More than twenty days later, Lin Xia arrived outside Sylves Plant Academy. The admissions area was already packed, and the moment he appeared, he drew plenty of attention.
After all, among applicants who were mostly thirteen or fourteen years old—or even older—Lin Xia's delicate face at just six years old stood out far too much.
Someone spoke bluntly:
"Hey, little brother, did you come to the wrong place? The Junior Spirit Master Academy isn't here. This is an Advanced Spirit Master Academy—only Spirit Masters at the Spirit Grandmaster level can enroll!"
Hearing this, Lin Xia felt rather helpless.
Even remindful that his chances were slim, he still wanted to try.
"I know," Lin Xia said calmly. "I'm here to apply for an Advanced Spirit Master Academy."
The moment he said that, even the teacher in charge of testing spirit power glanced over at him, a trace of surprise—and interest—flashing in his eyes.
Since this child dared to say something like that, he must have something to rely on.
With that thought, the testing teacher unconsciously sped up the process, eager to reach Lin Xia's turn.
But when Lin Xia finally stood before him and his spirit power was tested, the teacher froze in place, eyes filled with disbelief.
His expression seemed to say: Are you serious?
The surrounding applicants noticed the strange reaction and began asking questions.
"Teacher, why aren't you announcing his age and spirit power?"
The teacher sighed, patted Lin Xia on the shoulder, and said slowly:
"Child, perhaps you should leave for now. You don't meet the admission requirements of Plant Academy."
Lin Xia immediately understood that the teacher was trying to spare his dignity.
Still, he wasn't willing to give up.
"Teacher, let's follow the process. I came all the way from Fasinuo Province. Don't worry—I'm not afraid of being laughed at."
The teacher felt utterly helpless.
You may not be afraid of ridicule, but your spirit power is the real problem…
Since Lin Xia insisted, the teacher had no choice but to announce it loudly:
"Six years old. Rank three spirit power!"
The moment those words rang out, snickering exploded around them.
"Pfft—rank three? Did this kid wander into the wrong academy?"
"With that little spirit power, he still dares to apply to Plant Academy? What backwater village is he from?"
"Go home and farm instead—don't waste your time!"
Mockery echoed from all sides. Students and parents alike cast looks of disdain or pity.
Before the entrance requirements of an Advanced Spirit Master Academy, rank three spirit power was indeed pitifully low.
Facing the ridicule, Lin Xia remained calm. He silently released his Spirit.
A blue-green body appeared, covered in dark green spots, with small claws and—most striking of all—a seed brimming with life growing on its back.
Bulbasaur appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Bulba…"
The unfamiliar Spirit immediately stunned the crowd into silence, the laughter stopping as surprised murmurs spread instead.
"What kind of Spirit is that? It doesn't look like a toad… or a turtle…"
"What's that seed on its back? The life aura is incredibly strong!"
"Is it… a Spirit Beast?"
"…?"
Seeing this, the testing teacher suddenly thought of something and asked instinctively:
"Is your Spirit an independent living entity?"
Lin Xia nodded.
"Yes. This is my Spirit—Bulbasaur, an External Beast Spirit."
Just as the testing teacher was about to speak again, a passing Academy Committee Member was drawn over by the commotion.
After hearing Lin Xia's words, the old man carefully examined Bulbasaur's unusual form, his gaze lingering especially on the seed on its back—clearly structured to absorb light energy.
"Child, extend your hand," the old man said.
He carefully sensed Lin Xia's spirit power fluctuations, then asked in detail about his age and Innate Spirit Power.
When he learned that Lin Xia's innate spirit power was only rank one, yet he had broken through to rank three in just half a month—without any spirit ring, relying solely on feedback from his Spirit—the old man's eyes erupted with disbelief.
He murmured in astonishment:
"Photosynthesis as fuel… nature forging the foundation… How can such weak innate talent break through so rapidly?! This growth method has never been seen before!"
This completely overturned the conventional belief that Spirit Masters must rely on meditation and spirit rings to improve.
How could this possibly be a trash Spirit?
It was clearly a treasure with extraordinary potential, following a growth path entirely different from the norm.
Looking at Bulbasaur—energetic under the sunlight, naturally emitting a faint life aura—then at Lin Xia, whose spirit power was low but whose foundation was remarkably solid, the old man made a decision on the spot.
"These Spirit traits perfectly align with the origin of the Path of Plants. Its growth rate even follows the logic of natural creation itself. Rules are rigid—but for this case, they can be broken."
With that, he overruled the usual spirit power requirement and specially admitted Lin Xia into Sylves Plant Academy.
"Child, what is your name? Are you willing to join our Plant Academy?"
"Senior, my name is Lin Xia. I am willing."
Seeing Lin Xia nod without hesitation, the old man laughed heartily.
"Little Xia, I am Yue Hongsheng, a committee member of Plant Academy and a Rank 73 Spirit Saint."
"Come—I'll show you around the academy."
As he spoke, he took Lin Xia's hand and led him, along with Bulbasaur, straight into the academy.
The moment he stepped inside, Lin Xia was deeply shocked.
Everything here seemed tailor-made for Bulbasaur.
Under Yue Hongsheng's guidance, Lin Xia gained a general understanding of Plant Academy.
The academy stood at the edge of the Emerald Forest, where the essence of plant life in the air was so dense it was almost visible as a green mist.
Ancient trees towered skyward, and rare herbs and plants were everywhere. With every breath, Lin Xia felt the life within him resonate in delight.
At the core of the academy stood several massive Mimicry Environment structures.
"That building is the Sunlight Hall," Yue Hongsheng said.
Following his gaze, Lin Xia saw a gigantic hall. Upon entering, he looked up at a transparent Soul Tool dome that gathered and amplified sunlight, forming brilliant pillars of light that cascaded downward.
Countless Plant-type Spirit Masters had summoned their Spirits and were cultivating quietly within.
The moment Bulbasaur entered, the seed on its back instinctively unfurled tender leaves, greedily absorbing light energy far denser than anything outside. Its spirit power growth rate soared.
After leaving the Sunlight Hall, Yue Hongsheng brought Lin Xia to an area of black soil.
The earth here was rich with life essence and natural energy.
When Lin Xia guided Bulbasaur to use Ingrain, he immediately felt how extraordinary this place was.
A steady stream of nutrients was drawn from the soil, transforming directly into pure spirit power.
Lin Xia couldn't even imagine what Bulbasaur would become after cultivating in such environments for several years.
Or how far his own spirit power would grow.
Only now did Lin Xia realize how shallow his earlier assumptions had been.
This was an Advanced Spirit Master Academy—how could its foundation possibly be weak?
This place was simply heaven.