Chapter 66: Spirit Pattern Instruction

Chapter 66: Spirit Pattern Instruction

As Cang Cheng left the military department, he couldn’t help but cover his neck.

Although Xilimus didn’t bite hard, not even leaving a mark on Cang Cheng’s delicate skin.

But... the softness of the other's lips, the slightly low-pitched questions, and the moist breath... all made Cang Cheng feel uneasy all over.

Every time he recalled it, Cang Cheng felt as if his neck was burning.

Was the general’s behavior a bit off?

But the other party seemed to be teaching earnestly; perhaps there wasn’t anything wrong?

Cang Cheng, who had always been single-minded in his pursuit of truth and magic research, thought about it for a long time but couldn’t figure it out.

He was starting to get confused about his relationship with the general.

They were partners, indeed.

But who would do such things to their partner?

Cang Cheng was distracted, his thoughts in disarray.

Although he had indeed crossed some boundaries with Xilimus before, it was only to retaliate for the sudden departure, hoping to see the panic on that person’s face, without any other intentions.

But after being touched by that person today, he felt something was amiss.

Cang Cheng decided to calm down first.

He sent a message to Xilimusu that "ANKEN is willing to teach at the Spirit Runes Institute" in the evening, and then temporarily gave Xilimusu the cold shoulder. This was evident in the fact that he stopped going to the military headquarters and pretended not to be at home when Xilimusu visited.

In any case, it was obvious to anyone that Cang Cheng was avoiding him.

Xilimusu naturally sensed this.

He didn’t push Cang Cheng, and their last conversation had stopped a few days ago. He didn’t seem to be too concerned.

"Am I overthinking this? The general really was just teaching, with no other intentions."

After convincing himself of this, Cang Cheng logged into the Canglan World with a relaxed mood, entering the reserved training room to teach Spirit Runes for the Spirit Runes Institute.

However, as soon as Cang Cheng, in his ANKEN avatar, entered the training room, he saw Xilimusu, whom he hadn’t seen for days, greeting him in a virtual form that mirrored his real-world appearance.

Xilimusu wore a dark uniform with deep blue embroidery, reminiscent of the outfit from the summit banquet, but more relaxed and less formal.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, ANKEN. I am Xilimusu Lazel, holding the rank of general."

Seeing Cang Cheng arrive, the coldness in Xilimusu’s blue eyes melted away.

In a few quick steps, he approached Cang Cheng, took his hand, and kissed the back of it. "Thank you so much for coming to teach the Spirit Runes, ANKEN. And please pass my thanks to Cang Cheng as well."

Xilimusu’s actions were impeccable in terms of etiquette.

After the greeting, he let go of Cang Cheng’s hand. His beautiful icy blue eyes lifted, meeting Cang Cheng’s dark gaze.

His gaze was intense yet pure, like the first snow melting under the sun, shimmering with a soft, radiant light.

Cang Cheng suddenly felt his cheeks heat up. Thankfully, he was wearing a mask, or everyone would have seen his blush.

Hold on...

No wonder Hilmeth hadn't made any moves recently. So, he was waiting for this moment!

Nice one, General.

Cang Cheng shifted his gaze away and didn't give Hilmeth another look.

He nodded to the deputy director of the Spirit Runes Institute. "Hello, I am Spirit Runes Master ANKEN."

Deputy Director Zhang Chun’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly grabbed Cang Cheng’s hands with both of his. "ANKEN, I've finally managed to contact you. Ever since you used the Level A Spirit Runes a few days ago, our institute has been researching the rune composition overnight. We discovered that in addition to fire elements, this rune also involves spatial theory knowledge..."

Upon hearing that Zhang Chun had discovered the spatial knowledge involved in Meteor Fire Rain, Cang Cheng's eyes brightened as he looked at him, like he'd finally met someone who got it.

"That's right. Higher-level Spirit Runes do make some adjustments in other attributes to increase their destructiveness. For example, Meteor Fire Rain..."

Zhang Chun’s eyes widened in realization. "So that’s it! No wonder you’re ANKEN!"

Cang Cheng felt pleased. "He gets it right away. Why didn’t I meet him sooner?"

They continued discussing the intricacies of the runes, lost in their shared enthusiasm.

