Chapter 70: Volunteering
After some time, Liu Erlong finally absorbed the ten thousand year spirit ring. Her fiery spirit power grew even more intense, signaling that she had broken through to the Spirit King level.
Exhaling deeply in relief, Liu Erlong looked gratefully at Ye Wen and Ah Yin.
Despite her father's complicated background, Liu Erlong's achievement of reaching Spirit King at her age undoubtedly marked her as a talent among commoners. In general, the graduation standard for advanced academies was for students to reach Spirit Elder (Level 30) by age twenty. Only a few noble students managed to break through to Spirit Ancestor, the majority of whom later competed in the All Continent Advanced Spirit Master Tournament held every five years.
A true prodigy, though, was someone like Bibi Dong, who reached the Spirit King level before turning twenty. Liu Erlong, now slightly past twenty, still had the potential to reach Spirit Emperor before thirty.
Liu Erlong cupped her fists in thanks, a gesture showing her gratitude. "Thank you both for your help. I, Liu Erlong, owe you a debt of gratitude and will not forget this favor."
Her straightforward, chivalrous manner appealed to Ye Wen. Reflecting on Liu Erlong's character, he realized that, beyond her overly romantic nature, she was rather admirable. In the original story, she had even established her own Blue Tyrant Academy to train spirit masters from commoner backgrounds. However, recalling her tragic fate with Yu Xiaogang, he decided it would be best to steer her clear of any possible misfortunes.
"From what I can gather," he ventured, "you may have some ties to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan or the Saint Dragon Clan?"
Liu Erlong's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone to be able to discern her connection to those clans. Then, remembering that Ye Wen was a renowned expert in spirit research, she managed a wry smile. A flicker of anger crossed her face as she recalled her absent, irresponsible father, but she nodded reluctantly.
Curiosity piqued, she couldn't help but ask, "Master Ye Wen, how could you tell?"
Ye Wen waved it off. "Nothing special just a lucky guess. Dragon spirits are scarce on the continent, and for someone of your age to reach your level, you'd need an exceptionally pure bloodline on one side or the other. The two most renowned dragon heritage clans are these two."
"Is there a reason you mention it?"
Liu Erlong's sharp instincts told her there was more to his comment. She could feel he was leading to something.
Ye Wen continued, "Not much, just a word of advice. Given your background and spirit heritage, if you're currently unaffiliated with either clan, I suggest keeping it that way. There's tension brewing among the top forces on the continent, and diving into those waters might spell trouble. So if you ever come across people with the surname Yu or Tuoba, it would be best to steer clear."
Liu Erlong fell silent, mulling over his words. She had read Ye Wen's three famous texts, like most commoner spirit masters eager to make the most of their resources. She respected his knowledge and took his advice seriously.
The father she had never known and who likely didn't even know she existed suddenly seemed like an even colder figure. She steeled herself. "Thank you, Master Ye Wen. I won't get involved with that man's world."
"I'm glad to hear it. In that case, we'll take our leave. My wife and I have other business to attend to."
Nodding, Ye Wen turned to leave. Ah Yin, who had remained silent, also waved farewell and prepared to follow him. Watching the couple disappear into the depths of the Sunset Forest, Liu Erlong found herself reflecting on her future.
As a commoner spirit master, even obtaining this ten thousand year ring had been a life or death struggle. While she could continue cultivating her spirit power, her combat capabilities were already nearing their limits. Hunting spirit beasts alone was only going to become more dangerous.
Joining a major clan might seem like the most practical solution, but, as Ye Wen had cautioned, aligning with any of the top factions right now could turn her into cannon fodder. Moreover, being a woman in the spirit master world came with its own risks.
Flashes of a recruitment notice she had once seen in the city came to mind an ad for teaching positions at Ye Wen's own Tianxing Academy. She wasn't a gravity based spirit master as specified, but she was still a Spirit King. Wouldn't it be worth a try?
"Master Ye Wen, wait!"
Ye Wen and Ah Yin had already walked nearly a hundred meters away when they heard Liu Erlong's voice. She hurried over, her expression resolute.
"Master Ye Wen," she said, "do I meet the requirements to apply for a teaching position at your academy?"
Ye Wen fixed his gaze on her. Under his steady look, she felt her pulse quicken her heart raced even more than it had during her fight with the spirit beast.
"Your foundational knowledge how strong is it?"
"It's solid," she replied. "I ranked in the top five at my advanced academy every year."
"That's decent enough, but you're far from the type of spirit master I originally wanted," he said, feigning hesitation.
Growing anxious, Liu Erlong quickly added, "Master Ye Wen, you can't judge just on that! Look, I'm in my early twenties and already a Spirit King. I'm likely to reach Spirit Saint eventually. I'll even work for half the salary if that's what it takes. Please give me a chance!"
Watching her determined expression, Ye Wen inwardly chuckled. The ancient art of negotiating through feigned reluctance never failed to deliver. Liu Erlong was already offering to take a pay cut and she hadn't even secured the position yet. If some of the shrewd employers from his past life witnessed this, they'd have likely made employees pay for the privilege of working.
"Fine," he finally said, "but forget the pay cut. It's not easy for anyone in these times. Since you don't fit my original specifications, we'll start you as a probationary teacher. You'll be assigned to the medical class to assist with the instruction of spirit healing. Once we return to the academy, we'll discuss your promotion to full faculty. But remember, I expect dedication. If I see you slacking or shirking your duties, I won't hesitate to terminate you."
With that, Ye Wen took out a slip of paper and wrote up a letter of recommendation, handing it to her along with a token of the academy.
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