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The moment the Spirit pulled the purple spirit ring towards his glabella, Chen Yi felt a gentle energy, yet one imbued with the might of thunder, surge into his body like a stream—there was none of the usual violent impact that tore through Meridians during spirit ring absorption. Instead, it was like parched earth encountering sweet rain, silently permeating every inch of his muscles along the patterns of his limbs and bones.
The remaining spirit power of the Thunder Spirit had long lost its wildness during years of torment in captivity. At this moment, it was more like a traveler who had found their home, actively Binding Chen Yi's Meridians, circling and flowing along the trajectory of his spirit power, eventually transforming into wisps of faint purple lightning threads that quietly converged deep within his Dantian, intertwining with his own spirit power.
In less than two hours, the purple spirit ring, wreathed in crackling lightning, completely dissolved within his body, transforming into a hazy, faint purple halo that lay dormant beside his Spirit Origin. Chen Yi slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting flash of lightning crossing their depths. When he raised his hand, tiny electric sparks actually danced on his fingertips, emitting a faint "sizzle" sound upon contact with the air, as if even the surrounding airflow was disturbed by this power of lightning.
"What a wonderful feeling. Is this the enhancement that comes from absorbing a spirit ring?"
He focused his inner vision, clearly perceiving the changes in his body: his bones were more resilient, the strength contained within his muscles had surged by at least thirty percent compared to before absorbing the spirit ring, as if every breath could mobilize a more powerful physique; although the total amount of spirit power had not increased at all, its circulation speed within the Meridians was significantly faster.
Paths that previously required deliberate guidance to flow now moved with astonishing smoothness, like a river whose channels had been cleared.
What surprised him even more was the transformation of his perception—within a hundred-meter radius, the trembling of grass blades, the crawling of insects, and even the subtle movements of roots growing beneath the soil, all clearly entered his mind.
According to his estimation, his current mental force had traveled a considerable distance in the "formless and insubstantial" Realm, and even compared to those Spirit Ancestors who had delved into the Dao of Spirit Masters for many years, he could probably hold a slight advantage.
"This isn't just because of the Spirit Awakening and spirit ring absorption. Perhaps it's precisely because of my Rebirth that my Soul Origin is inherently deeper than that of ordinary Spirit Masters," Chen Yi mused silently in his heart.
Getting up and looking around, he quickly saw the Grand Elder not far away—the old man was leaning against an old tree, chewing on braised beef with a pot of strong liquor, the aroma of wine and meat permeating the air.
"Awake? Come over and eat something. Absorbing a spirit ring consumed a lot of mental energy." The Grand Elder raised the wine pot in his hand, his tone casual.
Chen Yi approached, but his gaze was drawn to a small mound behind the Grand Elder—the soil still carried a moist scent, and though small, it was clearly a simple grave mound.
Noticing his gaze, the Grand Elder casually explained, "Although that Thunder Spirit was prey, it ultimately gave you a spirit ring, which counts as giving you a lesson. This old man is kind-hearted; I couldn't just leave its corpse exposed in the wilderness to be gnawed by wild beasts."
Chen Yi nodded calmly, then casually picked up the wine pot beside the Grand Elder, walked to the mound, and tilted the pot, slowly pouring the strong liquor onto the ground.
The liquor seeped into the soil, carrying a faint aroma of wine, like a silent farewell. He stood for a moment, then turned and walked back—he had personally ended the Thunder Spirit's life. Even if his original intention was to help it find release, the fact of "slaughter" could not be erased. There was no need for sentimentality, but a sense of reverence was due.
Seeing this scene, a hint of approval flashed in the Grand Elder's eyes, and he secretly nodded: For a Spirit Master to establish himself on the Douluo Continent, the foremost quality was "ruthlessness"—ruthless towards enemies, and even more ruthless towards oneself. Only then could one survive in this cruel World. But even more important was to uphold one's bottom line and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise, one would sooner or later fall into the Demonic Path, ending up an enemy of the World. Chen Yi's current demeanor perfectly combined these two points.
"How's the Spirit Ability? If nothing unexpected, it should be 'Guiding Thunder to the Heart,' right?" The Grand Elder chewed on his beef, his tone certain—the records of Thunder Spirits in ancient texts had never been wrong; the Spirit Ability they produced had always been only "Guiding Thunder to the Heart."
