The Grandmaster stood up excitedly and declared:
"This scent, it's the snow from a **Frost Deer**. We must follow these tracks immediately—this spirit beast is highly suitable for Meng Bei!"
The group exchanged thrilled looks and quickly followed the tracks.
Soon, on a snowy slope, they spotted their target: a herd of about a dozen deer with shimmering blue antlers. They were grazing on pale blue moss-like plants on the slope.
It was the perfect opportunity to attack.
Under the Grandmaster's guidance, they targeted the leader of the Frost Deer herd.
The leader was the strongest among them, with antlers far larger than the others. Based on the antlers' size, the Grandmaster estimated its cultivation to be at least 1,500 years—ideal for Meng Bei's third spirit ring.
Dai Mubai was the first to act. Activating his third spirit ability, **White Tiger Vajra Transformation**, he charged at the herd.
His task was to scatter the other Frost Deer.
Unlike Snow Wolves, Frost Deer were timid by nature. When faced with a formidable opponent, they would abandon their leader and flee in panic, ignoring any commands. This behavioral trait was why the Grandmaster was confident in targeting the herd despite their numbers.
True to form, the Frost Deer scattered the moment Dai Mubai let out a tiger's roar. The leader attempted to flee as well, but countless **Blue Silver Grass** tendrils surged forward, weaving into a net that restrained it in place.
**Spider Web Restraint**—Tang San's third spirit ability.
Suddenly, the Frost Deer leader's antlers glowed with a brilliant blue light. Two icy beams shot from its antlers, slicing through the web and aiming straight for Tang San.
"**Phoenix Fire Line!**"
Ma Hongjun reacted quickly, intercepting the icy beams mid-air with his fiery attack.
Meanwhile, Tang San repaired the damaged web with additional strands of **Blue Silver Grass**, reinforcing the restraints. He activated his first and second spirit abilities, **Bind** and **Parasite**, to further tighten the hold. The Frost Deer leader was completely subdued.
Caught within the toxic Blue Silver Grass, the Frost Deer leader let out desperate cries, hoping its herd would return to rescue it. However, its companions had long since vanished into the snowfields.
"Meng Bei, your turn—finish it off!" Tang San called.
Meng Bei approached with a smile.
"Thank you, Brother San, and thank you, everyone, for your help," he said, expressing his gratitude.
He then drew a dagger and swiftly plunged it into the Frost Deer's eye socket.
Moments later, a purple spirit ring emerged from the deer's body.
Meng Bei's face lit up with joy.
Reflecting on his decision to join Tang San's group, he realized how wise it had been. At Shrek Academy, he not only had missions to complete and enjoyed Xiao Wu's companionship, but even his spirit hunts were made easier with the group's support.
Where else could he find such a perfect arrangement?
Glancing back at Tang San, Meng Bei saw the latter smiling warmly, clearly happy for him. Tang San even offered an encouraging nod when Meng Bei looked his way, making Meng Bei feel a bit sheepish.
**Brother San**, he thought, **how am I supposed to repay you for this?**
With a sigh, he resolved to go easier on Xiao Wu as a token of gratitude for Tang San's help today.
Meng Bei always valued loyalty and repaid kindness with kindness.
He sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Frost Deer's spirit ring.
The process went smoothly, as the spirit ring was highly compatible with his **Snow Hare** spirit. As he absorbed the icy energy, his spirit naturally devoured it entirely, leaving no excess behind.
When the absorption was complete, Meng Bei's cultivation broke through to **Level 31**. The spirit energy from the Frost Deer's ring carried him even further, nearly reaching **Level 33**, though he ultimately stopped just shy of it.
As the spirit ring fully integrated, a new spirit ability imprinted itself in Meng Bei's mind. At the same time:
**Ding! Side quest complete. Reward received: Third spirit ring lifespan extended by 1,000 years.**
A surge of spirit energy emerged, seamlessly increasing the third spirit ring's age by 1,000 years. The gentle energy even helped Meng Bei's cultivation leap to **Level 33**.
When Meng Bei stood up, the group crowded around him eagerly.
"How did it go, Meng Bei?"
"What's your new spirit ability?"
Without a word, Meng Bei demonstrated.
**"Freezing Beam!"**
In an instant, his eyes glowed white, and two icy beams shot out, freezing a snow-covered slope in the distance. Even the snow itself was encased in ice.
Yes—**it froze the snow.**
The Grandmaster watched with a solemn expression and commented, "Meng Bei's spirit ability is excellent for catching opponents off guard in the arena. Even Spirit Elders will struggle to counter it."
Ma Hongjun, however, couldn't help but complain.
"Why is it that Meng Bei's beam comes from his eyes, looking so cool, while mine has to come from my mouth? That's not fair!"
Dai Mubai chuckled and delivered a brutal truth.
"Fatty, it's not about the spirit ability. It's because Meng Bei is handsome. No matter how he uses his abilities, they'll always look cool. You can't change that."
Fatty immediately bristled with indignation.
"Dai Mubai, you're insulting me! Let's fight!"
Amid the laughter and banter, the group began their journey back.
The hunt had gone smoothly—they hadn't encountered the **Titan Giant Ape** or the **Titan Snow Demon King**—making it a safe and successful expedition.
Upon returning to Shrek Academy, Meng Bei integrated into the academy's training plan.
The curriculum consisted of two parts: the Grandmaster's private training and Flender's **Great Spirit Arena** training.
The Grandmaster's training primarily involved repetitive physical conditioning, which Meng Bei found uninspired and often skimped on.
However, Flender's arena battles offered tangible opportunities to hone real combat skills, so Meng Bei took those seriously.
Among the various events—solo matches, team battles—Meng Bei was most intrigued by **pair battles**.
With eight Shrek students total, five had reached the Spirit Elder level: Dai Mubai, Oscar, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Meng Bei.
Flender suggested pairing the four combatants with support partners to form four teams.
Ning Rongrong, delighted at the prospect of partnering with Meng Bei, saw this as her chance to clear up their misunderstanding.
Xiao Wu, watching Ning Rongrong's excitement, instinctively disliked the idea of her pairing with Meng Bei.
Determined to intervene, Xiao Wu began plotting—though as a Spirit Elder herself, she couldn't team up with Meng Bei. Her gaze shifted toward Zhu Zhuqing.