Normally, ordinary talented Spirit Masters would obtain their first Spirit Ring from Spirit Beasts ranging between 100 to 400 years, as this range was considered the safest limit that both the body and soul could endure.
However, Han Wuchen was in a completely different situation, even though he did not possess a single Spirit Ring yet, the durability of his body and the strength of his soul had already reached a level close to that of a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, meaning he had the potential to make choices that normal Spirit Masters would never dare to attempt.
Of course, his first target would not be a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, after all, without any Spirit Abilities, he would be nothing more than a delicious piece of prey even for the weakest ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, and since he had transmigrated into his favorite novel world, he had no intention of dying so soon.
Therefore, he set his first target more rationally, a weak thousand-year Spirit Beast that he could handle while keeping the risks under control, it was the most suitable choice to test his newly gained power and obtain his first Spirit Ring.
Thus, Han Wuchen wasted no time and began searching relentlessly through the forest, his gaze sharpened and his senses fully heightened, however after taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered an important fact, this was the Star Dou Forest, and he was almost completely unfamiliar with this vast and dangerous place, which made him realize that finding a suitable Spirit Beast would not be as easy as he had thought, on the contrary, if he made the wrong choice, the chances of becoming prey before a hunter were much higher.
However, since he currently had no better option, he decided to continue forward, during three hours of progress through the depths of the forest, he encountered numerous Spirit Beasts, most of them ranging between 300 to 850 years, and with his Level 60 Spirit Power along with the bonus granted by the Void Weaver Spider, Han Wuchen was able to deal with them effortlessly, with each battle increasing both his experience and his control over his body.
At the end of three hours, he finally found the prey he had been searching for, at the entrance of a dark cave stood a massive spider covered in black and crimson patterns, its body shining like hardened armor, its eight long legs firmly planted into the ground as it emitted a threatening aura, while its eyes glowed with a crimson light in the darkness.
At that moment, a small system panel appeared before Han Wuchen, introducing the creature in front of him.
[Spirit Beast: Crimson Armored Hunter Spider]
[Age: 1388 Years]
[Level: Thousand-Year Spirit Beast]
[Traits: High speed, potent venom, hardened exoskeleton, expert in ambush and web traps]
[Danger Level: Medium-High]
Han Wuchen's eyes narrowed slightly, this was definitely not an easy prey, but it was exactly the level he was looking for.
Normally, for a Spirit Emperor, a creature like this would be dealt with in just a few minutes, however Han Wuchen was not truly a Spirit Emperor, in fact he could not even be considered a proper Spirit Master, he was merely a spirit student with an unusually high amount of Spirit Power, and this difference would be the key factor determining the outcome of the battle.
Han Wuchen took a deep breath, his eyes sharpened as his gaze locked onto the giant spider, in the next moment, the phantom silhouette of the Void Weaver Spider appeared behind him, woven from violet and dark energy, an invisible yet overwhelming pressure spread through the surroundings, as if the very space had become heavier, the Crimson Armored Hunter Spider paused for a brief moment, its instincts screaming danger.
Han Wuchen did not miss this opportunity, he suddenly dashed forward, the ground beneath his feet slightly cracking as he enhanced his speed with Spirit Power, entering the spider's range instantly, the beast let out a sharp screech and launched a web, but Han Wuchen twisted his body at the last second, narrowly avoiding the attack before immediately countering, his fist struck one of the spider's front legs, the impact was strong but its shell was tougher than expected, only causing a slight tremor.
The spider retaliated instantly, one of its long legs slashed forward like a spear, Han Wuchen leapt back to evade, but the moment he landed he realized the ground had been covered in sticky webs, his movement slowed for an instant, and at that exact moment the spider lunged at him, its venomous fangs gleaming with deadly intent.
At the critical moment, Han Wuchen gritted his teeth and fully unleashed the pressure of the Void Weaver Spider, the invisible force spread like a wave and crashed directly onto the beast, even the air itself seemed to grow heavy, the Crimson Armored Hunter Spider trembled, its movements slowed as instinctive fear momentarily froze it.
This was the opportunity he had been waiting for, Han Wuchen gathered all his Spirit Power into his right arm, his veins faintly glowing as he stepped forward explosively, this time his fist struck directly at the spider's head, under the overwhelming pressure the hardened shell cracked, then came a second and third strike, each one heavier and more powerful, until finally the spider's defense shattered and its massive body staggered backward.
The spider let out a final shriek, its legs flailing uncontrollably before it collapsed heavily onto the ground, its life force fading rapidly as its body became still.
Han Wuchen stepped back a few paces, his breathing was heavy but a sharp glint shone in his eyes, this battle had proven one thing clearly, even if he was not a true Spirit Emperor, with the pressure of the Void Weaver Spider, he possessed an advantage capable of crushing his enemies.
Only a few seconds after the spider died, a light purple Spirit Ring slowly appeared above its body, releasing faint waves of energy as its presence became clearly noticeable, and thanks to the knowledge he had gained from novels, Han Wuchen knew exactly what he needed to do.
Without wasting any time, he sat down on the ground and crossed his legs into a meditative position, calming his mind and stabilizing his breathing, then he summoned his Martial Spirit, behind him the silhouette of the Void Weaver Spider reappeared, woven from dark and violet energy, spreading a heavy and oppressive aura, as if all surrounding energy was being drawn toward him.
Han Wuchen slowly closed his eyes and connected with the Spirit Ring, the light purple ring trembled as it rose into the air and gradually moved toward his body, then suddenly turned into light and flowed into him, at that moment his entire body shook, a dense and violent energy surged into him, his muscles tensed and his mind came under pressure, yet with the help of the Void Weaver Spider's suppression and control, he managed to barely stabilize this power, gritting his teeth as he focused on completing the process.
The process of absorbing the Spirit Ring took several hours, normally if it had been someone else in Han Wuchen's place, it would have taken an entire day, however his body and soul had already surpassed the limits of an ordinary Spirit Master, allowing him to complete the process faster and with greater control.
When he finally opened his eyes, the light purple Spirit Ring slowly rotated beneath his feet, its energy now fully synchronized with him, Han Wuchen took a deep breath and felt the power within him become denser than ever before, he was now officially a Spirit Master, but this was only the beginning of his journey, he still had five more Spirit Rings to obtain, and each one would transform him into something even stronger and more dangerous.