I Don't Want a Four-Hundred-Year Soul Ring, I Want a Thousand-Year One

Time quickly passed until the afternoon.

Under Zhao Wuji's lead, the three of them arrived at a sycamore forest, which was the habitat of the Flaming Bird population.

"Flaming Birds!"

"Little Fatty, your spirit ring is right there."

There was no doubt that the fire-attribute Flaming Bird had a high degree of compatibility with Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix spirit.

After settling the three of them, Zhao Wuji's figure flashed as he charged into the flock. Before long, he returned, holding a large, fiery-red bird by its neck.

He then pulled a dagger from his waist and handed it to Ma Hongjun.

"A three-hundred-year-old Flaming Bird. Kill this guy, and you'll obtain your first spirit ring."

"Oh, oh, okay!"

Ma Hongjun took the dagger with trembling hands—he was truly trembling!

He couldn't help it; as a six-year-old from an ordinary family, he had spent his life playing in the dirt until now. This was his first time seeing a legendary man-eating spirit beast, so it was only natural for him to feel this way.

Ma Hongjun approached the unconscious Flaming Bird with the dagger and, following Zhao Wuji's instructions, thrust it directly toward its eye.

However...

Clack! The dagger missed its mark!

The sound of metal striking rock rang out sharply, a sight that made Zhao Wuji repeatedly press his hand to his forehead.

"So clumsy! I've practically handed the spirit ring to you on a silver platter, and you're still struggling? With an attitude like that, how do you expect to stand at the pinnacle of the continent and become a powerhouse?"

Being scolded, Ma Hongjun began to grumble in his own defense.

"I'm scared! This is my first time encountering a spirit beast."

Despite his words, Ma Hongjun's ability to adapt was quite fast, and he soon adjusted his state of mind.

This time, he did not miss.

The dagger pierced through the Flaming Bird's eyelid and into its brain. A yellow spirit ring soon emerged from the carcass.

Watching Ma Hongjun sit cross-legged to begin absorbing the spirit ring, Zhao Wuji couldn't help but roll his eyes and complain.

"What a massive hassle. In the future, let Flender bring you all to hunt for spirits; I don't want to get involved in this mess."

It was during this brief moment when he turned his head to roll his eyes that a white butterfly spirit beast caught his line of sight.

Zhao Wuji looked at Wen Ruan.

"There's a Crystal Flower Butterfly over there. It's quite suitable for you. Do you want it?"

Wen Ruan followed Zhao Wuji's gaze and indeed saw a butterfly fluttering about.

The butterfly was pure white, scattering specks of crystal powder as it flew. It looked beautiful and, generally speaking, was indeed a good fit for her.

However, just as Wen Ruan was calculating what kind of skill this spirit beast might grant her, Lin Yan's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"She doesn't want it!"

Lin Yan lifted his chin, his eyes fixed on Zhao Wuji.

"Her spirit ring needs to be an ice-attribute sub-dragon. Once I obtain my first ring, you can take me to find one, and I will help her hunt it."

Zhao Wuji let out a scoff.

"Interesting. A little brat like you is already learning how to play at romance."

He didn't say much more, nor did he interfere with Wen Ruan's choice. On one hand, he couldn't be bothered, and on the other, this was part of what Flender had instructed him to do.

The three stopped talking, and the air fell into silence.

Before long, a loud, clear phoenix cry suddenly rang out through the surroundings.

Screech!

A phantom of the Evil Fire Phoenix soared into the sky, spread its wings to circle once, and then dove fiercely into Ma Hongjun's body.

[Spirit Possession!]

On the clearing, the little fatty who had been sitting cross-legged suddenly stood up. Fiery red spirit power swirled around him, blowing his usually drooping hair until it stood straight up.

He looked both imposing and somewhat comical.

"I succeeded!"

The moment Ma Hongjun regained consciousness, he let out an excited shout. A bright yellow spirit ring glowed beneath his feet, and he let out a low cry.

[First Spirit Skill: Phoenix Fire Line!]

Boom!

A straight line of fire, like a laser, swept across the area, igniting several large trees.

Fortunately, the sycamore trees in the Star Dou Great Forest had a certain resistance to fire, and the flames died out quickly. Otherwise, Lin Yan was truly afraid that Ma Hongjun's move would end up "burning down the mountain"!

"Alright, stop showing off and let's keep moving."

Seeing that Ma Hongjun's process of absorbing the spirit ring had gone incredibly smoothly, Zhao Wuji felt that one-third of his task was complete, and his mood improved significantly.

The group soon set off again on their journey to search for spirit beasts.

By the time dusk arrived, Lin Yan looked toward a valley not far away, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

There, several fire-red giant dragons were circling at a low altitude, occasionally letting out bursts of dragon roars.

Noticing the look of longing on Lin Yan's face, Zhao Wuji raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

"Flame Azure Dragons! They are famous for their strength and fire attribute. Although they lack the light attribute, they at least meet most of your requirements. How about it?"

"No light attribute?"

Hearing Zhao Wuji's introduction, the excitement that had been in Lin Yan's eyes dimmed slightly.

In truth, he knew that dragon-type spirit beasts with both light and fire attributes were hard to find. Expecting someone as hot-tempered as Zhao Wuji to spend ten days or half a month in the forest with him was clearly unrealistic.

Therefore, the Flame Azure Dragon before him was indeed a decent choice; at the very least, the dragon bloodline within it was quite pure...

"It's alright, but are there really no dragon-type spirit beasts with the light attribute left?"

Zhao Wuji rolled his eyes and didn't answer, instead directly activating his spirit avatar and charging into the valley.

It was the same familiar routine.

Before long, he returned to the group, dragging a fire-red giant dragon by its neck.

Thud.

The Flame Azure Dragon was significantly larger than the Flaming Bird, and the aura it emitted was much stronger; it was clear that the two were not even on the same level of existence as spirit beasts.

Zhao Wuji clapped his hands and said to Lin Yan, "Four hundred years! You're quite lucky; this was the only one in the entire pack that was at the hundred-year level."

His tone was light and cheerful.

Because as long as Lin Yan absorbed this spirit ring and they helped Wen Ruan hunt one more spirit beast, he could go back and report to Flender.

Flender had promised him that after returning this time, he would be granted a vacation and one hundred gold spirit coins as a reward.

He was definitely going to enjoy himself this time.

However, just as he was immersed in his pleasant fantasies about his future vacation, Lin Yan stiffened his neck and retorted with indignation.

"I don't want a four-hundred-year one. I want a thousand-year one."

"My body can handle absorbing a thousand-year first ring."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Wuji's face turned cold.

He hadn't expected that Lin Yan was actually serious about absorbing a thousand-year first ring; he had thought the boy was just joking earlier.

"Don't you start causing trouble with me! Do you think this is a child's game? You can't just start over if you fail!"

"Once a spirit ring absorption exceeds the limits of your body, the only outcome is death by explosion. Hurry up and absorb it so we can return to the academy; I don't have the patience to waste words with you."

Zhao Wuji's stance was clear. Lin Yan might not know the pros and cons, but he did, and he could not allow Lin Yan to act recklessly.

Unfortunately, Lin Yan's stance was even firmer. He had worked hard for over two months and consumed so much whale glue—wasn't it all for the sake of absorbing a thousand-year first ring?

He immediately threw away the dagger Zhao Wuji had handed him.

"I said I don't want a hundred-year one!"

"My spirit is a True Dragon; I want to be ahead of everyone from the very start."