"Is this the Spirit Pagoda in East China City?"
"What do you think? Surprised, aren't you? When I first brought Muxi here, she had the exact same look on her face!"
Holding one child in each hand, Yuan Bao'er had brought both of her children out, her sole purpose being to select a suitable Spirit for Heita.
Muchen had originally intended to bring the child himself to purchase a Spirit; after all, as an eight-star Saint Craftsman, acquiring a top-tier Spirit would not have been difficult for him. However, Yuan Bao'er had flatly rejected this idea.
Firstly, Muchen’s status was far too prominent. The major factions were not blind; a Saint Craftsman appearing in public with a child would inevitably attract significant attention. It was different with Yuan Bao'er; while she was the wife of a Saint Craftsman, her public profile was nowhere near as high as her husband's, and she was far less likely to be recognized.
Secondly, although Heita had reached Spirit Power level 25, she was, after all, only nine years old. Her mental strength could not be exceptionally high, and there was a limit to the grade of Spirit she could withstand. There was no need to make a grand spectacle out of the purchase, so Yuan Bao'er taking her was the most appropriate choice.
"Don't worry, Heita!"
As for Muxi, she looked even happier than if she were picking out a Spirit for herself. Having gained a younger sister who shared similar interests, she was determined to help her navigate the selection process.
"Hello, we are here to purchase a Spirit."
Looking at the two energetic children behind her, Yuan Bao'er shook her head helplessly before turning to the Spirit Master.
"Three guests, we have a wide variety of Spirits here. Would you like me to introduce some to you?"
"Of course! If you could, please introduce us to some high-grade century-old Spirits. After all, this child’s Spirit Power is quite high."
Hearing this, the Spirit Master’s eyes lit up.
Judging by her tone, she wasn't considering the possibility of being unable to afford them. It seemed this child came from a prominent family! Having worked at the Spirit Pagoda for years, this Spirit Master had seen all sorts of people and possessed a keen eye for character. He could tell the difference between children from major families and those from ordinary backgrounds just by their speech and behavior.
Clearly, these three were from a wealthy background, so he had no intention of suggesting low-end synthetic Spirits.
"Understood, please follow me this way! The Spirits in this section will certainly meet your requirements... However, is this the child's first time at the Spirit Pagoda? Would you like to test her mental strength?"
"Yes, that would be appreciated."
It was only a mental strength test, and in Yuan Bao'er's view, there was no need to hide it. There were geniuses in this world, after all; many children possessed mental strength exceeding 100 at a young age.
Some great families even fed their children precious natural treasures to enhance their mental strength, which could serve as the perfect explanation.
"Are you ready? Once you're ready, we can begin."
Under the Spirit Master's guidance, Heita sat on a metal chair surrounded by precise instruments—clearly a device for measuring mental strength.
"Go for it, little Heita!"
"You can do it, sister!"
Yuan Bao'er and Muxi cheered her on from the side, clearly holding high expectations for Heita, a child of such immense talent. For a nine-year-old, her mental strength should be at the high end of the Spirit Origin Realm, perhaps even reaching the Spirit Connection Realm! Because Muxi practiced forging, which required intense concentration, she was currently at the high end of the Spirit Origin Realm, and it was reasonable to assume Heita would be similar.
As the machinery hummed, the helmet on Heita’s head erupted with white light. The Spirit Master operating the machine watched the spirit-guidance screen, waiting for the final result. But what happened next left everyone present stunned, their expressions frozen.
The numbers jumped rapidly. In the blink of an eye, they broke through 200, entering the early Spirit Connection Realm. Although the rate of increase slowed, at this pace, breaking 300 was not impossible.
Finally, as the numbers slowly leveled off and began to fluctuate within a certain range, the onlookers stood in a daze. It wasn't until the numbers came to a complete stop that they regained their composure.
"What kind of genius is this?"
Breaking 100 in mental strength at the age of nine was already considered a rare genius. Even Guyue, the Silver Dragon King, only had a mental strength of 153 at age nine—which was already considered unparalleled across the entire continent.
And Heita? Her mental strength was exactly 378—more than double that of Guyue!
This was not just unprecedented; it was unlikely to ever be surpassed! A nine-year-old in the late Spirit Connection Realm!
The Spirit Master’s mouth hung open as he stared at the little girl sitting on the chair. He seemed about to say something, but after catching a glimpse of Yuan Bao'er nearby, he didn't utter a single word.
If she were a child from an ordinary family, he would spare no cost to invite her to join the Spirit Pagoda; it would be beneficial for both himself and the organization.
But this child was different; she clearly came from a powerful family. The children of those high-profile figures could not be recruited lightly, lest it cause offense. Weighing the pros and cons, the Spirit Master abandoned the idea of solicitation and instead prepared to report to his superiors immediately.
He would leave the affairs of the big shots to the big shots. As a minor Spirit Master, he only needed to do his job well; there was no need to involve himself in such troublesome matters.
"Congratulations, Madam! Your child has reached a mental strength of 378 at just nine years old! That is already the level of the late Spirit Connection Realm! I doubt you could find such a genius anywhere else on the continent!"
When these words reached her ears, Yuan Bao'er realized... they were in big trouble! She had originally thought the child’s high Spirit Power was simply due to her Martial Soul, but she hadn't expected her mental strength to be this outstanding—to the point of being abnormal!
Even a powerful Martial Soul couldn't possibly provide such a massive boost to mental strength, could it? Could it be that this God-level Martial Soul was of the mental attribute? That seemed to be the only explanation for such anomalous mental strength.
"Thank you!" Yuan Bao'er replied with a smile. She felt the need to speed up the process of selecting a Spirit; otherwise, things would become even more complicated once the high-ranking officials of the Spirit Pagoda arrived.
"This child's mental strength is truly exceptional. Please, recommend some outstanding thousand-year Spirits for us!"
Since the other party already knew the child's talent, Yuan Bao'er decided to throw the problem back at them. As long as the man was smart, he wouldn't dare recommend anything substandard, or he would have to face the wrath of the big shots when they came looking.
"I understand. Our East China City Spirit Pagoda recently received a new batch of thousand-year Spirits. Although they are quite expensive, this little genius is clearly more precious than any Spirit." The Spirit Master looked at Heita, who had just stepped off the chair, unable to mask his amazement.
"Pick whichever one you like. The Spirit Pagoda will cover the cost—consider it a token of our goodwill!"