Excitement was contagious. The red flush that had originally been on Su Yuntao's face spread to Kiritsugu as the two men talked.
After a while, their conversation ended. Kiritsugu waved for the other villagers to return home, then followed Su Yuntao over to Wu Ling.
"Ling'er, Master Su Yuntao told me everything. You really gave me a surprise!"
Wu Ling only smiled a little awkwardly and did not say much.
Kiritsugu continued, "Ling'er, the master and I have discussed it. You will go straight to Notting City today."
Wu Ling asked in confusion, "Uncle Kiri, you aren't coming?"
Kiritsugu waved casually, as if it did not matter.
"I am still the chief of this village. There are many things to handle this year. For example, your Eighth Aunt's sow is due to give birth in a few days. Your Uncle Kirei also invited me to drink with him after your Martial Soul awakening. I have been thinking about his family's stone-treasure wine for a long time.
"So you just go. Don't worry about this lousy old man. As long as you come back to see me once in a while when you have time, I will have no regrets."
Wu Ling opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing. He silently stepped forward and hugged Kiritsugu.
"I'm leaving, Uncle Kiri."
"Mm. Go. Be careful on the road."
After their final goodbye, Wu Ling and Su Yuntao boarded the same carriage. The driver urged the horse on, and the carriage headed toward Notting City.
Kiritsugu watched the carriage leave. He could not help rubbing the reddened corner of his eye. Only when he could no longer see the carriage did he turn and stagger slowly back toward the village.
"I really am old. These winds keep getting sand in my eyes more and more easily.
"Go on, then. From now on, this old man will be alone again. But this time, I should have something to look forward to... right?"
Inside the carriage, Wu Ling was also rather quiet because of his separation from Kiritsugu. Su Yuntao looked at him and tactfully said nothing.
Wu Ling sighed, suppressed the reluctance in his heart, and forced himself to shift his attention. His Martial Soul, the Unregistered Spirit Origin, became his target.
"In the game, the function of Unregistered Spirit Origins is to summon Heroic Spirits. Ten Unregistered Spirit Origins can summon one five-star Heroic Spirit. Now that it has become my Martial Soul, its ability is still summoning, but what it summons is a being similar to a shadow of a Heroic Spirit.
"Including Noble Phantasms, a Heroic Spirit shadow has every ability that Heroic Spirit possesses. The only thing it lacks is consciousness, and I can become its consciousness.
"Simply put, it is similar to Zhuge Liang in the game, where I become the vessel for possession. The difference is that my consciousness remains primary, and I gain the Heroic Spirit's power. If I had to name another difference, it is that I can fuse with the Spirit Origins of nine Heroic Spirits at once.
"Here, one level of spirit power equals one Unregistered Spirit Origin. I am currently at level ten spirit power, meaning I have ten of them. I only need a catalyst, and I can begin the first summoning.
"The catalyst is a Soul Beast. Soul Beasts are divided into ten-year, hundred-year, thousand-year, ten-thousand-year, hundred-thousand-year, and million-year levels. The first five correspond to one-star through five-star Heroic Spirits. As for the million-year level, that has already entered the realm of gods, so I cannot be certain for now.
"What needs attention is that a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring can summon a four-star Heroic Spirit, but it could also summon a one-star Heroic Spirit. It mainly depends on compatibility. If no Heroic Spirit of the corresponding star rank matches, the summoning will move downward. Of course, the Spirit Ring's level will not change, and the lower-star Heroic Spirit will also receive a certain degree of strengthening.
"The reverse does not work. A ten-year Spirit Ring cannot summon a two-star or higher Heroic Spirit."
After understanding his Martial Soul's ability, Wu Ling began carefully considering the choice for his first Spirit Ring.
"My first Spirit Ring will definitely be hundred-year. That means I can choose from one-star and two-star Heroic Spirits. But in these six years, I have already forgotten part of the content. If I really have to think through it, this will be troublesome."
While Wu Ling sank into immersive thought, they had already arrived in Notting City.
"Wu Ling, we're here. Wu Ling, what are you thinking about? Time to get off."
After leaving the carriage, Su Yuntao hurriedly brought him to find his teacher, Matthew. Though Matthew was only a Spirit Adept, his character and knowledge had deeply impressed Su Yuntao.
Especially since meeting Wu Ling had been the result of Su Yuntao insisting on following his teacher here, he should tell Matthew first, whether emotionally or logically.
In the end, Su Yuntao found Matthew in the rear courtyard of the Spirit Hall branch. Beside Matthew, there was also a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties talking with him.
Su Yuntao glanced at the middle-aged man and found him somewhat unfamiliar. But since the man could speak with his teacher, he should count as one of their own. So Su Yuntao spoke directly.
"Teacher, Teacher, look quickly. This child has innate full spirit power!"
Su Yuntao's words made both Matthew and the middle-aged man look over. Matthew confirmed in disbelief, "It really is innate full spirit power?"
"Yes, Teacher. And he has already agreed to join Spirit Hall."
"Good, good, good. What is his Martial Soul?"
"According to him, it is a mutated Martial Soul called the Heroic Spirit Disc."
"A mutated Martial Soul, innate full spirit power, and he has joined our Spirit Hall. Good, good, good!" Matthew's repeated praise clearly revealed his mood.
At this moment, however, Wu Ling was not paying attention to their conversation. His gaze fixed on the middle-aged man.
From the man's appearance and decadent air, Wu Ling had already confirmed it. The fellow in front of him was Tang San's teacher in the original work: Ethan Drake.
Ethan Drake also shifted his gaze toward Wu Ling. He had heard Su Yuntao and Matthew clearly. This child had a mutated Martial Soul and innate full spirit power.
"To think that I only came here to meet the newly appointed Spirit Hall deacon, and I actually ran into such a fine seedling!" Ethan Drake looked perfectly steady on the surface, but inwardly he had grown excited.
Originally, after learning that the Spirit Hall branch had a new hall master and deacon, Ethan Drake had planned to show his face and let them understand what it meant to be "the continent's number one theorist." In simple terms, he wanted them to remember to give him face and not be foolish enough to provoke him.
Although most of the newly arrived people did not care about his so-called title, the problem was that Spirit Hall itself had once issued that statement. If they refused to give him face, would that not mean slapping Spirit Hall's own face? They did not have that courage, so they treated him politely.
What Ethan Drake never expected was that he would meet a genius here. No, not a genius. A monster.
"If I can make him my disciple, then I can verify my Ten Core Competency Theories. When that time comes, who will dare call me trash?"
No sooner thought than done. While Su Yuntao explained the matter to Matthew, Ethan Drake walked up to Wu Ling and asked, "Child, are you interested in taking me as your master?"
Ethan Drake's words made Su Yuntao and Matthew freeze for an instant. Then their expressions turned unfriendly.
Ethan Drake did not care at all. He was the dignified continent's number one theorist. What did it matter how two mere Spirit Adepts looked at him?
Just as Su Yuntao and Matthew were about to stop him, Wu Ling spoke with absolute certainty.
"I refuse!"