: Spirit Manipulation Energy, F Rank

"Spirit Manipulation Energy Power, F-grade!"

Xiao Zhan looked at the dazzlingly bright five words on the Awakening Pillar in astonishment, somewhat in disbelief. His resolute face turned pale with no color in an instant, and his tightly pursed lips, due to the excessive force, had bitten through and were bleeding without him even realizing...

"Xiao Zhan, Spirit Manipulation Energy Power, F-grade! Level: Low. Bloodline Talent Skills: None!"

Following these words spoken with a hint of doubt and disappointment by the Awakening Master beside the Awakening Pillar, the bustling Awakening Field immediately erupted in shock.

"F-grade? That's truly surprising. One would have thought he was a genius, but it turns out he's worthless!"

"Xiao Zhan has really brought shame to the special class!"

"For six years dominating the Changchi City Spirit Academy, first place in all exams and training for six consecutive years, breaking all the school records! Proclaimed as the greatest genius since the founding of the Changchi City Spirit Academy! Pinned with high hopes to awaken an S-grade Spirit talent, yet it turns out to be the lowest F-grade!"

"In the special class of twenty-four people, the worst had a B-grade Spirit talent, and all possessed Bloodline Talent Skills. How could it be such a flop when it came to him?"

"Who knows, perhaps he's some academy leader's illegitimate child, and all those previous records were fabricated..."

Surrounding whispers of all sizes, mocking and disdainful sneers, as well as the pity sighs for the so-called fallen genius.

Falling into ears of Xiao Zhan, who stood still like a statue, they were like slaps to his face, burning with pain!

Xiao Zhan couldn't help but lift his head to look at the Awakening Pillar once more.

Those five words still existed; the last glimmer of hope in his eyes was also completely extinguished at that moment.

He felt as if he had been drained of all strength, barely able to stand straight!

From genius to trash, it all happened in just a moment.

The once dazzling halo had now become a heavy shackle, making it hard for him to breathe!

"Get off the stage quickly, worthless trash shouldn't be embarrassing themselves up there!"

"With the best resources and awakening the worst talent, such a waste! If I had those resources, maybe I could have awakened an S-grade!"

"There are no worthless Artifact Spirits, only worthless Spirit Masters. If you kneel down on the streets and kowtow, maybe someone will agree to become your Artifact Spirit, hahahaha..."

In the crowd, piercing voices emerged, these people were the ones who were envious of Xiao Zhan on regular days, envy turned people unrecognizable.

Xiao Zhan's heart filled with a gray bitterness, involuntarily looked at these people.

"Are these people all so mean, kicking someone when they're down? Have they forgotten the six years of guidance it provided them, the humble smiles they once showed?"

"No, they remember. It is precisely because they remember that they want to regain their lost face..."

Xiao Zhan walked off the stage like a zombie.

The crowded Awakening Square parted like water around a stone, afraid to touch such a jinx.

At this moment, Xiao Zhan, although in the midst of a crowd, was solitary, abandoned by the world.

"Next! Jiang Xian'er!"

Hearing this name, all the attention that was once on Xiao Zhan shifted to a slender young girl.

The girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, incredibly beautiful, wearing a pure white dress, with bright eyes, white teeth, and her skin was glossy and pale.

A combination of innocence and elegance, an ethereal charm that seemed to cleanse away all filth, she was like a celestial lotus from the mountains that one could not bear to taint.

Jiang Xian'er stepped forward lightly, walking up to the Awakening Pillar.

She extended her dainty, jade-like hand, placed it down, and slowly closed her eyes...

Moments later, the Awakening Pillar emitted a ray of light that enshrouded Jiang Xian'er, the light changing colors, red, orange, yellow, green... changing irregularly.

Finally, a dazzling golden light shot up into the sky!

"My goodness, it's actually an S-rank Artifact Spirit!"

"Since the establishment of Changchi City Spirit Academy, the first S-rank Artifact Spirit is born! I am witnessing history!"

