The Ascension of Contracted Spirits

Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Demon's Fond Spirit·Ghost Shadow Spider_1

"Young man, keeping you here for an evaluation does not mean I have any particular expectations of you."

"You said something very true indeed, I will not let you give up on those thoughts you should not have; if you bother me every day in the future, I'm afraid my peaceful days would come to an end."

At the jade-like, warm and gentle desk, Jiang Yongnian picked up the chili leaf soaked tea, took a breath, and drank it in one gulp.

"Bang!" The tea cup fell heavily on the table, the fire-core in the paper lantern instantly emitted a silent wail, the fire becoming fainter."

Just where the boundary between brightness and obscurity overlapped, the sense of justice surged once again, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, mercilessly suppressing Ye Hanjun's remaining life aura.

"Before the official evaluation begins, I have a question for you."

"What are you good at? And what can you teach the students?"

"Don't tell me you have read a lot of books, I don't want to hear such vague answers. I want to know your true 'special skills'!"

Jiang Yongnian's eyes were as sharp as a knife.

With the tea in his belly, he seemed like a nine-foot steel sword removed from its scabbard, anyone who dared to deceive or trick, was fated to die!"

"I am currently a newly ascended Patron, on the 1st rank, so I really can't show off my strength."

"Regarding practical fighting, actual training, or subjects that require physical combat or direct competition, with my current physical condition, I'm also not up to the job."

Ye Hanjun judged this to be a tricky question, thinking for a moment, he calmly said:

"What I can teach is mainly 'theory'."

"But the content I have learned is too vast, covering all aspects, and I don't have any particularly obvious weaknesses."

"If you want me to define the direction of the teaching now, I really can't do it, I prefer some time to explore and try, and then make the correct choice."

"Covering all aspects?"

Jiang Yongnian did not hide his disappointed look and shook his head, mumbling to himself:

"Learning but not mastering, is the biggest taboo, no matter where."

"Young man, hearing such an answer, I am very disappointed."

Ye Hanjun smiled, not taking it to heart and sincerely said:

"I just think that as a teacher, one must be responsible to themselves, and also to their students, both are indispensable."

"Senior, why not keep your opinions first, wait until the evaluation is over, and then make a comprehensive assessment from beginning to end... How about it?"

"Hehe..." Jiang Yongnian gave a silent grin.

After contemplating for a few seconds, his eyes deepened:

"You seem somewhat arrogant and presumptuous."

"Right now, I particularly want to know, behind your mysterious self-confidence, is there real talent and practical knowledge, or is it all just show and bluster..."

"Senior, I'm ready." Ye Hanjun sat up straight, appearing calm and composed.

"So be it. In the name of an examiner, I declare the evaluation officially begins."

"There are three stages in total, if you can pass them all, I will represent the Canghai Pavilion Council, and recruit the youngest teacher in history!"

Jiang Yongnian's words, filled with seriousness, echoed like a tolling bell.

"Woo—" Although it was a sealed environment, for some reason, a sudden gust of wind wailed in everyone's ears.

The surrounding temperature dropped sharply, the piercing cold invaded the skin and goosebumps, like tiny maggots, continued to emerge from the flesh.

"Whoosh!"

In the dark corner, a shadow writhed and suddenly six green ghostly fires lit up, casting a gloomy and ghostly glow.

No, it isn't a ghost fire!

Those are eyes! Six pairs of eyes!

A huge, eerie, and ferocious monster rose slowly from its prone and static state.

Its height absolutely surpassed two meters, its size was almost on par with the giant sparrow.

But it was too terrifying, as if it had just crawled out from the grave of the dead, it was laden from top to bottom with a scent of decay.

The shocking smell of decay was so strong that one could not help but doubt whether the plump shell was filled with fresh plasma that represented life, or with aged venom representing death.

"Aargh!!!"

The monster moved at an extreme speed and with just a slight drag of its long legs, it was already at the edge of the desk.

Like a hungry tiger ready to pounce on its prey, it roared, growled, and stared at its prey with cold and aloof eyes from above.

At this moment, the distance between Ye Hanjun and it... was less than a meter!'

The overwhelming stench of decay tried to squeeze into his nostrils, when he lifted his head, he could see the six pairs of green, blood-thirsty eyes and the protruding sharp fangs like those of a vampire.

"No doubt, this smell, this appearance..."

"The Demon's Fond Spirit - Ghost Shadow Spider!"

Under the shadow of death, the candle flames had nearly extinguished.

In the depths of the shadows, Ye Hanjun's body slightly trembled and seemed to be on the verge of crumbling to the ground.

"Talent Identification!"

——

[Species Name]: Ghost Shadow Spider

[Chaos Seal]: "Demon"

[Main Study]: Demonic Art Path/Open Transformation Path

[Rank]: Jade Infant Fetus·???

[Chaos Spirit Pattern]: ???

[Core Personality]: ???

[Current Status]: ???

[Contractual Relationship]: ???

"Indeed, only a 1st rank Fond Spirit can perform a complete identification..."

"Once it surpasses this rank, the relevant information drastically decreases, and the identification can only be made through self-recognition..."

Ye Hanjun's thoughts were like lightning, he gained a further understanding of the Instructor's abilities.

