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--- Chapter 502 ---
"My Second Spirit Skill is Thousand Stars Chart!" Han Yuan replied with a cheerful grin.
"This spirit skill allows me to draw different kinds of 'Star Charts' across the fields using the positional alignment of the Star Monsters I've already summoned. I can also do it without Star Monsters, but they won't be as effective."
"Their exact effects vary depending on which constellation pattern I form, but they basically act as field-wide buffs, significantly enhancing my own base attributes, boosting my allies, or granting specialized evolution buffs to my tamed Star Monsters!"
Han Tianyi listened slowly, his mind immediately connecting the dots. "So your First Skill provides the materials on the field, and your Second Skill uses them for the tactical formation and field domain?"
"Yes, Grandpa!" Han Yuan nodded excitedly. "For example, if I align seven summons into the pattern of the Great Bear Constellation, their physical strength and defense increase exponentially, while granting me a heavy gravitational defense layer."
"Or, if I draw the Nebula Cascade Constellation, all the used summons will stop moving and regenerate stellar and spiritual energy, allowing me to sustain the horde almost without draining my own Spirit Energy reserves!"
"This is basically... A self-sustaining army..." Outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, Mu Ye leaned forward, his eyes wide.
"First he summons an army of monsters, and then he turns that army into a living formation. This kid isn't just a fighter—he's a One Man's Army."
Zhen Hua exhaled slowly, a mix of awe and relief washing over him. "With the Underworld Anchor of Heaven granting him unrivalled strength and suppression at the same realm, and the Star Liberation Crown giving him endless field control and army-scale dominance... his potential truly has no ceiling."
Back inside the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, Han Tianyi let out a long, hearty laugh, rubbing Han Yuan's head affectionately. "Incredible. Truly incredible, Xiao Yuan!"
"Your Spirit Skills actually aren't restricted by traditional ring ages, nor do they operate under standard Spirit Master's logic. With these mechanics alone, you could already develop multiple Self-Created Skills."
"Though... I must admit I'm curious to see what kind of Star Monsters you can call forth, and what Star Charts you can form with them. Shall we put the Star Liberation Crown to the test against the Spirit Beasts here?"
Han Yuan beamed. "Of course! Let's do it!"
Before they set off, Han Tianyi paused his steps, noticing a change in his grandson's current appearance. He observed the boy closely from head to toe. "Wait, Xiao Yuan. What happened to your appearance? Your skin and ears didn't change... You look different from when you summoned the Star Liberation Crown in the chamber."
"Ah... that?" Han Yuan paused before realizing what his grandfather was referring to. "According to Cosmo, that's a racial transformation brought on by my unique bloodline, Grandpa—the Star Elf form. I can activate it on and off at will."
"Hmm, Star Elf..." Han Tianyi processed the name seriously. He knew that other sentient races existed besides humans and Spirit Beasts, and the Spirit Pagoda and Federation's archives did mention the rare 'Elven' species that once inhabited Douluo Star thousands of years ago.
However, he hadn't expected his grandson to awaken Elven blood, as neither himself, his late son, nor his daughter-in-law belonged to that lineage.
Or perhaps, it was due to the Evil Spirit Master's experiments. Then, no wonder his grandson suffered so much.
'No, Xiao Yuan said Star Elf...' Han Tianyi reasoned internally. 'The stellar affinity is probably linked to the divine awakening of his Star Liberation Crown, a benign mutation derived from the famous Star Crown passed down by my daughter-in-law.'
"Does the Star Elf form grant any specialized traits?"
Han Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Nothing explicitly right now... but my natural affinity with starlight and space is increased dramatically, and Cosmos mentioned this affinity will significantly smooth out my future cultivation path."
"As my cultivation improves, I should unlock more of the bloodline's innate traits."
"Then that's wonderful news... As long as it benefits you," Han Tianyi sighed in relief. "Alright, let's test your Star Liberation Crown now."