"Yes, it is indeed 'Guiding Thunder to the Heart,'" Chen Yi replied. Then, with a thought, his internal spirit power suddenly surged towards his limbs and bones. Accompanying the circulation of his spirit power, his aura abruptly climbed, and a solidified purple spirit ring slowly rose from beneath his feet, circling around him.
The next second, centered on Chen Yi, within a radius of approximately five meters, the air suddenly became stagnant and heavy, with countless tiny lightning threads weaving through it, emitting dense "sizzle" sounds, as if forming a small Thunder Domain.
He could clearly feel that while within this Domain, his spirit power circulation speed had increased by nearly thirty percent out of thin air; spirit power that previously took three breaths to complete a cycle could now do so in two breaths; his perception range also expanded accordingly.
A butterfly resting on a grass blade five meters away, even the patterns of its flapping wings were clearly discernible; furthermore, the explosive power contained within his limb muscles subtly strengthened, as if every punch could be imbued with the power of thunder.
This was the profundity of "Guiding Thunder to the Heart"—it did not directly unleash lightning attacks, but rather constructed a thunder-attribute amplification Domain Field with himself as the center.
It could both draw in ambient thunder elements to integrate into himself, accelerating spirit power circulation, strengthening his physique and perception, and subtly weaken opponents who entered the Domain Field through the Binding of lightning threads—the enemy spirit power that invaded the Domain Field would be cut and interfered with by the lightning threads, slowing its circulation speed by at least ten percent, which was equivalent to weakening the opponent's combat power from its root.
It was truly a top-tier lightning-type support and control Spirit Ability.
The Grand Elder got up and walked into the Domain Field wreathed in lightning threads, closed his eyes and felt it for a moment, then opened his eyes, his tone full of praise: "What a 'Guiding Thunder to the Heart'! As expected of a top-tier lightning Spirit Ability. With just this first Spirit Ability, you could now contend with an ordinary Spirit Elder."
Saying that, the Grand Elder stroked his grizzled beard, his gaze falling on the lightning threads circulating around Chen Yi, and added, "What's even more remarkable is that 'Guiding Thunder to the Heart' is inherently a top-tier Domain Spirit Ability, capable of both amplifying oneself and weakening opponents. Hmm, didn't you Awaken an Innate Domain? If you could combine the two, it might produce unexpected miraculous effects."
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Chen Yi's eyes. He instantly understood the Grand Elder's meaning: "Guiding Thunder to the Heart" was an "Acquired Domain Field" formed by a spirit ring, focusing on "amplification and weakening"; while "Thunder Prison" was an Innate Domain born with his Spirit Awakening, more inclined towards "control."
If the Domain Field of "Guiding Thunder to the Heart" were integrated into "Thunder Prison," the thunder-attribute powers of the two would superimpose.
The suppressive force of "Thunder Prison" would be stronger due to the thunder elements drawn in by "Guiding Thunder to the Heart," and the amplification and weakening effects of "Guiding Thunder to the Heart" would become more precise due to the control of "Thunder Prison."
At that time, within the ten-meter Thunder Prison, his spirit power circulation speed might increase by another thirty percent, while the opponent's spirit power weakening might reach forty or even fifty percent. With this ebb and flow, his combat power would inevitably undergo a qualitative leap.
Seeing the light flickering in Chen Yi's eyes, the Grand Elder knew he had grasped the key, and smilingly patted his shoulder: "Ponder it well. The combination of these two might become your trump card in the future."
The Grand Elder also looked up at the sky, then yawned: "It's still a while until dark. Shall we set off for the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Chen Yi looked at the Grand Elder with a few glances of confusion, but still spoke: "Yes, time waits for no one. At your speed, Grand Elder, we can still have dinner before reaching the next place."
The Grand Elder's eye twitched, and he inwardly cursed the boy for being so tactless, then got up and walked into the distance.
Chen Yi looked down at the mound, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes again, then turned and walked forward with firm steps.
This spirit ring, carrying release and anticipation, was not just an increase in strength, but more like a weighty entrustment, pushing him one step closer to the goal of a "normal society."