After dealing with the White Mist Ghost, Jiang Xiao let out a sigh of relief.
If it weren't for this mysterious shadow, he would have likely met his end here. The abilities of ghosts were truly bizarre and unpredictable.
But the next moment, Jiang Xiao suddenly froze. "Wait! Where's my spirit pearl?"
He stared at the empty patch of grass in front of him, his eyes wide with disbelief. There was no sign of the spirit pearl anywhere.
Jiang Xiao immediately turned his gaze to the shadow beneath his feet and gritted his teeth. "Spit out the spirit pearl right now!"
To an outsider, this scene would have looked like Jiang Xiao had been driven mad by ghosts. However, only Jiang Xiao knew that the White Mist Ghost had most likely been devoured by his shadow, and now the shadow wasn't even leaving a trace of the spoils behind.
"You glutton! You ate the meat, but can't you at least leave me some soup?" Jiang Xiao muttered in frustration.
Just then, a line of distorted text appeared in his vision:
"...Right hand..."
Jiang Xiao was stunned. He looked down at his right hand in shock.
His once fair and smooth skin had now turned pale and withered, like tree bark coated in white paint. It was a sight that sent chills down his spine.
At the same time, a thick white mist began to swirl around him once again.
"What?!"
Before Jiang Xiao could process his shock, he noticed something unusual about the mist this time.
Unlike before, the mist now felt... familiar, almost comforting.
To his astonishment, Jiang Xiao realized that his vision was no longer affected by the mist.
Previously, the mist had been so dense that he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, and his senses had been severely impaired. But now, all those negative effects were gone.
Instead, he felt as if...
He was the master of this mist!
He could manipulate it at will, shaping it however he pleased.
"I... this... I'm using a ghost's ability without relying on my spirit weapon..."
Jiang Xiao looked down at his pale, withered right hand, his throat dry with disbelief.
In this world, it was common knowledge that all battles against ghosts required the use of a spirit weapon.
It was widely accepted that a Spirit Master's spiritual energy could only be fully utilized through a spirit weapon.
Even spirit pearls had to be embedded in a spirit weapon before a Spirit Master could use the abilities of the ghosts they came from.
But now, Jiang Xiao could directly use the White Mist Ghost's ability?
He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and waved his hand casually.
Whoosh—
The mist parted to the left and right, revealing a clear path.
"It's real!!!"
Jiang Xiao had truly mastered the White Mist Ghost's ability!
Although the White Mist Ghost was only a white-level entity, its ability was far from simple.
Jiang Xiao had experienced it firsthand.
The mist not only obscured vision but also allowed the White Mist Ghost to move silently, like an assassin lurking in the shadows.
No one could predict where the White Mist Ghost would appear—it was undetectable and unpredictable.
Now, Jiang Xiao had that same feeling.
No one knew where he was, yet he was everywhere.
"This ability is practically tailor-made for my spirit weapon. It looks like I'm destined to be an assassin."
Jiang Xiao quickly assessed the range of the mist—about ten square meters, which was quite impressive.
Moreover, using this ability didn't consume much of his spiritual energy, aside from the unsettling transformation of his right hand.
After a while, Jiang Xiao's right hand gradually returned to normal.
He touched his smooth skin and frowned slightly. "The transformation of my right hand is a bit too alarming. I'll have to wear long sleeves from now on."
Fortunately, the weather had been cooling down lately, and many people were already wearing jackets.
Glancing at the time, Jiang Xiao saw that there was still an hour left before the end of the test.
"With this ability, I should be able to hunt wandering spirits much more efficiently. And if a white-level ghost's ability is this powerful, what kind of unique skill would that green-level spirit pearl have?"
With this thought in mind, Jiang Xiao wasted no time. He quickly ventured back into the forest, using the White Mist Ghost's ability to hunt wandering spirits and collect their essence.
...
As the sun began to set, many students eagerly fled from the northern ghost domain.
Yes, they *fled*!
Even though they had just become Spirit Masters, and even though the outer area of the ghost domain only contained harmless wandering spirits...
The sheer presence of ghosts brought an overwhelming sense of death and coldness.
The whispers of long-dead spirits echoed in their ears, filled with resentment and sorrow, combined with the eerie silence of the forest.
For these high school students who were still minors, this test was a psychological ordeal.
