Inside the grand hall on the first floor of the Spirit Transmission Tower, the noise of the crowd was deafening.
Under the high soaring dome, crystal chandeliers cast soft light, illuminating the bustling throng of people. Soul masters dressed in various uniforms spoke in low voices. Occasionally, someone looked up at the massive soul powered screens embedded in the walls, which were cycling through the Spirit Transmission Tower's latest announcements.
Amidst this clamor, Nanaly stood beside an ornate carved pillar, her gaze falling on Huo Yuhao not far away. She tilted her head slightly and spoke with some surprise.
"It was one thing for you to see through me last time. That was my oversight. But how did you recognize me this time?"
Huo Yuhao smiled but did not answer.
Nanaly stared at him for a moment, then suddenly waved her hand. "Fine, fine. Since you don't want to say, I won't bother asking."
She lowered her voice and pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. "But about this councilor identity of mine... please continue to keep it a secret. In certain special situations, it can be very useful."
She blinked meaningfully, as if already picturing the comical scene of some unlucky attackers running into a brick wall.
Seeing Huo Yuhao nod slightly in agreement, Nanaly put on a smile and continued.
"All right, enough about that. I came to you because there are some things I want to discuss. Today, I am here as a representative of the Federation Council."
Huo Yuhao was somewhat surprised. "Apart from the worship ceremony for Spirit Ice Douluo, is there something else important?"
When speaking of the worship ceremony for Spirit Ice Douluo, his face showed no sign of anything unusual, which made Gu Yuena deeply admire him.
If she herself encountered such a bizarre situation, she feared it would be difficult for her to remain calm.
"It is important, but also not important. Consider it an Unofficial Survey. With your opinion as the next Tower Master, I can go back and report without having to deal with those Old Foxes. For the sake of me protecting you before, help me out this once."
Nanaly made a joke, then her tone turned serious. "Do you think that with the Spirit Transmission Tower's current technology, spirit souls can be made available to ordinary people?"
Huo Yuhao frowned. "Your Majesty means allowing people who are not soul masters to obtain spirit souls?"
Truly... Pokémon?
The Federation has such ideas?
Are you planning to form a Pokémon League? Is Team Rocket going to show up one day too?
While Huo Yuhao was silently complaining, Nanaly explained.
"Yes. Right now, spirit souls are all cooperating with soul masters. They are important partners in a soul master's advancement. Very few spirit souls are held by ordinary people."
"But as the times develop, other voices have begun to rise among ordinary people."
In Nanaly's understanding, spirit souls had originally been a solution designed by Spirit Ice Douluo to bring spirit beasts and humans toward peace. And after ten thousand years of evolution, spirit souls had already fulfilled their historical mission.
They each played the roles of partners, elders, and inheritors in soul master families. On the streets, one could see scenes of them walking side by side with soul masters. In families, one could see spirit soul ancestors scolding their unworthy descendants. On the competition grounds of spirit soul tournaments, one could see young soul masters and their spirit soul partners working up a sweat together.
These small moments formed a tapestry of human and spirit soul coexistence. They might no longer be substitutes for spirit rings, but they had become family closer than blood.
As one spirit soul ancestor often said, "Contracts can be signed and can be dissolved. But the years we have walked together cannot be erased by anyone."
Yet precisely because of the success of spirit souls, their existence continued to radiate charm to another vast group of people.
When ordinary children saw soul masters and spirit souls fighting together in competitions, when they saw spirit souls and soul masters playing together on the streets, how could they not be envious? Would their parents not wish to have a long lived presence in their home to protect the family?
Of course they would.
By now, more and more ordinary people had begun to question why such a miraculous existence could only be bound to soul masters. Was there no way for ordinary people to obtain spirit souls too?
Of course, there were also opponents who believed that spirit souls were only safe when they were with soul masters. If they were separated, that might not be the case. But after ten thousand years, spirit souls had fully integrated into human life. These voices seemed very insignificant in comparison, far less loud than the voices advocating for settling spirit souls in ordinary households.
This had led to a topic appearing in the Federation Council on whether to open up the channels for purchasing spirit souls and allow ordinary people to hold them. Activities like the Spirit Ice Ceremony made these voices even louder, which was why Nanaly had come to ask Huo Yuhao for his opinion.
After describing the situation in detail, Nanaly smiled. "Share your thoughts. Speak freely. I was just joking earlier. I will consider your opinion, but I will also seek out the opinions of Tower Master Snow Empress and the others."
