Spirit Master Registration

Spirit Master Registration

The lingering glow of sunset gilded Nuoding Academy's stone paths. Feng Yao walked briskly back toward the dormitories. A breeze brushed past, making "Fuxi" at his waist sway gently, while his pale yellow Spirit Ring flickered in and out of view in the twilight.

As he rounded a corner, a burst of commotion came from ahead. Xiao Wu had led several Work-Study Students in blocking a few new students. Her pink dress stood out beneath the setting sun, and her signature scorpion braid swayed lightly with her movements.

"Newcomers, do you know the academy's rules?" Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips, putting on the airs of a big sister. "Where's your monthly protection fee?"

Feng Yao had intended to take a detour, but sharp-eyed Xiao Wu spotted him at once.

"Hey! You, the zither player!" Xiao Wu hopped over to block his path and held out her palm. "Where's your protection fee?"

Seeing this Little Tyrant putting on a fierce act, Feng Yao could not help but smile. He casually took a gold coin from his money pouch and flicked it with his fingertip. The coin traced a graceful arc through the air.

Xiao Wu nimbly caught the coin, delight flashing through her eyes. "Zither player, you really are generous!"

Feng Yao's movement in handing over the money had been as smooth and natural as flowing clouds and running water, as though he had long been used to it. Before he could say anything, Xiao Wu had already bounced away, her scorpion braid swinging happily behind her.

Watching Xiao Wu's retreating figure, Feng Yao smiled and shook his head. In his eyes, this little girl who had taken human form from a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast was ultimately just a playful child. One gold coin could save him trouble and buy him peace and quiet. Why not?

Not far away, Tang San emerged from beneath the shade of a tree, frowning tightly as he watched the scene.

"Xiao San!" The moment Xiao Wu saw Tang San, she ran over excitedly.

At the sight of Xiao Wu's cheerful figure, Tang San's tightly furrowed brow unconsciously relaxed. "Collecting protection fees again? Just tell me if there's something you want."

"Oh, Xiao San, don't worry about it!" Xiao Wu tugged on Tang San's sleeve and shook it. "That zither player is rich! Come on, I'll take you shopping tomorrow!"

Tang San shook his head helplessly. "Xiao Wu, promise me you won't collect protection fees from Feng Yao anymore."

"Why? He's so rich, and he doesn't care about such a tiny amount." Xiao Wu pouted, utterly confused.

"I just feel that something is off about him." Tang San lowered his voice. "Other students get unhappy when they are charged protection fees, but he alone doesn't care at all. I'm afraid he has some other motive."

Xiao Wu waved her hand dismissively. "You're overthinking it! I'm the boss of Nuoding Academy. I'm not taking this money for nothing!"

Tang San stared in the direction Feng Yao had gone, a trace of dark jealousy flashing through his black eyes. "Anyway, you can't go wrong by staying away from him."

"Fine, fine, I know!" Xiao Wu drawled, pulling Tang San toward the Cafeteria.

The next morning, Feng Yao headed for the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City after breakfast. The rising sun cast golden light over Spirit Hall's grand dome, coating the solemn building in a sacred radiance.

On the surface, he had come to have his Martial Soul rank assessed, but there was another purpose behind it. Feng Yao did not lack the small Spirit Master stipend, yet he still wanted to leave a record of himself at Spirit Hall.

Feng Yao did not know where his future path would lead. Registering as a Spirit Master was simply a signal he was sending out.

As someone who had received a modern education, Feng Yao still regarded Spirit Hall more favorably as a power.

In Feng Yao's view, Spirit Hall was undoubtedly more progressive. The empire's ruling class was a hybrid of nobles and sect Spirit Masters. If Spirit Hall unified the continent, then the ruling class would become all Spirit Masters.

The expansion of the ruling class's scope reflected, to a certain extent, the progressiveness of its rule. Of course, in this world of extraordinary power, the strong still possessed the power to break the rules.

The only thing Feng Yao was uncertain about was whether he possessed the ability to change the original ending.

"Let's take things one step at a time," Feng Yao murmured, stepping forward.

"Stop. Little friend, this is Spirit Hall. You can't just barge in." A guard at the entrance stretched out an arm to block his way.

Feng Yao smiled faintly and replied calmly, "Hello, I'm a student of Nuoding Spirit Master Academy. My teacher sent me to have my Martial Soul rank evaluated." As he spoke, he raised his palm. The "Fuxi" zither slowly appeared, followed by a bright yellow hundred-year Spirit Ring.

"A hundred-year Spirit Ring!" The guard looked at Feng Yao in surprise, and his attitude immediately turned respectful. "Please enter. Go to the reception hall on the first floor and find Great Soul Master Ma Xiu Nuo."

"Thank you." Feng Yao gave a slight, polite bow.

