A little over a month had passed. As usual, Fu Huan began her mornings by strengthening her meridians—infusing them with energy to form a more stable internal system. In the evenings, she would inevitably plunge into deep meditation. During this time, Tang San had thoroughly studied her habits—if she meditated, waking her was nearly impossible. So, recently, the three of them had meditated together: Fu Huan, Tang San, and Xiao Wu.
And then—like a crack in the internal barrier that had been holding back her power—something inside clicked, and the previous restraints crumbled, like a house of cards.
"Twentieth rank..." Fu Huan whispered.
Tang San and Xiao Wu immediately opened their eyes. They were genuinely surprised by her rapid progress, but without a trace of envy—only warmth and admiration as they congratulated her.
Fu, however, did not rush to share this news with the teachers or the dean. Instead, she devoted the next month to stabilizing her spiritual energy, carefully considering what her second ring should be like.
She clearly understood—her spirit, connected to space, required not just power, but balance. And although her mental strength was high, her body was simply incapable of generating enough spiritual force. She suffered from a lack of restorative energy and poor endurance. The issue lay in an excess of Yin—her body could not withstand prolonged battles, her mentality was outstanding, but her physical strength was weak. She desperately lacked the spiritual component of Yang—the attribute that could fortify her body and enhance her fundamental capabilities.
When she shared her conclusions with the dean, he silently nodded and, with full seriousness, offered to personally accompany her in search of a suitable spirit.
A week later.
The carriage left the boundaries of Notting City, heading not to the nearest forest, but much farther—into the Old Duo Forest, known for its dangerous yet powerful spiritual beasts.
Three days passed in meticulous searching. They took turns standing guard, resting in shifts, and observing the surroundings closely.
And on the fourth day, fortune smiled upon them.
A golden bear appeared on a clearing, massive and strong. Its body radiated power, each muscle seemed to pulse with energy. Visually, it appeared no older than 900 years, but its combat strength could easily rival that of a thousand-year-old beast. Fu Huan immediately understood—this was it.
But she was ready. Over the last month, she had conducted experiments with melted whale fat—in its raw form, it is known as a potent aphrodisiac, but when properly processed, by melting it and taking baths with it, it possesses a rare effect of strengthening the body. With its help, she had significantly improved her physical capabilities and endurance. Though the effect weakened with each use, the results astounded her small frame: once a relatively weak girl, her physical stats were now comparable to those of a dexterity system of the same level.
The battle began. It was protracted. Even with the dean's involvement, the fight lasted over half an hour. The spiritual beast stubbornly resisted, refusing to yield. And at the moment when both the dean and the beast were nearing their limits, Fu Huan entered the arena.
She poured the last of her spiritual energy into temporarily immobilizing the beast, slowing its perception. That was enough—a few precious seconds were enough for the dean to deliver the decisive blow.
Even among students of high-ranking sects, not many could play such a role in battle. The dean noticed this and did not hide his admiration.
After a brief rest, it was time for the ring absorption. Despite the prior preparations and physical strength that could rival a spiritual master with two rings, the process was painful. A six-hour struggle with the internal currents ended successfully: the ring was absorbed.
As before, Fu Huan immediately jumped up two levels, reaching the 22nd rank—Great Master level. A check for soul bones yielded no results, but that was to be expected—the chances of their appearance were negligible.
The return journey was uneventful. But in the academy, rumors already awaited her. The girl, who had not yet reached nine years old, had managed to acquire a second ring. The age of the ring was unknown, but it was clear that if the dean was involved, the ring would be of high quality for a second ring.
Months passed. Fu Huan, no longer the detached girl she once was, began to approach others with greater ease. Without arrogance or vanity, for such things were foreign to her.
And then, her 9th birthday arrived. Like a blooming lily, the little girl began to look more like a young lady. In the world of spiritual masters, they mature faster, but age more slowly. There had been many attempts at advances, but our heroine was not interested in romance. She did not wish to burden herself with the ties of love until she could stand firm and fear nothing from the coming days.
Rumors about the talented girl living in the small provincial town of Nuodin reached the ears of several small sects. They were stirred, but could find no details about the girl. Files about her spirit and spiritual power level were kept only in the Hall of Spirits, and attempts to gather information from witnesses were unsuccessful. The dean of Nuodin had done a good job minimizing information about her battle spirit and level.
The girl herself repeatedly turned down the advances of young masters from local nobles. She even had to hide when great spirit masters tried to capture her, but without success. Even the Spirit Sect wanted to hold an audience with her, but to no avail: she refused to join any sects or enter any marriages. Thankfully, in such a small town, there were few spiritual kings, and all were on good terms with the dean, not wishing to damage relations over a small girl.
