A Rank Seven Spirit?
This overwhelming willpower ascended from below, surging up towards the surrounding of the spirit core turning the orange fog of the spiritual sea into some kind of scale-shaped layers. Under the orange ball of light's will, large amounts of spiritual essence rose upwards and gathered together, forming a towering monster wave, brazenly devouring the incoming Butterfree's will.
Just as the Butterfree's will was devoured, some parts of the orange light elongated, turning into some kind of two tails or whiskers as shimmering image of fish scales covered the orange ball of light.
This was a Spirit. The essence of the Butterfree had hastened its growth. It was just like a giant beast, usually hiding in its cave in a deep sleep. But suddenly it was awakened, furthermore learning that its territory had been violated.
As if its dignity was offended, the Spirit was angry and let out a whiff of aura; the aura was weak yet powerful. It was like the surging current of a river, rolling forth with countless waves; it would soak the broad desert until it submerged!
To be compared to this aura, the Butterfree's will was like the case of a rock thrown in a river!
The aura swept around and expanded, just like a raised invisible tsunami. The invading will of the Butterfree did not even have the ability to withstand it; it was immediately swallowed whole by this aura.
Di Lan felt depressed. The orange spiritual essence that he had thrust forward with his might collided with this aura like it was a wave crashing onto a great mountain. In a moment, the condensed spritual essence disintegrated and dispersed into mist, scattering down to the spiritual sea.
The fog of the spiritual sea rose one after another like a wave; it was like a tornado had just swept across, increasing its turbulence.
But after a few seconds, the Spirit's aura spread down, pressing onto the spiritual sea.
Boom!
Di Lan felt like he heard a buzz. In an instant, the rolling waves on the sea calmed down. The Spirit's aura firmly repressed the entire spiritual sea, just like an invisible mountain pressing down. The surface of the fog sea was calm like a smoke slowly and gently drifting from here and there, not a single wave rolling about.
This was easily an incomparable power!
Di Lan felt a pressure weighing like an enormous invisible mountain pressing down on his heart. He compared it to a man being pressed down by a gigantic woman; it was uncomfortable, Di Lan could not even mobilize a single pint of spiritual essence.
However, although he was shocked, he was not afraid. In fact his heart felt great joy.
Not about him being pressed down by a gigantic woman though.
"I didn't think a mysterious Spirit would actually be living inside of me! Hope is not lost after all."
Di Lan estimated that this Spirit was at least a Rank seven, according on how domeeniring it was. The Butterfree was once a Rank five Spirit but it just subdued and be devoured that easily. "I wonder what kind of a mysterious Spirit have been born inside me?" He pondered.
"I gave up the Moonfang Spirit, going through all the lengths to find the Butterfree just to refine it into my vital Spirit. But, I never would have thought that I already had a vital Spirit from the start!" Di Lan's heart was filled with emotion as he felt the close connection between him and the Spirit.
The vital Spirit is the first Spirit that a Spirit Master refines. It is terribly important, and would affect the future development of a Spirit Master by a large extent.
If a vital Spirit is well picked, the Spirit Master's development will become smoother. When the vital Spirit is of a poor grade, to a Spirit Master it would just drag down his cultivation and let peers surpass him. The more important thing is that it would affect the matter of life and death in a battle.
Di Lan was clear on this point, so he was not satisfied after choosing the Mu Yue village's signature Moonfang Spirit. He just had to go all the way to find the Butterfree.
In what he learned, to a Rank one Spirit Master, the Butterfree was already considered a high quality pick. The Moonfang Spirit was just a choice that was slightly above average.
But life is fascinating, because no one will ever know what is waiting for him or her at the next moment. After being found out as a trash, who would ever thought that a gold would be buried underneath.
A mysterious orange Spirit was Di Lan's vital Spirit. A Rank one Spirit Master, having a suspected Rank seven vital Spirit!
If this sort of thing was said out loud, it is expected that no one would believe such a thing! This has already broken the limits of human cognition!
But yet, that is exactly what happened. The truth is beyond doubt.
"The Butterfree as a vital Spirit is already one of the best choices, but when you compare it to this mysterious Spirit, it is just like scum on the ground! My vital Spirit in this life is actually something unknown..perhaps, one of a kind! I can't wait to unravel its secret."
The immense joy he felt did not overcome his mind; Di Lan quickly calmed down and started to consider the consequences that this mysterious Spirit would bring to him:
"The Spirit's ability is still unknown to me. I must not show this to the village. But right now, the Butterfree is now devoured and wasted. If I refine this Moonfang Spirit, would this unknown Spirit inside devour it too?"
"I guess we can only find out.." After he finished pondering, Di Lan closed his thoughts and opened his eyes. The Moonfang Spirit was hovering before him, shivering in the midst of the fog-like orange spiritual essence that had surrounded it.
Before, because it wanted a chance to survive, its will resisted in every way it can. Yet in the end its will was now easily subdued by the mysterious Spirit's aura. Due to this it suffered a heavy blow, its current strength not even 1% of the original will it had.
