Su Yuntao looked at Wang Li with an expression of profound pity. He sighed, shook his head, and lamented, "Such talent, Level 3 innate Spirit Power… and yet, it's wasted on Blue Silver Grass. A Martial Spirit with no attack power, no defensive capabilities. If only it had been a tool spirit, even a simple hammer or axe, he could have become an excellent Spirit Master..."
After venting his frustration, Su Yuntao dutifully asked, "What's your name, kid?"
"Wang Li!" he responded immediately.
Su Yuntao took out a pen and a pre-printed form. He quickly filled out a Spirit Hall certificate: Wangjia Village, Wang Li... When it came to the Martial Spirit section, he recalled the slightly thicker and taller plant and, on a whim, wrote down "Mutated Blue Silver Grass." He finished by filling in "Innate Spirit Power: Level 3."
He handed the completed certificate, stamped with the Spirit Hall's official logo, to Wang Li. "Child, take this and wait over there."
Wang Li accepted the certificate and stepped out of the formation, a dazed look on his face.
Su Yuntao glanced at him again, and his heart went out to the boy. In his eyes, Wang Li was clearly struggling to accept the cruel reality: he had the talent, but his Martial Spirit was useless. Shaking his head once more, he called out, "Next..."
He had no idea that Wang Li's dazed expression wasn't from shock or disappointment. At that moment, Wang Li was staring at a translucent panel that had appeared in his mind—a panel whose final sections had just unlocked with his awakening.
[Host: Wang Li]
[Martial Spirit: Blue Silver Grass Lv. 2 (Evolving)]
[Spirit Power: Level 3 (54%) [+]]
[Abilities]
Vitality Lv. 2: Blue Silver Grass can be found in every corner of the continent. Though weak, it possesses tenacious life force, allowing for the slow recovery of injuries.
Toughness Lv. 2 (Passive): What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Upon recovering from any abnormal status effect, your physique will be permanently enhanced.
[Spirit Ring: None]
[Spirit Bone: None]
[Experience: 0]
Looking at the panel, some of Wang Li's questions were finally answered.
So, my Martial Spirit is still Blue Silver Grass, but it's not 'mutated'—it's 'evolving'. Is this because I'm a transmigrator, or is the panel itself causing this?
Either way, it was a fantastic development. The Blue Silver Grass has only evolved to Level 2, and it's already given me Level 3 innate Spirit Power. If I can evolve it to its maximum level, my potential will be limitless!
He continued reading. Level 3 Spirit Power, 54%... a plus sign... Does that mean I can just... add points? Like in a game?! The implications were staggering. If he could directly increase his Spirit Power, the greatest obstacle in cultivation would be solved. This was a game-changer.
Vitality and Toughness... he mused, those are fitting abilities for a plant-type spirit. Their levels are tied to the Martial Spirit's level, which means their strength depends on the quality of my spirit.
A small pang of regret hit him. Even an evolving Blue Silver Grass was still low-quality at its core. If he had awakened a top-tier Martial Spirit, its innate abilities would surely be far more powerful. But he quickly dismissed the thought. For an orphan like him, the common Blue Silver Grass was perfect. These abilities would drastically increase his chances of survival on the path of a Spirit Master. You had to stay alive to go far.
As for Spirit Rings and Spirit Bones, those were distant goals. He'd only get his first Spirit Ring after cultivating to Rank 10.
Wang Li organized his thoughts. First, he had a cheat system—a "plug-in." With enough experience points, he could directly increase his Spirit Power. Second, his Martial Spirit was evolving, but it seemed he couldn't use experience points on it directly. His primary objectives were now clear: figure out how to gain experience points and uncover the evolution path for his Martial Spirit.
With this clarity, a weight lifted from his shoulders. The future on the Douluo Continent was fraught with danger, but as long as he grew strong enough, he could embark on a grand adventure in this new world without a care.
Meanwhile, Su Yuntao had finished awakening the spirits of the other five children. As expected, they all had mundane spirits like farm tools or ordinary Blue Silver Grass, none with a hint of Spirit Power. The only one with talent was also the one with a "waste" spirit.
A useless Martial Spirit is a useless Martial Spirit, Su Yuntao thought, thoroughly dejected. This trip had been for nothing. He could only hope for better luck at the next village.
Releasing his Spirit Possession, Su Yuntao reverted to his human form, looking slightly fatigued. He packed up his equipment, opened the door, and walked out.
Village Chief Wang Ping and the anxious parents immediately fixed their gazes on him. The chief stepped forward, speaking with respectful anticipation. "Esteemed Spirit Master, how did the children do?"
Su Yuntao's eyes briefly found Wang Li in the small crowd before he looked away, his tone regretful. "There is one child with excellent talent. He possesses innate Level 3 Spirit Power and will be able to cultivate."
Before Wang Ping could celebrate, Su Yuntao continued, "But unfortunately, his Martial Spirit is Blue Silver Grass. Even with Spirit Power, it's still just Blue Silver Grass. With such a spirit, he can never become a powerful Spirit Master."
With that, Su Yuntao shook his head and walked away, already in a hurry to get to the next village.
Wang Ping's expression turned grim. This was a cruel twist of fate. For the first time, their village had produced a talented child, but the Blue Silver Grass Martial Spirit had dangled hope in front of them only to ruthlessly snatch it away. He sighed. For commoners like them, the odds of awakening a powerful Martial Spirit were just too low.
"Which child has Spirit Power?" he called out, his voice weak.
"Grandpa Village Chief, it's me," Wang Li said, stepping forward.
Wang Ping looked at him, surprised. "It's you, Xiao Li..." A look of determination slowly hardened his features. "Xiao Li, tell me," he asked, his voice firm, "do you want to become a Spirit Master?"
Wang Li met his gaze and nodded without hesitation. "I do!"
A satisfied smile spread across Wang Ping's face. "Good. Then I will do everything I can to get you the work-study student quota shared by the nearby villages. Three months from now, I will send you to the Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy. Practice hard there, Xiao Li. If you can become a Spirit Master, our whole village will benefit."
In this world, Spirit Masters were the nobility. Once you became one, the tax collectors wouldn't dare bully their village. If you became a powerful Spirit Master, the village might even be exempt from taxes entirely.
At that moment, Wang Li's eyes shone. Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy! That's where he could finally get his hands on a proper meditation manual. More importantly, he needed to learn to read and write and study the fundamentals of Martial Spirits and Spirit Beasts. Right now, he was effectively illiterate and ignorant of this world's basic knowledge. That had to change.