Grandmaster spoke while preparing to deal with the remains.
Qian Jue watched silently as Grandmaster took out his tools to handle the Two-Headed Lizard's corpse. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked:
"Teacher, is absorbing spirit rings always painful?"
Grandmaster, who was just about to get busy, froze for a moment.
"Of course. Absorbing a spirit ring means taking the power of a spirit beast as your own. Within the ring lies not only its strength but also its resentment from being slain. Tell me—would you let the one who killed you easily take everything from you? That's why the process is naturally difficult. Why do you ask this?"
Qian Jue frowned, then looked toward Tang San.
"Xiao San, when you absorbed yours that day, how did it feel?"
Tang San replied, "At first, it felt like I was thrown into boiling magma. I could only endure through sheer willpower. Only after slowly adapting did it ease a little. Why?"
"But… why did I feel warmth when I absorbed mine yesterday? I didn't feel any pain at all. In fact, I even miss that feeling."
Qian Jue scratched his head, unable to think of a reason.
Hearing this, Grandmaster quickly came over.
"How could this be? Tell me everything you felt when you absorbed your first spirit ring yesterday."
Qian Jue described it in detail.
"I felt like I was in a warm ocean. My whole body was bathed in warmth. My soul power also flowed faster than usual, and I didn't feel any pain at all."
Grandmaster frowned deeply after listening.
"That shouldn't be… Even if the Sheep Spirit reduces pain, the spirit beast's resentment cannot completely vanish. How could it die so peacefully, without a shred of hatred?"
He muttered in puzzlement.
But Qian Jue's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard this. He clapped his hands.
"That's it! It died peacefully, accepted its fate, and so it had no resentment. That's why I could absorb it so easily!"
"Without resentment… but why would that be?" Grandmaster murmured, still deep in thought.
"Teacher."
Qian Jue had to call him back.
"This might be related to Kindred's nature. Kindred is the embodiment of death. To those who calmly accept their fate, the Sheep Spirit's bow grants a merciful end, sending them to the paradise of the dead. But for those who try to escape destiny, the Wolf Spirit will hunt them down, tearing them apart in agony. The Silver Thread Snake was slain by me while under the Sheep Spirit's possession, so perhaps that's why it left no resentment."
Grandmaster's eyes narrowed.
"This knowledge… did it come to you at your Martial Spirit awakening? If the beast were slain by your Wolf Spirit, then it would…"
"Yes. Most likely filled with pain and resentment," Qian Jue finished his words.
At that, Grandmaster's eyes brightened. He quickly returned to the Two-Headed Lizard's body, searching through it meticulously—even the severed heads weren't spared.
After a while, he straightened up, but the lizard's spirit ring had already begun to fade.
He turned to Qian Jue, face stern.
"Xiao Jue, I'll ask you again. Are you certain you want to absorb another ring? And when you absorbed before, you truly felt no pain?"
"Teacher, I swear I'm telling the truth. I wouldn't pretend." Qian Jue replied earnestly.
"Good. Then begin at once. Xiao San and I will guard you. Remember all my warnings—absorbing two rings consecutively is something I've never seen before. If any problem arises, you may have to rely on yourself."
"Don't worry, Teacher!"
Qian Jue wasted no words, sat cross-legged beside the Two-Headed Lizard's corpse, and soon its spirit ring drifted above his head.
Grandmaster and Tang San focused intently, wondering what would happen.
Sure enough, a figure slowly appeared beside Qian Jue.
It was the Wolf Spirit.
The floating ring, as if finding its true vessel, immediately descended toward it.
---
When Qian Jue awoke once more in that familiar warmth, he found Grandmaster and Tang San watching him with concern. He grinned happily.
Seeing him awaken, the two also let out a sigh of relief.
"Success?" Grandmaster asked with anticipation.
"Of course, Teacher." Qian Jue stood excitedly, releasing his Martial Spirit.
The Sheep Spirit attached, the Wolf Spirit floating.
Canceling Kindred's concealment effect, the Sheep Spirit's phantom and the Wolf Spirit appeared together. Beneath each hovered a slowly rotating yellow ring.
Qian Jue closed his eyes to sense the Wolf Spirit's first spirit skill.
"Well? What is it?" Grandmaster urged.
Qian Jue opened his eyes.
"Teacher, your guess was correct. The Two-Headed Lizard gave the Wolf Spirit the skill:
I can toggle it on or off. When active, I receive the Wolf Spirit's senses—sight, hearing, smell, even touch."
As he spoke, he activated it.
At once, the Wolf Spirit's eyes glowed, and even the flames in its mask-like sockets seemed to come alive.
Qian Jue guided it through the air. From simple up-down, left-right, he advanced to darting through the forest.
Before, controlling the Wolf Spirit felt like remotely piloting a machine—like a video game. Now, it was as though he had become the Wolf Spirit itself, fully immersed in its body—like stepping from a computer game into a total-immersion virtual world. He was the Wolf Spirit, soaring freely through the woods.
Meanwhile, Grandmaster and Tang San watched both the Wolf Spirit's agile flight and Qian Jue's real body stumbling about—eyes shut, bowing, waving his arms and legs.
Like a fool.
They exchanged glances, both struggling not to laugh.
"Enough, enough. Stop now," Grandmaster said, patting Qian Jue's shoulder.
The Wolf Spirit looped once more in the air, then returned to his side. Qian Jue's eyes snapped open.
"Teacher, Xiao San! This skill is amazing! I felt like a bird, flying freely through the sky!"
"Calm yourself." Grandmaster tapped his shoulder. "Tell me: how's the soul power consumption? And while using this, can you still control your own body?"
"The cost is very low—I should be able to maintain it for tens of minutes. My body can still move, but I closed my eyes because I'm not used to handling two sets of senses at once. Just now, I nearly flew the Wolf Spirit into a tree." Qian Jue scratched his head, embarrassed.
Tang San teased, "Brother Jue, you weren't just distracted—you were practically possessed. You should've seen yourself, flailing around like an idiot."
Qian Jue glanced at his own position and realized his movements had unconsciously mirrored the Wolf Spirit's.
He rolled his eyes at Tang San, just about to retort—when Grandmaster pressed his shoulder.
"Your next task is clear. You must practice with both your new skills. With the Sheep Spirit's bow, hone your accuracy and develop close-combat uses. With the Wolf Spirit's Shared Perception, you must train until you can process both sets of sensory feedback at once—make the Wolf Spirit into another organ of perception. Understood?"
"Yes, Teacher!" Qian Jue responded firmly.
"Good. Pack up—we return at once!" Grandmaster said with vigor.
This trip to the Spirit Hunting Forest had been immensely rewarding. Not only had Tang San and Qian Jue found suitable rings, but the skills they gained were highly compatible. Moreover, he had uncovered the secrets of Qian Jue's Martial Spirit. With this knowledge, he could now better plan their future development.
…