Standing nearby, Hilmeth watched as the two became engrossed in their discussion, their hands still together for more than ten minutes without any intention of letting go. His mood soured.

He suddenly felt that bringing Cang Cheng to meet Zhang Chun was a mistake.

"Ahem."

Hilmeth cleared his throat lightly, cutting into their conversation.

"Deputy Director Zhang, some people in the institute want to spar with ANKEN regarding Spirit Runes. How about we head there now?"

Only then did Zhang Chun realize that he had been holding onto ANKEN and talking for so long, which was quite rude.

"General is right. We should head there now."

Zhang Chun finished and led Cang Cheng away, still exchanging insights as they walked.

Hilmeth followed behind them helplessly.

His eyes fell on Cang Cheng and Zhang Chun's shoulders, which were very close together, and he felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Phil, do you know who Deputy Zhang has arranged for us to meet? Apparently, it's a top-tier Spirit Runes Master who's going to teach us how to use the Spirit Runes."

*

Senior researcher Tonny of the Spirit Runes Institute was very curious.

The Spirit Runes Institute was a great place to work with light workloads, no overtime, and a decent salary.

Ever since Tonny joined the institute, there had never been any mandatory research tasks. However, two days ago, Deputy Zhang selected a few researchers and asked them to log into the Canglan World for a day, supposedly to learn Spirit Runes from someone.

Hmm... Do we really need to be taught about Spirit Runes?

Isn’t it just about memorizing formulas and solving problems? It doesn’t seem difficult...

Tonny scratched his head, confused.

"Ah... sure, whatever..."

Phil, the research enthusiast, was completely uninterested. He had no idea what the institute was planning either.

He'd been pulling all-nighters for days, trying to crack ANKEN's Spirit Runes, and now he was running on fumes.

Teaching Spirit Runes?

Wouldn't it be better to use this time to research ANKEN's Spirit Runes?

He just wanted to go home...

Or at least take a nap.

Unless Vice Chief Zhang brought ANKEN in, he was going to make a fuss and take a half-day off!

Just as Phil was planning how to ask for leave, Vice Chief Zhang led someone into the training room.

"So I believe our top priority is to popularize the importance of Spirit Runes, to make everyone realize that Spirit Runes, like firearms, are an indispensable combat force in the Canglan Star Region..."

That was Vice Chief Zhang's voice.

"You're right. Establishing a comprehensive learning system for Spirit Runes, organizing Spirit Rune Masters to fight against Spirit Warriors..."

This was a voice Phil knew all too well.

He fell asleep every night to the sound of that voice.

!

A realization hit him, and he snapped his head up.

There, in front of him, appeared a 'long-awaited' figure. The person wore a white cloak-style coat and a white mask with blue patterns, and beneath the mask, a pair of faintly smiling black eyes were highly distinctive.

This was... ANKEN?!

He had actually seen ANKEN!!

Phil's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. His eyes sparkled with eagerness, and his excitement was impossible to hide.

From a groggy, half-asleep state, he suddenly sprang to life, dashing toward ANKEN.

But overwhelmed by excitement at seeing his idol, he stammered, his face flushing red. "A-ANKEN sir, I... I admire you so much! C-can you take a photo with me?"

Next to him, the wide-eyed Tonny shook his head to clear it and quickly chimed in, "I-I also want to take a photo with ANKEN sir, can I?"

Phil and Tonny's eyes were pure; both were individuals who held absolute sincerity toward Spirit Runes.

Cang Cheng did not refuse them and took photos with both of them.

Seeing this, Zhang Chun stood by and reflected, "How did I not think of taking a photo with ANKEN? I'll go take one later."

As soon as he finished speaking, he received a cold, stern glance from Hilmeth.

However, Zhang Chun was already used to General Hilmeth's cold attitude and didn't realize that he was actually upset.

Zhang Chun muttered to himself, "I can also prepare some ANKEN autographs to motivate the young researchers in the institute. Out of ten people in our institute, ten are ANKEN's fans."

Hilmeth glanced at Zhang Chun again before looking away.

He watched Cang Cheng and the two younger men take photos one after another. The two younger men were grinning from ear to ear, and Cang Cheng’s smile felt more genuine than usual.

Hilmeth’s expression darkened.

He didn’t have a photo with Cang Cheng either...

