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When Tang San stepped out of the Pope's Hall, he ran into Hu Liena, who was there to visit her teacher. Noticing a black eye on Tang San's right eye, she couldn't help but be curious and a bit gleeful. "What trouble did you get into? Did the teacher hit you? Tell me about it."
"It's nothing, just a fall," Tang San replied, wiping his right eye with his hand. The black eye disappeared, leaving his face as good as new. "See, just some dust."
Hu Liena was speechless. Knowing his strong recovery ability, she might have believed him otherwise.
Although curious about what transpired between Tang San and her teacher, Hu Liena had matters to discuss with Bibi Dong and couldn't delay. "Don't leave yet. I need to talk to you in a bit."
"What's the matter? I'm quite busy," Tang San replied, indicating his need to study, forge, and split his mental power to collaborate with other Spirit Hall members. He also had to mentor others and had little time for other activities, unless they interested him.
"I'll explain later. I just need to deliver a report to the teacher. I'll be right back." Hu Liena dashed into the Pope's Hall, saying "right back," but it took an hour.
"What's the matter?" Tang San asked when she emerged.
"The teacher wants to recruit a large number of innate spirit soul masters for research. You need to film a video with me to serve as a promotional model," Hu Liena explained.
After pondering for a moment, Tang San agreed. It was clear Bibi Dong was aware of his plans involving Shen Hou, You Ji, and Hai Zhu, and she must have guessed he wanted to develop stronger body training methods through innate spirit soul research, hence her special attention.
How touching... not really!
Tang San disliked being in the spotlight. He participated in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament only to expand his influence, but being famous wasn't his goal. Still, since Hu Liena came to him, he had no choice but to comply. Appearing in the video would help recruit more innate spirit soul masters to Spirit City, facilitating his research and speeding up the completion of his Jade Bone Golden Muscle Divine Reserve Technique.
"Here, Holy Son, this is your script." The director responsible for filming promotional videos for Spirit Hall handed a script to Tang San, respectfully asking, "Do you see anything that needs changing?"
"For the future of Spirit Hall, for the glory of Spirit Hall, for the brilliance of Spirit Hall, for the... Why so many praises? It's too long-winded." Tang San couldn't read any further. "To someone unfamiliar, it might seem like filler. I suggest simplifying it to: 'For the future of the entire continent, Spirit Hall sincerely invites all innate spirit soul masters to volunteer. We will offer generous benefits and compensation.'"
"That should suffice. It's concise and easy to understand."
"Innate spirit soul masters are rare and often impoverished. Rather than talking in vague terms, directly stating the benefits and salary will be more effective."
The director gave a thumbs up and praised, "Brilliant, Holy Son!"
"Let's get started," Tang San said, eager not to waste time. The director immediately arranged the appropriate backdrop and props for the shoot. Several male soul masters even bared their muscles to assist in the "research" demonstration.
While Tang San was filming, Hu Liena took out another soul guidance camera to record the behind-the-scenes footage, chuckling, "This is blackmail material. It's a must-have for the collection!"
Ten minutes later, the filming was complete. Tang San saw Hu Liena smiling at the camera's small screen and took it from her, checking the footage. Besides his recent shoot, it included embarrassing moments of Xie Yue, Yan, and even Bibi Dong. His expression turned peculiar. "I never expected the Holy Maiden to record others' embarrassing moments, including her own teacher's. That's quite rebellious."
"Give it back!" Hu Liena quickly snatched the camera, blushing furiously. "I warn you, don't spread this, or I'll be too embarrassed to face the teacher!"
"Secrets are meant to be discovered," Tang San said with a meaningful look. He even suspected that Bibi Dong was aware of Hu Liena's little secrets but simply didn't mind, treating her like a daughter.
"Hmph!" Hu Liena huffed, tucking the soul guide camera into her Wisdom and Spirit Soul Imprint Belt at her waist. She then said, "By the way, are you free recently? I want to invite you to dinner... Don't get the wrong idea; it's just to express my gratitude for the Wisdom and Spirit Soul Imprint Throne."
This semi-divine artifact might not be Tang San's best work, but it was the first artifact-level creation, making it highly significant. Naturally, using such an item made Hu Liena feel more proactive—besides, her teacher also wanted to matchmake her with Tang San. Now, she was wholeheartedly willing.
"Aren't you busy lately?" Tang San asked, "Spirit City is booming, and the various Spirit Halls across the continent are being standardized. That's a massive project. How do you have time to invite me to dinner?"
Hu Liena pursed her lips and said, "No matter how busy I am, there's always time to eat. Plus, with the Wisdom and Spirit Soul Imprint Throne assisting me, my mental power has significantly increased, making it easier to handle things."
"So, are you going to give me face or not?"
Tang San thought for a moment and asked, "Can we invite others too?"
"Hmph!"
Hu Liena gave Tang San a sidelong glance and turned away. How dare he suggest inviting others to dinner with her, the Holy Maiden! What wishful thinking!
"Impressive!" The director nearby gave Tang San a thumbs up. "Many people have tried to invite the Holy Maiden to dinner and failed, but the Holy Son here has managed to turn her down. Truly a role model for us!"
"This isn't a refusal, just a question," Tang San shrugged. "By the way, does your department only shoot promotional videos like this?"
The director nodded. "More or less. However, we also collaborate with artists from the Fantasy Film City, learning from their experience in making movies and such."
"Soul masters are typically proud, but for us older folks, whose cultivation has hit a ceiling, we're more willing to embrace new things for fun."
"Honestly, we find movies and cartoons quite interesting."
Listening to the elder's explanation, Tang San nodded frequently, understanding the classifications within Spirit City's soul masters. The younger generation was more open to new things, and the older generation, whose soul power had plateaued, was willing to try new experiences. It was mainly the majority in the middle who were reluctant, but in Spirit City, they had to adapt and eventually grew accustomed.
Development always involves gradual progress and inevitable dissatisfaction from some quarters...
(End of Chapter)