Another Kind of Genius

The commotion with the Emerald Demon Bird alerted their presence to other spirit beasts.

As the sun began to rise, the sky turned red, orange, and pink. And two spirit beasts gave the Shrek Seven Tyrants and the Golden Iron Triangle hell. While the Shrek Seven Tyrants fought a fifty thousand year old Devil Ghost Panther, the Golden Iron Triangle was tangling with the Death Terror Scorpion.

The Devil Ghost Panther copied itself, aiming to deal with each of the Shrek Seven Tyrants separately.

"Fourth spirit skill, Tarantula Web!"

"King Tiger left arm bone skill, King Tiger Halberd!"

"First spirit skill, Shadow Cheetah Silence. Second spirit skill, Shadow Cheetah Claw."

"Fourth spirit skill, Swift Dance! Air Strike! Emerald Demon Bird skull bone skill, Emerald Demon Devour!"

"Fourth spirit skill, Dragon Qin Feathers!"

"Fire Dragon Domain! Ultimate Darkness Straight Line! Goddess of Nine Stars Domain! Flight of Nine Stars!"

"Third spirit skill, Flowering Lotus Regrowth! Fourth spirit skill, Flowering Lotus Ten Ton!"

The Shrek Seven Tyrants' powerful attacks launched. The Devil Ghost Panther's doppelgangers didn't stand a chance.

Meanwhile, the Death Terror Scorpion swung its massive and poisonous stinger. The Golden Saint Dragon Luo San Pao roared in retaliation.

"Break wind like striking thunder, rumble the heavens and split the earth Luo San Pao!" Yu Xiaogang yelled.

A powerful shockwave radiated from the Golden Saint Dragon Luo San Pao.

The two groups forced their spirit beasts closer together. Once they were cornered, Ru Shenqi's nine-pointed star appeared on her forehead.

"Nine Stars Meteor Shower!"

Thousands of nine-pointed stars came flying from the sky. They exploded upon contact around both the Devil Ghost Panther and Death Terror Scorpion. When the dust settled, both spirit beasts counterattacked.

The Devil Ghost Panther rose up on its hind legs and crashed its paws into the ground, causing a quake in the earth. The ten humans stumbled on their feet. The Death Terror Scorpion raised its stinger and launched a poisonous rain skill.

"Third spirit skill, Clear Crystal Armor!"

Saved from the poisonous rain by Ru Shenqi's shields, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The grass around them was disintegrated.

"Xingyun, now!" Ru Shenqi called.

Their voices blended together as they proclaimed, "Death God Domain, Evolved Skill: Demon Hell!"

The doubled icy aura encased the surrounding ten meters in ice. The two spirit beasts were completely restrained.

Flender said, "Erlong, don't kill them, but do your worst."

She nodded and lived up to her name of Slaughtering Corner. The Shrek Seven Tyrants winced as she pummeled the two spirit beasts into the ground.

When both were thoroughly beaten, Yu Xiaogang said, "Suyin, the Death Terror Scorpion suits you best. Hurry and kill it! Jiaxiang, the Devil Ghost Panther would do well for you. Hurry and kill it!"

Liao Suyin shot forward and used her eight jade legs to stab through the sensitive spot on the scorpion, thereby killing it swiftly. A black spirit ring materialized above the corpse. She reached out and sat down to begin absorbing the decade millennium spirit ring.

Shu Jiaxiang shot forward and struck out with her Shadow Cheetah Claws. Soon, a black spirit ring appeared. She sat down and began to absorb it.

Ming Yong used his fourth spirit skill to attack the panther and kill it. A black ring rose up from the body, and he stretched out his hand. After taking the decade millennium spirit ring, he sat down and began to absorb it.

Neither spirit beast dropped a spirit bone, and the Golden Iron Triangle hoped that their students wouldn't be too upset by it. The chances of receiving one from a decade millennium spirit beast were usually slim, so it wasn't completely out of line.

Due to the immense resentment in the two spirit beasts, both Liao Suyin and Shu Jiaxiang took six hours to absorb the rings. Ru Shenqi had deployed her Goddess of Nine Stars Domain to help lessen the burden and overbearing force of the spirit power from the rings. When they both finished, the two stood.

"Teachers, I'm now a fifty first ranked Spirit King."

"Teachers, I'm now a fifty second ranked Spirit King."

"Great!" Flender exclaimed. "Xiaogang, do you see these geniuses among geniuses? All under eighteen and already Spirit Kings!"

Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Suyin, Jiaxiang, what are your fifth spirit skills?"

Liao Suyin replied, "I'll demonstrate. My fifth skill doesn't use much spirit power, thank goodness."

She released her spirit, and her jade legs came shooting out.

"Fifth spirit skill, Tarantula Call!"

Soon, scurrying little jade spiders emerged out of the ground. They swarmed the others. Shu Jiaxiang released her poisonous fog. Ru Shenqi and Liu Erlong released their flames.

"What's your spirit skill?" Yu Xiaogang asked.

She smirked. "Fifth spirit skill, Shadow Cheetah Multiply!"

Suddenly, twenty copies of herself appeared. "Xiao Shen."

"Third spirit skill, Clear Crystal Armor!"

Around everyone from Shrek Academy, her ten invisible shields formed. Shu Jiaxiang and her doppelgangers attacked them with no luck. Liu Erlong breathed in amazement.

"Your copies have the same physical attack power as you. They're not illusionary but almost real."

Shu Jiaxiang called the doppelgangers back to her as she nodded, "That's right."

"Good!" Flender exclaimed. "Now, just Youyou needs a spirit beast!"

Now three of the five had gotten their fifth spirit rings. Shu Jiaxiang and Fang Youyou were even more excited to get theirs but knew the right spirit beast would come along eventually, so they didn't voice their hopes aloud.

The group packed up their camp and wandered west, still in the decade millennium year spirit beast territory. Around midday, a Crystalline Mirror Moth soared over their heads. Yu Xiaogang watched it with a concentrated gaze.

"Yong, this spirit beast is nearly sixty thousand years. It's suitable for you."

He nodded in understanding. "Then I'll trouble everyone to help me."

The moth flew back around, and Ru Shenqi launched her fifth spirit skill, trapping the spirit beast within her myriad flames.

"King Tiger left arm bone skill, King Tiger Halberd!"

Gu Xingyun threw his halberd straight towards the Crystalline Mirror Moth. It flew through the purplish-black flames and pierced through the spirit beast's chest. He had estimated accurately, so the halberd didn't deliver a fatal strike.

The spirit beast fell to the ground, and Ming Yong walked forward, playing his first song. Once the moth was entangled, he launched his fourth spirit skill, Dragon Qin Feathers, to deliver the killing blow.

But before he could strike it, a blast of spirit power repelled her. The Golden Iron Triangle ran forward.

"Who's there?!" Flender called out.

Three figures soon appeared. The woman had red hair and bewitching green eyes. The man had black hair and dazzling blue eyes. He was the one who had released his spirit power. With them, was a young pre-teen who had the woman's green eyes and the man's black hair.

"Uncle, Aunt, I didn't know it was you. I apologize."

Yu Xiaogang stepped forward. "Tianheng. Did you three scare away this Crystalline Mirror Moth?"

The man was Yu Tianheng, the once-captain of the Emperor Team, and nephew of Yu Xiaogang. He nodded.

"We were hunting it for Xiongmeng." He rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Our son."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened. "I didn't know. Yu Xiongmeng¹玉凶猛 - given name meaning "Fierce"... good name."

The woman spoke up, "This moth would do Xiongmeng well. Uncle, if you give us the moth, we will help you hunt another spirit beast."

"Dugu Yan, this spirit beast is a decade millennium spirit beast. It's not suitable for your son."

Her eyes widened. Even Yu Tianheng lowered his head.

"I haven't learned well enough. I didn't even know."

Liu Erlong finally said, "Tianheng, mistakes can be made sometimes. But this spirit beast has almost sixty thousand years of cultivation. Your son is only looking for his fourth ring, right?"

"Yes, you're right. Xiongmeng, show Aunt and Uncle your spirit."

The pre-teen nodded and released his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit. Around his body hovered three spirit rings. Two were a brilliant yellow and one was deep purple. Having the optimal configuration, this kid was on his way to becoming a powerful spirit master.

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. "Good, fourteen and already onto his fourth ring. His advancement is stable yet fast. That's desirable. Good work."

"He's trained hard," Yu Tianheng explained. "Since the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan was annihilated by Spirit Empire, Yan and I have been living in Heaven Dou City. Xiongmeng was born here and went to Heaven Dou City Primary Academy. Because both Yan and I graduated from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Xiongmeng was lucky enough to be accepted there. He wasn't able to rank for the Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition unfortunately, but we're proud of him all the same."

