Another Kind of Genius

After grumbling, Flender followed Liu Erlong and Ru Shenqi out the door. Yu Xiaogang shook his head and chuckled.

The trio found Zhao Wuji out in the courtyard, teaching a class. Without any regard for it, Liu Erlong barged forward.

"Wuji! You're coming with us to Star Dou Great Forest! Get someone else to teach today!"

"Eh? Erlong, what is this?"

"Xiao Shen broke through to the sixtieth level. We're going hunting for a spirit beast. Come, I'm not going to wait all day!"

Scared of her, Zhao Wuji quickly left his spot, darting over. "Coming!"

Liu Erlong turned around, hair swinging behind her, and walked towards the front gates. Three people ran to catch up with the Slaughter Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle.

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They stopped in Suotuo City for the night. As Liu Erlong rented three rooms in an inn, another group entered.

"Feng Changzhi¹风常祉 - "Constant Blessing", you're so lucky to already be getting your fourth spirit ring!"

Three students with the Shen Feng Branch uniform walked in.

Ru Shenqi scoffed, "Only your fourth ring?"

Four gazes landed on her. "Just who do you think you are?!"

She turned around to face them. "Your big sister!"

They laughed out loud, doubling over. She glared, a chilliness seeping into the room.

"Xiao Shen," Flender called.

"Little God?" Feng Changzhi teased. "Little, yes. God? I don't think so."

Ru Shenqi growled. Liu Erlong walked up to her and whispered in her ear, "That's Feng Changzhi. He's supposedly the best student from the Shenfeng Branch in the School of Four Elements. He's also the son of Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu, making him your biological cousin."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

Liu Erlong nodded. "Really."

Hmphing, Ru Shenqi turned her back on them. Her eyes narrowed.

I'll still teach them a lesson.

Under her breath, she muttered, "Flight of Nine Stars."

Out of the corner of Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Liu Erlong's eyes, they all watched as nine tiny stars shot out from Ru Shenqi. They created a nonagon array around the four students from the Shen Feng Branch of the School of Four Elements. Their spirit power began to seep away. Turning around slowly, Ru Shenqi smirked.

In a cold voice, she said, "I'll spare you all today, but I hope to see you all in the Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition. When the time comes, the Shrek team will surely defeat your School of Four Elements team."

"YOU!" they cried.

She whipped around and started up the stairs. "Feng Changzhi, I would like to meet your mother someday. Then, you won't be laughing as you are today."

Dumbstruck, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Liu Erlong watched as Ru Shenqi disappeared into her room. From behind them, the four Shen Feng Branch students seethed before huffing and turning on their heels. After they had gone, the three went to sit at a table in a more secluded corner.

"Erlong, what was that?" Flender asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen her use that ability before."

"Could it be from her external spirit bone? Another skill?" Zhao Wuji suggested.

The other two shook their heads.

Flender said darkly, "It was nine nine-pointed stars. Stars should have nothing to do with a Golden Eyed Black Dragon King."

"And none of the spirit beasts she's hunted have anything to do with stars either," Liu Erlong added. "What this skill is... could it be another domain?"

"Domains don't normally attack," Zhao Wuji sighed. "They can suppress opponents, but attacking domains such as this is rare."

Just then, Liu Erlong noticed someone. She was up and over to them in an instant. After whispering into the young woman's ear, the young woman nodded and left the inn. Liu Erlong returned to their table and sat back down.

"That was one of Tang Sect's Agility Hall members. I asked her to send a message to Xiaogang to ask him about the nine nine-pointed stars. She'll be waiting for us here when we come through on our way back."

The other two nodded. "Good. Perhaps he will know more than we can figure out."

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The next day, the group arrived at Star Dou Great Forest. They made their way deeper and deeper into the forest, quickly passing the hundred year range and entering millennium year territory.

"Xiao Shen, are you looking for another century millennium spirit beast?" Liu Erlong asked.

Ru Shenqi nodded. "Yes, Vice Dean Liu. If Teachers can find Xiao Shen one, Xiao Shen will be forever grateful."

The closer they got to Star Lake in the center of the forest, the fewer spirit beasts appeared. When they were on the border between decade millennium and century millennium spirit beasts, Ru Shenqi spotted an injured wolf cub.

"Dean Flender, Vice Dean Liu, Vice Dean Zhao, look."

They peered at it. Liu Erlong put a hand on her shoulder.

"Its parents must not be around. Such a young one here... it must've followed its parents to the center and gotten hurt."

Just then, they heard a snarl. Whipping around, they saw an enormous White Wolf Emperor.

"Is that a century millennium spirit beast?"

The three adults assessed it separately before coming to the same conclusion. Together, they answered, "It is."

"Dean Flender, does it suit me?"

"Very well."

Ru Shenqi turned to look at the White Wolf Emperor's cub. "I don't want to take its parent away from it."

"Xiao Shen," Zhao Wuji began. "That little cub won't survive in this area with such powerful spirit beasts. It's already doomed to die. You might as well use its mother as your sixth spirit ring."

Sighing, she finally acquiesced. The three Spirit Douluo shot forward and fought the White Wolf Emperor.

"Seventh spirit skill, Scarlet Dragon Avatar!"

"Seventh spirit skill, Owl Avatar!"

"Seventh spirit skill, Vigorous Vajra Bear Avatar! Third spirit skill, Gravity Increase!"

"Fourth spirit skill, Air Blade!"

Zhao Wuji's Gravity Increase pinned down the White Wolf Emperor, keeping it in position for Flender's attack. After it was it, it launched its own attack.

White Wolf Howl.

