"How did you know?" Gu Yuena was both surprised and a little disappointed. Yun Ze was too smart—so smart that almost nothing could stump him. Testing him was simply too difficult.
"This isn't hard to guess," Yun Ze replied casually. "I have no connection whatsoever with Leng Yaozhu, and you wouldn't deliberately bring me up to her. Normally, she shouldn't even know I exist.
"But she still came here for me. With a little thought, I can only conclude it's because of my martial soul awakening. If I'm not mistaken, she probably wants to take me as her disciple."
"You guessed right again. She does have that idea," Gu Yuena said with some admiration.
"I knew you wouldn't agree, so I didn't mention your situation to her yet. I wanted to ask your opinion first."
Yun Ze's expression stayed calm and indifferent as he asked, "Then why do you want me to meet her?"
"For the benefits, of course," Gu Yuena said cheerfully. "She's the Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Transmission Tower, with a lot of authority. From what I know of her, even if you don't acknowledge her as your master, she'll still give you benefits.
"I want to help you secure the qualification to challenge the main Spirit Ascension Platform at headquarters, and also to ascend there. The soul spirits there are of higher quality—absorbing one will be much more beneficial for your strength."
Her voice was bright and lively, her hands clasped behind her back, occasionally even hopping like an energetic little girl.
In front of others, she was always cold and aloof. This playful side only appeared when she was with Yun Ze.
The Spirit Transmission Tower's Spirit Ascension Platforms weren't only at headquarters—large cities generally had their own. But the headquarters' platform was far more effective.
As for "challenging the tower," simply put, it was a trial-based method of obtaining a soul spirit. It gave more choices, and the quality of the soul spirits was generally higher.
"I'm guessing that battle video has already spread. Leng Yaozhu will see it sooner or later and come to Sun Moon Royal Academy to find me," Yun Ze said.
"Since we'll be meeting anyway, we might as well meet sooner. Tomorrow, set a time with her, and I'll go with you."
"Alright," Gu Yuena agreed.
The two returned to their rooms. Gu Yuena immediately contacted Leng Yaozhu to arrange a meeting for the next day.
Yun Ze sat cross-legged in cultivation. Soul power surged toward him at an incredible speed, his training rapid. He cultivated until around two or three in the morning.
After awakening his martial soul, he needed less sleep—just a few hours kept him full of energy, without any fatigue.
His training strengthened both soul power and spirit, so naturally, staying up late didn't tire him mentally.
At his current age—just over six—he still needed some rest. But in a few years, even staying up all night wouldn't exhaust him.
The next morning, they went to the academy as usual—one to class, the other to the library—meeting for lunch.
After yesterday's battle, Yun Ze had already become the academy's rising star, drawing a lot of attention along the way.
Many girls even came up to greet him, but Yun Ze dealt with them coolly, ignoring their advances.
He paid no mind to people's attention, going about his day as usual. His indifference was like a bucket of cold water, dousing much of the enthusiasm. Fewer people came to bother him after that.
That evening, Gu Yuena brought Yun Ze to a high-end restaurant to meet Leng Yaozhu.
Once she learned that the person Gu Yuena brought was indeed Yun Ze, Leng Yaozhu was both surprised and delighted, immediately asking to take him as a disciple.
Yun Ze and Gu Yuena worked together smoothly again—Yun Ze already had a teacher and politely refused.
Leng Yaozhu was visibly disappointed but accepted it. Even so, she remained kind toward Yun Ze.
Part of it was her appreciation for his talent, and part was because he was Gu Yuena's friend. Either way, it made sense to treat him well.
"Teacher, I'd like to ask for qualification for Yun Ze to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform and to challenge the tower," Gu Yuena said directly.
"You little rascal—bringing Yun Ze to see me today, don't tell me it was just for this," Leng Yaozhu said with a knowing smile.
As she spoke, she took out two tokens—one engraved with the words "Spirit Ascension," the other with the character "Leng."
"For Spirit Ascension, just present this token—it will grant you entry to any Spirit Ascension Platform.
"If you want to challenge the tower at headquarters, present this one." Leng Yaozhu briefly explained their uses.
"Thank you," Yun Ze said, noting this small favor in his mind.
"Thank you, Teacher," Gu Yuena echoed.
"You two…" Leng Yaozhu glanced at Gu Yuena with a helpless smile before turning to Yun Ze.
"There's no need for thanks. Both Spirit Ascension and tower challenge qualifications are for gifted soul masters, and you clearly meet the requirements. Giving you these tokens is only natural."
She paused, her expression growing more serious. "Yun Ze, I know you refused to join the Spirit Transmission Tower before, and by rights, I shouldn't press you about it.
"But your talent moves not just me, but the entire Spirit Transmission Tower. So, I'll ask again—are you willing to join us?"
Yun Ze shook his head without hesitation. "I'm sorry, but my family is planning to come out of seclusion and has already established its own power. I can't join another force."
"Your family is coming out of seclusion?" Leng Yaozhu asked, looking to Gu Yuena for confirmation.
Gu Yuena nodded. "Yes, the decision was made long ago, but before, we were still testing the waters, keeping a low profile.
"After years of preparation, the family has set its development path and plans to truly emerge.
"Once that happens, family members will no longer be allowed to join other factions—they must contribute to the family's power.
"I'm from a branch family, so the rules for me aren't so strict. Even if I join another faction, I'm not forced to leave it.
"But Yun Ze is from the main line, the young master of the family, so the requirements for him are strict—he absolutely can't join any other forces."
Of course, this was pure fabrication—the two had discussed this story beforehand.
"In that case, I won't press you," Leng Yaozhu said, a bit regretfully.
"By the way, what's the name of your family's power? If needed, the Spirit Transmission Tower can offer some support."
"Dragon Phoenix Hall."
"Dragon Phoenix Hall…" Leng Yaozhu repeated, committing the name to memory.
…
Bi Ji's efficiency was remarkable. In just three days, she had found the building they needed.
It was in the southwest of Sun Moon Royal Academy, about a kilometer away, in a bustling commercial district. The location was excellent, though very expensive.
Buying the ten-story building cost a full 1.3 billion federal coins—a hefty price.
Once purchased, renovations began immediately. The first floor would become a forge, the second an apothecary, and the third an alchemy room.
Floors four through nine would be converted into individual rooms for rest, and the top floor would be a comprehensive workshop for Yun Ze—capable of forging, soul tool crafting, and mecha manufacturing.
For them, progress mattered more than money. They poured 400 million into renovations and outsourced everything, demanding completion within a month.
The saying "money makes the world go round" proved true—once the funds were in place, work progressed at lightning speed.
A job that should have taken several months was finished in just twenty-four days—more than a 70% reduction in time.