When Qi Lin and Ning Rongrong left the pavilion, their original party of two had become three, with Xue Ling gracefully following behind them.
Upon returning to Tian Dou Academy, when Qi Lin introduced Xue Ling to Xiao Wu and the others, everyone was very sympathetic to her plight, especially Xiao Wu, who clenched her fists and huffed, "If those human traffickers fall into Xiao Wu Jie's hands, I'll definitely flay them alive."
As for the others, though sympathetic, being from noble backgrounds, they were actually quite accustomed to such matters.
Such was the general environment of the Douluo Continent!
Xue Ling, facing the enthusiastic treatment from Xiao Wu and the others, felt somewhat overwhelmed.
Back in Qi Lin's dormitory, Gu Yuena specially cleared out a room for her.
In the evening, after dinner.
Initially, Xue Ling felt that she was merely the master's maid and unworthy of dining at the same table as the master and mistress, but when she used the term 'mistress,' the beautiful, almost perfect mistress showed a gentle smile and personally served her a bowl of rice.
This meal was the most delicious she had ever eaten since birth.
The concern shown by the master and mistress gave her an unprecedented warmth.
Afterward, Xue Ling meticulously cleared the table and washed and neatly arranged all the dishes and chopsticks. After she finished all this, Qi Lin suddenly called out to her.
"Master, is there something you need me for?"
Initially, Qi Lin had told her to call him by his name directly, but Xue Ling was very stubborn, feeling it was disrespectful to her master, and insisted on calling Qi Lin 'Master' no matter what.
Qi Lin looked at her, then pointed to the fox ears on her head and the tail on her rump, asking, "Can your ears and tail be retracted?"
Xue Ling's small face changed slightly upon hearing this. Did her master dislike her ears and tail?
But she still shook her head.
Qi Lin then stroked his chin and said to Xue Ling, "Then, when you see me, do you experience any special changes?"
Saying this, Qi Lin deliberately activated his second Spirit, the Profound Ice Qilin Spirit, attaching it to his body.
The next second, Qi Lin's body developed fine, armor-like Profound Ice scales, and his entire being exuded waves of icy aura.
However, Xue Ling still shook her head.
Seeing this, Qi Lin's eyebrows slightly raised.
He was certain he hadn't misjudged; the moment he first saw Xue Ling, his second Spirit definitely resonated.
However, this resonance lasted only for an instant, and now he couldn't sense it anymore.
But one thing was certain: although Xue Ling's Spirit mutation failed, her Spirit's ability to resonate with his second Spirit was definitely not simple.
Suddenly, Qi Lin thought that the reason Xue Ling had no innate spirit power was due to a failed Spirit mutation. What if her Spirit could be restored?
In his opinion, a situation like hers, where the Spirit itself was of extremely high quality but mutated unsuccessfully, failing to even awaken spirit power, was similar to Yu Xiaogang's case.
Yu Xiaogang's Spirit mutated into Luo San Pao, but as the most crucial part of the Golden Triangle, his Spirit's quality itself was by no means simple, very likely the result of a failed Golden Sacred Dragon mutation.
Xue Ling was very likely in a similar situation.
And the reason for the failed mutation was most likely due to insufficient personal foundation to support the Spirit's mutation.
If that were the case, if her origin could be supplemented, there might be a chance for her Spirit to undergo a second awakening.
Qi Lin was very interested in Xue Ling's Spirit, after all, it could resonate with his second Spirit.
Thinking of this, Qi Lin took out a Good Fortune Heaven Mending Pill.
He had refined eleven Good Fortune Heaven Mending Pills initially. Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo used two, he had sent two back to his parents, and then he, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Gu Yuena consumed a total of five.
Now, he definitely needed to prepare one for Ye Lingling as well.
Finally, there was exactly one left, which he could let Xue Ling try first.
Although he was going to use this Good Fortune Heaven Mending Pill on Xue Ling, Qi Lin didn't feel it was a waste. For him, refining Good Fortune Heaven Mending Pills was an effortless task.
If he ever needed them, he could completely use his Spirit Ability to ripen Immortal Herbs and then harvest another batch.
Giving the Good Fortune Heaven Mending Pill to Xue Ling now was also an investment.
After all, Xue Ling was now his household maid; using it on her was not a waste.
After taking out the Good Fortune Heaven Mending Pill, Qi Lin handed it to Xue Ling.
"Xue Ling, eat this and see."
Xue Ling took the pill and swallowed it without hesitation.
Instantly, a dazzling white light erupted from her body, and behind her, a snow-white fox phantom appeared, vanishing in a flash.
Immediately, an icy aura swept out from within Xue Ling's body.
Her Spirit had undergone a second awakening!
The seemingly underdeveloped fox tail on Xue Ling's rump had grown a few more inches, and the fur on the tail looked even more lustrous.
Qi Lin could feel the spirit power within Xue Ling's body surging at a visible rate.
Although she hadn't obtained a spirit ring, Qi Lin was certain that her true spirit power had definitely reached level twenty.
It seemed everything was as he had expected!
Xue Ling, however, felt a sense of bewilderment as she perceived the changes in her body.
Seeing this, Qi Lin smiled and comforted her, then explained the changes to her.
"Wh-what, Master, are you saying I'm a Spirit Master now?"
Xue Ling was incredibly excited, her words becoming incoherent.
Qi Lin nodded with a smile, "Absolutely. Not only can you become a Spirit Master now, but you will also become the most top-tier Spirit Master in the world."
Upon hearing this, Xue Ling was so excited she couldn't speak. She immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed several times to Qi Lin.
"Thank you… Thank you, Master, for giving Xue Ling a new life."
"Alright, get up!"
Qi Lin accepted Xue Ling's profound kowtow, then raised his hands, and an invisible force lifted her from the ground.
Xue Ling's forehead was bright red from the kowtows, indicating how forcefully she had done them.
But she seemed oblivious, her eyes filled with reverence as she looked at Qi Lin.
Now, her loyalty to Qi Lin was such that she would willingly die for him.
This was the grace of rebirth!
As Qi Lin looked at Xue Ling, who had undergone her second Spirit awakening, his Profound Ice Qilin Spirit indeed produced another faint resonance.
In the Douluo Continent, Spirit resonance indicated the possibility of a Spirit Fusion Ability.
Although Xue Ling's current Spirit was considered top-tier in the Douluo Continent, its rank should be far inferior to his Profound Ice Qilin, right?
After all, his second Spirit was somewhat influenced by the Ancestral Qilin.
If one were to compare it to the Spirits of the Douluo Continent, it would be somewhat unfair.
However, the ability to resonate with his Spirit, even slightly, was enough to show that Xue Ling's Spirit was not simple.
If Xue Ling wasn't a native of this continent, Qi Lin might have considered her Spirit to be from elsewhere.