"Jiang Xian'er is the true genius, indeed. The Academy's teachers speculated that at most she could awaken an A-rank Artifact Spirit, but who could have imagined she'd break the limits and awaken an S-rank! It's terrifying!"

"Indeed, the real geniuses are always low-profile, unlike some good-for-nothing!"

"Quiet everyone, let's see what her Artifact Spirit incarnation is. I've yet to see an S-rank Artifact Spirit..."

As everyone held their breath in awe, within the golden light, Jiang Xian'er's body gradually became translucent, and at the same time, a streak of white light appeared.

And as her body completely vanished, in its place, a delicate white Longsword materialized!

The Longsword was about three feet and three inches long, with a sleek and sharp blade that emitted a cold light, faintly releasing coldness into the air. Etched on the hilt was a Tianshan lotus flower, with a cluster of white sword tassel hanging from it.

Overall, it exuded a sense of flawless transparency that was refreshing and uplifting to the soul!

"Jiang Xian'er, S-rank Artifact Spirit, Snow Lotus Sword!"

Following the heavy breath of the Awakening Master, the Awakening Square once again erupted into a surge of people!

"She is so powerful, this is what a real genius looks like! With a suitable contract with a Spirit Master, she could probably become a true Spiritualist in less than half a year. I wonder who will be so lucky to win her favor!"

"S-rank Talent Skill, she's the only one in the entire Academy, no one is worthy of her, I think she should go off-campus to sign a Contract!"

"If nothing unexpected happens, she's definitely going to sign a Contract with Xiao Zhan, after all, both of them are recognized as a couple! But now, Xiao Zhan has become worthless, naturally not qualified!"

"I am so envious, signing a Contract is equivalent to marrying her! Not only do you get a powerful Artifact Spirit, but also a stunningly beautiful wife!"

Jiang Xian'er returned to human form.

A slight smile hung on her lips, enjoying the envious looks and enthusiastic praise from the crowd.

At this moment, she felt an unprecedented level of attention.

Suddenly, her gaze pierced through the crowd, resting on a solitary figure leaving in the distance.

She contemplated for a moment but then dismissed the thought of approaching.

Now, she was no longer in the same class as Xiao Zhan.

She was an S-rank Artifact Spirit, her future destined to be boundless!

While Xiao Zhan was merely the lowest F-rank, the gap between them as vast as the heavens and earth, and this disparity would only grow with time!

They could not return to the past.

And were destined not to reach the future together!

"Xiao Zhan, let's end it this way, it's as well."

Jiang Xian'er silently muttered to Xiao Zhan's retreating figure.

At the same time, the lonely Xiao Zhan returned to his home, lost in the uncertainty of his future.

Suddenly, he frowned, "Why are you still here?"

Waste? No, An Absolute Genius!

"I was waiting for you."

A woman cloaked entirely in darkness responded to him.

Black hair, black dress, and eyes so black they bordered on excessive. Apart from her starkly pale face and blood-red lips that seemed ominously vivid, she resembled nothing less than a Dark Night Elf walking through the shadows of night.

"Why were you waiting for me?" Xiao Zhan frowned.

Ye Youlong gave a wicked smile, lifting her long legs and crossing them casually. Her perfectly smooth, white thighs became exposed in large swathes to the cool air.

But she didn't seem to care in the slightest.

She took a sip of her strong coffee.

"Your awakening is over now, isn't it? So, how did it go, did you end up as an F-tier?"

"How do you know that?"

"Your face has already given me the answer."

Xiao Zhan's voice turned cold, "That has nothing to do with you, so please leave now."

"Haha... *cough, cough*..." Ye Youlong let out a sultry, mocking laugh, but perhaps she laughed too intensely, as she couldn't help coughing twice.

Her complexion turned even paler.

"Of course, it has everything to do with me."

"What do you mean?" Hearing this, Xiao Zhan frowned deeply and stared at her with fierce determination.

Ye Youlong stood up and slowly walked toward Xiao Zhan, her eyes locked with his.

