"You're asking whether I've trained my body hard enough? Damn it! Having the physical constitution to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring as your first ring—do you think that's something a normal human can train for? What, did you start cultivating in your mother's womb?!"
"And you question whether I've been diligent in cultivation? I reached Rank 30 at fourteen years old. Is that not hard work? Let me ask you—across the entire continent, how many people reach Rank 30 at fourteen? That's already considered a genius, okay! How much more effort do you expect from us?!"
"And you tell us to look for the reasons in ourselves? Then why don't you look for your own rea—forget it. Fine, you absorbed a thousand-year first spirit ring. You're amazing. You're incredible. You get to point at us and call us lazy. Fine!"
The members of the Huangdou Team weren't fools. They understood exactly why he was saying all this.
He simply didn't want to tell them.
If they were in his position, they probably wouldn't tell anyone either. A method capable of allowing someone to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring as their first ring—its value would easily reach tens of millions of gold soul coins.
Of course, that was under the condition that you had the strength to keep others in check. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a transaction—it would be an invitation to be killed.
"Judging by your voice, you're not even twelve yet, are you?" Teacher Qin Ming suddenly spoke up. "Are you interested in joining the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy? I can guarantee that with your strength, you'd definitely qualify to become a member of the Huangdou Team."
Looking at Taichu, he wasn't tall.
And his voice still carried a trace of immaturity.
From this, Qin Ming concluded that the boy was very young.
More importantly, Taichu was only a quasi–Rank 20 Spirit Grandmaster, yet he had instantly defeated Yu Tianheng with a thousand-year first spirit ring. That level of strength and talent was more than enough to enter the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy—let alone join the Huangdou Team.
"No interest," Taichu replied flatly.
He had no background, no backing. And now, because of that brainless Yu Tianheng, whose mind was full of lust, his thousand-year first spirit ring had been exposed. If he went to Heaven Dou City and joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy with the Huangdou Team…
He feared that countless factions would target him, using every possible method to force the secret of absorbing a thousand-year first spirit ring out of him. As for whether he lived or died afterward—some truths were better known by as few people as possible. Once they got what they wanted, he would have no path left.
"What a pity," Qin Ming said with a sigh.
He was genuinely disappointed. If Taichu joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and became a member of the Huangdou Team, Qin Ming was confident they could reach the top six in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament two years later. No—top three was also entirely possible.
Taichu stared at Qin Ming for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Dugu Yan. Under her watchful eyes, he slowly walked over to her side.
Then—
"Lean closer."
Taichu glanced at their height difference. Even though absorbing his first spirit ring had promoted his physical growth and brought him to the height of an ordinary eight- or nine-year-old, he still looked like a dwarf standing in front of fourteen-year-old Dugu Yan.
"Little brother, you should call me big sister," Dugu Yan said with a smile.
Even so, she bent down and leaned her ear toward him.
A faint voice, wrapped in spirit power, quietly flowed into her ears. The smile on Dugu Yan's face gradually vanished, replaced by seriousness—and then by an increasingly grave expression. When Taichu finished speaking, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Once it was done, Taichu turned around and left without hesitation.
"Stop!"
After struggling internally for a long time, Oslo finally stepped forward and shouted.
"?"
Taichu turned his head and looked at him through the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"You can leave," Oslo said, forcing himself to continue, "but only after handing over the method you used to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring as your first ring."
Oslo's heart pounded violently. He clenched his teeth, as if mustering all his courage to say those words.
The moment he spoke, Shi Mo, Shimo, and Yu Feng all fell silent, their eyes flickering as they watched the situation unfold.
"Hmph. Just you?" Taichu sneered. "You think you're worthy?"
It seemed that instantly defeating Yu Tianheng earlier still wasn't enough to extinguish the greed in their hearts.
"You—"
Oslo's expression darkened as he was about to continue.
At that moment, Dugu Yan spoke, cutting him off.
"Oslo, are you trying to kill someone for treasure?"
She frowned, her gaze cold.
"Big sister, this is a method that allows someone to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring as their first ring. In his hands, it only benefits him alone. But in our hands, it could achieve its greatest value."
His greed for Taichu's method was obvious, yet the words coming from Oslo's mouth were filled with self-righteousness.
Hearing this, Dugu Yan's expression turned icy. At this moment, she found Oslo utterly hypocritical.
"The Dugu family will protect him," she said coldly. "If you're dissatisfied, you can go complain to my grandfather later."
Her tone left no room for discussion.
The moment those words fell, Oslo's expression changed completely.
Who in Heaven Dou City didn't know that Dugu Yan was Dugu Bo's only relative, and that the Poison Douluo doted on his granddaughter beyond measure? Provoking Dugu Yan was no different from provoking Dugu Bo himself.
That was also the very reason Yu Tianheng had pursued her so relentlessly.
If she said she would protect him—then she would protect him.
Her declaration caused Shi Mo, Shimo, and Yu Feng to change expressions as well.
Oslo wasn't the only one who coveted the method of absorbing a thousand-year first spirit ring. They all had such thoughts. But after Dugu Yan spoke, they knew that this method would never fall into their hands.
The few of them immediately fell silent.
The surroundings grew quiet.
The sound of wind rustling through leaves became unusually clear.
After a long pause—
"Since there are no objections, then I'm leaving."
Beneath the spiral-patterned mask, the corners of Taichu's mouth curved upward. As he spoke, he turned and walked away.
Before fully leaving, his gaze briefly swept over Teacher Qin Ming—then quickly withdrew.
No other reason.
Among everyone present, Qin Ming was the greatest threat to him.
Taichu didn't know Qin Ming's current rank, but six or seven years later, Qin Ming would only be a Rank 62 Spirit Emperor. That meant right now, he was likely just a Spirit King.
Still—
If a Spirit King decided to move against a quasi–Spirit Grandmaster, wouldn't that be effortless?
Earlier, his first spirit ability had instantly defeated Yu Tianheng, whose mental fortitude as a Spirit Elder was limited.
But he didn't know how strong the mental defenses of a Spirit King were.
If he cast Tsukuyomi on a Spirit King… whether it would work was still a huge question mark.
However, until Taichu completely disappeared from sight, Teacher Qin Ming never made a move.