Demon Spirit Possession

Blue Moon floated in midair, radiating a crystalline glow.

At that moment, all the demon spirits were suppressed by a force. Unable to fly, they could only dart about within two meters of the ground.

Though part of their beastly nature had been suppressed, their instinctive sense of danger still sent them fleeing madly in every direction, only to be blocked by a layer of blue barrier.

"Move! Blue Moon has started releasing the demon spirits!"

"Hurry up, or the good demon spirits will be picked by someone else!"

"Brother, wait for me! Let's go together!"

As rainbow-like demon spirits surged forth in a frenzy, all the candidates leaped onto the ritual platform without needing any orders, scrambling to chase after them. The scene became chaotic at once.

"Brother Feng, I'm going. I have to succeed." Gao Hai also leaped onto the high platform and vanished into the crowd.

Lin Feng watched Gao Hai's retreating figure without saying anything.

On Awakening Day, becoming a Demon Spirit Master primarily depended on talent and strength.

The talent of one's Soul Sea determined whether one could become a Demon Spirit Master and what grade of demon spirit one could refine, while strength—abundant vitality and a powerful physique—determined the chance of successful refinement.

Soul Sea talent was the chief requirement for becoming a Demon Spirit Master. Without it, no amount of strength meant anything.

Naturally, luck played a part as well. If one happened to encounter a demon spirit they wanted and that matched their attributes, the success rate would be much higher.

Although Lin Feng possessed some special secret techniques and experience, those techniques had demanding requirements. Without long-term training, they could not be used at all. Thus, he could not help Gao Hai much.

If nothing unexpected happened, Gao Hai would refine a second-rank Mighty Demonic Ox this time.

The second-rank Mighty Demonic Ox was one of the most common beginner strength-type demon spirits. Other than boosting strength, it had no additional elemental damage.

In Lin Feng's eyes, this demon spirit's grade was far too low, hardly worth having. In the future, he would find Gao Hai a higher-grade demon spirit to replace it.

"Lin Feng, aren't you going?"

Seeing that Lin Feng had yet to make a move, Yage could not hold back any longer and asked anxiously.

They had agreed long ago that the two of them would act together on Awakening Day, so they could look out for each other.

"No need. Go by yourself."

Lin Feng glanced at the girl. The unfamiliarity in his gaze made Yage's heart tremble. She could not understand why, after merely taking an afternoon nap, Lin Feng had become so strange and cold.

That gaze no longer held the attachment and affection it once had. It even carried a trace of rejection.

Rejection?

What had she done wrong?

Yage's eyes reddened. She held back her tears and did not question him further, turning to leave.

Lin Feng watched the girl's retreating back with a calm expression.

After all, he and Yage had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, so Lin Feng still felt some nostalgia for her. But he had no desire to salvage this relationship.

Since he already knew how it would end, it was better to end things early and spare them both trouble and pain. That was why he had deliberately acted so distant and rejecting.

"Pfft..."

Demon spirits were constantly caught by the youths and absorbed into their bodies, only to swiftly pass through and fly away again. This happened because their Soul Power was insufficient, their attributes did not match, or their aptitude was too poor, making them unable to refine the demon spirits.

At that moment, not far from Lin Feng, a youth caught up to a golden demon spirit and quickly absorbed it into his body.

"Ah!"

The youth suddenly let out a pained roar. Arcs of purple electricity surged across his body, crackling loudly.

At the same time, his appearance changed drastically. His muscles swelled, his limbs became extremely thick, and his originally black pupils turned brown. His nose and forehead enlarged abnormally, while a golden, spiraling horn grew from his forehead. His originally smooth, fair skin also turned the color of red copper.

"It's a sixth-rank Golden Horned Rhinoceros. It may not be a high-grade demon spirit, but it's a rare lightning-attribute demon spirit."

"That kid is too inexperienced—a complete rookie. It's only just started, and there's still time to look around. If he's lucky, he might even refine a seventh-grade demon spirit."

Though sixth-rank demon spirits were mid-grade demon spirits, they were only one grade away from high-grade demon spirits. Moreover, it was lightning-attributed, making it quite an excellent demon spirit.

As the crowd discussed it, they also felt it was a pity. The youth had successfully refined a demon spirit so soon after starting; his Soul Sea talent was likely exceptionally outstanding.

More and more people refined demon spirits, their bodies undergoing demonization. Yet nearly all the spirits refined were below fifth rank, accounting for the vast majority. Demon spirits above sixth rank were rarely seen.