Spirit Hall's interior was spacious, its decorations simple yet solemn. Guided by a staff member, Feng Yao quickly met Grandmaster Ma Xiu Nuo—a white-haired old man with two gleaming Spirit Master badges pinned to his chest.

The testing process went smoothly. When the crystal ball lit up with dazzling light, Ma Xiu Nuo announced in astonishment, "Level eleven! Child, would you be willing to join Spirit Hall? We here—"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Grandmaster," Feng Yao politely interrupted, "but I would still like to finish my studies at Nuoding Academy first."

Soon, Feng Yao left with a Gold Soul Coin. He knew that from this day onward, his name had officially entered Spirit Hall's records system. This move might prove unexpectedly useful at some crucial moment in the future.

He had not gone far when a familiar sound of playful chatter reached his ears.

"Xiao San, look! There are candied hawthorns over there!" Xiao Wu's clear voice rang especially loudly through the street.

Feng Yao turned toward the sound and saw Xiao Wu tugging Tang San's sleeve as she excitedly pointed at a roadside vendor. Tang San wore a helpless smile, but his gaze happened to meet Feng Yao's. Their eyes met briefly in the air, and Tang San's smile immediately froze.

The brand-new Soul Master Handbook in Feng Yao's hand glimmered faintly beneath the sun, involuntarily drawing Tang San's gaze. Xiao Wu was engrossed in eating her candied hawthorn and did not notice the subtle atmosphere between the two.

"Student Feng, congratulations on your breakthrough." Tang San's voice was incomparably flat.

The corner of Feng Yao's lips lifted slightly. "Thank you."

Only then did Xiao Wu notice Feng Yao. Her eyes lit up. "Not bad, zither player. You broke through too? Want to spar?"

Feng Yao smiled and shook his head. "Sister Xiao Wu, you're the boss of Nuoding Academy. I can't beat you. Besides, you know I'm just a zither player. Let Student Tang spar with you instead."

Hearing Feng Yao's flattery, Xiao Wu proudly raised her chin and nodded. "That's right. In all of Nuoding Academy, only Xiao San can trade moves with me."

Feng Yao looked at the two of them, a teasing glint flashing through his eyes. "I still need to practice the zither, so I won't disturb your private time together."

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Xiao Wu's face instantly flushed crimson, and even the tips of her ears turned pink.

Before Xiao Wu could flare up, Feng Yao had already turned and left. Tang San watched his retreating figure, his brows unconsciously knitting together. He had never expected that this youth who spent all day playing the zither would cultivate so astonishingly fast!

Could that zither sound resonance from back then really not have been an accident? Tang San thought, unconsciously rubbing the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night at his waist.

"Xiao San, let's go." Xiao Wu tugged at his sleeve, the blush still lingering on her face.

"Mm, let's go." Tang San came back to himself, yet he could not help turning back to look in the direction where Feng Yao had disappeared.

After returning to the academy, Tang San went straight to Yu Xiaogang's study. When he pushed open the door, Yu Xiaogang was bent over a pile of ancient books, while the fragrance of tea lingered throughout the room.

"Teacher, there is something I need to report to you." Tang San's voice was slightly hurried.

Yu Xiaogang looked up. Seeing his beloved disciple's grave expression, he frowned slightly. "What happened?"

"Feng Yao has broken through to level ten," Tang San said gravely. "I saw him collect a Soul Master Handbook from Spirit Hall with my own eyes."

"Level ten in one year?" Yu Xiaogang abruptly rose to his feet. The teacup in his hand clanged against the tabletop, splashing tea over the books spread across it. He did not bother to wipe them dry, his brows knotting into a deep furrow. "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

Tang San nodded solemnly. "A Soul Master Handbook issued by Spirit Hall cannot be fake."

Yu Xiaogang paced back and forth through the study, his leather shoes striking the floor in rapid beats. He suddenly stopped, turned, and pulled a file from the bookshelf—the information on Feng Yao that he had obtained from the Academic Affairs Office.

"Innate Soul Power level four." Yu Xiaogang lightly tapped the paper with his finger as he pondered inwardly. Under normal circumstances, Innate Soul Power level four can rise at most to level eight in a year. He looked thoughtfully out the window. "Besides, I often see him in the Cafeteria. I've never seen him cultivating diligently..."

"To reach level ten in one year, his Innate Soul Power should have been at least level six. Level five might also be possible with enough effort, but level four? Without some fortuitous encounter, it would basically be impossible to break through to level ten in a single year."

The study fell into brief silence. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows across Yu Xiaogang's face.

"Unless..." Yu Xiaogang suddenly turned, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. "His Innate Soul Power test was wrong, or..." He paused, lowering his voice. "What happened back then was not a coincidence."

Tang San nodded at this. "Teacher, that is what I suspect as well."

"It seems I truly underestimated this child." Yu Xiaogang slowly sat back in his chair, his long fingers interlaced before his chin as his eyes behind the lenses gleamed with thought. "Being able to use zither sound to guide others into deep meditation..."

