Chapter 64: Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin
After everyone had taken their seats, Meng Shenji smiled and said, "Welcome to Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"Lingling, we are old acquaintances of your grandfather. We have always admired both his medical skills and his cultivation."
Then he looked at her and asked warmly, "What is your current cultivation level?"
Ye Lingling stood up. Her voice was cold, yet still polite.
"Councilors, my Martial Soul is the Nine Heart Begonia, and my current Spirit Power is Rank 28."
As she spoke, she raised her hand.
A soft light flashed, and a pink and white begonia flower appeared in her palm, slowly rotating.
At the same time, 2 bright yellow Spirit Rings rose from beneath her feet and moved rhythmically up and down. The Spirit Power fluctuations they released clearly showed her Rank 28 cultivation.
The moment they saw the unique Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul and sensed Ye Lingling's Spirit Power rank, a flash of joy passed through the eyes of the 3 councilors.
Bai Baoshan nodded with a chuckle.
"Good, very good."
"To reach Rank 28 at the age of 15 or 16, this cultivation speed is already outstanding among support system Spirit Masters."
"Not to mention the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul. It is a miracle among support system Martial Souls."
Zhi Lin also nodded slightly in approval.
Support system Spirit Masters naturally cultivated more slowly than Battle Spirit Masters. Reaching this level at Ye Lingling's age already placed her among the best of her generation.
Meng Shenji smiled in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward Lin Mo. His tone became even gentler.
"And what about you, Lin Mo?"
"Xue Sheng has praised you quite a bit in front of us. He even said you are the most talented child he has ever seen."
For a moment, every gaze in the reception room fell on Lin Mo.
Lin Mo stood up calmly, and with a thought, a red light flashed before him. Charmander quickly appeared on the open floor at his feet.
Having suddenly arrived in an unfamiliar place, it was clearly on guard. Its eyes swept over the surroundings with vigilance.
At the same time, 2 yellow hundred year Spirit Rings rose from beneath Charmander's feet and slowly revolved around it.
A wave of Spirit Power fluctuations, equal to or even slightly stronger than Ye Lingling's, spread out from Lin Mo and Charmander.
Rank 28.
The smiles on the 3 councilors' faces froze instantly, replaced by obvious astonishment.
They could tell Lin Mo was young, but for him to display Rank 28 Spirit Power the moment he stepped forward still far exceeded their expectations.
Watching their expressions, Xue Sheng was secretly delighted, though he forced himself to keep a straight face and deliberately spoke in a tone full of smugness.
"Councilors, how about it? I wasn't exaggerating, was I? And this still isn't the real surprise."
He grinned and asked, "Guess how old Lin Mo is this year."
Councilor Zhi Lin narrowed his eyes and carefully sized Lin Mo up. After studying his frame and the traces of youth still lingering on his face, he said tentatively, "Judging by his build and appearance, he has developed rather well. He should be 12 or 13, right?"
"Hahaha!"
Xue Sheng finally could not hold back his laughter and shook his head vigorously.
"Wrong. Councilor Zhi Lin, guess younger."
Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan also straightened in their seats, their sharp gazes fixed firmly on Lin Mo.
Seeing this, Xue Sheng did not dare to drag out the suspense any longer and directly revealed the answer.
"Lin Mo is not even 10 years old yet!"
"What?!"
"Not even 10?!"
"How is that possible?!"
The 3 councilors cried out almost at the same time, their faces filled with disbelief.
Meng Shenji even stood up instinctively, his gaze locked tightly onto Lin Mo.
A Rank 28 Spirit Grandmaster under 10 years old?
They had never even heard of such a thing, much less seen it with their own eyes.
Even the exceptionally gifted direct descendants of the Upper Three Sects could not possibly reach Rank 28 at this age.
Lin Mo was not surprised by their reaction.
At the appropriate moment, he took out the Spirit Master handbook he had prepared beforehand and respectfully handed it over with both hands.
"Councilors, this is my Spirit Master handbook. It contains the earlier records."
Meng Shenji almost snatched it away. Together with Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin, the 3 of them leaned in and examined it carefully.
The handbook clearly recorded Lin Mo's name, age, and the changes in his Spirit Power rank over time.
Although the most recent update was from about a year and a half ago, shortly after he had obtained his first Spirit Ring, the age and Innate Spirit Power recorded there could not be forged.
As the 3 councilors carefully inspected the handbook, Lin Mo could not help muttering inwardly,
This Spirit Master handbook really is just like an ID card from my past life. I have to rely on it to prove who I am wherever I go.
Of course, the information on this "ID card" had not been updated recently.
That had been Director Xue's suggestion.
Xue Sheng had worried that if Spirit Hall learned of Lin Mo's terrifying cultivation speed, they would be unable to resist trying to recruit him.
As someone from the Heaven Dou imperial family, he knew full well that the relationship between the empire and Spirit Hall was delicate, with competition hidden everywhere.
Because of that, Lin Mo had not returned to Spirit Hall to update his records or collect his subsidy. Xue Sheng had personally made up the missing gold coins, treating it as an investment by the academy.
"A miracle... this is simply a miracle!"
Meng Shenji closed the handbook and let out a long breath. His eyes burned as he looked at Lin Mo.
"A Rank 28 Spirit Grandmaster under 10 years old. Child, your future achievements will be limitless!"
Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin also nodded again and again, the shock on their faces lingering for a long time.
Meng Shenji barely managed to calm his excitement before speaking solemnly to Lin Mo and Ye Lingling.
"With the talent and strength the two of you possess, you are fully qualified to be admitted exceptionally as Heaven Dou level students. The academy will provide you with the best resources."
"You may directly enter a Heaven Dou level class, where Teacher Qin Ming will be responsible for instructing you."
"Although Teacher Qin Ming's Spirit Power is currently only Rank 58 and has not yet reached the Rank 60 standard for a Heaven Dou level teacher, we have still exceptionally granted him the title of Heaven Dou level teacher."
Meng Shenji explained this with obvious admiration in his tone.
"The reason is simple. He is only 31 years old this year."
"In at most another year or 2, he will inevitably break through his bottleneck and become a Spirit Emperor. At that point, he will become the second youngest Spirit Emperor ever recorded by Spirit Hall."
At this point, the eyes of all 3 councilors fell on Lin Mo once again, and meaningful smiles appeared on their faces.
Meng Shenji stroked his beard, his eyes full of anticipation.
"However, after seeing Lin Mo, I suspect Qin Ming's record for second youngest will not last very long."
"Rank 28 before the age of 10. Child, we believe that before you turn 11, you will definitely break through Rank 30 and become a Spirit Elder."
"That would be a record without precedent!"
Only now did the 3 councilors finally recover from the immense shock and find enough calm to properly focus on Lin Mo's peculiar Martial Soul.
Before this, their minds had been entirely seized by his age and cultivation.
.....
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