He would lose 50% of his spirit power after maintaining the gravity-enhanced spirit skill for two hours, and 70-80% after three hours.
He then obtained three restorative candies from Shao Xin, ate them, and meditated to recover his spirit power. By the afternoon of the next day, he had barely managed to cultivate his spirit power back. Then, Lu Tianyu arrived right on time, seeking further torment.
On the tenth day, Zhao Wuji felt he couldn't take it anymore, but for the sake of his so-called pride, he still smiled and unleashed his fourth spirit skill.
Lu Tianyu happily cultivated for three hours in the weight field released by Zhao Wuji. Although he felt very tired, the fatigue meant his cultivation was effective.
Therefore, Lu Tianyu was quite enthusiastic about it, until the fifteenth day when Lu Tianyu approached Zhao Wuji again, at which point Zhao Wuji completely broke down.
He admitted that he was wrong and should have been angry with Lu Tianyu, asking him not to come to him every day.
However, Zhao Wuji's human-shaped gravity cultivation chamber was impossible to find elsewhere; cultivating in a gravity-enhanced environment could comprehensively improve one's physical qualities.
For Lu Tianyu, the gravity field created by Zhao Wuji's gravity-enhancing soul skill was the perfect simulated training environment.
Three hours of training in this gravity field might be more effective than twelve hours elsewhere.
Zhao Wuji eventually persuaded Lu Tianyu to train with him for three hours every two days, after
he'd impulsively declared he'd be happy to train with Lu Tianyu in the gravity field if he wanted.
Lu Tianyu, possessing the Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound ability from his external soul bone, naturally didn't experience fatigue or lack of energy.
One day, a month after Lu Tianyu entered Shrek Academy, Oscar invited him to the Spirit Hall to collect his soul master subsidy. Lu Tianyu then remembered that he hadn't registered with the Spirit Hall after obtaining his third soul ring.
According to the Spirit Hall's regulations, Soul Masters at the Soul Venerable level receive a monthly subsidy of one hundred gold soul coins, a substantial sum for Lu Tianyu.
When Lu Tianyu asked for leave, Zhao Wuji felt an urge to cry, secretly thinking that he could finally have an extra day of rest.
Lu Tianyu and Oscar arrived at the Spirit Hall in Soto City. Oscar only needed to show his Spirit Master's Record to receive his monthly Spirit Master subsidy.
Lu Tianyu, however, had just obtained his third Spirit Ring and advanced to a true Spirit Master, requiring procedures such as Spirit Power Level Verification and Spirit Master Record Modification.
Therefore, after receiving his subsidy, Oscar left first, and Lu Tianyu followed the Spirit Hall's Spirit Master into the inner room for a Spirit Power Assessment.
During a brief chat on the way, Lu Tianyu learned that the Spirit Master who received him was named Chadley, an elder of the Soto City Spirit Hall, a Level 61 Power Attack-type Battle Spirit Emperor, with the Spirit Master being a Porcupine. He looked
to be in his late forties or early fifties, tall and thin, not at all like a Power Attack-type Spirit Master.
He wore the uniform of the Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters, and his long brown hair was combed back, looking somewhat comical. In any case, Lu Tianyu's first impression of him was that of a traitor.
So, throughout the journey, Lu Tianyu simply maintained his usual smile and answered Chadley's few questions briefly.
Arriving at the soul tool for testing soul power, Lu Tianyu summoned his martial soul and infused it with his soul power. The soul tool then accurately measured the soul master's soul power level.
As Lu Tianyu summoned his martial soul, one yellow and two purple soul rings naturally appeared.
Chadley, like most soul masters, showed a shocked expression upon seeing this, then looked at the soul tool and discovered that Lu Tianyu's soul power was level thirty-two.
After taking Lu Tianyu's soul master's manual, he exclaimed in surprise, "Lu Tianyu, you're only thirteen years old!"
Lu Tianyu's face maintained his usual warm smile, and he nodded slightly with narrowed eyes, remaining silent. If he could, Lu Tianyu truly didn't want to interact with Chadley.
But Chadley didn't think so. He looked at Lu Tianyu and said, "Little guy, join the Spirit Hall today. I'll report your situation to the Spirit Temple."
"I think the Temple will definitely value you highly. They might even send you to Spirit City to receive guidance from His Holiness the Pope."
Lu Tianyu hadn't decided whether to join the Spirit Hall yet, and he just wanted to focus on cultivation.
