Chapter 14. The Fifth Ring
Out of long-established habit, I woke up before dawn. However, unlike usual, I was in no hurry to get out of bed. Instead, I lay there, staring at the darkened ceiling, replaying the last few days over and over in my head. Especially yesterday.
I had to admit honestly that I've been walking around far too irritable of late. And it wasn't just down to my deep-seated dislike of Shrek himself, but also to Dai Mubai, who, despite his defeat, still hadn't given up on his plans regarding me. All of this built up into a knot of irritation, which last night resulted in a clearly excessive reaction.
At first glance, nothing terrible happened. But come to think of it… I dealt a rather significant blow to the pride of a lad who'd finally found a suitable way to vent his anger — and as a result, the anger only grew. At the same time, I hurt the mentor from the Azure Academy far too deeply. Without a healer, I seriously doubted they'd be able to repair his severed ligaments. They'll have to go back to the academy. Unless that girl of theirs suddenly turns out to be a healer…
Anyway, I went too far. And I suppose it's time to accept that I'm now part of Shrek — whether I like it or not — and let the situation go. And… perhaps apologise?
That was the question that caused me the most doubt. Should I really apologise to Dai Mubai for my harshness?
On the one hand, my pride—which had clearly grown out of all proportion since gaining my powers and all my recent achievements—was literally screaming that it was enough, and that I'd simply try not to upset him again. No 'sorry's' needed.
But somewhere deep down, a tiny spark glimmered: apologising isn't difficult. And if he starts picking on me again after that — then the blame will lie entirely with him.
'It's all so complicated…' I sighed at last, forcing myself to get up.
I took a comb from my spiritual tool, summoned my spirit and created a clone. The clone sat down behind me and began to tidy my hair, whilst I, gazing out of the window at the lightening pre-dawn sky, continued my mental debate with myself.
And so, lost in thought, I spent the time until sunrise, until the silence was shattered by Zhao Wuji's thunderous voice:
'EVERYONE UP!'
'Now there's someone who certainly doesn't care about others,' I snorted, easily imagining the disgruntled faces of the other guests and neighbours. But, of course, none of them would dare say a word to a spiritual saint.
'I haven't become that brazen yet, have I?' I muttered to myself. And, purely for my own peace of mind, I decided after all: I'll apologise.
I quickly finished getting ready and went out into the courtyard. Flender, Zhao Wuji and Tang San were already waiting there.
I greeted them briefly and stood to one side, mentally rehearsing that one wretched word: 'sorry'.
Oscar was the first to emerge, staggering with sleepiness. Clearly not one for early starts. Dai Mubai appeared next. His gaze was also a little sleepy, but, unlike Oscar, he was already fully prepared to act if the situation demanded it.
I headed straight for him. The sleepiness in his eyes vanished instantly, and a clear question flashed in his gaze: 'What now?'
"Dai Mubai, I was too harsh yesterday… I'm sorry," I finally managed to squeeze out the words, feeling both silly and strangely relieved at the same time. A smile crept involuntarily onto my face.
— … — he stared at me as if I'd just announced I was leaving Shrek. For a couple of seconds, the lad was simply taken aback, then quickly pulled himself together, straightened up as if trying to present himself in the best possible light, and said:
— Well then, how about treating me to dinner as an apology?
— … — I rolled my eyes, looked at him, sighed and replied:
"Of course."
'After all, there's nothing stopping me from simply paying for dinner for everyone when we get back from the hunt,' I added to myself. I didn't voice this plan out loud.
'I really should have guessed how he'd take my apology…' — complaining to myself, I stepped aside and simply waited for the others, carefully ignoring Tan San's curious gaze.
Soon everyone had caught up, and, just like yesterday, we set off in formation.
***
The forest itself was a fair distance from the city, but we reached it in two hours.
The edge of the Great Forest of Starry Dow rose before us like a dark wall. The tree trunks were thick, in places enwrapped in moss, with heavy vines hanging down from above. Beneath the canopy, it was darker than it ought to be at this time of day, and from there came a dampness, the smell of rotting leaves and a wild, slightly oppressive silence, through which the rustling of strangers occasionally slipped.