Only Huo Yuhao's opinion? That was naturally impossible. His talent at present was enough to shock anyone. But when it came to spirit soul research and politics, that was another matter entirely.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not right now. There are too many issues involved. Setting aside other problems, Your Majesty should know why spirit souls must continuously form contracts with soul masters, correct?"
Nanaly nodded. "Yes. Because spirit souls have lost their physical bodies. Without a body to nourish them, their souls are like Rootless Duckweed. They need a soul master to warm and nurture them on their behalf."
Although becoming a spirit soul was a less harmful method for spirit beasts compared to directly becoming a spirit ring, and they retained much more, spirit souls ultimately still had to abandon something, their physical bodies.
"After becoming a spirit soul, without the support of a flesh and blood body, their souls will gradually weaken over time and eventually dissipate."
Nanaly answered. "Therefore, spirit souls need to form contracts with soul masters, using their Sea of Spirit to warm and nurture themselves. Otherwise, their consciousness will gradually blur and eventually return to nothingness."
Spiritual items and treasured places capable of nourishing souls were very rare. But with the method of Body Nurturing Spirit, in the absence of such things, forming contracts with humans was another option.
Even a deity's divine consciousness would dissipate without replenishment, let alone spirit souls.
This was also why Inherited Spirit Souls had to form contracts with humans at regular intervals. If becoming a spirit soul meant eternal life, then spirit souls with high intelligence would have no need to form contracts with humans either.
However, the Spirit Elevation Platform of the Spirit Transmission Tower could nourish spirit souls, making it an exception.
"Exactly. This is the biggest problem. Ordinary people cannot nourish spirit souls. Although the Spirit Soul Ball can preserve spirit souls and limit their decline to some extent, you cannot keep spirit souls locked inside there forever."
Moreover, ordinary people were not "Super Arata." If some safety incidents occurred, spirit souls might gain a bad reputation.
After all, the differences between spirit souls and Pokémon were quite significant. Directly copying the system from the Pokémon world would instead cause problems.
Furthermore, how more people would use spirit souls if they obtained them was also a problem. Currently, when soul masters caused trouble, mecha corps sometimes needed to be deployed to handle it. If everyone suddenly possessed spirit souls and gained supernatural abilities without a proper regulatory body, it would cause chaos.
"As expected." Nanaly's expression looked very calm. "I also think this proposal has no feasibility for now. But listing the problems one by one requires professionals like you at the Spirit Transmission Tower."
What she needed was a report that outlined the technical difficulties in a way ordinary people could understand, preferably provided officially by the Spirit Transmission Tower. That way, it might temporarily quiet those voices.
Spirit souls entering everyone's homes was not achievable for the time being.
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow slightly. "I have heard that some people are smuggling spirit souls through various means. If access channels are further opened, more spirit souls will be harmed. Isn't that reason enough?"
Nanaly said, "..."
Seeing Nanaly suddenly fall silent, Huo Yuhao slowly narrowed his eyes.
So the matter of smuggling spirit souls involved many people.
"It is not surprising that someone with your status knows about this." Nanaly sighed. "But the world is not simply Black and White. Too many people are involved here, too many and too varied."
There were quite a few people smuggling spirit souls. Some did it for profit. Some did it to "prevent" war. Some wanted to use spirit souls to place spies on the other two continents.
Such matters could not be exposed.
...
While Huo Yuhao and Nanaly were conversing, on the other side, Snow Empress, at the invitation of Saint Spirit Douluo, had temporarily left the crowd.
Snow Empress followed Saint Spirit Douluo as she slowly walked to a relatively quiet place. Then she heard a telepathic message from Saint Spirit Douluo. "Your Majesty Snow Empress, may I ask if your disciple, Huo Yuhao, is a being similar to myself? I can sense Faith Power on him."
Even Limit Douluo would have difficulty understanding the existence of Faith Power. Otherwise, those Limit Douluo would not have been unable to find an opportunity for advancement.
Yet she had perceived some Faith Power in a child like Huo Yuhao. This was clearly abnormal.
Something that many Limit Douluo did not have, how could a child achieve it? Simple admiration for a powerful figure or genius could not grant one Faith Power. The only possibilities Saint Spirit Douluo could think of were that Huo Yuhao was similar to her, or that he had performed some great feat.
Upon hearing this, Snow Empress smiled slightly. "Since Your Majesty Saint Spirit already has a conjecture, why ask me?"
