Spirit Rings.
They were the foundation of the cultivation system on the Douluo Continent.
No matter how talented a Spirit Master was, no one could avoid them.
Without a spirit ring, a Spirit Master's cultivation would inevitably reach a dead end. Their spirit power could increase only so much before becoming permanently stagnant.
To continue growing stronger, obtaining spirit rings was absolutely necessary.
And for countless years, there had only been one method.
Hunt Spirit Beasts.
Kill them.
Absorb the spirit ring left behind after their death.
Simple.
Cruel.
Absolute.
Ever since arriving in this world and studying its cultivation system, Yu Xiaogang had always felt that Spirit Beasts were perhaps the most unfortunate creatures in existence.
If they hadn't offended the heavens somehow, why would the entire power system of the world be built upon their sacrifice?
Spirit Masters became stronger by hunting Spirit Beasts.
The stronger a Spirit Master became, the more Spirit Beasts died.
The relationship between the two races was destined to be one of endless conflict.
Unless one day someone discovered a way to create spirit rings without killing Spirit Beasts.
Or invented artificial Spirit Bones.
Otherwise, Spirit Beasts could never truly coexist with humanity.
This was a contradiction embedded within the world's very foundation.
Over the years, Yu Xiaogang had spent countless hours pondering topics related to Spirit Beasts, Spirit Rings, and Spirit Bones.
Especially after personally absorbing multiple spirit rings and Spirit Bones.
Each experience had taught him something new.
Every absorption deepened his understanding of how these mysterious treasures truly worked.
When he absorbed a spirit ring, he could clearly sense the massive amount of spirit power stored within it.
That energy flooded into his body.
It strengthened his physique.
It increased his cultivation.
It nourished and evolved his martial soul, Little Dragon.
At the same time, he could also feel something else.
Resentment.
The lingering will of the Spirit Beast after death.
Particularly in higher-level spirit rings, that resentment could become powerful enough to threaten the absorber's consciousness.
Thus, Yu Xiaogang gradually reached a conclusion.
A spirit ring was essentially the purest and most concentrated essence of a Spirit Beast.
Everything important was contained within it.
Its power.
Its abilities.
Its remaining will.
Everything.
And yet...
That realization led him to a fascinating question.
After a Spirit Master absorbed a spirit ring, where did all that energy go?
The answer seemed obvious.
The energy entered the Spirit Master's body.
It enhanced their cultivation.
It strengthened their martial soul.
It became part of them.
But if all the power inside the spirit ring had already been absorbed...
Then what exactly remained afterward?
The spirit ring still existed.
It still floated around the Spirit Master.
It still glowed whenever a spirit skill was activated.
But what purpose did it actually serve?
Yu Xiaogang couldn't stop thinking about it.
An analogy suddenly appeared in his mind.
Imagine someone visiting your home.
They bring a beautifully decorated gift box filled with pastries.
You accept the gift.
Then you eat all the pastries.
Once the food is gone, what remains?
Only the box.
At that point, the contents have already been absorbed.
The gift has already fulfilled its purpose.
The box itself is merely a container.
So...
Could spirit rings be the same?
The moment this thought emerged, Yu Xiaogang's heartbeat accelerated.
His breathing became heavier.
A faint excitement appeared in his eyes.
He felt as though he had touched upon something extraordinary.
Something no one else had ever considered.
Without hesitation, he sat directly on the ground.
Beside him, Little Dragon appeared instantly.
The dragon's golden eyes shone with intelligence.
Because of their unique connection, Little Dragon immediately understood Yu Xiaogang's thoughts.
Without needing a single explanation, it moved closer and quietly assisted him.
Nearby, Yu Yuanzhen noticed his son's unusual behavior.
His expression changed slightly.
Then he immediately raised a hand toward Lin Lang and Dugu Bo.
"Step back."
Both men quickly complied.
Although they didn't understand what was happening, they knew better than to interfere whenever Yu Xiaogang entered one of his strange states of enlightenment.
After moving some distance away, Dugu Bo glanced toward Yu Xiaogang.
The spirit rings floating around the boy were dazzling.
Even now, he found their configuration unbelievable.
However, he was more curious about something else.
"Sect Master."
"What is the Young Sect Master doing?"
Yu Yuanzhen shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But Xiaogang has always been exceptional."
A hint of pride appeared in his voice.
"Perhaps he has thought of something again."
Again.
The word carried special meaning.
Ever since Yu Xiaogang was young, he had repeatedly astonished everyone around him.
The discovery of whale glue was the best example.
After the matter was reported to the sect, every detail of the process had been carefully documented.
The more the elders studied it, the more amazed they became.
The entire discovery had been guided by Yu Xiaogang.
Observation.
Hypothesis.
Experimentation.
Verification.
Risk assessment.
