Su Hao never expected to actually meet the legendary principal. And to suddenly become the principal's disciple.
In the principal's office, Su Hao looked at the elderly man before him. He wasn't tall—maybe just over 1.6 meters—wearing a Zhongshan suit, standing there ordinary and unassuming, like a kindly old man. But upon closer inspection, the old man's silhouette seemed towering, like a giant. Such a stark contrast left Su Hao momentarily dazed.
Principal Yang turned around. "I just came back from the New World and didn't bring much with me. I picked up a few trinkets along the way—consider them a gift." He reached into his pocket, fumbled around, and suddenly pulled out several glowing items. A miniature bamboo. A black stone with flames burning on its surface. And a water droplet-shaped crystal. All about the size of a mouse.
Three orbs of light—green, red, and blue—floated above the old man's palm. Though they radiated dazzling brilliance, the light seemed restrained by some force, extending only twenty or thirty centimeters outward.
"Those are... Attribute Cores!" And judging by the intensity of the glow, these three Attribute Cores contained even more energy than the one the little creature had absorbed before!
Seeing Su Hao hesitate, the old man chuckled and scolded, "Take them when I tell you to. They're nothing precious—I just picked them up along the way." He turned to the Dream Mist Butterfly and the other spirits, offering a kind smile. "Come on, come on. Absorb them while they're fresh."
"Guo nuo?" "Go on, go on."
Since the old man—no, the teacher—had said so, Su Hao would seem insincere if he kept refusing. Of course, he was tempted. The three spirits were even more eager.
Even the Dream Mist Butterfly, which had already absorbed an Attribute Core before, could greatly benefit from another. Research showed that the first three absorptions of an Attribute Core yielded the highest efficiency; beyond that, the returns diminished.
The three Attribute Cores flew out from the old man's palm and were carefully caught by the spirits. They brought them to their mouths, and spiritual energy resonated. The mouse-sized Attribute Cores seemed to turn into liquid, dissolving upon contact. A soft halo enveloped them.
"I won't be at the school for long," the old man said. "If there's anything you don't understand, just ask your Senior Brother Wu. He may be limited in skill, but he's more than enough to handle your questions."
Wu the Heavenly King: "..." Teacher, teacher, can you spare me some face in front of my junior brother? I may be a Heavenly King, even if it's not my specialty, answering some Elite-level questions is a piece of cake. But he didn't dare say it, only nodding obediently.
The old man continued, "Once you become a Master-level Spirit Master... Xiao Wu, take Xiao Su to find me in the New World." Wu the Heavenly King nodded again.
Without saying much more, the old man left. He pushed off with his hand, vaulted toward the open window of the principal's office, and disappeared in an instant.
Su Hao: "..." This teacher really... does things his own way.
...
After the principal left, Wu the Heavenly King became serious and proper again, as if returning to that imposing Heavenly King persona. He cleared his throat. "Junior Brother Su, since the teacher has entrusted this task to me, I will train you with the strictest standards, so you can reach the Master level as soon as possible." He paused. "Of course, as the teacher's disciple, Master level isn't enough. You must aim for the Heavenly King level, keep your sights set high, but don't get arrogant... Becoming the teacher's disciple only gives you better room to grow. How much you truly achieve still depends on you."
"I understand, Senior Brother... Wu." Su Hao still found it a bit awkward to say. Fortunately, Wu the Heavenly King had no authority at all in front of the principal-teacher, making Su Hao feel much closer in age. By the way, had he seen Senior Brother Wu somewhere before?
"Good that you understand." Wu the Heavenly King nodded in satisfaction. This was the student he had his eye on... Even as a junior brother, this ability to stay grounded and not get cocky was the rarest quality. How many prodigies, after achieving a little success, became complacent and lost, gradually fading into mediocrity.
He continued, "In the path of a Spirit Master, only at the Heavenly King level can you be considered high-level combat power. A single Monarch-level spirit can crush many Transcendent-level ones, and with a Spirit Master's boost, it's even easier."
"Boost?" "Exactly," he said. "A Heavenly King-level Spirit Master is fundamentally different from the levels below... Have you ever heard of a term called 'Heavenly King Domain'?"
Su Hao shook his head cooperatively. Though he genuinely hadn't heard of it.
Wu the Heavenly King looked very pleased. Not knowing—not knowing let him show off his value! It was time to display his vast knowledge as a Heavenly King senior brother!
"The so-called Heavenly King Domain refers to a specific ability that Heavenly Kings possess. For example, my domain is Wood, more specifically, the growth aspect of Wood. "Watch closely."
As Wu the Heavenly King spoke, he raised his hand and pointed at a potted plant in the office. No green light appeared in his hand, but the plant in the pot suddenly began to grow at a visible rate. In no time, the entire plant had grown two or three times larger, with lush branches and leaves. Crammed into the small pot, the whole plant looked unbalanced. Big head, small body. A gust of wind blew in, and the potted plant wobbled, then fell over with a clatter.
Wu the Heavenly King: "..." It was an accident.
He called for a puppet to clean it up and continued, "The main function of a Heavenly King Domain isn't just this outward display of ability—it's to boost spirits. "For instance, if I had a quasi-Monarch-level Wood-type spirit, with my domain's boost, it could hold its own against a true Monarch-level... The effect is even greater when boosting a Monarch-level spirit. "Not only that, a Heavenly King Domain can also help spirits break through. "Many Master-level Spirit Masters might have their ace stuck at quasi-Monarch for ten or twenty years, but once they reach Heavenly King level, they might raise their second main spirit to Heavenly King in just two or three years... Of course, the domain has to be compatible. "That's the power of a Spirit Master."
Su Hao understood. These were truly secrets. He now realized why many Heavenly Kings' main spirits were of the same type. And why, even though breaking through to Monarch was difficult for spirits, many veteran Heavenly Kings had a team of Monarch-level spirits that could team up for a raid.
Su Hao then asked some more questions. For instance, why most Heavenly Kings used a certain attribute as their domain.
"That's a good question." Wu the Heavenly King brushed his hair and said, "Using an attribute as a domain is the most direct choice and the most helpful for a spirit's breakthrough. "My Wood domain, the Boundless Sea Heavenly King's Water domain, the Gale Heavenly King's Wind domain—they're all like that. "But there are also those who don't use an attribute as their domain. "For example, the... Muscle Heavenly King, whose title is 'Martial Combat,' excels in fist-and-foot fighting and has very unique insights into training a spirit's physique... His Heavenly King Domain focuses on close combat; spirits must be proficient in close combat and martial arts to break through with his domain's help. "Another example is the Nether Heavenly King. She looks like a Ghost-type Heavenly King, but she isn't... She specializes in poison—phantom poison, fire poison, wood poison, and so on. "The type and direction of a Heavenly King Domain depend on the first spirit you break through to Monarch level. "You must strive for the Heavenly King level, so you can start thinking about which domain to focus on. "Of course, a Heavenly King can have more than one domain, but that's too far off for now."