'Everyone stay put,' ordered Flender, stopping us right at the edge of the forest. 'Oscar, hand out the sausages to everyone.'
'Zhao,' he said curtly to Zhao Wuji. No further instructions were needed: Zhao immediately grew serious and began to speak while Oscar was taking out his sausage masterpieces.
'Listen carefully,' Zhao began. 'The Great Forest of Starry Dou is not at all the same as the national spiritual hunting forest. Here, all the spiritual beasts are extremely dangerous. At any moment, you could face an attack from a thousand-year-old beast, or even a ten-thousand-year-old one. Therefore, as soon as we enter the forest, none of you must stray more than twenty metres from us. Ning Zhongzhong, Oscar, you two stay even closer to me. Without my order, no one is permitted to attack the spirit beasts. Do you understand me?
"Yes!" we replied in unison.
Oscar cleared his throat, raised a sausage to face level, and declared solemnly:
— My sausages stay fresh in the air for twenty-four hours. That means they retain their effect if eaten within a day. A large sausage restores strength and heals wounds, plus it's great for satisfying hunger. And a small sausage… its main effect is to counteract poisoning.
The main reason he was handing them out in advance was simple: in the heat of battle, he might simply not have enough time to produce the required quantity for everyone.
'Let's move out,' said Zhao. Flender silently ceded the role of commander to him, and we set off into the forest.
As soon as I crossed the invisible boundary of the forest, the air around me immediately became denser, heavier. The dampness clung to my skin; somewhere to the left, the shadow of a small beast flashed by; above, a bird cawed hoarsely; and beneath my feet, matted leaves crunched.
I summoned my spirit and activated my outer spirit bone. The world around me was instantly filled with quiet, previously inaudible sounds, and the space within a radius of five hundred metres became almost transparent to me — every rustle, every breath, every soft step on the bed of leaves.
Since the day I acquired the external bone, its capabilities have remained virtually unchanged, but thanks to its symbiotic growth with my spirit, its range of perception has expanded to an impressive five hundred metres.
Such a change in perception was bound to attract the attention of the others. But, having the example of Xiao Wu with her rabbit ears and knowing little about the existence of spirit bones, no one asked any questions. The cat ears on my head remained, for them, simply a cute oddity, rather than what they actually were.
The formation changed after we entered the forest. Now Tang San and Dai Mubai led the way, clearing a path. I took up a position at the rear, monitoring the space behind and to the sides, whilst the rest formed a protective ring around our support members.
Dai Mubai, summoning his spirit, cleared a path for everyone with little effort — branches, bushes and small undergrowth flew off to the sides from his blows. Tan San and I kept an eye out for the nearest beasts; those that were too close or behaved aggressively, we bypassed where possible. Occasionally we came across some that were too bold or foolish, who still tried to attack — but, as there was no need to deal with them, we simply drove them away and moved on.
Everyone was tense. Everyone except Xiao Wu. The little rabbit girl, as soon as she entered this forest that was so familiar and dear to her, literally blossomed. She walked almost skipping along, now bending down to a strange flower, now glancing at the branches, now looking up somewhere, as if listening to the forest's invisible song. It was only the fact that she remained silent that saved her from a telling-off from the elders.
We walked on like this for nearly five hours. Not a single suitable beast for Oscar.
Why specifically for him, when the rings were needed by me and Tang San as well? It was simple: the beasts suitable for Tang San and me were older and lived closer to the inner parts of the forest. But the ring Oscar needed was only at the lower limit of the thousand-year-olds — such beasts are found in the outer circle.
"Right, let's rest a bit. Mubai, clear the area," Zhao Wuji finally decided.
With one or two powerful swipes, Dai Mubai cleared a small clearing of bushes and branches. A thick green canopy still hung overhead, through which only occasional golden streams of light filtered. The damp smell of moss and earth only grew stronger, but the spot was relatively open and comfortable.
Oscar made sausages for everyone again, and this time we didn't save them for later but ate them on the spot. Warm food — even if it's just a sausage — always tastes a bit better in such a remote, damp forest.
Everyone made the most of this respite as best they could.
