LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 25: Set off to Sunset Forest
On the Douluo Continent, whether in a bustling city or a remote mountain village, branches of the Spirit Hall could be found everywhere.
Ye Feng and Xiao Wu quickly located the landmark structure in Nuoding City—the local branch of the Spirit Hall.
"Stop right there, kids! You can't just rush into this place. This is the Spirit Hall!"
As Ye Feng and Xiao Wu stepped onto the Spirit Hall's steps, they were stopped by one of the guards stationed at the entrance.
"Hello, sir. We're here for a Spirit evaluation," Ye Feng explained with a polite smile.
"Are you sure?" The guard cast a doubtful glance at Ye Feng.
"Absolutely," Ye Feng confirmed.
"Alright. Head inside to the reception area on the first floor and look for Master Matthew Nuo. He handles Spirit evaluations. Remember, you're only allowed on the first floor—no wandering around," the guard instructed, though his tone remained skeptical.
"Thank you, Uncle Guard," Ye Feng replied with a grin.
The Spirit Hall branch in Nuoding City was an imposing domed building, towering over twenty meters high with three internal levels. The brown exterior bore the Spirit Hall's logo, a solitary sword, denoting this as the lowest-tier branch of the organization.
"Wow, it's so big!"
Xiao Wu exclaimed as she stepped into the hall. The grand entrance area was three times larger than Nuoding Academy's cafeteria.
"Xiao Wu, do you like big things?" Ye Feng asked teasingly.
"Of course! Who doesn't like big things?" Xiao Wu replied without hesitation.
"Including everything?" Ye Feng's tone carried a hint of mischief.
"Obviously!" Xiao Wu answered before realizing the nuance in his words. She rolled her eyes as it dawned on her, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"What's so funny?" Xiao Wu demanded as Ye Feng laughed.
"It's nothing," Ye Feng replied, still amused. "I just didn't expect you to have such straightforward preferences."
"What nonsense are you talking about, you little brat?" Xiao Wu muttered, shooting him a glare before turning away, her face still tinged red.
"Who are you calling little?" Ye Feng retorted, feigning indignation.
At that moment, a familiar voice called out to Ye Feng.
"Ye Feng? Is that you?"
Turning toward the sound, Ye Feng saw Su Yuntao walking toward them. Out of respect, Ye Feng greeted him, "Uncle Su Yuntao."
"Ye Feng, are you here for a Spirit evaluation?" Su Yuntao asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Is there someone else here for an evaluation today?" Ye Feng inquired.
"Indeed. Coincidentally, Tang San from your village is here too. Come on, I'll take you to Master Matthew Nuo," Su Yuntao said, leading the pair through the hall to its main evaluation area.
The evaluation chamber was vast, spanning over 200 square meters. Embedded in the walls were numerous fist-sized black stones, and at the center stood a large blue crystal orb. Beside the orb were two figures—a young boy and an elderly man. The boy was Tang San, and the old man was clearly Matthew Nuo.
"Xiao Wu, Ye Feng!"
Tang San turned to them in surprise. "Are you here for a Spirit evaluation too?"
"Yes," Ye Feng replied simply.
Xiao Wu, however, crossed her arms and scowled. "Why are you talking to him?" she huffed, clearly still annoyed with Tang San.
"Xiao Wu," Ye Feng said gently, "Tang San is still young, and his teacher's abilities are limited. It's not fair to blame him for what happened today."
Xiao Wu only snorted in response, her dissatisfaction still evident.
"Matthew Nuo, this is the child I told you about—the one born with innate rank-20 Spirit Power and a Pear Blossom Martial Spirit," Su Yuntao interjected, drawing the elder's attention.
"Yuntao, are you sure this boy is here for an advanced evaluation and not a Spirit Awakening?" Matthew Nuo asked skeptically.
"I'm sure. I personally oversaw his Awakening. Sisi and I have plans, so I'll leave him in your capable hands," Su Yuntao said before exiting.
"Alright, which one of you is going first?" Matthew Nuo asked, turning to Ye Feng and Xiao Wu.
"You go first, Xiao Wu," Ye Feng offered with a smile.
"Alright." Xiao Wu nodded, stepping forward. "What should I do?"
"Unleash your Martial Spirit and soul ring. Then inject your soul power into this crystal orb to determine your rank," Matthew Nuo instructed.
Xiao Wu complied, releasing her spirit. A faint light surrounded her, and a yellow soul ring emerged as she channeled her energy into the crystal orb.
"Level 12!" Matthew Nuo exclaimed in surprise. "You've already reached rank 12?"
"Yes, it seems accurate," Xiao Wu murmured, unsurprised.
"Child, may I ask what kind of soul beast your ring came from?" Matthew Nuo inquired.
"It's from a Soft Bone Rabbit," Xiao Wu replied, her tone steady.
"No wonder. A Soft Bone Rabbit is a cunning soul beast, and it complements your Martial Spirit perfectly," Matthew Nuo remarked before turning to Ye Feng. "Your turn, young man."
Ye Feng stepped forward, releasing his Martial Spirit. His Pear Blossom Martial Spirit shimmered with a translucent jade texture, the petals adorned with three distinct colors: yellow, light blue, and blue. Three soul rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—floated around him.
"Three soul rings… over rank 30… a Spirit Elder?!" Matthew Nuo was stunned. "A six-year-old with three soul rings?"
"My teacher said I was born with innate rank-30 Spirit Power. Uncle Su Yuntao simply misjudged my level back then," Ye Feng explained.
Matthew Nuo muttered something about "blindness" before asking, "What soul beasts did your rings come from?"
"My first ring is from a Violent Gorilla, my second from a Snow Eagle, and my third from a 1,700-year-old Luo Shui Spirit Bamboo," Ye Feng answered.
Tang San, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke. "Ye Feng, did your teacher truly say you could fuse rings from different types of soul beasts?"
"Yes," Ye Feng confirmed.
Tang San's expression darkened as he recalled his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, presenting the same idea as his original theory. Could it be… that his teacher had stolen the knowledge of predecessors and passed it off as his own?
The revelation left Tang San shaken, his faith in Yu Xiaogang suddenly wavering.