She wanted to seem towering and imposing, but her height fell short of Xiao Zhan's, forcing her to abandon the attempt.

"You were injured by my Scythe Energy. Do you think that has nothing to do with me?"

"You're that scythe!"

Xiao Zhan's pupils contracted fiercely, radiating disbelief!

Just recently, while he was out enjoying himself with Jiang Xian'er, they had stumbled upon a battle between a black scythe and a Demon Beast. The scythe was pitch black, nearly three meters long, its attacks sharp and relentless, emanating a soul-devouring power.

Sensing danger, Xiao Zhan had grabbed Jiang Xian'er, intending to leave, but Jiang Xian'er refused to heed his warning and approached instead.

The scythe had unleashed a wave of Scythe Energy targeting Jiang Xian'er.

Seeing that Jiang Xian'er was about to be struck down.

In an act of desperation, Xiao Zhan had shielded Jiang Xian'er with his own body, taking the full impact!

He had thought that the injury would kill him, but to his surprise, he survived.

Still, the Scythe Energy had left its mark, putting him through prolonged recovery before he started to see improvements. Even then, his learning ability, cognitive skills, and physical condition were all deteriorating.

With today's Talent Awakening, the dismal F-tier result filled him with suspicions that the injury was to blame.

And now, those suspicions were directly confirmed!

"Why, why would you do that to me?" Xiao Zhan demanded.

A person's talent determines their future!

Ye Youlong had severely injured him, robbing him of his talent. This was more unbearable than losing his life!

Xiao Zhan seemed like a lion pacing in fury!

But faced with his roar, Ye Youlong remained calm, like a serene cat. "The reason is simple, I want to claim you for myself."

"Claim me?"

Xiao Zhan froze, unable to grasp what she meant.

Ye Youlong sat back down, crossing her legs once again, exuding an air of languid arrogance. "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Ye Youlong, a student of the White Emperor Spirit Academy. I'm also an Artifact Spirit of SSS-tier bloodline talent, specializing in Perception."

"Finding you was entirely by chance, but that chance turned out to be quite satisfying. Because my goal is to locate an SSS-tier Talent Spirit Master and form a contract with them!"

"And you, you're the one I'm looking for."

"Me?" Xiao Zhan felt both shocked and amused.

The shock came from Ye Youlong being an SSS-tier Artifact Spirit.

The amusement stemmed from her asserting he was also an SSS-tier Spirit Master.

"I'm currently an F-tier Talent, I just tested for it. What makes you say I'm SSS-tier?" Xiao Zhan asked.

Ye Youlong responded with a faint smile, her black-and-white eyes shimmering with wisdom. "It's simple, my bloodline talent skill is Perception. I can perceive your spiritual power and physical attributes, which allow me to judge that your talent is SSS-tier!"

"I've perceived many people, and you absolutely possess SSS-tier talent!"

"As for why your current rank is F-tier, the reason is just as simple. My Artifact Spirit form caused damage to your body, affecting various factors, which led to your awakening as an F-tier."

"All you need to do is form a contract with me, and that damage will vanish. Your SSS-tier talent will be restored!"

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan felt his breath catch.

The face that had fallen into despair from awakening such a low-tier talent now lit up with renewed radiance.

Even if Ye Youlong's claims were uncertain, the mere fact that an SSS-tier Artifact Spirit wanted to form a contract with him felt like an unimaginable stroke of fortune!

Think about it!

How often would an SSS-tier Artifact Spirit choose a so-called failure for a contract?

Ye Youlong's words held ninety percent credibility in his mind!

"You're an SSS-tier Artifact Spirit and a top student at the White Emperor Spirit Academy. Why must you choose me?" Xiao Zhan voiced his lingering doubt.

The White Emperor Spirit Academy was one of the Federation's four most prestigious academies!

It enacted elite programs and only accepted students above B-tier.

With Ye Youlong's exceptional talent, she could easily form a contract with an outstanding Spirit Master within her academy. Why would she travel far and wide to seek him out instead?

