“A level 8 Spiritualist!”
“A real figure of importance from the Spiritualist Association!”
The warriors of the Aurora Clan were all shocked. To them, Ulan was a glaring sight, but what they had no clue about was that Ulan was a Spiritualist of Botany, which was regarded as a very unpopular lineage in the Spiritualist circle.
Clearing his throat, Ulan’s expression turned very severe as he gave off the dignity expected of an important figure.
After a minute of pause, everyone began to grow restless. Why had this important figure not said a word yet?
“Today is the inauguration of this academy established by Xia Fei. I heard that six thousand candidates have been accepted and a further five hundred elites will have the chance to join us in an important exercise.” Ulan finally spoke. Xia Fei frowned, for the speech Ulan was giving was different from what he had prepared for the botanist.
The warriors below the platform grew very excited. Especially the five hundred warriors who had been selected out of the six thousand, they were eager to get started. Xia Fei had already admitted before that anyone who managed to graduate from the academy would at least come away with one soul weapon. There was nothing else that could get a warrior excited other than this.
“This time, I didn’t bring anything with me, so treat these trinkets as the welcome gifts that me and Xia Fei’s master have for you all.”
*Thump*
The moment his speech was over, Ulan lightly brushed his finger across his spatial ring. A crate full of soul weapons then landed heavily on the stage.
“Soul weapons! These are soul weapons?!”
“Oh, heavens! There are so many soul weapons. Hundreds of them!”
“Is this real, or am I dreaming?!”
The moment they saw the soul weapons, the warriors under the stage went crazy over those. It was essentially even more effective than any words of encouragement.
“These soul weapons will be given to that first batch of five hundred warriors, with each of them getting one!
“I’ll be honest with you. Xia Fei and his master are very powerful, and they have plenty of soul weapons! As long as you’re willing to accept their teachings properly, you’ll definitely become indomitable warriors in the future!
“However! You mustn’t be too proud. While you all are given soul weapons, they can easily be taken back at any moment. These are just the most basic soul weapons; don’t you wish for even more? Soul weapons of better grade? Then you’d better begin working hard starting now!”
*Roar*
Three cheers~
“Finally, I got my hands on a soul weapon!”
The atmosphere was extremely lively, and Xia Fei helplessly shook his head from the sidelines. While Ulan did not follow the prepared script, he could not help but admit that the botanist’s method was also very effective.
The temptation that the soul weapons brought was simply too great, and when Ulan dropped that crate in front of everyone’s eyes, all the warriors present immediately had goosebumps!
“We will be heading out tonight, embarking on a very difficult assignment. Do any of you have any questions?!” Ulan shouted with a wave of his hand.
“No questions!”
“We’re willing to go!”
Ulan burst into laughter. “Good! Head back and pack your bags then! The rest of you who will remain here shall train hard as you await my and Xia Fei’s return! When we return, anyone who performs well will be well rewarded!”
“Hurray!”
The entire external compound exploded with cheers. The voices of these people echoed so greatly that they broke the very skies!
…
In the evening, Old Wistview prepared a table of good food so that Xia Fei could join Fuchen and Ulan together for a meal.
Fuchen’s eyes were squinted. He took out that box filled with Golden Sunflower seeds and placed six on his plate.
“Come, each of us will have two. Let’s have a taste of this absolute delicacy known to man,” Fuchen said with a laugh.
Ulan furrowed his brows unhappily and sighed. “It wasn’t easy for me to get these Golden Sunflower seeds, yet you’re actually eating them. If my master were to learn of this, he would surely have your head.”
Fuchen scoffed, thinking nothing of his comment. “Delicious food, of course, has to be eaten. Besides, your master is long dead, so don’t try and scare me with him.”
Xia Fei ignored the playful bickering of these two old men and took the two seeds from his plate, deshelling them and then tossing both into his mouth.
This was a very vulgar way of eating, and Fuchen actually slapped his own face in his distress.
“You ought to chew them. The Golden Sunflower Seeds smell fragrant and have plenty of benefits to solidifying a Spiritualist’s soul,” Fuchen said painfully.
“Solidifying my soul? What’s that?” Xia Fei asked curiously.
Ulan sighed. “You know that the Spiritualists are on a decline with each passing day, and it’s rare for another Spiritualist to appear. The reason is a big problem that people in this line bear, where many high-level Spiritualists find themselves having difficulty guarding their Soul Roots.
“Just as how we succeed and fail by our seventh brain regions, Soul Marks in Spiritualists are different from those found in soul practitioners. While we possess even more powerful abilities, there’s now a phenomenon where Spiritualists find their Soul Marks scattering and their level deteriorating. Some of the more severe cases even have their Soul Marks collapse inwardly, their souls instantly dissipating.”
Xia Fei was shocked, gasping, “To think that such a thing is happening. Still, I find that my Soul Marks are fairly stable, and I don’t see any signs of them becoming unstable.”
Fuchen chimed in. “It isn’t that everyone will experience their Soul Marks collapsing, but there’s an obvious trend here, where high-level Spiritualists easily find themselves becoming sick. This Golden Sunflower Seed is a miraculous thing that can prevent Soul Marks from collapsing, and it’s all thanks to Ulan, this Great Spiritualist of Botany; otherwise, we would never have the chance to eat something so wonderful.”
“Okay, enough with that. No need for your flattery after taking advantage of me.” Ulan took a swig of wine. “You, Unrestricted, don’t have Immortal Souls to begin with, so it’s a real waste for you to complement the Golden Sunflower Seeds with wine.”
With that said, Ulan handed a little case to Xia Fei. “I heard that you’ll be heading to The Collapsed Expanse of Founders soon. I’m giving you these ten Golden Sunflower Seeds of mine as protection. They can help protect you from a Dark Energy attack in a critical situation, thereby saving your life, but you mustn’t be like Fuchen, eating something so precious as if it’s a snack.”
