Su Yuntao looked at Caleb with a gaze heavy with pity. He sighed, shaking his head until his wolf-like ears twitched.
"Rank 3 Spirit Power," the inspector muttered. "With talent like that, why did it have to be Blue Silver Grass? If you had even a rusted hammer or a dull axe, you could have become a formidable Spirit Master. But this... this has no edge to strike with, no shell to hide behind."
Duty eventually overrode his disappointment. "Child, your name?"
"Caleb," the boy replied instantly.
Su Yuntao pulled out a parchment and quill, scribbling with practiced speed. Oakheart Village... Caleb... When his quill reached the "Spirit" column, he paused. He remembered how that grass had stood—strangely tall, oddly rigid. On a whim, he wrote: Mutated Blue Silver Grass, followed by Spirit Power: Rank 3.
He pressed the official seal of Spirit Hall onto the document and handed it over. "Take this. Stand to the side and wait."
Caleb took the paper and stepped away from the array. To the onlookers, he looked paralyzed by the news—a boy crushed by the weight of a 'trash' destiny. Su Yuntao's heart twisted for him; in his mind, the boy was mourning a future that was over before it began.
"Next," Su Yuntao called out, his voice hollow.
In reality, Caleb's mind was miles away, submerged in a translucent glowing interface that had flickered to life the moment his spirit awakened:
[Host: Caleb]
[Spirit: Blue Silver Grass Lv2 (In Evolution)]
[Spirit Power: Rank 3 (54%) +]
[Trait: Vitality Lv2] (Blue Silver Grass grows in every corner of the continent. Though weak, its life force is relentless; recovers slowly from damage.)
[Passive: Tenacity Lv2] (What does not kill me makes me stronger. As long as you survive a status ailment or injury, your Physique permanently hardens upon recovery.)
[Spirit Ring: None]
[Spirit Bone: None]
[Experience: 0]
Caleb's pulse quickened as he read the data. It's not just mutated; it's evolving. Whether it was a side effect of his transmigration or a gift from this "Deep Blue" panel, the grass wasn't a dead end. Level 2 alone had granted him Rank 3 power. If he could push it to its peak, the "trash" would become a god-tier weapon.
He noticed the (+) sign next to his Spirit Power. Deep Blue, add points? The system wasn't just tracking him; it was an accelerator. Cultivation wouldn't be a slow crawl through ancient meditations—it would be a game of optimization.
The traits, Vitality and Tenacity, were perfect for a commoner start. He didn't need flashy explosions yet; he needed to survive the journey. As long as he stayed alive, he would grow stronger. It was the ultimate "tank" build hidden inside a gardener's spirit.
Nearby, the ceremony wound down. As expected, the remaining five children awakened nothing but common farm tools—sickles, hoes, and standard Blue Silver Grass—all with zero Spirit Power.
Su Yuntao collapsed his spirit possession, his body shrinking back to its human form. He looked drained. Another year, another batch of disappointments. He packed his stones, pushed open the door, and stepped out into the bright afternoon.
Arthur and a gaggle of anxious parents swarmed him immediately. "Lord Spirit Master! Is there... is there any hope?"
Su Yuntao glanced back at Caleb before looking at Arthur. "One child. He has talent—Rank 3 Spirit Power. He could have a future."
Before Arthur could celebrate, the inspector's voice dropped. "But his spirit is Blue Silver Grass. Even with Spirit Power, a weed remains a weed. He will never be a 'true' powerhouse."
With a final, weary shake of his head, Su Yuntao walked away, his cloak billowing behind him as he headed for the next village.
The silence left in his wake was suffocating. Arthur's face fell. To be given a spark of hope only for it to be doused in cold water was almost worse than having no talent at all. He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Who... which one of you has the Spirit Power?"
Caleb stepped forward, his gaze clear. "It's me, Grandpa Arthur."
The old man blinked, a flash of recognition and resolve crossing his weathered features. "Little Cael ... I see."
He straightened his back, gripping his cane tightly. "Cael, look at me. Do you truly want this? Do you want to be a Spirit Master, even if the road is steep?"
"I do," Caleb said, his voice ringing with a certainty that silenced the murmuring parents.
Arthur managed a thin, proud smile. "Then it's settled. I will secure the 'Work-Study' slot shared by our neighboring villages. In three months, I'm sending you to Notting Junior Soul Master Academy. You study hard, you hear? If you become a true Master, this whole village stands tall with you."
Caleb's eyes shined. Notting City was his next stop. He needed a cultivation method, he needed lore, and most importantly, he needed to know which Spirit Beasts he could turn into experience points. The journey from the dirt to the heavens had officially begun.