The Heavenly Curtain Continued...
Not long after Yu Xiaogang revealed the secret of spirit ring storage, both Dugu Bo and Lin Lang successfully unlocked the spirit power storage function of their spirit rings.
The two men were like children who had just received a brand-new toy.
Curiosity filled their eyes as they experimented with this unprecedented discovery.
One after another, they drew upon the spirit power stored within their rings and used it to activate spirit abilities.
The sensation was extraordinary.
Normally, a spirit master had to draw spirit power directly from their body before releasing a spirit skill.
Now, however, it felt as though a separate reservoir of energy existed within each spirit ring.
The experience was both strange and fascinating.
After several rounds of testing, their excitement gradually settled.
When they turned back to look at Yu Xiaogang, the respect in their eyes had deepened considerably.
Especially Dugu Bo.
Previously, Dugu Bo had viewed Yu Xiaogang as a once-mediocre individual who had successfully defied fate and seized an opportunity to rise above his limitations.
He admired Yu Xiaogang's talent and determination.
At the same time, he respected the young man's treatment of those who followed him.
In Dugu Bo's eyes, these qualities already made Yu Xiaogang an excellent leader.
A true sect master.
Someone worthy of gathering powerful experts around him.
But now...
Yu Xiaogang had demonstrated something even more terrifying.
His theoretical knowledge.
His research ability.
His insight.
Spirit masters had existed on the Douluo Continent for countless generations.
The origins of spirit rings stretched so far back into history that no one could accurately trace them anymore.
Throughout all those years, countless geniuses had appeared.
Countless titled douluo had risen and fallen.
Yet not a single person had discovered that spirit rings could be used as containers for spirit power.
No one.
And yet Yu Xiaogang had uncovered the secret.
Some might say it was merely a flash of inspiration.
A lucky guess.
But Dugu Bo knew better.
A flash of inspiration was often the hardest thing to achieve.
Knowledge could be learned.
Experience could be accumulated.
But inspiration?
That was the true mark of genius.
As Dugu Bo reflected upon Yu Xiaogang's discovery, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.
His eyes widened.
The reason Yu Xiaogang had begun studying spirit rings in the first place was because Dugu Bo had told him about the defects of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
The deadly poison inherited by every member of the Dugu Family.
The curse that had haunted them for generations.
If Yu Xiaogang could discover the hidden function of spirit rings through researching his martial soul...
Then perhaps...
Just perhaps...
Spirit rings could also solve the poison problem that had tormented the Dugu Family for decades.
The moment the idea appeared, Dugu Bo's heartbeat accelerated.
His breathing grew heavier.
Hope.
A hope he had never dared entertain before.
If this worked...
His son would be saved.
His descendants would be saved.
The curse of the Dugu Family would finally come to an end.
Taking a deep breath, Dugu Bo calmed himself and immediately began experimenting.
He circulated the poison within his body.
Carefully.
Slowly.
He guided it toward his spirit rings.
His eyes remained fixed on the rings as though his entire future depended upon them.
Unfortunately...
Reality proved far crueler.
The poison never entered.
The spirit power mixed with poison flowed toward the spirit ring.
When it reached the "valve" connecting the spirit ring to his body, the spirit power passed through effortlessly.
But the poison remained behind.
It was completely rejected.
"What?"
Dugu Bo froze.
He refused to believe it.
Again, he tried.
The result remained unchanged.
The poison simply would not enter.
His expression became increasingly ugly.
Without giving up, he summoned his Second Spirit Ring.
Perhaps the problem was the First Ring.
Perhaps another ring would work.
Once again, he attempted to transfer the poison.
Again...
Failure.
No matter how hard he tried, the poison remained outside.
It was as though an invisible wall prevented it from entering.
At that moment, Dugu Bo's face turned pale.
The hope that had just been born shattered before his eyes.
"I can't store it..."
His voice trembled.
"Why?"
"Why won't it go in?"
Slowly, he sank to the ground.
His eyes lost their focus.
The spirit rings could store spirit power.
That much had already been proven.
So why couldn't they store poison?
Was heaven truly determined to destroy the Dugu Family?
Was there really no way to escape their cursed fate?
Sunset Forest — Real World
At the same time, beneath the Heavenly Curtain, another Dugu Bo sat in stunned silence.
His situation mirrored that of the version shown in the projection.
The moment he learned spirit rings could store energy, he had immediately attempted the same experiment.
And the result...
Was exactly the same.
Failure.
Complete failure.
The poison simply refused to enter the rings.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Just moments earlier, Dugu Bo had felt as though salvation was within reach.
Now he felt as though all the strength had been drained from his body.
