After experimenting for a while and gaining a rough understanding of his martial spirit's characteristics, Xu Yang quickly returned to his dormitory, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and then slipped into the orphanage's library. He went straight to the section on soul skills and soul beasts, pulling out one book on fire-attribute soul beasts and another on light-attribute ones.
He needed to plan which spirit rings he would absorb for his Sun Martial Spirit.
The Sun Martial Spirit carried the power of the sun—pure yang and extremely strong—possessing properties close to ultimate fire and light attributes. Therefore, the spirit rings he absorbed had to come from fire- or light-type soul beasts, preferably those related to the sun or possessing both attributes.
When similar types of martial spirits absorb the same kind of soul beast, the resulting soul skills are usually quite similar, with not much variation.
So, what kind of soul skill a soul beast could provide was described in detail in the books.
"First, I need a soul skill that helps me control fire. With that, I can train to manipulate flames with precision. That way, no matter what soul skills I add later, I'll never lack offensive means."
Fire attacks basically boil down to two types: attribute transformation and form transformation. With a soul skill to control fire, the form transformation side is covered. Then he could focus all remaining spirit rings on enhancing the attribute, aiming to reach the level of ultimate fire.
"Flame Spirit Sacred Beast—top-tier fire-attribute soul beast with extremely strong fire control ability. It mostly lives in volcanoes rich in fire elements. Beast Martial Spirits that hunt it gain fire resistance. The soul skill is usually a flame armor. Tool Martial Spirits gain flame-release type skills, while Elemental Martial Spirits gain fire element control!"
"This is it!"
As soon as Xu Yang read the description of the Flame Spirit Sacred Beast, his eyes couldn't look away. This soul beast perfectly met his expectations—but it was extremely rare, and finding a suitable one would be difficult.
You had to understand, if the Flame Spirit Sacred Beast reached its peak, it could rival the Ice Sky Snow Maiden.
Who was the Ice Sky Snow Maiden?! Ranked third among the top ten fierce beasts, the true ruler of the Extreme North, undisputed number one.
That the Flame Spirit Sacred Beast could compare to the Ice Sky Snow Maiden, both being elemental spirits, spoke volumes of its rarity and strength.
So Xu Yang decided to keep looking to see if there were any other options.
When it came to spirit rings, his philosophy was quality over quantity. If he couldn't find a suitable one, he wouldn't absorb it. According to a certain master's theory, it wouldn't affect his cultivation anyway.
Of course, he needed backup plans. He couldn't stay at one level forever just because he couldn't find the right soul beast. So having alternatives was necessary.
Soon, Xu Yang discovered another suitable soul beast in the book—Sunflower. From the name alone, it was obvious this soul beast was related to the sun. It had dual attributes of fire and light, and even a touch of spiritual properties. Similar to sunflowers from his previous life, it could gather and absorb solar power to enhance cultivation, and could also heal surrounding soul beasts.
What really caught his attention was its ability to gather and absorb solar power—a trait that would be inherited by the soul master. This ability was a perfect match for the Sun Martial Spirit. With his own traits, who knew how much it could boost his cultivation speed?
"Maybe the Sunflower is more suitable for my first spirit ring!"
After some thought, Xu Yang decided to choose the Sunflower as his first spirit ring. This soul skill was simply too compatible with the Sun Martial Spirit. With the ability to gather solar power, he'd essentially carry a portable training ground, continuously improving his cultivation.
This kind of soul skill was best obtained as early as possible.
Most importantly, Sunflowers were relatively common and easier to find.
Still, he wanted to look a bit more—there might be an even better choice…
Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. Or maybe the orphanage's collection of books on soul beasts was incomplete. Xu Yang couldn't find any other suitable soul beasts—none that met his expectations.
At this moment, Xu Yang had no idea that just outside the room, four people were watching him with curiosity.
"Fengzhi, this child is far more mature than other orphans. He's already in the library seeking suitable soul beasts right after awakening his martial spirit."
"Yes! According to the information from the orphanage director, this child was found near Seven Treasure City. No one knows who his parents are. But he's been well-behaved, never caused trouble, and even took the initiative to help care for the other orphans. None of the kids from his batch refuse to follow him!"
"Not only that, he's extremely attentive in class, never slacking off, and maintains a very respectful attitude. Just based on that, I already admire him!"
As they spoke, Ning Fengzhi's gaze toward Xu Yang grew more and more approving. In his heart, he'd already decided to take this child as his disciple.
"He really is remarkable," Gu Rong said with a smile.
"Madam, Sword Uncle, Bone Uncle—let's go meet this child!"
Ning Fengzhi motioned to the three beside him and led the way into the orphanage. Guided by the director, Ning Que, they walked toward the library.
"Xiao Yang, the Sect Master, Madam Sect Master, and two Supreme Elders have come to see you. Come out and greet them!"
Before they even reached the library, Ning Que's voice echoed inside. Since few people visited the orphanage library apart from Xu Yang, there were no rules requiring silence.
Hearing the voice, Xu Yang quickly stood up, closed the book and notebook on the table, and looked toward the door.
Behind Ning Que stood four people. Leading them were a middle-aged man and woman, clearly a couple.
The man had a face like carved jade, straight nose and mouth, gentle eyes, and an elegant appearance. He wore a spotless white robe, with long black hair flowing behind him, giving off an effortless air. The woman was gentle and graceful, with a delicate oval face and jade-like skin, also dressed in white—but hers was a long dress. Her chestnut hair reached her waist, and she carried an aura of noble detachment.
Behind them were two elders. One had a simple appearance, white hair and beard, wearing a spotless white robe. His expression was indifferent, as if he didn't see anything around him. Yet he gave off a feeling of being the supreme existence of heaven and earth.
The other elder looked withered, his muscles and skin shrunken, eye sockets deep. Though not overly muscular, his bone structure was shockingly large—his clothes seemed supported purely by his skeleton. He had only a few strands of white hair on his head and stood an intimidating two and a half meters tall.
Just from their appearances, Xu Yang had guessed who they were—Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and the Sect Master's wife, who wasn't mentioned in the original story. He didn't know her identity.
"Xu Yang greets the Sect Master, Madam, and the two Elders!"
Xu Yang lowered his posture and respectfully addressed the four.
As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, even though he knew they took him in with ulterior motives, Xu Yang was sincerely grateful. Without the sect's protection, he might have died long ago, let alone lived peacefully until the awakening of his martial spirit.
So he showed them the respect they were due.
(End of Chapter)