"Agility masters, scout ahead and report to us if there are stray spirit beasts. Close range fighters lead the formation followed by the defense, long range provide support while control keep a close eye to the surroundings."
Xiāo Chuō and Yan Xiāo led the joint team as the agility masters, including Ryū, mobilized and traversed through the forest with speed.
He took off to the tree tops and spread his spirit energy as thin as possible which, after making contact with an object, creates some feedback that would be received by him that is used to form a colorless three dimensional image of the surroundings in his mind.
Though if it happens to make contact with a being or object that contain energy then it would appear as a sphere in his map.
'That group is V and VI, then the three spheres moving constantly in my map are the other scouts,' he turns to the right and frown, 'Then that means there is a spirit beast that way and judging by their spirit power, it is around five to six hundred years old.'
Ryū found a durable and wide branch enough to lay down on his chest and mount the sniper rifle in his hands, credits to Wishing Box that transformed into said rifle.
"That's a Bone Armored Rhino," he smirks as he manifests a silent firework that shot to the sky which is intended to act as a flare to the main group.
It took a minute but the main group finally arrived and they saw Ryū sitting in top of a wide branch with a monocular looking to a certain direction.
"Ryū, scouting report," Yan Xiāo speaks.
He jumped from the tree and landed beside Yan Xiāo, speaking in a volume enough to be heard by both Team V and Team VI.
"The spirit beast is a Bone Armored Rhino, suited for defense-type spirits. One is located a distance away from here and if I estimate correctly, it is around five hundred years old verified by sight."
Bone Armored Rhino!
Indeed it is one of the best spirit beasts to hunt as a defense master's first spirit ring considering it enables them to strengthen and manipulate their bones to form an external shell that not only increase defense by a huge margin, it also does not impede movement!
"The other scouts, who have arrived before you, confirmed that there are no other spirit beasts in the area. Hunting the beast is safe."
Yan Xiāo glances to Xiāo Chuō who nods and faced the defense masters, "Who, among the four of you, would like to hunt this beast?"
The whole team consist of four defense, two close range fighters, two rangers (mid to long range bombers), four scouts/assassins, and two controllers equally divided to V and VI.
"It works best for defense masters of beastly nature. Chuō, it's meant for your men. Ryū, go and bait the Bone Armored Rhino when I give the signal," ordered Yan Xiāo.
Ryū gave her a nod as the binoculars he held changed into a crossbow before disappearing from their view.
'He has good form. From the view of amateur he's good but in the eyes of an expert, one will know he's practicing a complete martial art.'
The old man had been closely observing who the Supreme Pontiff set her eyes on to get herself a direct disciple worthy of inheriting Spirit Hall if they have the ability of defeating the elders.
When Yan Xiāo gave the signal to Ryū after they were prepared, he mounted a scope to the crossbow and carefully aimed for the eye.
He made sure he fed the crossbow and the arrow enough spirit energy to pierce through its innate defense before he pulled the trigger, sending the arrow flying with enough speed close to a bullet.
*puchi*
The moment the arrow pierced through its eye, a roar and quaking of earth followed as it immediately scans and register Ryū as its attacker seeing he's the only human around.
"It's fast..." he commented as he traversed the tree tops with ease and arrived to the ambush point just in time to dodge the beast about to ram its huge body to him.
"Defense masters, go! Close range fighters follow through!"
Since they are a team with great synergy and good leadership, Yan Xiāo could focus giving commands to the group without any mistake.
Her spirit essence is a unique Spirit Eye, and its most basic ability is greater eye clarity and incredible dynamic vision.
It seems her first spirit ring which is in the range of four to five hundred years old have enhanced those basic abilities of her spirit, making her suited for being a controller of a team and her weapon of choice is a sword.
"Agility masters, focus on creating opportunity to attack its legs! Rangers, standby! After the defense masters parry its attacks, fighters attack!"
Xiāo Chuō leads the fighter team. His spirit is called Earth Staff and it multiplies its power based on the amount of spirit energy, which can either explode on contact, or use another mode (from his first ring) that binds the enemy with earth on contact.
As for Ryū, he darted through the field as he still has aggro on the rhino and when he was about to be hit by its body, he would vanish from sight and appear below its belly to kick and aim to render it unconscious by simply removing air from its lungs.
'Yeah, just make a vacuum then suck out all its air right? Ancient problems need modern solutions,' he thought but he still kicked the air out of the rhino and vanished amongst the trees.
"Ryū, use a hammer and team up with Chuō!"
He reached out to thin air as a huge hammer appeared and he pulled it towards him, Xiāo Chuō appearing suddenly beside him with his Earth Staff charged up.
"When I bind it, smash its armor from the back then see if you can hit it once more with the same power. If not, retreat then we can try one more time."
"Alright, follow up my attack. We can smash through the defense," Ryū charged up his hammer and nods to Xiāo Chuō, "Go!"
The latter disappeared from sight due to his speed but Ryū saw the earth holding down the rhino and grinned seeing Xiāo Chuō up in the air, ready to smash down a charged staff.
Ryū leaped through the air, spun to give more momentum to his hammer and brought it down.
'Sorry.'