Chapter 491 Testing

Michael blinked.

He does?

—Mid-grade. Wind attribute. It’s not amazing, but it’s not bad either. In the cultivation world, a mid-grade root is enough to be taken in as a proper disciple by a powerful sect. He could cultivate if given a path.

Michael’s gaze sharpened as he looked at the boy.

Mid-grade wind spirit root.

That changed things.

And Lia?

There was a pause.

Jester’s tone turned flat.

—Nothing. He’s just a mortal. No root at all.

Michael sighed inwardly.

Still... it didn’t change what he’d already decided.

Power could come in many forms.

Even if Lia couldn’t cultivate in the cultivation way, there were other paths.

With effort—and a cheat like him backing them—it might still be enough.

He looked at the two boys again. Ace’s face was drawn, serious, still digesting the idea of what lay ahead. Lia’s was more defiant, a subtle edge in his posture.

They didn’t know it yet, but this moment would change their lives.

Michael leaned forward slightly.

"Jester," he said, "since Ace has a spirit root... do you have a cultivation technique that suits him?"

—Oh? A fair question. Let me check.

After a moment.

—

Yes. In fact, Li Yang had one. A fairly refined Wind-element Qi Cultivation Technique. It should work with his root. Not a top-tier one, but solid. If Ace follows it properly, he’ll lay a good foundation.

Michael nodded. "Good. And what about weapon skills? When I was going through your skill list earlier... I saw a few."

—Naturally

, Jester replied, sounding pleased.

—Li Yang was a Golden Core cultivator, after all. Someone like him has some decent martial skills. A Wind-Shadow Blade Style, and a basic but brutal Fist technique that uses controlled bursts of force.

Michael’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Assign the blade style to Ace. The fist art to Lia."

—Understood

, Jester replied smoothly.

—But before I start... you should know: pushing knowledge directly into a mind, especially something as complex as knowledge can be disorienting. Not dangerous I believe—but jarring. They might pass out. Or scream.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Will it cause any permanent harm?"

—It shouldn’t. Unless they resist. If they fight the memory infusion out of fear, or their will wavers, it could backlash. But nothing fatal.

"So they need to be mentally prepared?"

—Exactly.

Michael stood up from his chair slowly and walked around the desk. The room had grown quiet, with the air thick with anticipation.

He stopped in front of the two boys and gave them a strange, unreadable smile.

"Ace. Lia." His voice dropped to something almost theatrical. "Before we begin... understand that what’s coming isn’t something you’ve experienced before."

The two boys stiffened again.

Michael’s expression turned serious. "There will be pain. You may have to scream. You may feel like you’re drowning in something too vast to grasp. You might pass out. But... if you endure it, you’ll wake up changed."

Ace swallowed hard. Lia’s brows furrowed.

Michael didn’t offer comfort. He only gestured toward the open space in the room. "Sit."

They obeyed immediately.

Michael nodded toward his pocket. "Begin."

There was a subtle rustle as Jester stirred—and then a flicker of ethereal light flowed from Michael’s shadow like mist, forming a barely visible silhouette. A disembodied whisper began to resonate, almost like humming—except it wasn’t heard with the ears. It was felt in the back of the skull.

Ace’s eyes glazed over first.

His body stiffened—then trembled violently as the cultivation method and Wind-Shadow Blade Style were injected into his consciousness. He didn’t cry out, but sweat broke across his forehead, and his breathing turned shallow.

A moment later, Lia stiffened in the same way. Jester had begun feeding him the Fist Technique.

Unlike Lia, Acs

did

scream. A hoarse, involuntary sound. His body shuddered, hands clawing at the floor as the unfamiliar knowledge drilled itself into the very essence of his mind.

Michael watched silently. Not coldly—but with a kind of detached curiosity, like a scientist observing an experiment.

Jester’s voice flickered into his mind.

—It’s going well. The one with the black hair is adapting faster than expected. His mind is... surprisingly orderly.

Michael hummed. "And the other?"

—

Rougher. But he’s holding on. I think he’ll make it.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Finally, both boys collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily, sweat-soaked and unconscious.

Michael walked over slowly, crouching between them. He looked at their exhausted expressions—then reached out and gently tapped each of their foreheads.

"Well done," he murmured. "Sleep for now."

He stood again and turned toward his desk, where Wisdom had hopped closer at some point, silently watching everything.

Michael smiled faintly at the owl.

He then turned his mind to the boys.

Now he just had to wait for the two to wake up.

In the meantime, Michael figured he might as well prepare the knight cultivation method for Lia.

It wasn’t some great secret. Just the general, publicly available version used by most high school students in Aurora.

Even if the memory infusion hasn’t been confirmed to have worked, it didn’t hurt to make plans ahead.

With a practiced hand, Michael picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began to write across the parchment. His strokes were clean.

Suddenly, Jester’s voice slithered into his mind.

—Master

.

Michael didn’t look up, but he felt the tone shift. It was different. Expectant. Almost... eager.

"What is it?"

Jester paused—though it felt less like hesitation and more like choosing how best to phrase something he thought was completely reasonable.

—

Since the blond one has a spirit root... why not give me his body?

Michael’s quill froze mid-stroke.

—

As for his consciousness, I could wipe it clean. Leave the body intact, perfectly usable. Like I said—spirit roots are rare. And who knows when I’ll find another compatible one I can use without objection?

******

A/N: Thank you all for reading! I had planned for a five Chapter mass release today, but something came up and I wasn’t able to finish the final Chapter. To make up for it, I’ll be releasing three Chapters tomorrow instead of two. Thanks again for your continued support!