As a Control System Soul Master, a First Spirit Skill like this is already excellent. "But son, why did you insist on this skill back then?" Jin Ge didn't quite understand; although he could sense the skill was practical, he hadn't thought too deeply about it.
Jin Bao: "Dad! Not every Spirit Ability has only one way to be used!" Jin Bao rolled his eyes at his father's expression.
"With enough practice, my First Spirit Skill can be cast instantly, form a shield array, and even split one shield into two. Most importantly, these shields don't block my vision and have real effects. Watch—like this!"
As he spoke, Jin Bao released his First Spirit Skill, but this time the shield appeared horizontally, hovering half a meter above his head at its maximum range.
Immediately, Jin Bao leapt and landed on the shield!
"Flight!" both Jin Ge and Du Lude exclaimed. Flight was a huge advantage for any Soul Master below Spirit King, unless they had special Spirits or Spirit Abilities.
"It's not flight; I've just fixed the shield in place. And next…" While talking, Jin Bao jumped higher, and another shield appeared beneath his feet.
In other words, as long as he had enough spirit power, he could walk in mid-air with this skill—and let teammates do the same!
He soon dismissed the skill and dropped to the ground. "It works, but controlling it demands a lot mentally."
Jin Ge laughed heartily. "We Gem-type Soul Masters are born with stronger mental force than normal Soul Masters. Practice hard and this move will make you famous, son!"
Jin Bao nodded. "There are plenty more applications that need practice." The first time he'd summoned the shield he'd realized he could actually change its shape.
Rather than calling it Money Shield, the skill should be called Money Guard. But altering its form or molding it consumed far more spirit power, so Jin Bao decided to keep that as a hidden ace for now.
Even if it couldn't be used as a weapon outright, shield-combat methods existed; he could sharpen the edges and wield it as a bladed shield.
Jin Bao figured that lacking detailed memories of the original story might be a loss, but as an Earth otaku, wild imagination was also an asset—sometimes fan ideas could outdo the official canon.
Only after obtaining a First Spirit Ring did a Soul Master truly step onto the path of Cultivation and leave ordinary folk behind. Progress from here on, however, would be slower; Jin Bao would be satisfied to reach Rank 20 and gain a second spirit ring within two years.
He might not recall everything clearly, but he remembered this: the protagonist of this World, Tang San, was a Spirit Elder at twelve.
Jin Bao didn't aim to match him—just to keep up with Ning Rongrong. She had reached Spirit Elder before thirteen; hitting that benchmark would mean he wasn't doing badly.
Before Spirit Elder, cultivation speed was relatively quick; only afterward did natural talent become glaringly obvious.
"It's getting late, sir; let's stay the night," Du Lude suggested.
They'd been so busy testing skills they'd lost track of time.
Jin Bao's stomach growled and he gave an embarrassed laugh.
Du Lude chuckled. "Even a little Genius has to eat!" After skinning the Gold-Devouring Rat, he roasted its choice cut for Jin Bao—not to avoid waste, but because that strip of meat was genuinely delicious.
For some reason, Jin Bao spent the entire night Cultivating.
When the sun rose, he opened his eyes.
Sure enough, spirit power now advanced more slowly; he wondered what Rank he had reached.
After a spirit ring forms a Spirit Ability, it triggers the spirit power accumulated at Bottleneck, raising the Soul Master's Rank. With a first ring over a century old, there was usually nearly a full Rank of overflow.
Soon the trio returned to the small town, enjoyed a hearty meal at the inn, and boarded a carriage back to the city.
"Son, shall we head to the academy or to Spirit Hall first?" Jin Ge asked as they entered the city gates.
Jin Bao thought for a moment. "Straight to Spirit Hall—I can't wait to find out my exact Rank!"
"Good, Spirit Hall it is!" Jin Ge said.
Today was Saturday; no classes, so Jin Bao planned to report to his teacher on Monday.
Inside Spirit Hall, Jin Bao followed his father to a testing room.
He produced the booklet issued by Spirit Hall and placed his hand on the crystal orb.
This orb capped at Rank 20 and was meant for Soul Masters below Spirit Grandmaster.
The glow swiftly passed the halfway mark and climbed two small divisions beyond.
"Rank 12. Please record your spirit ring's age and Spirit Beast species at the counter," the attendant said with a smile.
After registering, Jin Bao collected this month's stipend—only one gold coin, but it was the first Money he'd ever earned himself, and it meant the World to him.
As they stepped out of Spirit Hall, a carriage pulled up.
Father and son paused.
Out stepped none other than the Dean of Students and Mei Lele.
"Hello, Dean of Students! Didn't expect you to finish helping this child get her spirit ring so quickly," Jin Ge said, smiling, though his tone carried an edge.
The Dean looked awkward. "Student Jin Bao! And you must be Mr. Jin Ge. I truly apologize—helping Mei Lele obtain her spirit ring went so smoothly I hadn't imagined you'd need to take Jin Bao yourself."
Jin Bao glanced at Mei Lele; her face was as calm as ever.
"What age is your First Spirit Ring?" He couldn't help wanting to compare.
"Four-hundred-year Wind Fox," Mei Lele replied flatly.
Jin Bao gave an embarrassed chuckle. "What a coincidence—mine's a four-hundred-year Gold-Devouring Rat. I'm at Rank 12; I wonder what Rank you'll reach?"