However, the crowd's attention was soon drawn to another short-haired youth as a powerful golden radiance suddenly erupted from his body.

The youth's originally black short hair was dyed yellow and rapidly lengthened to his shoulders. His deep pupils turned violet-red, carrying the ferocity and coldness of a wild beast. His bones crackled throughout his body. His height, originally only around one meter seventy, abruptly shot up from the demon spirit's possession, making him appear a full one meter eighty tall. His muscles suddenly expanded as well, bursting apart his once-loose school uniform and revealing a body seemingly packed with explosive power, its muscle lines sharply defined. At the same time, a pair of golden wings burst from his back. With a faint flap, they filled the air with a scorching heat.

The youth's fair, slender arms expanded massively and became covered in golden fur. Black claws extended from his fingers, gleaming with a cold light. In the center of his forehead, the character "King" gradually appeared.

"What demon spirit did that person awaken? It looks incredibly powerful!"

"That's a Flying Tiger, a seventh-grade demon spirit. After demon spirit possession, it not only grants powerful attack strength, but also fire damage. High-grade demon spirits almost all possess innate abilities. The Flying Tiger's innate ability is Fury Berserk, which is considered top-tier even among seventh-grade demon spirits."

"I never expected the demon spirit provided by Ruiyi Group last year to be obtained by a youth. If nothing unexpected happens, that youth will probably join Ruiyi Group in the end."

"Those major groups only provide demon spirits. They don't get to decide where people go."

"Who is that youth? He's about to rise like a meteor!"

A massive light screen stood in the city square. Whenever someone fused with a demon spirit above sixth rank, the spectacular scene would appear on the screen. The fusion of the Flying Tiger demon spirit caused an uproar; this was the first seventh-grade demon spirit to be fused.

The crowd discussed it fervently. Flying demon spirits were far more precious than ground-traveling demon spirits, and a seventh-grade Flying Tiger was a demon spirit that nearly everyone envied.

Outside the field, a plainly dressed woman clenched her hands tightly. Looking at the light screen, she cheered excitedly, "That's my child! I knew he would succeed!"

The woman loudly proclaimed her excitement, basking in the envious and jealous gazes around her. As she spoke, her eyes even reddened and she began to cry.

She had already sensed the attention of the important figures on the ritual platform. She understood that her child had leaped from carp to dragon gate and was about to change the life of their entire family.

The youths continued their feverish pursuit. Those who succeeded were naturally overjoyed, but those who had gained nothing did not give up, still chasing anxiously.

Only one person turned a blind eye to the demon spirits, allowing them to dart past him as he wandered through the crowd like a headless fly.

"The candidates on Awakening Day are distributed according to region. That Ye Qiu is a student of Jiangcheng First Middle School, and his location is not far from our school. He should also be in the northwestern area. Even if Ye Qiu runs around chasing spirits, he won't stray too far."

"But there are too many people right now. He'll be hard to find."

Lin Feng moved through the crowd. In his previous life, Ye Qiu had been Jiangcheng's pride, so Lin Feng was naturally familiar with his appearance. He had even regarded him as an idol for a time.

But at this point, Ye Qiu was just like him—a sixteen-year-old high school student. Even after narrowing down the area, finding him amid such a vast sea of people was still extremely difficult.

Dong!

The ancient bell rang out once more, and all the youths shuddered. Awakening Day gave them two hours to refine demon spirits, and now half that time had passed.

The youths who had failed to refine a demon spirit for so long began to panic.

Those who were capable of refining demon spirits but had been carefully choosing also quickened their pace. Some mentally fragile girls even began to cry aloud, clearly realizing that their Soul Sea talent was too poor to fuse with any demon spirit, not even the lowest first-rank demon spirit.

Lin Feng still had not found his target. By now, the crowd had long since scattered, and finding one person was harder than climbing to the heavens.

"There isn't much time left. Forget finding people. I'll focus on black demon spirits!"

Lin Feng observed carefully. Compared to demon spirits of all colors, black demon spirits were relatively rare.

"Not this one. Not this one either!"

Lin Feng kept chasing black demon spirits. Thus, when the bell rang again, even he became somewhat anxious.

Blue Moon's suppression of the demon spirits' beastly nature only lasted two hours. At this point, only half an hour remained.