Saint Spirit Douluo said gently, "It is nothing. It is just that today's special day gave rise to some incredible guesses, so I wanted to seek clarification."
"Just as you guessed, he is similar to you."
"Is that so? I understand."
Saint Spirit Douluo and Snow Empress exchanged a glance. She simply nodded silently, thanked her gently, and her expression revealed nothing of her true thoughts.
"To have obtained such an outstanding disciple, Your Majesty Snow Empress must be very gratified, I imagine."
"Naturally."
The two exchanged a few more brief words. Saint Spirit Douluo gracefully inclined her body, a gentle smile on her lips, and took her leave.
She still wanted to speak with Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was still conversing with Nanaly when he suddenly sensed a gentle gaze fall upon him. He looked up and saw Saint Spirit Douluo approaching slowly, her expression serene.
"I am not interrupting, am I?"
"Your Majesty Saint Spirit!" Nanaly bowed respectfully. "Of course not. Please, go ahead."
Saint Spirit Douluo nodded slightly and turned her gaze to Huo Yuhao, speaking gently.
"Could I have a word in private?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Certainly."
Nanaly tactfully stepped back. "Then I will go pay my respects to the Tower Masters. You two talk slowly."
After Nanaly left, Saint Spirit Douluo used her spirit power to create a barrier. She looked at Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena and smiled lightly. "Do you know about my experiences?"
"Did Your Majesty Saint Spirit not just recount them before the spirit tablet?"
"I mean regarding the advancement of my spirit power."
Saint Spirit Douluo lightly touched her chest with her fingertip. A faint golden light began to circulate in her palm.
"In terms of pure cultivation talent, I am actually inferior to those soul master prodigies. But my martial soul can absorb Faith Power to increase spirit power."
Huo Yuhao said, "..."
Your words are similar in effect to what Soul-Calming said earlier.
I think many so-called genius soul masters would gladly trade lives with you.
"However, even though I knew I could enhance myself through Faith Power, my spirit power cultivation speed was not as fast as one might imagine. When I was thirty years old, I was still a Soul Emperor. Compared to the cultivation speed of many soul masters, it was not fast. Advancing to Titled Douluo happened when I was in my forties."
Saint Spirit Douluo's tone was gentle. "But I personally am very happy. Because my slow cultivation speed indirectly reflects that there is not so much suffering in this world."
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered.
He remembered that in the original timeline, Saint Spirit Douluo had been around a Soul Sage at thirty and had become a Titled Douluo in her thirties as well.
It was much slower now.
But upon careful thought, Huo Yuhao did not find it strange.
Saint Spirit Douluo had originally been born in a slum. But now, she was born in an ordinary village. The slum of the past had long since transformed dramatically due to the efforts of generation after generation.
And between a slum and an ordinary village, which place produced more injured and sick? The answer was clearly the former.
Moreover, although Saint Spirit Douluo had only taken one year to go from Soul Sage to Titled Douluo, that was the result of her running around treating patients during a plague fifty years ago. That time, she had exhausted herself to save people, nearly dying. As a result, she had received a vast amount of Faith Power, advancing directly from Soul Sage to Titled Douluo.
But this time, during that plague, the Emerald Swans and Bi Ji had intervened. Saint Spirit Douluo had not needed to burn herself out, nor had it been her turn to burn herself out. By the time she had finished treating the patients in one town, the plague had already been suppressed.
From this single example, as Saint Spirit Douluo herself had said, the world had become better, and her cultivation speed had naturally slowed down as a result.
Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao's expression turned peculiar.
Was she treating him as the same type as herself and imparting life experiences?
Sure enough, Saint Spirit Douluo continued. "I have heard that you are in a similar situation to mine. If things continue as they are now, the path of enhancing oneself through Faith Power is not that simple. I hope you prepare yourself mentally."
At the end, Saint Spirit Douluo thought for a moment, then took out her soul communicator and a soul powered light screen. She broke into a smile. "Regarding the use of Faith Power, I might be able to offer you some guidance. If you encounter confusion, you can ask me."
Although Snow Empress had said that, she was still somewhat puzzled in her heart.
As someone who had participated in the Spirit Ice Ceremony before, Saint Spirit Douluo had long noticed that something here seemed to be collecting Faith Power. But she was not a member of the Spirit Transmission Tower, and such matters had nothing to do with her, so she had not thought much about it in the past.
But during today's worship, the Faith Power that should have been collected by the unknown object... some of it seemed to drift toward Huo Yuhao.
Why was that?
***
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(End of Chapter)