Duke had completely understood Xiao Yi's function. She was essentially his second brain—a brain like a supercomputer.
The more data she collected, the more tasks Xiao Yi could handle.
Her ability to think would also grow stronger.
"Wonderful!"
When he opened his eyes, Duke felt that the world before him had changed. Compared to before he opened his Spirit Sea, the world had become brighter and more colorful afterward.
"Xiao Yi."
"I'm here."
"Nothing." Duke was merely confirming that even without entering the Spirit Sea, he could still communicate directly with Xiao Yi through his thoughts. "By the way, can you collect everything my eyes have seen?"
"Yes."
"Can I retrieve that information whenever I want?"
"Of course."
"Wonderful!"
Duke was so delighted by the power of his golden finger that his joy was beyond measure.
Now he could finally be certain that he would be able to live well in this extraordinary world, admire its most magnificent vistas, and explore the supreme mysteries of the Spiritual Arcana system.
The future was bright and radiant.
But opening the Spirit Sea was not the same as ascending to the heavens in a single step.
It merely meant that Duke possessed the talent to cultivate Spiritual Arcana.
"I've only just opened my Spirit Sea. Strictly speaking, I don't even count as a Spiritual Apprentice yet. I have to go to the city's Spirit Tower to register before I can officially be considered a Spiritual Apprentice."
A Spiritual Apprentice was an apprentice within the Spiritual Arcana system.
In reality, most people who relied on Spirit Awakening Potions to catalyze the opening of their Spirit Seas—those who "took drugs" to do it—would ultimately stop at the Spiritual Apprentice stage, unable to advance into true Arcanists.
Card Master Best, for example, was a drug-assisted Spiritual Apprentice. Old Sam was also a drug-assisted Spiritual Apprentice. After a lifetime of cultivation, they would probably still be unable to draw a single energy circuit that could close into a complete loop—a ring.
Thus.
The level of Spiritual Apprentice was clearly defined as—0-Ring.
They occupied the same tier as 0-Ring Spirit Beasts like Post Owls, all standing at the very bottom of the pyramid of the Spiritual Arcana system.
"I'm different. Although my spirit core hasn't condensed yet, and I haven't even begun outlining an energy circuit... my Spirit Sea already contains Nine-Ring Xiao Yi and a One-Ring Desert Eagle. My potential is boundless!"
After closing his eyes and resting for a while to ease the fatigue from summoning the One-Ring Desert Eagle, Duke then made himself a delicious meal. Of the ten gold dragon coins, he had deducted the cost of the Spirit Awakening Potion and stored the rest in his Dragon Spirit Card. For now, he had no shortage of money.
After eating his fill, the fatigue vanished completely.
Only then did he leave home.
Snakehead Town was not small. Four streets ran horizontally and vertically, forming the shape of a "jing" character and dividing the town into a nine-square grid.
He was heading for the center of the grid. There, orderly buildings stood scattered about, forming the residential district of the Black Snake Family and the town's wealthy residents. Several tower-shaped structures stood out especially prominently among them.
The tallest of these tower-shaped buildings had a plaque reading "Spirit Society" hanging before its entrance.
"This is it—the Spirit Tower's local branch in the market town, the Spirit Society." Duke straightened his collar and walked toward the entrance.
He had just reached the door when a guard stopped him. "Please present your identification."
"I'm here to register."
"Register as a Spiritual Apprentice?"
"Yes."
"Come with me." A few smiles squeezed onto the stern guard's face. "What's your name, young brother? Have you successfully opened your Spirit Sea? What impressive talent!"
"My name is Duke."
"Brother Duke, this way. The Spiritual Apprentice registration area is on the second floor."
The interior of the Spirit Society was extravagantly decorated, luxury showing in every detail. The guard enthusiastically led Duke to a spacious service hall on the second floor before turning to leave.
"Hello. Excuse me, which desk handles Spiritual Apprentice registration?"
"Go to Desk Four."
The service hall was arranged in a circular layout, with partitioned rooms in the center. Duke quickly found Desk Four, where four staff members were working.
Three young staff members promptly questioned Duke and registered his identity information.
"Duke, male, born on May 16, Storm Calendar Year 4396; a war orphan from the campaign to open up the 'Black Snake Lair,' residing at No. 443, Second Horizontal Street, Snakehead Town, Chen Jiao City..."
While the young staff members busily filled out the form, a middle-aged woman sitting behind the desk kindly beckoned to Duke. "Come, sit down."
Duke did not stand on ceremony and sat directly in the chair.
The middle-aged woman smiled. "My name is Murawie, and I'm responsible for reviewing qualifications. I must inform you that only the Chen Jiao City Spirit Tower is qualified to register Spiritual Apprentices. I can only review your qualifications here first, then recommend that you go to the Spirit Tower to register."
"I understand."
"So, did you open your Spirit Sea through natural meditation?" The middle-aged woman narrowed her eyes, a hint of anticipation in her gaze.
Duke shook his head. "I used a Spirit Awakening Potion."
"Oh." The middle-aged woman's enthusiasm visibly cooled, and the warmth vanished from her tone. "You really are lucky. Not many people awaken through a Spirit Awakening Potion."
"Yes, I'm very lucky."
"Tell me how it felt when you opened your Spirit Sea."
Duke briefly described it. Murawie asked a few more questions, and that was enough to confirm that Duke had indeed opened his Spirit Sea.
The staff had just finished preparing a form. Murawie indicated that Duke should sign his name on the recommendation form, then signed it herself and stamped it with a Spirit Society seal.
She did not immediately hand the recommendation form to Duke.
In a flat tone, she said, "Duke, before I recommend that you go to the Chen Jiao City Spirit Tower to register, I have another option to offer you... Snakehead Town is the Black Snake Family's fief, so you can choose to join the Black Snake Family and go to the Spirit Tower to register as a Spiritual Apprentice under the name of a vassal of the Black Snake Family."
Before Duke could answer, a staff member beside them added, "A vassal position with the Black Snake Family is an extremely valuable slot. It comes with all sorts of benefits!"
The staff member then rambled on at length about those benefits.
Another staff member chimed in from the side. "That's right, that's right. The Black Snake Family is a major family on the rise. Becoming a family vassal and enjoying such benefits is simply the envy of everyone!"
These benefits were indeed tempting.
An ordinary Spiritual Apprentice might well have been moved.
But Duke remained utterly unmoved. Rights and obligations had always been equal. He had lofty ambitions and naturally did not want to be bound to the wheels of the Black Snake Family's chariot.
Besides, as an Earthling, he was not accustomed to being anyone's vassal or obeying another family's every command.
So after pretending to ponder for a moment, he replied, "I'm sorry, Ms. Murawie, but I'd still like to try developing on my own first."
Murawie's tone turned completely cold, though she did not make things difficult for Duke. She lightly placed the recommendation form on the table. "Then, young man, good luck."
A Spiritual Apprentice who had only managed to open his Spirit Sea by taking drugs was of no consequence.
When Duke picked up the recommendation form and turned to leave, Murawie said blandly, "The Spirit Society will have a special coach going to Chen Jiao City the day after tomorrow. You can ride it for free with the recommendation form."
"Thank you. I understand."
After Duke left, a young staff member said indignantly, "Auntie, that Duke actually refused the family's recruitment."
The corners of Murawie's lips curved slightly upward. "Young people always have impractical ambitions. Let him struggle out there for a while. When the time comes, he'll understand the benefits of a major family's protection."
"Hmph. By then, the family may not necessarily take him in."
Before you continue