"But speaking of it, what exactly is that Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?"
The moment the question was asked, the atmosphere within the hidden space fell silent.
For a brief moment, no one answered.
The powerful beings gathered there exchanged glances with one another. As rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest and ancient witnesses to countless events in the history of the Douluo Continent, they possessed knowledge that most living creatures could never imagine.
Yet even they could not provide a definite answer to that question.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was simply too mysterious.
It had existed for so long that even they had forgotten when it first appeared.
Still, there was one conclusion they could all agree on.
"If what that Yu Xiaogang said is true..."
A deep voice echoed through the darkness.
"If those pieces of Crimson Blood Amber really change color according to the soul-ring level when soul power is infused into them..."
"Then the blood sealed within those ambers could only have come from God-level Spirit Beasts."
The words caused everyone's expressions to change slightly.
God-level Spirit Beasts.
Those four words alone carried unimaginable weight.
Even among the strongest races of the Spirit Beast world, beings of that level were legends.
A moment later, another voice sounded.
"Di Tian, what do you think?"
Silence followed.
The enormous black dragon sitting within the darkness remained motionless for several seconds before finally opening his eyes.
His golden pupils glowed faintly.
"I'm not sure."
His tone was calm.
Almost indifferent.
"But there is no need to care."
The others looked toward him.
Di Tian slowly continued.
"During the ancient war, the losses suffered by our Spirit Beast race were catastrophic."
"Countless Divine Beast clans perished."
"The remains of our kin are scattered throughout countless worlds."
His voice remained steady, but everyone present could hear the bitterness hidden beneath it.
"It is merely some divine blood that happened to fall into this world."
"As for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well..."
"It was probably formed from the remains of a fallen clansman."
The space became even quieter.
"A god dies here."
"Their corpse nourishes flowers and herbs."
"What an ironic fate."
No one replied.
The coldness hidden within Di Tian's words was enough to chill even the strongest Spirit Beasts present.
Eventually, a gentle female voice broke the silence.
"Should we reclaim it?"
The question immediately attracted everyone's attention.
If the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well truly contained the remains of a divine beast, then it undoubtedly belonged to the Spirit Beast race.
Di Tian remained silent for a moment before shaking his head.
"No."
"Not now."
His gaze shifted toward the heavenly screen hanging above the world.
"We still don't know who can see this phenomenon."
"If those high-and-mighty beings are also watching..."
"Then any movement we make now may expose us."
His words instantly settled the matter.
No one objected.
The discussion ended there.
The hidden space returned to silence.
Meanwhile, the images upon the heavenly screen continued to play.
---
A cold chill ran down the backs of Yu Xiaogang and the others.
The more they thought about the origins of the Crimson Blood Amber, the more terrifying the implications became.
Fortunately, everyone present quickly regained their composure.
After all, speculating endlessly about ancient secrets wouldn't help them in the present.
The Grand Elder took a deep breath.
"In the future, whenever we enter the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt spirit beasts..."
"We must be extremely cautious."
"If anything feels wrong, we retreat immediately."
The old man silently engraved the warning into his heart.
Only then did he turn his attention back to the two pieces of Crimson Blood Amber resting in Yu Xiaogang's hands.
His eyes flickered with curiosity.
"So you're saying..."
"The reason these two pieces of Crimson Blood Amber display different colors..."
"Is because the soul rings provided by hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts change color as their age increases?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"That's the only explanation I can think of."
Although even he found the theory somewhat difficult to believe.
After all, the alternative explanation was even more outrageous.
Could the blood inside these ambers really belong to spirit beasts that had surpassed one hundred thousand years?
Existences beyond the realm of ordinary hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts?
The very thought sounded absurd.
Compared to that possibility, believing that soul-ring colors changed every additional hundred thousand years seemed far more reasonable.
"A spirit beast older than two hundred thousand years..."
Yu Xiaogang murmured to himself.
His imagination began running wild.
If his cultivation continued progressing at its current pace...
Would he one day have the opportunity to absorb a two-hundred-thousand-year soul ring?
The thought alone made his heart race.
After all, his third soul ring was already at the ten-thousand-year level.
That achievement alone would have been considered impossible by countless Spirit Masters.
Based on his calculations, his fourth soul ring could probably exceed the traditional limit by another twenty thousand years.
Of course, that was merely the most conservative estimate.
Given his current growth rate, the actual number might be far higher.
His fifth soul ring could potentially reach fifty thousand years.
