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Bai Xu accepted the bank card and immediately headed to the classroom to attend the basic knowledge course on spirit beasts.
After a few days, he felt the lessons were of little use, so he found Illustrated Guide to Sea Spirit Beasts and Illustrated Guide to Land Spirit Beasts to read during breaks as leisure material. At the same time, he requested permission from Leng Jiuming to train alone and stopped attending the basic knowledge classes.
As for things like mechas and battle armor, he had even less patience to study them one by one. To master such side skills, unless an experienced practitioner was willing to teach him, it would take forever to figure them out on his own—hardly worth the effort.
Since unlocking the body's hidden potential was already exhausting enough, he decided to forgo learning anything else. He focused solely on cultivating spirit power and developing his physique, considering everything else superfluous.
The only practical training he received was one-on-one combat instruction from Leng Jiuming, which made up his daily routine.
The only enjoyable activity was visiting the auction houses in Eastsea City to purchase special spirit fruits—Dragon Spirit Grass, Crystal Peaches, and other nourishing spirit fruits were Bai Xu's top choices.
Bai Xu had already memorized The Secrets of Human Body Cultivation. After strengthening the five internal organs, the next step was the six hollow organs—a transitional phase where the essence of the Five Elements would permeate his body, transforming it into a natural furnace. Once achieved, anything within the Five Elements could be refined instantly to nourish his body.
After the six hollow organs came the opening of meridians. The twelve primary meridians would serve as the foundation, supplemented by the eight extraordinary meridians. Vital energy, blood, and essence would flow through these meridians, reaching both the internal organs and the body's surface, circulating throughout. It was said that those who mastered meridian opening could possess the strength to move mountains and drain seas—though whether this was true remained to be seen.
Beyond that was the cultivation of the "spirit," requiring careful refinement of the brain's domain. A single misstep could lead to permanent mental impairment.
But that was getting ahead of himself—Bai Xu hadn't even reached the early stage of Earth Element cultivation yet.
Thus, his days and nights were filled with training—breathing exercises, meditation, and strict routines—leaving little time for socializing. The only interaction he had was during combat training with Leng Jiuming. His interpersonal relationships were minimal, yet he never felt the slightest bit of boredom.
This was different from studying. He could clearly feel his body's gradual development, the steady growth of his spirit power—that sense of power, the ability to grasp everything in his hands, was intoxicating. It was addictive, consuming him entirely.
And it was precisely this dedication that would later yield its rewards.
At 7 years old, he was a 20th-ranked Great Spirit Master, with peak Spiritual Communication Realm mental power and a striking force of roughly 200 kilograms.
At 8 years old, he reached 25th-ranked Great Spirit Master, with early-stage Spiritual Sea Realm mental power and a striking force of about 900 kilograms. His Earth Element essence was in the late stage, nearing completion.
At 9 years old, he achieved 29th-ranked Great Spirit Master, maintaining early-stage Spiritual Sea Realm mental power, but his striking force soared to 1,600 kilograms. His Earth Element essence was perfected, and his Metal Element essence had reached the late stage.
In the talent battles over those three years, none of his peers in the Spirit Pagoda could withstand a single move from Bai Xu. Some beast spirit masters couldn't even match his raw strength, while agility-type spirit masters couldn't rival his speed. He was, in every sense, an all-around warrior.
Thus, his reputation as Eastsea Spirit Pagoda's top genius spread far and wide.
---
"Your combat skills are sufficiently honed now. Compared to a true spirit master, all you lack is real life-and-death experience. You're old enough—it's time to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform and face the threats of the ancient Star Dou Great Forest." Leng Jiuming said. "And you'll be going alone. No teammates. Understood?"
"Mm."
"Ah, you brat—couldn't you at least ask why? Give your teacher a chance to say what's on his mind!" Leng Jiuming sighed helplessly. This kid was far too unflappable.
"Oh. Then why?"
"You know the famous Shrek Seven Monsters from Shrek Academy, right?"
"I do."
Leng Jiuming continued, "Though the Seven Monsters emphasize teamwork, the world's strongest can only ever be one person. So-called teamwork is meaningless in the face of absolute power. That's what I despise about Shrek—clinging to tradition, forcing the Seven Monsters system to persist. Aside from those who truly ascend to godhood, most of them end up just like us—turning to dust after a hundred years."
"Teacher, weren't you the one always pushing me to compete for a spot among the Seven Monsters? Why the sudden change?" Bai Xu teased.
"Ahem. Even if the system is flawed, if you were one of the Seven Monsters, I believe you could ascend alone."
"Haha, flattery like that might make me arrogant."
"I've yet to see you act arrogant."
---
The next day.
At the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform, after years of exposure, Bai Xu was already intimately familiar with the setup.