Once time ran out, all the demon spirits would be collected back into Blue Moon, the divine artifact. To participate again next time, one would either need special school approval or pay a fee of one hundred thousand New Dollars.

To receive special school approval, one had to be a genius. Lin Feng's strength was decent, but he had not reached that level. Besides, he would have already graduated from high school next year and lost his eligibility to participate, unless he paid one hundred thousand New Dollars.

For a family with no savings and even outstanding debts, one hundred thousand New Dollars was nothing short of a wild dream.

Even if he could earn the money, a demon spirit like Nightmare was something one could encounter only by chance and never seek out. If he missed it, he might never encounter it again in his life. Therefore, he absolutely could not fail this time.

"That is..."

Just then, Lin Feng's eyes lit up, and he shot toward a certain spot.

Not far away, a black demon spirit was charging toward a youth. The youth wore a brown school uniform, with the emblem of a burning maple leaf on his chest—the school badge of Jiangcheng First Middle School.

"Ye Qiu?"

"I absolutely can't let him notice how special this demon spirit is!"

In the crowded throng, Lin Feng took off his school uniform and casually tossed it aside. He ruffled his hair, letting his long black locks partly cover his face. With a stomp, he sped after them. The instant that demon spirit entered the youth's body, Lin Feng suddenly appeared before him and threw a punch at his dantian.

Bang!

The unprepared youth was sent flying instantly. Struck like this, the demon spirit inside him shot back out. It was a ghost-like shadow, radiating mystery and chill. At the spot where its pupils should have been, two black vortices continuously swirled, making one's mind dizzy.

"It looks just like the Shadow Demon Spirit! This is it!"

Delight flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes and sprang forward, grabbing the black demon spirit in one swift motion. Without the slightest hesitation, he directly absorbed it into his body.

"You dared to steal my demon spirit?"

The youth lay sprawled on the ground and asked in disbelief.

Although Lin Feng's punch had struck his dantian, Lin Feng had controlled his force, so the youth was not seriously injured. He simply could not stand for the moment due to the sharp pain. His eyes were filled with anger, but also a trace of disbelief.

Awakening Day had no rule forbidding competition.

If two people set their sights on the same demon spirit, fighting over it was perfectly normal. But when someone else was refining a demon spirit, almost no one would interfere. After all, there were over a hundred thousand demon spirits today; there would always be one suited to oneself. There was no need to lock horns to the bitter end.

With his strength, even a ninth-rank demon spirit was beneath his notice. He was searching for demon spirits on the Earth List. Though this demon spirit was somewhat strange, its appearance clearly indicated that it was a fifth-rank Shadow Demon Spirit. It had merely been traveling in the same direction as him and happened to enter his body. He had not intended to refine it at all. Was there really any need for this person to snatch it?

"It seems Ye Qiu still hasn't discovered what makes this demon spirit different."

As Nightmare entered his body, Lin Feng swiftly turned and rushed into the crowd. He did not look Ye Qiu in the eye, refusing to let him see his face.

He felt somewhat fortunate. Had he waited a few seconds longer, Ye Qiu might have discovered Nightmare's unique qualities.

"Ye Qiu, are you all right?"

"Are you hurt? Damn it, Chen Di, catch him!"

"Kid, you're courting death!"

Other Jiangcheng First Middle School students near Ye Qiu noticed what had happened and quickly charged toward Lin Feng.

At First Middle School, Ye Qiu was recognized as the number one genius. He had broken through to the Body Cultivation Ninth Stage at fifteen, and now stood only one step away from becoming a First-Rank Martial Artist. He was a key target for the school's attention and cultivation.

Even if he could not refine a demon spirit, his grades alone would still get him into one of the nine elite academies. If he refined a demon spirit above third rank, he could enter one of the three Hero Academies. How could they tolerate him being beaten?

Four or five youths immediately split into four groups and chased Lin Feng, but he casually shook them off. Seeing Lin Feng slip away, the youths could only glare at him resentfully and did not continue the pursuit.

Refining demon spirits was the priority now. Even Ye Qiu, who had been knocked down, struggled back to his feet. He had no time to worry about Lin Feng and turned to chase another demon spirit.

After escaping the encirclement, Lin Feng avoided the crowd and darted rapidly through the area.

Reaching a secluded corner, Lin Feng sat cross-legged and quickly guided the Nightmare demon spirit toward his dantian. Yet throughout the process, his mind was flooded with violent killing intent and fury.