First Spirit Ring (3)

Chu Qing took a moment to steady himself. As he opened his eyes, he saw the teachers standing in a circle around him, their faces etched with concern.

"Xiao Qing, what happened? You were fine just a moment ago, then you suddenly fainted. You scared us to death," Director Su asked anxiously as he saw Chu Qing wake up.

"It might have been the physical toll of refining the beast's corpse. It's nothing serious," Chu Qing replied.

Looking at the group of teachers who cared for him, a warmth flowed through his heart.

"Good, as long as you're alright. You really gave me a fright," Director Su said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Should we head back to the academy to rest and come back to hunt for a spirit ring another time?" Teacher Mo suggested.

Chu Qing struggled to his feet and said, "I'm fine, just a bit of physical exhaustion. I'm already recovered."

To prove his point, he waved his fist, fearing they wouldn't believe him.

Seeing the young boy feigning maturity, the group couldn't help but smile.

"If you're sure, then we'll rest for a while before moving on," Director Su said.

The group sat down on the spot, laid out their supplies, and began to rest while eating.

Chu Qing secretly checked his own body and sighed inwardly. It seemed the devouring ability of the Nihility Devouring Flame did not come without a price.

Back in the village, refining ordinary beasts hadn't been an issue, but attempting to refine a three-hundred-year-old spirit beast today had taken a significant toll on his mental energy.

It seems I cannot absorb the power of spirit beasts without restraint. I should only act when it is truly worth it, Chu Qing thought to himself.

After resting for over half an hour, the teachers saw that Chu Qing was fine, so they packed up and continued their journey toward Blazing Mountain, deep within the Soul Hunting Forest.

They encountered several spirit beasts along the way, but despite their strength, they were no match for Director Su and the others, and were quickly dealt with.

Chu Qing did not attempt to refine or absorb any of them; after all, suffering mental backlash for the sake of these low-level beasts was not worth the cost. He simply assisted the teachers in the hunts without lingering.

Soon, the group arrived at Blazing Mountain.

The landscape around this mountain differed from the rest of the Soul Hunting Forest; the ground was mostly barren and covered in red rocks, with only a few heat-resistant plants surviving. At the summit lay a natural magma pool, bubbling and steaming.

The entire mountain radiated a scorching heat.

Director Su looked at the scene with a grave expression. "I haven't been here in many years. It seems different from before; something has changed."

When he had brought students here to hunt their first spirit rings in the past, they mostly possessed ordinary martial spirits, so they rarely came to this area.

The fire-attribute spirit beasts here had been very active during his last visit, but this time, the area was filled with an eerie silence.

Surely, the fire-attribute spirit beasts hadn't all been hunted to extinction, had they?

Director Su's confusion was soon resolved.

A crimson figure suddenly appeared in the sky ahead. As it flew lower, its silhouette grew larger—it was a massive red bird!

"Heaven-Burning Crane!"

"That's the Heaven-Burning Crane!" Chu Qing exclaimed. This was the spirit beast he had found in the academy library that was most compatible with his martial spirit!

He said excitedly to the teachers, "Teachers, this is the martial spirit I've been looking for. Please help me hunt it!"

Director Su stared at the Heaven-Burning Crane with a solemn expression. "We can certainly hunt it, but this is a six-hundred-year-old beast. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Chu Qing nodded firmly, indicating this was the one. If he was going to do it, he would do it right!

Seeing his determination, Director Su said nothing more and immediately summoned his three spirit rings.

"First Spirit Skill! Thunder Blade Instant Stab!"

A bolt of lightning shot from Director Su's sword, heading straight for the Heaven-Burning Crane in the sky.

"Second Spirit Skill! Thunder Light Flash!"

With a thunderous boom, one of the great bird's wings was pierced, leaving a gaping wound.

The other teachers launched their own attacks. This seemed to enrage the bird; it spread its wings and, in an instant, rained fire down upon the ground!

The group dodged quickly, then launched a continuous barrage of attacks at the bird.

Seeing this, Chu Qing channeled his spirit power, and suddenly, eerie black flames appeared!

Strangely, the bird had shown no fear despite the relentless attacks from the teachers, even retaining the strength to fight back. But as soon as Chu Qing's black flames emerged, fear appeared in the bird's eyes! It collapsed to the ground, weakened.

Seizing the opportunity, the group intensified their attacks. Soon, the bird was on the verge of death, yet it dared not resist the presence of Chu Qing's black flames.

"How strange, why is this bird so afraid of Xiao Qing's martial spirit?" Director Su wondered aloud. His understanding of this black flame had been rewritten several times today.

Chu Qing chuckled inwardly. How could they know that this unassuming black flame was the second-ranked Heavenly Flame on the Dou Qi Continent? How could a mere fire-attribute bird of a few hundred years compare to it?

This was the suppression of bloodlines!

"Alright, the time is right. We can begin, but are you sure you can absorb a six-hundred-year spirit ring?" Director Su asked him seriously.

The other teachers also looked at Chu Qing with grave concern.

Chu Qing smiled and said, "Don't worry, teachers. I know my limits."

He then ignored the others and focused entirely on refining the spirit ring.

Soon, Chu Qing felt a stream of pure energy flowing into his body. Before long, the yellow spirit ring was fully absorbed!

Chu Qing checked his internal state; his spirit power had broken through to level 13!

Seeing Chu Qing absorb a 600-year spirit ring so quickly, everyone wore expressions of shock. One had to know, if an ordinary person attempted to absorb such a high-age spirit ring as their first, they would have likely exploded and died long ago. Yet, not only was Chu Qing able to absorb it, but he did so with such speed!

This child is destined for greatness!

Chu Qing looked at the teachers, whose faces were showing shock for what he had lost count of, and smiled gently.

One had to know, the most proficient skill of the Nihility Devouring Flame was devouring! If he couldn't even refine a martial spirit, how could he even talk about being the second exotic flame?

The teachers hurriedly asked, "Xiao Qing, having absorbed such a fine spirit ring, your spirit skill must be extraordinary, right? Tell us about it quickly."

Chu Qing replied, "Thank you, teachers. This spirit skill is indeed quite good."

Immediately, he began to demonstrate his first spirit skill: "My first spirit skill is Flame Devouring Heaven Burning! As for its effects..."

He raised his hand and unleashed the spirit skill toward a distant mountain peak. A surge of black flames rapidly slammed into the mountainside, instantly creating a crater ten meters in diameter! The rocks shattered within were incinerated to nothing in the blink of an eye!