His shoulders slumped.
His face turned pale.
Even sitting upright became difficult.
He had truly believed he and his precious granddaughter, Dugu Yan, could finally be saved.
Yet reality had crushed that hope.
It felt almost cruel.
As despair filled his heart, a familiar voice suddenly echoed from the Heavenly Curtain.
Yu Xiaogang.
Instantly, Dugu Bo raised his head.
A faint light returned to his eyes.
If anyone could solve this problem...
It would be Yu Xiaogang.
Since the Heavenly Curtain began broadcasting, Yu Xiaogang had accomplished miracle after miracle.
He had achieved things others couldn't even imagine.
If Yu Xiaogang couldn't find a solution...
Then perhaps there truly was none.
The Heavenly Curtain Continued...
"Senior Dugu, what's wrong?"
Yu Xiaogang noticed Dugu Bo's dejected expression and immediately walked over.
Dugu Bo looked up.
At this moment, he resembled a drowning man grasping at the final piece of driftwood.
"I thought..."
His voice was hoarse.
"I thought that if spirit rings could store spirit power, then they should also be able to store the poison inside my body."
"But I tried everything."
"It won't enter."
"No matter what I do."
Yu Xiaogang frowned thoughtfully.
"The poison won't enter?"
He paused.
Then asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"Senior Dugu, are you trying to directly transfer the poison accumulated inside your body into the spirit rings?"
Dugu Bo nodded immediately.
"That's right."
"Isn't that how it should work?"
Yu Xiaogang rubbed his chin.
Then he smiled.
The expression instantly caused Dugu Bo's heart to tremble.
Whenever Yu Xiaogang smiled like that, it usually meant he had already figured something out.
"Senior Dugu."
"Think about your Eighth Spirit Ring."
"The Medusa spirit beast granted your martial soul a new type of poison."
Dugu Bo nodded.
"Yes."
"But that poison isn't directly provided by the spirit ring itself."
Yu Xiaogang continued.
"The spirit ring merely provides the source."
"The poison is ultimately generated by your Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo blinked.
A vague realization began forming in his mind.
"You mean..."
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Exactly."
"A single spirit ring only contributes one specific type of poison."
"But the poison inside your body now isn't a single poison."
"It's a mixture."
"A combination of poisons generated by multiple spirit rings over many years."
The more Yu Xiaogang spoke, the brighter Dugu Bo's eyes became.
"Toxins aren't pure spirit power."
"They've already been transformed by your martial soul."
"Yet you're trying to force a mixed poison back into a spirit ring that originally produced only one component."
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Dugu Bo's rings.
Then he delivered the crucial sentence.
"Your martial soul has evolved."
"But your spirit rings haven't."
Boom!
The words struck Dugu Bo like lightning.
Everything suddenly became clear.
Of course!
How could he have overlooked something so obvious?
The poison within his body was no longer a simple toxin.
It was the product of countless poisons mixing together over decades.
Trying to force that complicated mixture back into a single spirit ring...
It would be stranger if it succeeded.
Understanding the problem, Dugu Bo immediately jumped to his feet.
His despair vanished.
Excitement returned.
Without wasting another second, he began testing again.
This time, however, he changed his approach completely.
Rather than transferring the mixed poison inside his body, he focused solely on the toxin generated by his First Spirit Ring.
Although his martial soul had evolved tremendously since then, Dugu Bo remained intimately familiar with every poison he had ever cultivated.
Carefully.
Patiently.
He isolated the toxin belonging to the First Spirit Ring.
Then he guided it toward the ring.
The moment arrived.
The poison touched the spirit ring.
And this time...
There was no resistance.
No rejection.
No invisible barrier.
The poison flowed directly into the spirit ring as smoothly as water entering a container.
Success!
Dugu Bo's eyes widened.
He could clearly sense the poison being stored inside the ring.
For a brief moment, he stood completely frozen.
Then his body began trembling.
Not from fear.
Not from shock.
But from overwhelming joy.
"It worked..."
"It actually worked!"
His voice shook violently.
Years of despair.
Years of helplessness.
Years spent watching the curse slowly consume his family.
All of it seemed to disappear in an instant.
Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.
At that moment, Dugu Bo no longer cared about dignity.
He no longer cared about status.
He only knew one thing.
The Dugu Family had finally found hope.
His son could be saved.
Dugu Yan could be saved.
Future generations would no longer suffer the same fate.
The curse that had haunted the Dugu bloodline for decades had finally revealed a path toward resolution.
And for the first time in many years...
Dugu Bo smiled from the bottom of his heart.
The Dugu Family was saved.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)