Half a day passed.
Tai Chu had already fought five matches in the Spirit Fighting Arena, securing a clean five-win streak.
Even the arena staff began to struggle to arrange opponents for him—he had waited nearly an hour before the fifth match was finally scheduled.
All he could say was—
This place was simply too small. There weren't enough Spirit Masters.
However…
Whenever he wasn't on stage, he turned into a spectator, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan to observe and copy the Spirit Abilities used by Spirit Masters in the arena.
And through this, he discovered something important.
Most of the Spirit Masters here were single-ring Spirit Masters, and their first spirit rings were almost all ten-year rings.
When copying their Spirit Abilities, he clearly saw the flow of spirit power within them. Compared to hundred-year Spirit Abilities, the circulation paths were astonishingly simple.
The reason was obvious—
The spirit power of low-level Spirit Abilities flowed through far fewer meridians.
This led him to a conclusion:
"Low-level Spirit Abilities involve spirit power circulating through fewer meridians, while high-level Spirit Abilities require far more complex circulation paths."
"Hundred-year Spirit Abilities are no problem for me. I wonder how many meridians a thousand-year Spirit Ability would involve."
"What a pity… my Mangekyō Sharingan can see others' spirit power flow, but not my own. Otherwise, I could determine exactly how many meridians are involved when I use Tsukuyomi."
Tai Chu felt a trace of regret.
In a small place like Nuoding City, Spirit Grandmasters were already rare, let alone Spirit Elders.
And even Spirit Elders from such a small city usually had at most a hundred-year third spirit ring. To witness a thousand-year spirit ring in action, he'd need a Spirit Ancestor using their fourth Spirit Ability.
But—
Asking a Spirit Ancestor to cooperate and demonstrate their fourth Spirit Ability for him?
That was pure fantasy.
After leaving the Spirit Fighting Arena and taking several detours, Tai Chu finally removed his mask and disguise before returning home.
Today had been extremely fruitful.
Although he hadn't fought many matches himself, he had copied a great number of Spirit Abilities.
At least thirty of them.
However—
He still needed to test them one by one to determine his own spirit power attribute.
So, in his courtyard, he began experimenting.
"Spirit Ability—Earthen Fist!"
"Spirit Ability—Fireball!"
"Spirit Ability—Wind Blade!"
"…"
Again and again, he replicated the exact spirit power circulation paths—
Yet not a single Spirit Ability activated successfully.
For a moment, he couldn't even confirm what attribute his spirit power belonged to.
Then—
"Spirit Ability—Thunder Step!"
Something changed.
A faint crackling sensation ran through his legs, sparks of electricity dancing across them. His spirit power was clearly being consumed, but that didn't matter.
What mattered was—
This Spirit Ability had actually been executed.
He tested it immediately.
One step—
Whoosh!
His body shot forward with astonishing speed.
When he stopped circulating his spirit power, the lightning around his legs slowly faded away.
"I was right!"
A radiant smile appeared on Tai Chu's face.
After so many failures, he had even begun doubting himself—wondering whether the spirit power flows observed by his Mangekyō Sharingan truly couldn't be replicated.
But this success proved otherwise.
"This confirms it—my spirit power attribute is Lightning."
"From now on, I only need to focus on copying Lightning-attribute Spirit Abilities."
He began planning carefully.
Of course, he wouldn't copy everything indiscriminately.
Some Spirit Abilities were inefficient or unsuitable for him and could be discarded outright.
But those that were effective and compatible—
Those were worth copying.
Although the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track he copied from Tang San was excellent, he personally preferred this Lightning-type Spirit Ability, Thunder Step.
The only regret was that Lightning-type Spirit Abilities of this level were simply too weak.
The gap between ten-year and hundred-year Spirit Abilities was enormous.
"In the future, I'll visit Spirit Fighting Arenas in large cities and copy hundred-year or even thousand-year Lightning-type Spirit Abilities."
Tai Chu made a mental note.
For now, though, this plan had to wait.
---
In the days that followed, his routine was simple.
He either meditated to cultivate, or went to the Spirit Fighting Arena for a few matches—while copying every Lightning-type Spirit Ability he encountered.
Time passed swiftly.
During this period, Tang San never came looking for him again.
Which suited Tai Chu just fine.
He was busy cultivating, copying Spirit Abilities, and fighting in the arena. He had no interest whatsoever in dealing with that kid's challenges.
Half a month later, his spirit power broke through to Rank 19.
Only one rank remained before Rank 20.
And he continued this three-point routine without pause.
Even his uncle, Su Yuntao, couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder, urging him not to push himself too hard and to relax occasionally.
But Tai Chu didn't feel cultivation was tedious at all.
After all, becoming stronger inevitably meant enduring a dull and monotonous life.
Thus—
Under a level of bitter cultivation that made even Su Yuntao feel a headache just watching—
Three more months passed.
A new year arrived.
Tai Chu turned seven years old.
And his spirit power—
Finally broke through once more.
Rank 20.
When Su Yuntao heard the news, he burst into laughter.
"My nephew Taichu has the potential of a super Douluo!"
Even though it really wasn't something that should be said often, excitement got the better of him.
Tai Chu, meanwhile, felt an inexplicable sense of ominous karma.
"Are you really planning to hunt your second spirit ring alone this time?"
Su Yuntao asked worriedly.
Now that Tai Chu had reached Rank 20, it was time for his second spirit ring. Su Yuntao had originally planned to invite Master Ma to help again—
But Tai Chu had flatly refused.
"I'm sure. It's just a thousand-year Spirit Beast. I can handle it myself. No need to trouble Grandpa Ma."
Tai Chu spoke calmly, as if stating something trivial.
Su Yuntao felt immense pressure hearing this.
A thousand-year Spirit Beast? Just that?
Even back when his leg wasn't crippled, a thousand-year Spirit Beast would have been a serious threat to him.
Yet in his nephew's words, it sounded no different from hunting a ten-year Spirit Beast.
Suddenly—
He felt very old.
"If that's your decision, then be careful. Your uncle can't help you much anymore."
"I only have one request—come back safely."
Su Yuntao sighed deeply.
"Don't worry, Uncle. Just wait for me to return safely."
Tai Chu smiled, then strode out without hesitation.
And the destination of this journey—
Sunset Forest.