After hearing Chadley's words, he politely declined, "Thank you, but I'll just cultivate at the academy. No need to trouble the elders."
Chadley had never encountered a Spirit Master who refused to join the Spirit Hall; rather, it was always Spirit Masters who went to great lengths to ask him for help in getting them to join.
This feeling of being humiliated made him very unhappy. He said irritably, "What do you know, brat? I invited you to join the Spirit Hall for your own good."
Lu Tianyu keenly sensed that Chadley's aura was a bit off, and hurriedly explained, "Sir, you misunderstand. I will naturally join the Spirit Hall after I graduate from the academy."
"After all, the Spirit Hall is the true home of a Soul Master. Thank you for your concern, sir. But for now, I still want to stay at the academy to cultivate."
Lu Tianyu joining the Spirit Hall on his own and joining through Chadley's introduction are completely different things. The rewards he would receive for introducing a genius to the Spirit Hall would be quite substantial.
Moreover, he had never heard of such talent as Lu Tianyu. He might even gain the favor of the Spirit Temple for introducing Lu Tianyu to the Spirit Hall, and his promotion from Elder of the Spirit Hall in Soto City to Elder of the Spirit Temple would be just around the corner.
"Why are you talking so much nonsense, kid? If we tell you to join the Spirit Hall, then join the Spirit Hall. What's so special about this backwater, the Barak Kingdom?"
Chadley raised an eyebrow, somewhat impatiently. "It's settled then. I'll process your Spirit Hall membership application now."
Lu Tianyu had been recruited by the Spirit Hall in Notting City before, but he'd never encountered anyone as domineering as Chadley.
Moreover, Chadley's tone involuntarily reminded him of his former leader, who always claimed his arrangements were for his own good.
But Lu Tianyu had never found his arrangements to be beneficial. His smile vanished, and he looked at Chadley with utmost seriousness, saying, "Elder Chadley..."
"I said I don't want to leave the academy now. I'll naturally join the Spirit Hall after I graduate."
Chadley's face turned extremely ugly, thinking to himself that he couldn't let the prize slip away like that.
"Elder Chadley, please conduct a soul power assessment for this child."
Just as Chadley was about to explode, two figures suddenly walked in from outside.
With outsiders present, Chadley restrained himself, a threatening glint in his eyes as he looked at Lu Tianyu, saying, "Lu Tianyu, I hope you'll reconsider and come back later to collect your Soul Master's Manual."
In his previous life, Lu Tianyu worked diligently in a small company because he didn't want his parents to worry, so he ignored the bullying from his superiors and the ostracism from his colleagues.
But in this life, I'm only responsible for myself. I'm single and have no family to worry about, so why should I care about Chadley's opinion
? "The Spirit Hall's regulations state that no one can detain a Spirit Master's manual. What does Elder Chadley mean by that?"
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The Soul Master's Manual was like an ID card from his previous life, so Lu Tianyu had to retrieve his own.
At that moment, another child was registering for Soul Master qualification in a hall led by a Soul Master from the Spirit Hall.
Chadley glared at Lu Tianyu resentfully, then inscribed today's assessment results onto his Soul Master's Manual and threw it at Lu Tianyu's face.
Lu Tianyu caught his Soul Master's Manual, a warm smile returning to his face. He squinted at Chadley and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Elder."
He then turned and left the Soul Power Assessment Room. Chadley watched Lu Tianyu's retreating figure disappear through the door, his eyes blazing with anger.
He had spent over ten years in the Spirit Hall of Soto City, finally getting a chance for promotion, only to find Lu Tianyu unyielding and unwilling to listen to him and join the Spirit Hall.
Chadley turned to the Spirit Hall Soul Master beside him and said, "Modok, I have to go out for a while. The Soul Power assessment is in your hands."
Modok was only a steward in the Soto City Spirit Hall, while the Soul Power assessment was usually handled by elders.
Hearing Chadley's arrangement, Modok readily agreed, rattling off a string of words of gratitude.
However, after hearing Modok's words of thanks, Chadley's resentment towards Lu Tianyu intensified.
"Hmph, do your job properly,"
Chadley coldly snapped at the obsequious Modok, then put his hands behind his back and walked out of the Soul Power assessment room.
Meanwhile, Lu Tianyu arrived at the Soul Master subsidy collection point and received three hundred gold soul coins using his Soul Master's Notebook.
