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Su Wen glanced at Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan had been warned by Salas not to spread Su Wen's theory to outsiders, and Su Wen had likewise been told the same.
However, the result itself—the fact that Su Wen had absorbed a thousand-year second ring—could that be revealed?
Bai Yuan gave Su Wen a slight nod.
It was bound to be revealed sooner or later. It was impossible to keep it a secret forever.
Xiao Zhan paid no mind to the silent exchange between Su Wen and Bai Yuan. He simply waited for Su Wen to release his spirit.
Taking a deep breath, Su Wen extended his right hand. A primitive, ancient-looking book appeared above his palm, emitting a splendid glow and covered entirely in dense, purple patterns.
On the book's cover, there was an intricate design resembling a pupil.
Just looking at the appearance of Su Wen's spirit, Xiao Zhan's face already lit up with pleasure.
Excellent.
Its quality was definitely not low!
However, as two spirit rings—one yellow, one purple—rose from beneath Su Wen's feet, his expression instantly froze solid.
His eyes flew wide. He carefully counted Su Wen's spirit rings, then recalled what Bai Yuan had told him about Su Wen's spirit power level just two days prior, and then cross-referenced his own knowledge of what the colors meant...
He doubted every part of it, but finally confirmed that his cognition was not mistaken, and his memory was not in disarray.
Su Wen... his second spirit ring was a thousand-year spirit ring!
Hiss—
Xiao Zhan's gaze snapped fiercely toward Bai Yuan.
Old Bai, what in the world are you playing at?
An ordinary Spirit Hall member would be one thing, but with a situation like this, could Su Wen possibly be an ordinary person?
What was your motive for having me introduce him to the academy?
Bai Yuan wore a helpless expression. "Su Wen's situation is highly sensitive. His entry into Tian Dou Royal Academy was personally permitted by Her Majesty the Supreme Pontiff. Old Xiao, while you are an instructor at the academy, you are also considered a member of Spirit Hall. The Supreme Pontiff's command cannot be defied. Furthermore, the fact that Su Wen comes from Spirit Hall must not be revealed."
Su Wen was allowed to have a thousand-year second ring, but his origins in Spirit Hall cannot be exposed.
Otherwise, a genius of this caliber entering Tian Dou Royal Academy... what would be the perceived intention? It would inevitably stir up suspicion.
Xiao Zhan felt somewhat exasperated.
It was only as an afterthought, once he calmed down, that he fully processed that Su Wen had a Book Spirit.
A Book Spirit... with a thousand-year second ring?
How on earth did he withstand that?
Xiao Zhan took a deep breath, forcing himself not to think any deeper on the matter.
After moving past the topic of the thousand-year second ring, Xiao Zhan began to curiously observe Su Wen's spirit.
Tsk tsk, no wonder it looks so much stronger than my own spirit did back when I got my second ring.
It was all because he absorbed a thousand-year ring.
"What are your two spirit skills?" Xiao Zhan asked.
Bai Yuan also looked on with curiosity.
He had spoken with Su Wen, but their discussions were entirely focused on the theory of Spirit Master cultivation. He knew nothing at all about Su Wen's actual spirit skills.
"My first spirit skill is 'Enhance.' It can strengthen my spirit in an all-around manner."
Xiao Zhan's eyes lit up.
Not bad!
Although it doesn't directly grant the Book Spirit combat power, it doesn't get in the way of anything either.
On the contrary, if his subsequent spirit rings grant his Book Spirit combat-type skills, this first skill will be able to amplify them across the board.
It's a perfect 'jack-of-all-trades' skill.
Very good, very good.
"And the second spirit skill?"
Even though he himself possessed thousand-year spirit rings, Xiao Zhan was still extremely curious about the spirit skill Su Wen had obtained from this thousand-year ring that he'd absorbed by breaking the limit.
"My second spirit skill is 'Control.' It allows me to control the power of the wind and fire elements."
Strictly speaking, the effect of Su Wen's second spirit skill wasn't true mastery over the two elements. It was 'Spiritual Control,' the ability to use his spiritual power to command the ambient heaven-and-earth energy within a certain range.
