Chapter 29 Future Academy Is Proud of You
The dean walked a few steps toward Tang Chuan, his eyes fixed on the deep purple Spirit Ring as if he had seen a ghost.
"The first Spirit Ring is 8,600 years old?"
"That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The common sense of the Spirit Master world was completely overturned at this moment. This was no longer something that could be explained by calling him a genius—it was simply monstrous!
Which Spirit Master's first Spirit Ring could last for more than a thousand years?
Not to mention 8,600 years!
Even though the dean was a level 42 Soul Master with his fourth Spirit Ring, the Spirit Ring's age was only 6,400 years. This was simply unbelievable!
"Dean, I know this is outrageous."
Tang Chuan promptly put away his Spirit Ring, his tone tinged with confusion, as if even he himself didn't understand. "I don't know why this is happening either."
"My first Spirit Ring was from a Blue Silver Grass Spirit Beast that my father took me to find in the Soul Hunting Forest. The age at that time was over two hundred years."
Tang Chuan paused, as if recalling something. "But ever since I started using my Soul Skill to record ingredients, I've noticed that every time I record a new ingredient, the age of my Spirit Ring slowly increases a little."
"At first, the age only increased every few years, so I didn't pay much attention."
"It wasn't until later, when my father brought back some high-level Spirit Beast meat, that the age of the Spirit Ring increased by several hundred years after I collected it. That's when we discovered this."
"But we still don't know why."
Tang Chuan's words were half-truth and half-lie.
It not only explained the reason for the abnormality of the Spirit Ring but also attributed the key to its increase in age to recording ingredients, thus avoiding the secret of the Nine Trials of the God of Cookery and the "Ingredient Illustrated Guide."
"Record the ingredients? Can it increase the age of Spirit Rings?"
The dean frowned, muttering the same sentence over and over, his eyes filled with disbelief, yet he couldn't find a reason to refute it.
Tang Chuan's Spirit Ring was right in front of him; it couldn't be fake.
He suddenly remembered something and looked sharply at Tang Chuan. "You said before that you couldn't help but make a mistake when you were collecting materials from my flower garden. Could it be because...?"
"Yes, Dean."
Tang Chuan nodded, his tone tinged with guilt. "After I discovered that recording new ingredients could make my Spirit Ring stronger, I really wanted to try it on plants I'd never seen before."
"I passed by the dean's flower garden that day and saw so many plants…"
These words cleared up the dean's doubts, and he appreciated Tang Chuan even more.
It turned out Tang Chuan didn't steal things intentionally. Rather, he acted impulsively because he wanted to research Soul Skills and was tempted by the growth of his Spirit Rings. That was understandable.
"Your Soul Skill… this is absolutely unheard of!"
The dean stared at Tang Chuan for a long time, his eyes gradually changing from initial shock to amazement, and finally to deep admiration.
"If word got out that recording ingredients can increase the age of a Spirit Ring, the entire Spirit Master world would be shaken!"
He walked back to his desk, sat down again, but didn't mention the Spirit Rings further.
He knew Tang Chuan must still have secrets he hadn't told, but that didn't matter.
Most importantly, Tang Chuan was a once-in-a-century genius with limitless potential. Notting Academy must seize this opportunity and build a good relationship with him.
"Tang Chuan, I won't tell anyone about your affairs."
The dean picked up the bronze token that had been prepared on the table and pushed it in front of Tang Chuan. "Your Soul Skill is special and requires more information and resources to study."
"This is my token. On the second floor of the academy library, there are many ancient books that record rare plants and Spirit Beast ingredients. On the third floor, there are also medicinal herb compendiums left by an old pharmacist. Normally, no one is allowed to touch them except my good friend Yu Xiaogang."
"With this token, you can check them anytime."
He paused, then added, "When your Spirit Power reaches level 20 and you need to hunt for your second Spirit Ring, come find me."
"As a level 42 offensive Soul Master, I am more than capable of dealing with Spirit Beasts under a thousand years old. I will personally take you to the depths of the Soul Hunting Forest to find the most suitable Spirit Beast for you."
"Thank you, Dean. This student…"
Tang Chuan stood up, took the token, and looked at the dean with just the right amount of gratitude in his eyes.
"You are welcome."
The dean waved his hand with a smile. "Notting Academy may only be the starting point of your path to becoming a Spirit Master, but I believe that with your Spirit and this unique ability, your future is limitless."
"The academy will always support you. If you need any help, feel free to come to me anytime."
"By the way, if you need any more materials from the flower garden, just go there. Compared to your Soul Skills, those flowers and plants are nothing!"
"I look forward to the day when the academy will be proud of you."
Tang Chuan was truly moved by the dean's words and nodded solemnly. "This student will definitely cultivate diligently and will never let the dean down."
Holding the bronze token, Tang Chuan felt grateful for the dean's strong support.
Thinking about his next plan, Tang Chuan spoke again. "Dean, actually, during this time in the Soul Hunting Forest, I also developed a new ability for my first Soul Skill."
"Oh?"
The dean, already curious about Tang Chuan's Soul Skills, looked at him expectantly. "Tell me, what new ability have you developed?"
"Dean, please take a look!"
Tang Chuan raised his right hand, and Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palm. His first Spirit Ring glowed with purple light, and his Spirit Power flowed along the grass threads, weaving into a fine Blue Silver Grass net in the air.
Strands of grass coalesced into an iron shell.
A soft white light shone from the inside of the grass fibers, and Tang Chuan incorporated the luminescent properties of the Fluorite Fruit into it.
In a short while, a fist-sized iron-cased fluorite lamp landed steadily in Tang Chuan's palm and was handed to the dean's desk.
"This is a combination of the properties of iron and the properties of glowstone berries."
Tang Chuan pressed down on the protrusion on the side of the metal casing, and the white light brightened even more, dispelling the shadows in the corner of the office and making the wood grain on the desk clearly visible.
"Iron-cased fluorite lamp. It can protect the fluorite fruit from being damaged by impact and provide continuous lighting, making it more practical than a candle for nighttime use."
The dean picked up the metal-cased fluorite lamp, examined it carefully, and nodded in approval. "Not bad! It's quite similar to a lighting Soul Tool."
"Moreover, the method of making Soul Tools has long been lost, and it is far less convenient than your iron-shelled fluorite lamp."
"That's not all."
Tang Chuan smiled, his hands continuing to work.
The Blue Silver Grass wove itself once more, this time forming an amber-colored berry with a faint sweet fragrance and a few strands of silver veins.
"This is the refreshing honey strawberry."
Tang Chuan handed over the berries. "They are made from a combination of the properties of three plants: detoxifying berries, honey-scented shrub berries, and refreshing clover."
"Detoxifying berries can neutralize mild toxins, but they taste sour and astringent and are difficult to swallow. The honey-scented shrub fruit neutralizes the tartness of the detoxifying berry, and the addition of calming clover provides soothing relief, thus both detoxifying and relieving mental fatigue."
"Perfect for Spirit Masters to eat in emergencies in the wild."
Upon hearing this, the dean took the berries and smelled them.
The sweet fragrance carried a hint of bitterness, which was indeed the scent of detoxifying berries, but it was perfectly balanced by the honey fragrance and not overpowering at all.
[end of the chapter]