Gu Yuena asked curiously, "Yuhao, how did you come up with this method of using spiritual power? Back when you were a god..."
Huo Yuhao gently interrupted her, his tone warm. "Na'er, I've said it many times. I am now Huo Yuhao, a four-ring Spirit Ancestor."
Gu Yuena was startled. She met his eyes. A flicker of complexity passed through her gaze, quickly replaced by warmth. She nodded softly.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. After explaining the essentials of Soul Programming to Gu Yuena, he reminded her, "Na'er, since you are also re-cultivating, take the time to refine and deeply understand your own abilities."
Perhaps it was his "bias," but he truly felt that Great Yayoi-sensei simply restored her strength without gaining much from the process.
Being a born deity versus growing from weakness to strength were two different kinds of understanding. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity.
Gu Yuena blinked and smiled. "Yuhao, I've also had some insights recently."
With that, she glanced at Star's Favor on her wrist. Focusing her mind, a starlight radiance appeared in her palm.
"Starlight is still light. No matter how vast the star power it contains, its essence includes a great deal of light. Using that as a foundation, plus this Divine Artifact, I've also gained some understanding."
Having a workaholic beside her, how could Gu Yuena not be inspired? Moreover, a Divine Artifact capable of gathering star power was right in front of her. She treasured it greatly. With frequent contact, she naturally developed her own insights.
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow and shook his head with a smile.
He had indeed been looking at her through tinted glasses.
After the two exchanged thoughts for a while, Huo Yuhao continued his practice.
This time, however, he used both martial souls simultaneously, seeking the point of harmony for their spirit power fusion.
Seeing this, Gu Yuena withdrew her gaze and noticed Xu Xiaoyan outside the domain looking around, seemingly searching for something.
She glanced at the starlight in her hand and looked thoughtful.
It was because of this, wasn't it?
Come to think of it, Xiaoyan had seemed pitiful lately. Maybe she could act as a temporary teacher? Or find a Title Douluo to take her as a disciple?
"Wulin, this is compensation from Shrek Academy. A hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone."
Bear Lord's deep, resonant voice echoed in the air. His thick palm opened to reveal a spirit bone, lustrous and covered in a deep, flowing light, floating quietly.
Tang Wulin stared at the spirit bone, wide-eyed. His throat involuntarily bobbed. He quickly shook his head. "Teacher, I can't. This is too precious."
A hundred-thousand-year spirit bone, and a head spirit bone at that, the most important kind. It was a treasure every spirit master dreamed of. How could he possibly be worthy of it?
Bear Lord rolled his eyes. "I only have you as my disciple right now. Who else would I give it to? Do you think we spirit beasts have any use for this thing? Besides, this is a gift from your teacher. What, you don't want it?"
"But, but..."
"No buts."
Bear Lord's tone dropped slightly. "Worst case, when you die of old age, I'll just dig the spirit bone out of your grave."
Tang Wulin's emotions gradually calmed. He was expressionless.
Teacher, you really didn't need to say that.
As he thought this, Tang Wulin suddenly remembered something he had learned in class.
"Teacher, absorbing a spirit bone requires certain conditions. I probably can't absorb a hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone right now. You'd better keep it."
If a spirit master cannot withstand the power of a spirit bone when absorbing it, the vast energy contained within will actively counterattack. This is called "spirit bone backlash."
Although spirit rings prioritize age, spirit bones prioritize quality. At the hundred-thousand-year level, spirit bone quality is universally high. Given his current cultivation, the probability of backlash absorbing such a spirit bone was not small.
Who absorbs a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone while still at one ring?
Hearing this, Bear Lord examined Tang Wulin carefully for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Fine then. I'll keep this spirit bone for you. Tell me when you think you're ready. Don't think you can weasel out of it."
He hadn't forgotten this point. Quite a few unlucky ones had suffered backlash from absorbing Dark Gold Fearclaw Bear spirit bones. He had simply taken out the compensation Shrek had sent to show his disciple. He wasn't in a rush to have him absorb it.
Tang Wulin opened his mouth to speak, but seeing he couldn't get out of it, he could only nod solemnly. "Thank you for your concern, Teacher. I will cultivate diligently and strive to reach the conditions for absorbing this spirit bone as soon as possible."
"That's more like it. A hundred-thousand-year spirit bone isn't something just anyone can get. Don't be ungrateful."
Bear Lord patted his shoulder with satisfaction, a grin appearing on his rough face. "How have your recent efforts been?"
"I've found the way." Tang Wulin knew Bear Lord was asking about the Golden Dragon King's seal. "I should be able to enter today."
"Good. I'll stand guard beside you." Bear Lord said thoughtfully. "Be careful when you go in. If anything unexpected happens, retreat immediately."
Tang Wulin nodded, took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
His consciousness slowly descended, passing through layers of hazy mist, and finally reaching the mysterious domain within his body.
In an instant, a brilliant golden light surged toward him like a tide. Tang Wulin felt his feet steady themselves, a long-lost sense of solidity returning. He instinctively looked down and saw his own body, glowing with a hazy halo, appearing ethereally on the blue brick floor.
This was a hall of such grandeur it was breathtaking. Countless blue square bricks spread out into a vast plane plane.
And directly before him was a giant dragon, a golden giant dragon. On this hundred-meter-long golden dragon were seventeen rings of light.
Each ring of light emitted a clear, bright glow. The first five were blood red, the middle six were pitch black, and the last six were pure white.
Except for the last six white rings, Tang Wulin only felt uncomfortable looking at the others.
But he paid no attention to this feeling. He simply looked around the hall.
"Where is Old Tang?"
The previous times he had come here, Old Tang had been present. Now he was gone.
Was he asleep?
Tang Wulin frowned, thought for a moment, then dismissed it. He went to the Golden Dragon King's seal and prepared to examine it closely.
He did not choose the dangerous-looking blood-red or black rings. Instead, he went to the white rings and studied them carefully.
After hesitating for a moment, he gently placed his hand on a white ring. Instantly, a warm, spring-like feeling flowed into his body.
The scene before him suddenly changed. He saw a huge huge temple. A red-haired woman seemed to be whispering to him.
"Child, if you cannot ultimately bear it, use the power of the seal to try to peel it."
Just one sentence made Tang Wulin feel a surge of warmth.
Who was this red-haired sister? Did her words refer to the Golden Dragon King's seal?
Just as Tang Wulin was thinking about this, a somewhat familiar voice sounded.
"Wulin, what are you doing?"
Tang San's divine consciousness quietly appeared behind Tang Wulin, frowning as he looked at him.
***
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