"For a bigger school, it's harder to choose the best students," Flender said. "Plus, if he had competed, he would probably lose to these little Tyrants anyways."

Flender's hand waved over the seven behind him. Dugu Yan tilted her head.

"What's so special about them?"

"You can show them your rings," Yu Xiaogang said. "It's alright."

The seven smirked and introduced themselves.

"Ming Yong, fifty third ranked Spirit System Battle Spirit Master."

His Seven String Dragon Qin appeared in front of him. Around him, four spirit rings glowed: two yellow, and two purple.

Yu Xiaogang cut in and explained, "The Crystalline Mirror Moth is for Yong. Once he absorbs it's ring, his spirit power will rise again."

"Bai Shanxin, fifty third ranked Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master."

Her wings appeared on her back as five rings descended. She, too, displayed the optimal configuration of two yellow, two purple, and one black rings.

"Liao Suyin, fifty first ranked Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master."

Her eight jade legs stretched from her back. Two yellow, two purple, and one black rings danced around her feet.

"Shu Jiaxiang, fifty second ranked Power Attack and Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master."

As her cheetah ears grew and her nails lengthened, five spirit rings with the optimal configuration displayed around her.

Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng gaped. Their son was equally awestruck.

The Shrek Seven Tyrants continued.

"Fang Youyou, fifty sixth ranked Auxiliary System Spirit Master."

His Rainbow Colored Flowering Lotus appeared in his right hand. Two yellow and two purple spirit rings appeared, circling his body.

"FIFTY SIXTH RANKED WITHOUT A FIFTH SPIRIT RING?!"

This time, Flender explained, "A spirit master can store spirit power until they get their next ring. So, Youyou has the spirit power capacity of fifty sixth rank, but just doesn't have the fifth ring yet."

The trio couldn't believe their eyes or their ears.

Finally, it was down to the two more tyrannical Tyrants.

"Gu Xingyun, fifty seventh ranked Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master."

As he released his Heavenly Golden Lion spirit, his body grew in size. His hands turned into huge paws, and his eyes sharpened. Five spirit rings descended: two yellow, one purple, and two black.

"AIYA! FIFTY SEVENTH RANKED WITH TWO BLACK SPIRIT RINGS?!"

Liu Erlong chuckled. "Xingyun is lucky enough to make the same miracle Xiao San did back then. He achieved absorbing a decade millennium spirit ring for his fourth ring."

Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and Yu Xiongmeng shook their heads in disbelief.

"Grandmaster?" Ru Shenqi asked faintly.

"They have no ties to Spirit Empire, but rather an irreconcilable hatred. It's alright, Xiao Shen."

"Little God?" both Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng asked.

The little white-haired girl spoke up in a resonant voice, "Ru Shenqi, seventieth ranked Control System. Battle. Spirit. Master."

Upon hearing her words, even the Golden Iron Triangle thought they had misheard her. The other Tyrants shuddered. The relatives of Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong choked.

"SEVENTIETH RANKED?! LITTLE GIRL, DON'T BE LYING!"

Ru Shenqi's eyes flashed, turning lucent and transparent. After a pause, she finally released her spirit rings. Four black rings altogether, though the first three had strands of dark purple running through them. The last was pitch black. Then, two terrifyingly blood red rings stacked on top.

"AIYA! WHAT IS THIS?!"

The other three's eyes nearly bugged out of their heads.

She explained, "Grandmaster, after fighting the Crystalline Mirror Moth, I found that I crossed the borderline I had before. I've reached seventieth rank."

Liu Erlong murmured, "There aren't any century millennium spirit beasts in Sunset Forest. Star Dou Great Forest is on the way to Spirit City; we'll stop by and hunt you your seventh ring."

Ru Shenqi nodded in acceptance. "Thank you, Vice-Dean Liu."

Liu Erlong turned to her nephew and niece-in-law. "Let us have the Crystalline Mirror Moth then. To make it up to you, we'll help you three look for a suitable spirit beast for Xiongmeng. We're in the territory of decade millennium spirit beasts right now, but after we find a suitable spirit beast for Youyou, we'll go with you to the millennium year spirit beast territory."

He nodded. They couldn't believe a little pre-teen girl, younger that their own child, was actually a Spirit Sage. "I understand, thank you, Aunt."

She waved it off. "We're family."

Flender looked at Shu Jiaxiang and said, "Yong, the spirit beast is yours. Go ahead and get its ring."