Chapter 30: The Genius Freshmen, Part 2

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Wang Li didn't hesitate. He raised his right hand and spoke firmly, "Martial Spirit, release!" White light radiated from his body, and soon, Blue Silver Grass vines enveloped him, with a single yellow spirit ring hovering above.

Upon seeing this, Mr. Ling didn't seem pleased. Instead, he frowned and pulled out Wang Li's file for another look.

Name: Wang Li. Martial Spirit: Mutated Blue Silver Grass. Innate Spirit Power Level: Three. Remarkable speed of cultivation, having advanced from level three to level ten in less than a year…

The more Mr. Ling read, the more disheartened he became. It was like discovering a flaw on a perfect masterpiece—Wang Li had such remarkable talent, yet a fatal flaw marred his potential.

His Martial Spirit was still just Blue Silver Grass. Despite the mutation that gave him exceptional talent, a Martial Spirit derived from Blue Silver Grass would inevitably prevent him from becoming a truly great Soul Master.

Looking at Wang Li with a hint of regret, Mr. Ling forced a smile and tried to reassure him, "It's alright. Mutated Blue Silver Grass is still quite impressive."

Wang Li was momentarily taken aback. He recognized that look of disappointment; it was an expression he had seen before, from Headmaster Zhang Wei, Director Su Mo, Master Ma Xiu Nuo, and now Mr. Ling…

The people of Douluo Continent were like this—superstitious and stubbornly convinced that a person's potential was determined solely by their Martial Spirit.

Far from being troubled, Wang Li felt pleased. If they misunderstood, so be it. Let everyone attribute his abilities and speed of cultivation to his Martial Spirit, while his real secret remained well-hidden.

His exceptional talent? It could be attributed to his mutated Martial Spirit. His limited potential? That too could be blamed on his Martial Spirit, mutated from Blue Silver Grass. This reasoning explained his rapid spirit power growth, yet led others to underestimate him—a flawless cover.

Wang Li then spoke up, "Thank you, Mr. Ling. So, what should I do next?"

Hearing this, Mr. Ling walked to the center of the room and, with a commanding "Martial Spirit, possess!" his aged body transformed—muscles swelled, brown fur sprouted across his skin, and his hair stood on end, resembling a mighty, upright lion.

Four spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—circled around him, each adding to his fierce aura and the imposing majesty of a wild beast.

He then instructed Wang Li, "I won't use any spirit abilities. Attack me with your first spirit ability. I want to see how your Martial Spirit and skills perform in a real fight."

A Soul Elder—live combat! Wang Li's eyes gleamed; this was a perfect chance to hone his skills. With polite respect, he said, "Alright, Mr. Ling, please be careful!"

His first spirit ring flared, and instantly, the surrounding Blue Silver Grass vines grew wildly. Twelve vines split into two rows: six above and six below. The top six lashed out toward Mr. Ling, while the bottom six remained poised.

Mr. Ling didn't dodge; he let the vines wrap around him like a cocoon.

At this point, Mr. Ling applied some force. Even without exerting his full strength, his Soul Elder-level spirit power easily broke him free and tore all the vines to pieces.

Yet, his eyes shone with surprise. It had been effortless for him to tear through the vines only because he was a Soul Elder. For most Soul Masters—even those who specialized in strength—breaking free from such bindings wouldn't be easy once trapped.

This proved that Wang Li's Martial Spirit and spirit ability had great potential in battle. They were neither useless nor ineffective.

Suddenly, the sound of vines slicing through the air echoed as the other six Blue Silver Grass vines shot toward Mr. Ling again.

This time, Mr. Ling didn't resist directly. He quickly retreated. Despite the durability of these vines, they were ineffective if they couldn't reach him.

Mr. Ling continued to evade, but the vines pursued relentlessly. The previously torn vines also regenerated rapidly under Wang Li's spirit power, once again closing in for an encirclement.

The twelve vines worked in two groups of six, one group chasing while the other blocked escape routes. Coordinated and agile, they gradually cut off all of Mr. Ling's paths of retreat, even pushing him into a corner with nowhere left to run.

Mr. Ling grew increasingly intrigued. With no more room to retreat, he charged directly at Wang Li, roaring, "Roar!"

A massive surge of spirit power burst forth like a storm, halting the previously agile and coordinated Blue Silver Grass vines in their tracks.

Mr. Ling stretched out his hands, half-foot-long claws extending from his fingertips, sharp and deadly like daggers. With swift slashes, he cleared the vines in front of him and lunged toward Wang Li.

The intense pressure left Wang Li momentarily breathless, but he wasn't about to let things end so easily. Using his quick-step technique, he evaded to the side just in time.

Mr. Ling missed his target and looked back in surprise at Wang Li, who was now nimbly darting around, dodging with ease. This kid was full of surprises.

Before he could ponder further, the Blue Silver Grass vines closed in from behind again, forcing Mr. Ling to temporarily abandon his pursuit of Wang Li and resume clearing the relentless vines.

Truth be told, Mr. Ling was starting to feel a bit frustrated. He had promised not to use his spirit abilities, but without them, relying on just his claws wasn't enough to completely deal with these endlessly regenerating, tenacious vines.

He aimed to capture the "master" by grabbing Wang Li, but this slippery kid kept dodging and darting around, staying just out of reach.

Still, Mr. Ling felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Wang Li possessed high talent, fast cultivation, and impressive performance in battle. Aside from the issue with his Martial Spirit, there was little Mr. Ling wasn't pleased with.

By now, the test had served its purpose, but Mr. Ling's pride wouldn't let him give up until he had caught this agile kid.

Sticking to his word, he alternated between clearing vines and trying to catch Wang Li—but without much luck.

Finally, after some time, all the vines abruptly receded like a retreating tide, and even Wang Li seemed to slow down, his movements noticeably sluggish.

Seizing the opportunity, Mr. Ling dashed forward, grabbing Wang Li and lifting him off the ground. Looking at this kid who was both impressive and infuriating, he couldn't help but smile and say, "You're a slippery one, aren't you?"

Wang Li gave a sheepish grin, his earnest face full of respect as he replied, "Mr. Ling, you're so powerful. Without spirit abilities, I couldn't put a scratch on you."

Inside, Wang Li was thrilled. Although he'd exhausted his spirit power—Mr. Ling's attacks destroyed the vines too quickly for his power to keep up—he had gained over 200 experience points, his most rewarding session to date.

Setting Wang Li down and dismissing his Martial Spirit possession, Mr. Ling muttered with feigned annoyance, "Keeping me on my toes for this long—something for you to be proud of…"

Then, he broke into laughter, exclaiming, "It looks like our academy really has recruited a genius freshman this year!"

(End of Chapter)