Chapter 18: King of the Wild Boars

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With the teachers' martial spirits fully activated, their vibrant, glowing spirit rings captivated the novice spirit scholars, filling them with awe and a newfound sense of security. Such a sight was rare in the academy; only here, in the perilous Spirit Hunting Forest, could they witness something so formidable.

Wang Li stood among the other students, though his mind was already racing with thoughts of striking out on his own to seek spirit beasts. However, the process of hunting a spirit beast and absorbing its ring was fraught with dangers and uncertainties, so he begrudgingly stayed with the group, following their pace.

Despite their lack of spirit rings, these soul-powered students had remarkable physical abilities, making it possible to move swiftly through the forest without complaints. Their exploration pace was steady.

Up ahead, Gou An suddenly stopped, prompting Zhang Wei to signal for the group to halt.

Activating his first spirit ring skill, the white ring, Gou An inhaled deeply. Within a few hundred meters, he identified every scent and its source. After a brief pause, he reported, "Headmaster, there's a blood scent—it's from a Soft-Boned Rabbit. A Forest Mantis killed it, but I can't yet determine its age. It's approximately 300 meters ahead."

Zhang Wei considered this for a moment and quickly decided, "Su Mo, keep the students safe. I'll go ahead and subdue the Forest Mantis myself."

From his post at the back of the group, Director Su Mo responded at once, "Yes, Headmaster!"

With a nod, Zhang Wei whispered, "Martial spirit, activate!"

In an instant, a yellow aura enveloped him, gathering at his hands until it solidified into an ancient-style longbow. Four rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—floated around him, indicating his impressive spirit ring configuration, which he had mastered as a Spirit Ancestor and head of a spirit master academy. Despite his middle age and slight weight gain, Zhang Wei's presence radiated authority.

With a powerful push off his right foot, he launched forward, swiftly covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.

With the headmaster ahead, the responsibility shifted to Director Su Mo, who rallied the group, "Let's keep moving forward at a steady pace. No need to rush after the headmaster; just stay alert to our surroundings."

Everyone—teachers and students alike—responded in unison, "Yes!"

Continuing at a steady pace, they eventually caught up with Zhang Wei, who had already subdued the half-meter-long green mantis. Its razor-sharp blade-like forelimbs had been disarmed and lay discarded nearby. The mantis's green, patterned body was covered in wounds, and its blood-red eyes burned with fury.

Seeing the group arrive, Zhang Wei got straight to the point. "This is a Forest Mantis between fifty and eighty years old. Its blades are incredibly sharp, giving it a fierce reputation among low-level spirit beasts. Sheng Kai, your martial spirit is a blade. This beast is well-suited for you. Step forward, finish it, and absorb its spirit ring."

Upon hearing this, the student named Sheng Kai glanced at the mantis, its eyes still filled with rage. Nervously swallowing, he hesitated, but retreating was not an option now that he was here. Summoning his martial spirit, a blade, he advanced and began striking the mantis with fervor. Eyes shut, his strikes repeatedly missed the fatal point, forcing him to swing multiple times before finally delivering a killing blow.

Zhang Wei maintained a calm expression throughout. These students were still too inexperienced. To absorb a spirit ring from a beast, one had to kill it with their own hands, an essential rite of passage for them.

"Pay attention now—the spirit ring is about to appear. When it does, sit cross-legged beside it, summon the ring using your martial spirit, and engage your meditation technique to fully absorb its power," Zhang Wei instructed.

He then addressed the other students, "You all will go through this process as well. Hunting spirit beasts and absorbing spirit rings will accompany you throughout your journey as spirit masters."

As he spoke, wisps of white energy drifted from the lifeless Forest Mantis and formed into a white spirit ring above its body.

Sheng Kai's initial disgust vanished in his excitement as he quickly settled cross-legged beside the Mantis. Stretching out his right hand, which held his martial spirit—a blade—he called to the ring, which floated over and fused into his weapon.

The students looked on with admiration and longing, while Wang Li's impatience only grew. Despite the impressive team led by Zhang Wei and Su Mo, they had only brought ten-year spirit beasts with basic white rings for the students. Wang Li wasn't satisfied with this; he aspired to absorb at least a hundred-year ring, even if he couldn't push beyond his limits.

Annoyed, he furrowed his brows, mulling over the situation.

Meanwhile, within about ten minutes, Sheng Kai finished absorbing the spirit ring, given that it was only a ten-year ring and posed little danger. Leaping up with excitement, he beamed, only for Zhang Wei to level a stern gaze at him.

"Don't get complacent. Even with a spirit ring and the ability to release spirit skills, you still need to follow orders. A one-ring spirit master is at the very bottom of the ladder in the Spirit Hunting Forest. Now, tell me, how does it feel, and what skill did you gain?"

Standing before Zhang Wei, Sheng Kai nodded meekly, almost like a Soft-Boned Rabbit caught by a predator. "It feels incredible. My whole body is filled with strength. The spirit skill I obtained is a Cross Slash, which boosts my attack power and speed by ten percent."

Zhang Wei nodded approvingly. "A strong skill. Rejoin the group; we'll be moving on shortly…"

Just then, Gou An dashed over, his face tense. "Headmaster, while scouting nearby, I picked up a strong, pungent stench. I'm sure it's the Wild Boar King, and it's no ordinary one—it's likely a hundred-year spirit beast. It's about 800 meters northwest."

Zhang Wei's expression turned serious. Any hundred-year spirit beast demanded caution, not for himself, but for the students, who could easily be overwhelmed.

"I'll go ahead to check. Follow carefully but keep your distance to avoid being caught in the fray," he instructed before speeding off.

Before long, Zhang Wei spotted the Wild Boar King Gou An had mentioned. Nearly four meters in length, close to two meters in height, it was armored head-to-toe in layers of dirt and stone. Its sharp tusks and wild aura radiated an intense menace.

Zhang Wei's eyes widened in shock. "How is this possible? A beast like this in the forest's outskirts? This Wild Boar King must be at least seven or eight hundred years old—a presence even thousand-year spirit beasts might avoid."

The Wild Boar King's body was entangled in vines, but its raw power rendered them useless, shredding and trampling them into pieces. The scene was nothing short of brutal.

(End of Chapter)