Xiao Wu, who had been cheerfully happy until then, visibly moped when she remembered why we had come here. She sat next to Tang San, holding his arm, and looked gloomily towards the carcass of some beast whose remains we had passed earlier. Leaning my back against a tree, I closed my eyes and listened to the forest. Rustling, the heavy breathing of a large beast somewhere in the distance, the steady hum of insects — all of this came together to form a clear picture.
'Zhuqing, this is your first time in this forest, isn't it?' Ning Rongrong approached me, carefully stepping over the tree roots.
'Yes,' I replied, opening my eyes.
'How did you get your previous rings?' The girl's voice rang with pure curiosity. Somewhere a little further away, Dai Mubai quietly pricked up his ears.
'Hmm… my older sister helped me get my first ring,' I smiled slightly, remembering how she'd genuinely believed she was doing me a disservice. 'She personally delivered the dark-gold Bear-Tyrant cub right to my home.'
Xiao Wu, who had also been listening in without meaning to, clutched Tang San's arm even tighter, whilst I calmly continued:
'The second ring was already my first solo hunt. That's when I came face to face with…'
'On your own?!' Ning Rongrong nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Yes." I shrugged. "I defeated the Empire's prince in a duel, and as a sort of… let's call it punishment, I was forbidden from receiving any help in hunting for the second ring until I was ten. Naturally, I wasn't going to wait that long." In the end, with just a ten-year-old ring, I faced a three-thousand-year-old hellish civet — and won.
'What kind of idiot came up with that…?' the girl swore in astonishment, then began to enthusiastically promote her sect: 'If a genius like you were to join our sect, Grandfather Sword himself would go and pick out a beast for you!'
'Well, that man really is quite the cowardly fool,' I chuckled, not particularly concerned that I'd essentially just insulted the emperor, whose son was right there beside me.
"What about the other rings?" Nin Ronron realised that her enthusiasm for the sect hadn't particularly impressed me, and quickly changed the subject.
'I helped an elder,' I replied, a bit more tersely. 'In gratitude, he accompanied me on a hunt in the Sunset Forest.'
"I see…" drawled Zhongzhong, clearly sensing that it wasn't worth asking any more questions.
"And I got my two rings here," she said a moment later, apparently deciding to share in return. "Grandfather Sword helped me."
"If the opportunity arises, why not?" I shrugged.
"By the way, what sort of ring are you looking for now?" she leaned forward, her eyes alight with interest once more.
"Ideally, I need a beast with the attribute of darkness, over twenty thousand years old. It's just a shame that finding one isn't so easy."
At that moment, my cat ears twitched almost imperceptibly. My hearing picked up a new, unusual movement in the air, a faint whistle distinct from the usual sounds of the forest. The next second, having turned into a shadow, I was already at the top of the nearest tree.
'Zhujing, what's happened?' the others immediately grew alarmed, and I heard Flender's voice.
"Oscar's ring has arrived," I replied from above. "The Phoenix-tailed Serpent. Around thirteen hundred to eighteen hundred years old. It's flying towards us."
From the treetop, I could see a long, winged body darting between the branches. The serpent flew just three metres above the ground, deftly weaving between the trunks. Its wings shimmered a pale red, its tail left a barely visible trail, and a wave of tense, hissing air trailed behind its body. It was precisely the creature that, in the canon, had become the beast for Oscar's third ring.
"Excellent," Flender smiled contentedly. "Get ready. You can handle this beast on your own. Zhao and I will watch."
"Tang San, I'll disable its wings, and you grab it," I suggested briefly, offering the simplest and quickest option.
"Right," he nodded immediately, without asking any unnecessary questions.
'What are we supposed to do?' asked Fatso, looking confused.
"Come up with something in case of an emergency," I brushed him off, not letting myself be distracted.
There was no time left for talk. Phoenix-tailed snakes are very fast, and in the few seconds we spent discussing the plan, it had already covered most of the distance.
I activated the first and third rings, vanished into the foliage and lay in wait at the top of the tree, biding my time. The beast's heartbeat grew closer; the sharp scent of blood hit my nostrils.
