1st Ring

Waking up with a clearer mind. I started thinking about the future. I am a 6 years old child with full innate spirit energy, and even if the people don't know about it, with twin spirit. Being the oldest of my brothers and with such a talent impossible to surpass, the most probable it that I would become the crown prince.

I won't mind becoming it. I would really like being a powerful person and rule over people, but with Spirit Hall's attempt to impersonating, I don't think that it's worth it, and it's impossible to be always wary. I can't assure my security without knowing in what direction and time the attack to my person will come.

As now, something as stay low won't be possible. It's not like I can't stop cultivating, that psycho of the Artist it's outside, and I at least will need the power to face him. The most probable being that he also has a similar or, by the fucking god favoritism, even greater talent.

So the most important is to stay alive and become strong. In my opinion, the best option would be to run away. I am too young now, so I will wait. I will cultivate diligently and grow stronger, absorbing rings for the Heavenly Swan while hiding the halberd.

When I feel prepared to leave, I calculated by the time of me breaking through the 30 rank, following Tang San and Shrek's cultivation, about 12-14 years old, I will run away from the palace. I will change somehow my look and start using the halberd as my spirit.

Spirits are like the DNI of this world, I doubt someone related me with the prince of Heaven Dou, unless I use the Heavenly Swan. It would be a waste of two rings for the Swan that could have become all the maximum age if waited for enough and first focusing in cultivation one spirit. But, I think that it's worth it, especially if in the future I am able to use both spirits at the same time as it would be a little useless to use one ringless spirit.

After I am free of the palace and Spirit Hall's attack, I have the world to train. Maybe I join Shrek, even without Tang San there, is considered a good school where they focused in actual combat, graduating powerful spirit masters even before Tang San.

I could also go to others places, I am free to choose. If I have enough talent and technique, even I could try to go to Slaughter City. In there is the place to inherit Asura and Rakshasa's divinity with the Deathgod Domain, being Gandharva another Deathgod, I suppose that it would be a good boost for my power being given by him.

I will study all the options to be prepared for the future.

***

One week had passed since my awakening ceremony. Teacher Ying had started teaching the basic of how to cultivate, absorbing the energy of the surroundings and making it your own, slowly increasing your rank.

He focused on keeping a good foundation and not forcing to breakthrough, going slowly and steadily. As I was already rank 10, I was unable to cultivate until I absorbed a spirit ring. At the same time, teacher Ying explained that the best boost of full innate was the foundation that I have. Being born with rank 10 or rank 9, may not seem like a big difference, there are people that even in weeks goes from 9 to 10. The bigger difference was that I innate rank 10, had his foundation already solid, 6 years keeping it, makes the strongest foundation, incomparable to others. Even if at low ranks it doesn't matter much, it's extremely important later on.

With the week passing it was the time for me to hunt for my spirit ring. My father prepared me a group formed by 20 spirit masters and 30 maids and butlers that would prepare the camp, cook... 15 of them were spirit masters experienced in recognizance work to find for my spirit beast. The other 5 were for my protection, 4 Spirit Kings and teacher Ying at rank 73. This strength to find a low-level spirit beast was truly an overkill, but anything for a prince I suppose.

Once the group was prepared, we parted with an entourage formed by 3 carriages towards Star Duo Forest. Star Duo Forest was the biggest forest of the continent, a lot of different spirit beast living there. Even when Sunset Forest was far nearer and it was enough for weak beasts, it's low fauna limit it. I suppose that I as royalty need the best of the best.

Sat on the fluffy and comfortable seat of the carriage, I couldn't help to think that we didn't seem to go hunting, it was more of a holiday trip full of luxury. I was drinking some tea, talking with my teacher while a maid served us, truly anti-climatic.

Teacher had already explained the importance of spirit rings, nevertheless, he explained again during the trip. Summarizing for my first ring, the spirit beast shouldn't be older than 423 years. For the characteristic of my spirit, it should be at least a spirit beast with the holy or light attribute, even better if it was a bird type that would strengthen my spirit innate physical characteristics.

Then, there was also another choice that was about the spirit skill of the ring. My Heavenly Swan was considered one of the strongest bird types, so even if it could go for an agility path as every other bird, it was bad completely focus on speed rather than strength. Then I have two different options for the skill, for it to be a boosting skill or a technique skill.

