On the streets of Heaven Dou City,
Wu Qi and Wang Fang were strolling as usual.
Today, in front of a stall selling sweets, they ran into a grandfather and granddaughter.
The little girl was lively and adorable, hopping about as she chose what she liked. The elderly man behind her carried an imposing air, though he tried to maintain a kindly expression.
"Big Brother, Rongrong likes this piece of candy. Can you give it to Rongrong?" the girl asked, blinking at him.
Wu Qi's soul was not that of a child. He was buying candy so that when he entered the Spirit Hall Academy later, he could use it to build good relationships with other children.
After all, once Spirit Hall came to take him, he would certainly study at their academy.
Children had simple interests. Candy was more than enough to win them over.
Hearing the girl's words, Wu Qi felt a jolt in his heart.
Rongrong could she be Ning Rongrong?
The old man behind her wore a white robe, exuding quiet authority and an extraordinary presence. He must be Chen Xin, the Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Alright, I'll give it to you," Wu Qi said generously, handing her the candy.
"Thank you, Big Brother. What's your name?" Ning Rongrong asked with a smile.
Before Wu Qi could answer, a large hand landed on his shoulder from behind.
"You're that little fellow?"
Wu Qi turned around. At some point, a young man in ornate robes had appeared behind him, an angel-shaped emblem hanging from his chest.
On the other side, Chen Xin immediately grew alert, pulling Ning Rongrong behind him and watching the young man cautiously.
"Uncle, who are you?" Wu Qi asked.
For some reason, he felt a trace of familiarity.
That feeling came from the depths of his Martial Spirit.
The young man said little and glanced at Chen Xin. "Let's go. I'm here to take you."
Wang Fang quickly said, "Little Brother Wu, go with him. Don't forget to visit often in the future. I'll be waiting for you at the Spirit Temple."
Wu Qi nodded in agreement.
The young man took his hand and led him toward the outskirts of the city.
Wang Fang cupped her fists toward Chen Xin before turning back toward the Spirit Hall.
"Grandpa Sword, why did you stop Rongrong?" Ning Rongrong asked.
Chen Xin let out a quiet breath and gently patted her forehead. "It's nothing. Grandpa will take you somewhere else to play."
Outside the city.
The young man stopped, crouched down, and looked at Wu Qi.
"Child, what is your Martial Spirit?"
Wu Qi focused his thoughts, and the Azure Luan martial spirit manifested behind him.
After confirming it, the man smiled. "My name is Azure Luan. My martial spirit is also the Azure Luan."
"Uncle, did you name yourself after your Martial Spirit?" Wu Qi asked curiously.
Azure Luan Douluo seemed unwilling to mention his original name and changed the subject.
"Child, since our martial spirits are the same, are you willing to take me as your master?"
"I can teach you how to cultivate your martial spirit and help you hunt spirit rings."
Wu Qi feigned confusion. "Uncle, Sister Wang said I have full innate spirit power and can directly obtain a spirit ring. Is that true?"
Azure Luan Douluo smiled and nodded. "If you take me as your master, you will learn many theories unknown to the outside world. They will greatly benefit your future cultivation."
He was not like Yu Xiaogang, who relied on hints and vague persuasion. He openly stated the advantages of becoming his disciple.
Of course, this was also because Wu Qi's martial spirit and talent were exceptional.
After some discussion, Wu Qi bowed respectfully.
"Master, please accept your disciple's bow."
"Haha, good. Come, I will take you to hunt your first spirit ring. From now on, you will truly be a spirit master."
With that, the two of them headed into the distance.
Heaven Dou City was close to Sunset Forest. Hunting a soul beast was convenient. Once they returned, Wu Qi would officially begin his cultivation as a spirit master.
The appearance of a powerful Spirit Hall figure in Heaven Dou City was a serious matter.
Uncertain whether Spirit Hall had other intentions, Chen Xin dared not continue strolling through the city with Ning Rongrong.
Within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect,
Chen Xin summoned Gu Rong and reported the matter to Ning Fengzhi.
"Uncle Sword, do you know the identity of that Excellency?" Ning Fengzhi asked urgently.
Chen Xin nodded. "The Third Worship, Azure Luan Douluo."
"His strength surpasses mine. I could not determine the extent of his cultivation."
Gu Rong frowned. "Old Sword, didn't you say he entered the city and took a child?"
"In that case, what is there to worry about?"
Ning Fengzhi did not see it that way. "For a Super Douluo to act personally, that child's talent must be highly valued by Spirit Hall."
He sighed. "It's a pity. Such a genius, and yet the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect failed to discover him. In the future, Spirit Hall will only grow stronger."
Chen Xin added, "Old Bones, Fengzhi, we cannot be careless. It's possible that taking the child was only incidental. Spirit Hall's true purpose may still be unclear."
"Oh, right. That child seems to have been discovered by the Spirit Hall branch."
Ning Fengzhi frowned. "These days, who still goes to the Spirit Hall to awaken a Martial Spirit?"
Heaven Dou City was filled with nobles and powerful families. Their descendants awakened their martial spirits within their own clans.
Moreover, in order to recruit talent, these nobles would also help commoners in the city awaken their martial spirits free of charge.
It could be said that someone going to the Spirit Hall to awaken a martial spirit was a rare occurrence, perhaps not even happening once in several years.
Gu Rong analyzed, "I see two possibilities. First, the child may have some grievance against the noble who helped awaken martial spirits and refused their assistance."
"Second, the child had just turned six and, in order to awaken his martial spirit as soon as possible, went directly to the Spirit Hall."
At this point, discussing these possibilities had no practical meaning for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The child had already been taken by Spirit Hall. It was not as if they could simply take him back.
Along the way, Azure Luan Douluo explained many foundational Spirit Master theories to Wu Qi.
Upon entering Sunset Forest, he smiled and said, "Xiao Qi, based on what we just discussed, let me test you. How do you think you should choose your first Spirit Ring?"
Wu Qi replied, "The quality of the Azure Luan martial spirit is comparable to that of a pure-blooded phoenix. Avian martial spirits are suited for Agility Attack–type Spirit Masters, and that will be my path in the future."
"If possible, it would be best to absorb a Spirit Ring from an Azure Luan or a phoenix."
Both the Azure Luan and the phoenix were legendary divine birds. They would not appear in a Spirit Beast forest.
Therefore, the next best option would be to choose a flying Spirit Beast with a rare wind-attribute bloodline.
Azure Luan Douluo nodded in satisfaction.
Talent was not defined solely by high innate spirit power; it also required exceptional intelligence. Without intelligence, even someone with strength would not go far on the path of a Spirit Master.
For a six-year-old who had just been introduced to Spirit Master theory, being able to draw such conclusions already showed remarkable insight.
As for the different types of Spirit Beasts, Wu Qi did not yet have that knowledge. That would require extensive study and research. It was not something that could be fully understood in a few sentences.
Azure Luan Douluo asked again, "There are not many avian Spirit Beasts in Sunset Forest. If we cannot find a particularly suitable one, would you settle for a lesser choice?"
Wu Qi answered seriously, "It is better to lack than to accept something inferior. The first Spirit Ring is the starting point of a Spirit Master's journey and will affect future strength."
"So I would rather wait for a better Spirit Ring than choose one carelessly."
Hearing this, Azure Luan Douluo was very pleased.
Calm and patient, such qualities were rare in a six-year-old.
"Let's continue. If we cannot find a suitable one, I will have someone help search for you."