And then — right beside me, parting the air, a huge winged body six metres long glided past. Pale-red wings rustled above the treetops, scales glinting in the dim light.
Giving the snake no chance, I lunged downwards. A single leap — and I was already on its back. My claws sliced through the air, then through flesh: I slashed on both sides, where the wings began.
The forest echoed with a furious, hissing cry that broke into a rasp. The snake's back twitched, its wings drooped limply, and the beast, losing its footing, plummeted like a stone. But instead of crashing into the ground, it landed straight into the embrace of Tan San's thick, sturdy vines.
The vines literally burst forth from the ground — thorny, with a taut, living force. They coiled around the snake's body, their thorns piercing its scales, pinning it to the ground so tightly that even its tail could barely move.
'Oscar, don't delay. There's no need to torment it any longer than necessary,' I said, landing softly beside the subdued beast.
"Y-yes, right now!" Oscar's voice wavered, but he didn't falter. Clutching the dagger in his hand, he ran up to the snake and, gritting his teeth, delivered a precise blow to its eye. With a shudder, the snake fell silent.
Oscar immediately summoned his spirit, sat down in front of the carcass, and when a violet ring of spirit appeared above the body, he pulled it towards him, beginning the absorption.
I was just about to refocus on my surroundings when my ears picked up another sound—footsteps, rhythmic, human.
'Someone's coming,' I warned. 'Two of them. People.'
"Be on your guard, protect Oscar," Flender said, his expression turning serious at once. His spirit appeared almost instantly; Zhao Wuji followed suit.
The rest got ready too; although Tang San, Xiao Wu and I had decided not to activate our rings, even so, if necessary, summoning a spirit again would take only a second.
So when two female figures emerged from between the trees, they were met by a group fully prepared for battle, led by two spiritual saints.
'Damn it,' the elder woman cursed involuntarily.
She looked to be in her sixties. In her hands she held a staff with a serpent's head, and six rings glowed steadily around her — a spiritual emperor.
Standing beside her was a girl, perhaps a couple of years older than us. Right now, she looked both frightened and angry. Her form-fitting clothes emphasised a rather seductive figure, and she too carried a staff with a snake's head. But she had only two rings.
Clearly, it was for her sake that they had come to the forest.
Seeing that the newcomers were clearly weaker, Flender relaxed and stepped forward with a friendly smile.
'What brings you here?'
"That snake!" the girl declared indignantly. "We found it first!"
The older woman's hand immediately rested on her shoulder in a warning gesture.
"Greetings, esteemed spiritual Saints," the old woman began as politely as possible. There was a note of caution in her voice. "My granddaughter and I were chasing this phoenix-tailed snake. But, as I can see, we were too late."
"I think you were simply unlucky, weren't you?" said Flender with a confident smile.
The old woman's face darkened.
She quickly scanned everyone present. And from the look on her face, it was clear: she didn't understand where such a group of young monsters had come from, and why they were under the protection of two spiritual saints.
But her concern for her granddaughter clearly outweighed her pride.
'Yes,' she said dryly. 'Bad luck.'
"If you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way."
'Of course. I wouldn't dare keep you,' Flender bowed slightly.
"But Grandma!" the girl couldn't help herself. "They've taken my beast!"
"Enough, Iiran," the woman squeezed her shoulder tighter. "We'll find another one."
And, without lingering, they left.
'Hmm,' I said thoughtfully, watching them go. 'It seems you've frightened them, Headmaster.
Contrary to what I remembered, thanks to the fact that Oscar had already begun to absorb the ring, they didn't put up a fight and focused on safety.
"Of course they were scared," Zhao snorted dismissively. "Just the Spirit Emperor. What can she do against two saints?"
'Don't underestimate them, Zhao,' said Flender. 'If I'm not mistaken, that was Zhao Tianxian of the Unrivalled Dragon and Snake Pair. She and her husband possess a fusion technique. When they're together, it's extremely difficult for anyone below the titled Douluo to deal with them.'
'That doesn't change the fact that they were unlucky,' Zhao dismissed.
However, I noticed his expression harden for a moment.
However much bravado there was in his behaviour, he knew the fear of the truly powerful better than anyone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hiding all this time at Shrek Academy.