*

The afternoon passed with Cang Cheng teaching Spirit Runes.

Unlike self-study, where many steps required trial and error, with Cang Cheng as their teacher, Phil and Tonny quickly mastered the basic construction method of the Level A Spirit Rune, Meteor Fire Rain, in just one afternoon.

They were able to successfully draw it on the Spirit Runes board without causing it to explode.

However, since Meteor Fire Rain was a Level A Spirit Rune, when Phil and Tonny successfully activated the rune board, only a tiny blue flame the size of a fingernail appeared in the air.

It was so small that it disappeared in less than a second.

If those present weren’t Awakened, they probably wouldn’t have noticed the tiny flame.

“Ah... it failed.”

Phil lowered his head dejectedly.

Cang Cheng patiently instructed with encouragement in his tone, “Being able to achieve this level in just one afternoon is already very good.”

Phil’s eyes lit up. “Really, ANKEN sir?”

“Really.”

“Thank you for the encouragement, sir. I’ll work even harder!”

Phil’s emotions were stirred, and his previously downcast face now beamed with energy.

He looked so energized that he could probably stay up for days.

Deputy Director Zhang Chun couldn’t help but remark, “Ah, that’s what youth is all about.”

Hilmeth had been watching Cang Cheng teach the entire afternoon without saying a word, his face cold, seemingly no different from the general reported in the news.

However, the depth of his gaze hinted at a brewing storm.

By 6 PM, when it was time for dinner, Cang Cheng initially wanted to continue discussing elemental control, but Hilmeth interrupted.

“It’s getting late, ANKEN needs to rest. How about we continue the discussion later?”

Zhang Chun realized.

“It’s already dinner time. Sorry, I got carried away with the research. Today I’ve learned a lot of techniques. ANKEN, if you don’t mind, let’s take some time to organize our thoughts, then continue the discussion in a few days?”

Cang Cheng nodded. “Alright.”

The researchers gradually left the virtual world. Now, only Cang Cheng and the general were left in the training room.

“At this time, General, I was just about to say goodbye,” Cang Cheng began.

Before Cang Cheng could finish his goodbye, Hilmeth cut him off.

Hilmeth quickly walked up to Cang Cheng, casting him in the shadow of his own figure.

He kept his gaze low, speaking in a tone that left no room for refusal, yet framed it as a request.

"I wonder, ANKEN sir, would you be willing to take on one more student?"

"Hmm?"

Cang Cheng let out a soft sound, his mind still reeling from the intense work of the afternoon, struggling to process the sudden request.

"My mental energy rating is S. Wouldn't you want to teach an S-rank Spirit Rune Master, ANKEN sir?"

Hilmeth emphasized the word 'teacher' with a subtle but noticeable weight, hinting at something more than just a formal title.

Cang Cheng instinctively wanted to refuse.

He had been actively avoiding Hilmeth—how could he now risk spending time alone with him, even under a different identity?

"I think..."

"Don't rush to refuse, ANKEN sir."

Hilmeth gently placed his finger in front of Cang Cheng’s lips without making contact.

His blue eyes were deep, his tone gentle, and especially those icy eyes, which were now slightly curved at the corners.

A faint smile curved his lips, like sunlight breaking through an icy river, casting a warm glow that seemed to brighten the entire room.

Cang Cheng was momentarily stunned, forgetting what he had been about to say just a second ago.

"Don't you think it would be incredibly rewarding to mentor an S-rank Spirit Rune Master? And besides, wouldn’t you be curious to see how powerful certain Spirit Runes can be when wielded by an S-rank Awakened?"

Cang Cheng: ...

He found himself unable to refuse.

No mage could turn down the allure of brand-new, unknown magical data, and Cang Cheng was no exception.

Despite his reservations about being alone with the general, the allure of new data was too tempting to resist.

"Alright then! But I'm very busy, so I can only spare an hour from 10 PM to 11 PM each day to teach you."

"Fine. In exchange, I'll add ANKEN to the military's tax reduction list. I'll also provide you with a batch of military-exclusive training equipment and training programs."

Cang Cheng's initial reluctance vanished the moment he heard Hilmeth's offer.

