Chapter 25: Graduation
In the following years, it seemed Notting Elementary Academy had little left to teach; most classes had turned into self guided cultivation periods. Ye Wen had no complaints what he needed now was time, time to build up his strength and mastery.
Three years passed in this way, and by now, Ye Wen had achieved a staggering level 40 in spirit power. However, under his carefully maintained disguise, he appeared only as a level 23 Spirit Grandmaster with two rings. Even so, his rank made him an exceptional talent at Notting Academy, where a few intermediate academies took notice of his accomplishments, extending offers of free enrollment and tuition waivers.
Only Ah Yin knew his true strength, and it astounded her. She herself was now only at level 35, a bit stronger than Xiao Wu from the original story, yet the gap between her and Ye Wen was formidable. Frustrated yet inspired, Ah Yin began her own intensive cultivation, pushing herself every day.
"Six years have passed since I became a spirit master. While I may not be among the very strongest, I'm more than prepared to traverse the continent," Ye Wen thought as he sat in his dorm, now standing an impressive 1.8 meters tall, a growth spurt that seemed to have leveled off.
With the school year coming to an end, he felt it was time to seek his fourth spirit ring. He and Ah Yin began packing their things, as they had completed their last day of cultivation at the academy. Outside their room stood his two disciples, Huo Rui and Lan Lan.
In three years, both girls had grown taller, reaching around 1.4 meters each. Though still petite, they had developed distinct auras Huo Rui with her sharp, energetic demeanor and Lan Lan with a refined, gentle grace.
Ye Wen had crafted Huo Rui's spirit ring path to enhance her physical capabilities. The six self created spirit techniques he had taught her were more than sufficient until she reached the Spirit Saint level, so her limits depended mainly on her physical strength. Ye Wen helped her obtain an 800 year old Frenzy Bear, bestowing her with the first spirit skill, Berserker Strength, which increased her physical power by 30% and dulled her perception of pain. With Ye Wen's second skill, Simulate Reality, boosting her cultivation speed, Huo Rui had now reached level 20 and only needed a second ring to officially become a Spirit Grandmaster.
Lan Lan, on the other hand, had been heavily influenced by her time spent training alongside Ah Yin, developing a similarly noble bearing that made her one of Notting Academy's admired "twin goddesses" alongside Huo Rui. However, upon learning that both were Ye Wen's disciples, the other students refrained from pestering them.
Due to the inherent weakness of the Blue Silver Grass spirit, Ye Wen advised Lan Lan to follow a supportive path rather than trying to become a control type spirit master. Yet, she lacked the physical strength for intense training and had stalled at a modest 350 jin in strength. Her cultivation, however, progressed well thanks to Ah Yin's guidance, reaching level 12. For her first spirit ring, Ye Wen chose a 350 year old Emerald Aloe spirit beast, a non combative creature with potent healing properties.
As expected, absorbing this ring caused her Blue Silver Grass to evolve into Blue Silver Vines, resembling thick aloe leaves. Her first spirit skill, Blue Silver Healing, enabled her to bind her vines around wounds to accelerate recovery, although it provided no protection against poisons.
This transformation also led Ye Wen to further question Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's approach in the original story. Rather than seeking the Datura Snake for a minor control skill, why hadn't he chosen a plant spirit beast to enhance Tang San's Blue Silver Grass directly? Such a choice could have given Tang San a more versatile skill, rather than the limited, poison focused attack.
"Let's go. We can continue training at home," Ye Wen said calmly. "This academy has little left to offer us."
The three girls nodded silently. Notting Academy had once offered them basic knowledge and a small measure of protection, but they now possessed enough strength to command respect in the city; there was no need to stay.
As for Lan Lan's parents' killers, Ye Wen had already dealt with them noble ruffians easy enough to locate and ambush in their carousing. Destroying the evidence came naturally to Ye Wen, so these families, left clueless, had no trail to follow.
Now, Ye Wen would be hunting his next spirit ring alone. His survival skills had improved immensely, and the girls' strength paled compared to the beasts he would encounter. This time, he would enter the most famous and feared spirit beast haven on the continent: Star Dou Forest.
Entering the bustling town near the forest, a marketplace filled with shouting vendors and adventurers greeted him.
"Golden horned rhino horn here only 99 gold spirit coins!"
"The Grey Fox Mercenary Group is hiring! We need a control type spirit master, level 30 or higher!"
"Fresh baked biscuits, hot from the oven!"
Amid the cacophony, Ye Wen remained focused. After adjusting his spirit pressure with Simulate Reality to erase his presence, he stepped into the depths of Star Dou Forest alone.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10