The next day, as school hadn't started yet and he didn't need to go, Li Qing arrived at the Xiao family's residence before lunch and found Xiao Chenyu, who was currently sparring with guards.
"You dog! You still dare to come see me?"
Seeing Li Qing, Xiao Chenyu looked as if he had seen the killer of his father. He rushed forward, raising his hand to strike, but it was just for show. Li Qing easily caught his fist.
"Why are you still so ungrateful? Just tell me, wasn't the hundred-year spirit ring worth it?"
When Li Qing read the original novel, he always had a question: How could the son of a dignified city lord have a ten-year spirit ring for his first ring? At the time, he just thought it was the author trying to highlight the protagonist.
Only after transmigrating did he realize that Xiao Chenyu had a doting mother.
His mother absolutely pampered her son, deathly afraid of him suffering the slightest harm, and firmly disagreed with him absorbing a hundred-year spirit ring. Later, Li Qing came up with an idea for him.
After reaching level ten, don't tell his mother, and secretly take people to hunt for a spirit ring.
Xiao Chenyu did just that and successfully absorbed a first ring that was over four hundred years old. However, after returning, his mother beat him so badly he couldn't get out of bed for several days.
"Heh heh, it was worth it."
Li Qing rolled his eyes and said, "Exactly! If it weren't for me, you'd be running around with a white spirit ring, and you might not even reach the Spirit Elder realm."
Xiao Chenyu also had innate spirit power at level three. If he maximized every spirit ring, becoming a Spirit Elder was very likely, while becoming a Spirit Grandmaster depended on luck.
However, if his first spirit ring was only ten years old, let alone a Spirit Grandmaster, he might not even reach the Spirit Elder realm. So, Li Qing could be said to have saved his future.
Xiao Chenyu said, "Alright, alright. This young master is magnanimous and won't hold it against you."
"Let's go, my treat for a meal?"
When you need someone to do something, you should have the attitude of someone asking for a favor. Not to mention their relationship wasn't close enough to be indistinguishable, even if it was, treating them to a meal was still appropriate.
"Let's go."
Xiao Chenyu was clear in his heart, knowing that this dog of a friend definitely had something he wanted to ask for again. But it wasn't a big problem; anything he could agree to wasn't difficult, and he couldn't agree to difficult things anyway.
Leaving the Xiao family, Li Qing took Xiao Chenyu to the largest restaurant in Nuoding City and ordered a table full of dishes.
"What the hell do you want to do?"
Looking at the table full of food, Xiao Chenyu was a bit confused, because last time Li Qing wanted to join the city guard, he wasn't this generous. Whatever he was asking for this time must be significant.
Li Qing smiled and said, "Let's eat first. It's not a big deal. If it can be done, great; if not, it doesn't matter."
Xiao Chenyu looked at him suspiciously, "You said that, okay?"
Li Qing nodded, "I said it."
"Alright then."
Hearing this, Xiao Chenyu stopped being polite and started eating without restraint.
As the saying goes, a growing boy can eat his father out of house and home, especially since both of them were spirit masters. They actually devoured the entire table full of dishes.
"Burp..."
After eating his fill, Xiao Chenyu leaned back comfortably in his chair and let out a burp, then said, "Let's be clear first, don't blame me if I really can't do it."
Li Qing nodded, "I want to get into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"What the heck?"
Xiao Chenyu abruptly sat up straight, looking at Li Qing with disbelief all over his face. He seriously suspected he had misheard.
Li Qing said, "You didn't hear wrong."
Xiao Chenyu was speechless, "No, don't you know the admission requirements for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? What makes you, a level three innate spirit power waste, think you can get in?"
Li Qing said, "My spirit mutated."
"What the heck?"
Xiao Chenyu suddenly stood up, his expression changing from disbelief to shock.
Li Qing got up, activated his spirit, and the rising yellow spirit ring made Xiao Chenyu's jaw drop for a long time, unconsciously rubbing his eyes.
No way...
Are you kidding me?
It had only been a year since Li Qing's spirit awakening. Gaining seven levels of spirit power in one year? Isn't that a bit too outrageous? Even with a mutated spirit, it shouldn't be this exaggerated.
But looking at Li Qing's 'new skin', he had to admit the fact.
"Good brother, when you become rich, don't forget me. I'll handle this for you, I guarantee it'll be done properly. If I can't do it, you can hold me accountable."
Recovering his senses, Xiao Chenyu patted his chest and said.
Li Qing's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "You can make it happen?"
Xiao Chenyu explained, "For us, the biggest difficulty in getting into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy isn't status, but talent. If you don't have enough talent, they truly won't accept you."
"Unless you're a royal relative or the offspring of a current minister."
"As long as your talent is sufficient and you meet the admission requirements, I can have my dad write a letter of recommendation saying you're my cousin. They won't turn away talented students."
"But you have to cultivate diligently. Don't just be a flash in the pan."
Li Qing asked, "What are the admission requirements for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Xiao Chenyu said, "First, you must be from a noble family. Second, while not exceeding fifteen years old, your spirit power level must not be lower than level twenty-one."
Li Qing was a little surprised.
If that was the case, the admission requirements for Shrek, this 'chicken coop' academy, were actually stricter than the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. That was a bit absurd.
Li Qing said, "Alright then, I'll trouble you with this matter."
Xiao Chenyu said heartily, "We're brothers, why be polite with me? It's not a difficult task anyway."
The two chatted in the restaurant for a while longer before heading home. As for the letter of recommendation and such, there was no rush, after all, Li Qing was still far from level twenty-one and graduation.
He hadn't expected that what he thought would be difficult would be so simple for them.
Now Li Qing felt reassured.
In the following days, apart from daily necessities like eating, drinking, and sleeping, Li Qing focused all his energy on cultivation. Soon, the day school started arrived.
On this day, Li Qing came to Nuoding Academy to register and happened to run into the City Lord, who had personally brought Xiao Chenyu to register.
City Lord Xiao sized Li Qing up and down, laughing and scolding, "So you're the kid who made my son secretly go hunt for a spirit ring and made my wife so angry she couldn't eat for three days, huh?"
"Huh?"
Li Qing looked at Xiao Chenyu with a blank expression, but the latter was whistling and turning his head away, acting like 'don't look at me, it has nothing to do with me'.
"Ahem..."
Li Qing said awkwardly, "Well, Uncle Xiao, wasn't I also thinking about Old Xiao's future? As a spirit master yourself, you must understand this, right?"
"Hahaha..."
City Lord Xiao laughed heartily, "Understand, I understand perfectly! If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know what to do. I might have actually ended up getting him a ten-year spirit ring."
It was confirmed, this City Lord was henpecked. Because he was afraid of his wife, he could even disregard his son's future. It was ridiculous.
City Lord Xiao continued, "This brat has already told me about your matter. Focus on cultivating. As long as you can meet the admission requirements, a letter of recommendation isn't a problem."
Li Qing thanked him, "Thank you, Uncle Xiao. This kindness, this junior will engrave in my heart."