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The morning sky was just beginning to lighten. Tang Chuan woke early, washed up, and gathered his few belongings. He left the quiet tavern, walking through the town streets where only a few Spirit Masters were heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
They would nod in greeting as they passed. Tang Chuan, wearing a black cloak, quickly moved to the edge of town and disappeared into the morning mist, soon arriving at the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest.
At the same time, on the other side of the forest, Qin Ming and the Royal Fight Team emerged from the woods into a clearing. The forest was filled with a soft, misty light, and dew clung to the blades of grass. Qin Ming stood at the front, his expression serious, as he addressed his team.
"Yesterday, I saw people from Spirit Hall at the tavern," he said. "They looked like students from Spirit Hall Academy, and they're probably here to hunt spirit beasts and get spirit rings, just like us."
He paused and looked directly at Dugu Yan. "I'll say this again: once we enter the Star Dou Great Forest, nobody acts alone. Yan Zi, you especially must stay within ten steps of me. Our only goal is to help Ling Ling get her third spirit ring. As soon as she has it, we're leaving immediately. No unnecessary stops."
The team members listened intently, their faces serious. They exchanged glances and nodded. Even the usually rebellious Dugu Yan stayed silent.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, a group of people from Spirit Hall Academy silently entered the misty woods. The group was led by the young elite of Spirit Hall: Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, and others. Despite their young age, they carried themselves with a calm and focused demeanor.
Hu Liena stood in the middle, her golden combat suit rustling softly in the forest breeze. Several gray-robed elders surrounded her, protecting the group. After a few hours, they all successfully entered the deeper parts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Just then, Yan, Hu Liena's most devoted follower, stepped forward. He held a flask made from a soul tool, and a friendly, slightly fawning smile was on his face. "Nana, are you thirsty?" he asked. "This is water I made just for you. Do you want some?"
"I'm not thirsty," Hu Liena replied without even looking at him, her voice flat.
Yan's smile wavered for a moment, but he didn't get angry. He forced a relaxed smile, scratched his head, and continued, "Don't you think you're taking this too seriously, Nana? This time, we're not even getting our own spirit rings. We're just formally escorting Xu Yu."
He continued in a carefree tone, as if trying to get her to relax and talk more. "Besides, we have several teachers with us. We've never been hurt before when we came out here. Even if we run into danger, we won't be the ones who have to fight."
Hu Liena frowned, a flash of annoyance in her eyes. "You think this is just a formality for Xu Yu to get his fourth spirit ring?" she questioned him. "The teacher specifically told us to make sure Xu Yu is safe. He's the only support-type Spirit Master on our team. Do you think this is a sightseeing trip? This is the Star Dou Great Forest. Even the outer areas aren't safe."
Yan froze, his face stiff. He opened his mouth to reply but couldn't say a word, only able to retreat awkwardly to the side.
Just as the Spirit Hall group walked through a dense patch of trees, the forest opened up into a beautiful, clear lake. The water shimmered with a soft blue light, and the mist around it made the place look like a fairy tale.
"There's a lake ahead?" Xie Yue asked, his eyes narrowing in surprise.
Hu Liena's gaze sharpened. She stopped and said in a low voice, "This lake looks a bit strange. It could be a spirit beast's home."
Just as she spoke, ripples spread across the water's surface, and a white light slowly rose from the bottom of the lake. It grew brighter until a graceful, sacred figure emerged from the water. The spirit beast was a pure white Qilin-like creature, more than four meters long, with a light blue crystal horn on its head and thin wings on its back. Its entire body seemed to be made of flowing light as it floated on the lake.
"That'sā¦ a Jing Lin Beast!" one of the gray-robed elders gasped, a rare hint of excitement in his eyes. "This kind of high-level spirit beast has incredible healing and purification powers! It's said that no one ever gets sick where it lives, and their souls are pure and clean."
The atmosphere by the lake became tense. After confirming the Jing Lin Beast's power, the elder's eyes narrowed. He whispered to Hu Liena and the others, "This Jing Lin Beast has about five thousand years of cultivation. It's perfect for Xu Yu. Let me go get it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he moved like lightning, leaping into the air and striking toward the beast with a thunderous palm.
With a dull thud, the elder's palm hit the Jing Lin Beast's back. The creature cried out in pain and thrashed violently.
At that moment, the lake water exploded. A giant beast roared out from the bottom of the lake, appearing instantly beside the elder. It was a huge, pure white creature, over ten meters in size with two horns on its head. Its aura was far more powerful and fierce than the smaller Jing Lin Beast, filled with a sense of authority and anger. It swung its tail horizontally.
Before the elder could react, he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the ground dozens of meters away and creating a large crater.
"Elder Lin!" Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue shouted together, their faces pale with shock.
