Spirit Beast Companion

Chapter 4 — The Spirit Warrior

Master Chen's gaze drifted far beyond the pavilion, as if he were looking back into the distant past.

"The Pillar of Heavenly Spirits... if one were to describe what the eyes see, it is a gargantuan stone pillar... larger than any of you could possibly imagine. It stands majestically at the center of the world, where the four kingdoms converge... high... so high that its peak vanishes into the clouds. No one has ever climbed to the top, and no one knows how deep its roots delve into the earth."

"Its surface is made of a material unknown to anyone; it is neither stone nor metal, so incredibly durable that no weapon in the world can leave a scratch upon it. It has stood there for an eternity... long before our ancestors even built the first city... it is a witness to time itself."

The master paused for a moment, letting the children imagine that grandeur. Mulan sat perfectly upright, her eyes widening more and more. In her mind, she tried to picture that pillar... the pillar that could never be destroyed...

"But its significance... lies far beyond what the eyes can see," Master Chen continued, his voice growing more solemn. "Legends say... in the distant primordial era, we humans were not much different from other animals. We were born... lived... and died... without any special powers at all. Until one day... that pillar 'awakened'."

"No one knows how it happened, but suddenly, millions of Ancient Runes carved all over the pillar began to glow with a brilliant golden light. That light shone throughout the land, and on that very day... the first human awakened the 'Spiritual Power' that lay dormant within their bloodline."

"Spiritual Power... is the gift the Pillar of Heavenly Spirits bestowed upon mankind. It is the ability to connect with another dimension... a world filled with wondrous creatures... what we call the 'Spirit Beast Dimension'."

Mulan unconsciously held her breath. The story the master told was grander and more exciting than any tale Grandmother had ever told her. This was the origin of the power she had heard about her entire life!

"But having power alone is meaningless... if one does not know how to use it." The old scholar pointed to the textbook on Mulan's desk. "And that was the second gift the pillar gave us... the runes shining upon it... they are the world's first textbook! They contain all the knowledge that those with Spiritual Power need to know!"

"It taught us about the Eight Levels of Spiritual Power... it taught us about the Four Racial Tiers... it taught the methods of 'Summoning'... the methods of 'Soul Binding'... it taught every rule regarding being a 'Spirit Warrior'... Our ancestors spent hundreds of years studying and deciphering those runes until they became the theories and disciplines passed down to this day."

Master Chen walked back to the front of the classroom before turning to face the children once more.

"The awakening of the Pillar of Heavenly Spirits... changed this world forever. It gave rise to a new class... the class of those who can communicate with and use the power of Spirit Beasts. They became leaders... kings... generals... protectors... and sometimes, destroyers... The great clans and various cultivation sects you know today are all founded upon this monumental discovery."

"It is the reason our kingdom is strong... and the reason the stories of the great Spirit Warriors have become legends that we recount endlessly."

Master Chen stopped his narration there. The atmosphere in the pavilion remained silent as every child was lost in the trance of the incredible s********e sat with their mouths agape, others had eyes wide with excitement, but none had eyes that sparkled as brightly as the young girl sitting in the very front row.

To Mulan... this was not just a legend... it was the most wondrous truth she had ever heard. The world she once thought was simple and ordinary held a great secret within. It made her small heart race like never before. A sense of excitement... a sense of dreaming... a tiny feeling of wanting to be a part of that grand story... had been born within her heart.

"And..." Mulan asked softly, breaking the silence. "And now... is that pillar still in the same place, Master?"

Master Chen smiled even wider. "Of course... it still stands in the same place... and the runes upon it still shine just the same... waiting for a new generation like yourselves to discover the remaining secrets... Though we have learned from it for thousands of years, no one can yet say with full confidence that they understand its entire meaning... Its true origin... and its true purpose... still remain the greatest mysteries of this world."

Upon that answer, the bell from the City Center Tower rang out... Gong... Gong... Gong...

