They followed Yu Hua's words and continued their march more profoundly into the forests. At some point, the Grandmaster ordered to head left, a bit of course, to where he knew, according to reports, a few lightning rabbits lived. They were not the most powerful of spirit beasts but were speedy. Ning Feng started to falter again halfway, and she was carried alternatively by Yu Hua and Tang San, Tang Yin, even if she wanted to help, couldn't anymore. Her speed was already slowed down by her arm, which she had put into a brace after changing clothes again. If those got ruined too, she would have to depend on her Brothers clothing or walk around in her night grown.
They ran past crevices and bumpy ground; they even had to climb up a few trees at a certain point because the forest underneath them grew too thick to walk through.
It was already midday, the sun standing high and dreadfully hot as they arrived at their designated goal, a piece among the Star Dou forest looking like any they had seen before. Thick, lush forests that were only slightly lighter than where they had passed through back; there was a small river not far from them, so they decided to fill up their water bottles.
Ning Feng grew increasingly excited at the prospect of her spirit ring as she followed the others, smiling like a madman.
"It is best to prepare an ambush.", Ari said, looking at the forest, "Lightning rabbits are fast as hell. Even with superior spiritual power, it will be difficult catching them without preparation."
"What about traps?" Tang Yin asked, and the Grandmaster shook his head.
"Spirit beasts are too intelligent to fall into them; we need to find one and catch it.", he said, and Tang San looked at his blue-silver grass. "I can catch it; with bind, I should be able to catch one alive; if Ning Feng stays close to me, we can succeed."
"That is a good shot; then I will stay with you, and Tang Yin, Yu Hua, and Ari will stay with us too; Lize and the Grandmaster will try to bring one into our vicinity; I haven't asked yet, Tang San, what is your range?" Yule asked.
"A hundred and twenty meters"
He nodded with a grunt and continued explaining his idea, and while Tang Yin truly wanted to be with LIze and the Grandmaster, she knew it would be no good. Currently, she was more of a liability than an asset.
"Good, let us do that, Miss Lize.", The Grandmaster looked at Lize, who nodded in agreement on the plan; in its simplicity, it was the easiest and safest way. If it failed, they could always try to find another. So they parted ways, and Yule ordered the children to climb into the trees to be safer; Yule and Ari stood underneath. Tang San got the best view and concentrated downwards, waiting for a rabbit to arrive.
Tang Yin sat there too, tension filling the air, and they all were focused entirely, but the longer they waited, the more impatient they got and the more they worried that something had happened. Finally, after much time passed, Tang Yin slowly lost her concentration and looked around, letting her thoughts wander.
A Rustle alerted her, and soon, a small white-violet-colored rabbit jumped out of nowhere. Tang San used his Bind and sent it after the rabbit, but no chance. He simply vanished and reappeared at another place. Keeping his concentration, Tang San tried again. He surrounded it with ranks and slowly cornered the rabbit before he succeeded in binding it.
Behind the rabbit Lize, the Grandmaster and Lou San Pao appeared. Tang Yin snickered as she saw a leaf sticking to the Grandmaster's usually orderly clothes and clean appearance.
"Ning Feng, hurry up; this rabbit has to be a greeting straight from hell.", Lize growled, "We needed three hours to make it run in the direction we wanted."
Ning Feng nodded in agreement and took the blade from the teddy bag, gulping as she looked at the cute little rabbit. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and with a single determined slash, she drove the blade through its neck. Killing it painlessly and swiftly. A yellow ring appeared, and Ning Feng ran to the side behind a tree. Her sound of vomiting was audible, but none commented; this was the first time she had to kill anything. Usually, she couldn't even kill a fly that was annoying her.
After a while and somewhat paler, she reappeared.
"Everything okay now?" Tang Yin asked her, and she nodded.
"I-it is f-fine. I c-can do i-it.", she answered and sat down to absorb the spirit ring. It slowly went into her body, and she started to glow in rainbow colors as she absorbed it with a grimmer-than-usual face. Golden sparks mixed with pink and a diversity of colors, and the seven-layered pagodas floating above her hands engulfed in rainbow-colored flames illuminating the surroundings reminded Tang Yin of the same scene as her brother.
She sat there motionlessly for hours, hour after hour. The others waited until she finished. Tang San and Ari prepared dinner at a certain point as the others put up their tents and made their small camping place a small safe spot. Ning Feng still did not awaken as dinner was finished; she had already needed three times as long as Tang San had. Finally, conscious of their guest, Tang Yin put down a bowl at the faraway camp side and left it behind. She wondered if their invisible guest companion would come tonight as well.
Ning Feng opened her eyes and smiled while hugging her Teddy.
"What did you get, speed enhancement like you wanted?" Lize asked, but Ning Feng shook her head, smiling even brighter and getting slightly red while hugging her Teddy.
"S-something b-better.", she answered and summoned her spirit weapon.