The sixth might approach seventy thousand.
By the seventh soul ring...
Perhaps he could directly challenge a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast.
As for the eighth and ninth soul rings...
Yu Xiaogang's breathing became slightly heavier.
The possibilities were endless.
Spirit bones could continuously improve a Spirit Master's physique.
A stronger physique meant higher absorption limits.
More importantly, Little Dragon could help share part of the burden during soul-ring absorption.
The advantages stacked together were simply outrageous.
The more he calculated, the more terrifying his future potential appeared.
At this point, the greatest obstacle wasn't whether he could absorb powerful soul rings.
The real challenge was finding spirit beasts powerful enough to satisfy his ambitions.
After a while, Yu Xiaogang shook his head and laughed.
Those were problems for his future self.
What mattered now was building the strongest possible foundation.
With that thought, his gaze returned to the Crimson Blood Amber.
A treasure formed from the blood of an ancient dragon-type spirit beast.
A treasure potentially linked to a being beyond the hundred-thousand-year realm.
The value was simply immeasurable.
More importantly...
Both he and the Grand Elder possessed dragon-type martial spirits.
Yet the attraction they felt toward the amber was overwhelming.
That could only mean one thing.
The blood contained within the Crimson Blood Amber originated from a dragon.
A true dragon.
Perhaps even a divine dragon.
Over countless years, all impurities within the blood had been refined away.
What remained was pure energy.
Neutral energy.
In other words, consuming the Crimson Blood Amber would not alter his attributes or create hidden dangers.
It was a perfect treasure.
"So..."
"Which one should I choose?"
Yu Xiaogang stared at the two pieces of amber.
One radiated fiery crimson light.
The other emitted a cold, icy-blue glow.
He only needed one.
The question was what to do with the second piece.
His first thought naturally went to his father.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
His father had already consumed the Mysterious Thunder Vajra Grass.
Giving him another divine treasure would provide only limited benefits.
At best, it would strengthen his cultivation slightly.
But if someone else consumed the Crimson Blood Amber...
Their destiny could be completely transformed.
Perhaps they could even gain the potential to become a Titled Douluo.
Using such a treasure on his father would simply be wasteful.
After pondering for several minutes, Yu Xiaogang finally sighed.
"I'll let Father and the others decide."
He scratched his head helplessly.
Some decisions were better left to the elders.
Afterward, he picked up the icy-blue piece of Crimson Blood Amber.
The cold light shimmered beautifully in his palm.
Just as he prepared to store the remaining amber inside his storage soul tool—
A familiar cry suddenly echoed nearby.
"Awoo!"
Little Dragon shot toward him like a bolt of lightning.
Its large eyes sparkled intensely.
The little fellow stared first at Yu Xiaogang.
Then at the Crimson Blood Amber.
Then back at Yu Xiaogang.
The meaning was obvious.
Its entire face practically screamed one sentence.
'I want that!'
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help laughing.
"You want the Crimson Blood Amber?"
He waved the treasure in front of Little Dragon.
Immediately, the little dragon's gaze followed it.
Its head moved left and right like a pendulum.
Drool nearly escaped from its mouth.
Most importantly, it nodded so quickly that afterimages appeared.
The sight was both ridiculous and adorable.
However, Yu Xiaogang's smile gradually faded.
A serious question emerged in his mind.
What would happen if Little Dragon consumed the Crimson Blood Amber?
Unlike ordinary spirit beasts, Little Dragon's existence was unique.
It possessed a physical body.
It could eat, sleep, fight, and interact with the world like any living creature.
Yet at its core...
Little Dragon was still formed from Yu Xiaogang's soul power.
It was both life and energy.
A being unlike anything recorded in history.
Because of this, Yu Xiaogang had no idea how an immortal-grade treasure would affect it.
Would Little Dragon evolve?
Would its talent improve?
Would its bloodline become stronger?
Or would nothing happen at all?
No one knew.
Not even Yu Xiaogang.
The uncertainty left him hesitant.
After all, the Crimson Blood Amber was not an ordinary treasure.
Given enough time, it could potentially create a future Titled Douluo for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Its value was beyond calculation.
Was he really willing to gamble such a priceless treasure on an unknown possibility?
Yu Xiaogang lowered his head and looked into Little Dragon's eager eyes.
The little fellow continued staring at the Crimson Blood Amber with undisguised longing.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang found himself facing a difficult choice.
Should he trust his instincts...
And place a bet on Little Dragon?
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)