Watching the pale, dazed faces of the young boys and girls, Chen Fan shook his head in disappointment.
"These are just the lowest-level wandering spirits, with no real threat to life. If they ever become real Spirit Masters and have to face nightmare-level ghost infestations, they'll probably be too scared to even move."
Chen Fan couldn't help but feel disheartened.
Even though he knew these students were young and had room to grow, the current situation might not give humanity much time...
"Take her to the car and give her some ginger soup. She'll need some sunlight tomorrow," Chen Fan said, patting the shoulder of a short-haired girl who had collapsed on the ground, her eyes vacant and her spirit clearly broken.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd ahead.
A group of students emerged triumphantly, like victorious warriors returning from battle.
At the forefront was a boy wearing a three-leaf clover jacket, with bangs covering his forehead. This was Zhang Hai.
Although he looked tired, his eyes were sharp and full of energy, and his demeanor set him apart from the others.
The wandering spirits hadn't broken Zhang Hai's spirit—he had conquered his fear.
"Brother Zhang, you're amazing! You must've made a huge haul, right?"
Seeing Zhang Hai's superior performance, a few boys who had been sitting on the ground immediately stood up to flatter him.
Beside Zhang Hai, the boy with the rifle spirit weapon chimed in, "Of course! You think our Brother Zhang is just anyone?"
Zhang Hai chuckled lightly, his face filled with pride.
Looking at the crowd of mentally scarred and exhausted classmates, he felt even more convinced of his own exceptional nature.
He was born to be a warrior!
With this thought, Zhang Hai walked over to Chen Fan.
"Senior Chen, this is the wandering spirit essence we collected," Zhang Hai said carefully, taking out a jade bottle from his pocket.
Chen Fan took the bottle and examined it, then nodded approvingly. "You've done well. Keep up the good work."
Receiving praise from a third-rank Spirit Master of the Celestial Mechanism Palace, Zhang Hai lowered his head, unable to hide his delight.
Looking at the bottle, which was about four-fifths full, Chen Fan nodded again.
This was an impressive result.
It was clear that the gap between ordinary people and elites was significant.
Most students who came out of the ghost domain were in no state to think about rewards.
As Zhang Hai drank some water, he glanced around at the other students.
Suddenly, he asked, "By the way, where's Bai Qimeng and her team?"
"They're not out yet. That girl seems determined to get that green-level spirit pearl," a boy whispered.
Zhang Hai nodded. "That's to be expected. Both her parents are Spirit Masters. There's no way we can compete with her. But as long as we leave a good impression on the Celestial Mechanism Palace expert, that's enough."
From the beginning, Zhang Hai hadn't planned to compete for first place.
First, he couldn't win—the top talents in their grade were all in Bai Qimeng's team. Second, he didn't want to risk making an enemy of Bai Qimeng.
Just then, Bai Qimeng's team emerged from the forest.
From a distance, everyone couldn't help but stand up and gaze at the graceful figure leading the group.
Chen Fan also looked on with curiosity. "I wonder if this group from Yucai High School can give me the best performance of the day?"
Bai Qimeng's team was composed entirely of top-tier Spirit Masters, each with spirit weapons boasting seven or more skill slots. Their talents were exceptional, and their teamwork was already taking shape.
A moment later, Chen Fan looked at the nearly full jade bottle in his hand and couldn't hide his amazement. "Good! Very good! Excellent!"
With this much wandering spirit essence, it was clear that these students had defeated dozens of wandering spirits!
And they were just beginners.
Chen Fan looked at the proud girl before him and said, "This is just the beginning. Don't let it go to your head. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Once you join the Celestial Mechanism Palace, you must never forget humanity's mission."
His words showed just how much he valued Bai Qimeng.
Bai Qimeng smiled slightly and extended her delicate hand. "In that case, can I have the green-level spirit pearl now?"
Chen Fan shook his head. "Not yet."
"Why not?" Bai Qimeng's eyes widened. "Did someone collect more essence than me?"
Chen Fan replied, "Not everyone has come out of the ghost domain yet."
Bai Qimeng frowned. "The sun's almost down. Who's still in there? Uncle Chen, how many people are left?"
Chen Fan said, "One person."
"One person? Who?" Bai Qimeng asked, puzzled. "Did something happen to them?"
Just then, a tall, slender figure appeared at the end of the path.
Jiang Xiao had returned.