Qi Collection and Spirit Control

"Tao Dapeng's family business is huge. Maybe I could ask him for help."

Jiang Ran immediately thought of his best friend, Tao Dapeng.

As long as he asked Tao Dapeng for help, a transaction worth several million would definitely not be a problem through the Tao Family Company.

But Tao Dapeng was Tao Dapeng, and the Tao Family was the Tao Family. It still was not reliable enough.

"What if I started a company myself..." Jiang Ran propped up his chin.

When it came to starting companies and doing business, he still had some say in the matter.

If he had a company and used its shell to trade spiritual items between the two worlds, there would be far too much room to maneuver.

"No. I'm too young. That would only draw even more attention."

"I'll wait until the college entrance exams are over. University students starting businesses is perfectly normal."

"More than two million is enough for me..."

The next day, Tuesday.

Pingjiang No. 1 High School.

Quite a few Class Three students seated in the back rows were surprised to discover that their classmate "Jiang Ran," who often skipped school, had actually come to class.

"Jiang Ran has it way too good. He skips class for over ten days, and the teachers never give him trouble."

"Who knows? Maybe his family has connections..."

"Don't talk nonsense! What do you know? Jiang Ran doesn't have any background, but I heard that Ji Old Devil—"

Jiang Ran was speechless and could only let his classmates speculate wildly.

As a senior preparing for the college entrance exams, he could freely enter and leave school and skip classes whenever he wished. He was practically one of a kind.

This morning's class was spellcraft.

Spellcraft classes had always been sharply polarized. Those who understood found them easy, while those who did not found them impossible. Many students were troubled by the complicated spell theories, while others immersed themselves in them and enjoyed every moment.

Overall, spellcraft was basically high school students' favorite subject.

After all, compared to dull meditation and cultivation, casting spells was far more interesting.

"The Dao unfolds heaven's mysteries; today, we shall open the scroll and unravel the true formula..."

This was a large lecture class, with students from ten classes attending at once.

"Students, today we'll be covering the third volume of the Five Elements Foundation Spellbook: Spirit-Control!"

The spellcraft teacher, Zhou Tianfang, had an outstanding bearing and a stern, rugged face. His strength was unfathomable.

There were a hundred senior classes, divided into groups of ten, with only ten spellcraft teachers in total. Every one of them was an elite core instructor.

Following Teacher Zhou's guidance, the students flipped through the thick tomes in their hands.

The Basic Five Elements Spellbook was a classic textbook passed down by the Tianlu Education Department. It contained every detail and essence of entering the path of the Five Elements. One could say that if one thoroughly understood this textbook, one had truly stepped through the gates of the Five Elements path.

Jiang Ran read with relish.

The immortal Dao inheritances of the two worlds differed from one another, yet the principles behind these Dao arts had countless points of connection.

His spellcraft grades had originally been poor. Apart from the most basic Five Elements Spirit-Sensing, he had only mastered one beginner spell, the Water Ball Technique.

The Basic Five Elements Spellbook was divided into four volumes. The Spirit-Control Technique Teacher Zhou was now explaining was in the third volume.

"One who controls spirit does not command external objects, but masters one's own heart. Three thousand threads of spirit all arise from thought..."

For some reason, as Teacher Zhou expounded upon the Dao arts, a faint white glow actually shimmered across his body.

The students below seemed to gain some insight, their auras fluctuating without end.

"Spirit-control..." Jiang Ran's eyes were clear.

His spiritual root aptitude was ordinary, but under the boost of the Qi-Nourishing Cultivation Method, his comprehension had already improved greatly.

As Teacher Zhou's voice continued to ring out, a wisp of water vapor slowly gathered in front of him.

Teacher Zhou turned around and lightly hooked a finger. The water vapor actually condensed into a white crane that beat its wings and rose.

"Where the banner of the heart stirs, even stagnant water can become an Azure Phoenix."

The students did not dare blink, focusing with all their might for fear of missing even the smallest detail.

If this scene were placed in the Grand Ruins Realm, it would likely make countless low-level cultivators sigh in wonder.

A high-level cultivator personally demonstrating and teaching spells, teaching without discrimination, allowing anyone to watch at will.

The Grand Ruins Realm placed immense importance on inheritance and lineage. A scene like this was almost impossible there.

Teacher Zhou explained everything with extreme detail, down to every single aspect of the spell.

When categorized within the Five Elements, spirit-control consisted of five spirit-control spells: "control metal, control water... control earth."

Once the teacher finished, it was time for free practice. Naturally, the students could not achieve Teacher Zhou's effortless, nimble results.

Yet the improvements brought by the Spirit-Control Technique were still enormous.

For example, Jiang Ran was trying to apply the Spirit-Control Technique to the Water Ball Technique.

With spirit-control as its core, the Water Ball Technique he cast was not only steadier, but also larger.

It could even move as he wished, allowing him to freely control its attack path. It was incredibly marvelous.

Sweat beaded on Jiang Ran's forehead as he struggled to maintain the spell's balance.

Logically speaking, the Spirit-Control Technique gave the Water Ball Technique agility. Once practiced to a profound level, it could produce many effects such as splitting, combined attacks, piercing, and more.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ran's cultivation was too low and his spell attainments too shallow. Even controlling the water ball's attack direction was somewhat difficult for him.

Cultivation and learning spells were destined to be long-term undertakings.

The road he had to walk was still very long.

"Some progress..." Jiang Ran let out a breath and released his control over the spell.

He did not belittle himself or think he was not cut out for cultivation.

Jiang Ran knew very well that he had been exposed to immortal cultivation for too short a time. Even with hard work, he still needed time before he could see results.

The students spread out to practice. A large formation had been arranged in the spellcraft classroom to suppress spell power and prevent accidental injuries.

"All right, come back now," Teacher Zhou's voice called out.

Teacher Zhou took out a dark-blue wooden box and opened it.

With a light wave of his hand, hundreds upon thousands of "water vapor" wisps flew out, each one precisely finding a student.

Jiang Ran caught the blue light and froze for a moment.

It was not water vapor.

It was water. Real water.

"This is Three-Origin Spirit Water. It contains a trace of Baleful-Breaking Power," Teacher Zhou explained promptly.

"Students, give it a try. Use the Spirit-Control Technique you've just learned and see whether you can extract that wisp of Baleful-Breaking Power."

Extract Baleful-Breaking Power?

An uproar broke out below as the students began discussing it among themselves.

Most high school students only began cultivating formally in their second year. Everyone was still a rookie. A method like extracting power from spirit water was already extremely difficult for them.

"Come on, don't be afraid. Everyone, try it. It doesn't matter if you fail."

Teacher Zhou's smile was particularly kind at this moment.

Hearing this, the students all focused intently and began attempting spirit-control.

"I succeeded!"

A cry of surprise came from Class One, drawing everyone's gaze.

It was Class One's class monitor, Qi Ming, a top student ranked within the top hundred of the year.

A thread of deep blue light rose and fell before him, occasionally emitting a faint sense of intimidation.

That was the "Baleful-Breaking Power" Teacher Zhou had spoken of.

With a successful example before them, the students of all ten classes grew excited.

Spell fluctuations filled the classroom as everyone cast spells with great enthusiasm.

Only Jiang Ran did not move, his expression somewhat strange.

He took out the Basic Five Elements Spellbook and reread the section on the Spirit-Control Technique dozens of times.

At last, he could confirm one thing.

"My Qi-Collection Method seems to count as a kind of Spirit-Control Technique too!"