The journey from Chu Family Village to the town took two hours, and by the time they arrived, the sun was already high in the sky.
At the entrance of the town stood a tall archway, with the words "Qingwu Town" carved in bold strokes on the plaque.
Chu Wangshan reminded them, "Children, I've already mentioned this before, but I must emphasize it again. The adults who will be assessing your aptitude are sent by the Spirit Master Association. Each one is a Tier 3 Spirit Master, as powerful as our town mayor. You must be mindful of your words and actions during the assessment and absolutely must not offend the Spirit Masters. Do you understand?"
The children responded in unison, "Understood, Village Chief."
Chu Shaoye answered along with them, but his mind was recalling what Frostmoon had said. The Spirit Master Association was a vast organization spread across the Myriad Spirits Continent. Although it hadn't been established for long, it had developed rapidly. Any Spirit Master could register with the association and receive numerous benefits.
The assessment point set by the Spirit Master Association was in the central square of the town. After parking the cart, Chu Wangshan led the children to queue up.
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There were ten assessment points in total on the square, and long lines had already formed. Chu Wangshan found the assessment point for Chu Family Village and led the children over.
In the neighboring queue, a particularly eye-catching young man sat on a pearwood recliner, surrounded by four or five servants. Some held an umbrella for him, others offered him water, and still others fed him fruit and massaged his legs. It was clear he was a pampered young master from a wealthy family.
Wang Zekai, bored from waiting, suddenly became interested when he saw two pretty girls in the nearby queue.
One girl was bright and lively, the other gentle and elegant, each beautiful in her own way.
Wang Zekai approached them, "May I ask where you two young ladies are from?"
Chu Qingyu, timid by nature, was a bit scared by his roguish demeanor. She shrank back and clutched Chu Qingyao's hand tightly.
Chu Qingyao patted her hand. She didn't like the leering boy in front of her either, but she still answered politely, "We're from Chu Family Village."
Wang Zekai made a sound of acknowledgment. He had never heard of such a small, obscure village, yet it had produced two such beautiful girls. It was like phoenixes flying out of a chicken coop.
Seeing that Chu Qingyao wasn't a young lady from a wealthy family, Wang Zekai felt emboldened. He straightened up and boasted, "I'm Wang Zekai, the young master of the Wang family in town. I'm sure you've heard of us. We run the carriage and horse business in town."
Chu Qingyao made a noncommittal sound, feeling a bit puzzled. Who asked you?
Wang Zekai, seeing their lack of reaction, assumed they were country girls with little knowledge and continued to brag, "My father is one of the only three Tier 3 Spirit Masters in our town."
Chu Qingyao responded with another indifferent sound, politely saying, "Your father is truly impressive."
Wang Zekai took her polite remark seriously and proudly patted his chest, "I will definitely inherit my father's talent and become a Tier 3 Spirit Master."
Your father could be Li Gang, and it wouldn't matter to anyone else. Chu Qingyao was already a bit nervous, and Wang Zekai's incessant chatter only made her more annoyed.
Chu Qingyao was tired of dealing with this foolish son of a landlord and just wanted him to shut up, so her tone was less than friendly, "You have quite the ambition, Young Master Wang."
Hearing Chu Qingyao "praise" him, Wang Zekai's pride soared, thinking he had earned her admiration, his expression one of smug satisfaction.
Chu Qingyu covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. This Young Master Wang was truly foolish, unable to tell good words from bad.
Just as Wang Zekai was about to continue the conversation, a stern voice interrupted, "What are you all doing blocking the way? Hurry up and get in line."
The speaker was a Tier 3 Spirit Master sent by the Spirit Master Association to oversee the assessments. The Wang family's servants dared not disobey and quickly cleared away the recliner and fruits.
The Examiner was someone even his father couldn't afford to offend. Although Wang Zekai hadn't finished chatting with the pretty girls, he had no choice but to return to his place in line, feeling disgruntled.
Seeing the Examiner arrive, Chu Wangshan couldn't continue standing in line either. He gave the children a few more instructions before leaving the square to wait outside.
The ten Spirit Masters approached the assessment points without wasting words and directly took out Beast Origin Pouches to release the Spirit-Sensing Beasts used for assessing Spirit Master aptitude.
Spirit-Sensing Beasts were a special type of Spirit Beast, actually a kind of Phantom Beast. Phantom Beasts were blessed by the heavens and could not be contracted by humans. Those who forced a contract or harmed a Phantom Beast would suffer divine retribution.
Spirit-Sensing Beasts were friendly to humans. Although they couldn't be contracted, they were willing to help with the small task of aptitude assessment.
Chu Shaoye curiously watched as the Examiner released the Spirit-Sensing Beast. Frostmoon had told him about many Spirit Beasts and Phantom Beasts, including Spirit-Sensing Beasts, but this was his first time seeing one in person.
The Spirit-Sensing Beast was round and floated in mid-air like a transparent balloon. Upon closer inspection, one could see its body squeezed so tightly that only tiny eyes, ears, and a tail remained.
Phantom Beasts were rare and extremely uncommon. Many people might never see a Phantom Beast other than a Spirit-Sensing Beast in their lifetime.
Yet Spirit-Sensing Beasts were an anomaly among Phantom Beasts. As long as the area was rich in Spiritual Energy, Spirit-Sensing Beasts could be born, and their numbers were quite large. Even in a remote town like Qingwu Town, the townsfolk were not surprised by the sight of Spirit-Sensing Beasts.
However, despite their numbers, Spirit-Sensing Beasts had only one skill: assessing Spirit Master aptitude. Their attack and defense capabilities were virtually nonexistent. A mere poke would cause a Spirit-Sensing Beast to dissipate into a wisp of Spiritual Energy.
Frostmoon had once said that every Phantom Beast possessed special talents or formidable strength, being the darlings of the heavens. Spirit-Sensing Beasts, like this one, were unique in their uselessness among Phantom Beasts.
The person at the front of the line began the assessment. The process was simple: just touch the Spirit-Sensing Beast and hold for three seconds.
If the Spirit-Sensing Beast turned white and its transparency decreased, it indicated that the person being assessed had the potential to become a Spirit Master. The lower the transparency, the higher the aptitude of the person being assessed.
The assessment process was quick, and in no time, twenty or thirty people had been assessed. In the queue two lines away from Chu Shaoye's, a young man finally showed the potential to become a Spirit Master.
The Examiner for that line paused the assessments and led the young man to the center of the square to perform the Natal Spirit Beast summoning ceremony.
A Natal Spirit Beast was naturally contracted with a human, meaning that a Spirit Master and their Natal Spirit Beast were innate symbiotic partners, requiring no additional contract.
The summoning ceremony was not complicated. First, one had to cut their finger and draw a summoning array in mid-air. Then, by reciting the summoning incantation and calling upon the Natal Spirit Beast in their heart, they could summon it forth.
The young man swallowed nervously, unable to hide his excitement. He was about to become a Spirit Master!
Following the Examiner's guidance, the young man cut his finger and drew the array. A faint trace of blood lingered in the air, forming a summoning array.
With a clear, youthful voice tinged with excitement and a slight tremor, he recited the incantation, "With the array as the foundation, with blood as the bond, in my name, I summon you!"