douluo dalu: Dark Phoenix

Chapter 7: The First Spirit Ring

The morning mist hung thick over the Junior Soul Master Academy as Ayanokoji stood silently at the training grounds, watching the horizon glow faintly with the promise of dawn.

Today was the day.

The instructors had announced it yesterday — the advanced students would be taken to the outskirts of the Spirit Beast Forest to obtain their first spirit rings.

For most, it was a rite of passage.

For Ayanokoji, it was a calculated step toward power.

---

The Journey to the Spirit Beast Forest

A small group of ten students, including Ayanokoji, Tang San, and Xiao Wu, set out at dawn, accompanied by two senior instructors.

The forest lay half a day's journey from the academy, dense and ancient, the kind of place that seemed to hold its breath, watching.

As they traveled, Tang San walked beside Ayanokoji, his Blue Silver Grass spirit quietly thriving in the morning air.

"Nervous?" Tang San asked, his tone calm, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes.

Ayanokoji glanced at him, expression unreadable. "No."

Tang San chuckled softly. "Of course you're not."

Xiao Wu, bounding ahead of the group, her energy infectious, called back to them, "Come on, slowpokes! What's life without a little danger?"

Ayanokoji watched her, noting again that same wildness, that strange confidence. She didn't move like the others. She moved like she belonged here — in the wilderness.

Another mystery.

---

Entering the Forest

By midday, they reached the outer edges of the Spirit Beast Forest.

The instructors halted the group, speaking in hushed tones.

"We're only here for ten-year and hundred-year spirit beasts," one of them announced. "Stay together. If you encounter a thousand-year beast… run."

Ayanokoji's mind calculated probabilities. A thousand-year beast could easily kill them all — unless…

No. This wasn't the time to think that far ahead.

They entered the forest, and the atmosphere shifted immediately — the air thicker, the sounds of unseen creatures rustling, watching.

A primal world.

Perfect.

---

The Hunt Begins

The group moved cautiously through the forest, with the instructors leading and the students scanning for suitable spirit beasts.

The first encounter came quickly — a Wind Blade Wolf, a hundred-year beast.

One of the senior students claimed it, defeating it with relative ease and obtaining his spirit ring.

The sight of the black and gold ring forming around the fallen beast's body stirred something deep in Ayanokoji.

Not excitement.

Not fear.

Anticipation.

Power was close now. He could feel it.

---

Ayanokoji's Choice

As the day wore on, the group encountered several more spirit beasts — Shadow Leopards, Ironclaw Bears, and Venomous Thorn Lizards.

Each time, Ayanokoji observed, calculating.

None of these were right for him.

The Spirit Eyes required a mental-type ring — something rare, something precise.

And the Dark Phoenix…

That spirit still slept within him, waiting. Its hunger wasn't for a mere hundred-year ring. Not yet.

He would wait.

---

The Fog Panther

As evening approached, the forest grew darker, shadows stretching long and thin.

That's when they encountered it.

A Fog Panther — sleek, black-furred, with eyes like molten gold, prowling silently through the underbrush.

A rare, hundred-year mental-type beast.

The perfect first ring for his Spirit Eyes.

"I'll take this one," Ayanokoji said softly.

The instructors hesitated, but there was something in his voice — calm, certain — that made them step back.

The Fog Panther circled him, predatory, its body low to the ground, mist beginning to gather around them both.

Ayanokoji didn't move.

Didn't flinch.

He watched. Calculated. Waited.

Then the beast struck — a blur of black and silver.

But Ayanokoji had already seen its movement before it happened.

The Spirit Eyes allowed him to predict the Panther's path, its subtle muscle tension giving it away.

He sidestepped smoothly, striking with precise, bone-breaking force.

The battle was brief.

Brutal.

The Fog Panther collapsed, its golden eyes dimming, its breathing ragged.

Ayanokoji knelt beside it, placing a hand on its sleek fur, feeling the fading life force.

He whispered a quiet thanks.

Then, as the golden ring began to form above the beast's body, he closed his eyes… and accepted it.

---

The First Spirit Ring

The moment the spirit ring entered his body, Ayanokoji felt it — a surge of energy, sharp and electric, flooding through his veins.

His Spirit Eyes activated automatically, glowing bright gold as the first ring settled into place, its power binding to him.

The sensation was… intoxicating.

Not just strength.

Control.

With this, his Spirit Eyes had gained their first skill:

Mind Shroud — a technique that disrupted the opponent's mental perception, creating visual and auditory illusions.

A perfect ability for someone who thrived on deception and misdirection.

Ayanokoji stood slowly, the golden ring glowing faintly around him, and for a brief moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath.

Then, the moment passed, and the group gathered around him, murmuring quietly.

Even the instructors looked impressed.

Xiao Wu grinned at him. "Not bad, quiet boy."

Tang San, standing just behind her, gave Ayanokoji a long, considering look.

"You're stronger than you let on," he said quietly.

Ayanokoji said nothing. But in his mind, he was already calculating their next steps — the dynamics were shifting, and he could feel it.

---

A Dark Omen

As the group prepared to leave the forest, a distant, bone-chilling roar echoed through the trees.

A thousand-year beast.

The instructors immediately ordered everyone to move.

"Now!"

They retreated quickly, but Ayanokoji paused, just for a heartbeat, staring back into the dark forest.

Somewhere out there… something powerful was watching.

And for the first time, the Dark Phoenix within him stirred, not with hunger, but with anticipation.

The time would come.

But not yet.

---

The Journey Back

By the time they returned to the academy, night had fully fallen, the stars bright above them.

Ayanokoji felt different.

Not just stronger.

More… aware.

The first step on his path to mastering this world had been taken.

And deep down, he knew — this was only the beginning.

The true game had yet to begin.