After Wang Nan returned home from the Duke's Mansion, he did not linger and set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Although he had a full month of vacation, it was still better to leave as early as possible.
"Nan'er, let's rest here for a bit. We're about to reach the outer zone, and there will be more and more Spirit Beasts."
"Understood, Dad." Although Wang Nan's spirit power hadn't been depleted much, he still stopped to rest.
Wang Xing looked at Wang Nan, who was almost as tall as he was, and suddenly chuckled, "Forget it, let's just go straight in."
"You've grown too fast these past few years. Your dad still thinks of you as a child. Perhaps when you return next year or the year after, you'll already have surpassed me."
"By then, it will be my turn to help you obtain a spirit ring." Wang Nan, with a flick of his staff, pushed a tree snake to the side.
"What are you thinking, you brat? Your dad only had Innate spirit power level four. I'm already content with my current Training. How could I have another chance to obtain a spirit ring?"
"Didn't Dad use the Medicinal Pills I sent back a few times ago?"
"Dad's talent is limited, so even if I used them, they wouldn't have much effect."
"Just try them first to see if they work. I don't need them anyway. If you Break through to level sixty, I can still rely on you for the next spirit ring."
"I'm afraid I'll already be a burden to you before that time comes."
Wang Xing and Wang Nan chatted while driving away approaching low-level Spirit Beasts, and soon they were close to the Mixed Zone.
"The Mixed Zone ahead will be much more dangerous. Get ready."
Hearing Wang Xing's instructions, Wang Nan reached out to confirm the items he was wearing. Several defensive spirit tools were already in place, healing medicines were in the most accessible position, and the invincible shield Wang Xing had given him was on his chest.
Although his current spirit power couldn't fully unleash the power of a fifth-level spirit tool, it could still provide some protection.
"I'm ready."
Wang Xing nodded and led Wang Nan into the Mixed Zone.
It turned out that Wang Nan wasn't lucky every time.
Other Spirit Masters often spent a long time acquiring spirit rings, not only needing to encounter Spirit Beasts with suitable attributes and age, but also considering the Spirit Abilities they could gain.
However, he had never worried about these things since his first spirit ring. His first and second spirit rings were chosen by his father, Wang Xing, in advance, and his third spirit ring came to him on its own.
And now, obtaining his fourth spirit ring was finally not so smooth.
Wang Xing and Wang Nan searched the Mixed Zone for five days, but they still couldn't find a suitable Spirit Beast.
...
In the early morning, south of the Star Dou Great Forest's outer edge, Wang Nan awoke from meditation.
"Nan'er, don't worry. It's common for Spirit Masters to take ten days to half a month to obtain a spirit ring. It's only the sixth day. Look, aren't all these people around us just like us?"
Wang Nan looked around and saw many people like them packing up their tents, ready to re-enter the Star Dou Great Forest.
Not everyone had the strength to spend the night in the Great Forest; most Spirit Masters would choose to leave the Star Dou Great Forest at night and re-enter the next day.
"I know, Dad." Wang Nan wasn't actually anxious. In fact, he had just returned home and came here without resting, so he was already prepared to spend a month.
As the two finished packing and were about to leave, a clear voice suddenly came from behind them.
"Excuse me, two gentlemen."
Wang Nan turned around and saw a young girl standing not far behind them.
The girl wore a light golden outfit with a tasseled sash around her waist, and her golden hair was lightly tied up. A veil covered her face, obscuring her appearance, but a golden vertical line between her brows was particularly striking.
Wang Xing scrutinized the young girl, and seeing her alone outside the Star Dou Great Forest, he frowned slightly and subtly took a step forward, shielding Wang Nan behind him.
"May I ask what you need, young lady?"
"I'm also here to obtain a spirit ring, and I'd like to travel with you."
"This..." Wang Xing pondered for a moment.
The Star Dou Great Forest was fraught with danger, and it was common for Spirit Masters to travel in groups. Moreover, this young girl appearing alone, though strange, didn't seem to harbor ill intentions.
She had appeared silently behind them just now; if she truly intended harm, she could have simply attacked them after they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, so why bother speaking up?
"Traveling together is good; we can look out for each other. But may I ask what kind of spirit ring you need, young lady?"
"Thank you both." The young girl bowed slightly, then looked at Wang Nan, "I need to obtain my fourth spirit ring, with six thousand years being optimal. May I ask what kind of spirit ring you need?"
Wang Xing and Wang Nan exchanged glances, "Coincidentally, we are also here for a fourth spirit ring."
Although the girl's veil covered most of her face, one could still see her eyes narrow slightly, revealing a smile.
"May I ask your name, where you live, and why you came to this dangerous Star Dou Great Forest alone?" On the way, Wang Xing kept Wang Nan and the young girl separated, and as they traveled, he asked seemingly casually.
"My home... is near the Star Dou Great Forest, with a beautiful lake nearby." The girl thought for a moment and continued, "Actually, I'm not entirely alone. My elder is nearby, watching me from the shadows. If you encounter danger, he might even lend a hand."
Although the girl's words sounded somewhat unreal, they were also quite reasonable. Because situations like an elder protecting from the shadows while a Spirit Master obtains their own spirit ring are often seen at Shrek Academy. It's just that no one would be as honest as she was in saying it.
"As for my name..." The girl was silent for a long time, and even her eyes dimmed, "Call me Yan Huo."
Yan Huo?
Wang Nan looked at her in confusion. What kind of decent person would have such a name? Names like 'Qu Mortal-tier' (驅病, meaning 'drive away illness') or 'Qi Ji' (棄疾, meaning 'abandon sickness') were about discarding bad things, not like her, directly incorporating it into her name. It was probably just an alias.
Entering the Mixed Zone again, the three of them—Wang Nan and the others—took a different direction from the previous days. As if their luck had turned, they hadn't walked long before they saw a towering figure.
It was tens of meters tall, with a massive body covered in thick, dark gray scales, each in an irregular shape. Its enormous head almost occupied a quarter of its entire body.
This Spirit Beast before them was the king of the sub-Dragon species, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, comparable to a Dragon. A ten-thousand-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex might even be stronger than an ordinary hundred-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast. And because of the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline flowing through its veins, the Tyrannosaurus Rex was also known as the King of Earth Dragons.
Wang Nan had seen this kind of Spirit Beast, in history books.