Although puzzled, Zhu Jiuyang quickly adjusted his mindset.
Since Su Ming had decided to hand over the ruins, he surely had other demands.
"Xiao Ming, what do you want Spirit Hall and the others to pay?"
"Teacher, strictly speaking, this is for the development of the Spirit Master world. There are many things within the ruins that I can't explore all by myself. So, first, regarding the items obtained from the ruins, regardless of which faction acquires them, anything knowledge-based must be shared with the Blacksmith Association."
Su Ming gave a misleading option.
Then, he stated his true goal.
"Besides, I also need to form a Spirit Hunt team to go deep into the Star Dou Great Forest and hunt a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast."
Spirit Hunt!
Hearing this, Zhu Jiuyang let out a bitter laugh.
As expected.
He was preparing to attempt a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring for his sixth ring.
During the finals of the Spirit Master Grand Tournament in Heaven Refinement City, when Su Ming displayed five ten-thousand-year Spirit Rings, some Spirit Masters had already begun speculating about the number of years of his sixth Spirit Ring.
"A hundred thousand years..."
Zhu Jiuyang recalled the intelligence he knew about the forbidden zone of life within the Star Dou Great Forest and understood that Su Ming's target was those two overlords.
Although Spirit Beasts undergo a transformation after passing the hundred-thousand-year tribulation, even those born weak, if they have the fortune to pass the hundred-thousand-year thunder tribulation, can metamorphose and possess a baseline power far exceeding that of ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts, there are still some innate levels that cannot be bridged.
Whether it was the Titan Giant Ape or the Azure Bull Python, both were existences capable of erupting with hundred-thousand-year power even at the ten-thousand-year stage. Having cultivated to the hundred-thousand-year level, their strength naturally couldn't be measured by ordinary hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast standards.
Titled Douluo below the ninety-fifth level stood no chance of victory against these two Spirit Beasts, especially since the final blow needed to be left for Su Ming.
Therefore, forming a team was necessary.
After receiving Su Ming's request, Zhu Jiuyang began making arrangements.
He held an auction.
At the auction, various Spirit Tools appeared, attracting the attention of the Spirit Master world.
Under Su Ming's direction, even communication Spirit Tools were auctioned.
This caused the entire continent to boil.
If communication problems could be resolved, the entire continent's situation would change dramatically.
Being able to contact each other across the continent—what a huge revolution would it be if applied to warfare or certain operations?
In just three days, major forces sent people to inquire about the situation.
Upon learning of an unearthed ruin containing Spirit Tool inheritance, the major forces couldn't sit still.
Spirit Tools were undoubtedly important for Spirit Masters.
If nothing else, the storage-type Spirit Tool alone was enough to make major forces pursue them.
Sects primarily composed of auxiliary Spirit Masters, like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, were even more determined to acquire Spirit Tools. Whenever news of a Spirit Tool auction appeared on the continent, they were the first to appear and spend a great price to win the bid.
Now that the Blacksmith Association announced a ruin containing methods for creating Spirit Tools, Ning Fengzhi was going crazy.
This time, Spirit Hall sent the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan sent Yu Luomian. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had its patriarch, Ning Fengzhi, personally attending.
Not only did he come personally, but Gu Rong also came. Combined with Chen Xin, who was originally in Heaven Refinement City, the three core figures of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had all arrived!
This showed just how much importance Ning Fengzhi placed on this Spirit Tool ruin.
"Manpower?"
During the negotiations, upon learning Zhu Jiuyang's requirement, the various forces breathed a sigh of relief.
It was acceptable.
The only one somewhat hesitant was Spirit Hall.
Other forces, even the Upper Three Sects like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, weren't confident in hunting hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings for their disciples.
But Spirit Hall genuinely needed hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts.
Bibi Dong's second Martial Spirit severely lacked hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings. The currently known hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts on the continent were limited. If Su Ming hunted a few, then Bibi Dong might end up with fewer hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings.
For the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth rings, four rings meant four hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts!
Although hesitant, Spirit Hall ultimately agreed.
There was no other way; Spirit Tools were equally important to Spirit Hall.
About five days later, a group of Titled Douluos gathered in Heaven Refinement City.
Chen Xin remarked to himself that it was the first time he realized Titled Douluos could be counted in 'groups'.
This Spirit Hunt team was exceptionally luxurious: Yu Yuanzhen, the clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family; Spirit Hall dispatched the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos; the lone wanderer Dugu Bo also participated; plus Chen Xin, the guardian elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—making a total of five Titled Douluos.
Wait, no, there was also Zhu Jiuyang.
He had broken through!
He was only one Spirit Ring away from being a genuine Titled Douluo.
For this Spirit Hunt, besides Su Ming's hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring, Zhu Jiuyang also needed a Spirit Ring.
"Everyone, long time no see."
Shortly after the six gathered, Su Ming's voice sounded.
He had appeared silently before everyone.
The Chrysanthemum Douluo's pupils contracted.
Was that... teleportation just now?
And it was long-distance teleportation; at the very least, he couldn't sense Su Ming's location before he teleported.
Not only did he possess a resurrection Spirit Skill, but also a life-saving Spirit Skill like teleportation?
All the Titled Douluos present were secretly shocked.
Zhu Jiuyang was also seeing Su Ming use a teleportation-type Spirit Skill for the first time.
Su Ming glanced at the expressions of the numerous Titled Douluos, his face unchanged.
This was deliberately displayed to intimidate them.
The method of teleportation was, of course, Time-Space Traversal.
"Su Ming, you really are still alive."
The Chrysanthemum Douluo took a deep breath.
"This Spirit Hunt will trouble everyone."
"It's no trouble. Since the Blacksmith Association can produce a ruin containing Spirit Engineer inheritance, it's only right for us to help you hunt Spirit Beasts," Chen Xin said.
After the group exchanged pleasantries, they set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts are not easy to cultivate. None should be wasted. As far as I know, at the very center of the Star Dou Great Forest, there are two hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts: the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Bull Python. These two Spirit Beasts share a deep bond, a life-and-death friendship, and might fight desperately for each other. My target this time is the Titan Giant Ape. Please, everyone, do not kill the Azure Bull Python."
Su Ming wanted both of these Spirit Rings.
The Titan Giant Ape controlled gravity, and the Azure Bull Python controlled time—both were extremely rare attributes.
Indeed, the Azure Bull Python controlled time.
It possessed the Azure Slow Domain, one of only two time-type domains among Spirit Beasts on the entire continent.
The other was the Ten Thousand Demons King's 'Millennium in an Instant'.
Star Dou Great Forest.
The group charged straight into the core of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Along the way, they found a pure-blooded Fire Phoenix with a cultivation of ninety thousand years, hunted it, and had Zhu Jiuyang absorb its Spirit Ring.
This Spirit Ring gave Zhu Jiuyang an ideal Spirit Skill—Phoenix Rebirth.
It could instantly repair all damage on his body and erupt with power exceeding his peak by twofold. Flame and life force merged; as long as the flame didn't extinguish, life would not end.
Lake of Life.
"To think that in the most perilous place of the Star Dou Great Forest, there is such a paradise on earth," Yu Yuanzhen said, looking utterly amazed.
***
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(Chapter end)