Sword Light

Old Mouse's life had surely been getting harder by the year. He was probably suffering terribly.

In this regard, perhaps not even Dugu Bo, poisoned by his own spirit, could compare.

"My soul power is level thirteen. Not bad."

A smile appeared on Ning Chuan's face as he slowly opened his eyes. A fragrant breeze swept over him, and Louise approached with an excited, expectant expression. She grabbed Ning Chuan's face and showered him with kisses, leaving vivid red lip prints all over his face.

As she kissed him, she praised, "Little River, you're incredible! You actually absorbed that six-hundred-year spirit ring successfully! Hurry and show me your spirit..."

This temptress... Ning Chuan cursed inwardly. He slowly raised his right hand, and a faint cyan glow surfaced over his skin. The three-foot-long Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword materialized, while a clear yellow ring rose from beneath his feet—the unmistakable mark of a one-ring Spirit Master.

Compared to before, the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword had not changed in appearance, but the pressure it emitted was worlds apart. Vaguely, Louise felt that the spirit suppression the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword exerted on her Hidden Fragrance Sword had become even stronger.

Louise had seen Ning Chuan's Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword spirit before. Sensing its change, she impatiently asked, "What spirit skill did you gain?"

"First Spirit Skill—Sword Light!"

Ning Chuan turned and moved several yards away from Louise. The first spirit ring around him lit up. Without even summoning his spirit, he casually raised a hand and unleashed a cyan sword light over a yard long without any warning.

He spun sharply and slashed, and every tree within a one-yard radius was cut in half at the waist.

"You can use a spirit skill without summoning your spirit?"

For a six-hundred-year spirit skill, its power was fairly ordinary. After all, as far as she knew, the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword was an exceptionally powerful mutated spirit, so its innate attack power was already formidable. But being able to use a spirit skill without summoning the spirit still came as a great surprise to her.

"Yes. My First Spirit Skill can be used in two different ways: with or without summoning my spirit. Without summoning it, the power is relatively ordinary, but it can be cast instantly. The other way is by summoning my spirit, like this."

The first spirit ring lit up once more as Ning Chuan gripped his sword with both hands and fiercely swung it forward.

A dazzling sword gleam transformed into a massive cyan Light Sword and cleaved ahead.

A shallow trench instantly appeared in the ground, five or six meters long and a foot deep.

At its end, a granite boulder half the height of a man split down the middle before exploding with a boom.

"Ah... this..." Louise's face went pale with shock.

If Ning Chuan's earlier First Spirit Skill could only be considered average for a six-hundred-year spirit skill, with instant casting as its sole advantage—

Then this move was simply monstrous.

How did Ning Chuan's First Spirit Skill look even stronger than her Second Soul Skill?

Granted, she was an agility-attack type soul master, so her attack power was not outstanding compared to soul masters of the same rank, and her second spirit ring was only five hundred years old. But she was still a level thirty-eight Soul Elder. (PS: Over the past year, her soul power had also risen by one level.)

Logically, even if Ning Chuan's first spirit ring had reached six hundred years, it should not have been this powerful.

The only explanation could lie in his spirit.

This proved that Ning Chuan's Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword was an immensely powerful mutated spirit. Perhaps it was not even inferior to the Seven Kill Sword of that Sword Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Putting away his spirit, Ning Chuan said, "Teacher, this is my First Spirit Skill—Sword Light. When I summon my spirit, its attack range increases by fifty percent, and its soul power is doubled. Moreover, the attack range grows stronger as my cultivation rises."

Louise nodded at first, then gave a bitter smile. "It's an exceptionally powerful spirit skill. It has both offense and enhancement. There's nothing more I can teach you now. The only things I can do are accompany you in combat training and help you hunt spirit rings."

"Teacher, no matter what, you will always be my teacher," Ning Chuan said firmly.

At first, Ning Chuan might have had some intention of making use of her, but people were not grass or trees—how could they be without feelings? Over this school year, he had seen all the kindness Louise had shown him. Saying she treated him as her own son would not have been an exaggeration.

Ning Chuan might not have been a good person, but he would never repay kindness with ingratitude. Nor would he play that even more detestable game of turning a small favor into gratitude and a great favor into resentment.

Louise smiled in relief and casually asked, "What level is your soul power now?"

"Thirteen," Ning Chuan answered.

"Not bad. Compared to the two students in our academy with Innate Full Spirit Power, you're only three soul power levels behind now. At your cultivation speed, I believe you'll catch up to them in just a few years—and perhaps even surpass them."

Louise had great confidence in Ning Chuan. As far as she knew, during the academy's annual soul power assessment a few days ago, Xiao Wu and Tang San had only just broken through to level sixteen.

After chatting for a while longer, the two ate some dry rations and drank some water where they were, then headed back.

By the following morning, they had finally returned to Notting City.

"After obtaining a spirit ring, a soul master can register at Spirit Hall every month and receive a soul master subsidy. Just go there directly in a while. Don't reveal the age of your spirit ring—it won't do you any good and could easily make you a target... Also, starting tomorrow, the academy's annual holiday begins. The break lasts three months. If you miss home, you can go back for a visit. But I still suggest you return early. I plan to use this time to take you back to my family and have the elders teach you. You learn quickly, so you mustn't let that talent go to waste. And don't be fooled by the fact that my soul power isn't particularly high—my father is a genuine Soul Douluo."

Louise intended to devote herself fully to nurturing Ning Chuan.

Ning Chuan nodded. "I was indeed planning to go back. I'll return in three days." He planned to bring some Gold Soul Coins to Old Tom and repay the villagers who had helped him before. It would not cost much anyway.

Ning Chuan also had some understanding of Louise's family. With a Soul Douluo overseeing it, it was one of the few Hidden Families on the Douluo Continent. Its ancestors had once been glorious as well, having produced a Titled Douluo.

As for why Louise had come to Notting City to serve as Dean of Instruction, it was not because of any melodramatic incident. It was simply because her talent was relatively mediocre. Nearing thirty, she had yet to break through to Soul Ancestor. Unless something unexpected happened, Spirit Emperor would likely be the limit of her life.

Unwilling to marry in haste, she had simply run away alone and become the Dean of Instruction at Notting Academy.

Ning Chuan felt that he had struck it rich. Hidden Families with long-standing inheritances like this generally possessed inherited techniques similar to the Clear Sky Sect's Nine Absolutes of the Clear Sky Hammer or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Distraction Control Method. The only question was whether he could master them. If he could learn some formidable sword techniques, it would be an absolute windfall.