Chapter Nine: Encounter with the Spirit Once More

"Kid, you’re here!" Just as Han Tianyue hesitated, the spirit appeared before him once more.

"How do you want me to help you?" Han Tianyue asked.

The spirit glanced at him and inquired, "Why haven’t you eaten the Ice Heart I gave you?"

Han Tianyue replied cautiously, "Although this thing is good, I don’t know if it’s poisoned or contains anything else harmful!"

The spirit chuckled, "Afraid I’ll harm you, kid?" Then it continued, "Well, it’s good to be cautious, but without consuming the Ice Heart, you’ll never be able to rescue my—"

Han Tianyue took out the Ice Heart, hesitating for a moment.

The spirit said, "There’s no need to rush. Let me take you to see where the crystal sphere is first!"

A cold wind swept through Han Tianyue’s body, and his soul stepped out from within him.

As the spirit approached, Han Tianyue grew wary. "What about my body?"

"Don’t worry," the spirit answered. "I’ll send your body back to your dormitory." A gust of wind swept by, and Han Tianyue’s body was carried back to his bed and tucked under the covers.

"Where do you want to take me?"

"Just follow me!" And so, the two spirits drifted effortlessly into the forbidden grounds.

Passing through the first gate, Han Tianyue followed the spirit deeper inside. The first person he saw was Boka, the one from earlier that day. Now that he was in soul form, Han Tianyue could see streams of seven-colored light swirling all around, and Boka’s body was absorbing these radiant streams ceaselessly.

"So that’s how he’s so powerful—by absorbing the seven-colored light!" Han Tianyue realized.

"This was the old man’s idea," the spirit said bitterly. "He uses these kids to drain the energy from my body. These seven-colored streams are only a small part of the power within me!" The spirit sounded indignant, yet resigned.

Deeper inside was the boy from the Heart Tomb, along with six other boys. Their abilities were much like Boka’s, absorbing the energy that filled the air around them.

"What about the crystal sphere that’s imprisoning your—?" Han Tianyue looked around, puzzled by the emptiness.

"Right beneath your feet!"

Han Tianyue looked down and saw a series of circles drawn on the ground. "It’s underneath here!"

As he moved closer to the circles, the spirit rushed forward in panic to stop him, but Han Tianyue had already touched one—

"Who’s there!" A furious roar echoed out.

It was the principal’s voice. Han Tianyue’s face went pale. The spirit, sensing danger, mustered the last of its energy and blew with all its might. Han Tianyue’s soul was swept away like a scrap of paper, carried off an unfathomable distance.

In his ears, a cold voice rang out, "A feeble will dares to break my formation? Pure delusion!"

With a single gesture, the principal obliterated the spirit.

When Han Tianyue’s soul finally came to rest, having been blown far, far away, he realized he no longer knew where he was.

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