Early the next morning, Jin Bao ordered breakfast and headed to the registration site for the Spirit Hall Outer Academy. Although he felt he had arrived early enough, there was still a long queue.
Many people were children brought by their parents, but some had come to register on their own. Judging by their attire, they all seemed to be children from ordinary families.
Each of them clutched a gold coin in their hands, looking very nervous as they watched the registration area.
It could be said that Jin Bao was an outlier in the crowd.
For a child to come register alone while wearing decent-looking clothes already made him stand out compared to those around him.
The main issue, however, was Jin Bao's physique.
He wasn't sure if it was the influence of his Spirit or if the Vice Principal had simply fed him and Mei Lele too well over the past few years.
Both of them had developed very well. Even though he wasn't yet twelve, Jin Bao was already nearly 1.8 meters tall. The problem was that his horizontal growth wasn't lacking either; his clothes were all custom-made.
However, he could guarantee that this bulk wasn't fat. While it wasn't lean muscle, it was definitely mass that could provide him with power.
Nevertheless, his build was significantly different from the other children, and he could already hear many people whispering about his size.
As the line moved forward bit by bit, Jin Bao used his spirit power to block his hearing; what the ear does not hear, the heart does not grieve over.
Spirit Hall was very efficient. What looked like a long queue reached Jin Bao in less than half an hour.
After handing over his Spirit Hall credentials, the registration teacher took a special look at Jin Bao.
"Jin Bao?"
Jin Bao replied, "That's me, Teacher."
The teacher sized Jin Bao up. "Test your Spirit and spirit power." Despite the Spirit Hall registration guarantee, he still deliberately touched Jin Bao's wrist while handing over the crystal ball.
Jin Bao clearly saw a flicker of surprise in the Spirit Hall teacher's eyes after confirming his age.
He placed his hand on it and injected spirit power.
Money Spirit, spirit power rank twenty-seven.
This time, not only did the teacher's expression change, but those behind him who had been gossiping about Jin Bao's physique were also shocked.
"Alright, pay the registration fee and go directly to the third stage of the assessment." The teacher handed the certificate back to Jin Bao.
After entering the academy, Jin Bao realized how massive the difference was between the environment here and the Elementary academy where he had spent five years. If not for the signposts, he felt he might have gotten lost.
The first stage was merely to screen out those with unqualified spirit power or age. The second stage was to test potential, which meant checking the Spirit, Innate Spirit Power, and spirit ring configuration.
Someone like Jin Bao could skip the second stage and go straight into the third stage, the formal class placement assessment.
"Teacher, I'm here to register for the control system." After Jin Bao handed over his certificate, several people waiting for their assessments nearby couldn't help but look over.
The teacher glanced at Jin Bao's certificate and asked, "Are you sure you're not testing for the Defense System or attack system?"
After Jin Bao nodded once more, the teacher signaled an assistant examiner to lead him away.
The control system's assessment ground was by a pond. Unsurprisingly, the originally sparsely populated area drew everyone's attention because of Jin Bao's arrival.
At that moment, a Spirit Master was undergoing his assessment. Because of Jin Bao's appearance, he made a mistake in his control.
"Assessment over. Eighty points. Next," the examining teacher said.
The student froze for a moment, an unwilling expression crossing his face, but he naturally lowered his head when he met the examiner's eyes.
However, as he walked past Jin Bao, Jin Bao felt a sense of malice emanating from him.
By now, Jin Bao could control his Golden Eye—which had mutated due to his Spirit—to return to a normal color, but its abilities grew stronger with use. He could already sense this kind of undisguised malice without even looking at the person.
Of course, the distance couldn't be too great.
The assessment for a Control System Soul Master wasn't particularly difficult. control system skills are divided into two types: single-target control and group control. However, they require precise targeting and reaction speed. Therefore, the test was split into two parts. The first involved metal balls randomly thrown by the examiner, which the candidate had to control.
The second part involved the teacher releasing a type of Semi-Spirit Beast Rabbit. These rabbits would suddenly burst into a fast run in one direction when startled. Candidates needed to control them—either by binding or killing them—before they ran out of the assessment area.
However, if one killed a rabbit, they had to pay a compensation of one silver coin.
Jin Bao watched the few control system Spirit Masters before him. They either used things similar to ropes and vines or used special methods to interfere with the target. There was truly no one like him.
"Ninety points, excellent! Next!"
The last person before Jin Bao finished the assessment and took his student ID from the examiner with a smile.
Jin Bao handed over his certificate and stepped into the assessment area.
It had to be said that the quality of the examiners in this third stage was higher than the previous ones. Even when Jin Bao arrived, they only gave him a glance without letting it affect their work at all.
"Are you ready?" the examiner asked.
"Yes!" Jin Bao nodded and released his Spirit.
"Watch out!" the examiner opposite him said as he simultaneously threw five metal balls.
Over the years, as Jin Bao's spirit power grew, the range of his First Spirit Skill had increased from five meters to ten meters. If extended in a single direction, it could reach twenty meters. However, if he did that, control in the opposite direction would be limited to his immediate vicinity.
However, at this point, Jin Bao could relinquish control over the distant Spirit Ability, turning it into a fixed energy shield.
In the second state of releasing the Spirit Ability, the base attack distance was thirty meters, and extending it in a single direction could reach eighty meters.
This assessment ground, from the teacher to where Jin Bao stood, was the standard length for a one-on-one practice field: fifty meters.
Jin Bao's spirit ring did not light up, but the energy coins flying from his hand accurately struck the five metal balls. The energy coins became embedded in the metal balls, and the resulting impact robbed the balls of their momentum, causing them to drop to the ground.
"Continue!" the examiner said.
Next came a series of individual metal balls from different directions.
Jin Bao once again displayed precise shooting ability, accurately knocking down the metal balls.
"I say, is your method of control just attacking the enemy?" the teacher opposite him suddenly asked. He had increased the force in his last few throws, but Jin Bao had still knocked the balls down using the same method. This level of skill was entirely suitable for an offensive Spirit Master.
Jin Bao looked at the teacher and suddenly thought of a saying: What should the strongest support do?
The answer was simple: eliminating all enemies is equivalent to protecting your teammates.
But answering like that would definitely not pass the test.