Half a day later, in Gucao Village.
"What! Xiaohai, you've reached level 10?"
When Yang Yunhai said his spirit power had reached level 10, the village chief was visibly shocked.
Starting with only 0.5 innate spirit power and possessing a Blue Silver Grass spirit, reaching level 10 in just two and a half years of cultivation, he had never even heard of such a thing.
Yang Yunhai had never mentioned this during past visits home over the holidays, so this came as a huge surprise.
As if realizing something, the chief quickly asked,
"Is it because of your lightning cultivation?"
"Yes," Yang Yunhai nodded. "Drawing lightning stimulates my body's vitality, which slightly boosts my cultivation speed for a short time. It also improves both my physical body and my spirit. Additionally, the lightning leaves behind a trace of thunder-attribute energy in my body, directly enhancing my spirit power."
He fully trusted the elder who had cared for him since childhood.
Besides, the lightning cultivation method had many limitations and couldn't be replicated. There was no harm in sharing it.
"However, after drawing lightning, my body and spirit enter a stiffened state and take a long time to recover," Yang Yunhai continued. "So I can only endure lightning once a year, and only two bolts each time."
"I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you to worry."
Hearing this, the village chief's eyes filled with concern. He patted Yang Yunhai's shoulder and said with emotion, "Child, that must've hurt a lot."
"I'm used to it," Yang Yunhai smiled lightly. "Besides, it's all been worth it, hasn't it?"
Only then did the village chief smile and nod. "Even so, you must always be cautious and never act recklessly."
"I know," Yang Yunhai nodded quickly, then added, "Grandpa Tai, I came back this time because I want to"
"You want to get the optimal-aged spirit ring, right?" the village chief cut in with a smile.
"Yes," Yang Yunhai scratched his head. "Our academy has a teacher called the Grandmaster. I heard his innate spirit power was also 0.5, and his first two spirit rings were at their optimal age, yet his spirit power has been stuck at level 29 for years."
"Grandpa, I'm worried I'll run into the same issue."
Although Yu Xiaogang's innate power was low, he had the bloodline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and it was of exceptional quality.
This was evident when he performed a spirit fusion technique with Flender and Liu Erlong, both far more powerful than him, yet his spirit was the core. The final transformation of Luo Sanpao into a Golden Holy Dragon spoke volumes.
If someone like Yu Xiaogang was stuck at level 29, what chance did someone like him, of humble origins, have?
Bloodline truly limited one's potential.
Lightning cultivation could strengthen his body and spirit, and maybe even temper his bloodline, but it wouldn't lead to a qualitative transformation.
A piece of scrap iron, no matter how much you hammer it, can become refined iron, but never steel, unless you add carbon and perform processes like quenching and annealing. Or better yet, start with steel instead of pig iron.
That was his ultimate plan.
But before that, he needed to strengthen himself as much as possible.
Cultivation was all about accumulation. Every step mattered.
With that in mind, Yang Yunhai stated his true goal,
"So, I want to absorb a spirit ring beyond my level!"
"Absorb a spirit ring beyond your level!?" The village chief, who had just been thinking about the Grandmaster, was stunned.
"You mean exceeding the optimal age?" Yang Yunhai quickly clarified.
"No way!" The village chief's expression changed.
He shook his head. "That's far too dangerous. Your body might not withstand the energy, you could die. Our Spirit Hall has records of this. The current optimal age limit is already the safest, most balanced choice."
The safest, not necessarily the best, Yang Yunhai thought, sighing.
"Grandpa, that data works for most people, but not everyone."
"Think about it," he continued, "Can beast spirit users' physical strength be the same as those with tool spirits? Even within the same type, would someone with high innate spirit power have the same body strength as someone with low innate power? Can a dragon spirit compare to an earthworm spirit?"
The chief was stunned, then hesitated. "They shouldn't be the same…"
"So how can they bear the same spirit ring age?" Yang Yunhai pressed.
"Well…" It actually made a lot of sense. The chief was left speechless.
"These past years, I haven't just tempered myself through lightning, I've also trained physically every day," Yang Yunhai continued. "I'm confident that my body is stronger than most kids my age, so I can handle more spirit energy."
He gritted his teeth, his tone becoming solemn.
"Grandpa, this might be the only way for me to break the level 30 bottleneck!"
"But…" The chief could feel Yang Yunhai's resolve and yearning.