It was the signal... that school hours had ended... The school bell still echoed in Mulan's ears as she ran out of the old wooden pavilion. The story of the "Pillar of Heavenly Spirits" that Master Chen had just finished telling continued to swirl in her head without stopping. It instantly made the world she once knew seem vast and full of intriguing mysteries. The young girl's mind drifted into fantasies of the sky-piercing stone pillar and the legendary Spirit Warriors, to the point that she hardly noticed her surroundings.

She ran along the familiar path, heading toward the Moonlit Contentment Inn to work the afternoon shift as she did every day. The atmosphere of Zhou City in the afternoon was peaceful and slow; most people were simply conducting their business, with nothing particularly exciting happening.

However... today was not like every other day.

When Mulan reached the edge of the market, she suddenly skidded to a halt. The familiar atmosphere had changed. People were not trading goods as usual; instead, they were gathered in groups by the roadside, whispering and looking in the same direction with gazes full of mixed emotions—astonishment, apprehension, and admiration all at once.

"What happened, Uncle Bai?" Mulan asked the familiar fruit seller, who was standing on tiptoe to peer ahead from his stall.

"Shh... be quiet, little one," Uncle Bai quickly raised a finger to his lips. "The constables from the city are here! A large group of them!"

Mulan furrowed her brows in suspicion. 'Constables from Zhou City?' Zhou City had its own local constables. Only once in a long while would an official from a major city pass through, but for a whole force of constables to be here? What were they doing in the countryside?

She slowly squeezed through the crowding onlookers to get a clearer view... and the sight she saw made her eyes widen to their limits.

A group of about ten sturdy men in pitch-black leather armor were marching in formation down the middle of the street. Each had a longsword slung at his waist, their gait valiant and imposing, completely different from the rural guards. Adorning their chests was the Golden Lotus Emblem... the seal of the Zhou City magistrate's office.

But what drew the people's eyes and left everyone stunned was not that group of constables...

But rather, the creature walking alongside their leader like a shadow...

A pitch-black wolf!

It was no ordinary wolf found in the Eastern Wilds; it was nearly twice the size of a typical wolf. Its fur was as black as night, reflecting the afternoon sun until it shimmered brilliantly. Every muscle on its body moved with grace and power. Its sharp amber eyes swept around coldly and keenly; there was no hint of a feral beast, but rather, it was filled with an amazing intelligence.

"That... that's a Spirit Beast!" someone in the crowd exclaimed with a trembling voice.

"I've heard of this! High-ranking city constables have spirit partners to help with investigations!" another voice added.

A middle-aged man with some knowledge peered at the wolf before muttering to his friend, "Judging by its appearance, it must be a Wild Spirit Beast... but that faint aura of power radiating from it... it must be at least Level 2, Initial Stage, for sure... I can't believe I'm seeing the real thing with my own eyes."

Those words sent the villagers into even more of a frenzy. To them, stories of those with Spiritual Power and Spirit Beasts were merely things heard in fables or teahouse tales. To see a real Spirit Warrior with his partner at such close range was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Some children burst into tears from fear, forcing their parents to quickly carry them back home.

Amidst the diverse emotions of the people... only Mulan was different.

She didn't feel the slightest bit of fear...

The moment her eyes fixed upon that black wolf, her heart swelled with a feeling she had never experienced before.

Her large eyes sparkled more brilliantly than ever before. The story Master Chen had just taught that morning overlapped with the sight before her. This was a real 'Spirit Beast'! The partner of a 'Spirit Warrior' that she had only ever imagined!

It was elegant... it was imposing... and it looked like the coolest thing in the world!

Excitement surged through her body until she almost wanted to jump for joy right there. She completely forgot about her dishwashing duties, forgot her exhaustion from running... in her eyes now, there was only the image of that black wolf.

The constables paid no mind to the gazes of the people around them. They walked straight to the Moonlit Contentment Inn before the leader and his onyx wolf vanished inside, leaving only subordinates standing guard outside and a crowd that still hadn't recovered from their shock.

But Mulan remained standing still. She stared at the inn door that had just closed... in her heart now, it was no longer just about the Pillar of Heavenly Spirits... but also the image of that elegant black wolf... Her small world... was about to be shaken... violently...