C7 The Seventh Chapter

In the classroom, a group of children were laughing and joking, completely oblivious to Xia Yi's presence. They huddled in small clusters, engrossed in their lively conversations.

Xia Yi sat down with a smile, seemingly unfazed by the children's antics, and closed his eyes to rest. His relaxed demeanor was reminiscent of an ancient scholar.

Suddenly, a short, stocky child banged on the table, and the room fell silent.

"Let's give a greeting to the newly arrived Mr. Xia!"

"Hello, Mr. Xia—"

The children's greeting to Xia Yi was drawn out and reluctant.

The room quieted down, and the stout child raised his hand high. "Mr. Xia, do you know how many types of martial spirits there are?"

Xia Yi was taken aback. He taught ethics and life principles, not martial arts. Questions about martial spirits should be directed to a martial master.

But Xia Yi couldn't voice that thought.

"You don't even know the answer to this simple question? If that's the case, what do we need you for?"

The children erupted into laughter, with the stout child looking particularly smug.

Noticing Xia Yi's silence, the child's demeanor grew more brazen. "I've heard that Mr. Xia achieved the Unification of Martial Spirit in just one year. Could it be that the legend doesn't match the truth?"

"Qin Bai, perhaps you should enlighten Mr. Xia!" another child chimed in.

"Yes, with your prowess as a third-grade warrior, you could teach Mr. Xia and give us all a lesson!"

The children's taunts grew louder.

Xia Yi maintained his smile, watching the children's theatrics with amusement.

The stout child, named Qin Bai, was the youngest son of the Right Prime Minister, Qin Seng. Despite being only eleven, Qin Bai's cunning and malice surpassed that of many adults, thanks to his father's teachings.

After Qin Seng's last visit to Xia Ye, he fell gravely ill and was now bedridden. The illness was brought on by rage, and Qin Bai was well aware of it. Fueled by indignation, he was constantly looking for ways to provoke the Xia Family, seeking to avenge his elder brother.

Martial Spirits are categorized into four distinct types: ordinary Martial Spirits, strengthened Martial Spirits, Guardian Martial Spirits, and World Martial Spirits. Additionally, these four types are classified into three unified grades: mortal, earthly, and heavenly.

The children burst into applause, and Qin Bai beamed with self-satisfaction.

Xia Yi chuckled and asked, "Have you finished?"

"What are you implying?" Qin Bai shot back, glaring.

"You seem confident in knowing the four types of Martial Spirits. So, tell me, what distinguishes these types from one another?"

"It's obviously their strength. Ordinary Martial Spirits are the weakest, strengthened Martial Spirits are average, Guardian Martial Spirits are moderate, and World Martial Spirits are the most powerful. Hahaha, Mr. Xia, do you not even know the answer to such a simple question?"

Xia Yi responded, "All Martial Spirits share the fundamental function of enhancing the human body's ability to absorb Spiritual Qi. In reality, there's no difference in the absorption rate of Spiritual Qi among the four types of Martial Spirits."

Unfazed by Qin Bai's astonished look, Xia Yi approached the lectern to elaborate, "Ordinary Martial Spirits possess only the basic function of absorbing Spiritual Qi, making them the weakest. Strengthened Martial Spirits can enhance the host's physical attributes, such as fists, feet, speed, and resilience. Guardian Martial Spirits, however, possess a protective will. Once bonded with a host, they can form 'Spirit Armor' to defend them and can even autonomously leave the host's body to strike when the host faces danger."

"And what about World Martial Spirits?" Qin Bai asked, his face showing signs of discomfort. He had intended to embarrass Xia Yi but ended up putting himself in an awkward position.

"World Martial Spirits are the most enigmatic and rare. Possessing a World Martial Spirit grants one the ability to wield supernatural powers, like controlling fire, conjuring lightning with a wave of the hand, or commanding fierce storms. The range of their abilities is incredibly vast and shrouded in mystery."

All the children listened with rapt attention. Many of them possessed Martial Spirits, but this was their first time hearing such a thorough explanation of Martial Spirits from Xia Yi.

"While Martial Spirits are divided into four types, each type, from ordinary to World Martial Spirits, is further classified into three levels: mortal, earthly, and heavenly. Ultimately, the strength of a Martial Spirit, coupled with personal effort, is the key to measuring one's power."

Xia Yi spoke only briefly before turning to leave the schoolhouse. He was conscious of time, not wanting to delay others or be delayed himself.

Qin Seng watched Xia Yi walk away and spat disdainfully, "What's so special about him? Isn't he just a has-been whose Martial Spirit vanished?"

...

Xia Yi entered the Dragonflight Tower, a repository for all sorts of books within the Dragonflight Cloister. For him, at this point in his life, it was an invaluable resource.

He had learned about the various types and levels of Martial Spirits from the ancestral books of the Xia family. When facing the children, he was practically learning on the fly, teaching them just enough to maintain his authority as an educator.

