The next day, after a night of rest, Grandmaster and his two companions prepared to continue their journey. This time, their target was a spirit beast known as the Obsidian Venom Scorpion.
"Obsidian Venom Scorpions prefer to live in marshlands, feeding on Water Serpents. Their bodies are covered in black scales, giving them outstanding defense. Most importantly, their venom aligns perfectly with the toxin effect we need.
A Spirit Master stung by its tail at first won't show any obvious reaction. But if treatment isn't applied within ten minutes, the victim will gradually lose all motor function, and eventually even suffocate to death from being unable to breathe. That's why I think its venom is especially suitable for your Wolf Spirit. What do you think?"
"So, we're heading to the swamp within the Soul Hunting Forest then?"
Qian Jue naturally had no objections to Grandmaster's choice. In fact, the Obsidian Venom Scorpion was already one of the potential targets he had in mind for his Wolf Spirit's second spirit ring. This kind of neurotoxin, which petrified and paralyzed its prey, would in many cases prove more useful than a simple blood toxin.
"Oh, and once we reach the swamp, make sure to look around for a plant called the Green Soul Flower. It's entirely green, its petals triangular in shape. It's the natural nemesis of the Obsidian Venom Scorpion. When its roots are ground into a paste and applied to a sting, the poison's effect is greatly weakened. We should search for some in advance, just in case."
"Yes, Teacher."
Qian Jue answered quickly, silently repeating the name several times to etch it into memory. This was the first time he had heard of this knowledge, and he knew it might come in handy someday.
The swamp wasn't far from where they had hunted the Green Pouch Beast the previous day, lying at the end of a river tributary. Grandmaster and Qian Jue had Flender carry them in flight part of the way, then walked for another half hour before arriving at the swamp within the Soul Hunting Forest.
This swamp wasn't large. After all, this was an imperial spirit beast preserve, and many of the terrains inside weren't naturally formed but artificially created, designed to house different types of spirit beasts.
After trudging across muddy ground, the three slowly entered the marsh. Grandmaster held a long staff, leading cautiously at the front. Each time he stepped forward, he thrust the staff into the mud to ensure it was solid before stepping down. Flender trailed carelessly behind. Despite walking for a long while, they hadn't gone far.
"In a marsh like this, you must be absolutely sure the ground ahead is solid before stepping. Never trust your eyes alone—what looks like firm ground might just be a thin layer of soil hiding deep, soft mud beneath. Clumps of grass like these, especially, should be treated with caution.
Of course, your spirit bone gives you a weight-reducing ability, which is an enormous advantage here. Many places unable to bear a normal person's weight can still carry you. If you ever face a stronger opponent, and such terrain is nearby, try luring them here. It will definitely give you the upper hand."
"I'll remember, Teacher."
"Good. Flender, keep an eye out for traces of burrows. The Obsidian Venom Scorpion is quite large, and when it crawls across soft swamp mud, its legs leave behind many tiny holes. These marks close quickly, but if we spot them, we'll be able to track it down."
As Grandmaster explained the techniques of moving and fighting in such terrain to Qian Jue, he also directed Flender to search for scorpion tracks.
Flender lazily swept his eyes around and soon spotted several traces as Grandmaster had described.
"Found some. A few spots, though they're a bit far. If you two keep walking like this, it'll take over half an hour to reach them. Say, Xiao Gang, why don't you just tell me how to judge its age? I'll catch one myself and bring it back. Training the kid doesn't have to mean wasting this much time. He'll get plenty of practice fighting when he hunts for his Kindred Marks with me later."
Grandmaster blinked at the suggestion, then looked at Qian Jue. Qian Jue only shrugged—he didn't mind either way. Whether he hunted it himself or waited for Flender to deliver, he would still be the one absorbing the spirit ring.
After a pause, Grandmaster gave a rueful smile. "I've been too rigid. Because I want you to stand tall on your own, I've insisted you do everything yourself. But that's what teachers are for, isn't it? Flender, let's make it official—accept Xiao Jue into your academy."
The words carried meaning beyond their surface, and Flender immediately understood. He stepped forward to stand before Qian Jue.
"Kid, you heard him. From now on, you'll follow me to my academy to study. Let me introduce it properly—listen carefully.
My academy is called Shrek Academy, which I founded sixteen years ago. You know what 'Shrek' is, right? It's a monster among spirit beasts. The meaning is simple: my academy only accepts monsters!
Since its founding, Shrek has admitted 41 students, but only 14 graduated. The rest either failed to meet the standards… or died while hunting spirit beasts. But those 14 who did graduate? Every single one of them is now a renowned figure in their own right."
At this point Flender raised his head proudly, clearly expecting Qian Jue's awe. But Qian Jue only stared back silently. With no praise forthcoming, Flender could only cough awkwardly and press on.
"Do you know why only 14 graduated? Because my graduation requirement is reaching level 41, Spirit Ancestor realm, before the age of 20. If you can't, then you're weak—and I won't let Shrek Academy's name be disgraced!"
His tone turned serious. "From this moment, you're officially a student of Shrek Academy. Including you, we now have three students. The other two are older than you, but you'll meet them soon."
"Yes, Headmaster. Please guide me from now on."
Qian Jue finally responded, bowing deeply.
"Good!" Flender clapped his shoulder with satisfaction. "For your entrance benefit, I'll take care of this spirit beast hunt for you."
As he spoke, wings burst from his back. He grabbed both Grandmaster and Qian Jue, then with a single kick soared into the air.
"Xiao Gang, tell me how to judge its age!"
"Look at the tail segments! An Obsidian Venom Scorpion has ten sections with nine joints. White means a hundred years, dark green means a thousand. You want one with all nine joints white, or with one purple and the rest clear!"
Shouting against the wind, Grandmaster explained while being carried in flight.
"Got it!"
Flender swooped down. In less than a minute, he covered the same distance it had taken them half an hour to walk.
"Wait here. I'll be quick!"
Leaving the two behind, Flender dove back into the swamp.
If this were Qian Jue's trial, he wouldn't release his aura, or the low-level spirit beasts would hide. But since this was his hunt, he had no such concerns. No matter where the beasts hid, they couldn't escape him.
As Flender vanished from sight, Grandmaster patted Qian Jue's head. "See? That's the difference between us and a Spirit Saint. What takes us half an hour, he finishes in half a minute. Soul power rank is the true essence of a Spirit Master's strength.
The techniques I've taught you may give you an edge against peers, but they won't let you leapfrog higher levels. If you ever face an opponent a full rank above you, never be arrogant. Remember—no one in this world is more talented than you. Given time, you'll surpass them all.
So survive. Whatever happens, survival is your ultimate goal. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Teacher," Qian Jue answered solemnly.
"Good. You're not one for pointless pride, so you should be fine. When I'm not around, ask Flender if you're unsure of anything. He may not study martial spirits as deeply as I do, but his strength gives him a perspective I lack. Sometimes, his guidance may even be better than mine.
Also, remember—your main task these next years is hunting spirit beasts, stacking your Kindred Marks without interruption to strengthen your body.
As you gain higher spirit rings, the pressure on your body will only grow. You cannot afford to neglect stacking the Marks.
And of course, you must never neglect your knowledge either."
Saying this, Grandmaster pulled several thick stacks of books and notes from his soul tool and laid them out.
"These are organized according to your study plan. The first notebook lists when to read which ones. Follow the schedule I've made for you."
*Gulp.*
Qian Jue swallowed as he stared at the mountain of books, but obediently stored them all into his soul tool.
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