Given that ANKEN’s royalties from Spirit Runes often reached tens of millions per day, sometimes even over a hundred million, the tax reduction would significantly ease the financial burden. The military’s tax reduction policy would allow him to save at least 10 million in taxes every day.

Additionally, the military-exclusive training equipment and programs were exactly what Luo Ri needed to enhance its capabilities.

With these resources, Luo Ri’s military capabilities could become even more formalized.

They finalized the agreement, and naturally, a formal contract was drawn up.

Back at Luo Ri, Cang Cheng briefed Ming Bai and Philip on the new training equipment and programs, and casually mentioned the tax reduction as an added bonus.

Cang Cheng was on a video call. "In any case, I reached an agreement with General Hilmeth regarding Spirit Runes under the identity of ANKEN."

Ming Bai’s expression turned suspicious.

General Hilmeth was well aware of Lord Cang Cheng's identity as Spirit Runes Master ANKEN. They had even teamed up in the Canglan World before.

So why were the parties involved in this collaboration ANKEN and the General?

Could it be some kind of romantic nonsense?

Ming Bai said, "I understand, Lord. I'll arrange the guard training."

Cang Cheng replied, "Leave it to you then."

With that, Cang Cheng closed the video call.

"Yo~ Did your little brother send you a message?"

Cang Ye hugged the back of Ming Bai's chair, resting his chin on it lazily, looking lazy.

Ming Bai turned off the monitor and said, "Hmm."

Cang Ye pouted. "What is it that I can't see? Why so secretive?"

Ming Bai said coolly, "You don’t have to put on an act with me, you know."

Cang Ye dropped his less-than-smart appearance, his aura sharp.

"Don't speak to me like that. Right now, I’m just the guard captain of Luo Ri, and that’s all I’ll ever be."

Since Ming Bai couldn’t spare the time to train the guard team, he handed the task to Cang Ye, who was idle but incredibly strong.

After taking a day to defeat all the members of the guard team, Cang Ye naturally had those soldiers obeying him. When it came to disciplining people, Cang Ye was very capable.

Ming Bai showed Cang Ye the military training schedule he had just received. "New training regimen and equipment."

After glancing at it, Cang Ye’s expression turned serious. "Where did you get this? Did you hack the military's main network? Are you tired of living? If this is discovered, our Luo Ri will be finished."

"Cang Cheng gave it to me."

"My brother is something else."

Cang Ye breathed a sigh of relief but soon felt that something was off.

"How did Cang Cheng get this? Even though Cang Stone weapons caught the military's eye, how could they just hand over classified military information?"

Ming Bai asked, "As Cang Cheng's guard captain, what do you think of Hilmeth?"

Cang Ye was puzzled. "What does Hilmeth have to do with this?"

Ming Bai countered, "What do you think?"

Cang Ye was confused.

Suddenly, it clicked—Cang Ye was livid.

Even as a General, he can’t just toy with my brother like this!

*

After inking a deal with ANKEN, the Spirit Runes Institute, under the direction of Hilmeth and ANKEN, changed its previously low-key approach and pushed the news of their collaboration to the top of the Star Net trends.

"Spirit Runes Institute and ANKEN's Spirit Rune Masters reach preliminary cooperation consensus, ANKEN enters the institute."

"ANKEN authorizes the institute to use Level A Meteor Fire Rain runes!"

"As the summit was drawing to a close, the Spirit Runes Institute reached a cooperation with the Canglan World, and the institute will open basic Spirit Runes courses within the virtual world."

...

Thanks to the flood of info, people quickly realized that Spirit Runes pack a punch just like firearms, and they also remembered ANKEN, the name that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

While teaching Spirit Runes drawing at the institute, Cang Cheng also invited a few promising Spirit Rune Masters from Luo Ri Star to join the virtual world training.

Originally, Cang Cheng was worried that there might be tension between the institute’s researchers and the unconventional Spirit Rune Masters from Luo Ri Star.

However, it turned out he was overthinking.

Institute: "Oh, wait. You’re saying ANKEN helped set up a clean water system on your planet?"

Luo Ri Star: "Yeah, totally! I saw it firsthand. Let me tell you about it..."

Institute: "Does that mean Spirit Runes can be used in urban construction?"

Luo Ri Star: "Of course! If ANKEN wants it, he can do anything!"

Institute: "ANKEN is something else! Come on, tell us more about what he’s done."

