Wraith

The two people who came to receive Huo Ling—one wore work clothes and was presumably a staff member here.

The other wore a military uniform and appeared to be a soldier of the Great Xia Army stationed here.

"Student, please hand over your weapons for safekeeping first."

The soldier kept his eyes fixed on Huo Ling, one hand resting on the gun at his waist in case he made any unusual moves.

"Alright."

Huo Ling obediently handed the spear and fire axe in his hands to the soldier.

At the apprentice rank, firearms were still extremely effective. Even Huo Ling's zero-rank spell, White Bone Fangs, was only about as powerful as a sniper rifle bullet, and did not even have the range of a sniper rifle.

The soldier took the spear Huo Ling had made. Seeing the dried bloodstains on it, admiration inevitably appeared in his eyes.

It seemed this student had encountered an enemy in the Spirit Realm—and successfully killed them in return.

"Student, come with us. We'll go to the testing room first."

The staff member led Huo Ling from the front, while the soldier followed behind him, keeping watch.

Huo Ling followed the staff member through the corridor. On both sides stood one Spirit Awakening room after another.

There was no one inside them now, only pitch-black emptiness.

At the same time, a tall watchtower stood roughly every fifty meters.

Huo Ling looked up. Two soldiers stood guard atop the towers, and a heavy machine gun had been mounted there as well, its firepower formidable.

He then withdrew his gaze and obediently followed the staff member.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the testing room beneath the command center.

This testing room felt far cleaner and brighter. Incandescent lights shone brilliantly throughout the hall.

A faint chill from the air conditioning filled the air, along with the pleasant, fresh scent of air freshener that could not help but invigorate the spirit.

"Student, go to Testing Room No. 7! Good luck! I hope your awakening brings you great rewards."

After bringing Huo Ling to the testing room, the staff member clenched his fist and encouraged him.

"Thank you!"

Huo Ling thanked him softly.

The testing room was where they determined whether students who had undergone Spirit Awakening had truly awakened an extraordinary physique.

Some people underwent Spirit Awakening and returned alive, but that did not mean they had successfully awakened an extraordinary physique.

Some people encountered the slightest rustle in the Spirit Realm, got a headache or fever, and believed they had awakened successfully—but that was not necessarily true.

Likewise, some people went to the Spirit Realm and experienced no changes in their bodies for several days, but that did not mean they had failed to awaken.

Some students even unknowingly contracted some Spirit Realm virus or encountered some other danger. They might not realize it themselves, but testing could easily uncover it.

Huo Ling was not worried, however. He already knew for certain that he had awakened successfully. He had even learned several spells already—if that did not count as success, what did?

Huo Ling pushed the door open and entered. A bespectacled young man sat across from him.

"You're here? Student, hurry and take a seat!"

The examiner warmly greeted Huo Ling and invited him to sit.

"Hello, teacher!"

Everyone who came to conduct the tests was a professor, teacher, or teaching assistant from one university or another, so there was nothing wrong with Huo Ling addressing him that way.

The young man before him was not particularly old, and his strength certainly could not have reached a professor's level. He was probably a teacher or teaching assistant.

"Student, then let's begin the test."

"Alright."

"First, we'll test your blood. Hold out your arm."

The examiner took out a syringe and gestured for Huo Ling to extend his arm. He then drew a small vial of blood from it.

Next, he got busy, placing the blood into a machine. In Huo Ling's perception, the machine began to emit a faint aura of magical power.

It appeared to be an enchanted machine.

The results came out quickly. The examiner removed a paper report from the machine.

After taking the report and giving it a glance, he smiled at Huo Ling. "Student, congratulations. Your extraordinary physique has awakened successfully."

"Thank you, teacher!" Although he had known it already, Huo Ling still could not help smiling at that moment.

After a while, once Huo Ling's emotions had calmed, the examiner continued.

"According to the test, your physique leans more toward that of a spellcaster. Next, we'll test your talent as a spellcaster."

"Alright, teacher." Huo Ling had no objection.

The examiner then took out a crystal ball the size of a human head.

"Come, place both hands on the crystal ball, then focus your mind and wait."

After demonstrating the procedure, the examiner pushed the crystal ball toward Huo Ling.

Huo Ling immediately wiped his hands on his pants and pressed both palms against the crystal ball.

Seeing this action, the examiner could not help smiling. He had gone through the same thing once.

As Huo Ling pressed his hands against the crystal ball, he sensed two streams of energy seep from it into his hands, extending all the way into his mind before returning along the same path.

A faint radiance began to bloom from the crystal ball as well.

"How dare you!"

Before Huo Ling could remove his hands from the crystal ball, an angry roar rang out overhead.

The examiner before him immediately looked as though he were facing a great enemy.

What was happening? Huo Ling could not make sense of it.

"Student, get behind me."

For once, panic appeared on the bespectacled examiner's face. He flipped over the table and pulled Huo Ling behind him in one swift motion.

Right afterward, Huo Ling heard a commotion from the neighboring room, followed by a faint scream.

"Woo, woo, woo~"

A weak sobbing sound reached Huo Ling's ears, followed by a shocking sight.

A translucent wraith passed through the wall from the neighboring room and entered the room where Huo Ling and the others stood.

As the wraith invaded, the pressure of a high rank descended with it, making even Huo Ling, standing at the back, feel a tightness in his chest.

Though Huo Ling was terrified by the scene, he had no intention of waiting helplessly for death. He outlined runes in his mind, preparing to cast a spell.

"Damn it! It's a wraith!" the bespectacled examiner cursed under his breath. He began gathering magical power, several Arcane Missiles circling around him.

But before either of them could launch an attack, a beam pierced down through the ceiling from upstairs. The spell ray struck the wraith, which was still suspended in midair, dead on.

Sizzle.

"Ahhh!~"

The wraith let out a faint shriek, then its entire body shattered like broken glass.

Seeing this, Huo Ling hurriedly canceled the White Bone Fangs he had yet to successfully cast.

At the same time, a point of light suddenly appeared where the wraith had died, then flew onto Huo Ling's body with lightning speed.

Huo Ling was greatly alarmed. Judging by the point of light, he should have gained a potential point—but in a place like this, with such an obvious point of light, would it not be discovered immediately?

But he soon realized that he seemed to be the only one who could see it. Even the bespectacled examiner, whom the light had passed through, appeared not to have noticed anything.

They could not see the point of light representing the potential point?

Only then did Huo Ling feel relieved.