Soul Land:The Dragon King's God of Nature

Jing Ziyuan and Lin Xin pedaled their bicycles, carrying Jing Shaoyu and Na'er, as the four of them left the orphanage, laughter filling the air.

On the way, Lin Xin said with admiration, "Director, who would have thought that A-Yu would have such amazing talent? When are you planning to take him to the Spirit Pagoda to choose a soul spirit?"

"Tomorrow, I think," Jing Ziyuan replied thoughtfully. "In the afternoon, I need to see the city administrator. A-Yu's talent is extraordinary, so I need to find him a good soul spirit—at least one at the century level. Anything less would waste his potential, and I'd feel terrible about it."

"Mom, are soul spirits expensive?" Jing Shaoyu asked, his expression clouding over as he listened to the conversation. If he remembered correctly, soul spirits were indeed costly, especially for Spirit Masters from modest backgrounds. Even though Jing Ziyuan worked as a public official for the Federation, a century-level soul spirit might cost her entire savings.

"Haha, don't worry, A-Yu," Jing Ziyuan laughed, sensing his concern. "After all, Mom is a public servant for the Federation. Federal employees get one free chance to choose a century-level soul spirit from the Spirit Pagoda. I'll add a bit more money to ensure you get the best soul spirit suited to you!"

"But won't that still cost a lot? If we spend all our money on a soul spirit, how will we manage afterward?" Jing Shaoyu couldn't help but worry. He understood the value of a strong soul spirit for a Spirit Master's future, but he was also concerned about their family's well-being. One downside of his regained memories was that they made him overly mature.

"A-Yu, that's where I come in," Lin Xin reassured him. "Even though I'm just an ordinary person, I've saved up a fair bit over the years. Supporting you and Na'er is no problem at all."

"Exactly," Jing Ziyuan added, "A-Yu, you don't need to worry about money. And once you officially become a Spirit Master, you'll receive a monthly stipend from the Federation—fifteen hundred federals a month."

"Fifteen hundred federals? That's… not much." Jing Shaoyu's mouth twitched slightly. The Spirit Pagoda charged seventy thousand federals for a ten-year soul spirit, and a century-level spirit cost at least a million. At a stipend of fifteen hundred a month, it would take four years to save up for a ten-year spirit, and for a century-level one, it'd take forty or fifty years. No wonder the class divide among Spirit Masters was so pronounced in this era.

"Big Brother, I still don't know what your spirit is!" Na'er, noticing Jing Shaoyu's troubled expression, smiled sweetly and chimed in.

"Haha," Jing Shaoyu grinned again, answering, "My spirit is a top-tier spirit called the Primordial Elf!"

"Primordial Elf?" Na'er looked puzzled. "What kind of spirit is that? Is it a Beast Spirit?"

"It could be classified as a Beast Spirit," Jing Shaoyu replied with a hint of excitement.

"Heehee, when we get home, can you show it to me, Big Brother? I'm so curious!" Na'er's large eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Of course!" Jing Shaoyu agreed eagerly.

---

In the afternoon, after dropping Jing Shaoyu back at the orphanage, Jing Ziyuan headed straight to the Aolai City administration office.

Meanwhile, in the orphanage courtyard, Jing Shaoyu was demonstrating his spirit to Na'er and taking his first real opportunity to sense the essence of his new power.

"Wow!" Na'er's mouth dropped open, her face filled with admiration. She exclaimed, "Big Brother, you look amazing—so beautiful, like a princess from a storybook!"

"Uh…" Jing Shaoyu's forehead creased with embarrassment, and he corrected her, "Na'er, I've told you a hundred times, I'm a boy. You can't use words like 'beautiful' to describe me!"

"But Big Brother really is beautiful!" Na'er replied innocently, her large eyes looking at him earnestly.

"Ahem." Jing Shaoyu cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward. He quickly changed the subject, asking, "Na'er, do you see any other changes?"

After activating his spirit, Jing Shaoyu could tell that his hair had turned green and grown longer, but he couldn't tell if anything else had changed without looking in a mirror, so he asked Na'er for feedback.

"Yes! Your ears have become pointy and long!" Na'er said, studying him with a critical eye as she touched her chin thoughtfully.

"Pointy and long?" Jing Shaoyu reached up and touched his ears, finding them exactly as she'd described. He murmured to himself, "Could it be that I really am an elf?"

"And your eyes turned blue! There's also a vertical purple mark here." Na'er touched the center of his forehead.

"I see. I think I understand now." Jing Shaoyu smiled, piecing together his spirit's characteristics based on Na'er's descriptions.

"Oh, and there's a round green gem behind your head, like a big disc. It's shiny and sparkly!" Na'er added, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as she stared at the emerald circle floating behind him.

"That's the Crown of Nature, an essential part of my spirit!" Jing Shaoyu explained with a smile.

The Crown of Nature—a translucent jade circle hovering behind Jing Shaoyu's head, pristine and polished, as if crafted by a master artisan—was one of the most vital components of his Primordial Elf spirit.

Though the knowledge he gained during his awakening was limited, he understood that his spirit's origins were both mysterious and extraordinary, seemingly connected to the nature of Douluo Star itself.

When his spirit activated, he felt an overwhelming vitality surging within him—vast and boundless, as endless as the sea. His spirit granted him an acute sensitivity to life energy in his surroundings, along with powerful healing abilities.

Unfortunately, his spirit power was so gentle that he realized it was best suited for healing. Even without specific soul skills, the energy alone could soothe minor injuries and ailments.

This indicated that to maximize his spirit's potential, he'd need to follow the path of a healing-type Spirit Master.

While becoming a healer wasn't his first choice, he didn't resist the idea, either. His Primordial Elf spirit had other abilities beyond healing, and the hidden presence of a second spirit within him allowed him the flexibility to explore different paths.

Yes, Jing Shaoyu possessed a twin spirit!

Though he hadn't released the second spirit yet, he could sense that it was an aggressive weapon-type spirit. He planned to investigate it further later that evening.

"The Crown of Nature? What's that?" Na'er asked, intrigued.

"Well… I'm not sure how to explain it, so why don't I just show you?" Jing Shaoyu scratched his head.

"Alright!" Na'er clapped her hands excitedly.

"Then follow me." Jing Shaoyu grinned mischievously, leading Na'er to the old locust tree in the courtyard, where a swing was set up. At his urging, Na'er sat on the swing.

"Watch carefully!" Jing Shaoyu smiled, extending his right hand. A soft green light glowed at his fingertips and shot toward the tree. Instantly, slender green vines sprouted from the tree's old branches, unfurling with fresh green leaves. Before Na'er realized it, the vines wrapped around her gently, binding her in place.

"Ah!" Na'er let out a surprised cry, her face filled with panic. She squirmed, trying to break free, but the slender vines were deceptively strong, holding her tightly.

Truly frightened now, she called out, her voice trembling, "Big Brother, help me!"