In the inner area of the Star Dou Great Forest, a streak of lightning tore through the sky and landed atop a high peak.
Ye Yu found a safe place to land and took out the crystal pillar that sealed the Skydream Iceworm from his Blue Silver Domain .
He raised a fist and punched the pillar.
Crack!
With a crisp shattering sound, a fine fracture appeared on its surface. In moments, cracks spread like spiderwebs across the entire crystal.
Then — it shattered into countless pieces.
"Bro! I'm finally out!"
As the crystal broke apart, the Skydream Iceworm — long imprisoned and unable to move — finally broke free.
Its two little golden eyes lit up. It lifted its plump, bloated body and called out in sheer excitement.
But the joy didn't last long.
The Skydream Iceworm quickly noticed Ye Yu standing there.
Its excitement instantly vanished, replaced by panic and dread.
Anyone who could snatch it away from the likes of Di Tian and the other ferocious beasts…
Had to be even stronger!
There was no point in trying to run.
With no choice, the Skydream Iceworm forced a smile onto its face, turned toward Ye Yu, and pressed its two little stubby legs together like clasped hands — as if respectfully cupping its fists in salute.
It bowed and groveled with sycophantic sincerity.
"Honored Spirit Master! Thank you for rescuing me from those wicked beasts!"
"I am the Skydream Iceworm — just an ordinary iceworm, really."
"Weak! Helpless! Pathetic!"
"Surely someone as mighty as yourself wouldn't want to waste their time absorbing a mere worm's Spirit Ring, right?"
"Kind Spirit Master, please show mercy and let this little one go."
"I would be eternally grateful! Truly!"
As it spoke, it trembled with emotion and bowed repeatedly, slamming its head against the ground like a man kowtowing for his life.
But Ye Yu only looked at it with an amused smirk.
"Skydream Iceworm, drop the act."
"I know you're a million-year Spirit Beast. Why else would those beasts go through all that trouble to imprison you? You think they were just bored?"
"So I'll make this simple — you have two options."
"Option one: you use that so-called 'intelligent Spirit Ring method' of yours, become my million-year intelligent Spirit Ring, and awaken my second Martial Soul."
"Option two: I kill you. I get your million-year Spirit Ring and your Spirit Bone. Not a bad deal either, is it?"
"I don't think you really want to die, do you?"
His gaze sharpened as he stared the Iceworm down. A cold, threatening smile crept across his face.
Shit! How does this human already know about the method I just came up with?!
The Skydream Iceworm was dumbfounded. It stared in shock, completely stunned.
Two thousand years ago, it had fled from the Extreme North and ended up in the Star Dou Great Forest, only to be captured by a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast.
Since then, it had been imprisoned by Di Tian and the other top Spirit Beasts deep underground — sealed inside a crystal pillar, forced to release its origin power for others to cultivate with.
Those years were pure torment — a living death.
Bound in place and unable to move, it could only endure.
During that time, though, it did have plenty of time to think.
Why was I, a Spirit Beast with over nine hundred thousand years of cultivation, still weaker than those hundred-thousand-year beasts?
How did I end up like this?
How can I escape — and make sure this never happens again?
Eventually, it came to a conclusion:
It had simply been lucky — a weak little worm that had fallen into ten-thousand-year cold marrow deep beneath the Extreme North and survived by eating rare herbs for tens of thousands of years.
Its bloodline was inherently weak. Its strength had been cheated through environmental advantages — not earned.
So of course it couldn't beat real beasts.
It barely had a hundred years of experience in the outside world.
Realizing that relying on itself was hopeless, the Skydream Iceworm devised a plan:
Find a promising human Spirit Master. Become their Spirit Ring. Use my spiritual attributes and powerful spiritual power to keep my consciousness intact.
Then, by separating out my spiritual attribute, I can even gift them a nascent, ice attribute Martial Soul!
It called this idea the Intelligent Spirit Ring Method.
But it was still theoretical — it hadn't even fully figured it out yet.
So how the hell does this guy know about it already?!
And I'm not even at a million years yet!
"You're incredible, Honored Spirit Master!" the Skydream Iceworm said, immediately backpedaling and slathering on the flattery. "To know about my Intelligent Spirit Ring Method… you must be destined for godhood!"
"It's just… I haven't perfected it yet, and my cultivation hasn't quite hit a million years…"
Internally, the Iceworm was howling.
It's over. I'm not getting out of this alive.
But Ye Yu was clearly powerful — anyone who could snatch it from Di Tian had to be beyond strong.
And he looked young.
Maybe… maybe this guy really could become a god.
If I follow him… I might survive — or even rise with him.
Still trying to buy time, the Iceworm forced a smile, bowed again, and explained:
"The Intelligent Spirit Ring Method is still incomplete, I swear…"
Ye Yu frowned.
But then he remembered—this was still ten thousand years before the events of Peerless Tang Sect.
So it made sense the Skydream Iceworm hadn't perfected the method yet.
But he didn't believe for a second that the Iceworm wasn't close to a million years.
After all, trapped in that cavern, it had constantly been drained by Di Tian and the others.
Its Spirit Power should've been dropping, not rising.
If it hadn't hit a million years yet — when was it ever going to?
Still, Ye Yu didn't bother arguing.
Instead, he laughed coldly and said:
"If the method isn't perfected, then you'd better get to work — fast."
"And if your cultivation still isn't at a million years…"
"Then start training. Right. Now."
"You're no longer being drained by those beasts. I'll even help you cultivate."
"Breaking through shouldn't be that hard anymore."
"I'm giving you one year."
"One year to perfect the Intelligent Spirit Ring Method — and then become mine."
"If you fail, I'll kill you and take your Spirit Ring and your Spirit Bone anyway."
"One year? T-that's too short!"
"I can't do it! I really can't!!"
The Skydream Iceworm nearly fainted from stress. It was on the verge of tears.
Too bad.
Ye Yu directly summoned the External Spirit Bone – Demon Willow Fluff, and embedded a tendril into the Iceworm's body — parasitizing it.
Then, without another word, he tossed the creature into the Blue Silver Domain.
Left with no choice, the Skydream Iceworm curled into a ball in a corner of the Blue Silver Domain, looking half-possessed.
It started madly simulating the theoretical structure of the Intelligent Spirit Ring Method…
While absorbing the Spirit Power fed back into it by the Demon Willow Fluff, trying to refine and digest every drop of energy.
Its goal: push its cultivation from 990,000 years to one million.
Meanwhile, Ye Yu returned to the Star Dou Great Forest's inner area with Xiao Wu, hunting down every strong dragon-type Spirit Beast they could find.
Each time, he used the Demon Willow Fluff to devour them and extract their energy.
It didn't even take three days.
Despite being an Iceworm — a race with low bloodline strength and poor talent — and despite the naturally slow cultivation speed…
With the Demon Willow Fluff's continuous Spirit Power feedback…
The Skydream Iceworm finally broke through to a million years!