That night, at Wang Li's home.
Wang Li sat on his bed, looking at the panel before him:
"Do you want to increase the spirit ring's age limit (Yes/No)?"
He had gained 18 experience points in the Hunting Soul Forest but hadn't found a suitable opportunity to use them. Now that he was home, with no one to disturb him, it was the perfect time to try using the experience to increase his spirit ring's age limit.
He then silently uttered in his mind:
"Yes!"
In an instant, Wang Li involuntarily summoned his Spirit, the Blue Silver Grass growing wildly, with a yellow spirit ring floating up and down.
At this moment, an invisible force seemed to surge from the surrounding void into the spirit ring, which then became as if alive, expanding and contracting like a beating heart.
Wang Li's eyes widened. He felt a surge of power rush into his body, flowing freely through his skin, fat, muscles, tendons, bones, and internal organs… His entire body was being cleansed by this power, undergoing destruction and regeneration, as if experiencing some kind of tempering.
However, this sensation came and went quickly. In just a dozen breaths, Wang Li felt he had returned to normal.
Taking deep breaths, Wang Li's eyes sparkled with pleasant surprise:
"I never expected that increasing the spirit ring's age limit would also cleanse the body and refine spirit power. This is great news, and…"
Wang Li looked at his first spirit ring. Its age limit had now reached an astonishing 422 years. As long as he continued to gain experience, he might even be able to have a 999-year first spirit ring.
This was just to avoid shocking the world. In the future, a thousand-year first ring, a ten-thousand-year first ring, a hundred-thousand-year first ring, a million-year first ring—these would all be possible.
Soon, Wang Li retracted his Spirit, cleared his mind of distractions, and began to meditate and cultivate.
He now had another use for experience. He needed to cultivate diligently himself so that more experience could be used to increase his spirit ring's age limit.
After cultivating until he was exhausted, Wang Li fell asleep. This wasn't in the Academy, nor was it in the Hunting Soul Forest. He slept in soundly, not waking until the sun was high in the sky.
However, when he got up and opened his door, he was greeted by a crowd of villagers. They had brought tables, chairs, and benches, or pots, bowls, and ladles, and were gathered outside his house.
Upon seeing Wang Li, they all looked at him in unison, with excitement, elation, and a hint of reverence.
Wang Li was momentarily stunned. His gaze swept around until he found Wang Ping, then he quickly walked over and said:
"Village Chief Grandpa, everyone is here. Why didn't you wake me up?"
Wang Ping looked at Wang Li, growing prouder and more satisfied with each glance. He explained:
"This was everyone's idea. Last night, I notified the whole village. Everyone thought you must be very tired at Notting Academy, and that when you came back this time, we shouldn't disturb you; you needed to rest well. Now that you're awake, say a few words."
As soon as he spoke, the scene fell silent. Everyone looked at Wang Li, their eyes excited and their expressions elated.
Wang Li felt helpless, but he then loudly declared:
"Villagers, uncles, I have become a Spirit Master and have registered at the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City, becoming an official Spirit Master of the Heaven Dou Empire. I also received a gold coin subsidy."
"With this gold coin, I bought a lot of ingredients. I trouble all of you, my fellow villagers and uncles, to help out. Today at noon, we will have a feast!"
As his words fell, everyone present erupted in cheers. That was a Spirit Master, and an official Spirit Master of the Heaven Dou Empire! For commoners, this was already equivalent to the status of a noble.
Their village had produced an official Spirit Master, which not only brought them prestige but also countless other implicit benefits. Most importantly, Wang Li, after receiving his Spirit Master subsidy, had not forgotten his fellow villagers.
After the crowd cheered, Wang Ping directed everyone: some slaughtered pigs, others prepared chickens and ducks… Soon, Wang Li's home became both busy and lively.
Not long after, in the courtyard!
Wang Ping, while directing everyone, looked at Wang Li and said gently:
"Little Li, how long can you stay in the village this time?"
Wang Li replied casually:
"I can stay in the village for over a month…"
After a pause, Wang Li brought up another matter:
"Village Chief Grandpa, now that I've become a Spirit Master, I can apply to graduate from Notting Academy. Soon, under the Academy's recommendation, I will go to the Intermediate Soul Master Academy to continue my studies, and I might not be able to return for several years."
Wang Ping was both surprised and delighted to hear this. Wang Li had gone to the elementary Spirit Master Academy and returned as a Spirit Master. If he went to the Intermediate Soul Master Academy in the future, when he returned, he would surely become a powerful Spirit Master renowned far and wide.
He looked at Wang Li. In less than a year, Wang Li had grown taller and stronger, and his expression showed the maturity of an adult. Wang Ping said with satisfaction:
"Go. Everyone in the village will help you look after your house and fields. Come back whenever you want; this will always be your home!"
Wang Li smiled and nodded. He also didn't know when he would return after this departure.
However, he was born in this village, and his connection to it was certainly unbreakable.
Inviting the entire village to eat this time was also so that he could leave with fewer worries in his heart.
By noon, the rich aroma of meat wafted from inside and outside the courtyard. The whole village, young and old, was full of joy. It wasn't a holiday, yet who could eat so well? It would be hard not to be happy.
The flowing feast, the communal meal, rich in oil and salt, might not have been delicate, but it was incredibly impactful to the taste buds. Everyone ate heartily until dark before dispersing.
The next day!
Wang Li's doorstep was still lively, but he couldn't spend every day socializing, so he went directly to the back mountain and began training to use his first Spirit Ability.
His first Spirit Ability, Growth, could instantly produce a large number of Blue Silver Vines, which could be manipulated at will.
This indicated its wide range of applications, but truly mastering it would certainly require training.
Facing one enemy, Wang Li could control six vines, twelve vines, twenty-four vines to attack or control it.
However, when facing two enemies, or even four or eight enemies, whether he could respond calmly and flexibly was the focus of his training.
Heart Separation Control was like drawing a square with the left hand and a circle with the right. Wang Li would use one Blue Silver Vine with his left hand for Binding, while simultaneously using another Blue Silver Vine with his right hand for striking and lashing.
In the beginning, his left and right vines would unconsciously perform the same movements. Even when Wang Li intentionally controlled them, if he was slightly careless, the movements would overlap again.
This gave Wang Li a headache. After repeated training, he gradually got on track, but it always made him feel as if he was splitting himself.
Curious villagers would go to the back mountain to watch, and upon seeing the thick, python-like vines, they would always exclaim in various ways, growing more and more in awe of Wang Li.
Time quickly passed, and over forty days later…