An invisible, terrifying suction force suddenly erupted from Dugu Bo's hand. The Biphosphorus Seven Wonders Flower's massive body was forcibly pulled more than halfway out of the ground, where it hovered, helpless, in mid-air. Its vines twisted frantically, letting out desperate, wailing sounds.
With the beast held fast, Dugu Bo flicked his free left hand. A shard of jade-green energy shot from his fingertip, precisely striking an inconspicuous, seven-colored nodule near the root of the plant's main vine.
"Aooo!!!"
The Spirit Beast let out a shrill, distorted shriek, and its entire body convulsed violently. Its originally fierce aura rapidly withered away like a deflated balloon. Dugu Bo then casually tossed the massive vine, now as limp as a dead snake, onto the ground in front of Ye Yin.
"Alright, it's half-dead. Go ahead," he said, clapping the dust from his hands as if he had just squashed an ant. His tone was unbelievably relaxed. "This Biphosphorus Seven Wonders Flower is about thirty thousand years old. Its toxicity is pure and its energy is immense, which is perfectly suited to be your fifth spirit ring. Although its species isn't top-tier, its age is more than high enough to make up for it. With your foundation, absorbing this thing won't be a problem."
Ye Yin nodded. He knew it wouldn't be a problem. His current physical strength was already greater than that of most Spirit Saints. He casually pulled out a dagger, made a light cut at a critical point on the vine, and completely severed its life force.
A spirit ring as black as ink slowly rose from the massive corpse.
Ye Yin sat down cross-legged, took a deep breath, and began to circulate his spirit power at high speed. He extended his right hand, palm facing the huge black ring. Under the pull of his spirit power, the deep black ring seemed to find its destination, transforming into a stream of light and instantly wrapping around Ye Yin's Spirit.
Boom!
A terrifying wave of energy exploded within Ye Yin's body. However, it caused no damage whatsoever, as his own power rose to meet it, slowly beginning the process of absorption. Dugu Bo watched from the side. When he saw Ye Yin's aura stabilize and the violent energy, though surging, remain firmly controlled and refined at an astonishing speed, a satisfied smile appeared on his old face.
"This kid… is truly a monster," Dugu Bo praised under his breath. "Absorbing a thirty-thousand-year spirit ring as easily as drinking water. Even a Spirit Saint would find that difficult to do."
Time passed slowly. After just over an hour, a wave of spirit power, several times stronger than before, suddenly erupted from Ye Yin. He had successfully absorbed his fifth spirit ring.
"Done already?" Dugu Bo asked with a smile, his tone completely unsurprised.
Ye Yin stood up and stretched. "Easy."
"Hahaha! Good!" Dugu Bo burst into hearty laughter and clapped Ye Yin's shoulder hard. "As expected of the person I've chosen to guide! Let's go back and make Yan Yan happy too!"
His mood at that moment was even more exhilarating than when he had tormented Yue Guan.
"Yan Yan probably doesn't have the strength to be happy right now," Ye Yin commented casually. "She should be resting."
Dugu Bo froze. "???"
[Resentment from Dugu Bo +20!]
"You brat!" he growled, landing a playful kick on Ye Yin's leg. "You only know how to bully Yan Yan! Now, where's my black garlic? And those lucky dice, give this old man a couple pounds of each!"
"Pfft!" Ye Yin almost choked. "Do you think they're cabbages you can buy at the market? Two pounds!"
Ye Yin took out ten heads of black garlic, ten lucky dice, and an additional small bottle of Powerful Medicine.
"What's this thing?" Dugu Bo asked, looking at the new item with confusion.
"It's Powerful Medicine. Just like the name says, it can make you extremely brave and strong. The effect lasts for an hour and is far more potent than the black garlic. The only problem is that after it wears off, there's a period of weakness, and you also transform into a woman."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up as he looked at the bottle. "Good stuff! A weakness period, you say? So, if I combine this with the black garlic's invisibility, I could just hide during the weak phase, right? Why didn't you bring out such a good thing earlier?"
He snatched all the items from Ye Yin's hand. "Let's go, this old man will take you back!"
The chill of the Sunset Forest had not yet completely dissipated from their robes when Dugu Bo swiftly brought Ye Yin back to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. As soon as they landed, a voice as warm and smooth as jade sounded from not far away.
"Senior Dugu, Junior Brother Ye. What a coincidence to see you both here."
Ye Yin looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man dressed in luxurious casual clothes walking towards them with a smile. He was tall and handsome, with an extraordinary temperament. The gentle smile on his lips and his graceful posture exuded the elegance of a royal noble. It was the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.
When Dugu Bo saw him, the wide smile on his face faded slightly, though he maintained a basic level of politeness. "So it's His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."
Xue Qinghe walked closer and first nodded respectfully to Dugu Bo. "Greetings, Senior." Then, his gentle gaze fell upon Ye Yin, filled with undisguised admiration. "This must be the famous Junior Brother Ye Yin. I have heard so much about you. Your astonishing spirit ring configuration of three purple and one black during the entrance exam caused quite a stir among the academy's leaders. Seeing you today, you indeed have an extraordinary air about you. It's no wonder you've earned Senior Dugu's favor."
His words were sincere and natural, without any of the arrogance one might expect from royalty. He spoke as if they were equals, making it very easy to feel comfortable around him.
Ye Yin nodded slightly in his heart, impressed. "It was just luck. It is my honor to receive guidance from Senior Dugu."
Xue Qinghe's smile remained unchanged. "Luck is also a part of strength, Junior Brother. And being able to turn that luck into such astonishing achievements is even rarer. Your spirit power seems to have improved again, hasn't it? From a distance, I felt your aura was profound. It seems this trip was very fruitful."
Listening from the side, a hint of smugness appeared on Dugu Bo's old face. Ye Yin's achievements were a testament to his own good judgment. He stroked his beard and interjected, "The kid just broke through to Level 50. This old man took him to the Sunset Forest to find a suitable spirit ring. He was lucky and found a thirty-thousand-year Biphosphorus Seven Wonders Flower, which he has now successfully absorbed."
"What? The fifth spirit ring… is thirty thousand years old!"
Even though Xue Qinghe was known for his exceptional composure, a flash of unconcealable shock appeared in his eyes. His gaze towards Ye Yin instantly became deeper and more solemn.
A thirty-thousand-year fifth spirit ring! This could no longer be described as the work of a genius; it was the work of a monster. This completely shattered the common sense of the Spirit Master world.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion