Demon Mirror

Dong!

The final toll of the bell rang out, announcing that the annual Awakening Day had come to an end.

The rainbow-like demon spirits were drawn back into Blue Moon by a mysterious force and sealed away once more. On this day next year, they would appear again, until the day they were refined.

A magnificent gathering had ended, yet the spectators remained unwilling to leave.

"Wuwu..."

The boys and girls who had failed to fuse with demon spirits looked dejected. Heads bowed and eyes red-rimmed, they stepped down from the sacrificial platform with sorrow and unwillingness.

Becoming a Demon Spirit Master was the dream of every student and every martial artist alike, as well as every parent's greatest expectation for their child. They had prepared for this day for many years.

Their dreams had been ruthlessly shattered by reality. Quite a few weak-willed people fainted directly on the sacrificial platform and were carried away by the waiting staff.

Meanwhile, the fortunate youths who had become Demon Spirit Masters held their heads high and their chests out, their lips carrying joyful, proud smiles as they basked in people's attention and envy.

From this moment onward, they stood above ordinary martial artists.

It could be said that their lives had entered a new starting point, one far higher than that of ordinary people.

Among the many boys and girls, three figures shone the brightest. The light screen continuously replayed scenes of these three refining demon spirits.

All three were youths, and all three had refined Ninth-grade Demon Spirits.

Of the three, the most eye-catching was a youth who had dyed his hair yellow.

With Lin Feng's understanding of demon spirits, he could tell at a glance, even without the captions, that the yellow-haired youth had fused with a Ninth-grade Six-winged Phantom Python.

On Awakening Day, Lin Feng had dreamed of refining a Ninth-grade Azure Burrow Dragon. Yet in terms of rarity and power, the Ninth-grade Six-winged Phantom Python was even slightly superior to the Azure Burrow Dragon. It was the demon spirit every speed-type martial artist dreamed of, and Lin Feng was no exception.

However, the Azure Burrow Dragon looked handsome and imposing after fusing with a person, making it more popular among students. The Six-winged Phantom Python, on the other hand, looked somewhat eerie when fused with a human. Otherwise, it would actually have suited Lin Feng better.

Under Lin Feng's curious gaze, the yellow-haired youth possessed by the demon spirit became exceptionally slender, seeming to stand a full 1.9 meters tall. A purple scale sat in the center of his forehead, while his vertical green pupils looked somewhat strange, like a snake's eyes, carrying a chilling coldness that made people shudder. Behind him, three pairs of purple-red wings fluttered slightly yet moved incredibly fast. As a Ninth-grade venom-type demon beast, speed was only part of its strength. The venom of the Six-winged Phantom Python was what people truly dreaded and feared.

The Six-winged Phantom Python's innate ability, "Illusion," was even more formidable, allowing it to ignore a certain amount of attacks for a short time. This was precisely what made it so valuable.

As long as their martial arts talent was not too poor, anyone who refined a Ninth-grade Demon Spirit would qualify for special admission to the Three Hero Academies even without taking the college entrance examination.

Without question, these three were the protagonists of today, favored children of heaven.

But just as everyone thought this Awakening Day had drawn to a close, a figure suddenly appeared on the light screen.

"Roar..."

In the image, a youth was letting out a hysterical beastly roar that did not sound human.

A black undercurrent swirled around the youth. His body swelled, his hands continuously expanded, and bulging veins transformed into dragon claws. With a hiss, a dragon tail shot out from his tailbone and swayed lightly like a long steel whip. Black scales spread across his entire body, gradually forming a suit of pitch-black armor. Sharp spikes extended from his tail all the way to his forehead. Perhaps the pain was too intense, because as the youth mutated, he madly pounded the ground.

The marble floor cracked beneath his fists, battered into a small pit by raw flesh and blood alone. Even as blood splattered, it did not stop his self-mutilation.

As he pounded wildly, a pair of blood-stained black wings continuously grew from either side of his body. Their wingspan stretched more than two meters, like black blades. As they flapped, they left furrows across the ground. After a while, the youth slowly stopped struggling. When he raised his head, a pair of crimson-gold vertical pupils emerged, carrying a trace of coldness and madness.

"Thorn Demon Dragon."

Everyone stared at the scene in shock. The Thorn Demon Dragon, ranked Earth Ranking 46th, had been refined by someone!

Without a doubt, this was the most shocking scene of today's Awakening Day.

A sight rarely seen once in decades!

After a brief silence came cheers like a tsunami. Without question, the youth had become the center of attention.

No one could suppress the excitement in their hearts. They waved their hands and screamed wildly, releasing their exhilaration.

The yellow-haired youth, who had originally been the focus, became a mere backdrop in that instant.

At this moment, no one paid attention to him.

People successfully refined Ninth-grade Demon Spirits every year on Awakening Day, but Earth List demon spirits were rarely seen. Sometimes, one would not appear even once in ten years. Many people never saw one with their own eyes in their entire lives.

Not to mention one ranked Earth Ranking 46th—the Thorn Demon Dragon, renowned for its formidable offensive power.

"So strong. Is the gap between a Second-grade Demon Spirit and an Earth List demon spirit really this huge?"

On the sacrificial platform, Gao Hai watched the scene with intense envy.

Beside him, Yage had also put away her pride. A trace of an unreadable emotion flickered in her beautiful eyes.

Although her Bewitching Butterfly was an Eighth-grade Demon Spirit, it was comparable to a Ninth-grade Demon Spirit. Yet while Ninth-grade Demon Spirits and Earth List demon spirits seemed separated by only one grade, their potential and combat power were as different as heaven and earth. It was even less comparable to a pure dragon-type demon spirit like the Thorn Demon Dragon.

"His Soul Power must be terrifyingly strong." Beneath the sacrificial platform, Lin Feng's eyes showed surprise.

The youth's appearance had been obscured by the demon spirit possessing him, making him difficult to identify. But the scattered scraps of clothing on the ground proved that he belonged to First Middle School. At First Middle School, the only one with such talent was likely Ye Qiu.

This genius youth had had his Nightmare stolen by Lin Feng, yet at the final moment, he had still refined the Earth Ranking Thorn Demon Dragon. It was a dragon-type demon spirit with fearsome offensive power. Not only was its attack power formidable, it also carried dark-element damage, and its innate ability was something all martial artists envied.

For a flying demon spirit like this, whether it came to long-range attacks or close combat, offense or defense, it had almost no weaknesses. It could be called perfect.

Lin Feng could only fantasize about such a demon spirit in his dreams. He did not dare hope that he could refine one himself.

"Truly an unparalleled genius," Lin Feng could only sigh inwardly.

Earth List demon spirits were already extremely rare. Without the talent for soul cultivation, one simply could not refine them. As for demon spirits ranked in the top fifty of the Earth List, aside from Guardian Artifacts, they could not be bought anywhere in the outside world. Moreover, the requirements these demon spirits placed on their refiners were downright monstrous.

Not to mention high school students—even powerful martial artists could not refine them.

Demon spirits of this level had not appeared in River City for decades.

As for demon spirits of an even higher grade than the Thorn Demon Dragon, they naturally existed. But to refine demon spirits of that level, one needed to be at least a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist and possess formidable Soul Power.

Lin Feng gave Ye Qiu a deep look.

People truly could not be compared to one another.

Some people were favored children of heaven from birth. Not only were they martial arts geniuses, but their talent for soul cultivation was equally terrifying.

His own martial arts talent was merely average, while his soul cultivation talent was utter trash. He did not even have the ability to refine a First-rank Demon Spirit. If not for carrying the memories of his previous life, he would likewise have been helpless in the face of such a genius.

Lin Feng also understood that Ye Qiu had reached the Body Cultivation Ninth Stage at fifteen not only because of his own talent. The Ye Corporation he belonged to had also played an indispensable role.

Rich young masters like Ye Qiu had used all kinds of pills and demon beast flesh to build their foundations and aid their cultivation from childhood. Their physical qualities far surpassed those of their peers, their qi and blood were abundant, and their cultivation naturally progressed faster than others'. His powerful body was also one reason he could refine the Thorn Demon Dragon.

Of course, being born into the right family was also a kind of ability. One's background was part of one's strength.

The appearance of the Thorn Demon Dragon kept the scene boiling. Even the important figures on the elevated platform longed for such a peerless demon spirit.

The demon spirits they provided were at most Eighth-grade. Demon spirits above Ninth-grade had been left behind by the Battle of Dawn.

Not only them—even Jiang Chu, the Martial King and guardian of River City on the elevated platform, was greatly surprised. It could not be denied that even he had felt a little envy in that instant.

As a Demon Spirit Master, Jiang Chu understood that refining a high-grade demon spirit did not necessarily mean one would be stronger than someone who had refined a low-grade demon spirit.

Demon spirits needed to be nurtured. If they were not raised well, even a Demon Spirit Master who had refined a high-grade demon spirit could be defeated by one who had refined a low-grade demon spirit.

A demon spirit's grade did not entirely represent its combat power. More importantly, it represented its potential for growth.

For example, someone who refined a Fifth-grade Demon Spirit and someone who refined a Seventh-grade Demon Spirit both began with First-rank Demon Spirits in the initial stage. Their combat power would not differ much. The difference was that a Fifth-grade Demon Spirit could grow to Fifth-grade and assist a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist in battle, while a Seventh-grade Demon Spirit could reach Seventh-grade and assist a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist in battle. That was the meaning of demon spirit grades.

But if the difference in grade was immense, they could not be judged by that standard.

Take Ye Qiu's Thorn Demon Dragon. Even as a First-rank Demon Spirit, it could crush the vast majority of Second-grade Demon Spirits, and even some Third-grade Demon Spirits with lower combat power. A demon spirit of this level already possessed the qualifications to challenge above its rank.

"Looks like River City will be lively today."

After giving Ye Qiu one last look, Jiang Chu slowly stepped down from the elevated platform.

He had seen too many geniuses.

Even a peerless genius like Ye Qiu—so what? Only by truly growing into a powerhouse would he earn the right to be taken seriously by Jiang Chu.

"Line up one by one. Take it slow."

Although Awakening Day had ended, Lin Feng and the others had not left. Under instruction, they orderly divided into ten lines and queued toward a mirror as tall as a person.

The youths passed through in an orderly fashion, and the mirror was rather miraculous. When ordinary people passed before it, it showed no change at all. But when a Demon Spirit Master appeared, it reflected the demon spirit within their body.

This mirror had a rather interesting name: the Demon Mirror.

The Demon Mirror had originally been invented to prevent top-tier demon beasts from taking human form and mingling among humans, such as that mysterious demonic young man.

Now, its purpose was to record the types of demon spirits the youths had refined and to prevent anyone from stealing demon spirits.

The latter was the main reason.

Although the annual Awakening Day had a Martial King present, countless powerhouses observing, and full surveillance throughout, stealing demon spirits was not impossible. In fact, before the Demon Mirror was invented, it happened frequently.

Even a First-rank Demon Spirit was worth several thousand New Dollars. A Ninth-grade Demon Spirit cost at least over a billion, while Earth List demon spirits were priceless and unavailable on the market. True powerhouses who possessed demon spirits of that level would never put them up for sale.

As for the Thorn Demon Dragon ranked Earth Ranking 46th, it could no longer be valued in money at all, nor could it be bought.

Since refining demon spirits was limited to those under eighteen, many students had previously been manipulated by powerful factions into stealing them. The methods of theft came in every strange variety, and various secret techniques were even developed for the purpose, making them impossible to guard against.

Even though they knew they would be executed if caught, many still took the risk every year. Demon spirits were difficult to refine, but they did not possess much offensive capability. If one got lucky and caught a high-grade demon spirit, one could enjoy wealth and glory for a lifetime.

If one caught an Earth List demon spirit, one could even establish a small Lineage.

However, after the Demon Mirror was developed, such cases had basically vanished.

Before the Demon Mirror, those secret techniques and tricks had nowhere to hide.

Will it be discovered? As he stood in line, Lin Feng felt somewhat uneasy.

Within his body, that Nightmare had been sealed by the Evil Sealing Seal and had not been refined.

If the Demon Mirror detected it, it might be forcibly taken away. Even if he explained the reason, it would expose the special nature of this demon spirit. Clearly, neither outcome was what Lin Feng wanted.