"Cut the nonsense, I'm leaving."
Lin Xuan, still fuming, had no mood to joke around with Fire Phoenix Douluo. The latter didn't mind and continued grinning playfully. Unable to stand this childish old man, Lin Xuan stood up and prepared to leave.
"Wait! Come eat lunch at my place. There's no class this afternoon anyway."
Having just finished washing the towel, Ning Qin called out to the departing Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan looked confused, but Fire Phoenix Douluo suddenly jumped up excitedly, grabbed Ning Qin's shoulder, and said, "Let me come too, Xiao Qin!"
Ning Qin didn't respond—he simply gave him a disgusted look and slapped his hand away. Then he dragged Lin Xuan off, leaving Fire Phoenix Douluo standing there bewildered.
"Damn it, I'm a Super Douluo and nobody respects me anymore."
Fire Phoenix Douluo cursed under his breath. He couldn't entirely blame others, though—he was already over seventy or eighty but still thought of himself as a man in his twenties.
Ning Qin's house was a mess, with almost nowhere to stand. But it wasn't dirty—it was just that the books were scattered all over the floor. Lin Xuan managed to find a small space and sat down while Ning Qin went to cook. His cooking was well-known across the Spirit Hall as the best—no wonder Fire Phoenix Douluo tried to shamelessly invite himself.
"What about your parents? You're only ten and already a Spirit Elder—surely your parents still want to help you, right?"
Ning Qin chatted as he cooked. Lin Xuan felt a pang in his heart—this was a sore spot for him. No child doesn't miss home, especially at only ten years old. He could have continued cultivating at home, but instead, they sent him away, leaving him alone.
"I wanted to go out and make it on my own."
Though it hurt inside, Lin Xuan forced himself to speak proudly. Ning Qin didn't probe further. He came out with two plates of vegetarian dishes, placed them on the table, and began clearing books off the floor. Finally, he managed to free up about three square meters. Despite the simple meal, Lin Xuan ate two bowls of rice—he was starving.
"Teacher, you didn't bring me here just to eat, did you?"
After finishing the meal, Lin Xuan felt much better. He told himself that one defeat wasn't the end—he'd just win next time. Since Ning Qin had kept him from leaving, there was something important to discuss.
"Hmm. Have you heard of the Continental Spirit Master Elite Tournament?"
Ning Qin asked. Lin Xuan shook his head, confused.
"Sigh... As the name suggests, it's a tournament open to all young spirit masters on the continent. But you have to register as a team, and the team's teacher must be a Spirit Emperor with six rings or more. It's jointly hosted by the two great empires and the Spirit Hall."
Ning Qin sighed and explained. Lin Xuan instantly lost interest. He didn't like chaotic battles like that. Strength levels varied wildly, and it would just waste time that he could spend training.
"Don't be hasty. The prize for the winner is three ten-thousand-year spirit bones. Interested now?"
Seeing Lin Xuan's expression, Ning Qin quickly added. Upon hearing "ten-thousand-year spirit bones," Lin Xuan's eyes lit up. His goal was to collect all six spirit bones—and a 100,000-year spirit ring too.
"But there are limits on the teams. Only sixty-four teams in total. The two empires and our Spirit Hall get automatic entry into the top sixteen. The tournament starts in two years. We'll form our team next year. Including substitutes, there are ten slots. Every third-year or above class gets two recommendation spots. But within each class, there must first be a match to determine who earns the recommendation. Your opponent is Xuan Ye. Right now, you can't beat him. But I'm still hoping you'll take the spot—because he's a control-type spirit master. He doesn't stand a chance of competing with the sixth-year genius for a spot."
Ning Qin spoke bitterly. He knew what he was suggesting went against his teaching principles. But there was no other way—Xuan Ye had no hope of getting into the final team, and he was still young. He could try again in the next tournament. Lin Xuan, being an attack-type spirit master, was far more valuable for team composition. The other roles were already filled.
"I refuse. Xuan Ye is stronger than I right now. Even if I surpass him in spirit power in a year, I'll still only be at the three-ring level. I want to compete with him fairly."
Lin Xuan still felt stung from his loss to Xuan Ye, so he refused Ning Qin's offer of special treatment. Ning Qin, realizing he couldn't persuade him, didn't push it.
"Then let me at least teach you some basic knowledge. You were missing a lot of it in today's battle."
Ning Qin scratched his head helplessly. Lin Xuan immediately sat upright—having someone guide him was much better than fumbling alone.
"Your sword spirit is undoubtedly powerful, whether it's sharpness or quality. I'm familiar with Xuan Ye's poison vines. Even a Spirit Elder with the Clear Sky Hammer would need two swings to break them. His spirit ring path focuses on toughness and poison. But your method of converting soul power into sword qi is still far too immature. You need to develop a Sea of Spirit."