Luo Ri Star: "Then teach me how to draw this rune."

Institute: "No problem. Leave it to me."

The two sides, meeting for the first time, quickly hit it off, becoming inseparable and getting along harmoniously. A few heads huddled together, whispering.

But suddenly...

Luo Ri Star: "We only love ANKEN!"

Institute: "?"

This slogan is good—straightforward and easy to understand.

Institute: "We only love ANKEN!"

Cang Cheng: ...

No need to spread that slogan beyond Luo Ri Star.

The Spirit Runes Institute made rapid progress, with Level A Spirit Rune Masters starting to challenge the arena to create momentum for the rise of Spirit Runes.

At the military department, the trusted aides of the general, having received a new batch of Cang Stone weapons, were solemnly familiarizing themselves with the new arms.

Hilmeth: "These weapons are ten thousand times better than the ones from the research institute! The general is amazing. I wonder where he got these weapons from.

From now on, I don’t have to deal with those guys from the Weapon Research Institute anymore."

Fu Huai focused on adjusting the data of the great shield, contemplating whether using such weapons might give him a chance to defeat ANKEN. After multiple simulations in his mind, the answer remained uncertain.

No one knew just how many unheard-of Spirit Runes ANKEN could still come up with.

Fu Huai had a guess when he saw that the new weapon's energy bar used new symbols.

"I heard that the general has been staying with the fifth prince recently?"

Qin Yan, with a gossipy expression, leaned toward Fu Huai. "Hey, hey, let me tell you... I've bumped into the boss and the fifth prince in the training room doing this and that several times..."

Fu Huai listened intently, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes narrowing further.

"Oh, really?"

Qin Yan chuckled, his red hair making his hearty smile seem a bit goofy.

"But recently, the boss and the fifth prince haven't been meeting much. I wonder if they've quarreled."

Fu Huai shook his head helplessly. "They didn't quarrel."

Qin Yan: "How do you know?"

Fu Huai didn't answer. He reached out and ruffled Qin Yan's hair. "Come on, accompany me to train with the new weapon."

In the training room of the Canglan World, Hilmeth, under the guidance of Cang Cheng, successfully drew a Level A Spirit Rune: Meteor Fire Rain.

Cang Cheng let Hilmeth test the effect of the rune, and it was almost as good as the one he had made himself.

Cang Cheng felt a twinge of frustration.

He had relied on his many years of magic learning experience to make the Level A rune reach such an effect, but Hilmeth, who had only been learning for three days, had already grasped eight or nine parts of it.

He didn’t feel like talking and sulked.

Cang Cheng turned his back, not looking at Hilmeth.

But the latter slowly walked behind Cang Cheng and spoke softly to comfort him. "ANKEN sir teaches really well. Without you, I wouldn't have learned so quickly."

Cang Cheng was gloomy. "I have nothing left to teach you. From now on, I won't..."

"No way."

Hilmeth spoke seriously. "I haven't learned Grade B runes yet. ANKEN sir can't give up halfway."

If you can master Level A Spirit Runes, I’m sure you can handle Grade B runes too.

Cang Cheng was about to refuse but was swayed by Hilmeth's offer of benefit. "The military department just got a batch of raw materials for exoskeleton production. I wonder if ANKEN is interested?"

Cang Cheng: He actually... is quite interested.

Construction on Luo Ri’s city defenses has begun, but they are currently using conventional materials. If they could mix in the materials for exoskeleton manufacturing, they could definitely create a defense system that even planetary weapons couldn't breach!

And so... while they didn’t interact much in real life, ANKEN and Hilmeth met daily in the virtual world, and their relationship grew closer.

Everyone was living a fulfilling life.

Just when Cang Cheng thought his trip to the summit would end so easily and pleasantly, a mandatory notification appeared on his holobrain.

"C20 Summit Star Region Exchange Competition Notice

Congratulations to participant Cang Cheng for being selected to participate in the Star Region Exchange Competition.

Please bring your belongings and arrive at Port F of the main spaceport by 10 AM tomorrow to meet with other participants and head to the resource planet for the competition.

The participant list is final and mandatory. Please cooperate with the work to contribute to the peaceful development of the Canglan Star Region."

Cang Cheng was baffled. What was this all about?