Chapter 415: Soul Cleansing Pill
Chapter 415: Chapter 415: Soul Cleansing Pill
"Is... is this real? Xuanyuan, you passed the Alchemy Master assessment?" Yu Mingche’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Of course, it’s real. I went and took the test specifically to make my personal resume look a little better for our ceremony," Ning Xuan said, as if presenting a treasure.
The Contract ceremony required inviting friends and family from both sides. Yu Mingche’s personal resume was brilliant and his political standing was high. As for Ning Xuan, her Divine Bloodline was a secret, and she didn’t plan on revealing her SS-level spiritual power or her Dual Companion Spirits. What was left of her resume wasn’t very presentable, which was why Ning Xuan decided to go and become an Alchemy Master.
After all, the title of Alchemy Master was just barely enough to make a good showing.
"Xuanyuan, you never cease to amaze me. Thank you for being so considerate of me. Honestly, even without the title of Alchemy Master, it’s my honor to form a Contract with you," Yu Mingche said, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Three days before the Contract ceremony, Yu Mingche took Ning Xuan to the Tianjiao Training Base to see the Dean.
When Ning Xuan stood before the Dean, his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, made her straighten her back involuntarily.
"So this is the little girl you told me about?" The Dean looked to be in his forties or fifties, but he was actually over 300 years old. He had more or less watched Yu Mingche grow up; to be precise, Yu Mingche might not have even survived to adulthood without him.
The Dean sized up Ning Xuan with a smile. "Dual Companion Spirits, SS-level spiritual power, and an Alchemy Master at such a young age... Yu, you’ve really hit the jackpot."
Standing to the side, Yu Mingche couldn’t help but smile. "Dean, this is my Lord Contract Master. Aren’t you going to praise me in front of my Family Head?"
It was clear that Yu Mingche was very relaxed around the Dean. They must have interacted often, as the atmosphere between them was one of familiar warmth and understanding.
Ning Xuan knew the Dean was family in Yu Mingche’s heart, so she greeted the old man deferentially. "Hello, Dean. My name is Ning Xuan. Ming Che is an exceptional person, and I’m very happy to be forming a Contract with him."
Feng Linran had personally overseen Ning Xuan’s attire for the day, even adjusting her hairstyle and accessories. As a result, her outfit perfectly complemented her features, creating a very gentle and sweet style.
Although anyone who knew Ning Xuan was aware that her personality was anything but gentle and sweet, her appearance in this outfit was undeniably fitting.
"It’s a pleasure, Ning Xuan. In all my years, I’ve never seen such a gentle and beautiful young lady. Xuanyuan, come here. Let me show you some of Ming Che’s childhood photos and tell you some stories about him," the old Dean said, taking Ning Xuan’s hand and leading her into the room.
When the old Dean reached out to take Ning Xuan’s hand, Yu Mingche broke out in a cold sweat. ’I know she hates being touched by strangers. I hope she doesn’t impatiently shake the Dean off.’ To his surprise, however, Ning Xuan compliantly allowed the old Dean to lead her away.
Yu Mingche breathed a sigh of relief, a wave of gratitude washing over him. He quickly caught up to them, chiming in with playful banter.
"Look at this picture. This kid with the swollen face is Ming Che. Look at that fierce glare! He was only four, and he took down three kids who were a head taller than him all by himself. He got beaten up pretty badly too, though. *Sigh*... Ming Che has had a hard life. Luckily, he was smart and tough enough to grow up smoothly. But because of everything he’s been through, he’s always had a lot on his mind, even as a child. If he ever does anything inappropriate, Xuanyuan, please be patient with him, alright?" the old Dean said, wearing his reading glasses as he flipped through the photos of Yu Mingche.
Yu Mingche tried to interrupt the old Dean’s rambling several times, but Ning Xuan discreetly held him back. She was destined not to have many more interactions with this old man. Since he genuinely cared for Yu Mingche and had his best interests at heart, she couldn’t bear to disappoint him.
’It’s okay if he rambles a bit.’
"Look at this one! A bare-butt photo! This is a rare piece of Ming Che’s embarrassing past, I..." The old Dean pulled out another photo and pointed, showing it to Ning Xuan.
"Dean, please put that away! That was ages ago! I was just a kid back then," Yu Mingche hastily interrupted.
"Haha, you’re right, you’re right. Ming Che was just a little kid then. Are you getting shy looking at it now?" the old Dean cackled.
Yu Mingche looked at him with a helpless, sad expression. The old Dean’s Spiritual Power Level was only A-level, and because he had never been soothed by a female Contractor, his Spiritual Sea had long been a chaotic mess. His mutated genes were also highly unstable. In recent years, various symptoms had appeared, such as mental and cognitive confusion. Yu Mingche took the old Dean for regular check-ups, but the prognosis was not optimistic. In his current state, the old Dean was at constant risk of complete mutation, or his mind could collapse into dementia at any time.
Of course, Yu Mingche had taken the old Dean for treatment before. However, this type of chronic spiritual affliction, which had accumulated over many years, was simply incurable. Even alleviating the symptoms was a struggle. It was only thanks to Yu Mingche arranging for doctors to treat the Dean year after year that the old man had held on for so long.
In reality, although the average lifespan of a Spirit Controller in the Interstellar Federation was between 500 and 800 years, very few actually lived to be 500.
After all, the higher a Spirit Controller’s Spiritual Power Level, the more likely they were to participate in various battles. And in battle, there was always the risk of death. Even if they survived, their Spiritual Sea was susceptible to pollution, which likewise increased the risk of complete mutation.
Spirit Controllers with low Spiritual Power Levels might only be able to work in social services, where the chance of contamination seemed much lower. However, their pay was also meager, which meant they couldn’t afford to be matched with a good Contractor, nor could they afford spiritual soothing. Over time, their Spiritual Sea would become a chaotic mess, which also affected their lifespan.
Noticing the sadness in Yu Mingche’s eyes, Ning Xuan waited until the old Dean wasn’t looking, then took a vial of Elixir Pills from her Space Button and handed it to him.
Yu Mingche took the vial of Elixir Pills and opened it. A refreshing fragrance wafted out, invigorating him with just a sniff.
"Is this a Soul Cleansing Pill?" Yu Mingche asked, looking at Ning Xuan with excitement.
Ning Xuan nodded and smiled. "They say this pill can clear away stubborn pollution that has accumulated in the Spiritual Sea over a long time. I refined two vials in advance to give to the old man as a first-meeting gift. What do you think?"