Early the next morning, Jin Bao was woken up by Muluofu, and the two left Spirit City by carriage. "So, Jin Bao, do you have any thoughts regarding your Third Soul Skill?" Muluofu asked.
He had originally made plans, but now the location for hunting spirit rings had changed. Although they had been there before, they weren't as familiar with it as the Spirit Beast forests controlled by Spirit Hall, were they?
Jin Bao said, "Teacher, my current weakness is that my control range is too small, so I want my Third Soul Skill to have the ability to link with my first two Spirit Abilities. It would be best if it were a large-scale Spirit Ability. As for the control effect, I want to enhance the shaping ability of the Spirit Ability; otherwise, relying solely on my own control consumes too much spirit power."
Muluofu nodded. "That's true. However, do you have a suitable Spirit Beast in mind for obtaining the spirit ring?"
Jin Bao replied, "My Spirit is quite special after all, and it has two forms of use, so I don't know which type of Spirit Beast to choose. But my opponent's attack yesterday made me realize something: my Spirit is essentially a Gem-type Spirit. Therefore, Gem-type Spirits are capable of handling Spirit Abilities involving light, mental shocks, and so on."
Muluofu asked, "Do you think your Third Soul Skill should become a light-based control Spirit Ability?"
He suddenly imagined that in the future, whenever Jin Bao used his Third Soul Skill, his whole body would glow with a brilliant golden light, bright enough to blind people.
He suddenly felt a chill!
Shuddering, Muluofu said, "I think it's better if you stick to physical-type control. After all, your previous two Spirit Abilities, especially the First Spirit Skill, are primarily physical in effect, aren't they?"
Jin Bao naturally didn't know what Muluofu was thinking. He thought for a moment and said, "That's true. Actually, I'm still more comfortable using my First Spirit Skill. The Second Spirit Ability is just a buff; normally, I apply it to the effects of my First Spirit Skill."
Muluofu nodded. "Exactly! Wait a minute!" He looked at Jin Bao.
"What did you just say about your Second Spirit Ability?"
Jin Bao said, "My Second Spirit Ability is usually used with my First Spirit Skill, activating only after a physical attack hits the enemy. Teacher, is there a problem with that?"
Muluofu exclaimed, "There's a huge problem! Tell me all the ways you use your Second Spirit Ability!"
Jin Bao looked at Muluofu strangely. Although he didn't know why the reaction was so intense, he still explained.
"My Second Spirit Ability activates when an object created by my Spirit touches an enemy, allowing it to continuously weaken their spirit power. I usually attach it to my First Spirit Skill or apply this state to teammates. However, applying it to others requires mental force for control. Another method is throwing out Money to attach directly to the enemy, but that only triggers a one-time burst effect unless the opponent is covered in my Money."
Muluofu asked, "If your Third Soul Skill can increase your control range, especially for the First Spirit Skill, could the Money you throw at someone directly trigger the First Spirit Skill?"
Jin Bao replied, "Of course!"
Muluofu's eyes lit up. "Then let me ask you, how far away can you be when applying this state to teammates?"
Jin Bao answered, "It was fifty meters at the beginning, but now I can reach eighty meters."
Muluofu asked, "Then why did you rarely use this method in your previous training matches?"
Jin Bao explained, "Teacher, this kind of control requires continuous consumption of spirit power. Unless we've decided to perform a momentary Breakthrough of the opponent's defense, I usually save it for the defensive phase."
Muluofu said, "That's true. I thought you might have hidden a trump card in this area, just like that Golden Armor you wore yesterday!"
Jin Bao replied, "Teacher, you think too highly of me. How could I have so many trump cards hidden away?"
He actually did have other trump cards, like Rotating Shields, Aerial Shields, and so on. However, since his physique had begun to change drastically, his tactics had also evolved.
When he was lighter and relatively thin, he liked to fight while running or use Aerial Shield tactics. But since he had gained weight and grown taller, he preferred controlling the surrounding environment from the ground.
It's said that some Spirits don't just affect a person's body but also their personality; it seems that's true.
Although the Southwest Mountain Range weren't too far away, entering them directly from within Spirit Hall's territory would require a long journey. Therefore, Muluofu chose to cross the border between Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire to reach the Southwest Mountain Range. This way, obtaining a spirit ring would be faster.
The week-long journey ended quickly. After resting for a night at a Spirit Hall in a small town, the two entered the mountains early the next morning.
It must be said that being backed by a major power is convenient. If he had been at an ordinary academy, he would have had to worry about meals and lodging himself when traveling. But with Spirit Hall's backing, even at a village-level Spirit Hall, the village chief would host them. However, they would still pay in such cases, as Spirit Hall wasn't an overbearing organization.
But upon reaching a town-level Spirit Hall, one could enjoy food and lodging on the public dime.
"Do you see those people outside?" Muluofu asked shortly after they entered the forest.
Jin Bao nodded. "I see them."
In the small town they passed before entering the forest, there were many Spirit Master teams making a living.
"If we weren't wearing Spirit Hall's insignia, someone would have followed us by now. These low-level Spirit Masters have average talent; they want to rely on their own efforts but don't want to work too hard. So, in a place like this, you must be careful." There was dissatisfaction in Muluofu's tone regarding the behavior of these Spirit Masters, but not much actual disgust.
"Doesn't Spirit Hall provide subsidies? Why do they still live like this?" Jin Bao asked.
Muluofu replied, "That's a complex issue. Some people think they're powerful and become arrogant. Some are purely greedy, and others are forced by life's circumstances. Spirit Hall's subsidies aren't given forever. There are two limits: being above the rank of Spirit Elder or reaching forty years of age. Even if you're from Spirit City, you're only allowed to receive them until age forty-five."
"Some people, once they have a bit of strength, don't want to be hired thugs for those Families or powers, so they have to find their own way. They think manual labor is beneath them, so they hunt Spirit Beasts to sell furs or work as mercenaries. However, once such people are in the wild, they can turn into murderous bandits at any moment. Even Spirit Hall and the Two Great Empires can't control these things. So, as long as it's not too extreme, we won't act unless we encounter it directly."