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 Hog 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 qi now."
He paused, taking in their expressions without any change to his bearded stoic face.
"But a spirit Cultivator 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 qi well enough to lure and bind 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 qi 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.
Corvus 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.
Corvus swallowed the spirit marble, already bracing for that familiar burning pain.But Instead, it dissolved into a cool liquid as it slid down his throat directly toward his spirit core.
Corvus 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 Cultivators, they helped hasten the absorption of spirit qi, clear the mind of mental fatigue caused by spirit usage, and most importantly, helps 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.
Corvus 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 Cultivator 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. And as rumors suggested, the head servant possessed a full-body strength spirit.
Watching the ripples of liquid essence in his core, Corvus 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.
Which made the ripples stopped, leaving the transparent liquid qi perfectly still even as the core continued spinning.
Releasing his breath, the liquid rippled once more.
Corvus felt perplexed by the observation. It felt as though he could control the liquid qi by regulating his breathing, but how would that draw it out of his core?
Corvus 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 exhales.
The liquid rippled violently.
He continued until he noticed fumes of gaseous spirit qi forming within the empty half of his core. To his amazement, the gaseous qi slowly spilled out of the core and rose toward his chest, passing through unseen pathways, which sent warmth through his veins.
Corvus slowed his breathing again, watching as the gaseous qi within the core condensed back into liquid form.
However, the qi within his veins continued its ascent.
Corvus 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.
Corvus 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 qi 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, Corvus couldn't help but hope he would bind a battle strength spirit.
For any other type of strength spirit would be useless otherwise.
He even hoped he might receive one that was similar to what his father had while alive a fist-type strength spirit.