The tickets for the Sigh Valley training ground were very expensive. A large part of the cost came from the guides and bodyguards. Hiring a senior spirit master for round-the-clock protection—there was no way that would be cheap. Logically speaking, Su Hao didn't need it. But that was the rule of Sigh Valley. You could only buy a package ticket, not a single one. It also served as a safeguard, preventing reckless spirit masters from wandering off somewhere unknown or even losing their lives.
"Don't worry, there aren't many wild spirits in Sigh Valley. This is a safe training ground cleared by the Alliance. Even if we occasionally run into some clueless wild spirit, it won't be strong. My Blade Leaf Warrior can handle it easily." "Right, Blade Leaf Warrior?"
Was that what he was worried about? If it were a young lady accompanying him the whole time, that would be a different story. Su Hao rubbed his forehead.
He glanced at the Blade Leaf Warrior standing behind Zhu Mingda and knew the guy wasn't wrong. This Blade Leaf Warrior was no pushover. It was far stronger than Uncle Pan's.
The Blade Leaf Warrior remained silent, following like a bodyguard without a word. But its spirit master, Zhu Mingda, was a chatterbox, rambling on about gossip related to Sigh Valley.
"Speaking of being a guide here in Sigh Valley, the perks are really good. Not only do you get plenty of credits, but it doesn't interfere with training either... For example, my Blade Leaf Warrior can also train here using the power of the wind." "Oh... I forgot to mention, I'm a junior at the Magic Capital Spirit University. Our school has a partnership with Sigh Valley. Otherwise, how could those civilian spirit masters land such a great gig?" "By the way, junior, which university are you from?"
He thought Su Hao looked young, maybe a freshman or sophomore at some spirit university. Not necessarily from Magic Capital. Sigh Valley hosted spirit masters from all over Dragon Country. Zhu Mingda had also served as a guide for students from other spirit academies.
He looked at the two spirits beside Su Hao. 'One is entry-level, and the other, though not quite there yet, is close.' 'That butterfly-looking one, though—I've never seen it before. What rare spirit is that?' Zhu Mingda couldn't recall.
Su Hao was taken aback. This guy... didn't recognize him? But since he asked so sincerely...
He cleared his throat. "I'm not a spirit university student."
Zhu Mingda froze. He thought, maybe he's just young-looking, actually an older guy weathered by society? A civilian spirit master? Had his words just offended someone?
Then Su Hao added, "I'm a high school student. Yeah, senior year."
Zhu Mingda: "???" I can't talk anymore (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!
...
Walking in from the entrance checkpoint, the howling wind grew louder. Su Hao looked up and saw visible currents sweeping overhead. But walking along the valley floor near the cliff wall, they didn't feel the full force of the storm.
Zhu Mingda explained gloomily, "The air currents in Sigh Valley swirl in the central area. The deeper you go, the stronger they get." "Your Little Fire Crow isn't entry-level yet and can't handle high intensity. I suggest leaving it in the front section of Sigh Valley."
"Caw? Caw caw!" Little Fire Crow hugged its wings. Don't abandon me, caw!
"Is it safe?" Su Hao looked at Zhu Mingda. Since there were rules requiring guides and bodyguards, it meant there was some danger within Sigh Valley. Even a random wild spirit was more than Little Fire Crow could handle right now.
"Look over there." Zhu Mingda pointed to a small hut hidden in the white snow in the distance. "That's a rest cabin in Sigh Valley. An elite-level spirit master is stationed there. As long as you keep your Little Fire Crow training nearby, there's no danger."
The air currents in Sigh Valley didn't blow from one direction. Winds raged from all sides—up, down, left, right—and hidden within the ordinary gusts were blade-like wind edges with considerable killing power. How to use the currents and dodge the wind blades... that was the focus of the spirits' training.
A panel appeared in Su Hao's eyes. [Little Fire Crow: Sigh Valley Training Method (3 intelligence points to unlock)] [Misty Dream Butterfly: Sigh Valley Training Method (3 intelligence points to unlock)]
After unlocking Little Fire Crow's training method, unlocking Misty Dream Butterfly's only cost 2 points. But the training methods for the two spirits were still vastly different.
Little Fire Crow had strong wing resistance and could harden them to cut through the currents. Its flight training boiled down to one thing—speed!
Misty Dream Butterfly's flight and dodging, on the other hand, emphasized—flexibility—suited for small-scale maneuvering.
Su Hao explained the techniques and key points to Little Fire Crow one by one. Misty Dream Butterfly listened nearby, looking thoughtful.
Su Hao didn't deliberately lower his voice. But Zhu Mingda was confused. What, what? He understood every word, but when strung together, he had no idea what was being said! Why were his two spirits nodding along?! Was his comprehension worse than a spirit's??
He turned to look at his equally bewildered Blade Leaf Warrior. Oh, that was reassuring.
After the explanation, Su Hao tossed Little Fire Crow upward. "Go, Little Fire Crow."
Little Fire Crow tentatively flew forward a few meters. Before even entering the wind zone, seeing the tangible wind blades, it shrank back. Too scary, caw~
Just then, Misty Dream Butterfly approached from behind and gave it a wing slap, sending Little Fire Crow flying up like a big shuttlecock.
"Caw—" The black figure floundered in the gale, tumbling now and then, dodging the sudden white wind blades...
Seeing this, Su Hao was satisfied. Sigh Valley was indeed a great place. Spirits training here couldn't afford to slack off for a moment.
...
"Whoosh~ Ah~ Whoosh~" Su Hao followed Zhu Mingda, hugging the cliff wall as they trudged through thick snow.
"Are you sure you want to keep going? The storm's getting stronger!" Zhu Mingda couldn't help asking.
In his spare time, when he arranged training for Blade Leaf Warrior, the deepest he'd gone was this spot.
"Almost there." Unlocking the training method gave Su Hao not just the training points for the two little ones, but also an understanding of Sigh Valley's air current patterns. What he saw wasn't chaotic winds. It was strong, weak, dense, sparse.
Based on the terrain, he picked the best spots for the two little ones.
To avoid Little Fire Crow's tragedy, Misty Dream Butterfly bravely flew up. The fierce wind hit it, making its thin wings tremble constantly. Can't fight the wind head-on! It struggled to adjust.
Like a small boat rising and falling in giant waves. But surprisingly... It didn't capsize or sink.
Zhu Mingda was amazed. But seeing Misty Dream Butterfly get into the groove, he also directed Blade Leaf Warrior forward, walking to the valley's center, facing the howling gale.
Blade Leaf Warrior slightly hunched its body, its deep green leaf held like a short blade in its hand. Its feet sank into the snow, pushed back by the wind, leaving two trails.
Then, Blade Leaf Warrior let out a low shout, stepped forward, and slashed with the short blade. Its figure moved like a ghost against the storm, crossing ten meters in an instant, cutting a bright blade light.
"This is...?" "This is an ultimate technique I spent a lot of credits learning from a spirit master at my school. Pretty strong, right?"
To be fair, it was indeed strong. Even the panel displayed an option he hadn't seen before.
Training Plan: ⑧ Ultimate Technique (click to expand options) [Wind Riding: The ability to harness the wind, making it a sword and shield in hand (11[15] intelligence points to unlock)]