Two and a half years of intense training, risking his life to endure the pain of being struck by lightning, wasn't this all for a higher goal?
That kind of determination… if not supported now, the boy might regret it forever.
He hesitated.
"Grandpa, I'm not asking for much. Just 500 years. That's enough," Yang Yunhai quickly said.
To be honest, he wasn't sure of his exact limits either. Better to play it safe.
The chief fell silent.
After a moment, he finally said,
"Xiaohai, let me check your bones."
Yang Yunhai didn't hesitate and held out his hand.
Indeed, his body was stronger than my son's or grandson's, the chief thought as he examined it.
Back when his sons and grandsons were still in school, they came home every year. As a father and grandfather, he'd often held their hands. So he had a good idea of how strong their bones were at level 10.
That was the advantage of having a big family, lots of reference points.
After a long pause, the chief said gravely,
"Xiaohai, think this through."
"You could really die."
"I've already made up my mind, Grandpa," Yang Yunhai said firmly.
"And also," he added after pulling back his hand, "no matter how this turns out, I hope you'll keep today's events a secret. This is my first attempt at absorbing a ring beyond the optimal age. Everyone's spirit and body are different. Even if I succeed, we'll still need more data to determine what works best for whom."
"I don't want my untested theory spreading and causing others to die trying."
"If possible, let me be the pioneer."
"Let's revisit this after I reach the rank of Spirit Elder."
"If I succeed, I'll have three data points to reference. If I fail… well, that means I'm already dead. Then you can report this to Uncle Di and let others continue exploring."
"Xiaohai… I underestimated you," the chief said, eyes misty, patting Yang Yunhai's shoulder.
"Even if you don't become a powerful spirit master, you'll still be a great pioneer."
"Hehe, I'm not entirely selfless," Yang Yunhai grinned. "To be honest, I really want to compete in the Continental Spirit Master Tournament. If not next time, then the one after. But if my theory gets out and everyone becomes stronger, how would I win?"
"You little rascal!" the chief chuckled.
He understood Yang Yunhai was lightening the mood so the old man wouldn't worry too much.
Smiling, he said, "Alright, I get it."
"I'll write you a letter. When you reach the Spirit Hunting Forest, go to the Enforcement Division on the right side of the wall and look for your Uncle Ao. He'll personally take you to hunt a suitable spirit beast."
Then he paused and asked,
"Xiaohai, have you decided what kind of beast you want for your first ring?"
"Sky Vine," Yang Yunhai answered without hesitation.
Sky Vine was the spirit of Zhi Lin, an 83rd-level control-type Spirit Douluo from the original Royal Academy. Known for its exceptional toughness and elasticity, it was a top-tier plant spirit beast.
Its flexibility implied fast growth and long vines, traits linked to vitality.
And indeed, that was the case, as clearly noted in the forest's spirit beast guidebook.
So the Sky Vine contained strong life attributes, making its ring perfect for him.
Moreover, toughness and flexibility were exactly what his Blue Silver Grass spirit lacked right now.
Bamboo? Poison snakes? Forget it!
"Sky Vine is a solid choice," the chief nodded.
"There are some in the forest. Hopefully, we can find one with 500 years of age."
Then he looked at Yang Yunhai seriously.
"If not, go for one with a lower age. Don't take any reckless risks. For your safety, I'll mention this clearly in the letter to your Uncle Ao."
Like I'd have a choice anyway… Yang Yunhai nodded, "I understand, Grandpa."
Only then did the chief smile.
"Alright, wait a bit while I write the letter."
As he sat at his desk, he spoke while writing,
"After this, head to the Spirit Hall and ask Manager Maxiono for a token. It's still early, so once that's done, come home and stay the night. I'll have your grandma cook something nice to celebrate you reaching level 10. Head to the forest tomorrow."
"Got it, Grandpa," Yang Yunhai replied immediately.
Before long, the letter was done. Yang Yunhai took it, borrowed a small yellow horse from the village, and headed for Notting City.
At the Spirit Hall, he found Maxiono.
After testing his spirit power and confirming the breakthrough, Maxiono was surprised. Even Longbow Di, who accompanied them, was impressed and praised Yang Yunhai, promising a celebration dinner.
Yang Yunhai received the beginner token.
Back in the village, he enjoyed a hearty meal and a good night's sleep.
The next morning, he got up early, said goodbye to the village chief, and rode off alone toward the Beginner Spirit Hunting Forest.
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