"Do you think SSS-tier Talent Spirit Masters are common?" Ye Youlong rolled her eyes at Xiao Zhan.

"Regardless of whether it's SSS-tier Talent Spirit Masters or SSS-tier Artifact Spirits, they're extraordinarily rare! Within the Federation Government's yearly awakening of new students, you might not even see a few, and sometimes, there's none at all!"

"I happen to have bad luck, being the only SSS-tier Artifact Spirit form in our academy this year! And as for SSS-tier Talent Spirit Masters, there isn't even one!"

"So tell me, what choice do I have? Should I lower my standards and form a contract with those SS-tier failures?"

Well now, in her eyes, even SS-tier ranked spirits had become failures.

"Why don't you try searching at other academies then?" Xiao Zhan suggested.

Ye Youlong shrugged as if that was obvious, "Exactly, I went searching in the other academies. But after thoroughly combing through the remaining three top academies, there was only one SSS-tier Spirit Master. The issue was... he already formed a contract with another woman."

"I have a cleanliness obsession, I refuse to touch men who've already contracted other women!"

"Having no other choice, I had to look elsewhere, hoping to find someone unexpected. And lucky me, I actually found you—I thought I'd have to wait until the next batch of awakenings."

After hearing everything she said, Xiao Zhan began to understand.

It boiled down to a genius girl refusing to settle, seeking a genius boy to create their joint legacy of greatness.

But Xiao Zhan still had one lingering doubt, "Then why didn't you approach me directly? Why injure me with Scythe Energy?"

: Signing a Life and Death Contract with an SSS-Ranked School Beauty Artifact Spirit!

Ye Youlong didn't want this either.

"At that time, I encountered a Demon Beast, and after the battle, I was so tense that I unconsciously released Scythe Energy."

"As you know, Artifact Spirits like me who are still in a free state, without the cooperation of a Spirit Master, are prone to making mistakes in battle."

"Who knew you were going to protect that woman, she deserved it!"

At this point, Ye Youlong felt a bit jealous.

Perhaps just as she said, she has a mental obsession and cannot stand her Spirit Master contacting other women.

Even if they haven't signed a Contract yet.

"Let me apologize, I was actually going to talk to you directly about it."

Xiao Zhan of course knew these, he was still angry in his heart, but upon hearing her say this, he nodded as a sign of accepting her apology.

Artifact Spirits and Spirit Masters are the same.

Artifact Spirits can cultivate on their own and choose not to sign a Contract with a Spirit Master.

However, by doing so, they would be greatly limited and their cultivation speed would be very slow.

They can't compare at all with those who have formed a Contract.

And in battle, their strength can only exert up to half of their true potential.

So regardless of the type, most Artifact Spirits would choose to sign a Contract.

Similarly, it is the same for Spirit Masters, without a contract with an Artifact Spirit, their cultivation speed and strength are very weak.

In most cases, they will sign a Contract as quickly as possible.

"Okay, according to what you said, I am an SSS Level Talent. But I don't have the Bloodline Talent Skills, would you still choose to sign with me?" Xiao Zhan asked.

"This is not a problem, after you form a Contract with me, your Bloodline Talent Soul Skill will appear. This situation arises because my Artifact Spirit incarnation has special attributes."

"Alright, one last question, let me see your Artifact Spirit incarnation first."

Ye Youlong slightly angered, "So I've said so much, you think I'm lying to you?"

"Whether it's a lie or not, it's not up to you to decide, I have to confirm it myself."

In fact, Xiao Zhan had no choice, whether what Ye Youlong said was true or false, he could only sign a Contract with Ye Youlong.

Or in other words, only if Ye Youlong is willing to sign a Contract with him!

If not, he simply couldn't find any Artifact Spirit.

Artifact Spirits are upward compatible, Spirit Masters are downward compatible, just like male and female matchmaking.

F-level Artifact Spirits have options, but F-level Spirit Masters are so worried they could grey their hair!