Boosting skills will improve in a percent some attributes of the user, maybe transforming some part of the body. These skills usually consumed little spirit energy. These were mostly exclusive for beast spirits and there was one that was particular. The best boosting skill will be obtained absorbing the spirit ring of exactly the same spirit beast as your beast spirit, this will give your Spirit Transformation, the best boost of its age limit, making it double than others. It was similar to a Spirit True Body, Spirit True Body being a transformation into your spirit, requiring being a Spirit Sage. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Swan had been years since it was last seen and is it thought to be instinct.

Technique skills are powerful skills that weren't necessarily being for offense, it could be for defense or something completely different, like shot rays of light or creating a shield of feathers. These types of skills have explosive power but a big spirit expenditure.

Finally, it reduced to DPS vs Burst, usually, people will have both of them to be prepared against different situations. In my case, it was clear, I want a boosting skill. Boosting skills are exclusive of beast spirit or support tool spirits. If all go as planned and in the future, I can use both spirits at the same time, I will focus on boosting my body strength for my Heavenly Swan and the technique skills for my halberd. Boosting the two biggest strength and cover the weakness with each other.

***

After 3 days of traveling, we arrived at Star Dou Forest. There was some control to enter inside, but seeing our carriage and insignia, we weren't stopped.

Inside the Forest, we left the carriages as they couldn't go further due to the terrain. The servants took all kinds of things from them. After walking over 10 km, the servant planted the camp. A big tent with all the luxury expected from the palace and little ones, I suspect for them.

Let's say that I didn't have this in mind when I was going to hunt spirit beast. The spirit masters, except my guardians, left just as the camp was prepared. While I stayed in the camping being pampered by the servants. This was similar to a 5-star hotel in a jungle! Baths, food, bedroom, walking around nature, my guards even frightened all spirit beasts of the surroundings so I didn't even see them, the most was listening some far cries. Even with all this commodity, I was a little down. I really wanted to experiment more about hunting. Next time, maybe I will ask for less personal and more intimate hunting.

After 3 days, the recognizance group returned. All of them had captured a spirit beast, they have it beaten, weakened and tied, ensuring my security that I won't be attacked by them. They presented the spirit beast to me to choose.

'Too comfortable!' I shouted in my mind, but I sighed and let it be, at least it's quick and I could choose a great variety.

All 15 species were fit to me, all around the 300 years old with holy or light element "You should choose one of those three" teacher Ying recommended me signaling three of them "Those are the most compatible."

The three signaled were all bird types. Their captors explained to me their characteristics.

A Light Swallow of 350 years, it's one of the fastest species, its attack pattern is shooting forward and piercing its enemies.

A Blue peacock of 420 years, it's the strongest one in power, it opens its tail shooting explosive light attacks.

Lastly, a Diurnal Owl of 380 years, it's the strongest in physical power, but it didn't have anything special ability, only pure strength. It usually charged its prey, killing them with his claws.

The blue peacock, I could directly discard as the most probable is that the spirit skill would be its attack method. The light Swallow, it would be something related to speed while Diurnal Owl maybe some transformation related to strength.

I thought a lot of time until I finally decided for the Light Swallow, as mine spirit is a flying one, speed is very important and even if it would be better the Own, the Owl won't improve my flight and for a first skill and a good first advantage respect other spirit masters, I thought it was a better option. Of course, if the strength-oriented Owl would have been some type swan, I would have taken it.

Having decided which one I wanted, teacher Ying nodded at my decision, respecting it. The truth was that anyone would have been good for a first skill so he thought it wasn't important while it was one of those three.

I approached the Light Swallow and a maid gave me a knife. It was sharp and small, easy to use. Before the helpless beast, I simply took the knife with both hands and thrust it forward at its body. With one hit, it wasn't completely dead, but a second one did the trick, killing it, a yellow ring appearing over him.

As I already was taught. I sat in a meditation stance, I invoked my Heavenly Swan and forced my spirit energy towards the ring. The ring started being attracted by me and I started absorbing it.

It took me one hour to finally absorb it, now a yellow ring spinning under me when invoking the Heavenly Swan. The skill that I learned was Heavenly Flight, a boost in speed and wings' strength, increasing them a 50%.

Having finished absorbing, I measured my spirit power, ensuring that I became a rank 11 Spirit Master. Then, the servants dismantled the camping and we returned towards the palace. It was a fruitful holiday.