It was a result of factors from the Three-Eyed Phantasmal Spirit Fox (which used spiritual power to construct illusions) combined with Su Wen's own innate talent for control, all working together to grant him this second spirit skill.
It could be said that the second spirit skill, to a certain extent, broadened the scope of his innate talent.
Of course, this all required Su Wen to attempt to develop it.
As for what he'd just said about controlling the wind and fire elements, that was, more accurately, a derived ability born from the combination of this spirit skill and his innate talent.
That Three-Eyed Phantasmal Spirit Fox had possessed the bloodlines of both the Fire Cloud Fox and the Swift Wind Fox. While its spiritual attribute mutated, it had also mastered these two other attributes.
In other words, its primary attribute was spiritual, but it simultaneously possessed the wind and fire attributes.
After absorbing the second spirit ring, Su Wen's spirit itself did not gain the wind and fire attributes, nor did he gain any skills directly related to them. However, under the transformation from the spirit ring, his spirit did gain a much stronger affinity for those two elements.
And Su Wen was simply using his second spirit skill, 'Spiritual Control,' in conjunction with his 'extraordinary perception' talent, to 'cash in' on this newfound affinity.
Su Wen did not report his situation in its entirety.
It wasn't a question of trust; it was simply that spirit skills were inherently private matters. It was like a normal person not going around telling others the color of their underwear.
He just needed to report the general situation, enough to ensure it would help him learn practical things from Xiao Zhan.
"Control over the wind and fire elements?" Xiao Zhan's eyes were filled with excitement.
"Are you certain?" He gripped Su Wen's shoulders, staring intently into his eyes.
"Yes."
It had to be said, Su Wen's current situation was an extremely good match for Xiao Zhan!
Not only was his cultivation talent exceptionally high, but his two equipped spirit rings were also perfectly fine. His development direction was also highly compatible with Xiao Zhan's.
Control of the fire element.
"Using his spiritual attribute to control the elements?" Bai Yuan mused, also surprised that Su Wen had managed to obtain such a spirit skill.
If that was the case, the cost-to-benefit ratio of Su Wen's second spirit ring was simply too high.
Disregarding the benefits brought by its sheer age, both the enhancement to his spiritual power (from the primary spiritual ring) and the strengthening of his spirit's corresponding mutated characteristic, and this new skill that would allow him to firmly walk the path of a combat Spirit Master... all of it was top-tier.
When Su Wen finished reading all the materials in the library in just five days, Bai Yuan, as a theorist, had already speculated that his spirit must have mutated to produce characteristics related to this.
"No wonder you're so persistent about becoming a combat Spirit Master."
It turns out he had already carved out a clear path.
An ideal can certainly be firm, but an ideal that has already been partially realized is inevitably even firmer.
"Su Wen, you are excellent!" Xiao Zhan finally recovered his composure. "After you enter Tian Dou Royal Academy, you will study under my name. I will do my utmost to impart to you the techniques for using the book as a medium to control the fire element."
He did not mention taking him on as a formal disciple.
Su Wen had now caught the eye of the Supreme Pontiff herself. He couldn't make such a decision on his own, lest he get caught up in some political vortex.
"Thank you, Uncle Zhan."
"Little Wen, you just need to focus on your cultivation under my name. There's no need to pay any mind to the other students at the academy, and you don't need to associate with them," Xiao Zhan reminded him.
Tian Dou Royal Academy truly was just a place for nobles to get a veneer of prestige. There was no shortage of spoiled aristocrats inside.
With the exception of the one team of geniuses specially recruited by the academy, currently led by Qin Ming, there were very few others who cultivated seriously. Every last one of them was busy forming cliques and factions.
Xiao Zhan was worried Su Wen's mindset would be negatively affected.
"Don't worry, Uncle Zhan. I understand the situation at Tian Dou Royal Academy." Su Wen had no desire to be in the spotlight. Back at Nuoding Primary Spirit Master Academy, aside from that one fight with Boss Xiao, he had been a complete 'little transparent,' basically keeping no presence at all.
He knew what was more important.
"Good. Let's go. I'll take you to meet the three education committee members first."
(End of this chapter)