"Don't mention it, this is the result of your own hard work," the instructor said with a smile.
Afterward, Lin Yu began to feel and explore his newly acquired Soul Skill.
He discovered that this Soul Skill was named "Nether Shuttle". When he cast it, his figure could shuttle through the void just like a Netherworld Wolf, moving at extreme speed and completely silently, making it difficult for enemies to catch sight of him. This not only greatly enhanced his mobility, but also provided him with more tactical choices in battle.
"This Soul Skill is amazing!" Lin Yu said excitedly.
"Haha, with this Soul Skill, you will be even more proficient in your future battles," the instructor said.
"That's right, Lin Yu, you must make good use of this Soul Skill," Su Yao also encouraged him.
Lin Yu nodded heavily, vowing inwardly to practice hard and not let down everyone's expectations. At the same time, he also realized that he still had a long way to go and needed to constantly improve his strength to cope with future challenges.
"Alright, Lin Yu. Now that you've absorbed the spirit ring, what is your current spirit power rank?" the instructor asked with a smile.
"Instructor, after absorbing this seven-hundred-year-old spirit ring, my spirit power should be at rank fifteen. I'll need to go back and test it to know the exact rank," Lin Yu replied excitedly.
Hearing this, the instructor nodded and said, "Not bad! This is quite a significant improvement. Let's rest for a while, and we'll continue our journey once you've recovered some stamina." With that, the instructor found a place to sit down and closed his eyes to rest and collect his thoughts.
Lin Yu, meanwhile, observed the surrounding environment from the side, feeling his newly acquired strength. He secretly rejoiced that he had been able to obtain the spirit ring so smoothly, while also feeling full of anticipation for the future.
After a while, the instructor opened his eyes, looked at Lin Yu, and said, "Lin Yu, I didn't expect we'd be able to help you get your spirit ring so early, and the day is still young. How is your rest? What do you say we set off right away and help Su Yao acquire her first spirit ring? What do you think?"
Lin Yu thought for a moment and said, "No problem, instructor. Since that's the case, let's rest for another half an hour and then go get Su Yao's spirit ring."
The instructor nodded, stood up, and patted the dust off his clothes. Lin Yu stood up as well, stretched his limbs, and prepared to embark on the journey once more.
Just at that moment, a low hiss suddenly echoed through the air. The instructor and Lin Yu exchanged glances, both wearing vigilant expressions. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a huge python slowly slithering over from the distant woods.
The entire body of this python was covered in crystal-clear, ice-blue scales that shimmered with a cold light. Its body was massive and thick, standing there like a small mountain.
Lin Yu's eyes widened in astonishment as he cried out, "Wow, what a huge Ice-Armor Python!" Meanwhile, Su Yao, standing beside him, wore a firm expression and replied without a trace of fear, "Hmph, I'm not afraid of it at all!" Having said that, she strode forward without hesitation, holding the Ice Magic Wand and confronting the massive Ice-Armor Python directly.
Su Yao quickly waved the Ice Magic Wand in her hand, chanting incantations under her breath, and instantly unleashed a barrage of fierce ice cone spells. In the blink of an eye, countless sharp and piercing ice cones hurtled toward the Ice-Armor Python like raindrops. However, the Ice-Armor Python displayed astonishing agility, skillfully twisting its massive body to easily dodge these fatal ice cone attacks.
Immediately after, the Ice-Armor Python opened its cavernous maw and fiercely spat out a blast of bone-chilling mist. Faced with this sudden attack, Su Yao hurriedly cast an ice shield spell, attempting to block the powerful force. The ice mist and the ice shield collided violently, emitting a sizzling sound as if trying to freeze everything around them.
"Su Yao, watch out!" Lin Yu shouted anxiously from the side.
Su Yao replied, "Don't worry, I can handle it!" Then, with a light tap of her toes against the ground, her figure soared gracefully into the air like a bird, where she nimbly cast an ice explosion spell. Orbs of ice containing immense energy plummeted toward the Ice-Armor Python like shooting stars.
Feeling threatened, the Ice-Armor Python let out a low roar and whipped its hard-as-steel tail across with fierce whistling winds, violently colliding with the ice orbs and bursting into dazzling light and a powerful shockwave.
Lin Yu watched anxiously from the side, his hand tightly gripping his sword hilt, ready to step in and help at any moment. He knew this battle was a test for Su Yao, but he also believed in her strength and courage.
Amidst the fierce battle, Su Yao relied on her keen perception to spot a brief moment when the Ice-Armor Python was turning around. A flash of resolve crossed her eyes, and her hands moved rapidly as she executed a powerful self-created ice-type Soul Skill—Absolute Freezing.
Following her incantation, a beam of extreme cold instantly shot from her hands, enveloping the Ice-Armor Python's massive body. In the blink of an eye, the Ice-Armor Python was frozen in place, turning into a crystal-clear ice sculpture.
Before long, a yellow spirit ring slowly condensed above the ice sculpture. This left everyone thrilled, as such a spirit ring was a rare sight indeed.
Su Yao quickly sat down, adjusted her posture, and began absorbing the Ice-Armor Python's spirit ring. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and felt that powerful force slowly flow into her body. Lin Yu and the instructor stood guard beside her, protecting her. They knew that Su Yao needed quiet right now and could not be disturbed.
"Su Yao, hold on!" the instructor encouraged softly. He knew that absorbing a spirit ring was no easy task and required sufficient perseverance and endurance.
Su Yao gritted her teeth, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead as she struggled to integrate that power. Gradually, the Ice-Armor Python's spirit ring began to merge into Su Yao's body bit by bit, and her aura underwent a continuous transformation. From chaotic at first, it gradually steadied, and then grew powerful, as if undergoing a metamorphosis.
Time ticked away second by second, and Su Yao finally completed the absorption of her first spirit ring. Her ice-type abilities had been immensely enhanced. She opened her eyes excitedly and cried out with emotion, "I did it!"
She couldn't wait to test out her newly acquired Soul Skill—Ice Armor Shield. With a thought from her, a layer of cold blue light quickly surged from her body, gradually condensing into a transparent shield. This shield looked sturdy beyond compare and emitted a chilling aura.
Curious, Su Yao reached out and gently touched the shield, feeling a piercing chill. She knew that this layer of shield could not only fend off enemy attacks, but also carried a frost effect, capable of harming any enemy that attempted to approach her.
She rejoiced inwardly; with this powerful defensive skill, she would have an extra layer of security when facing enemies in the future. She decided to practice and master this skill well so she could unleash its maximum power in battle.