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As they stepped into the primeval forest, Su Wen and his companions felt a wave of relief wash over them, as if they had crossed the threshold into a strange, mystical force field.
Su Wen sensed that this was likely a natural field generated by the forest itself—something akin to a Domain born from the collective essence of nature.
"The Void Silver Moon Tapir is not easy to track down," Su Wen remarked, breaking the silence. "We should prioritize finding suitable spirit rings for Rongrong and the others along the way."
No one raised an objection.
"For now, Rongrong should be able to attempt absorbing a spirit ring around the six-thousand-year level," Gu Rong decided. He chose to be conservative, setting Ning Rongrong's target at six thousand years to ensure her safety.
Though she had consumed a significant amount of Whale Glue, she had developed a slight resistance to it over time. Nevertheless, it had still raised her physical endurance limit by at least three thousand years. While it was technically possible for her to challenge a seven-thousand or even an eight-thousand-year ring, the risks were too high. Gu Rong preferred that she absorb a six-thousand-year ring steadily and safely.
"As for Yan'er, we just need to find a ring as close to the ten-thousand-year mark as possible," Dugu Bo added, stating his requirements for Dugu Yan.
It was a pity that Dugu Yan's mental strength wasn't exceptionally prominent; she wouldn't be able to withstand the 'Soul Shock' that came with a ten-thousand-year spirit ring. Otherwise, he would have encouraged her to attempt a ten-thousand-year black ring for her fourth slot.
"For Huo'er, our goal is a spirit beast that has just barely crossed the ten-thousand-year threshold," Xiao Zhan noted, though a hint of regret colored his tone.
Xiao Huo had not yet completed the cultivation of the Spirit Ascension Method.
However, it wasn't a major issue. Once a spirit ring reaches the ten-thousand-year level, the challenge of absorbing it beyond one's rank is no longer just a test of the physical body; it requires mental resistance as well. While a stronger body makes the process easier and leaves the spirit master with more energy to handle the Soul Shock, the physical advantage only goes so far.
The fact that Su Wen could continue to absorb rings far beyond his level even after the ten-thousand-year mark was entirely due to his unique circumstances.
Three days after entering the primeval forest.
"This Starshine Unicorn is approximately six thousand five hundred years old. Rongrong, do you want to try absorbing it?"
The Starshine Unicorn was a rare, versatile type of spirit beast known for its immense comprehensive strength. Its most prominent trait was the ability to channel the power of the stars to temper its own spirit power and replenish its energy reserves. By absorbing its ring, Ning Rongrong would most likely obtain a spirit power amplification skill.
The creature's body was as pale and smooth as white jade. A golden, spiral horn grew from the center of its forehead, and a faint, shimmering starlight wreathed its form.
"That's the one!" Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled. There was a touch of urgency in her voice as she urged, "Grandpa Bone, I want this Starshine Unicorn!"
It wasn't just because the beast was beautiful. Driven by her martial soul's innate sensitivity to gems and treasures, she felt a profound resonance with the Starshine Unicorn. It was a perfect match.
"Good!" Gu Rong barked.
He immediately possessed his martial soul. His already towering two-meter frame expanded further, his hands transforming into toughened, razor-sharp claws. A draconic roar erupted from his throat as he lunged. Before the Starshine Unicorn could even react, Gu Rong's claws tore through the air, slamming the beast into the ground and leaving it mortally wounded.
In a state of utter confusion, the Starshine Unicorn was swiftly finished off by Ning Rongrong.
As the beast expired, specks of starlight drifted from its body into the air. Amidst the shimmering dust, a purple spirit ring condensed and floated silently.
"Rongrong, begin the absorption."
Ning Rongrong nodded and sat cross-legged on the ground, beginning the process of integrating the Starshine Unicorn's spirit ring.
A violent, tyrannical surge of spirit power immediately began to rampage through her body. Because she was highly proficient in Su Wen's Spirit Ascension Method, the moment the spirit power hit her system, she circulated her own energy and "shunted" the excess force into her martial soul space.
Aside from the initial, searing pain that felt like her body was being torn apart when the energy first entered, the rest of the process felt like a dull ache of expansion, followed by the refreshing sensation of her constitution being physically transformed.
On the outside, Ning Rongrong let out a muffled groan at the start, her features contorting in agony. However, the expression was fleeting; within moments, her face smoothed out, and the signs of pain vanished.
"Xiao Wen, your Spirit Ascension Method is still somewhat imperfect," Gu Rong observed, watching her closely. "Regardless of whether it reduces the subsequent impact of the spirit power, the spirit master still has to face that first, raw collision at the very beginning."
He was referring to the moment Ning Rongrong had just endured. Dugu Bo, however, held a different perspective.
"I actually think it's better this way," Dugu Bo explained. "The initial impact is painful, yes. But as long as one isn't overly greedy and doesn't pick a ring that is completely incompatible or far beyond their limit, they won't be killed instantly. On the contrary, by using that initial impact to tear the meridians, muscles, and bones, and then allowing them to heal during the subsequent refinement process, the spirit master's gains are actually maximized."
Destruction followed by reconstruction.
As long as one strictly followed the limits set by Su Wen's method, they could experience this transformative process.
For instance, if a spirit master's physical limit was five thousand years, they might choose a ring between five thousand five hundred and six thousand years. The initial shock would damage the body, but the Spirit Ascension Method would then move the excess energy into the martial soul space. The remaining energy would be absorbed, and as the martial soul evolved, the injuries would be healed instantly. This acted as a deep-level body tempering session.
In this way, even without specialized physical training, this cycle of "breaking and rebuilding" would ensure the spirit master's physique surpassed the limits for their next ring.
It was a snowball effect. If one learned the method before their first ring and chose a five-hundred-year ring, their natural limit for the second ring might rise to eight or nine hundred years. By the third ring, they might reach two thousand years, and by the fourth, seven thousand.
These "limits" referred to the spirit master's own natural capacity; the rings chosen would always be ten to twenty percent higher than that limit to trigger the refinement.
A step ahead meant being steps ahead forever. This repeated process allowed the physical advantage to grow larger and larger, establishing an invincible lead over peers of the same rank. Furthermore, absorbing higher-level rings provided a greater spirit power "feedback," which accelerated the overall cultivation speed.
Not every spirit master was like Su Wen, capable of utilizing the energy stored in the martial soul space. For others, whatever energy wasn't used for the breakthrough would eventually be funneled back into the spirit master's own reserves. This was another massive advantage of the method.
Gu Rong frowned but did not refute Dugu Bo's logic. Spending so much time at Ning Fengzhi's side—even more than Chen Xin did—he had developed his own deep understanding of spirit theory. His earlier comment had simply been born out of heartache for his granddaughter's pain.
Time ticked by.
Five hours later, Ning Rongrong opened her eyes. They seemed to shimmer with the light of the stars.
She summoned the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Outside the already radiant, colorful body of the tower, a new, natural layer of starlight now swirled in a beautiful, celestial glow.
(End of Chapter)