Because Lu Tianyu's Soul Power was level thirty-two, the Spirit Hall elder assisting with the subsidy distribution instinctively assumed Lu Tianyu had already become a Soul Master and thus issued two months' worth of subsidies retroactively.
Lu Tianyu was quite happy to have three hundred gold soul coins in his account. As for Chadley, he selectively forgot about him after leaving the soul power assessment room.
Walking on the streets of Soto City, he looked up at the sky and realized it was just past noon, not too early or too late.
He thought to himself that it was too late to finish his training for the day, so since he had already taken leave, he might as well enjoy the day and balance work and rest.
So Lu Tianyu wandered around the streets of Soto City, big and small, and then accidentally got lost and ended up at the North Gate.
By the time Lu Tianyu turned back and reached the South Gate of Soto City, it was already evening. Going back at this time would definitely get him a scolding from Zhao Wuji.
However, Zhao Wuji was currently enjoying the pleasant life without Lu Tianyu's interference and didn't care at all about Lu Tianyu extending his leave.
If he could, he would like to give Lu Tianyu a half-year leave; Lu Tianyu had been giving him a hard time for the past month.
After Lu Tianyu walked out of the South Gate of Soto City, a tall, thin, dark figure suddenly appeared on the high city wall of Soto City.
Then he vanished again, as if he had never been there.
Lu Tianyu was hurrying towards Shrek Academy when he suddenly sensed malice coming from behind him.
He stomped his feet hard on the ground, instantly disappearing from his spot and reappearing fifteen meters away.
Turning around, Lu Tianyu saw Chadley standing where he had just been, looking at him with a sneer. Chadley raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Not bad, kid."
"Lu Tianyu, how's your consideration of what I told you today? You'd better think it through before you answer."
Chadley's tone was full of threat, but Lu Tianyu was unfazed, and his goodwill towards the Spirit Hall greatly decreased.
Lu Tianyu's smile vanished as he looked at Chadley and said, "I did consider joining the Spirit Hall before today, but now... I have absolutely no interest in joining."
"You won't listen to reason, so go ahead and die!"
Chadley, enraged by Lu Tianyu's words, angrily channeled his spirit power to summon his spirit.
Six spirit rings—one white, one yellow, three purple, and one black—emerged from beneath Chadley's feet, and simultaneously, a four-meter-tall porcupine phantom appeared behind him.
The oppressive aura of a Spirit Emperor emanated from Chadley, crashing over Lu Tianyu like a tsunami.
A month ago, Lu Tianyu might have been afraid of Chadley's aura, but for the past month, he had been cultivating with Spirit Saint-level spirit skills and learning staff techniques daily from Li Yusong, a Spirit Emperor.
While Chadley's aura was indeed strong, it wasn't enough to frighten Lu Tianyu.
The aura emanating from Chadley only enraged Lu Tianyu. In his previous life, he had lived a cowardly life for over twenty years.
Now, finally having the chance to control his own destiny, how could he possibly be as pathetic as before?
"Martial Soul Possession..."
Lu Tianyu activated his soul power, summoning his Martial Soul. Three soul rings, one yellow and two purple, appeared above his head, simultaneously emanating an aura from Lu Tianyu to block Chadley's momentum.
Chadley sneered, "Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or an ant trying to shake a tree. Let me teach you the rules of the soul master world."
"Second Soul Skill - Porcupine Arrow Rain."
Seeing that Lu Tianyu still dared to summon his Martial Soul to resist, Chadley felt utterly defeated. Although Lu Tianyu was a genius, he was merely a Soul Master with a soul power level of thirty-two.
For a mere Soul Master to disregard him showed nothing but his own incompetence and weakness.
Therefore, without hesitation, he unleashed his second soul skill, intending to teach Lu Tianyu a lesson that would cut to the bone.
Chadley's second spirit ring flickered, and then his porcupine spirit climbed to the ground.
The porcupine's bristles stood on end, pointing towards Lu Tianyu. These bristles, each two meters long and the size of a quail egg, shot towards Lu Tianyu like arrows.
The bristles, formed from spirit power, created a series of ear-piercing whistling sounds as they shot out. In just three breaths, three volleys were fired, a rain of two hundred bristles instantly enveloping Lu Tianyu.
Lu Tianyu, with his keen eyesight, could discern the strong penetrating power of these bristles, realizing that even if he used his Iron Body technique to block them, he would still be injured by the immense force.
(End of Chapter)