Chapter 4: 4. Return to Icebound Forest

The morning she realized she had broken through to the twentieth rank, Ru Shenqi immediately went to go find Bing Dadao. He was sitting in his office, looking over financial records, when there was a knock on his oak wood door.

"Come in," he called.

The door opened, and he looked up to see Ru Shenqi enter. A smile spread across his lips.

"Ahh, Xiao Shen. What can I do for you?"

"Headmaster, please test my spirit power. I believe I've broken through to the twentieth rank."

His eyebrows shot up. "So soon?! It's only been seven months since you got your first spirit ring."

"My cultivation has been fast. Plus, don't forget, I levelled up to fifteenth rank because of the power surge from my decade millennium year spirit ring."

Bing Dadao could only realize that she was right. He pulled out the blue crystal and set it on his desk. "Come."

She placed her palm on it, and the crystal filled the room with a shining blue light. Indeed, she had reached twentieth rank.

"Tomorrow, Teacher Cang, Teacher Jiu, and I will take you back to Icebound Forest to hunt for your second spirit ring."

Elated, Ru Shenqi thanked him profusely before taking her leave. She went to breakfast and went robotically through her day, excited for the upcoming trip.

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The next day, the three adults took Ru Shenqi and Li Zhonghe to Icebound Forest.

In the carriage, she joked, "He-ge, you're just now getting your first spirit ring while I am already looking for my second. Didn't you say when we first met that you had to catch up to me? Well, it looks like you need to catch up again."

The adults tried hard not to snicker. Li Zhonghe went red but took her joking in stride. "Xiao Shen truly is a Little God. How can I compare?"

It was Ru Shenqi's turn to blush. She turned her head and looked out the window, watching as Vast Sea City grew smaller and smaller until it was just a dot on the horizon. When it was gone, she turned back to look at Cang Huaban.

"Teacher Cang, what spirit beast would suit me this time?"

"Hmm, I think the Scaled Peacock Butterfly would be very good. Butterflies have the best color vision of any animal, so it might enhance your own vision. Plus, this type of butterfly has a special camouflage ability called crypsis. If this ability transfers, then that would be perfect."

"Alright."

"Teacher Jiu, what spirit beast should I look for?" Li Zhonghe asked.

"Since your spirit is Devil Eyed Shark, I would suggest the Tricolored Northern Peregrine. It's fairly common in the falcon family and has a good speed and great eyesight. For your first spirit ring, this would be the best."

"Okay, I'll go with what Teacher Jiu said."

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When the party of five reached Icebound Forest, Bing Dadao showed the Spirit Empire guards his hunting warrant. They were waved inside. Once their group was about ten zhang市丈 - 1 zhang = 3 ⅓ meters into the forest, Bing Dadao halted them. He turned towards Jiu Wending.

"Are you okay with taking Li Zhonghe to look for spirit beasts?"

She scoffed. "I'm a seventy fifth ranked Spirit Saint. What makes you think I can't handle ten year or hundred year spirit beasts?"

"Just be careful. If after three days, we haven't met back up with you, leave Icebound Forest and return to Vast Sea City."

Jiu Wending nodded and led Li Zhonghe away. Bing Dadao and Cang Huaban accompanied Ru Shenqi deeper into the forest.

Finally alone, Cang Huaban was able to say, "Scaled Peacock Butterfly is very rare, so the chance of finding a one over a thousand years can only be done closer to the center of the forest. It won't take Wending long to find a Tricolored Northern Peregrine, but our task might take a few days."

"I'm patient. Ru Shenqi will wait to find a suitable spirit beast."

"Good girl," Bing Dadao commented. "You're very disciplined for being so young."

They searched for the rest of the day, but not many spirit beasts came around. That evening, they set up camp and ate a light supper. Cang Huaban volunteered to stay up for the first watch.

"I'll wake you at the start of the first shichen," she reassured Bing Dadao when he tried to protest. Finally, after much persuasion, he acquiesced.

The night almost passed uneventfully. Just around the start of the third shichen, a pair of decade millennium Ice Jade Scorpions scuttled near the camp. Bing Dadao roused Cang Huaban and Ru Shenqi.

"Xiao Shen, your spirit ability won't work well on decade millennium spirit beasts. Stay behind us, let Headmaster Bing and Teacher Cang take care of this."

She nodded, scared. The Ice Scorpions' bodies looked as if they were frozen. Ice covered their shells, their pinchers and the tip of their stingers. Their tails gleamed light green, jade. She involuntarily gulped.

"Seventh spirit skill, True Martial Form!" Cang Huaban cried.

Her White Rose Scepter appeared and grew to a gigantic size. A huge amount of spirit power was poured into it. She swung it, like one would a stick. Since the length was nearly three zhang, the scepter easily rammed against the shell of one of the Ice Jade Scorpions.

"Fifth spirit skill, Sea Dragon Pounce!"