The smaller Jing Lin Beast cried out again, then took the chance to leap up. It flew with incredible speed toward the forest on the other side of the lake, trying to escape. The massive fifty-thousand-year-old Jing Lin Beast slowly turned its head, its eyes cold as it stared at the Spirit Hall group. The next second, visible waves of energy spread across the lake's surface.
Elder Lin struggled to climb out of the pit. His face was pale, and blood stained his lips, but he still roared angrily, "That's its mother! A fifty-thousand-year-old Jing Lin Beast! It's very protective. The other elders and I will hold it back! You all, hurry and chase the smaller one! Don't let it get away!"
Hu Liena immediately understood. Her gaze swept over her group, and she shouted in a low voice, "Xie Yue, Yan, Xu Yu, follow me to chase the thousand-year Jing Lin Beast. Everyone else, stay back!"
"Yes!" the others replied at once. They all shot off in the direction the Jing Lin Beast had fled.
At the same time, on the other side of the forest, Tang Chuan walked slowly. His eyes were half-closed, his mental power spreading out quietly to form a subtle connection with the Blue Silver Grass beneath his feet. He was searching for a suitable plant-type spirit beast.
Suddenly, he heard a violent rustling of bushes and the sound of breaking branches and shaking ground. It sounded like a spirit beast was running away.
"A spirit beast is running?" He stopped, opened his palm, and let his Blue Silver Grass slowly emerge. Like a hidden net, it spread out in all directions, sensing every movement within a hundred-meter radius. This unique ability had come to him after he absorbed the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone. It was similar to the Blue Silver Domain, but not nearly as strong.
As his senses spread out, the Blue Silver Grass in his palm trembled slightly. In Tang Chuan's mind, he saw a thin, pure white spirit beast running away in a sorry state. There were several bloody marks on its back, its white scales were broken, and blood seeped from the corners of its mouth.
"A Jing Lin Beast?"
Looking at the scene in his mind, Tang Chuan's eyes widened, then a hint of disappointment appeared. "What a shame," he muttered. "It only has a thousand years of cultivation. If it were ten thousand years, and I couldn't find a suitable plant-type spirit beast, I might consider absorbing its spirit ring."
He watched silently as the Jing Lin Beast wove through the dense forest. The next second, it pushed through a large patch of bushes, knocking down trees and suddenly opening up the view ahead.
"Hmm?"
Using the Blue Silver Grass around him as his eyes, Tang Chuan saw that after bursting through the bushes, the Jing Lin Beast stopped. Suddenly, seven or eight figures appeared in front of itāit was the Royal Fight Team!
Qin Ming's expression instantly became serious as he stared at the Jing Lin Beast that had appeared so suddenly. "Be careful," he said in a low, serious voice. "Even though this spirit beast is hurt, it has at least a thousand years of cultivation. Don't let your guard down."
As he spoke, his aura changed. Six spirit ringsāyellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, blackāspiraled up from his feet.
"Spirit Avatar, Blazing Fire Wolf!"
A massive fiery red wolf phantom appeared behind Qin Ming. As its four claws touched the ground, the earth shook. A powerful heat spread through the forest, and the air shimmered.
"Roarā"
The Blazing Fire Wolf let out a low, wild growl. Its spirit power vibrated, and a powerful pressure surged forward, forcing the Jing Lin Beast to take a step back, its eyes filled with fear and struggle.
"He's so strong," Yu Tianheng said, looking up in awe at the wolf phantom behind Qin Ming. He then turned his gaze to the trembling Jing Lin Beast. "Teacher Qin, I recognize this spirit beast. It's called a Jing Lin Beast! It's a life-type, good at healing and getting rid of negative effects. Its defense is also pretty strong. It's perfect for Ling Ling's spirit, the Nine Heart Seaę£ , and should be able to become her third spirit ring."
At this point, the Royal Fight Team hadn't had time to carefully figure out the Jing Lin Beast's age, only that it had at least a thousand years of cultivation.
At the same time, deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, where ancient trees reached for the sky and thick mist lingered, the sunlight could barely get through the leaves, casting only a few patches of light on the ground. The forest was eerily quiet, with only the faint cries of unknown spirit beasts.
In the center of a huge blue stone, a pure golden spirit beast lay peacefully. It had a slender, Qilin-like body, and on its forehead were three eyes. The third, vertical eye was tightly closed, giving it a mysterious look.
Suddenly, it opened its deep, star-like eyes.
This spirit beast was the Emperor Ruishou of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"That guy from last time? You actually dare to come back to the Star Dou Great Forest!" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion slowly lowered its head, watching the slight movement in the Blue Silver Grass beneath its feet, and spoke in a human voice.
"This time, I definitely won't let you escape!"