the control lever to its maximum limit.
The three-meter-tall steel giant abruptly twisted its waist mid-sprint. Azure soul power erupted from the dark gold-coated knee joints, propelling the entire mech into a double-and-a-half somersault in the air. Upon landing, the hydraulic shock absorbers slammed into the ground, creating a spiderweb of cracks.
"Feels awesome."
With his already impressive physical strength, the pressure of piloting the mech wasn't much for Gu La, and he quickly became proficient. "It feels… like there's a gaming-like thrill to it compared to real combat."
"Immature."
A clear, cold voice pierced through the soundproofing of the cockpit. Gu Yue had somehow leaned against the titanium alloy doorframe, arms crossed, watching Gu La with a detached expression.
The mech paused, and the cockpit opened. Gu La squinted, his tone teasing: "Junior Sister—shouldn't you call me Senior Brother? Perhaps I should teach you what privacy means."
Knowing she wasn't a match for him, Gu Yue ignored Gu La's provocation. Though aware of human geniuses' talents, she was accelerating the unlocking of her own powers. Still, surpassing Gu La overnight was impossible.
"The teacher is calling us. You don't have to come if you don't want to."
With that, Gu Yue teleported away.
"Heh."
Gu La wasn't foolish enough to fall for such bait and instantly followed her using teleportation.
---
On the top floor, a document lay on Leng Yaozhu's desk—it was Gu La's forged noble identity papers, which contained some inconsistencies. However, given Gu La's extraordinary talent, these were negligible.
Speaking of which, Gu Yue and the family behind her were far more suspicious. But Leng Yaozhu didn't dwell on it. With the Leng family's declining influence, if she didn't take disciples to inherit the family's status, would she let the Spirit Pagoda become a one-sided stronghold for the Qiangu family?
"Teacher."
Gu Yue entered, with Gu La close behind.
Leng Yaozhu looked up at her two disciples, her expression softening. "I called you here to inform you that I've designated you both as core disciples of the Spirit Pagoda."
"But even as the deputy tower master, I only have one official core disciple slot. If we're to make an exception and grant you both the resources and cultivation of core disciples, you'll need to pass a test."
Gu Yue's expression shifted. Gu La asked, "Teacher, what are the benefits of becoming a core disciple?"
Leng Yaozhu paused, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You shouldn't bury yourself in your workshop all day. Learn from your junior sister and stay informed about the inner workings of the Spirit Pagoda—it'll be beneficial for your future."
Gu La nodded dismissively. He barely had enough time for cultivation, let alone navigating social obligations. If Gu Yue wanted to pursue power, she could busy herself with it—he just needed to keep her in check.
Seeing Gu La's lack of interest, Leng Yaozhu didn't press further. As long as Gu La continued to grow stronger, he would naturally acquire the power he needed.
"My disciples are my own to cultivate. However, the Spirit Pagoda's core disciples are nurtured with the full resources of the Pagoda's heritage, preparing them as the next generation of high-ranking successors."
"For instance, the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul I gave you earlier—I, as the deputy tower master, had to pay a price to take it. But as a core disciple, if you can fuse with it, you wouldn't need to pay anything to claim the Golden Ancient Tree."
"More importantly, the tower master will only choose from among the core disciples. In the main headquarters' Spirit Pagoda, there are hundred-thousand-year spirit souls and soul bones left behind by our predecessors—only core disciples have a chance to obtain them."
"Additionally, if you wish to hybridize spirit souls to replace soul rings, it requires not only resources but also status and authority. Ideally, you'd have control over a few laboratories of your own."
"…Teacher, stop listing things. Just tell me what you want me to do."
Gu La communicated with the Golden Ancient Tree in his spiritual sea, which he had named "Jin Gu", symbolizing precious plants and continuity. "Jin Gu, my fourth soul skill must evolve into a real clone technique—I'm getting overwhelmed."
Seeing her distracted disciple, Leng Yaozhu tapped him lightly on the head. "You're still too young to be showcased publicly. I'm telling you this because I'll be implementing special training for you both soon. Don't complain about how tough it'll be."
"Especially you, Gu La. There's no need to handle everything yourself. Human energy is limited; keeping your nerves too tight isn't healthy. Delegate tasks to others."
Gu La insisted, "Teacher, there's no need to persuade me. When I feel my energy waning, I'll certainly let go of some things. Until then, I want to learn as much as I can."
Leng Yaozhu sighed. Unable to sway him, she could only let him be.
She rose and said, "Follow me. I've prepared a gift for you, Gu La, and I won't show favoritism. Gu Yue, you can look forward to the gift I've prepared for you."
Gu Yue's expression remained indifferent. "Whatever you give me, Teacher, I'll like it."
Gu La glanced at her, detecting no trace of genuine enthusiasm.
Leng Yaozhu felt the same way. Her two disciples seemed a bit off—one overly driven, as if someone were chasing her from behind, and the other excessively aloof, indifferent to everything.
She felt that being a teacher was truly difficult.
---
The trio arrived at a room in the middle level of the Spirit Pagoda. Opening the door revealed rows upon rows of spirit soul orbs.
"You mentioned being interested in spirit souls. High-grade spirit souls are the foundation of the Spirit Pagoda, so I can't give those to you. However, these discarded spirit souls and artificial spirit souls total over three hundred—you can study them yourself."
Leng Yaozhu watched as Gu Yue's previously cold eyes lit up with interest, feeling quite satisfied with her gift selection.
Teacher, you're so naive!
Gu La inwardly shook his head. Gu Yue's interest in spirit souls wasn't for the sake of humanity's benefit—she wanted to use spirit souls to revive spirit beasts and control humans.
"In the future, be careful when fusing spirit souls. At the very least, don't fuse any that Gu Yue has touched."
"Thank you, Teacher. I truly like these gifts."
Gu Yue expressed her gratitude sincerely, a rare smile appearing on her face. She had taken a solid first step toward achieving her goal of reviving spirit beasts.
Gu La silently calculated, "This didn't happen in the original timeline—or perhaps it did, but Gu Yue would need to become a messenger or even the tower master to gain access to all spirit souls."
"I need to keep her busy. Aren't you curious about the bloodline within Tang Wulin? I'll find an opportunity to expose it!"
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