Each step demonstrated a level of reasoning far beyond his years.
Even now, many elders admitted they would never have discovered whale glue's value on their own.
After that came Little Dragon's various mutations and evolutionary traits.
Although those discoveries mainly benefited Yu Xiaogang himself, they further reinforced his reputation as a once-in-a-generation genius.
As a result, every time Yu Xiaogang fell into deep thought, people couldn't help becoming curious.
What had he discovered this time?
What shocking conclusion would emerge next?
For a while, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well became unusually quiet.
The Grand Elder continued refining the immortal herb.
Yu Xiaogang sat silently with Little Dragon.
Yu Yuanzhen, Dugu Bo, and Lin Lang found a place nearby and began meditating.
No one dared disturb him.
Even casual conversation was avoided.
Time slowly passed.
One minute.
Ten minutes.
Half an hour.
Yu Xiaogang remained motionless.
His attention was entirely focused on the spirit rings floating around him.
Finally, he began his experiment.
The first step was simple.
He channeled spirit power into his First Soul Ring.
Immediately, a familiar sensation appeared.
The spirit ring reacted.
The power inside it became active.
The feeling of an incoming spirit skill emerged.
This was completely normal.
Every Spirit Master experienced the same process.
Spirit power entered the spirit ring.
The spirit ring activated.
A spirit skill was released.
That was how cultivation had always worked.
But today, Yu Xiaogang wasn't interested in releasing a spirit skill.
Instead, he continued injecting spirit power.
More.
And more.
And more.
Normally, a Spirit Master would stop once the skill activated.
There was no reason to continue.
Yet Yu Xiaogang ignored that instinct completely.
He simply kept pouring spirit power into the ring.
Purple light flickered repeatedly.
The spirit ring seemed to be urging him.
Activate the skill.
Release the power.
Use it.
Yet Yu Xiaogang refused.
The process continued.
Fortunately, his spirit power reserves were immense.
The consumption barely affected him.
Minutes passed.
Then more minutes.
At some point, even Yu Xiaogang began doubting himself.
Perhaps his hypothesis was wrong.
Perhaps there was nothing special hidden here.
Then suddenly—
Crack!
A strange sound echoed through his mind.
It was impossible to determine where it came from.
The spirit ring?
His consciousness?
Some invisible barrier?
Whatever the source, Yu Xiaogang heard it clearly.
And immediately afterward, something changed.
The flickering light of the spirit ring vanished.
The urge to activate a spirit skill disappeared completely.
The sensation he had known for years was suddenly gone.
Yu Xiaogang froze.
Then he instinctively stopped injecting spirit power.
The next moment, something astonishing happened.
The spirit power he had poured into the spirit ring began flowing back.
Like water released from a reservoir.
The energy returned directly to his body.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened.
He carefully observed the returning spirit power.
There was no difference whatsoever.
The energy remained pure.
Stable.
Completely under his control.
Excitement surged through him.
He immediately conducted another test.
This time, he intentionally blocked the returning energy.
The flow stopped.
Then he reopened the path.
The spirit power flowed back again.
Close.
Open.
Close.
Open.
Again and again.
Each attempt produced identical results.
Gradually, Yu Xiaogang gained complete control over the process.
At this point, he could freely regulate the flow of spirit power inside the spirit ring.
His breathing quickened.
His hands trembled slightly.
Then came the final test.
The most important one.
He attempted to activate his First Spirit Skill.
Instantly, his eyes widened.
Success.
The spirit skill activated immediately.
No additional spirit power was consumed.
The energy required for activation came entirely from the spirit power already stored within the spirit ring.
In other words...
The spirit ring had become a battery.
A storage device.
A reservoir capable of holding spirit power in advance.
Once enough energy was stored, spirit skills could be activated instantly without drawing additional power from the user's body.
Yu Xiaogang's mind raced.
The implications were enormous.
Absolutely enormous.
Imagine entering battle with every spirit ring fully charged.
Imagine activating powerful spirit skills repeatedly without consuming your own reserves.
Imagine storing spirit power over long periods and releasing it at critical moments.
The tactical possibilities were endless.
And more importantly—
Nobody had discovered this before.
Not in thousands of years.
Not despite countless generations of Spirit Masters.
Yu Xiaogang slowly lowered his hands.
A smile appeared on his face.
Then it widened.
And widened further.
Eventually, he couldn't suppress it anymore.
"Oh my..."
He laughed softly.
"What an unexpected discovery."
His gaze lingered on the glowing spirit ring before him.
The excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide.
A discovery capable of changing the understanding of spirit rings throughout the entire continent.
A breakthrough that could reshape the cultivation system itself.
And he had stumbled upon it almost by accident.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head helplessly.
Then he smiled.
"It seems..."
"I've accidentally shocked the world once again."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)