Chapter 13 – The Echo of the Sovereign
Inside the Supreme Pontiff's private study, Bibi Dong looked over the final draft of Lakan's research. Beside her stood Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
"He wants this kept strictly within the Hall," Bibi Dong noted, her voice low. "He writes that if the Heaven Dou Empire or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect learns of the Tide-Flow, our advantage in 'Spirit Master Quantity' will vanish within a decade."
"The boy is wise beyond his years, Your Majesty," Yue Guan added, his eyes sparkling. "He even asked me to use my Velvet Sky-Chrysanthemum flames to refine the Whale Glue. He found that only high-purity solar fire can melt the impurities without destroying the medicinal essence. We've already begun a small batch for the elite guards."
Bibi Dong nodded. "The Continent is a chessboard. Lakan has just given us a second row of Queens."
The Elder's Hall
While Bibi Dong managed the exterior, the Elder's Hall was buzzing with a different energy. Qian Daoliu, the High Priest, held a copy of the same report. He didn't care for the politics, but he cared for the strength of the Seraphim bloodline.
"Whale Glue... Meridians... Internal Energy," Daoliu whispered, standing before the massive Angel statue. "This Lakan Diwa... he is rediscovering the foundations of the world."
He turned to a messenger. "Send this research immediately to Xue'er in the Heaven Dou Capital. Tell her it is a gift from the Hall. She must cultivate the Tide-Flow in secret. With her innate talent and these methods, her disguise will become even more impenetrable as her soul power density outstrips all other princes."
Golden Crocodile took the job himself as a side from the Great Priest and Bibi Dong, only he has the Spiritual Power enough to use the Spirit Communication to transmit thoughts directly over these long distances instanteniously.
Heaven Dou City
In the quiet luxury of the Crown Prince's palace, Qian Renxue (disguised as Xue Qinghe) unrolled the secret scroll sent by her grandfather. She spent the entire night reading it.
"Lakan Diwa... a child of six?" Renxue thought, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the detailed drawings of the Baybayin Scripture Lakan used to label the meridian points. "He claims that the 'trash' of the sea can strengthen a person's bones to the level of Spirit Beasts. And this Tide-Flow... it's so simple, yet it fixes the inefficiencies in my own circulation."
She felt a rare prickle of competitive spirit. "I am the successor of the Seraphim, yet this boy is rewriting the laws of cultivation. I need to meet him. If he is a genius, I will make him mine. If he is a threat... I will have to see."
She closed the scroll, her hand glowing with a faint holy light. "But first... let's see if this 'Whale Glue' really works."
The Laboratory
Back in Wuhun City, Lakan was not resting. He had turned his private workshop into a blend of a forge and a temple. He was Rank 30, but he had refused to hunt for a ring yet.
"The current system is wasteful," Lakan thought, looking at a piece of Kamagong-equivalent wood (Spirit-Ironwood) he had found in the Hall's treasury. "Killing a beast for a ring is a primitive exchange. The Baybayin scrolls speak of 'Awakening the Anito.' If I can use the Sacrifice of the First Draw and Spirit Feeding, perhaps I can bind a beast's soul to a tool or a person without killing the host."
He began sketching the first designs for what would become the Soul Spirit Tool.
The Core is a Kalasag-style shield made of Spirit-Ironwood and Carabao-Horn equivalents (Mountain-Bull plates).
For the Inscription, he will be using Almáciga Resin mixed with his own vibrant Soul Power to etch Baybayin protective runes.
The Goal is to create a vessel that can "house" a spirit, allowing a Soul Master to gain a "Ring" from a living partner rather than a dead one.
He looked at a Buntot Pagi (Stingray Tail) equivalent—the Thunder-Lash Vine—sitting on his workbench. It was believed to repel evil spirits.
"Ling Yue," Lakan called out to the Golden Kite Douluo, who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him with a mix of boredom and awe.
"Yes, little monster?"
"I need you to find me a beast that is willing to talk," Lakan said, his eyes glowing with a sharp, innovative light. "I'm tired of the old rituals. I want to try a 'Sacrifice of the First Draw.' If I'm going to reach Rank 40, I want my Third Ring to be a Soul Spirit, not just a memory."
Ling Yue straightened up, her expression serious. "A living ring? Lakan, if you pull this off, you won't just be the Sage of Spirit Hall. You'll be the man who ended the war between humans and beasts."
Lakan laughed, a breezy, easy going sound. "Hey, one step at a time! First, I need to make sure this resin doesn't explode in my face. Then, we save the world."