NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Xuankong Academy
Xuankong Academy, the top primary spirit master academy in Donghai City, was said to be funded by the city's influential families.
Today was the first day of the new school term, and Jing Shaoyu walked to school alone. His new home was close to Xuankong Academy, just a couple of streets away.
As he walked through the school gates, he noticed a sword-shaped statue directly facing him and couldn't help but smile. This statue, representing the Xuankong Sword—a powerful weapon spirit—was said to be the founding spirit of the academy, created by someone also bearing the surname Ouyang. It made Jing Shaoyu think of Ouyang Jian.
Walking around the campus, he had to admit that Xuankong Academy, as the best primary academy in Donghai City, truly lived up to its reputation. The facilities exuded a sense of sophistication, vastly different from the Red Mountain Academy back in Aolai City.
Arriving at the first-grade teaching building, he headed straight to the spirit master class. As per the Federation's laws, primary and intermediate education were mandatory, regardless of whether one had spirit power. However, to differentiate between spirit masters and ordinary students, they were split into spirit master and ordinary classes. Spirit masters could attend ordinary classes, but regular students couldn't join the spirit master class.
The main difference was that spirit master classes covered specialized content related to spirit masters.
Entering the classroom, Shaoyu found about a dozen students already inside, engaged in various activities—talking, daydreaming, or even napping. He made his way to an empty seat and, without drawing much attention, sat down quietly and closed his eyes.
"Brother Xiaoyu!"
A familiar, soft voice made Shaoyu open his eyes, and he found a delicate, doll-like face in front of him.
"Xiaoyan!" Shaoyu exclaimed, surprised.
"Hehe, what a coincidence." Smiling, Xu Xiaoyan sat beside him. "I was worried about not knowing anyone here, but then I saw you sitting alone. I'm so glad!"
"Indeed, it's quite the coincidence!" Shaoyu agreed with a smile.
Before long, a young woman with a stern expression entered the classroom and announced, "Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Liu Yun. You may call me Ms. Liu. We'll start with introductions. Begin with your name, spirit power, and spirit, starting with you." She pointed to the boy in the first row near the door.
"My name is Lin Jinquan, level 5 spirit power, spirit: Willow Leaf Blade," the boy said, standing up.
"Alright, sit down. Next!" Liu Yun nodded, motioning him to sit.
"My name is Hu Yifei, spirit power level 7, spirit: Tabby Cat."
"I'm Lu Chenglin, innate level 6 spirit power, spirit: Lone Wolf."
"I'm Zheng Xiying, innate level 5 spirit power, spirit: Wind Flute."
"…"
Soon, it was Shaoyu's turn. His appearance was striking enough to make Ms. Liu pause. He stood up and introduced himself, "My name is Jing Shaoyu, level 13 spirit master, spirit: Origin Elf."
"Wow!"
"Is he serious? Level 13 spirit power?"
"No way!"
Shaoyu's words set off a wave of murmurs and exclamations. Almost everyone was staring at him in awe, whispering their thoughts.
"Silence!" Liu Yun's stern reprimand quieted the room instantly. She smiled at Shaoyu. "Are you an innate full spirit power?"
"Yes, Ms. Liu," Shaoyu confirmed.
"Good, you may sit down." Liu Yun's smile grew wider as he took his seat.
"I'm Xu Xiaoyan, level 12 spirit master, spirit: Star Wheel Ice Staff," Xu Xiaoyan said, standing up next to him, her voice soft.
Thanks to Shaoyu's display, the students seemed to handle Xiaoyan's level 12 spirit power with more composure. However, Liu Yun's smile became even brighter.
"Excellent, excellent!" she said, nodding, clearly excited.
After everyone finished introducing themselves, Shaoyu got a general sense of the class. Out of the 33 students, only he and Xu Xiaoyan had spirit power above level 10 due to their innate full spirit power. The highest among the other students was level 8, with most ranging from level 4 to 6.
Their grade had two spirit master classes, totaling 67 students. Shaoyu had the highest spirit power, with Xiaoyan right after him. In a primary spirit master academy, having innate full spirit power was overpowered, as the graduation requirement was just a single spirit ring, making it feel as if they had already graduated upon entering.
Due to legal requirements, they were required to spend at least three years in primary school before advancing to intermediate spirit master academies.
At noon, Shaoyu left school to have lunch at home. On his way back, a black car pulled up beside him, and the back window rolled down, revealing Xu Xiaoyan's smiling face.
"Brother Xiaoyu, hop in!" she called out.
"Huh?" Shaoyu was momentarily stunned.
"Come on, get in! I'll give you a lift!" Xiaoyan urged playfully.
"Well… are you sure it's okay?" Shaoyu hesitated.
"Of course! Just get in already!" Xiaoyan insisted, waving him in.
"Alright then, I won't be shy about it!" Shaoyu said, opening the door and sitting beside her.
"Where do you live, Brother Xiaoyu?" Xiaoyan asked with a grin.
Shaoyu gave her the address, and the car quickly headed there.
As the car stopped in front of his house, Na'er, who was sitting on a small stool at the entrance, was surprised to see Shaoyu getting out of the car.
"Brother!" she called out in shock, running over to him. Then she spotted Xiaoyan in the car, and her expression soured.
"What's wrong, Na'er? You'll wrinkle your face and turn ugly!" Shaoyu teased, seeing her clinging to his arm.
"I don't want to turn ugly!" Na'er shot back, before adding, "Why did Brother come back with her?"
"We're classmates, so catching a ride made sense," Shaoyu said confidently, pulling Na'er inside.
"Mom, Auntie, I'm home!" he called out as they entered.
"Great! Just sit for a while; lunch is almost ready," Aunt Lin Xin replied from the kitchen.
"Wait, Na'er, where's Mom?" Shaoyu asked, noticing he hadn't heard his mother's voice.
"Dummy Brother, Mom went to work today!" Na'er said with a playful huff.
"Oh, right." Shaoyu chuckled, remembering that his mother now held a job as an office director in the City Administration Bureau and would be having lunch at work.
After lunch, Shaoyu rested briefly before heading back to school.
Afternoon classes were more hands-on, focusing on fundamentals like summoning and controlling spirits, potential development paths, and understanding their unique characteristics. Some concepts were familiar, some new, and some only partly understood, so Shaoyu listened intently.
The afternoon passed quickly, and just before dismissal, Liu Yun called Shaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan to the office, handing each of them a card.
Shaoyu examined it, realizing it was like an ID card. It displayed his name, gender, spirit awakening date, spirit master registration date, a unique identification number, and even his photo.
"This is your spirit master card," Liu Yun explained. "Your monthly allowance will be credited here, and you can also use it to access the academy and Donghai City's library,
as well as borrow books for free. Take good care of it."
"Yes, Ms. Liu," Shaoyu and Xiaoyan replied in unison.