"Congratulations, March 7th. I never expected your bond with the train to run so deep."
Wu Tong gazed at the Martial Spirit in March 7th's hand and sighed in admiration.
A Martial Spirit reflected the deepest desires and perceptions of one's heart. For March 7th to awaken the Astral Express as her Martial Spirit meant that, in her heart, the train and the friends within it were her most cherished treasures.
Without waiting for her response, Wu Tong continued, "Now, let's test your Spirit Power. It'll determine your future cultivation speed."
That's right—cultivation speed.
The Spirit Ring Master system not only held limitless potential but also compensated for the flaws of the Martial Spirit system. Under this system, innate Spirit Power no longer dictated whether one could cultivate. Even those without Spirit Power could step into the extraordinary through this path.
However, innate Spirit Power still played a role. The amount one possessed influenced their cultivation speed—the more innate Spirit Power, the faster they progressed, and vice versa.
Thus, while innate Spirit Power no longer determined if someone could become a Spirit Master, its importance remained significant.
"Alright! With my talent, I'm sure my innate Spirit Power will be high!"
After hearing Wu Tong's explanation, March 7th confidently placed her hand on the crystal ball he offered.
A golden light flashed, and words appeared on the crystal ball.
Thanks to the blessing of the Thousand Languages, everyone could read it clearly:
Level 40.
Well, it was within expectations.
Given the Astral Express's quality as a divine artifact crafted by the Trailblaze Aeon for world exploration—and considering March 7th's mysterious origins, possibly tied to the Aeon of Remembrance—Level 40 innate Spirit Power felt somewhat lacking.
But March 7th didn't mind.
"Hehe~"
Her eyes curved into happy crescents as she saw her innate Spirit Power reach Level 40.
Her innate Spirit Power had surpassed even Wu Tong's cheat-like stats! This was definitely something to celebrate.
She knew it didn't mean much in practice—it wouldn't grant her power beyond Wu Tong's—but she was still delighted.
"Ah, March 7th, since you're so happy, I assume you're fine now. Since awakening your Martial Spirit didn't tire you out, how about helping me?"
Without waiting for her reply, Wu Tong directly imprinted the knowledge of the Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony into her mind.
Then, he tossed her a set of awakening instruments and shooed her off to the side to help other group members awaken their Martial Spirits.
"...Not funny."
March 7th's smile vanished as she realized her carefree moment had just turned into an assigned task.
Ignoring her expression, Wu Tong called out, "Next!"
Fu Hua stepped forward.
Following the same steps as March 7th, she entered the awakening array on the ground.
Another flash of light later—
Fu Hua successfully awakened her Martial Spirit: the Shield of Protection.
This was no ordinary shield. Rather than a physical object, it resembled Zhongli's Jade Shield—a skill-based barrier that could be freely applied to the body.
As long as Fu Hua's will remained unbroken, the shield could defend against all attacks. It could also be extended to others, functioning under the same principle: an indestructible conceptual shield so long as the wielder's resolve held firm.
This shield was the crystallization of Fu Hua's 50,000-year-long desire to protect—her family, her friends, Shenzhou, civilization, the world itself...
Gazing at it, one could feel the brilliance of her unwavering will, so radiant and awe-inspiring that it inspired reverence.
It was a testament to noble virtues, a reverence for purity and sanctity embodied in a single person.
"As expected of the Vermilion Bird Adeptus. Such steadfast protective will is something we must learn from."
Murata Himeko observed the luminous shield in Fu Hua's hand, moved by the resolve contained within.
Who would've thought Fu Hua's Martial Spirit would be a shield?
When she stepped forward, everyone had assumed she'd awaken an offensive-type Martial Spirit, given the Vermilion Bird Adeptus's renowned combat prowess.
Yet, against all expectations, it was a shield.
Truly unpredictable.
As the saying went: The heart is ever-changing, impossible to fathom.
"Tch, what's so great about the old fossil's shield? Just wait—I'll awaken an even stronger Martial Spirit and blow your minds!"
Beside Himeko, Xiao Shi stared at Fu Hua's shield, her face a mix of envy and defiance.
Nearby, Stelle, now humanoid and expressive, nodded in agreement.
Neither of them looked particularly convincing.
Yeah, yeah, keep pretending—your envy is practically dripping from your eyes.
The others found their tsundere act amusing.
After recording her Level 40 innate Spirit Power and receiving the awakening instruments from Wu Tong, Fu Hua moved aside to assist others.
Watching her leave, Wu Tong called again, "Next!"
Five Hours Later
With Zhang Chulan's Seal-Breaking Talisman Martial Spirit and his Level 30 Spirit Power, Wu Tong finally completed the awakenings for everyone.
Now, sensing the new supernatural power within them, the group buzzed with excitement.
After experimenting with their abilities, they confirmed:
This power system didn't clash with their existing ones.
In fact, it seemed to complement other cultivation methods.
Perhaps dual cultivation wouldn't be as time-consuming as they'd feared.
The thought made their smiles widen.
Wu Tong, too, wore a brilliant grin.
As he browsed the dozens of new, overpowered Martial Spirits added to his database, he couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back.
While awakening the others, he'd tasked his AI Core with analyzing their Martial Spirits.
...
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(End of Chapter)