Chapter 26: Pre-Exam Crash Course on Magic Spirits

The next morning, 7:30 AM.

"All four morning sessions are Introduction to Spirit Familiars. Anyone who hasn't cleared the fog from their brains yet, go outside and run two laps."

As morning study ended, "Big Demon" Liang, with his hands clasped behind his back, paced the classroom with a hunched, waddling gait, a faint smile on his face. His steps appeared leisurely and sluggish, yet he moved with uncanny speed, always appearing before a student before they could react. With a quick reach, he would snatch up stray novels, love letters, or heretical propaganda that hadn't been shoved into desk cubbies in time.

Big Demon Liang was the homeroom teacher of Class 6, Grade 12, and one of the rare veteran instructors at Maple Sugar City No. 1 High School qualified to teach "Introduction to Spirit Familiars." The requirements for this course are exceptionally high, demanding both a deep grasp of theoretical knowledge and extensive practical experience in utilizing Spirit Familiars. Consequently, teachers of this subject are in constant short supply everywhere.

Today, the entire grade was taking the course simultaneously. Big Demon Liang taught his own Class 6 in the morning and would head to another classroom in the afternoon. The other four instructors teaching the remaining classes had been brought in from other high schools across Maple Sugar City. These five individuals comprised the entire faculty for "Introduction to Spirit Familiars" in the city. Over the next few days, they would rotate to other Grade 12 classes—a practice known as "shared instruction."

In regions with relatively scarce educational resources, this was the only way to afford teaching the subject; in even more underdeveloped areas, it wasn't taught at all. You ask what happens when the Awakening Test covers it? Then the students simply give up, relying entirely on their innate talent to improvise on the spot. Some low-tier paths do not require a profound understanding of Spirit Familiars and might not even feature the subject on the exam—these are the directions students in underdeveloped areas generally apply for.

Often, your place of birth and family circumstances naturally disqualify you from pursuing high-end or niche paths. How thoughtful of the system.

As Big Demon Liang circled the room, he plucked out several students who showed promise of passing the test, quizzing them on key points and offering varying degrees of criticism based on their performance. There was only criticism, never praise.

Old Liang was a military man by trade, accustomed to a rigid, iron-fisted educational style. In his world, there were only moderate, severe, and ultra-severe criticisms. With his aged, stern face and a large, hawk-like nose, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.

After putting the promising students through their paces, Big Demon Liang passed Li Xingming’s seat and flashed a grin at him. He didn’t say a word, then walked away.

"Damn, I nearly peed myself. I thought Old Liang was going to rip me a new one," Ouyang said, still shaken after narrowly escaping disaster.

"Your grasp of Spirit Familiar theory is fine. Whether you pass the test depends on math; he can't be bothered with you," Li Xingming remarked. "Old Liang just has a iron-blooded style, not that he’s a mad dog biting everyone in sight."

"Fair point."

Early in the semester, the students had noticed that their homeroom teacher, Old Liang, seemed to dote on Li Xingming. He rarely disciplined him, and even when Li did something insane or absurd—like going to the art building to pick a fight—Liang would only offer a symbolic scolding. As for the instruction of "Introduction to Spirit Familiars," Old Liang simply ignored Li Xingming entirely.

Everyone speculated that the Li family must have pulled some strings with Old Liang. After all, most veterans from Maple Sugar City received significant subsidies from the "Maple Sugar Heavy Industry Retired Veterans Care Foundation," and Old Liang served as a director on that very board. Even Ouyang defaulted to this assumption. Of course, Ouyang held no grudge against Li Xingming for it; as a budding politician, Ouyang possessed a highly flexible moral compass.

Li Xingming had no immediate need to use the restroom, so he stayed huddled in his seat. The class began.

"Recently, there have been voices online claiming that the Spirit Familiar theory section of the Awakening Test is too archaic. I believe this is purely sensationalism from self-media... If you can't even master the basics, there's no point in talking about flashy, modern maneuvers. It’s nothing more than people trying to escape the reality of their own poor fundamentals by crafting concepts and seeking validation online..."

"Of course, self-media isn't entirely bad. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a video on NoteTube that was quite interesting."

"It talked about an old-world cartoon called *Pokémon*. Many of its fantastical settings share a strange commonality with Spirit Familiar lore. Watching it can deepen your understanding of them. If you have the time... never mind, you're preparing for exams, and finals follow the Awakening Test. You shouldn't have any time. If any of you are interested in cartoons, wait until winter break."

Contrary to his outward demeanor, Old Liang’s teaching style was quite dynamic, incorporating current trends and his own insights. Li Xingming largely approved of this, which is why he usually listened to Big Demon Liang’s lectures in their entirety without zoning out or finding excuses to meditate by the door.

Listening to Old Liang’s lectures helped Li Xingming understand how the contemporary world, especially those with military backgrounds, perceived Spirit Familiars. Sometimes, he might even stumble upon new knowledge. Knowledge is always iterating and progressing; Li Xingming was not arrogant enough to look down on everyone in this era.

Simply put, Spirit Familiars are like small pets contracted to transcendents, except these "pets" are pure spiritual energy constructs, not physical entities. Each Spirit Familiar represents a corresponding concept. By channeling the contract through the void of the mind’s sea, a transcendent can manifest the Spirit Familiar to produce an effect.

After introducing the necessary theory for the lesson, Old Liang spread his right hand on the podium, and a Spirit Familiar appeared in his palm. It was about the size of an apricot, pale red in color, and rounded, resembling a small pig.

"A Tier-1 Spirit Familiar, the 'Porcine Form'."

"It has no active effects. Its passive effect is a slight boost to the contractor's vitality."

"The state-sponsored Awakening Test uses the 'Porcine Form' as the standard for the 'Spirit Familiar Sensing and Practical Operation (Compulsory)' exam, as it is a 'universal' attribute and rarely conflicts with any path."

"First is the sensing stage. The rule is that the testing machine resets the Spirit Familiar to a neutral state. The candidate then uses their will to communicate with it, keeping the Spirit Familiar within a designated area—a circular field with a radius of one meter. The score is determined by how long the candidate can maintain this control."

"I will demonstrate it for you, then I will call names for each of you to come up and try. I will provide one-on-one guidance."

Old Liang fetched the test instrument and pressed the reset button, severing the link between the Spirit Familiar and his own mind. Inside the chalk-drawn circle, the pig-like Spirit Familiar shuddered and suddenly began to dart about. However, before it could run a few inches, Old Liang’s large hand hovered over the circle.

The Spirit Familiar stopped in its tracks, turned to run in the opposite direction, and bumped into an invisible wall. Thus, Old Liang continued to hem the Spirit Familiar in, gradually narrowing its range of movement...