Before long, the group arrived at the dormitory.
Calling it a dormitory wasn't quite accurate,it was more like a private villa or a luxury apartment. The building had three floors. The first floor was a communal area with a living room, kitchen, and dining room. The second and third floors were private spaces for each student. Everyone had their own room, and not just a small bedroom,it was a full suite with a bedroom, living room, bathroom, and walk-in closet. The accommodations were clearly designed with everyone's comfort in mind.
After instructing the rest of the students to move around freely, Qin Ming led Yang Yunhai and Zhu Zhuqing upstairs to show them their rooms and explain the dorm layout.
Perhaps sensing something special about their relationship, he took them straight to the third floor and gave them rooms across from each other.
Each room was luxurious and thoughtfully arranged. Naturally, the two had no reason to refuse and thanked him gratefully.
It was worth noting that, according to Qin Ming, the rooms for Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling were also on the third floor. Qin Ming's own room was on the first floor, mainly so he could easily gather the team for meetings.
As for the second floor, it was full of strong young men,Shi Mo, Shi Mo (yes, two brothers), Yufeng, and Oslo all stayed there together.
Originally, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were the only girls on the team, so it made sense for them to live close together to chat anytime. Plus, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were a couple,it would be strange if they didn't spend time together. So their move to the third floor was understandable. By the same logic, it also made sense for Yang Yunhai to stay there.
Yang Yunhai figured out Qin Ming's reasoning and was more than happy to go along with it.
After all, living across from a girl was much better than opening your door every morning to see four burly guys.
While he was lost in thought, Qin Ming spoke again. "You two can stay in your rooms for now and unpack. When you're done, come downstairs for lunch."
"Also, your rooms are fully stocked with everything you need for daily life,no need to go shopping."
"Thank you, Instructor Qin," Yang Yunhai replied politely and watched Qin Ming leave.
After that, he and Zhu Zhuqing returned to their rooms to unpack.
Not long after, he finished tidying up and took a shower. Then he stepped out and knocked on Zhu Zhuqing's door.
With a soft creak, the door opened, and the two went downstairs together.
By the time they reached the main hall on the first floor, everyone else was already seated. Yu Tianheng had changed into a fresh uniform and was chatting with Dugu Yan. Nearby, a middle-aged man and woman, both dressed in chef uniforms, were gently pushing a serving cart and placing dishes on the table.
Qin Ming was the first to notice the pair coming downstairs. He smiled and greeted them, "Yang, Zhuqing, perfect timing. Come join us for lunch."
Yang Yunhai nodded and walked over. As he approached the table, he smiled and said, "You can all just call me Xiaohai."
"You can call me Zhuqing," Zhu Zhuqing added softly.
"Alright then, Xiaohai, Zhuqing, have a seat." Qin Ming gestured toward the empty spots.
Yang Yunhai nodded again and sat down next to Zhu Zhuqing.
Then Qin Ming turned to them with a smile. "Xiaohai, Zhuqing, let me introduce everyone."
Starting with team captain Yu Tianheng, he introduced each team member.
Yang Yunhai and Zhu Zhuqing greeted everyone one by one.
Before long, the introductions were done, and the dishes had been laid out. The two chefs pushed their cart away and exited.
With a creak, the front door was closed.
Yu Tianheng turned and asked, "Xiaohai, you mentioned earlier that your spirit evolved. What exactly did you mean by that? Honestly, I'm curious. How are your spirit vines so strong? Even my spirit skills couldn't destroy them."
"It was a fortunate encounter," Yang Yunhai began explaining.
"No way, stuff like that really exists?" When Yang Yunhai mentioned that drinking bamboo shoot water had boosted his spirit power from level 21 to 27, Yufeng, who had a more lively personality, couldn't help exclaiming. He looked stunned and totally disbelieving.
The others were equally surprised and shocked.
"Honestly, I didn't expect it either." Yang Yunhai shook his head and continued, "Looking back, I actually feel a bit scared."
"There's a saying that all medicine has side effects. That bamboo shoot water was so potent,could just anyone drink it?"
"It's like when a spirit master absorbs a spirit ring,if it conflicts with their spirit, it could cause serious problems."
"So, I suspect the reason I benefited instead of getting hurt is because my spirit is plant-based. If it were animal-based, or something like a sword or blade, there might've been a conflict."
