NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Xie Yue's Challenge
Walking out of the Pope's Palace, golden sunlight bathed Yan's body, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
The towering, austere structure of the Pope's Palace, coupled with the cold, imposing demeanor of Bibi Dong seated above, radiated a suffocating sense of authority. Only after stepping through its grand doors did Yan feel the oppressive weight lift from his chest.
Xie Yue turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the square in front of the palace and landing in the direction of Spirit Hall Academy in the distance.
"Two months have passed. I wonder if they've made any progress. Let's go take a look."
"Alright," Yan replied.
As the captain of the Spirit Hall Academy team, Xie Yue always kept the growth and development of the team in mind.
The academy, located at the heart of Spirit City, wasn't far from the Pope's Palace. Before long, the two arrived on campus.
On the training grounds, passionate youths were training vigorously, sweat streaming down their faces. Some were unleashing their spirit abilities, while others were focusing on physical training. Every single one of them was giving their all, determined to unlock their full potential.
The moment Xie Yue and Yan stepped onto the field, the trainees immediately stopped what they were doing.
"Boss! Brother Yan! You're back!"
Four young individuals quickly gathered around them, their faces beaming with excitement.
Xie Yue and Yan nodded in response.
Seeing their familiar faces, Yan felt a sense of camaraderie well up in his chest. These four were not only his teammates at Spirit Hall Academy but also his friends.
Each of them had been carefully selected from among countless students, standing out as the best of the best, earning them the title of the "Golden Generation." Yan knew every detail about them.
The tall young man with a steady and reliable aura was Sun Chuantao. His spirit, the Circular Giant Blade, bore a striking resemblance to Xie Yue's Moon Blade, making him a powerful offensive tool spirit master. With a spirit power of level 38, he was second only to Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena in the team.
The slightly chubby one, always smiling, was Li Kai. His spirit, the Black Horned Wild Boar, made him a strength-based spirit master, excelling in both offense and defense, with a spirit power of level 37.
The petite girl with delicate features was Zhang Ping. Her spirit, the Golden Waist Swallow, granted her incredible agility and precision in battle. She, too, had reached level 37.
Lastly, the somewhat frail-looking young man was Xu Yu, an auxiliary spirit master. His spirit, the Radiant Gold Staff, not only provided support and amplification for his teammates but also had healing capabilities. Although his spirit power was only level 36, making him the weakest in the team, his role was irreplaceable. His unique spirit allowed Xie Yue and Hu Liena to quickly perform their spirit fusion technique, a critical asset in battle.
All four were older than the "Three Stars of Spirit Hall," yet none of them were over twenty years old. In this world where strength determined status, Xie Yue, as the team's leader, was respectfully called "Boss." Yan and Hu Liena, despite being younger, were addressed as "Brother Yan" and "Sister Na" due to their superior strength.
Xie Yue smiled and said, "Have you all been training diligently during these two months?"
"Of course! Boss, look, I've even lost two pounds!" Li Kai joked, grinning.
"Cut it out, Fatty. What about your spirit power?" Xie Yue retorted.
"Boss, I'm still at level 37, but I'm close to hitting level 38."
"Not bad. Keep it up."
Turning his gaze to the others, Xie Yue added, "The same goes for all of you."
"Understood, Boss," they answered in unison.
Sun Chuantao suddenly asked, "Boss, why isn't Nana here?"
"The Pope kept her back," Xie Yue replied.
The group exchanged glances, knowing full well that the Pope had tasked the three prodigies with reaching level 40 and obtaining their fourth spirit rings within three months.
"Don't overthink it. We returned after completing the task. The Pope probably just wanted to chat with her," Xie Yue reassured them.
"Makes sense," they agreed.
Everyone understood Hu Liena's importance to Bibi Dong, who treated her like a daughter. After two months apart, it was only natural for them to have much to discuss.
Xu Yu, curious, asked, "Boss, Brother Yan, now that you've obtained your fourth soul ring and reached Spirit Elder rank, what are your current levels?"
Xie Yue and Yan exchanged a smile before replying, "Nana and I hunted spirit beasts that were around 5,000 years old, which boosted our spirit power by one and a half levels. We're both at level 41 and a half now. Yan's case is a bit different; he can explain it himself."
Hearing this, all eyes turned to Yan, anticipation shining in their expressions.
Yan smiled calmly and said, "I hunted an injured Skyfire Fox and absorbed its 6,000-year-old spirit ring. My spirit power increased by two levels, I'm now level 42."
"Level 42?!"
Everyone was stunned. Yan now had the highest spirit power on the team.
"Brother Yan, that's incredible! You're only seventeen and already at level 42," Li Kai exclaimed.
Yan replied humbly, "It's nothing special. Maybe we started with an advantage, but as long as you train hard and find the right methods, you'll catch up one day."
His humility surprised everyone. They all knew Yan's straightforward personality, he wasn't malicious but could be a bit boastful. With his spirit power surpassing both Xie Yue and Hu Liena, he had every reason to be proud. Yet here he was, encouraging his teammates instead.
Looking closer, they noticed a change in his demeanor. He wasn't as arrogant as before. Instead, he exuded a newfound charisma, making him even more compelling.
"You're not mistaken, Yan has changed," Xie Yue remarked. "He's been fully immersed in his training. You might not know this, but in these two months, not only did he obtain his fourth spirit ring, but he also created a powerful new technique."
Xie Yue didn't mention Yan's acquisition of an external spirit bone, knowing it would shock them even more.
"What kind of technique?" they asked eagerly.
Before Yan could answer, Xie Yue grinned and said, "Why don't you show them, Yan? I'll be your opponent."
The group immediately understood his intent.
"Boss, are you challenging Brother Yan to a spar?"
Xie Yue nodded.
"Yan, what do you say?"
"Alright," Yan agreed, ready to test his current strength against Xie Yue.