And his reason for wanting a glimpse is simple, just to have a mental preparation.

If Ye Youlong really is that Scythe that hurt him, he would be happy.

But if not, he could accept.

He just wanted to be mentally prepared.

It's that simple.

Ye Youlong snorted coldly, which could be taken as her agreeing to his request. Her body turned ethereal, and a mass of black light appeared with a shadowy and chilling presence.

Inside the black light, a nearly three-meter-long black Scythe appeared, resembling the Grim Reaper's scythe!

The whole body was pitch-black, the only part was the blade's edge, which was bright red!

Like blood that hadn't been wiped clean!

Eerily terrifying!

This, is the scythe that injured Xiao Zhan!

An undoubted SSS-level Artifact Spirit!

"Now can we sign the Contract?" Ye Youlong's voice echoed in the Spiritual Sea.

"Yes! Let's sign an Equal Contract then."

There are three types of Contract modes, namely the Master-Servant Contract, the Equal Contract, and the Life and Death Contract!

Master-Servant Contract, as the name implies, one is the master and the other is the servant!

The master can be a Spirit Master or an Artifact Spirit, but generally, it is the Spirit Master who is the master.

However, signing a master-servant contract is rare because the contract is entirely unequal; the 'master' can arbitrarily abandon or even kill the 'servant' without any backlash from the contract.

It is extremely unfair.

Only in very special circumstances do people choose a master-servant contract.

And usually, such cases involve coercion.

The second type of contract, the equal contract, is the most widely used.

Once signed, both parties are equal, and there is no question of one oppressing the other.

Everything is decided together, and if opinions differ, resistance is possible without backlash from the contract.

Moreover, if one wishes to dissolve the contract, it only requires the agreement of one party.

It represents an absolutely equal relationship.

The third type of contract can be understood literally or as a marriage contract!

Due to the special gender relations between Spirit Masters and Artifact Spirits, those who generally choose to sign this kind of Life and Death Contract are loving spouses.

This contract has extremely strong binding effects; once signed, it cannot be dissolved by any means.

And if one person dies, the other will also die!

It is that dominant!

Thus, it is named the Life and Death Contract!

Generally, few people sign this contract, even among many couples.

After all, dying together, who can bear that?

But this contract also has its greatest benefit; it can allow the compatibility of two people to potentially reach perfection!

Under perfect conditions, Spirit Masters and Artifact Spirits can exert power beyond their own limits, achieving instant kills in equal-level battles.

Thus, although few sign this contract, it is still not that rare, just comparatively less, far more than the master-servant contract.

Hearing Xiao Zhan's words.

Ye Youlong immediately transformed back into human form, but spoke with an imposing tone, "This mistress has already said, I am a clean freak, whoever signs a contract with me, can only sign with me in this lifetime! So, we must have a Life and Death Contract!"

No room for negotiation in her undeniable tone!

Xiao Zhan was somewhat stupefied.

But thinking about it, he didn't care much anymore. In his current state, he was just glad someone would contract with him.

And to gain a wife in the process, even better.

After all, Ye Youlong was pretty, even more beautiful than Jiang Xian'er.

Taking her as a wife was no loss.

"Are you sure? Once signed, it cannot be changed," Xiao Zhan still reminded.

After all, she is a girl, prone to impulsiveness!

"I never regret my decisions!"

"Alright then, let's go sign the contract!"

Signing a contract requires a specific place.

First, there are protections during the signing to prevent accidents.

Second, it's recorded in a register, uploaded to the Federation Government database for subsequent management by the government.

Thus, the two arrived at Changchi City Spirit Academy!

Now, this was the only place where they could sign the contract.

The signing institution could not be privately established.

And with their arrival, naturally, it attracted the attention of many students.

Xiao Zhan needs no further introduction, once a super prodigy, now a top-level waste, who in Changchi City Spirit Academy does not know of him?

As for Ye Youlong, with her stunning appearance and cool, dark aura, surpassing even Jiang Xian'er in beauty, it was impossible not to notice her.