"Big Brother Iggy, since that's the case, I won't go either. I'll hide with you and strive to show those geniuses our power in the next Spirit Master tournament!"
Ignaz looked at Dugu Yan beside him. Actually, her Jade Phosphor Serpent evolving into the Rock Region Poison Dragon martial spirit wouldn't be a big deal even if exposed to many students, considering she had a Titled Douluo grandfather behind her. Dugu Bo's martial spirit had evolved once before, so it was reasonable for Dugu Yan's martial spirit to evolve as well.
But during this time, she had been quite obedient to his and Dugu Bo's instructions. Except for showing her martial spirit to Ye Lingling, she had hardly revealed it to her classmates.
Her personality had changed somewhat. That was good.
Afterward, since Dugu Yan also fabricated the lie that the poison in her body hadn't completely dissipated and withdrew from the tournament, Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main team spots were given to others.
Although this action somewhat damaged Heaven Dou Royal Academy's first team strength, it didn't have too much impact. If not for Ignaz's sudden enrollment and Dugu Yan's sudden surge in spirit power, this year's Spirit Master tournament wouldn't have been their turn anyway.
This time, Heaven Dou Royal Academy's first team overall strength wasn't weak. Both the captain and vice-captain were Spirit Ancestors, and the other five members also had high-level Spirit Elder strength approaching Spirit Ancestor level.
...
**One Year Later, in Thunder Valley**
"Rumble!"
A White Armored Earth Dragon over ten meters long, about four meters high, weighing two to three tons, and 6,300 years old crashed to the ground.
"Yan Yan, this White Armored Earth Dragon was something grandfather searched hard to find. Quickly kill it and absorb its spirit ring."
Dugu Yan drew her jade green gem longsword and thrust it fiercely into its abdomen. The blade pierced through its heart, and the White Armored Earth Dragon's last trace of life vanished.
A purple spirit ring slowly materialized. Dugu Yan sat cross-legged on the spot and drew the purple spirit ring onto herself.
Regarding Dugu Yan absorbing a spirit ring 1,300 years beyond her level, Dugu Bo wasn't too worried. His granddaughter had experienced lightning tempering about three times total, plus she usually ate thousand-year-level spirit beast meat. If she couldn't succeed, that would be strange.
"But this kid is getting more and more monstrous!"
At this moment, Ignaz had dismantled his original ten-section lightning-dissipating staff into a four-section staff only four meters long to weaken the heavenly thunder. The violent effects of the heavenly thunder were incomparable to before. Even as a Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo could be struck if he wasn't careful.
After a long while, as the power of the overhead thunder suddenly disappeared, Ignaz, surrounded by heavenly lightning, slowly opened his eyes.
"Only barely advancing to just over level 49 in a year. The cultivation bottleneck from Spirit Ancestor to Spirit King is quite significant!"
Three months ago, when the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament ended, Ignaz had already broken through to level 49. He hadn't expected that after three months, he still hadn't broken through to level 50.
Ignaz stood up helplessly and looked at Dugu Yan, who was still absorbing her spirit ring. He said to Dugu Bo with some reluctance,
"Senior, I need to leave temporarily for a while. I want to return to Sea God Island to ask my master some questions and have him teach me a few spear techniques."
"Kid Ignaz, you've only been enrolled for a year and you want to leave. How about waiting until Yan Yan finishes absorbing her spirit ring, then this old man will personally escort you partway."
Dugu Bo knew Ignaz would eventually return to his master's side. After all, some things related to martial spirits couldn't be taught by the academy or himself - he needed deeper guidance from Spirit Masters with similar martial spirits.
The bottleneck from level 40 to 50 was truly the beginning of real obstacles on a Spirit Master's cultivation path. The later stages would see increasingly slower cultivation speeds.
Although he didn't know if immortal herbs had any effect on later cultivation speed, based on his experience, it had taken him about two and a half years to break through from level 40 to 50 during the Spirit Master tournament through constant battle pressure.
Seeing Dugu Bo's worried expression, Ignaz shook his head in refusal. "Alright then, but with my current strength, I can handle some minor dangers. I can't rely on your protection for my entire life, right?"
Regarding his departure, Ignaz had already made arrangements. With his current methods, as long as no Spirit Douluo or Titled Douluo appeared, while he might not necessarily win in battle, he definitely wouldn't fear anyone when it came to escaping.
But since Dugu Bo had said so much, reducing one layer of risk would be good!
He just hoped Dugu Bo wouldn't escort him all the way to the seaside, otherwise when they reached Sea God Island, his deception about having a master would be completely exposed.
"Excellent. Kid Ignaz, we'll set out after Yan Yan finishes absorbing her spirit ring."
"Alright!"
Half an hour later, Dugu Yan very smoothly finished absorbing her spirit ring. Since both her third and fourth spirit rings were from sub-dragon bloodlines, her Rock Region Poison Dragon martial spirit now showed visible changes.
The flesh bumps on her head had burst open, and a pair of small dragon horns had emerged. Dugu Bo asked curiously,
"Yan Yan, what level are you now, and what's your fourth spirit skill?"
"Grandfather! My spirit power has reached level 42."
Then Dugu Yan looked at Ignaz with an evil smile,
"Big Brother Iggy, if you would."
Seeing his granddaughter's expression, Dugu Bo knew what was coming next. He immediately stepped back to leave the two an open space. Ignaz was also somewhat curious and said,
"Then let's begin. Let me see how powerful your fourth spirit skill is!"
Ignaz gripped his Blood Thunder War Spear and immediately used his first spirit skill, staying in place and waiting for Dugu Yan, who wasn't yet proficient with her fourth spirit skill, to make her move.
"Fourth spirit skill, Rock Armor Protection!"
Two earth-brown dragon scale armors simultaneously attached to both Ignaz and Dugu Yan. However, at this moment, the blood-colored energy armor originally on Ignaz's body actually developed numerous cracks.
He clearly sensed that the 40% defensive effect of his first spirit skill had been reduced by 30%.
"Third spirit skill, Rock Region Dragon Tail."
The Rock Region Poison Dragon's massive black dragon tail appeared, with a bone spike on the tail.
"Is this the only effect? It's still somewhat disappointing!"
Having already experienced the power of Dugu Yan's third spirit skill, Ignaz immediately found the right direction to dodge. While dodging, he directly used his third spirit skill, Blood Thunder Transforms into Three Thousand.
This was the first time in two years that Ignaz had used his third spirit skill.
Countless lightning bolts in the sky transformed into Blood Thunder War Spears, shooting down explosively toward Dugu Yan.
"Yan Yan, be careful! This is an extremely powerful thunder spear attack rain."
At this moment, Dugu Bo was ready to rescue Dugu Yan at any time. He had personally tested Ignaz's third spirit skill before - not only was it tremendously powerful, but it would also increase in power according to appropriate weather conditions.
The current Thunder Valley was an excellent location. Under the amplification of his first spirit skill, Ignaz's third spirit skill damage could increase by at least thirty to forty percent.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones