Going from Earth Spirit Root seventh grade to Heavenly Spirit Root eighth grade — that was indeed an enormous leap.
However, even though
"Heavenly Spirit Root... eighth grade. Send him to the West Institute." Overseer Gu's voice trembled slightly. Of all the students he had tested, the only one with a Heavenly Spirit Root at the eighth grade was Nie Li.
The surrounding students erupted in uproar. That was the eighth grade of the Heavenly Spirit Root! The looks they gave Nie Li carried a mix of shock and fear.
Such talent was truly something to look up to in awe!
Hua Ling snorted. "I don't know what methods you used to get so many Heavenly Spirit Root users, but as long as they're not like you — all show and no substance — that's fine!"
Hua Ling led his group and turned to leave. He had lost face, and there was no point in staying any longer.
Watching Hua Ling and the others depart, Xiao Yu withdrew her gaze and looked at Nie Li and his companions. "Hua Ling is a narrow-minded man. Be careful around him in the future, and don't let him scheme against you. Within the Heavenly Spirit Institute, no one will dare touch you, but once you step outside, that's not necessarily the case."
"Understood." Nie Li nodded. He didn't take Hua Ling seriously, but a petty man like that still warranted some caution.
"Let's go!" Xiao Yu glanced at Nie Li and the others.
The four of them headed outside together.
Overseer Gu watched Xiao Yu and the four depart, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Nie Li had an eighth-grade Heavenly Spirit Root, and
Overseer Gu was a smooth and cautious man. That was precisely why, despite his mediocre cultivation, he had managed to remain standing.
"Guan Yu, the South Institute is up ahead. We can only bring you this far. Go report to the two instructors over there, and they'll arrange your accommodation. From then on, you'll be able to cultivate at the South Institute." Xiao Yu looked at Guan Yu.
Guan Yu was silent for a moment, then gave a slight bow to Xiao Yu and the others before turning to leave. He knew his talent was far below the three of them. Xiao Yu and the others had already done more than enough. If he kept clinging to them, it would be nothing but shamelessness, and he still had his dignity.
Watching Guan Yu enter the South Institute, Xiao Yu withdrew her gaze. "Let's head to the West Institute. There are two types of accommodation there — one arranged by the Heavenly Spirit Institute that anyone can use, and a private residence that requires payment. I've rented a courtyard, and you can stay with me there for now."
"There's a private residence? That's great!" Lu Piao said excitedly.
Nie Li didn't respond to Xiao Yu's words. Instead, his gaze drifted toward something in the distance.
"What's over there?" Lu Piao followed Nie Li's gaze and asked, puzzled.
Xiao Yu glanced over and saw a plaza in the distance, filled with students from various academies. They were gathered in small groups, seemingly discussing something, and each held various items in their hands.
"Oh, that's where students from the various academies of the Heavenly Spirit Institute trade goods. The
"In the Dragon Ruins Realm, the growth potential of Demon Spirits is divided into five grades: Ordinary, Good, Excellent, Outstanding, and Divine. Excellent-grade Demon Spirits are already extremely rare, and Outstanding ones are even harder to find. Divine-grade growth potential is something you'll almost never see."
Hearing Xiao Yu's words, Lu Piao's eyes went wide. Both his and Nie Li's fused Demon Spirits had Divine-grade growth potential. He hadn't realized that Divine-grade growth potential was so precious — exceedingly rare even in the Dragon Ruins Realm.
Sensing Lu Piao's confusion, Nie Li shook his head. "Besides growth potential, a Demon Spirit's bloodline is equally important. Take
"Then how do you distinguish a Demon Spirit's bloodline?"
"A Demon Spirit's bloodline falls into three categories. The first is an ordinary Demon Beast bloodline. The second is an Ancient bloodline, which is extremely rare — the Heavenly Qilin Demon Beast, for instance, belongs to this type. The third is a Primordial bloodline, which is virtually impossible to encounter." Nie Li explained.
"No wonder Du Ze abandoned the Nether Tiger Demon Beast once he fused with the Heavenly Qilin Demon Beast. Even though the Nether Tiger has Divine-grade growth potential, it's still just an ordinary Demon Beast bloodline. The gap between it and an Ancient bloodline is enormous." Lu Piao nodded, understanding.
"Under normal circumstances, we can never find a Demon Spirit with an Ancient bloodline. So what students trade are all just ordinary Demon Beast bloodline Demon Spirits," Xiao Yu said.
Only then did Lu Piao understand. The Divine-grade growth potential Demon Spirits that Nie Li had gotten for them were an enormous advantage. Those ordinary students could barely even get their hands on Outstanding-grade growth potential Demon Spirits.
"What about treasure weapons?" Lu Piao asked.
"Treasure weapons are similar to the weapons in our Tiny World, but they contain the power of the Heavenly Dao, making them far more powerful than ordinary weapons. Treasure weapons are graded from first to ninth rank, with Transcendent Treasure Weapons and God-Slaying Treasure Weapons above them. For an ordinary student of the Heavenly Spirit Institute, obtaining a third-rank treasure weapon would already be remarkable. Most of the time, they can only trade for first-rank ones." Xiao Yu explained.