Chapter 8: 1-Star Spiritual Apprentice

West Station was located in the outer city area, while the Arcane Tower was situated within the inner city.

The tram shuttled through every street, with passengers of various kinds coming and going. However, Duke remained seated by the window, absorbing the sights as they passed by.

"It's like the description of European cities during the first industrial revolution in textbooks..."

"Yet it resembles a cyberpunk-like new world..."

Chenjiao City, despite its billowing black smoke and flowing sewage, also had neon lights flashing and bustling traffic. The prosperity of technology and the squalor of life coexisted in such a way that they were both intertwined and disparate.

However, as they reached the inner city area, the dirty scenes gradually became less common.

Tall tower-like buildings stood in orderly rows, surrounded by villas with gardens on the low hills. Patrolling knights on impressive mounts maintained order, and shuttle-like vehicles glided along the streets.

Compared to the chaos of the outer city, although the inner city was also bustling, it was well-organized.

"We've arrived at the Arcane Tower station!" The ticket collector shouted at the top of their lungs before the tram had even come to a complete stop.

Duke quickly stood up, moved to the door, and stepped out once the tram was stable. Several others also got off the tram, including a middle-aged man whose destination, like Duke's, was the Arcane Tower.

"Are you from out of town?" the middle-aged man asked as he noticed Duke looking around.

"Um, yes."

"What are you here for?"

"To register as a spiritual apprentice."

"Hmm, took the Spirit Awakening Potion?"

"How did you guess?" Duke decided to walk alongside the middle-aged man.

"No one would feel at ease letting a genius register at the Arcane Tower alone, as they would have been snatched up by others long ago," the middle-aged man said as they approached the entrance of the Arcane Tower. He turned to the two security guards on duty and said, "He's with me."

"Understood, Mr. Wilgan," the security guard didn't question Duke's identity any further.

Once inside the gate, Duke curiously asked, "Mr. Wilgan, may I ask who you are?"

"I'm a meditation recorder, just an ordinary employee," Wilgan waved his hand. "Go straight to the lobby, a dedicated officer will help you complete your registration as a spiritual apprentice. Once you're registered, come get your meditation technique, and we might see each other again."

With that, Wilgan quickly left, carrying his briefcase.

"Thank you."

Duke expressed his gratitude and decisively headed for the lobby.

Many people had gathered around the front desk, processing various tasks. Duke stood in line, listening to what kinds of business were being conducted. He heard about certificate reissues, exchanging arcane templates, apprentice level assessments, and even applications for private tutoring. In short, the range of services at the Arcane Tower was quite extensive.

"Next."

"Hello, I'm here to register as a spiritual apprentice."

"Do you have a recommendation letter?"

"Here it is."

"Tom, someone's here to register as a spiritual apprentice, take him over." The front desk attendant immediately called out.

Soon, a young man with pockmarked skin took the recommendation letter from the Spirit Society of Snakehead Town, glanced at the contents, and then gave Duke a brief look. "Follow me."

Perhaps the recommendation letter indicated that Duke had used the Blood Boiling Potion to open his Sea of Spirit.

Or perhaps Tom was just naturally reserved.

They walked without exchanging a word. Climbing a flight of stairs and turning a corner on a corridor, they arrived at a room labeled "Sea of Spirit Sensing Center."

Many staff members were busy inside.

Tom waited with Duke for a moment and then handed the recommendation letter to someone. "Testing the opening of the Sea of Spirit, please."

Someone quickly approached and led Duke to a machine that exuded a sense of quality. The machine was enveloped on all sides by non-metallic materials and contained a crystal sphere.

"Place your hands on it and meditate on your Sea of Spirit," the elderly operator of the machine said.

Duke complied.

His hands touched the crystal sphere, and his thoughts instantly entered his own Sea of Spirit.

Just as he entered, he heard a mental exchange from Xiaoyi, "Master, it seems like a force is imprinting your Sea of Spirit."

Duke had already researched this: "It's reflecting my Sea of Spirit to assess my spiritual magic aptitude. Xiaoyi, can you and Desert Eagle hide yourselves?"

"Of course."

"That's good. Hide yourselves, I also want to know how high my spiritual magic aptitude is." Duke decided.

When he heard someone say, "You can let go now," he opened his eyes and saw that many points of light were reflected on the non-metallic panels surrounding the machine. It was somewhat similar to the distribution of stars in his Sea of Spirit.

"Element Affinity: Low... Energy Stability: Moderate... Spiritual Absorption Efficiency: Low... Overall assessment indicates below average aptitude." The old man announced the test results and stamped a seal on a form.

"Uh..."

Duke felt a bit regretful, but he wasn't too disappointed.

For most who opened their Sea of Spirit with potions, their aptitude was low. In fact, even for those whose Sea of Spirit opened naturally, there was still a high probability of having low aptitude. But aptitude was just a parameter. According to <<Unlocking Spiritual Magic>>, aptitude couldn't determine the level of spiritual magic. There were numerous examples of low-aptitude spiritual apprentices becoming powerful arcane mages.

"Plus, I have a Nine-Ring Xiaoyi. I'll eventually reach Nine Rings!"

Duke wasn't disheartened.

However, in Tom's eyes, he could see a hint of undisguised disdain.

"Let's go, Duke. You've completed the Sea of Spirit test;

 it's time to officially register." Tom gestured and no longer spoke, simply guiding Duke through all the procedures step by step.

Finally.

He paid a fee of a silver dragon and handling charges.

Duke received his spiritual apprentice ID, a thin silver card with a pale green background. It didn't display his information directly, only a tall and magnificent tower-like building—the headquarters of the Arcane Tower located in the capital of the Seven Pagoda Federation.

"When you advance to 1 Ring, you can exchange this for a blue spiritual card. But you probably won't need it... Keep this card safe; a replacement costs ten silver dragons if you lose it."

Tom casually said, "Spiritual apprentices are divided into five levels: One-Star to Five-Star. You're currently a One-Star spiritual apprentice. You can come to upgrade your card each time you level up to adjust your status. Alright, now I'll take you to choose your meditation technique."

Duke put away his spiritual card and quickly followed.

When it came time to choose a meditation technique, he indeed saw Wilgan, who had brought him in. However, Wilgan didn't show any special signs. He spoke in a businesslike tone, "Your aptitude is below average. None of the three basic attributes—element affinity, spiritual absorption, and only energy stability—are promising. I recommend that you choose the 'Steadfast Meditation Technique' for cultivation."

Duke thought for a moment before replying, "Mr. Wilgan, could I understand the other meditation techniques before making a choice?"

"You can. Rachel, explain the apprentice-level meditation techniques to him."

Rachel, the female assistant of Willgang, had a well-endowed figure, slightly rugged facial features, and a deep voice. "Throughout the generations, the Arcane Tower has derived five meditation techniques most suitable for spiritual apprentices to cultivate. They are the 'Colorful Meditation Technique,' 'Steadfast Meditation Technique,' 'Whirlpool Meditation Technique,' 'Blank Slate Meditation Technique,' and 'Field Meditation Technique...'"