'The main thing is that Oscar gets the ring safely,' Flender summed up. 'Then we'll hurry deeper in to get Tan San and Zhu Zhuqing's rings. There, we won't have to fear the wrath of that pair when they're reunited.'
'Could they really try to take revenge?' the fat man suddenly asked, looking worried. 'They're not that foolish, are they?'
'Perhaps not,' Flender said calmly.
Then his voice grew stern:
"But remember this important lesson. Spirit Masters are usually very proud. And the stronger they become, the greater their pride. And those who stand at the top of the continent often begin to believe that everything around them belongs to them. When the pride of a powerful person is wounded, you never know what madness they might resort to, especially if they are certain that no one can stop them.
'But teacher,' the fat man suddenly asked, 'didn't you say that a genius who is afraid to cause trouble is a poor one?'
I couldn't help wanting to praise him.
I wonder how Flender will get out of this one.
'There's a big difference between causing trouble and committing suicide!' the man couldn't help saying.
Then he coughed awkwardly and adjusted his glasses.
'Well… when I said that, I meant something slightly different. If a battle with the enemy is inevitable, then instead of grovelling, you must fight for your life with all your might. But if the opponent clearly outmatches you in strength, it's best to avoid the fight. Being a genius, you'll catch up with the enemy sooner or later. And then it won't be too late to take your revenge.'
— O-o-oh, I see, — the fat man nodded quickly.
After that, the subject was not brought up again.
We split into small groups. I chatted a bit with Nin Ronron. Xiao Wu, who, as a spirit beast, found it distressing to witness the killing of a beast, sought comfort from Tang San. The fat man was whispering about something with Dai Mubai. The teachers stood guard, not allowing themselves to relax.
Half an hour later, Oscar finally finished his meal.
His third ability turned out to be really good: mushroom sausages that allowed the eater to fly at the speed of a phoenix-tailed snake.
After the congratulations, we finally set about looking for suitable beasts for me and Tan San.
Because of this, we had to spend two nights in the forest.
At night, the Great Forest of Starry Dow became a completely different place. By day it seemed dangerous, yet alive. By night — almost alien. Darkness gathered between the trunks, something unseen rustled in the treetops, and the distant roar of spirit beasts echoed through the forest from time to time, forcing even the most carefree to remember their own mortality.
We encountered millennia-old beasts several times, but none were suitable.
And yet, in the end, Flender, who had gone ahead on reconnaissance, returned with good news.
Aphantom tiger lay ahead.
About thirty thousand years old.
'Since this is a ten-thousand-year-old beast, we'll intervene,' Flender began. 'Most of those present aren't ready for such a battle yet. However, everyone will take part.'
"Director," I interrupted him.
He looked at me.
"What is it, Zhujing?"
"I want to fight it alone first."
The air in the clearing seemed to grow heavier.
'That's reckless,' Flender said sternly.
But he didn't refuse just yet.
'I'm a nimble-type spirit master, focused on speed and stealth. I'll be most effective in an ambush. Besides, I need this experience.'
Flender looked at me for a few seconds.
"All right. I'll keep an eye on things from the sky. If necessary, I'll intervene."
For a moment, it seemed to me that a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.
The only question was, who was it directed at?
"All right. I'll make this quick."
I activated the first three rings, sinking into the shadows, and rushed towards where the beast was supposed to be.
Soon I saw it.
It looked very much like the one I'd used for the fourth ring, but was clearly older. And therefore stronger.
A huge tiger stood amongst the trees, greedily tearing into the flesh of a thousand-year-old stag. A violet ring of spirit still hovered above the carcass.
The air smelled of blood, damp earth and animal fur. Scarlet stains darkened the leaves. The tiger tore at the flesh slowly, with the lazy confidence of a master of the territory.
It seemed as though he was completely absorbed in his meal.
But his ears told a different story.
They twitched slightly, catching every rustle. He had already spotted the man flying through the sky. But he was in no hurry to flee.
It was as if he were trying to lull his enemy into a false sense of security, waiting for the right moment to unleash all his power.
Yes.
