Overseer Fei glanced at the old spirit servant, prompting him and the other spirit servants to bring in another box of spirit marbles, as Overseer Yan stepped forwards
"Listen up, all of you," he called, drawing their attention. "You've all broken what it means to be a mere mortal. You've transcended mortal physiology, for you now possess a core, which means you can wield spirit essence."
He paused, taking in their expressions without any change to his bearded stoic face.
"But a spirit master without a spirit is not qualified to be called one, and that is why the clan has decided to grant you another grace—to pick a spirit of your own. A strength-type spirit, like I did before, and like every other spirit servant of our great gracious clan did."
He continued, "However, it will all be meaningless if you can't even wield spirit essence well enough to lure a spirit. You all have three hours after consuming this spirit marble."
He turned his gaze to Overseer Fei, who held another box of spirit marbles as she began distributing one to each of them.
"You must all learn and understand how to wield your spirit essence like a second limb within these three hours, or else you'll find it impossible to bind with a spirit."
Finishing his speech, he glanced toward a spirit servant beside him. She bowed before stepping forward, waiting for Overseer Fei to finish distributing the spirit marbles.
Shen Mo watched as Overseer Fei handed each of them a spirit marble. When it finally came to his turn, he had expected the same reaction she'd given him earlier, but to his surprise and relief, she simply handed him the marble and went on to the next person.
Shen Mo swallowed the spirit marble, already bracing for that familiar burning pain. Instead, it dissolved into a cool liquid as it slid down his throat directly toward his spirit core.
Shen Mo closed his eyes, viewing his core. He observed as it spun slightly faster, almost as if excited, while a blue liquid wrapped around it before being slowly assimilated.
He knew the main use of spirit marbles for mortals was to help awaken the core, but for spirit masters, they helped hasten the absorption of spirit essence, cleared the mind of mental fatigue caused by spirit usage, and most importantly, helped purify the core since binding with a spirit would slowly but surely taint it.
'Basically, just slowing the inevitable', he thought to himself.
Though he knew there had to be solutions to that, but how or why would he know? He had been a mere mortal servant only minutes ago, and now he was on the path to becoming a spirit servant of the clan, bound to never surpass the second rank because of his solid core or at least, that was what they claimed.
Shen Mo knew there was an exception to that being the head of the clan servants.
He observed his core more closely as the transparent liquid essence rippled gently with each rotation. He wondered how he could control it. Though he could tell the spirit servant standing at the front of the platform would teach them soon, that didn't stop him from trying on his own.
He knew that the early stage of the first rank which was the physical stage of a spirit master emphasized drawing on bits of one's essence and their spirit's affinity. In his case, and that of other spirit servants, it was strength.
But even strength varied. The old Overseer's strength-type spirit was clearly focused on his fingers, making it a lethal battle spirit. As rumors suggested, the head servant possessed a full-body strength spirit.
Watching the ripples of liquid essence in his core, Shen Mo suddenly noticed something odd. The ripples weren't caused by the rotation of the core, but by his breathing.
To confirm it, he held his breath.
The ripples stopped, leaving the transparent liquid essence perfectly still even as the core continued spinning.
Releasing his breath, the liquid rippled once more.
Shen Mo felt perplexed by the observation. It felt as though he could control the essence by regulating his breathing, but how would that draw it out of his core?
Shen Mo opened his eyes briefly and noticed that the spirit servant at the front still hadn't begun teaching. He closed his eyes again, this time slowing his breathing, then quickening his inhale and exhale.
The liquid rippled violently.
He continued until he noticed fumes of gaseous spirit essence forming within the empty half of his core. To his amazement, the gaseous essence slowly spilled out of the core and rose toward his chest, passing through unseen pathways, sending warmth through his veins.
Shen Mo slowed his breathing again, watching as the gaseous essence within the core condensed back into liquid form.
However, the essence within his veins continued its ascent.
Shen Mo focused, successfully guiding it toward his right palm. Opening his eyes, he saw faint transparent waves slowly spilling from his hand.
They were difficult to notice unless one stared closely.
Shen Mo clenched his palm, excitement bubbling within him like a child discovering a new toy. Yet he couldn't help but realize that without a spirit, spirit essence truly seemed useless just nothing more than something carried away by the wind.
Knowing that all he had to do now was wait for the spirit servant to teach the others what he had already discovered, before they were taken to bind their spirits, Shen Mo couldn't help but hope he would bind a battle spirit.
Any other type of strength spirit would be useless.
He even hoped he might receive one that was similar to what his father had while alive a fist-type strength spirit.