The air exploded. A massive, grey-skinned blur slammed into the Spotted Gale Panther mid-air, sending the predator tumbling through the underbrush like a broken toy.
"First Spirit Skill: Rhino Charge!"
Dean Long Han stood between Chen Fan and the dazed beast, his heavy breathing sounding like a steam engine. He didn't even look at the panther; he turned his head, his eyes burning with a mix of fury and terror.
"You suicidal brat!" the Dean roared, his voice shaking the leaves. "Innate Full Spirit Power doesn't make you immortal! You're six years old! If I were ten seconds slower, I'd be carrying your corpse back to Clear Water Village!"
Chen Fan slumped against the tree, clutching his bleeding shoulder. The "protagonist armor" he thought he wore had been shredded by a simple 300-year-old beast. The cold realization sank in: This isn't a book anymore. This is a world that wants to eat me.
"I... I was arrogant," Chen Fan whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry, Dean."
The Dean sighed, his iron-plate skin receding as he deactivated his skill. "Get up. We're leaving."
"Wait!" Chen Fan grabbed the Dean's sleeve. "Please. I need the Shadow-Stalking Ghoul. It's in the ravine just ahead. If I go back now, I've wasted this chance. Help me, Dean. I won't move an inch without your command."
Long Han looked at the boy's resolute eyes. He saw the spark of a true Spirit Master—not just talent, but the hunger for strength. "Fine. But you stay behind my back. If you breathe too loud, I'm dragging you out by your collar."
The Hunt: The Invisible vs. The Intangible
They reached the shadowed ravine. The air here felt heavy, like walking through cold syrup.
Suddenly, the Dean's Iron-Armored Rhino spirit flared instinctively. "Something's here," he hissed.
From the cracks in the damp stone, a shape coalesced. It wasn't solid; it looked like a flickering flame made of violet smoke and jagged bone. This was the Shadow-Stalking Ghoul, a 390-year-old terror.
It was nearly intangible. When the Dean swung a massive, spirit-enhanced fist, it passed right through the Ghoul's chest.
"Tsk! Physical attacks are useless!" Long Han grunted. The Ghoul screeched—a sound that bypassed the ears and vibrated directly in the soul. It lunged, its smoky claws leaving frostbite-like burns on the Dean's defensive plating.
"Chen Fan! Your Specter!" the Dean shouted, struggling to pin down a shadow. "It's the same attribute! Use your Martial Soul to distract it!"
Chen Fan focused. He couldn't fight, but he could be a target. He sent his Specter forward. The two spirits—one a silent watcher, the other a malevolent hunter—clashed in a swirl of purple mist. For a split second, the Ghoul became solid as it tried to tear into the Specter.
"Now!" Chen Fan yelled.
"Third Spirit Skill: Earth-Shattering Impact!" The Dean didn't miss. He slammed his foot into the ground, sending a shockwave of spirit power upward. The Ghoul, locked in combat with the Specter, couldn't phase through the ground fast enough. The blast shredded its ethereal form, leaving it flickering weakly on the grass.
The First Ring: A Cold Ascension
A shimmering yellow ring, darker and more vibrant than a typical century-old ring, floated above the dying Ghoul.
"390 years... nearly the limit for a first ring," the Dean muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Absorb it. I'll guard you."
Chen Fan sat cross-legged. As he drew the ring toward him, a violent chill invaded his meridians. It felt like swallowing shards of dry ice. His Specter let out a silent howl, its form expanding and contracting as the Ghoul's energy tried to tear it apart from the inside.
Pain. It wasn't easy like the novels said. His bones felt like they were freezing and cracking. But Chen Fan gritted his teeth, using his knowledge of meditation to guide the freezing energy into his dantians.
After what felt like hours, the cold subsided. A bright yellow ring settled around his feet.
Rank: 11 Spirit Master
First Spirit Skill: Ghost Claw. (Effect: His Specter can now physically manifest its claws to strike, ignoring 40% of the target's physical defense and dealing mental frost damage.)
The Dean watched as the boy stood up, his pale skin now carrying a faint, ethereal glow. "You're a monster, kid. Let's get back to the academy before you decide to hunt a 1,000-year-old beast for fun."
As they walked back through the forest gates, Chen Fan looked at his Specter. It was taller now, its violet eyes sharper. He had survived his first lesson: In this world, power is earned in blood, not just given by fate.