Thus, two years passed.
Fu Huan, an 11-year-old spiritual master of the 28th rank. The beauty and grace with which she moved would make any girl envious. From a once beautiful but cold girl, she had grown into someone unforgettable. Her long lavender hair, cascading down to her waist, a slender figure—her body was the epitome of elegance. Always by her side were Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had also reached the 20th rank. The three of them trained their coordination and physical abilities daily. Tang San and Xiao Wu had reached their levels a month ago. As with Fu, two years ago, the dean decided to help these two geniuses, but by the time everything was decided, Fu had also asked to go with them. She was a bit worried about them and wanted to make sure nothing went wrong. So, the four of them—a 47th level Spirit Sect, one 28th level spirit master, and two quasi-20th level spirit masters—set off in search of spirit rings.
Unlike Fu Huan's ring, which they found in 4 days, the search for Tang San's ring proved more difficult. On the 9th day, they discovered it—a spiritual plant, Lilithia. The air was thick with strange scents, and spiritual beasts younger than a thousand years did not even attempt to approach it. But our heroes were far more resilient to the effect. Tang San's spirit sensed something—familiar, yet foreign. It was something that could push his spirit toward further evolution.
They did not have to fight it: the plant-type spirit could not resist. With swift movements, they found it. The spirit turned out to be a 700-year-old Lilithia.
As they continued through the dense forest, the air grew heavier, soaking their bodies with a strange, acrid scent. Tang San frowned, then, realizing that the scent might be poisonous or paralyzing, he turned to the others:
"It seems something is wrong here," he said, assessing the surrounding space. "This smell could be dangerous. We won't be able to stay here long without consequences."
Xiao Wu, beginning to feel a slight headache, clenched her fists. Fu Huan, though she tried not to show any concern, felt her strength being oppressed by the smell.
"Tang San, what should we do?" Fu Huan asked, her voice slightly tense, though she still remained calm.
Tang San took out a small vial from his bag and, without hesitation, offered:
"I have poison antidote pills. They will help suppress weak and medium-grade paralytics. If we take them, we can approach the flower without losing consciousness. I suggest we all take one."
He carefully opened the vial and poured a few small, round pills into his palm. Xiao Wu looked at them skeptically, but Tang San assured:
"They've been tested. We won't be paralyzed, and we can avoid the effects of weak poisons and paralytics. If you're worried, I'll keep an eye on you. Just don't linger here too long."
Xiao Wu and Fu Huan exchanged glances, and both, despite their doubts, took a pill. After a few seconds, they noticed the change: the scent became less suffocating, and their strength began to return.
"It's better, but still not perfect," said Xiao Wu, now walking more confidently behind Tang San.
"We'll make it quick," added Tang San. "Just focus and keep track of the movements."
With the pills taken, they approached the flower. As they got closer, they felt its presence affecting their spiritual state, but thanks to the pills, paralysis and dizziness were a thing of the past...
It was time for the ring absorption. Tang San sat in a lotus position and slowly assimilated the ring. All attention was on him, and Xiao Wu used this moment to slip away from them unnoticed. Something strange happened—they did not notice Xiao Wu's disappearance, all focus was on Tang San and his protection, which allowed Xiao Wu to hide briefly. After the three-hour ring absorption process was completed, they noticed an unusual silence and finally realized their mistake— the once troublesome girl was nowhere to be found. It took another hour to search for her.
Then, suddenly, Xiao Wu ran back to them with a light smile, dramatically showing off her second spirit ring.
"You…" began the dean, stepping closer. "What did you do?"
Xiao Wu, with sparkling eyes, looked at them with a soft smile, but her gaze carried a seriousness.
"I absorbed the ring," she said, gently placing her hands on her knees as if she had just completed an important ritual. "It was a rabbit spirit with a teleportation skill, and I was lucky to find it in its dying state."
All three moved closer, and they noticed that the ring looked like an ordinary one, no different from those obtained from spiritual beasts of 600-700 years. But something in her tone and expression made them doubt. Unlike the others, she knew exactly what she had done.
"Are you sure this wasn't a weak rabbit spirit, and is it suitable for you?" asked Tang San cautiously.
"Yes," Xiao Wu replied, but her voice was slightly different. "It wasn't weak, but not particularly strong either. The skill I gained was teleportation, which I wanted because it complements my first skill, the Waist Bow."
They all looked closely at the ring. To ordinary people, it would seem the same as any other, but Fu Huan, observing Xiao Wu's reaction, noticed something strange. In her eyes, there was a hint of something more than just an ordinary ring. But what exactly, remained a mystery.