What kind of Spirit Ring did he want?
Su Ming thought for a moment and said, "First, the age limit must be sufficient. Then, it should be able to enhance the body. Preferably, a Spirit Beast skilled in physical strength, one that possesses an all-around enhancement Spirit Skill."
Hearing this, Duan Jin nodded. "Good. These requirements do match your Martial Spirit well. The question now is where you want to hunt. Nuoding City has its own Spirit Hunting Forest, but the Spirit Beasts there are all captive-bred. Truly top-tier Spirit Rings are rare. The key issue is the variety of Spirit Beasts isn't great; we might not find the Spirit Ring you want."
Su Ming asked, "Where does Brother Duan usually go to hunt?"
Duan Jin smiled.
"I have three Spirit Rings in total so far, all hunted in the Savage Beast Mountain Range. The Savage Beast Mountain Range is located within the Star Luo Empire, stretching across three major provinces. Its range is extremely vast, a large Spirit Beast habitat like the Sunset Forest in the Heaven Dou Empire."
There were many Spirit Beast habitats on the continent. Besides the Great Star Dou Forest, there were five other large Spirit Beast habitats and over a dozen scattered small ones. Additionally, there were the Spirit Beast forests bred in captivity by the two great empires and the Spirit Hall. It could be said that Spirit Beast resources in this era were truly abundant, with no signs of extinction at all.
"Most Spirit Beasts in the Savage Beast Mountain Range meet your requirements. There are also many top-tier Spirit Beast bloodlines there, and interbreeding has produced many variants."
Su Ming's expression was conflicted.
"Actually, continuing your studies at the elementary Spirit Master academy now won't yield much gain. With your talent, you could directly enter a advanced Spirit Master academy in Gengxin City," Duan Jin said.
Hearing this, Su Ming made a decision.
"I'll return to the academy and apply for early graduation."
"You can pack your luggage into this. The space inside this bracelet isn't large, but it's enough for your bedding and such."
Duan Jin handed Su Ming a bracelet.
Su Ming looked at Duan Jin in surprise.
He was giving him a storage Spirit Tool so casually?
This era didn't have Spirit Tool technology. All Spirit Tools were obtained from relics of distant ages. The total number was almost fixed, and among them, convenient-to-use storage Spirit Tools were especially rare.
"Take it. I have three more storage Spirit Tools."
Su Ming's mouth opened slightly.
He felt like Duan Jin seemed very wealthy.
"Many Spirit Tools excavated from ruins are damaged. Whether for aesthetics or practicality, people always find blacksmiths to repair them. Gengxin City naturally became the city with the highest flow of Spirit Tools. Our Blacksmith Association, as the largest local association, has collected quite a few Spirit Tools."
Su Ming understood.
The graduation requirements for Nuoding Academy weren't high. Su Ming already had level 10 Spirit Power and was traveling far for spirit hunting, not returning. With sufficient reason, the academy issued him a graduation certificate.
The next day.
Su Ming left the city with Duan Jin.
Nuoding City was located in the Fasnuo Province, in the southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering the Star Luo Empire.
Traveling south for about a month, the two approached the western side of the Savage Beast Mountain Range and entered from there.
"The Great Star Dou Forest has higher age limit Spirit Beasts closer to the core. The Savage Beast Mountain Range is different. These continuous mountain ranges can be divided into small sections, forming small habitats centered around a powerful Spirit Beast."
"The area we're in now has three overlords, all with cultivation exceeding fifty thousand years, each occupying a major mountain."
"I obtained all three of my Spirit Rings in the valley area ahead."
"..."
Duan Jin was quite talkative. Along the way, while staying alert to their surroundings and searching for prey, he could still explain things to Su Ming.
Sensing Spirit Power fluctuations ahead, he signaled Su Ming to be quiet, and they crept forward.
Ahead, a giant ape covered in jet-black fur was resting.
"Good luck," Duan Jin said. "The Spirit Power fluctuation of this giant ape ahead is over three hundred years. Judging by its size, it might be a Vajra Ape."
Su Ming stared at the giant ape, his gaze searching through its fur.
Beneath its fur, there were special patterns. These patterns were also black, with a metallic texture, hidden within the dark fur.
Determining the Vajra Ape's age relied on these patterns.
The Vajra Ape had an extremely strong physique, not only possessing great strength but also super defense. These metallic-textured patterns were key; during combat, they were the channels through which its Spirit Power enhanced its body.
This was a conclusion obtained by later-era scholars through dissection, so this method of identification didn't exist in the current era.
The more complex these metallic-textured patterns were, the stronger the Vajra Ape's Spirit Power enhancement of its body.
The patterns covered its body, branching out and ending in circular shapes. The denser these circles were, the more beneficial they were for Spirit Power utilization.
Under Su Ming's observation, the ends of the patterns beneath this Vajra Ape's fur already had four circles, meaning its cultivation had reached four hundred years.
A few pattern ends still had three circles, meaning it hadn't exceeded four hundred years.
Based on the proportion of four-circle ends, it should be over four hundred years, approaching five hundred.
"Brother Duan, this Vajra Ape is quite suitable for me."
Duan Jin's expression was grave. "I'm not sure of its age limit. The cultivation characteristics of Vajra Ape Spirit Beasts aren't very obvious; you can only judge by size and Spirit Power fluctuation."
"Then this Vajra Ape's cultivation?" Su Ming asked.
"Over three hundred years. Whether it specifically reaches four hundred, I can't say for sure. It's just... its size seems a bit large; it most likely is around four hundred years. The limit for a Spirit Master's first Spirit Ring is a little over four hundred and twenty years. I'm afraid this Vajra Ape might exceed your tolerance limit."
Su Ming thought to himself that Duan Jin was quite reliable.
"Brother Duan, let's go with this Vajra Ape. I forge every day; my physical quality is also higher than that of an ordinary Spirit Master. Even if this Vajra Ape's cultivation truly exceeds the limit, I should be able to grit my teeth and withstand it."
Duan Jin was speechless. "You think this is like forging? 'Grit your teeth and withstand it'? Do you know that if a Spirit Ring's age limit exceeds the tolerance limit, the Spirit Master will explode outright during absorption?"
Su Ming said, "This Vajra Ape is extremely suitable for me. We can't just give up on it, right?"
"Let's search elsewhere. We'll keep this Vajra Ape as a backup. If we really can't find one more suitable for you, then we'll come back to hunt this Vajra Ape," Duan Jin said.
Duan Jin wanted to be more cautious. Su Ming couldn't forcefully persuade him and could only continue searching the Savage Beast Mountain Range with Duan Jin.
And this search lasted a month.
"Brother Duan, how about we just take that first Vajra Ape?" Su Ming proposed, covered in dust, to the equally disheveled Duan Jin beside him.
"Alright.Should have just hunted that Vajra Ape directly. Wasted a whole month for nothing," Duan Jin said, also somewhat annoyed.
Su Ming consoled him, "It's not so bad. We did gain something."
Duan Jin nodded seriously.
"Indeed. Although it's only a small vein, it's still a meteoric iron ore deposit. The mined meteoric iron should be worth at least six figures in Gold Spirit Coins. After you absorb your Spirit Ring and we return to Gengxin City, I need to report to my teacher. With my teacher leading the team personally, we should be able to drive away that Dark Gold Bear."
(End of Chapter)