Chapter 42. Persuasion
When Fulan regained consciousness, she found that she had already returned to the Spirit Realm Analysis classroom.
She looked around. Some apprentices had already awakened, while others appeared to be in a strange state.
A different kind of light radiated from their bodies, and their entire forms had become somewhat transparent. One could vaguely see through them to what was behind.
One apprentice seemed to have just returned from the Spirit Realm. His translucent body gradually solidified, and the strange glow around him faded.
A look of excitement appeared on his face. He wanted to speak in excitement, but he restrained himself.
Yiqi stood below, gently stroking the glowing sphere in his hands. He did not pay attention to the apprentices who had returned and were causing a small commotion.
Only after all the apprentices had regained consciousness did he finally speak.
“What you just experienced was a Spirit Realm excursion. One thing worth noting is that if you attempt a Spirit Realm excursion on your own, you must ensure that you are in a safe environment.”
“Otherwise, if your body suffers fatal damage, you may end up spending the rest of your life in the Spirit Realm.”
“Of course, if you are fortunate, you may receive the protection of the Spirit Realm. In that case, once your consciousness ascends into the Spirit Realm, your physical body will be protected by it and will be difficult for others to damage.”
“That concludes today’s class. If you have any questions, you may come to me.”
Even after hearing that class had ended, many apprentices remained seated, unwilling to leave as they continued savoring the experience they had just had.
Yiqi seemed accustomed to this. He carefully placed the gray sphere into a cushioned box and prepared to leave the classroom.
“Teacher Yiqi, may I trouble you for a moment?”
Yiqi turned around.
A black-haired girl wearing a robe had called out to him. It was Fulan.
“What do you need?” Yiqi asked calmly.
“I would like to ask something. If I touched an item in the Spirit Realm that looked unusual, would it have any effect on me?”
Yiqi showed some reaction and asked in return, “Did that item follow you back to the Material Realm?”
Fulan quickly searched herself from head to toe before answering.
“No.”
“Then there is no problem. Aside from the possibility that it may cling to you the next time you enter the Spirit Realm, it will not affect you.”
“Oh.” Fulan nodded, then asked another question.
“Teacher Yiqi, if I have a Guide of the Spirit Realm, how should I use it to enter the Spirit Realm?”
She was referring to the Guide of the Spirit Realm she had obtained from Richter. After discovering that it was actually a broad category of items, she no longer bothered hiding it and simply asked directly.
After all, it had been a reward from an assessment. Fulan had a feeling that if she used it to enter the Spirit Realm, she might encounter something valuable.
“…You only need to hold it in your hand and silently recite the incantation. My method earlier was specially designed to guide apprentices. However…”
Yiqi paused briefly before continuing.
“You must understand roughly where the guide in your possession points to. You can spend Points to purchase a copy of 《Spirit Realm Atlas》 to identify it. Otherwise, you may end up in dangerous places.”
“Of course, as I said earlier, since you have only just entered the Spirit Realm, as long as you do not establish overly close ties with it, you will not suffer harm.”
Fulan nodded to indicate that she understood. Seeing that Yiqi did not seem annoyed by apprentices asking him questions, she suddenly asked something she had been very curious about.
“Teacher Yiqi, do you know about the trials of the Spirit Realm?”
Fulan had heard from Elan that Yiqi had advanced to become a formal mage through the Spirit Realm.
Based on the advancement method for Spirit Realm Mage shown on her panel, she believed that Teacher Yiqi was very likely to know what the Spirit Realm trial actually was.
At present, it was the only path she had seen that could allow her to advance to the official rank. Even if she did not intend to use it later, she still wanted to learn the specific method.
What if she encountered an emergency one day? This path might become useful.
There was also the consideration of her professions.
From the two professions she had obtained so far, it seemed that different professions could stack, allowing her to benefit from the bonuses of multiple professions.
An idea had begun forming in her mind.
If she became a formal mage through the Spirit Realm, could she later also become a formal mage through the methods of the various schools?
That was why she felt it was necessary to ask.
As she expected, Yiqi reacted strongly. His hand trembled noticeably before he slowly spoke.
“The Spirit Realm… The Spirit Realm trial is a form of test given to Spirit Realm explorers. After passing it, you will obtain the blessing of the Spirit Realm.”
“You will discover that your mental power increases greatly, and your spells become several times stronger, far surpassing those of apprentices.”
“This is one path for advancing to become a formal mage. Passing the Spirit Realm trial is equivalent to becoming a formal mage.”
“But everything comes with a price. No matter how you look at it, this path is far easier than the others.”
“You will discover that you can no longer learn the spells recorded in books, because your spells exist only within the Spirit Realm. You must explore it again and again to obtain spells.”
“Furthermore, you will become deeply bound to the Spirit Realm. Any damage you suffer there will manifest to some degree on your body.”
Yiqi suddenly stopped and looked at Fulan before advising her seriously.
“I suggest that you do not take this path. If your luck is poor, you may never advance any further for the rest of your life.”
“I advise you to join a school instead. Although the conditions for joining are extremely difficult, once you become a formal mage, at least there will still be predecessors who can guide you.”
“If you become a formal mage through the Spirit Realm, the spells you obtain there will not correspond to any school. Naturally, they will not accept you.”
After hearing his words, Fulan did not show the slightest sign of hesitation or retreat. Instead, she looked even more excited.
“I understand, but please let me hear what comes next.”
Fulan always believed the same thing—she might not use something, but she must at least have it. If necessary, she could simply keep it as an option.
Yiqi did not argue with her and continued explaining.
“To pass the Spirit Realm trial, you must first obtain the relevant qualification.”
“Each time you explore the Spirit Realm, you may encounter small objects emitting a faint glow. Those are Guides of the Spirit Realm. As long as you carry them with you, they can follow you back to the Material Realm.”
“There is one particular type of guide that you will eventually encounter after exploring the Spirit Realm multiple times. Around it will be a patch of black emptiness, and it will float in the air.”
“That is the key to the trial. After you return to the Material Realm, simply touch it, and it will display the relevant information about the trial, including the time when it begins. If you enter the Spirit Realm at that time, you will be participating in the trial.”
Yiqi revealed a bitter smile.
“Of course, I still advise you not to take this path. Otherwise, if your luck is poor, you may end up like me—unable to find the key to the next trial.”