"Didn't you say the ability of your 2nd Spirit Ring was just to create a crystal-like shield? Why do you need to take a carving class?" Jing Liu interjected, puzzled by Arthur's decision.
Arthur approached Jing Liu. "Of course... not," he said in a flat yet amused tone. "The ability from my second spirit ring is to manipulate crystal. From thin, thick, small, large, to various shapes, I can produce them all!"
To emphasize his point, he raised his hand. A golden energy crystal appeared and began to transform with mesmerizing fluidity: from a solid cube to a spinning sphere, then stretching into a pointed sword, before finally collapsing into a flower-like shape that fell apart due to a lack of knowledge about the object—not from a lack of spiritual energy control.
"See? But complex manipulation like this consumes a lot of energy. So, I have to learn carving. By understanding form, structure, and pressure points through carving, I can visualize and create crystal shapes more perfectly, stronger, and far more energy-efficient. I'm learning not to waste energy."
"Wow, amazing!" Jing Liu's eyes widened, but then they narrowed suspiciously. "Then why did you only tell me yesterday that you could only make the shield when we returned from the system?" she protested.
Arthur chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "Hahaha... that... I seem to have forgotten. Because we had to hurry back to the academy. It's been almost a week since we entered the deepest area of the Spirit Hunting Forest, and... the events were quite intense. I'm still in shock myself!"
"Yeah, that journey was indeed not easy," said Jing Liu, heaving a sigh immediately. "I never expected we would witness a battle between four 1,000-year-old spirit beasts that ruled the core area! Just when we wanted to capture the Black Iron Turtle, we ended up witnessing their destruction," Jing Liu said, recalling the moment.
Flashback: Core of the Spirit Hunting Forest - 1 Week Ago
It was exactly one day after the battle that occurred. Arthur requested permission from the academy to obtain his first spirit ring, using the reason that after the battle, he had a breakthrough from level 9 to level 10. With that, Arthur received a permit from the school to get a spirit ring. Although initially confused, the headmaster said it was a permit he had requested years ago for any student who successfully reached level 10 and offered to help Arthur get his first spirit ring. But Arthur refused, stating he wanted to do it on his own without the headmaster's help, and informed him that Jing Liu would accompany him.
"Art, how did it go? Did the headmaster permit us to go alone?" said Jing Liu, who was waiting outside the headmaster's office.
"Yes, we're permitted on the condition that we cannot go deeper as it would endanger us," said Arthur.
"Hehehe, alright! Since we can already protect ourselves, that restriction doesn't apply!" said Jing Liu with a giggle.
"You mischievous girl! We'll depart this afternoon. Let's go meet Li Wang Cheng and the others," said Arthur, flicking Jing Liu's forehead.
After some exchanges and a bit of drama from the members of Dormitory No. 7 who wanted to accompany Arthur to get his spirit ring, Arthur successfully stopped them by saying they weren't ready to face what lay inside the Spirit Hunting Forest. They finally relented and told Arthur to be careful.
Then, noon arrived. Arthur and Jing Liu set off for the Spirit Hunting Forest. But this time, they entered through the normal, general route, so there were no surprises during the journey, and they entered without haste. The guards weren't too suspicious because, although they were only 6 years old, their stature was like that of 10-year-olds, and the spirit power level they intentionally emitted was 10 and 12—very common among civilians.
After entering, Arthur and Jing Liu began to move. This time, Arthur didn't use his teleportation shoes to conserve his spiritual energy. The opponent they would face was a 1,000-year spirit beast, which generally could only be defeated by someone level 40 or above. Just as Arthur was about to activate his spirit pen, they heard a roar and felt immense spiritual pressure from the central area and decided to see what was happening.
"What roar was that? It doesn't sound like just one spirit beast. Do you want to check it out?" said Arthur.
"Alright, let's take a look! Maybe the spirit creature we're looking for is there."
From a high cliff hidden by lush foliage, Arthur and Jing Liu witnessed an almost unbelievable scene. A thick mist of spiritual energy enveloped a giant basin below them. There, four rulers stood facing each other, each emitting terrifying auras that clashed violently.
· From the North: The Black Iron Turtle stood firm. Its dark, mountain-textured shell reflected the dim light. Every breath it took sounded like the hiss of grinding metal.
· From the South: The mighty Crystal Fire Lion. Its body was a mosaic of glowing red and orange crystals, with a mane made of pure fire that licked without ever burning the crystals. Its roar was low, vibrating like an earth tremor, emitting sparks of hot crystal.
· From the East: The agile and elegant Wind-Splitting Wolf. Its silver fur was almost invisible, blending with the mist and swirling winds around it. Its green eyes were sharp, and its claws left trails of cutting aura in the air. The sound of splitting wind was heard with every move.
· From the West: The lurking Steel Serpent Vine. Not one plant, but thousands of metallic black vines intertwined, each ending with an independent moving snake head, snapping with teeth made of old iron. Its leaves were like dagger blades, hissing as they spewed black toxic gas.
TO BE CONTINUED....