The Silent Crisis

Lin Yongming was absorbing his first spirit ring. Although he had seen similar scenes in anime, experiencing it firsthand was entirely different. He didn't dare to be careless.

All his mental energy was focused on absorbing the spirit ring. The moment he guided the spirit ring to his martial soul, the Thunder Blade, a surge of pure spirit power immediately merged into his body.

"Such profound spirit power! This spirit ring must be at least 300 to 400 years old. It's a good thing the Swift Thunder Leopard was already weakened, or I might not have been able to obtain this spirit ring," Lin Yongming thought to himself. He didn't dare to relax, concentrating fully on guiding and absorbing the spirit ring while converting the spirit power within it into his own.

About three to four minutes passed, and the villagers watching nearby began to whisper among themselves. Most were praising Lin Yongming and marveling at the abilities of spirit masters.

"I'm so envious. When will I ever get the chance to absorb a spirit ring like that?" Lei Zhengming muttered, his eyes filled with admiration as he watched Lin Yongming.

A few more minutes passed, and just as the villagers were chatting, a group of uninvited guests arrived at the edge of the village.

"Captain, someone's absorbing a spirit ring over there!"

The group consisted of eight people—a hunting team that had been pursuing the Swift Thunder Leopard. Although the leopard had managed to escape unexpectedly, it had left traces along its path as it fled in panic. The hunters had followed these traces, but their speed was no match for the leopard's, which was why it had taken them so long to reach Thunderstorm Village.

"I heard the commotion from afar. This is just an ordinary village. How could there be a spirit ring here?"

"Captain, unless the Swift Thunder Leopard was killed by someone. After all, we didn't lose track of it along the way."

"That's right. The leopard was already severely injured. If it encountered a spirit master who needed a spirit ring, it probably didn't stand a chance. But would there really be a spirit master in this village?"

"Why are we wasting time talking? Let's just go into the village and see for ourselves. If someone really took our prey, we'll have to go back to the Star Dou Forest and capture another one. But if that happens, your share of the reward will be cut to a third. Let's move!" the captain of the hunting team scolded the two who had spoken.

The others glanced at the two before following the captain. The two exchanged bitter smiles and trailed behind.

Soon, the team arrived in front of the villagers.

"Strangers?" one of the villagers said, noticing the newcomers.

"Let us through," the captain said, pushing through the crowd without waiting for permission. He immediately spotted the lifeless body of the Swift Thunder Leopard and Lin Yongming, who was in the process of absorbing the spirit ring.

"A child?" the captain exclaimed in surprise.

"Who are you?" the village chief asked, stepping forward with a puzzled expression. After all, these were unfamiliar faces.

Lin Chong also approached, worried that these strangers might disturb Lin Yongming's absorption process.

"This spirit beast was captured by us in the spirit beast forest. Since it's already dead, it's useless now. But it's a pity for this child," the captain said, shaking his head regretfully.

"What do you mean? Explain yourself! Why is it a pity for my child?" Lin Chong demanded, stepping forward to confront the captain.

The captain was a burly man in his forties with a slight beard.

"Of course, it's a pity. If I'm not mistaken, this child absorbing the spirit ring didn't have one before, right? Given his age, even if he's eight years old, being able to absorb a spirit ring makes him a genius. But there's no way he can successfully absorb this spirit ring," the captain said, his tone filled with regret.

Although he was surprised that such a young child was attempting to absorb his first spirit ring, the captain felt more pity than anything else.

"It really is a shame. He could have been a prodigy," one of the team members added.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" the village chief asked urgently.

"It seems you're all ordinary people. You don't understand what this spirit beast represents. Let me explain. This Swift Thunder Leopard was meant to be the second spirit ring for a wealthy young master. That's why we were hired to capture it. This spirit beast is over 600 years old. From what I know, the first spirit ring a spirit master absorbs should be around 400 years. If they try to absorb a spirit ring that's too powerful, the consequences can range from severe injury to death."

The captain's explanation made it clear to Lin Chong and the village chief that they were likely the child's family.

"What? A 600-year spirit beast? That's over 200 years beyond the limit! I don't believe it!" Lin Chong's face turned pale as he stared at the captain in disbelief.

"Do you think you could have killed this spirit beast if we hadn't weakened it first? The young master offered us 60,000 gold coins for this spirit beast. Now that it's dead, our efforts have been wasted. Do you know how much time and energy we've spent on this? I have no reason to lie to you," the captain said, his tone growing impatient as Lin Chong continued to doubt him.

"This can't be! I need to stop Ming'er from absorbing the spirit ring!"

"Ming'er!" Lin Chong cried out, rushing toward Lin Yongming.

"Stop! If you interrupt the absorption process now, it will definitely kill him," the captain said, grabbing Lin Chong's arm with a look of pity.

"Then what can we do? You're spirit masters, right? Please, I beg you, save my child!" Lin Chong pleaded desperately.

"Once the absorption process has started, it can't be stopped. Not even a Title Douluo could do anything at this point. We can only leave it to fate," the captain said with a heavy sigh.

"This… this can't be…" Lin Chong felt a wave of despair wash over him, and he nearly collapsed.

"A-Chong, calm down. Ming'er has faced many hardships since he was a child. Now that things are finally looking up, I believe the heavens won't be so cruel. Have faith that Ming'er will pull through," the village chief said, stepping forward to support Lin Chong.

"Chief…" Lin Chong's eyes filled with tears.

The eight hunters exchanged glances, all of them certain that Lin Yongming's chances of survival were slim.

"A 600-year spirit beast!" Lin Yongming overheard the conversation, but he was already too deep in the absorption process to care.

A torrent of spirit power surged into his body, and there was no way to stop it. He could only focus on refining the spirit power contained within the spirit ring. As time passed, Lin Yongming began to feel a sharp, unbearable pain coursing through his body.

The pain grew more intense, as if his body was about to explode.

"Is this where my journey ends?" A wave of negativity washed over Lin Yongming. The pain became so overwhelming that his body began to sway in the eyes of the onlookers.

"No! I refuse to accept this! I was born blind, and now fate wants to take my life in such a way? If I can't even endure this, how can I ever reach the pinnacle of strength?"

"I won't bow to fate. My life is my own!" Lin Yongming gritted his teeth, biting his lower lip to stay conscious.

With this unwavering determination, his innate skill, Unyielding Will, activated.

The more he struggled, the stronger he became. Streams of blue light began to flow across his skin, coursing through his meridians.