"Thank you so much for what you did today," Kye suddenly uttered out of the blue.
"I just did what I thought I should do. Anyway, it's nice to see that you're starting to talk to me..." Rocky
replied.
"I admit that I was doubtful of you before, but my moral compass is still as good as anyone. I know
you’re just trying to do the right thing. I’d be lying if I said that I was pleased that you replaced me as
the leader, but after seeing your work up close, I realized it was for the better good," Kye answered
back, not letting his pride cloud his judgment. When he saw Rocky capture the commander of the
spiritual race's army and help them escape from the Crescent Gorge, he knew he was in the wrong.
What was more, Rocky didn’t hesitate to save his life again this time.
"I'm glad that you think so!" A feeling of relief washed over Rocky. He didn't expect that he would gain
Kye's trust in such a short amount of time.
"But this doesn't mean that I like you. You're still a closed book." Kye's tone suddenly changed as a
look of disdain was seen on his face.
"Really?"
"Of course, what happened in that cave couldn't be that simple. I have a feeling that you're hiding
something," he added. His intuition was seldom wrong. He knew the man in front of him was not telling
the whole truth.
"It’s better for you if you don’t know much about some things. It won’t do you any good. What’s
important is that you’re alive and safe right now." Rocky tried his best not to give him the truth.
"That's true, but I don't like the feeling of being kept in the dark," Kye said.
"Speaking of this, I have to ask you something." Rocky suddenly shifted the topic.
"What is it?"
"You haven't merged with a martial spirit, have you?" he asked.
"Martial spirit? Are you kidding me? How could I have the chance to fuse with a martial spirit?" Kye was
caught off guard by the question.
For an unknown spirit warrior like him, it was almost next to impossible to merge with a rare martial
spirit even if he was talented.
"Well, that's a shame. A man of your talent would go far if you had the chance to fuse with one. Your
Spiritual Infant could even reach the advanced stage in no time!" Rocky said with a cunning smile.
"Where are you going with this?" Kye felt his words were tongue in cheek.
"Let's say that I have the power to let you merge with a martial spirit. How would you repay me?" A
shrewd look flashed across Rocky's eyes.
"Is this some sort of joke? Or are you playing tricks on me?" Kye was in disbelief. He couldn't believe
what he was hearing.
"Do you think I'm joking?" Rocky said in a serious tone.
Kye hesitated to answer. He shifted his gaze towards Rocky a few times to see if he was really telling
the truth. In the end, he knew he couldn’t pass on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "If you can really
give me such a chance, I will follow and support you till death. I swear to serve you with all of my heart
and soul!"
"I trust that you'll keep your word. Come with me." Hearing that, Rocky smiled at once. He then
grabbed Kye's shoulder and instantly took him into the Magic Spiritual Space.
"What is this place?" Finding himself in a seemingly magical and enchantingly beautiful place, Kye
couldn't help but feel amazed.
"Don't ask too much." Rocky then immediately summoned the martial spirits that were scattered around
in his Magic Spiritual Space.
The spirit warrior was stunned to see a large group of martial spirits around him.
"This..." He was speechless. He couldn't understand how a seemingly simple man could have collected
so many of those rare martial spirits. What was even more surprising, they even seem to heed his
orders.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Feel free to choose which one you'd like to merge with." Rocky
snapped him out of it.
Kye’s suspicions suddenly faded away as he began to carefully shuffle among the martial spirits to find
the suitable one for himself.
Not long after, he found himself standing before a valiant looking martial spirit holding a broadsword
and said, "I want him!"
"Well, try to merge with him," Rocky said as he stood by and watched.
Kye nodded and without saying another word, released his spiritual power to try and fuse with the
martial spirit.
But for whatever reason, the spirit rejected him. After trying for a long time to capture its heart, the
young spirit warrior collapsed on the ground, exhausted and gasping for air.
"Did you fail?" Rocky, who watched from a distance, shook his head slightly in dismay.
"Damn it!" Kye gritted his teeth in frustration. He couldn't let such an opportunity slip by.
"Don't be discouraged. It seems that this martial spirit doesn't like you. When you regain your strength,
you can try another one. With the number of martial spirits I have here, there should be one bound to
be suitable for you." Rocky offered a few words of comfort.
"Are you still willing to give me a try?" Kye, who was disappointed with himself, asked with his head
bowed down.
"Of course. It's worth it in exchange for a loyal follower. But first, let's get out of here." After saying that,
Rocky left the Magic Spiritual Space along with the young warrior.
"Go and take a break!" He said to Kye.
The feeling of defeat was still aching in Kye's heart, and so, he gave Rocky a meaningful look and left
dejectedly.
'This fellow will surely be a valuable subject. If he can fuse with a martial spirit, there's no doubt that he
can be useful in the future.' Rocky was lost in thought as he watched Kye's receding figure.
The night quickly passed.
The next day, the patrol troops continued to head back. They had to search one last area to complete
their mission.
They arrived in a primeval forest near the Panta Mountain, which was one of the most dangerous areas
where spiritual beasts would frequently appear. If it weren’t for the threat that the spiritual race was
seeking to claim the area, Deputy Commander Lin would never have led his team there.
To ensure his soldiers’ safety, the deputy commander decided to camp on the outskirts of the dense
jungle while he sent a team of spirit warriors to explore the area first. Only after confirming a safe route
would he order the rest to march inside.
It was none other than Rocky who led the scouting team.
After getting ready, they headed into the primeval forest.
Since no humans lived inside it, the forest was filled with wild plants and animals. The trees reached
high into the sky while the grass grew as tall as a person. As they moved further inside, they could see
nothing but an endless sea of grass and leaves.
"Be careful. There may be spiritual beasts lurking around, waiting to ambush us," Rocky reminded his
team.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly felt an ominous aura approaching.
"Watch out! There is a spiritual beast!" He immediately alerted everyone.
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