A teacher must never lose face in front of their students. Once their image is tarnished, regaining their respect becomes a near-impossible task.

Xia Yi's position at the Dragonflight Cloister was quite leisurely; he taught only five classes a month, leaving him with an abundance of free time. The only restrictions were that he couldn't leave the school at will, and he was strictly forbidden from getting too close to the Spirit Gathering Tower on his own.

The Spirit Gathering Tower was more than just a symbol of strength; it was intimately tied to the destiny of a warrior, housing the very Martial Spirits that those aspiring to be warriors coveted.

Whether human or object, once spiritual essence accumulated to a certain degree, the soul would transform into a Martial Spirit upon death. Invisible to the naked eye, these Martial Spirits, once attached, lost their cognitive abilities. They acted solely on the abilities and determination they possessed in life.

Martial Spirits without a physical host could not survive in an ethereal state. Left to drift, they would soon dissipate into nothingness.

To continue existing, Martial Spirits needed to attach themselves to a physical body. However, there was another method for their preservation: embedding within jade. Jade, a nurturing cradle for all spirits, could sustain Martial Spirits. Provided with enough of the jade's essence, they could persist for millennia without fading away.

Martial Spirits sustain themselves on the essence found within jade, making it essential to have an ample supply of jade to preserve them. In Foglaostein, jade is valued dozens of times higher than gold, ranking it among the most expensive commodities.

The construction of a Spirit Gathering Tower relies on jade as its cornerstone, complemented by an enigmatic Spirit Gathering Formation. Once erected, the tower becomes a beacon for Martial Spirits, drawing them from afar. Since Martial Spirits are in constant need of jade essence, operating a Spirit Gathering Tower comes at a steep cost.

The towers, much like warriors, are categorized by grades. Higher grades yield better results, and naturally, the cost soars geometrically with each increase in grade.

Building a Spirit Gathering Tower is a lengthy endeavor, requiring at least three years to gather the spiritual energy necessary to initiate the Spirit Gathering Formation. Once activated, the tower demands a relentless supply of new jade to function—a veritable money pit. Nonetheless, this continuous investment is vital for the tower's operation.

Historically, the upkeep of Spirit Gathering Towers has led to the downfall of nations in Foglaostein, prompting strict regulations on the number of towers within each country's borders.

The Kisal Dynasty boasts the most prestigious tower, a seventh-grade edifice operational for millennia and exclusively accessible to the royal family, effectively making it their private domain.

Aside from this illustrious seventh-grade tower, the second most notable is the fifth-grade tower housed within the Dragonflight Cloister.

Xia Yi is eager to enter the Spirit Gathering Tower to seek out a Martial Spirit of his own. While it's possible to attract a Martial Spirit during cultivation without a tower, it requires extraordinary luck. Xia Yi's own 'Heavenly Realm Martial Spirit' was a serendipitous find, with odds far slimmer than winning the lottery.

Through relentless cultivation, Xia Yi has noticed a modest increase in the size of his 'Spirit Seeds' and a significant rise in the baleful qi needed for his talismanic arts. This progress has led him to the conclusion that to augment his baleful qi, he must focus on strengthening his 'Spirit Seeds'.

Upon reviewing the materials concerning 'Spirit Seeds,' Xia Yi was genuinely startled by what he discovered.

It didn't matter if one possessed a Martial Spirit or not; sensing the presence of 'Spirit Seeds' required a commitment of three to five years, or possibly even longer. During this period, the host was unable to utilize their Martial Spirit, and excessively prolonged sensing could even harm the Martial Spirit, leading to its regression.

It seemed he had sensed it upon his very first attempt at cultivation...

This phenomenon was documented in the texts as the 'Martial Spirit Body.'

Individuals blessed with the Martial Spirit Body were exceedingly rare, with only one or two emerging from tens of millions.

While Xia Yi was contemplating his promising future, a tall woman clad in blue approached with a graceful stride.

"Mr. Xia, what a coincidence. Are you here to read as well?"

"Oh, yes."

Xia Yi glanced up at the woman in blue, offering a friendly smile before returning to his book.

"I'm Lan Su, the music instructor here."

Lan Su extended her hand to Xia Yi.

With no reason to hold back his enthusiasm, Xia Yi warmly grasped Lan Su's hand with both of his, his face beaming with a gentle smile. "Are you familiar with my name?"

"Carrying a profound sense of integrity, I am Xia of the Xia family. It would be hard to believe if I claimed to be unaware of your esteemed reputation."

Lan Su smoothly withdrew her hand and, picking up a book from the shelf, began to converse with Xia Yi while perusing its pages.

Lan Su's tall and elegant demeanor, coupled with her eloquence, quickly put her on friendly terms with Xia Yi.

As they chatted, Lan Su couldn't help but feel a secret sense of triumph.

"Hehe, dear sister, it looks like you're going to lose to me this time..."