Yu Xiaogang suddenly looked up at Tang San, his voice low. "Xiao San, how has your relationship with Feng Yao been over this past year?"

Tang San shook his head slightly, a trace of impatience flashing between his brows. He either forged Hidden Weapons at the blacksmith shop or cultivated the Tang Sect's secret arts. How could he have the leisure to pay attention to a zither master? Moreover, Feng Yao's calm and detached manner always made him feel inexplicably irritated.

Yu Xiaogang sighed softly at the sight, regret appearing in his eyes. If Feng Yao had listened to his advice and chosen the Support System back then, perhaps...

"Forget it." He waved a hand, resuming the assured demeanor of a theoretical Grandmaster. "Even if his cultivation speed is abnormal, the Assault System is destined to lead nowhere for him. Every Spirit Ring is extremely important to a Spirit Master, yet he failed to maximize the supportive qualities of zither sound." A cold glint passed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "Without Spirit Ability enhancement, as time passes, this ability will soon hit a bottleneck or even disappear."

As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San with satisfaction. "By comparison, Xiao San, your cultivation progress is already quite astonishing."

"You praise me too highly, Teacher." Tang San lowered his head slightly, his respectful tone carrying humility.

Yu Xiaogang set down his teacup, his gaze behind the lenses gentle and profound. "There is no need to be so modest before your teacher. Those with exceptional talent often grow complacent after achieving success at a young age, like Xiao Wu." He paused, his voice becoming increasingly solemn. "But you are different. At such a young age, you can already cultivate so diligently. Even among Spirit Masters with Innate Full Soul Power, your progress can be called outstanding."

Sunlight from outside filtered through the gauze curtains, scattering mottled shadows between teacher and disciple. Yu Xiaogang slowly rose and gently placed his gaunt hand on Tang San's shoulder. "I only hope that you can always maintain this temperament and seize the golden period of Spirit Master cultivation."

Tang San raised his eyes to meet his teacher's earnest gaze and nodded solemnly. "This disciple will remember."

"Go on." Yu Xiaogang withdrew his hand, a satisfied curve appearing at the corner of his lips. He watched Tang San's departing figure, his slightly hunched form casting a long shadow beneath the sunlight. For a moment, it seemed as though he saw a rising star of the future Spirit Master world.

Once the door gently closed, Yu Xiaogang returned to his desk. He rubbed the edge of his teacup, a troubled look flashing through his clouded eyes. On the notes spread across the table, research materials concerning "Twin Martial Souls" fluttered softly in the breeze, making a rustling sound.

Elsewhere, Feng Yao sat cross-legged on his bed and slowly summoned "Fuxi," its bright yellow Spirit Ring rising gradually as well.

Feng Yao lightly brushed the strings. The bright yellow First Spirit Ring immediately lit up. "First Spirit Ability, Soul Power Amplification."

In an instant, Feng Yao felt the Soul Power within his body surge. Feeling the strength filling him, he could not help muttering, "It seems the compatibility is fairly good. The amplification is around fifty percent."

Many people might consider such an amplification small, but Soul Power was unlike other attributes. In actual combat, it could not simply be treated as a game character's mana bar. That was why the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, despite being limited to only seven Spirit Rings, could still be called the number one support Martial Soul in the world. In battle, every attribute always influenced the others.

Before choosing this Spirit Ring, Feng Yao had also thought long and hard. Starting from the essence of Spirit Rings, a Spirit Ring was part of a Spirit Beast's bloodline power. Feng Yao understood the process of a Spirit Master absorbing a Spirit Ring as the Spirit Master using the Spirit Beast's bloodline power to strengthen themselves.

Since it was an external force, compatibility would naturally become an issue. There had been many suitable examples in the original work, such as Dai Mubai's third Spirit Ability, White Tiger Vajra Transformation. During the half-hour transformation, his resistance to abnormal conditions, attack power, defense, and strength all doubled. Such a Spirit Ability would be extremely difficult to appear on an ordinary Spirit Master, because it was a compatibility result verified over many years by the Star Luo Imperial Family.

It could also be understood from the perspective of bloodlines. The closer the absorbed Spirit Beast bloodline was to the Spirit Master's own bloodline power, the stronger the resulting Spirit Ability effect would be.

To improve the effect of a Spirit Ring, one could only absorb more Spirit Rings produced by the same kind of Spirit Beast, allowing the bloodline powers to gradually converge through continuous enhancement.

What Feng Yao wanted was a Soul Power amplification ability, so he had to choose a Spirit Beast with abundant Soul Power and a single, focused ability. Soul Bamboo happened to meet these requirements.

Now that he had his first Spirit Ring, Feng Yao began increasing the intensity of his cultivation.

Soon, waves of zither sound rang out from Feng Yao's room.

There are many trivial matters during the Qingming Festival, so update times may be irregular. I apologize to all the readers here.