Revealing His Talent

By now, it was too late to say anything.

The spirit ring had already fused completely. Even if Tang San wanted to change it, there was no way he could hunt down a new spirit ring to replace it.

At this point, everything had been set in stone.

At that thought, deep helplessness filled Tang San's eyes, and even a trace of despair crept in.

He knew full well that he had no way to turn any of this around.

Once a spirit ring fused, it was forever. There was no going back.

On the other side, Chen Ye's gaze was likewise fixed on him.

Yet his expression was so calm that it resembled a pool of stagnant water, utterly without ripples.

The night passed in a flash.

The next morning, everyone else returned to their normal class schedules.

Chen Ye, however, left the academy directly and entered the Spirit Hall office in Notting City alone.

He had come here before to collect gold spirit coins.

But today, he had come solely to reveal his thousand-year spirit ring.

In truth, he had never been particularly attached to whether he attended Spirit Academy, or even what academy he studied at. One could even say he did not care at all.

He did not care whether he could steadily grow stronger, either.

After all, with the Space-Time Dragon and a thousand-year spirit ring as his very first ring, he knew better than anyone just how profound his potential was.

Even if he never set foot in Spirit Academy and simply stayed at Notting Academy, which others regarded as a school for trash, he was completely confident that he could rise to prominence.

So he had never taken such matters to heart.

At that moment, an old man in a plain long robe sat quietly within the Spirit Hall branch.

When he saw Chen Ye approach, the corners of his wrinkled eyes curved slightly, and his gaze carried a hint of warmth.

He recognized Chen Ye.

The boy had previously come to collect a subsidy. Anyone eligible for that subsidy had to possess at least level six innate spirit power.

Still, seeing the youth come by again, the old man felt somewhat puzzled. Yet he looked at Chen Ye gently and asked,

"Are you short on money? If there's anything you need Spirit Hall's help with, just say it. So long as it's a reasonable request, Spirit Hall will lend you a hand. After all, you're one of Spirit Hall's trainees as well."

The old man's voice was warm and gentle.

Spirit Hall had many trainees, but after reaching adulthood, the overwhelming majority would ultimately choose to leave rather than truly join Spirit Hall.

But regardless, they would remember this kindness. Or rather, most of them would keep it firmly in their hearts.

After all, when they had been at their weakest and most helpless, it was Spirit Hall that had offered them gold spirit coins for support—not the so-called empires, and certainly not the lofty Seven Great Clans.

For that very reason, even though people in the two great empires often vehemently opposed it, Spirit Hall still possessed immense prestige among the common folk.

However, Chen Ye merely shook his head calmly in response.

He raised his hand.

In an instant, that hand transformed into a silver-white dragon claw.

The old man was immediately stunned.

He remembered that the martial soul registered for this youth had clearly been an unusual bow-type martial soul, with innate spirit power around level six.

Yet what he saw before him was unmistakably a dragon-type martial soul.

Confusion arose in his heart.

But before he could react further, a dark purple spirit ring abruptly appeared above the youth's palm.

Sensing the heavy pressure of a thousand-year spirit ring, the old man's expression instantly became exceedingly strange.

Then came overwhelming shock and horror.

He shot to his feet, staring fixedly at the spirit ring in Chen Ye's hand, his voice trembling.

"Y-you... Your first spirit ring is a thousand-year one? How is that possible?! At your age, you actually obtained your first spirit ring so smoothly—and it's even a thousand-year spirit ring!"

By the end, even a trace of panic had entered the old man's tone.

Innate full spirit power was itself extraordinarily rare, almost impossible to find.

Yet right before his eyes stood a child with innate full spirit power.

Not only that, but he had already obtained and fused a thousand-year spirit ring.

Everyone knew that a first spirit ring could only withstand a hundred-year ring.

Even if Yu Xiaogang's theories were not particularly useful elsewhere, his research on spirit ring age limits was sound.

With the first spirit ring almost certain to be a hundred-year ring, beginning with a thousand-year spirit ring meant that from the second ring onward, one could fuse spirit rings of even greater age.

This was by no means a small step forward. It meant that every spirit ring he could bear from then on would inevitably be of a higher age.

In other words, the power of the youth's first spirit skill could very likely far surpass the second- or even third-ring spirit skills of others.

That was the absolute crushing advantage brought by spirit rings.

If it were paired with an even stronger martial soul, allowing the fusion of more powerful spirit skills, it would become an unimaginable stroke of fortune for a person's future.

What made the old man itch with curiosity most was how exactly the boy before him had accomplished this.

"Senior, aside from registering my spirit master information, there is one more matter I'd like to discuss with you."

After speaking, Chen Ye looked at the old man before him. The attitude the other party displayed allowed him to relax his guard slightly.

Yet he remained calm and composed.

Upon hearing him, the shock in the old man's eyes had yet to fade, but he still steadied himself and nodded.

"Just tell me whatever you wish to say. I will truthfully report your talent."

"A first spirit ring capable of bearing a thousand-year ring, along with a dragon-type martial soul—once such talent is reported, it will surely draw the attention of countless people."

"And... if I'm not mistaken, you should have innate full spirit power as well, correct?"

The old man raised his eyes toward Chen Ye. Faced with the probing question, Chen Ye did not conceal anything.

He nodded with perfect calm.

"Yes, Senior. I do have innate full spirit power. I wish to apply to join Spirit Hall's elementary academy."

"You should also know that the elementary academy in Spirit City has cultivation conditions far beyond anything available here."

"But I have one request. I want to bring my younger sister with me. I don't feel at ease leaving her here alone."

"I know that if I asked you to entrust her to your care, you would most likely be willing to look after her for me. But I still cannot put my mind at ease."

As Chen Ye spoke, he looked straight at the old man, his voice filled with sincerity.

If his bow-type martial soul and innate full spirit power alone had not been enough to move the other party before—

Not enough to make him allow Chen Ye to bring his younger sister, this so-called "burden," to Spirit City—

That was naturally because the spirit master who had awakened their martial souls before might not have possessed sufficient strength or status.

But the bishop of Notting City, a medium-sized city, and the person in charge of Spirit Hall, had a high enough position.

And the even greater talent Chen Ye had revealed now was enough to astonish anyone.

With the talent and future potential he had displayed, along with such a simple request, Spirit Hall had no reason to refuse.

If it had been another clan, Chen Ye would not have been so certain.

He would not even have dared to bring his younger sister along.

After all, the bloodline of a dragon-type martial soul meant that his parents' lineage might possess an inherited dragon-type martial soul, and his future children might likewise awaken dragon-type martial souls.

He feared that the moment he entered, he would be treated as breeding stock.

But when it came to Spirit Hall, he could rest easy on that point.