Guided by the dense aura of the Intermediate Zone, the pair ventured deeper into the ancient forest until they encountered a small herd of thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts, a group of Black-Horned Rhinos, renowned for their defense and piercing force.
"Black-Horned Rhinos... a rare defensive species," Han Tianyi remarked casually. "They should be sturdy enough to take a beating from you."
Han Yuan chuckled softly. "You make them sound like my punching bags, Grandpa."
"Hmph. They should consider it an honor to be your punching bag," Han Tianyi deadpanned. "Go!"
"Alright, alright. I'll test the Star Liberation Crown now," Han Yuan said, shaking his head with a faint smile. Having a doting, overprotective grandfather certainly had its funny moments.
As the Black-Horned Rhinos caught Han Yuan stepping into their territory, their eyes flared red with immediate hostility.
Han Yuan manifested the Star Liberation Crown onto his head. Spreading his right hand forward as if grasping the air itself, he commanded, "Gate of Stars, Open!"
"First Spirit Skill: Star Monsters Summoning!"
An illusory, white-gold gateway materialized behind him, containing a swirling, pure milky-white nebula at its center.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Three flickering, multi-colored cards immediately shot out from the Gate of Stars, hovering quietly in an arc around Han Yuan.
Han Yuan immediately felt about one-tenth of his Soul Power drain away, causing his eyebrows to twitch slightly. 'As expected, the activation cost for summoning is pretty steep. My spirit energy reserve is naturally massive, but the spirit skill cut a tenth of it instantly'
'Also, I didn't expect the summons to manifest as cards, but considering they originate from a higher cosmic dimension, descending into the lower Douluo Plane likely forces them to condense into physical catalysts.'
'Which means... these cards act as the medium.'
'Wait... isn't this literally Yu-Gi-Oh?!' His lips twitched as he stared at the glowing cards. While invisible to normal vision, his Eyes of Truth clearly displayed the depicted Star Monster on each card, complete with its stats, background lore, and special effects.
Gazing at the charging Black-Horned Rhinos, Han Yuan picked one of the metallic-feeling cards between his fingers. Caught up in the moment, he shouted, "D-D-Draw! Monsta Cardo!"
"..."
Han Tianyi, behind Han Yuan, alongside Mu Ye and Zhen Hua watching through the monitors outside, stared in absolute, blank silence at the sheer, childish chuunibyo performance.
Han Yuan's face flushed crimson as he coughed awkwardly into his fist and corrected himself. "...I mean, Summon!"
The card between his fingers burst with blinding radiance, manifesting as a shadowy silhouette before the stellar energy settled into a tangible, solid form.
It was a small, white-skinned lizard glimmering with vibrant red stellar light as it stood firmly on the ground. The creature possessed two tiny horns, stubby dragon wings, and an adorable tail that wagged from side to side.
"White Baby Draglin!" Han Yuan gazed at the creature with an amused expression. "Attack the Black-Horned Rhinos before us!"
Rraa!
The Star Monster let out an affectionate roar toward Han Yuan before charging forward like a comet wrapped in starlight. It bulldozed directly through the charging Black-Horned Rhinos, crushing their massive bodies with overwhelming might!
"This... Such raw strength... Such explosive speed..." Han Tianyi clicked his tongue in genuine surprise. At first, he assumed the summon would be an impressive support tool, but he certainly hadn't expected a little lizard to pack such destructive force.
Overhearing his grandfather's comments, Han Yuan laughed. "Grandpa, what if I told you that White Baby Draglin is merely a low-tier Star Monster?"
"If we convert it to Douluo Star's Spirit Beast scale, its cultivation is only ten years old."
"Its strength is directly connected to mine, though not entirely, but this is also why its physical attributes are so ridiculous."
"What?!" It wasn't just Han Tianyi inside the Spirit Ascension Platform who gasped. Outside the chamber, both Mu Ye and Zhen Hua jumped in their seats, utterly dumbfounded by his statement.