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Lin Jin's eyes flashed with surprise. The four white rings weren't useless; it seemed that these Spirit skills might be even more helpful as he reached higher levels.
This was undoubtedly a great advantage for Lin Jin. Due to the inherent limitations of a Spirit master, they could only absorb weak Spirit rings in the early stages.
Regardless of their effects, most Spirit skills gained at these levels lose their effectiveness once a Spirit master progresses to higher ranks.
In other words, following the optimal Spirit Ring sequence of yellow, purple, purple, black, and multiple blacks, the first four Spirit skills are typically of little use in high-level battles.
However, even at higher levels, Lin Jin's four Spirit skills were valuable.
He raised his eyes and looked around. Towering ancient trees surrounded him, and the ground was covered in dense bushes.
Suddenly, Lin Jin's second Spirit ring lit up, and spiritual power surged through the ruler. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a powerful strike.
"Susu!"
The bushes ahead were obliterated, and leaves fell like a light rain. Before him was a huge gash, about two meters wide and seven meters long.
The bushes were destroyed, and a freshly dug trench appeared.
"Impressive."
Lin Jin felt reassured by the strength of his second Spirit skill. Its power was beyond what was typical for a skill at this level.
This gave him some peace of mind. His Spirit abilities assured his survival, allowing him to finally consider his current predicament.
But... where was he?
Suddenly, he remembered that a general map of the continent was included in the gift package provided by the system. However, he hadn't found such a map in the Spirit guide.
After some thought, his eyes shifted to the upper left corner of the system panel, where he noticed something new.
Quickly, Lin Jin opened the spot, and a huge map gradually unfolded. On it, a red marker stood out prominently.
"This should be my location. So, I'm in... Star Dou Forest?"
Lin Jin nearly paled but relaxed slightly upon seeing that he was at the very edge of the Star Forest, not even on its periphery.
Still, the idea of being in the Star Dou Forest made him nervous. It wasn't a safe place for Spirit masters—it was a paradise for spirit beasts!
"To the north is the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, which isn't too far. And to the west, there appears to be an official road?"
An idea formed in Lin Jin's mind. He closed the map, determined the direction to the west, and started pushing his way through the bushes toward the official road.
Lin Jin wasn't sure how long he had been walking, but the distance on the map started feeling insurmountable.
Was he going off course?
Just as Lin Jin thought about this, his hand suddenly grasped empty air. The next moment, he stepped onto a wide road.
Looking around, he realized he had finally returned to the main path. Should he now head north?
"Hyah!"
At one end of the official road was a sudden clatter of hooves. Lin Jin saw a carriage charging toward him.
The driver hadn't expected someone to be standing in the middle of the road; he was stunned, his expression changing.
"Whoa!"
The old coachman quickly pulled on the reins, stopping the carriage. The horses neighed, their hooves skidding to a halt on the road.
After the carriage came to a stop, the grumpy old driver first apologized to the passengers inside and then glared at Lin Jin.
"Why are you just standing in the middle of the road, you fool?"
Lin Jin knew he was wrong but silently reached into his robe, pretending to take a gold coin from his Spirit guide.
The coin glimmered in the sunlight, immediately catching the old driver's eye.
"Old man, could you give me a ride?" Lin Jin asked, holding the gold coin flat in his palm.
The old driver's throat moved slightly as he eyed the coin, and his attitude changed instantly. A flattering smile spread across his face.
"Of course! No problem at all! But my carriage only goes as far as Blackstone."
Lin Jin wasn't familiar with Blackstone, but since this official road led north, he figured it was the Heaven Dou Empire border city.
Lin Jin kept a calm expression, trying to appear as if he knew what he was doing. He tossed the gold coin to the coachman.
"Wherever you can take me is fine."
The old coachman caught the coin hurriedly and carefully examined it to verify its authenticity. When he confirmed it was real, his smile grew even wider.
He warmly gestured to Lin Jin.
"Please, get in! It's crowded, but I hope you don't mind."
A gold coin might be nothing to a Spirit master, but it was a significant sum for an old coachman.
This road was one of the few passageways between the Heaven Dou and Star Dou Empires. However, it wasn't entirely safe, as it passed near the outskirts of the Star Forest.
Wealthy travelers would use the road through Spirit City instead, as it was safer and didn't pass through the dangerous forest.
However, traveling through Spirit City meant paying high taxes, which many poorer folks couldn't afford.
As a result, a business had developed on this road for trading and transporting passengers between the north and south. The old coachman was a part of this trade.
He was going to Blackstone City and hadn't expected to pick up such a lucrative passenger. Naturally, he was thrilled.
Despite finding Lin Jin's presence odd, he had no intention of driving away someone willing to pay so well.
The carriage was about two meters wide and three meters long—not exceptionally spacious.
As he pulled back the curtain, Lin Jin looked inside. Most of the passengers were young, with more men than women. They regarded him with varying degrees of annoyance; the sudden braking had startled many of them.
However, they remained silent. This was a territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, and none were nobles from the Star Dou Empire. It was wiser to be cautious.
Lin Jin didn't mind. To become a dean, he needed to develop his temperament. He had to be calm and composed, neither easily flattered nor insulted.
Yet, when he spotted a particular figure among the passengers, he couldn't help but freeze in surprise.