Bing Dadao leapt up into the air and came flying down, feet and hands first. His force seemed to rock the ground, momentarily causing the spirit beasts to stumble. With another swing of the White Rose Scepter, Cang Huaban sent both Ice Jade Scorpions shooting up into the air.

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"You need break their outer shell to be able to pierce their insides," Ru Shenqi said. "Be careful of the pinchers, they're stronger than you might think."

Bing Dadao and Cang Huaban shared a look. He jumped into the air and called out, "Fourth spirit skill, Sea Dragon Crush!"

His fourth spirit skill had a gravity manipulation effect. The Ice Jade Scorpions came diving back towards the ground.

"Fifth spirit skill, White Rose Hexagram!"

The White Rose Scepter duplicated and two of the six scepters came flying down above the spirit beasts. When the Ice Jade Scorpions crashed into the ground, two White Rose Scepters drove into their outer shells, piercing them and stabbing through their bodies. The two spirits beasts hissed before going limp. Two black spirits rings soon appeared, denoting their decade millennium cultivation status.

Bing Dadao turned towards Ru Shenqi. "Hurry and get packed. We need to go as soon as possible."

"What about their spirit rings?"

"They're not suitable for me," Cang Huaban explained. "Also, I haven't broken through to a new spirit master level, so I can't absorb their rings without a backlash."

"So they'll just go to waste?"

She nodded. "Yes, since I killed them both, only I can absorb their rings. But since I won't, no one will be able to, and their rings should fade away within a shichen."

"Oh, ok."

Ru Shenqi went to her tent and began gathering her things. They packed up camp and plowed deeper.

When they were about three quarters of the way to the center of Icebound Forest, something caught Ru Shenqi's eye. She pointed and asked, "Teacher Cang, what is this spirit beast?"

"It's a Scaled Peacock Butterfly!" Cang Huaban exclaimed. "They must usually hibernate here. Quickly, Xiao Shen, you must kill it before it wakes up from its slumber."

"But it hasn't attacked us."

"Don't you want it for your spirit ring?"

"Well, yes, but... the last time, the Mammoth Snowy Owl attacked us. It was either its life or ours. But this time, we're killing an innocent spirit beast which hasn't harmed us."

Bing Dadao patted her head. "Your morals are in the right place, Xiao Shen. But if you want to be a spirit master, then remember this: spirit masters and spirit beasts will always be at odds. We need their rings to advance. There's no other way."

She looked at the hibernating spirit beast sadly. I'm sorry, but I need your ring.

Ru Shenqi took out her rapier and thrusted it into the Scaled Peacock Butterfly's heart. Soon, dominating black light began to raise up from the body to form the the spirit ring. She watched as the ring spun. Bing Dadao and Cang Huaban gasped.

"Another decade millennium spirit ring?!"

Ru Shenqi turned around and saluted. "Headmaster Bing, Teacher Cang, I really want this ring. Can I absorb it?"

"The risk is very high, but you've managed to absorb one before already. Go ahead," Bing Dadao said warily.

"Xiao Shen, be careful," Cang Huaban added.

Reaching out, Ru Shenqi used some spirit power to call the ring to her. She sat down next to the slain spirit beast and began to meditate. She still felt immense pain and sweated, but this time, her tribulation only lasted a day and a half. Around midday on the second day, she opened her eyes. They had transformed from lemon yellow to azure blue, reflecting the blue of the eyespots on the butterfly's wings. Her hair though, remained the same white from the Mammoth Snowy Owl's effects.

"Show us your martial spirit," Bing Dadao urged.

She activated her spirit, and her eyes became transparent. The only real difference was that the lucent intensity had increased.

"What's your second spirit skill?"

Ru Shenqi looked around. She used her enhanced color vision and found a polar fox two meters away and target-locked onto it.

"Second spirit skill, Clear Crystal Crypsis."

Two glowing black spirit rings appeared at her feet. Bing Dadao and Cang Huaban watched as the polar fox changed from being a fox to being a snow leopard. Pride and satisfaction gleamed on their faces.

"Well done, Xiao Shen," Cang Huaban said. "The Crypsis skill will come in handy during battles with other spirit masters. You can trick the opponents by making you or your teammates look like those on their side. Even with your decade millennium spirit ring, since you're only a Spirit Grandmaster, the ability is limited to spirit masters under sixtieth rank."

"So, Teacher Cang, which system should I aim for then? I have a disorientation effect and a mimicry effect."

"I would say Control System. As of right now, you can control the situation by disorienting your opponents and by changing the appearances of those around you to your advantage. This is a good path."

"Alright."

"Xiao Shen, come test your spirit power."

Ru Shenqi turned and faced Bing Dadao. She placed her palm on the blue crystal. The surrounding area mildly filled with blue light.

"Twenty sixth ranked Spirit Grandmaster," he breathed in amazement. "You truly are worthy of the title genius, Xiao Shen."

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