Xia Fei chuckled politely as he stored that case in his bosom. Ulan paused for a bit before saying, “Old folks like Fuchen and me won’t go to The Collapsed Expanse of Founders, as it’s not worth the risk, so you have to be extra careful.
“After all, though you possess Unrestrict Soul-Spirit Marks in your seventh rain region just like Fuchen, you don’t have an immortal soul. Any conventional or Dark Energy attack can very well take your life, unlike me, who can be reborn if someone deals me a fatal blow. As such, unless a Dark Energy attack ruins my brain region or Soul Marks, I’ll essentially be able to live forever.”
Xia Fei nodded. The reopening of The Collapsed Expanse of Founders was nearly upon them, and this was the main reason Xia Fei was in a hurry to spare the Law Realm from any future threats. After all, the moment he entered that space, there would be no way for him to know just how things were outside. Xia Fei wanted to seize the present, while he still could, to open the Cosmic Gate and connect the Law Realm to the Alpha Universe, helping the warriors from the Law Realm familiarize themselves with a higher level of fighting styles and also marry Avril.
This was why he must eliminate the Inverse!
Despite the Inverse chasing after Xia Fei back then, who he was today could not be more unlike how he had been back then. Xia Fei had since grasped Dark Energy, and the Law Realm also had more than a few Founders now. Adding the two apex Spiritualists on his side and the five hundred elites from the Aurora Clan, Xia Fei may not necessarily lose this time.
…
Deep into the night, the Silver Specter silently set off to its destination.
As a cruiser, it hardly had any problem ferrying five hundred warriors. It was just that their accommodations would be slightly spartan, as Xia Fei had temporarily turned the cargo hold into a place for leisure and cultivation of everyone onboard.
After they obtained their first ever soul weapons, these warriors were all in festive mood, so the moment they got aboard, everyone was eager to begin their cultivation and training, not in the least bit concerned about the simple living conditions that they were given.
With regard to the inculcation of combat techniques, Xia Fei had to do nothing, since these warriors, who had been chosen out of the thousand others, were by no means weak. The only thing they lacked was bloodlust! The moment they nurtured that, each of them would well be worth a hundred men!
Xia Fei was very strange, not paying attention to these five hundred warriors after shutting them together.
One day, two days, and by the time the third day came, the atmosphere had become evidently tense. After all, all these people joined Xia Fei on this excursion sans knowledge of what to expect. No one had any idea what they would be up to, so they could not help but start speculating.
In the afternoon of the third day, while the Silver Specter still cruised at high speeds, it now traveled at a much slower pace compared to how it was earlier at noon. The more attentive warriors began to polish their weapons, thinking that their exercise might begin today.
…
Command deck. Xia Fei was currently pointing at the screen showing a large star map for Suzu Treasure. The lady had been secretly brought aboard the ship by Xia Fei, and none of the warriors knew about her presence.
Suzu, who was holding onto a set of holographic star charts, used her maps to check the Silver Specter’s real-time scan result; it seemed that she was searching for something.
“It should be this planet, the old lair of a peak level exotic beast, the Spirit Horned Rhinoceros, which belongs to the Fufeng Clan,” Suzu said.
Xia Fei flashed that signature smirk of his and said, “Good work. That’s all you have to do. I thank you for all your information, or else I wouldn’t be able to find such a hidden location easily.”
Suzu answered, “The Heavenly Treasure Firm is a business, and all sorts of people seek to establish connections with us. This location was revealed to my grandfather by those people in the illegal poaching business. Sometimes, one must do things that can’t see the light of day when they’re doing business.”
Xia Fei opened the door indifferently. “I understand this completely. Right now, you may take this small shuttle and return home. It’s not safe for a lone girl to accompany us. Besides, you are still needed to manage your family’s business. I heard that you’d been transferred over to the headquarters; you’re set to take up as the chairman’s new assistant. I believe that your next step is to take control of the entire Heavenly Treasure Firm.”
Suzu blushed, appearing to be very pleased. However, seeing that Xia Fei was still expressionless, she realized that he had simply made a passing comment. Whether or not she took control of Heavenly Treasure Firm did not matter to Xia Fei at all. Meanwhile, it was Suzu who had been so excited to share the news with him.
“Oh, right. Zesyr has been clamoring to see you. It seems like you have offended her or something, so if you’ve got the time…” Suzu puffed her chest and took the initiative to mention this to Xia Fei.
“We’ll talk about future matters next time. A lot of times, my hands are tied,” Xia Fei replied softly.
Sending Suzu Treasure off, Ulan chuckled. “That lady seems to be rather interested in you. There’s also that Zesyr Night lady. I remember that she’s the apple of the old donkey’s, Night’s, eye. You’re not simple.”
Fuchen had a serious expression on his face, frowning. “Did Suzu Treasure say that that planet is part of Fufeng Clan’s territory? If I remember correctly, Rock Chime’s wife came from the Fufeng Clan. Rock Chime is dead, while you’ve injured Orchid Chime. Are you now planning to snatch territory off Rock Chime’s widow? Aren’t you a bit too vicious?”
Ulan was stunned when he heard this, looking at Xia Fei in bewilderment.
“That’s right. We’ll be raiding Fufeng Clan’s territory! I received news that Rock Chime’s wife had turned to her family to bring calamity on us. In this day and age, anyone who wishes to make me suffer will learn what it truly means to suffer!”
*Whoosh*
Xia Fei turned on his communication device and announced to the five hundred Aurorean warriors in the ship’s cargo hold: “Everything is ready. In fifteen minutes’ time, the warship is going to land; we’ll begin our raid thereafter!”
