24. Breadth of the Mind

Chen Nan could not fathom why the thought of Ning Xuan having other contractors made him feel so downcast. Previously, his greatest expectation of a master was simply that they would allow him to fight on the battlefield rather than keeping him confined by their side.

"Ms. Ning, you still need to have your brain capacity measured. It’s on the third floor. Please, follow me!" The male staff member looked at Ning Xuan as if she were a rare treasure; he wanted to approach her but dared not, appearing both eager and reserved.

Ning Xuan followed the staff member to the third floor. The machine used to measure brain capacity was a spaceship-shaped chamber. Ning Xuan stepped inside as instructed and sat in the chair at the center. A screen appeared directly in front of her. When she pressed the button in the middle of the chair, the screen lit up with a flash, and countless beams of light shot out, enveloping her. Ning Xuan felt as if she were bathing in sunlight—a sensation of warmth washed over her.

The light seemed to be a form of energy. She could feel it seeping into her spiritual sea. Subconsciously, she began to circulate the "Soul Nourishment Sutra," and in an instant, her senses sharpened, and her spiritual power surged. Her spiritual sea became exceptionally active; it seemed as though these rays of light could accelerate the cultivation of her spiritual power.

Just as Ning Xuan was getting into the flow of her cultivation, the screen went dark with a "chirp." Outside the chamber, the staff member glanced at Chen Nan, who was watching him nervously. "Major General Chen, Ms. Ning’s brain capacity is Grade A. However, the testing time was too short, so it might not be accurate. I suggest a retest using a higher-level instrument!"

The staff member found it strange. Usually, a brain capacity test took at least twenty minutes. This had barely lasted five minutes before the machine shut down automatically, yet the energy consumed in those five minutes equaled the consumption of an entire month.

"Understood. We will have it retested later," Chen Nan breathed a sigh of relief. Grade A was just right; it wouldn't attract too much attention for now.

When Ning Xuan took a flying car back to school, she discovered that her personal information on her optical computer had been updated.

Profile
Ordinary Citizen (Minor)
Name: Ning Xuan
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Mother: Ning Zhilan (Deceased)
Father: Bai Xiuwen (Deceased)
Registered Address: Grade D Star, Planet D618, District 4 Residential Area, Xingluo Bay
School: Xingluo Bay Middle-High Joint Academy
Major: Alchemy
Spiritual Power: Grade C (Value: 875)
Brain Capacity: Grade A
Companion Spirit (Ability Form): Unawakened
Ability Talent: Slash (Slasher)
Contractors: 5 (4 hidden)

Following this was Chen Nan’s information.

The flying car had an autopilot function. Ning Xuan looked at Chen Nan, who was sitting perfectly upright beside her, and asked in a serious tone, "Ah Nan, how long does this rut cycle of yours last?"

Chen Nan’s face turned bright red. He turned his head away in embarrassment, refusing to look at her. Being asked such a private and shameful question by a woman, even with their close relationship, was deeply mortifying for him.

"Uh, Ah Nan, I didn't mean anything else. It's just... I want to go to the Miasma Lands to find something, and I wanted to see when you might be free." Seeing his reaction, Ning Xuan realized her question had been a bit abrupt. When she had been browsing the StarNet forums earlier, a mercenary squad had posted about discovering a patch of peculiar plants in the District D Miasma Lands; the parts above ground were leaves, while the parts below ground grew into large tubers.

The mercenary had even posted a picture of the roots, which, at a glance, looked somewhat like oversized taro. The Miasma Lands were the source of all mutated beasts and plants on every planet and were the most dangerous places in existence.

"Master, I am available whenever you wish, but you cannot go. You could awaken your companion spirit at any moment and must remain in a safe environment. If you go to the Miasma Lands, even if it is only a Grade D zone, there is no guarantee that an accident won't occur!" Chen Nan said, his tone grave.

Seeing that Ning Xuan looked displeased, he bit his lip. "Master, what are you looking for? I will go find it for you!" Chen Nan crouched in front of her, looking up with a fawning expression.

Ning Xuan looked at the blond beauty crouching before her and couldn't help but pull him toward her. "Aren't you very powerful? If I take you with me, can't you protect me?" Ning Xuan wasn't actually angry; she just couldn't help but tease him when she saw him acting so humble to cater to her mood.

"Master..." Chen Nan was trying to organize his thoughts to explain, but Ning Xuan's hands had already wandered into his clothes. Under her provocation, his body trembled, his skin flushed, and the words he wanted to say died in his throat.

Ning Xuan had researched the basics of male rut cycles. During this time, male Spirit Controllers become restless, extremely sensitive, and harbor an intense craving for physical intimacy, wanting to cling to their masters every second. She had initially thought the information was nonsense, but looking at Chen Nan’s physical reaction, she realized he wasn't without desire; he was simply habitually restrained and skilled at self-control.

In reality, male Spirit Controllers were not suited for public appearances during their rut cycle, as even with great restraint, it was difficult to fully suppress their restless ability forms, making them easy to spot.

"It's nothing important. I'll just post a task at the Mercenary Hall and have someone else find it. You should take a leave of absence from your classes today, and we won't go out for the next month!" Ning Xuan's words shocked Chen Nan; he hadn't expected her to be willing to go to such lengths for him.

Ning Xuan had just learned the method of pharmaceutical refinement and was in need of practice. She planned to earn some extra money through refining, and with Chen Nan in this state, she felt it was only right to be good to him, especially since she had received so much care from him. Furthermore, Chen Nan, both the person and his body, were very much to her liking. She was more than willing to spend a shameless, blissful month with him.

That day, when Ning Xuan went for her retest, Dean Wang and the instructors were highly concerned about the results. When they saw that her new spiritual power value was 875, they were instantly overcome with wild joy.

"Heaven has blessed us! My Xingluo Bay Advanced Alchemy Department has produced a genius! Quick, Student Ning, join the special training class for the Alchemy Competition immediately. I believe that with this training, you will certainly bring home the grand prize for our academy!" Dean Wang said to her with great fervor.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Dean Wang, I'm afraid I cannot join the training class immediately. I need to take a month of leave!" It was the first time Ning Xuan had heard of the Alchemy Competition, and while she was interested, she had just agreed to stay home and look after Chen Nan; she could not break her word.

"Why do you need leave? That's fine. I have a lot of basic alchemical knowledge here that you need to master. You can study these materials during the month, and after a month, you can return for the special training class. How about that?"