"We, the mentors of the Canghai Pavilion, might not all be those with firm wills."

"However, at the very least, we have experienced more than our students. We have faced pain, danger, illness, the unknown, death... even without the ability to solve everything, we will not be like students who have just embarked on The Path of Controlling Spirits, falling into chaos at the slightest unexpected event."

"For this first test, I'm testing 'willpower'!"

"If you can't even do that, you will never have the chance to become a qualified mentor!"

Jiang Yongnian's words were powerful and resonant.

The moment he noticed Ye Hanjun's body trembling from the corner of his eyes, he felt certain of his victory.

Just as he was about to smile and add that as long as Ye Hanjun could withstand the fear and make eye contact with the Ghost Shadow Spider for ten minutes without collapsing, he would pass the first test -

He suddenly realized that the trembling had stopped. A fair hand emerged from the black wind robe. The movement was natural, smooth, and poised.

His target was the Ghost Shadow Spider's naturally curly hair on the forehead. His five fingers gripped it like they were tampering with weeds, vigorously playing and scratching.

"Yow...yow...yow...yow...yow...yow... Yow?"

The Ghost Shadow Spider named Gui Gui, celebrating its 120th birthday this year, suddenly froze in the middle of its fierce, threatening face.

Up until now, apart from her master who occasionally bathed her, she had never allowed another male creature to touch her with such intimacy.

Was this young boy... gone mad?

She was a Ghost Shadow Spider, a 3rd rank Ghost Shadow Spider!

Jia Pengpeng's Giant Sparrow and Clay Body evolved to Perfection, at the same level they have much stronger vitality.

Those who dared to challenge her were only one Spider Spear away from a chilling defeat.

How... how could this human dare to do this?

Shouldn't he be paralyzed with fear, with a numb scalp and cold sweats?

If he lost his composure to the extent of soiling himself, it wouldn't be impossible - there were a lot of Fond Spirits in her lifetime that have literally been scared to death by her frighteningly elusive presence!

Ghost Shadow Spider Gui Gui had six expressions flashing through her six eyes: "unexpected", "dumbfounded", "incomprehensible", "incredulous", "unbelievable", "is this kid sick?"

Then, she was furious to the extreme. The two Spider Spears at the front stood up towards the sky, just like a blast furnace about to explode, eager to vent her negative emotions.

"No!" Jiang Yongnian's face kept changing, trying to stop her.

This order was given at the same time - or to be precise, a few milliseconds before.

The oppressive aura exuding from the Ghost Shadow Spider suddenly relaxed, the two trembling Spider Spears fell back to the ground, surprisingly she voluntarily gave up her attack.

Hmm...um...hmm...

This kid's strength is a bit weak, but his massaging skills aren't bad?

Yes, yes! There, right there... press harder! harder! Comfortable! It feels so good!...

Ghost Shadow Spider Gui Gui's gaze became hazy.

Having lived over a hundred years as an 'Shadow Spider' and even after an 'Ascending Evolution' into a 'Ghost Shadow Spider', she was enjoying such an incredible massage technique for the first time.

This man... he must be a devil!

She wanted to seize him and tie him up in her spider web, making him work every day...

"Gui Gui, I told you to come here to pierce through him, told you to smash his facade and baseless confidence... what are you doing? Try to show some backbone!"

Having been together for so long, achieving an exceptional level of affinity, about sixty to seventy percent of Jiang Yongnian's thoughts and orders could be delivered through telepathy.

"But, master... it's just too comfortable..."

The giant spider seemed to have gotten drunk, she collapsed sluggishly to the ground, thus the delicate and gentle arm could easily caress her forehead again.

"Nonsense!"

Jiang Yongnian suffered a surge of blood pressure, he wasn't feeling well at all.

With his finger pointing out, a flash of bright light bloomed from his shoulder, and Ghost Shadow Spider's colossal body disappeared leaving only a faint stench of decay in the air.

Without the "audience", Ye Hanjun could only retreat to his seat. He used a piece of his handkerchief that was still relatively clean to wipe the sticky black liquid from his fingers;

At the same time, he still had the lingering desire to touch, feeling something left unsatisfied.

He recalled the time when Feng gave him a spider and Liuying a centipede as a present for his fourth birthday.

Technically, given his reincarnation, he should not have been overly playful in his childhood.

However, this weird and diverse world of Fond Spirits... is just too damn interesting!

His folks are all freaks and he needs to keep up, or else he will be looked down upon.

For example, dark creatures like the Ghost Shadow Spider are just like lab mice in the Abyss; more than one teacher had given him and Liuying lectures on their autopsies.

This was why Ye Hanjun knew about the Ghost Shadow Spider's forehead, and the special sensation nerves it possessed.

However, there was one unexpected result.

That session of "pinching, plucking, pushing, and pressing" was much more effective than he had envisioned.

It seemed as if some unseen law was strengthening his palm, gifting him with a new mysterious power.

"Could it be the 'Instructor's' related passive ability?"

As his speculation came to a stop, Ye Hanjun looked at Jiang Yongnian's rapidly changing face and couldn't help but grin:

"Director Jiang, you can't possibly fail me on this first challenge now, can you?"