Half an hour later—
Hu Liena and Sivis returned once more to the Spirit Temple in the Western District.
"Nana, you're finally back! How did it go? Are you alright?"
The moment they saw Hu Liena return, Xie Yue, Yan, the orphanage director Li Qing, and several teachers all rushed over anxiously. Especially Xie Yue—his face was full of concern.
"I'm fine," Hu Liena replied as she saw her brother, Yan, and the familiar teachers from the orphanage.
"Relax. This is Spirit City. What could possibly happen here? If something did happen, it's a good thing—an absolutely incredible one, in fact. You should all be feeling honored," said Sivis, his aged face carrying a mysterious smile.
"What good thing?" Yan blurted out.
Xie Yue also looked on with curiosity, and the orphanage staff all wore confused expressions, clearly eager to find out.
Sivis gave a knowing look as he revealed,
"Hu Liena has been chosen by Her Holiness the Saintess to become her personal disciple."
Those words landed like thunder.
"What?! The Saintess has taken Nana as her personal disciple?" the group exclaimed in unison.
Xie Yue quickly turned to his sister, eyes wide. "Nana, is that true?!"
Hu Liena nodded gently. "Yes. It's true."
"That's amazing!"
With that confirmation, Xie Yue jumped for joy.
"Wow, Nana! I wish the Saintess would take me as her disciple too," Yan said enviously.
After all, the Saintess was a revered figure, a noble presence high above others. Rumors claimed she was the most beautiful woman in all of Spirit Hall, the goddess in the hearts of countless Spirit Masters.
Even catching a glimpse of her was a privilege—becoming her disciple? That was like a dream.
"Incredible," murmured the orphanage director and teachers, faces lit with both shock and happiness.
It had already been a tremendous surprise when Hu Liena awakened a top-tier spirit—the Enchanting Demon Fox—with innate full spirit power. But now this…
To be accepted as the personal disciple of the Saintess herself—it was beyond belief.
Everyone was beaming with pride and awe. For those who dedicated their lives to raising children and cultivating talent for Spirit Hall, this moment was the ultimate honor and reward.
"Alright then. Hu Liena, come with me to the Holy Hall for a moment—I'll prepare your official Spirit Master credentials," Sivis said at that moment.
He led Hu Liena back into the grand hall of the Spirit Temple.
She didn't have to wait long. Soon, Sivis returned, holding the personally prepared proof of identity for Hu Liena as a certified Spirit Master.
Handing it over, he said,
"Now, I'll personally escort you to Spirit Hall Academy to complete your enrollment."
As for the rest of the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, Sivis had already arranged for another Bishop of Spirit Douluo rank to oversee it.
"Let's go. On the way, I'll tell you more about Spirit Hall Academy," Sivis said, as he led Hu Liena out of the temple.
Xie Yue and Yan followed, knowing she was heading to enroll at the Academy. The orphanage director and teachers stayed behind at the temple—they still had other children to guide through their Spirit Awakenings.
As they walked, Sivis began explaining:
"Spirit Hall Academy is the official institution where we nurture Spirit Masters and cultivate talent for Spirit Hall. It's also located in the Western District, not far from here—just one street over from the Spirit Temple."
"The Academy is divided into three levels: Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. Unlike ordinary academies across the continent, Spirit Hall Academy accepts students either from the families of Spirit Hall personnel, or talented children from civilian backgrounds—such as orphans like you—all beginning at age six."
"Enrollment is determined by the student's innate spirit power after awakening. Those with innate power of level 3 or below are placed in the Elementary Division. Levels 4 to 6 are placed in the Intermediate Division. Only those with innate spirit power of level 7 or higher qualify for the Advanced Division."
"The Elementary and Intermediate Divisions are less prestigious but still crucial. Because they serve as the foundation, most of the Spirit Hall's stationed bishops, inspectors, and regional leaders across towns and smaller cities come from this group. They are the backbone of our organization. Just keep this in mind."
"But the Advanced Division is different. It only admits students with innate power of level 7 or above—true geniuses among Spirit Masters, sometimes even prodigies among prodigies. As long as they don't die young, they're almost guaranteed to reach Spirit Sage or beyond. Most of the Archbishops in major cities were once students of the Advanced Division. That's why Spirit Hall's Advanced Spirit Master Academy is known across the continent as 'The Cradle of Geniuses.'"
"Those with level 7 innate power are one in ten thousand. Every graduate of the Advanced Academy becomes a formidable force—capable of holding their own anywhere in the world. Haha! I myself am a graduate of the Advanced Academy. I owe my title as Platinum Bishop to the Academy's training."
"With your talent, Hu Liena, you'll be placed directly into the Advanced Academy's Elite Class—same as your brother. You'll receive the best resources, personal instructors, and specialized training in Spirit Master knowledge and combat techniques."
—Ten minutes later—
They arrived at Spirit Hall Academy.
Sivis presented his Platinum Bishop's insignia and led the three students straight across the front plaza, heading directly to the Dean's office.
Upon receiving the message, Dean Gustav personally came out to welcome them.
When he learned that Hu Liena's talent even surpassed that of Xie Yue and Yan, he was stunned. And when he heard she was the personal disciple of the Saintess herself, his face lit up with a smile brighter than Sivis's—he practically looked like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Without hesitation, he swiftly completed her enrollment, and—at Hu Liena's request—assigned her to the same class as Xie Yue and Yan.
And so, Hu Liena officially enrolled in the Advanced Division of Spirit Hall Academy.
Seven days later — by the Blue Lake, next to the orphanage.
Ever since Hu Liena enrolled in the Academy seven days ago, she had moved out of the orphanage.
Without her by his side, Ye Qifeng had felt somewhat out of place at first.
He had thought she would be gone for a long time after her Spirit Awakening.
To his surprise, she came back that very evening—excitedly sharing every detail about awakening her spirit, being chosen by Saintess Bibi Dong, and becoming her disciple.
But the next day, she left for good.
Ye Qifeng didn't like staying around the other children in the orphanage—they were always noisy and bickering.
So, he found a peaceful, shady spot near Blue Lake, beside the orphanage. There, he placed a smooth, flat rock where he could lie down to nap or read during his free time.
Today, he was holding a book Hu Liena had given him yesterday, borrowed from Spirit Hall Academy's library. It was a compendium on plant-type spirits.
The first page introduced the most common plant spirit on the continent—and also the most infamous waste spirit: Blue Silver Grass.
Staring at the illustration of Blue Silver Grass in the book, Ye Qifeng suddenly remembered something.
Seven days ago, Hu Liena had mentioned that the Pope of Spirit Hall wasn't currently in Spirit City.
By his calculations, Qian Xunji had likely led a team to hunt down Ah Yin.
"If that's the case... then that filthy creature up above must be about to send his dog down into this world," Ye Qifeng muttered, narrowing his eyes as he gazed up at the gloomy, gray sky.