"Oh heavenly Spirit.." With a simple thought, Di Lan tried communicating with the Spirit inside him conveying to not devour the Moonfang Spirit. Luckily, the Spirit responded in an agreement. The aura only pressured the Moonfang's spirit; it immediately stood still, motionless, accepting its own fate. Its scattered will felt the Spirit's aura; like a mouse that had run into a cat, it was frightened. It shrank into a ball and was too afraid to move even a slight bit.
Di Lan laughed and took the opportunity to mobilize his spiritual essence. In the beginning, when he tried using his orange spiritual essence to refine it, the Moongfang's will resisted fiercely, so it could only expand arduously bit by bit. But right now Di Lan's spiritual essence drove straight in, flowing vigorously without resistance. There was no obstruction at all.
The orange colour on the tip of the Moonfang Spirit rapidly expanded. In a few winks, the once sapphire spirit was fully dyed orange.
The general situation had passed; the last remains of the Moonfang's will was finally washed away easily by Di Lan's will, dissolving into nothingness.
With that, the Moonfang Spirit was fully refined!
Compared to the beginning where Di Lan had to endure hardship akin to trampling mountains and crossing ravines, the refining process right now was as easy as swallowing saliva.
A kind of mysterious and cordial feeling connected the Moonfang Spirit and Di Lan together. The refined spirit was like a part of Di Lan – If Di Lan told it to slash, it would move its body to a sword-like manner; if he told it to pierce, it would move its body like a spear. The feeling was like moving his own finger.
Di Lan took back his spiritual essence, and the Moonfang Spirit returned to its gem-like state. Then with a leap, it went through thin air and plunged into the middle of Di Lan's forehead down to his spiritual core. When it was inside, the Moonfang Spirit dove down just right in the surface of the fog-like spiritual sea, a distance away from the hovering orange ball with two tails or whiskers Spirit that was in the deepest part of the spiritual sea. In the sea surface the Moonfang moved its body arbitrarily; occasionally it would swim around, appearing comfortable as if it were bathing in a hot shower.
"With this Spirit, my plans will have to change." The entire refining process of the Moonfang Spirit from beginning to end did not take more than three minutes. Comparing the start of his difficult refining process to the situation right now, the speed was rapid and created a sharp contrast.
Not only was it very fast, the consumption of spiritual essence was also very little.
For the past few days, Di Lan had consumed more than seven pieces of spiritual stones just to refine the Butterfree. But tonight, while Di Lan could see the bottom of the spiritual sea in his aperture, he did not use a single stone.
"Haha, with the Spirit at hand, it is as easy as having a god's help! After today all I just need to do is use its aura to pressure down, any Rank one Spirit will be easily refined. Even though I only have a mortal grade talent, I don't need to borrow the help of spiritual stones. The difference of before and now is like heaven and earth."
Di Lan's mood was joyous. Right now, his situation was like pushing away the mist and cloud to see the blue skies.
Although the Spirit was at still unknown, it must be at least a Rank seven Spirit. Just relying on its aura, Di Lan's cultivation from today onwards would receive a huge driving force.
At this moment, the moon outside the window was bright and the stars were few. The moonlight flowed through the window, shining on Di Lan's face.
"Initially I thought I wouldn't be able to get number one, but the road twisted and turned unexpectedly. Time waits for no one! I must go to the academy now and receive the top prize!" Di Lan's eyes glistened.
"Despite the meager amount of the prize comparing to the spirit stones that I've found on the Demon Monk's remains, it can still somewhat cover up the stones that I've wasted from the refining sessions." With the intellect of the Spirit, it automatically faded its aura from the senses and disappeared once more, returning to its deep slumber. Then he called out the Moonfang Spirit to just look at it in satisfaction.
Fifteen minutes later, in the village academy.
The academy elder had long gone to bed, but in his dreams he could vaguely hear the sound of somebody knocking on the door. He was awoken by the noise and he opened his eyes, rather displeased. "Who is it outside there in the middle of the night?"
Instantly a voice replied in a respectful tone, "Reporting to sir elder! It is a student from this year's batch; he has already finished refining the Moonfang Spirit. You have instructed your subordinates earlier to report to you the very instant the first name appears, no matter what time it is."
"Well… Its true that happened." The academy elder frowned, and then he got off his bed. As he put on his robes he asked, "Which student is it that got number one this year? Is it Mu Di Lang?"
The subordinate outside the door replied, "It seems so. The moment I heard the news, I hurried over here to tell you about it, sir. It seems to be someone from the Di family branch."
"Hehe, counting the time, it is probably him." The academy elder laughed lightly, confidently saying, "Who else could it be besides the gold grade talent genius? All those silver grade talent students would still be worse even with the help of spirit stones. Or else, why would the grade of cultivation talent be so important?"
As he said this he pushed the door open and came out. Outside the door, his subordinate respectfully bowed, moving two steps backwards. "Sir is right," he echoed.
In the hall, ten candles or so burned together, brightening up the hall. The man who had received Di Lan had already cleared up all doubts by now. Under the bright light of the candle fire, his face showed a stunned expression. "Wait, what did you just say? You are called Mu Di Lan, not Mu Di Lang?"