"In that case, my spirit might not have evolved at all,and it could've even worsened."
"I might've even died on the spot."
So if the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well really has something like the Black Jade Divine Bamboo, Dugu Bo, please don't eat it recklessly… he thought to himself.
"That's very possible," Qin Ming nodded slightly. "Spirits aside, everyone's body is different. Taking strange substances can cause irreversible damage."
"Sounds like fate," Yu Tianheng added thoughtfully. Then he asked, "So what happened after that?"
Yang Yunhai hadn't yet talked about the actual spirit evolution. Although he could guess it had something to do with the bamboo shoot water, he wanted to hear the whole story.
"After that..." Yang Yunhai continued.
He explained how he used a specific method to stimulate his body and absorb the medicinal power quickly, which boosted his spirit power to level 30 and caused a series of physical changes. Then he added with an apologetic smile, "As for the exact method, I'm sorry, but it's related to one of my spirit's offensive abilities. I promised the three deans I'd keep it secret until the Continental Spirit Master Tournament."
"Fair enough," Yu Tianheng didn't push further since it was on the deans' orders. He changed the subject, "So, how did you get your third spirit ring?"
"I went to the Star Dou Forest alone to hunt it," Yang Yunhai explained, and described the process.
"Third spirit skill: Parasite. Second skill: Drain. No wonder…" After hearing everything, Yu Tianheng immediately figured out the key. He thought to himself, "That whip must've spread spores into the air, and I got completely hit."
Something else occurred to him, so he asked, "Xiaohai, can your vines repair themselves by draining the opponent's spirit power?"
"Yes," Yang Yunhai nodded. "As long as there's enough spirit power, even if they're torn apart, they can grow back."
"That combo's pretty nasty," Dugu Yan realized the implication and couldn't help complaining.
"So basically, unless someone spots the parasite spores right away and removes them, or smashes the vines early on, the longer the fight drags, the harder it is to escape," Oslo chimed in.
"In theory, yes," Yang Yunhai nodded.
"But in practice, Xiaohai, you could just use your own spirit power to speed up vine growth and eliminate that delay, right?" Qin Ming smiled. "And as your vines absorb more spirit power, they'll probably get even stronger."
"Exactly. As more spirit power builds up in the vines, their strength increases." Yang Yunhai nodded. "I can also redistribute spirit power within the vines using micro-control, making different parts stronger or weaker to improve energy efficiency."
"Insane," Dugu Yan muttered instinctively.
"Seriously impressive," Yu Tianheng agreed. "Xiaohai, I don't know how you trained your spirit, but your control over spirit power is amazing."
"As far as I know, only the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's split-focus technique can do something like that."
"Split-focus?" Yang Yunhai looked puzzled.
"It's a special skill of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Once mastered, it lets the user cast different spirit skills simultaneously and boost multiple teammates at once," Yu Tianheng explained.
"That does sound powerful," Yang Yunhai acknowledged. "Actually, my training method was pretty simple. I just imagined the vines as my own hands. I started by making them do simple movements, like twitching a little, then repeating the twitch. After that, I gradually increased the difficulty and number of vines I could control."
"I practiced like that for three full years."
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng was stunned and deeply impressed. "Xiaohai, with that kind of perseverance, I really respect you."
"So, how many vines can you control at once now?" Dugu Yan asked.
"Eight," Yang Yunhai replied.
"Unbelievable!" Even Dugu Yan had to admit she was impressed by this point.
"Insane!" Oslo blurted out. "Controlling that many vines at once? I'd probably have a mental breakdown."
"Easier said than done," Qin Ming sighed. "For Xiaohai to reach this level, it took years of accumulated training." He then smiled. "Actually, Xiaohai's vine control is giving me some ideas. Let me think them over these next couple days, and we'll discuss them as a group."
"Thank you, Instructor Qin," Yu Tianheng nodded slightly. The other teammates also nodded in agreement.
Qin Ming smiled again and said, "Alright, the food's getting cold. Let's eat while it's hot."
Everyone picked up their bowls and chopsticks and started eating.
While they ate, Dugu Yan, who loved gossip, glanced at Yang Yunhai and Zhu Zhuqing and suddenly asked:
"By the way, Xiaohai, Zhuqing, how did you two meet?"
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