Two days had passed since Tang San and the Master had found Yuehan surrounded by corpses. They had just returned to the city outside the Spirit Forest and were waiting for Yuehan to recover with the help of Spirit Hall's healers.
The Spirit Hall healers did a remarkable job treating Yuehan. The only thing they couldn't heal were his scars—one across his back and another running from his neck to his collarbone. The healers informed the Master and Tang San that Yuehan was severely malnourished and would need to eat as soon as possible, but only soft, easy-to-chew foods for the next few days due to his weakened condition.
"Let's go back to the academy now. You have exams soon," the Master said to Tang San."Will Yuehan be able to take the exam?" Tang San asked curiously."No, he'll be excused due to his injuries. He might fall a little behind, but from what I've heard about him, he should catch up quickly," the Master replied.Tang San's face brightened with a smile.
Two days later, Yuehan stood in one of the Spirit Temples—specifically one used to test and register or update a student's spirit level.
"Young man, can you please place your hand on the stone and channel some spirit essence into the gem?" asked a gentle-looking Spirit Hall priest.
Yuehan slowly did as instructed. As soon as his palm touched the crystal, it began to glow. The priest turned to examine a nearby device, which displayed spirit power levels instead of temperature.
The priest's expression shifted to one of surprise as the level-15 indicator lit up.
"This is the third level-15 six-year-old we've seen in the last five months. It seems the Nuoding Academy has attracted some truly exceptional students this year. Anyway, go to the front desk—they'll issue your monthly allowance: one gold coin. You can collect it at any Spirit Hall temple."
After collecting his allowance, Yuehan went straight to a local blacksmith. There, he ordered a longsword and used the remaining money to buy food.
Later that day, Yuehan was meditating in Dorm 7 when Xiao Wu barged in, trying to tackle-hug him out of excitement after being apart for over a month. Unfortunately, she missed by a few inches.
"Hey, don't move!" she said, preparing for another attempt."No, I feel like my bones will break if I don't dodge," Yuehan said quickly, trying to soothe her.Xiao Wu gave him a betrayed look. "I would never do such a thing!" she exclaimed, winding up for round two.
"It's lunchtime," Tang San said as he walked into the dorm. Xiao Wu immediately forgot about the hug and dashed out the door.
Tang San's POV
I opened the door to Dorm 7 and saw Yuehan stepping back from Xiao Wu."It's lunchtime," I announced.Before I could say anything else, Xiao Wu bolted out the door.How can she run that fast? She doesn't even go that hard during training... I thought.
"Train me," Yuehan said suddenly, bowing to me. I was taken aback. He usually just did what was expected—sometimes a bit more, especially when working on his little crafts.
That month in the forest changed him. What really happened to him out there? He survived alone for over a month among thousands of spirit beasts...
"Are you sure? There's no turning back," I asked, watching his face carefully. The innocence I used to see in him was gone.
"Yes. I don't care what it takes. I'll do it," Yuehan answered, eyes full of determination.
"I won't teach you," I replied, my voice firm. "But I'll spar with you every day after school for an hour—before my blacksmith work."
"That's all I can ask for," Yuehan said, his face set with unwavering resolve.