Chapter 31

Qian Renxue drew her legs into the lotus position and sat down, summoning her martial spirit. A golden maiden with six wings formed behind her, its holy and sacred aura permeating the surrounding air. The purple spirit ring, which was hovering over the corpse of the Angelic Sacred Horse, was drawn towards her like a moth to a flame.

As Qian Renxue began the process of absorbing the spirit ring, Qian Daoliu, Cai Wen, and Chrysanthemums Douluo encircled her, their eyes watchful for any potential threat.

The forest around them fell silent, the only sound being the rustle of leaves in the wind.

After an hour, the process was complete. Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes, a brilliant smile spreading across her face.

She stood up and summoned her three spirit rings - two yellow and one purple. The rings spun around her, affirming her success in absorbing the third spirit ring.

"What is your new ability, Xuer?" Qian Daoliu asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

Qian Renxue didn't shy away from the question. She described her new ability, a defensive skill that could create a protective barrier around her.

"Hehe, my new spirit ability is called Angelic Protection. Its effects form a golden protective barrier around me, which can absorb and neutralize enemy attacks. It also enhances my ability to recover from injuries," she explained while using her spirit ability.

She was surrounded by a translucent golden sphere. Qian Daoliu knocked on it a couple of times and nodded in approval of its defensive capability.

Her explanation was met with nods of approval. Cai Wen was particularly impressed.

"Congratulations, Miss Renxue for stepping into the Spirit Elder rank at the young age of seven," he said.

Chrysanthemums Douluo offered a simple congratulation, yet his eyes betrayed his awe. Qian Renxue, at the age of seven, had become the youngest spirit elder, a feat which was usually achieved at the age of 13-14 by a standard of geniuses.

Feeling satisfied with the day's accomplishments, the group decided to rest for the night.

Cai Wen had initially thought that with Qian Renxue having acquired her spirit ring, she and her grandfather would leave them. To his surprise, Qian Renxue insisted on staying to assist him in finding his own spirit ring.

As the new day dawned, they set out to find a suitable spirit beast for Cai Wen. They spent hours searching, making idle conversation to pass the time.

"Hey, Cai Wen, what kind of spirit beast are you even looking for?" Qian Renxue asked casually. Their relationship had already advanced to the point where they could be called friends, so she didn't hesitate to ask him.

"Honestly, I don't know," he said casually, which made Qian Renxue a bit angry.

"Then, are we just searching without any direction to follow?" she asked, her voice full of irritation.

"Well, if you put it that way, I guess we are..." His voice began to lower as he received a glare from the small child in front of him.

Cai Wen felt a twinge of shame, realizing he had not made any concrete plans for his second spirit ring, save for the fact that it should be from a 1000+ year old spirit beast. His concentration had been so completely consumed by the pursuit of knowledge and cultivation that he had overlooked the fundamentals.

'How embarrassing,' he thought, 'I was showing off my knowledge earlier, and now I look foolish for forgetting something as basic as this.'

Despite his embarrassment, the search continued, with Cai Wen's companions seemingly unbothered by his oversight. In fact, for some reason, Qian Daoliu and Elder Chrysanthemums merely smiled at him.

Their combined efforts eventually led them to a tranquil lake, where Cai Wen's innate sense of opportunity seemed to hone in on something.

"Hold on a moment, Grandpa Qian, Elder Chrysanthemums, Miss Renxue," he requested, signalling for the group to pause and scrutinize the lake with great care.

After a few moments of intense focus, a triumphant smile spread across his face. "I've found my spirit ring," he announced, his eyes radiating a bright spark of anticipation.

Qian Daoliu had already detected the presence of a 1000+ year old spirit beast within the lake, but had paid it no mind. However, seeing Cai Wen's keen observation and excitement towards the spirit beast, he took a closer look and discovered a serpentine creature slumbering in the depths.

"Elder Chrysanthemums, could you assist me in drawing the spirit beast from beneath the water?" Cai Wen requested, feeling no shame in asking for help, as that was precisely why Elder Chrysanthemums was present.

"Fufufu, leave it to me," the elder replied, summoning his Martial Spirit - a cluster of chrysanthemums. With a swift activation of his spirit ability, the chrysanthemum leaves multiplied and shot deep into the water.

The chosen spirit beast, sensing a sudden shift in the water currents, awakened and glanced upward. Spotting a flurry of sharp objects descending towards it, it attempted to flee, but it was too late. The creature was quickly ensnared within a cage made of chrysanthemum leaves, tougher than steel.

Manipulated by Elder Chrysanthemums, the cage ascended, bringing the creature up from the lake's depths to the surface. Qian Renxue could now clearly see the spirit beast that Cai Wen had discovered - a creature resembling an eastern dragon, its body cloaked in icy, blue scales.

"I didn't expect to be this fortunate," Cai Wen mused. "A Frostbound Wyrm! This is a very rare spirit beast, comparable to the Angelic Sacred Horse we discovered last night. The creature has dragon-like features and is even rumored to have dragon lineage. It's known for its chilling abilities and manipulation of ice."

As Cai Wen continued to talk, his excitement was clearly palpable. "Judging by its appearance, I'd say it's between 1000 and 1180 years old. This is precisely the age range I'd been searching for," he stated.

Chrysanthemums Douluo, ready to take action, was about to manipulate some nearby leaves to weaken the creature. "I see, then I should incapacitate it first then," he reasoned.

"Wait a moment, Elder Chrysanthemums," Cai Wen interrupted. "Would you kindly release it? I'd like to engage in combat with it myself."

Qian Renxue questioned his decision, her tone casual but tinged with concern. "Are you certain about this? You're pitting yourself against a 1000-year-old spirit beast?"

Unfazed, Cai Wen reassured her, "Yes, I've battled the Burning Scale Serpent before, even without a spirit ring, and it's strength was quite comparable to a 1000-year-old creature." He was being honest. After his initial fight for his first spirit ring ability, he had no desire to challenge another spirit beast unless necessary.

However, over the past year, his only opponents had been Hu Liena and occasionally Yan, who would challenge him for Hu Liena's attention, only to lose every time. Despite getting stronger and lasting longer in each battle, he always ended up losing.

In fact, Cai Wen had found the battles over the past year utterly dull. He realized that unless his opponent was a speed system type spirit master or a spirit elder, most fights were too easy. At least a speed system spirit master could give him a run for his money.

The underlying reason for his desire to fight the Frostbound Wyrm was his yearning to go all-out and test his limits.

Qian Renxue didn't voice any further objections, having observed some of his abilities firsthand. She knew he was more powerful than his level suggested. Moreover, they were in the company of a title douluo and her grandfather, a certified 99 limit Douluo.

Following Cai Wen's request, Chrysanthemums Douluo removed the cage imprisoning the Frostbound Wyrm. Freed at last, the Frostbound Wyrm's first action was to unleash a frosty breath in their direction.

(I decided to just update until this small arc is finished, before taking a break)