A deafening howl erupted from the spirit beast's mouth.

Wolves always come in packs.

Just then, more White Wolf Emperors appeared. Liu Erlong exploded and flew off, attacking the packmates. Flender and Zhao Wuji continued to wear down the first one. Ru Shenqi watched from behind a tree.

"Ultimate Darkness Wings."

Her black scaled wings lit on fire, and she took to the skies. Using Ultimate Darkness Straight Line, she roared a breath of fire straight down to the ground.

"Third spirit skill, Clear Crystal Armor!"

She protected herself and the three teachers with her shields. Then, just as she had done in Icebound Forest in the past, she activated her second spirit skill, Clear Crystal Crypsis. One of the pack members turned into a chunk of fresh meat in the eyes of the others. As they ran off to chase the one spirit beast, she flew down in between Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the White Wolf Emperor they were still fighting. She locked down on the spirit beast she needed for her sixth ring.

"Swift Demon Cougar skull bone skill, Swift Demon Attack!"

Her eyes met its, and caused a craze. Just then, she roared, "Fifth spirit skill, Clear Crystal Myriad Flames!"

Her purplish-black flames rose up, cutting her and the spirit beast off from the others. Walking forward, she whispered, "Flight of Nine Stars."

Soon, the White Wolf Emperor was losing spirit power at an even faster rate. Ru Shenqi rushed forward, flicking her wrist out. She wrapped the golden wire around its neck and flew up with her Ultimate Darkness Wings. Pulling the wire taunt, she watched as the spirit beast fought. Finally, its body fell limp. She descended and dropped her flames.

Zhao Wuji, Flender, and Liu Erlong came over. They all watched as a bright red spirit ring formed. Ru Shenqi reached out and collected it. She immediately sat down in the lotus position and began to absorb the ring. Due to the resentment from the spirit beast, her body was wracked with even more pain than the previous time. Sweat quickly broke out on her forehead. Her eyebrows scrunched. Worry creased the faces of the adults.

After ten days and ten nights, bright red light suddenly burst from her, and she roared. When the light disappeared, she stood up. The teachers' eyes widened. This time, her hair had turned white, but her eyes remained golden. She stepped forward and saluted. "Thank you, Teachers. I'm now a sixty fourth ranked Spirit Emperor."

"Your spirit power progress is beginning to slow down," Flender noted. "That's to be expected. The higher you get, the harder it will be to level up. But with each new level, comes great rewards."

"Xiao Shen, show us your sixth spirit skill," Liu Erlong said.

Ru Shenqi shook her head. "Despite coming from a century millennium spirit ring, this skill drains a lot of my spirit power, contrary to the usual fact that century millennium spirit rings and spirit bones don't usually expend much spirit power. I won't use it unless I have to."

"Then can you tell us what it is?" Zhao Wuji asked.

Smiling mysteriously, she replied, "Not just yet. This spirit skill is the most tyrannical. But, to compensate, I will show you my spirit bone."

Turning her back to them, she called out, "White Wolf Emperor left leg bone skill, White Wolf Dance!"

Suddenly, she was gone.

Flender, with his eyesight was still barely able to track her. She was moving insanely fast. Faster than Shu Jiaxiang and perhaps even faster than Bai Shanxin from Tang Sect's Speed Hall. When she returned in front of them, a huge gust of wind followed, blowing their clothes and hair back.

Grinning like a banshee, Ru Shenqi declared, "Now, I can also be an Agility Attack spirit master, right? Hahahaha!"

Three jaws dropped in shock. Zhao Wuji, Flender, and Liu Erlong all cried, "This child really is too much!"

<><><>

On the way home, back in Suotuo City, the group stopped back at the same inn. While Ru Shenqi was upstairs cultivating, Flender, Liu Erlong, and Zhao Wuji were listening to the female messenger from before.

"Grandmaster can't find any records of such an ability. He's guessing that it comes from the divine power of a God seat. When you return to Shrek Academy, he will discuss it further with all of you."

When sending her message, Liu Erlong had only mentioned seeing a spirit master use a nonagon array of nine nine-pointed stars to drain opponents' spirit power. She had never mentioned that it was Ru Shenqi who had used it.

"Alright, thank you," she said.

The female messenger nodded and slipped away. Liu Erlong pinched the bridge of her nose. Of course, she knew about Yu Xiaogang's meeting with Ning Fengzhi and what they had talked about.

Could Xiao Shen really have divine power from some God seat? And if so... was it her mother who gave it to her? Did Ru Zuanshi become a Goddess?

"Erlong, what does this mean?" Flender asked.

"We have to be careful. I don't know if Xiao Shen knows we've seen her use the skill. Until we find out, don't mention a word of it in front of her. If she didn't tell us from the beginning, it means she didn't want to. We shouldn't pressure her."

The other two nodded in agreement. "This child really is too scary. The power she holds is beyond what a twelve year old should."

<><><>

Back in Heaven Dou City, Ru Shenqi headed to the Saint Spirit Hall. There, she met with Tong Ai again and was led into the testing room. She released her spirit and her sixth spirit rings descended. Four black, two red. Tong Ai gaped.

Laughing like a fairy, Ru Shenqi placed her hand on the crystal. After showing her sixty fourth ranked spirit power, she saluted to Tong Ai.

"Spirit Saint, thank you for testing me today. If you don't mind, I'll go register new my rank then."

She turned and exited the room, heading over to the registration desk. There, they etched a new line onto her badge.

It read: Sixty Fourth Ranked Spirit Emperor, Registration Time: Douluo Calendar Year 2657, Registered at Heaven Dou City Saint Spirit Hall