Standing before the machine that connected to the platform, Leng Jiuming instructed, "Bai Xu, at your current level, survival in the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform isn't even a concern. Your goal is to target thousand-year spirit beasts to upgrade your spirit soul. Inside, you'll be alone. You may face swarms of spirit beasts, but don't fear them. I want to forge in you the spirit of a warrior who can stand against armies alone—that is the path of the truly strong. Understood?"
Bai Xu smiled. "Teacher, of course I understand."
His thoughts aligned perfectly with Leng Jiuming's.
Beep beep beep!
A soul communicator at Leng Jiuming's waist buzzed. As he grabbed it, he said, "Enter the platform first. This is a normal period. In a few months, when the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform enters its rampage phase, that's when you'll truly shine."
"Got it."
Bai Xu lay down, preparing to connect to the platform—but then Leng Jiuming's expression changed drastically upon answering the call. He immediately pulled Bai Xu up and rushed toward the top floor.
"The Spirit Pagoda's Deputy Tower Master is here—and she's asking for you by name!"
Bai Xu frowned, slightly annoyed. "Deputy Tower Master?"
"Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu! The deputy from headquarters! A 98th-ranked Limit Douluo, a four-word battle armor master! Why would someone of her stature suddenly appear at Eastsea Spirit Pagoda?" Leng Jiuming took a deep breath, suppressing his shock as he quickened his pace.
In under a minute, they arrived at the top-floor office.
Knock knock knock!
"Enter."
Bai Xu's first sight was of the woman seated at the desk—her jade-like beauty radiated a fiery, sunlit vitality, breathtaking in its brilliance.
Beside her stood a young girl, elegant and aloof, her noble and icy demeanor making her stand out just as much as the Titled Douluo herself.
Leng Jiuming bowed deeply. "Greetings, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo!"
Bai Xu followed suit, neither submissive nor arrogant, cupping his hands. "Greetings, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo!"
Leng Yaozhu glanced at them and spoke indifferently. "You are Leng Jiuming?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
She smiled faintly. "And this young man must be the so-called 'top genius' of Eastsea City? Seeing him in person, he is indeed impressive. His mental power is quite advanced."
After a silent exchange with Leng Jiuming, Bai Xu stepped forward. "Your Excellency, I am Bai Xu. My spirit is the Heavenly Eye, a 29th-ranked control-type Battle Spirit Master."
Leng Yaozhu's curiosity seemed piqued. "Oh? Judging by your bone age, you're only nine. A rare talent indeed. And that Heavenly Eye spirit… it bears a striking resemblance to the legendary figure from our Spirit Pagoda's history. May I ask about your spirit skills?"
"Of course. My first spirit skill is Mental Enhancement, and my second is Illusionary Gaze—their functions are self-explanatory."
Hearing this, Leng Yaozhu seemed unsurprised. 'So it's not the same as the one from ten thousand years ago. The skills are vastly different. That one's first skill was Simulation, capable of even mimicking the pressure of soul beasts. This Mental Enhancement… pales in comparison. Still, a decent seedling. Perhaps he could be brought to headquarters for training.'
"Not bad. Your training plan remains unchanged. If you pass the branch assessment by age twelve, report to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters. You may contact me then."
"Thank you, Your Excellency. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave." Leng Jiuming wanted to end the encounter. A figure of her status coming here just to see Bai Xu? Impossible. That girl beside her must be the real focus—her detached aura suggests extraordinary talent, likely taken as a disciple. Bai Xu only got a verbal pat on the back. Seems he didn't catch her eye.
But how? A 9-year-old 29th-ranked Great Spirit Master is a prodigy anywhere! Unless that girl is even more monstrous?
---
After leaving the office.
Leng Jiuming, unwilling to accept this, said, "Go find the staff to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform. I'll gather some information."
"Alright." Bai Xu watched Leng Jiuming leave. That girl… she must be Gu Yue.
---
Inside the office.
Leng Yaozhu asked, "Disciple, what do you think of that boy? With mental power on par with yours, could you defeat him?"
She knew full well how exceptional a 9-year-old 29th-ranked Great Spirit Master was.
But in this era, innate full spirit power was no longer rare. True geniuses needed not only high innate spirit power but also top-tier spirits to stand out.
What defined a top-tier spirit?
Like her disciple's—Elementalist, capable of controlling ice, fire, earth, wind, space, darkness, and light. That was a true genius.
A mere mental-attribute spirit, only matching Gu Yue in mental power? Hardly remarkable.
"I will win, Master. I guarantee it."
If they ever fought, Gu Yue saw no possibility of defeat.
"If I'm not mistaken, if you don't return with me, Leng Jiuming will likely arrange a duel between you and Bai Xu. Those Shrek Academy types are all the same—stubborn to a fault."