He probably thought his plan was brilliant.
An appetiser of a master of spirits — what could be better?
However, just as the tiger stretched its jaws to tear another chunk of flesh from the deer, a shadow suddenly darted out from directly beneath it.
A golden flash pierced the twilight.
My claws pierced his head through his chin.
Expectation froze forever in the eyes of the tiger, whose brain had been pierced.
'There. That's exactly how it should have gone last time, if I hadn't been thrown right in front of the beast,' I breathed happily, slipping out of the shadows beside the carcass of the now-dead tiger.
The ghostly tiger's heavy body sank into the damp earth, flattening the grass and roots. A faint, dark haze still rose from its hide, and a black ring of spirit began to thicken slowly above the carcass. It spun lazily, almost majestically, absorbing the last remnants of the beast's fury.
Somewhere in the treetops, a bird gave a start, but immediately fell silent, as if it too had sensed that a predator worth fearing had just died here.
Flender descended from the sky almost silently. His cloak fluttered slightly in the breeze, and his glasses caught the dim forest light for a moment.
'That was magnificent, Zhujing,' he said with obvious satisfaction.
And yet he looked so proud, as if it were not I, but he himself who had just killed a thirty-thousand-year-old beast with a single blow.
I shot him a sidelong glance but said nothing.
'No unnecessary movements, no hesitation, right on the weak spot,' Flender continued, examining the tiger's body. 'If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd have thought an experienced killer had done it.
'I hope that's still considered a compliment?'
"In Shrek? Of course," he chuckled. "Almost anything counts as a compliment here, as long as the person is still alive afterwards."
I couldn't help but smile.
Flender looked at me again, and this time there was a seriousness in his voice:
"I'm sure you'll become an incredibly formidable force in the future. Even the strongest titled Doulos will have to think twice before attacking you."
'I believe that even now, it's dangerous to provoke me,' I declared, with a touch of self-assurance.
Flender chuckled quietly.
"Very well. Confidence only suits geniuses. The main thing is not to confuse it with a desire to die gloriously."
"I'll try to limit myself to being the only one who survives with style."
"Now that's the right attitude," he nodded approvingly.
Flender swept the area with a quick glance.
"Absorb the ring. I'll keep watch. The others will be here soon."
"All right."
I nodded and knelt down on the ground in front of the beast's body.
The damp grass felt cold against my palms. The smell of blood, damp earth and animal fur was sharp, but not distracting. It served more as a reminder of exactly where I was and that a mistake here could cost me dearly.
In front of Flender, for the first time, I summoned not only my primary spirit, but my secondary one as well.
A look of surprise flashed across the man's face. It was very brief, almost imperceptible. He quickly pulled himself together, but his gaze became much more attentive.
I didn't explain anything.
At a moment like this, unnecessary words only got in the way.
Still, I didn't want to take any risks and weaken my mental defences whilst absorbing the ten-thousand-year-old ring.
The black ring trembled, as if responding to my call.
I closed my eyes and pulled it towards me.
The world around me receded sharply.
The sounds of the forest grew muffled, as if someone had submerged me underwater. Somewhere nearby, I could still sense Flender's presence—steady, alert, ready to intervene. But everything else dissolved in the mounting pressure of spiritual power.
Time lost its meaning.
I didn't know if a few minutes or a few hours had passed. I could only feel the power gradually settling within me, like a new ring being fitted into an existing system, like the spiritual energy accumulated over a whole year finally finding a way to break through.
When I opened my eyes, the forest came into focus again.
The rustling of leaves. The damp air. The smell of blood and earth. The quiet footsteps of my companions approaching from somewhere behind.
I exhaled slowly and stood up.
Now I was officially a Spirit King of the fifty-fourth rank. A whole year's worth of accumulation had not been in vain.
Flender looked at me intently.
"Successful?"
I clenched my fingers slightly, feeling my newfound strength.
"More than that."
My fifth skill turned out to be an offensive one.
The moment I used it, if my strike hit its target, seven more phantoms would appear beside it. And every one of them was guaranteed to hit the enemy I'd already struck.
In other words…
If the first strike lands, the remaining seven will be the final blow.