From a novice with no rank to an entry-level spirit, the biggest improvement was the change in the spirit's spiritual power state. The same energy ball that could only chip away some stone fragments in a novice's hands could shatter an entire rock in an entry-level spirit's grasp. This qualitative leap gave entry-level spirits considerable destructive power. Only spirit masters with entry-level spirits could register with the Spirit Union, and registration was mandatory—every ranked spirit had to be documented.
After absorbing the Attribute Core, the silkworm's spiritual power limit reached 205, and the breakthrough came naturally. As its momentum peaked, an invisible wave of energy swept through the room. A faint green spiritual glow appeared on the silkworm. The White Seal and the Wind-Up Doll nearby couldn't help but let out low whines. The White Seal, once injured, stared at the silkworm reluctantly for a long moment before retreating a few steps. The Wind-Up Doll glanced at the White Seal, then at the intimidating silkworm, and mimicked the retreat, taking one extra step back. Better safe than sorry.
"How is that possible? It just broke through to entry-level... Why are you such a coward!" Lin Mingzheng looked at the imposing silkworm, then at his own timid Wind-Up Doll, silently venting his frustration in his mind.
After the breakthrough, the silkworm's overflowing spiritual energy faded, and its momentum gradually subsided. Apart from a faint, wave-like spiritual light flowing around its body, it looked no different from before. But now, the silkworm's evolution could be put on the agenda. The million resource points in the account were more than enough.
"Not bad, very good." King Zhou's admiration grew. It had been a while since he'd seen such an outstanding junior. Especially the silkworm's cultivation level and mastery of its ultimate move... "In raising silkworms, you're the best I've ever seen. This spirit's final evolution, the Golden-Winged Celestial Silkworm, boasts top-tier speed and strong lethality. Keep it up and train your silkworm into a truly powerful spirit," he praised. At King Zhou's level, even if other spirit masters raised silkworms, they'd quickly push them to entry-level and evolve them. A silkworm this formidable was a first for him. A commendation from a king.
The teachers from various schools looked at Su Hao differently now. This kid had limitless potential. But Su Hao didn't get cocky. It was all basic stuff—this batch of teachers was just easily impressed. If he got arrogant now, what would happen when the silkworm evolved into a Dream Butterfly? He was a low-key, pragmatic person.
Before the joint exam, King Zhou had promised that beyond the rewards from the five schools, he'd personally provide a surprise reward for the top ten. "This reward isn't a physical item, but it'll benefit your spirits a bit." At the village path, King Zhou turned to the teachers and said, "I'll take them to tour the Qinglan Base and the area opposite it, and bring them back before evening." Originally, they were supposed to leave after the exam, but since King Zhou said so, the teachers had no objections. Their gazes at the ten students even held a hint of envy, especially among those below the elite level.
King Zhou and several referee spirit masters left with the top ten examinees. Ordinary examinees like Liu Ren looked forward to another leisurely day off. But then a teacher from the affiliated school spoke up, "Since we've got nothing to do, why not train?" Another teacher nodded, "It's a rare chance to be in a forest primeval zone—it'd be a waste not to use it. Especially those who were easily eliminated; they need extra practice." Instructor Xiong agreed. "How about we up the difficulty? A few of us will sneak into the forest and ambush them to sharpen their response skills. If they fail, they'll eat compressed biscuits tonight." The surrounding examinees: "..." They couldn't stay! They wanted to go home! Home!
At the familiar entrance to the forest primeval zone, King Zhou spoke, "The place we're heading to is called the Qinglan Base, full name Qinglan Wood-Type Spirit Incubation Base. It's located in the heart of the primeval zone—that's the main part, while the primeval zone is just an appendage." Spirits were born from heaven and earth. Mountains, lakes, rivers, and plants could all give rise to spirits, but the conditions were harsh and the process lengthy. Initially, the number of spirits born on Blue Star was extremely small. As special particles called "spiritual energy" revived, the number of spirits born increased yearly, but compared to the vast population, it was still too scarce. It wasn't until a few years ago, when incubation technology made a breakthrough, that the spirits sold in nurturing houses and free-range centers became more plentiful. For ordinary commoners like Su Hao, who were neither lucky nor wealthy, this made becoming a spirit master possible. He was quite interested in touring the incubation base. Such bases were akin to military restricted zones, with only fragments of descriptions available online. 'The Qinglan Wood-Type Incubation Base—it's also where the silkworm was born. Does that count as going back to its hometown?' As for the area opposite the base that King Zhou mentioned, Su Hao could guess what it was and looked forward to it.
But... he looked around and didn't see a helicopter. Did King Zhou have a flying spirit that could carry many passengers? King Zhou smiled and swept his hand in a large semicircle in front of him. "Spirit: Summon." A surging torrent of water gushed out, forming a giant frog as tall as two or three stories. This massive frog had dark green stripes on its body, and the bumps on its back seemed like springs, spouting fountains. As it appeared, the ground trembled violently, and a gust of wind swept past. Su Hao instinctively raised his hand to shield his face and opened his eyes to look. [Tidal Frog King: Monarch Level] [Contract Holder: Zhou Weiping] [Info: ???] Though he couldn't discern anything, it didn't stop him from being awestruck. Amid his shock, Su Hao wondered—were they supposed to be frog riders? But this giant frog looked slippery and kept spewing water; it didn't seem rideable at all.
"Get ready, we're leaving!" As King Zhou's words fell, Su Hao felt water lift him up, and in an instant, he was dozens of meters high, accompanied by shrill screams from several boys and girls. Surging waves soared over the forest primeval zone, intimidating all the spirits below into trembling. The roaring wind blew in their faces, with only King Zhou standing upright at the wave's front. After what felt like an eternity, they finally felt solid ground again. Su Hao wobbled and steadied himself against a nearby tree. Glancing around, he saw several examinees sprawled on the ground, eyes vacant. "Qinglan Base, we've arrived."