Ning Qin analyzed. Lin Xuan thought it made perfect sense. He only knew basic sword techniques—taught by Nero when he had free time. His father didn't know anything about swordsmanship.
"Come, sit cross-legged. Enter a calm state of mind. Focus your consciousness in your brain and use your soul power to impact it repeatedly."
Lin Xuan didn't question it. He followed the instructions. The pain of sending soul power into his brain nearly knocked him out, but it passed quickly. The next moment, he found himself at the center of a small pool, confused about what was happening.
"What?! Twin Spirits?!"
While Lin Xuan was still lost inside his spiritual sea, Ning Qin was so shocked that he fell to the floor. Lin Xuan's eyes were closed, but blinding green light radiated from him—his first spirit, Eagle Eye, had automatically activated.
"Holy crap! I've struck gold!"
Ning Qin jumped up in excitement. A moment ago, he'd been worried Lin Xuan wouldn't be able to defeat Xuan Ye. Now, not only would he recommend Lin Xuan—he'd recommend Xuan Ye too. A twin-spirit user could easily secure one of the ten spots.
"Lin Xuan, stay seated and cultivate your spiritual power inside the sea of spirit. Since it's your first time entering, stay as long as you can. Expand the water of your spiritual sea as much as possible."
Ning Qin sent a mental message to Lin Xuan, who was aimlessly "bathing" in the pool. Lin Xuan wanted to reply, but couldn't—he didn't know how to communicate with spiritual power. Since he couldn't respond, he might as well sit down and cultivate.
Ning Qin was practically giddy. The reason they'd lost to the Heaven Dou Empire in the last tournament was that they had a Spirit King with twin spirits who had crushed the entire Spirit Hall team. A twin-spirit user wreaks havoc on tactics—how do you fight a power-type spirit master who suddenly becomes a control specialist?
"I need to report this to the Pope… but I can't leave. It's hard to say whether the Spirit Hall has spies from the Heaven Dou Empire…"
Just as Ning Qin was worrying, a knock came at the door. His nerves immediately tensed, and his soul power surged, ready for battle.
"Moshi moshi~ Mr. Ning Qin? The Pope sent me to relieve you. You're needed at once."
The voice outside belonged to Xingbu Ji. Ning Qin relaxed immediately, opened the door, and welcomed in the ethereal-looking woman. Then he left.
"Seriously? It's messier than my room…"
Seeing the books scattered everywhere, Xingbu Ji was amazed—but didn't bother tidying up. She'd been gaming for two days and nights straight on a console Xiaoqi sent her from Earth. Instant noodles had been her only food. Xiaoqi was desperate to keep her here, just so she wouldn't torment his daughter elsewhere.
"Ugh, so boring…"
Xingbu Ji leaned against Lin Xuan and fell asleep. There was nowhere else to lie down. Meanwhile, Ning Qin spent the whole night speaking with the Pope. They now fully understood Lin Xuan's situation. Once he awakened, they'd head straight to the Star Dou Forest to get him another spirit ring.
"So comfortable…"
Lin Xuan had no idea how long he'd been cultivating. All he knew was that it felt increasingly pleasant—his entire body seemed open and refreshed. His spiritual sea had expanded into a small lake. He floated at the center, not sinking, and started leisurely swimming in the cool, sweet water. He never wanted to leave.
"Huh? Isn't this my house?"
When he climbed ashore, he was shocked to see a familiar villa—it was his home back on Earth! Everything inside was exactly as he remembered it. He sat on the sofa, taking in the nostalgic sight.
"Wake up already. Stop staring at your memories."
Just as Lin Xuan was reminiscing, Ning Qin's voice rang in his ears. Lin Xuan then remembered—he was only in his soul state. But he had no idea how to exit the spiritual sea.
"Dummy. Just jump into the water."
Ning Qin's voice came again. Lin Xuan sighed and jumped back into the water.
"Ugh! I'm starving!"
As soon as Lin Xuan's soul returned to his body, a sharp hunger pain hit his stomach. The emptiness sapped all his strength—he couldn't even move a finger. Worst of all, there was steaming hot food on the table above him. The aroma was maddening.
"Open your mouth."
Ning Qin's cold voice sounded. Lin Xuan obeyed, and Ning Qin sat down to feed him. Though Lin Xuan couldn't move, he could still chew. Once he regained a bit of energy, he grabbed the chopsticks himself and devoured five full bowls of rice, only to collapse again, stuffed.
"You cultivated for five days. Not bad—just one day less than me."
Ning Qin poured Lin Xuan some tea and spoke with satisfaction. Lin Xuan had simply been held back by his young age. His limit was five days without food. If he could've endured just a bit longer, he would've surpassed Ning Qin. If Ning Qin hadn't forcibly pulled him out, Lin Xuan might've become the first twin-spirited soul master in Douluo history to die from starvation.
(End of Chapter)