"Good disciple, there's no need to rush," Electrolux said with a smile, seeing Zhu Ziyang's disappointment. "With your talent, I believe it won't be long before you reach that step. By then, even if I don't tell you, you will know."
"I understand, Teacher," Zhu Ziyang replied, nodding.
"I, this old man, achieved the rank of a Sixth-Tier Grand Magus at fifteen. Ziyang, your talent far surpasses mine, and with my and Elder Mu's careful nurturing, I believe you will surely surpass this old man," Electrolux said with full confidence.
"Sixth-Tier Grand Magus?" Zhu Ziyang asked, confused.
"Heh! Look at me, I spoke out of habit. According to the system of the Douluo Continent, a Sixth-Tier Grand Magus should correspond to a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor in this World," Electrolux said, a hint of helplessness on his aged face.
"Oh, oh!" Zhu Ziyang finally understood, nodding repeatedly and saying, "A Six-Ring Spirit Emperor at fifteen, how could that be so easy!"
"Don't underestimate yourself!" Electrolux exclaimed. "Although your World's cultivation system is unique, all myriad methods lead to the same destination; they are ultimately all about pursuing the evolution of life. In these past few months, I've already figured out the essence of the Spirit cultivation system. Next, I'll share my insights."
"Alright, Teacher." Zhu Ziyang was filled with anticipation. For a powerhouse even stronger than a Limit Douluo to explain cultivation methods—such an opportunity, he was probably the only one who could enjoy it.
"Regarding Spirit, as someone from another World, I can't really comment. As for spirit power, it has something in common with the spiritual power in my World; both are special forces that promote life's evolution, so there's nothing much to say," Electrolux said. "I want to focus on the spirit ring, this special item."
Electrolux paused, glancing at Zhu Ziyang, and saw that Zhu Ziyang was staring at him intently.
"Regarding spirit rings, I have two perspectives. First, it is a manifestation of World order. The existence of Spirit Masters and their corresponding Spirit Beasts on the Douluo Continent is clearly the most fundamental operating rule of the World. This rule is neither inherently good nor bad. Spirit Masters absorb spirit rings, Spirit Beasts produce spirit rings, breaking through realms requires absorbing spirit rings, and absorbing spirit rings produces Spirit Abilities. All these conventional practices follow this rule. Therefore, compared to humans in my World, Spirit Masters on the Douluo Continent undoubtedly have a much simpler cultivation path.
Second, the spirit ring is a shackle. Firstly, spirit rings are tied to Spirit Abilities; one spirit ring corresponds to one Spirit Ability. This means a Spirit Master's combat methods are inevitably limited by the number of spirit rings. In contrast, in my World, although mages and warriors are also limited by their realm when cultivating magic and combat techniques, they are undoubtedly freer."
"Um, Teacher," Zhu Ziyang interrupted Electrolux, saying, "It's not that all spirit rings can only provide one Spirit Ability; Hundred-Thousand-Year spirit rings can provide two Spirit Abilities."
"Oh?" Electrolux was surprised to hear this. He asked, "A Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast? What kind of existence is that? Do the Spirit Beasts and Spirit Masters on the Douluo Continent use different cultivation systems?"
"More or less," Zhu Ziyang said, not wanting to make a definitive statement. "The strength levels of Spirit Beasts are divided according to their age. The lowest-level Ten-Year Spirit Beasts are equivalent in strength to Spirit Scholars and Spirit Masters. Above them are Hundred-Year Spirit Beasts, Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts, Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts, and Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts. Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts are comparable in strength to Titled Douluo. The spirit rings produced by Spirit Beasts of different ages also have different colors, from low to high: white, yellow, purple, black, and red."
"I see," Electrolux said with sudden understanding. "No wonder your Spirit has one yellow spirit ring and two purple spirit rings. I was wondering why that yellow spirit ring containing the Power of Death seemed less solid than the other two purple spirit rings. Looking at it this way, my understanding of spirit rings still has some biases."
"It's alright, Teacher. I'm not in a hurry; you can take your time to understand," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile.
"According to what Ziyang said, a Hundred-Thousand-Year spirit ring can provide two Spirit Abilities, and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast's strength is comparable to a Titled Douluo. Then..." Electrolux said, deep in thought, "It seems that the shackles of this rule weaken as a Spirit Master's strength increases. No wonder your World allows the existence of physical gods!"
Electrolux seemed to have figured something out, his expression peculiar, and then he continued, "Since that's the case, I'll continue. Besides providing Spirit Abilities to Spirit Masters, spirit rings also serve as a medium—a medium that allows Spirit Masters to 100% break through to the next realm. Once your Spirit Master's spirit power reaches a bottleneck, as long as you absorb a spirit ring, you will break through to the next realm."
"Mm-hm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded.
"I just mentioned two perspectives; Ziyang, you should know them," Electrolux said. "What I'm about to say next might be something you haven't heard before. Consider it carefully.
Based on my observations, a spirit ring is not simply a condensed form of spirit power. Its internal structure, besides the Spirit Beast's spirit power, also contains a special kind of power.
Life force!
The Spirit Beast's spirit power and life force condense into a spirit ring. When a Spirit Master absorbs a spirit ring, the essence is to absorb the spirit power within the spirit ring, while the life force of the spirit ring transforms into the spirit ring's age, manifesting externally. This is what you see as white spirit rings, yellow spirit rings, and so on. The Spirit Abilities attached to the spirit ring originate from the Spirit Beast's soul. After a Spirit Beast dies, its soul disperses into the heavens and earth, and a small portion of its soul essence adheres to the spirit ring, which is formed by condensed life force. Finally, it merges with the Spirit Master's Spirit, forming a Spirit Ability."
"This..." Zhu Ziyang listened to Electrolux's words and felt a sense of sudden enlightenment, gaining a more thorough understanding of spirit rings.
"According to the Spirit Beast's cultivation system, the more profound a Spirit Beast's cultivation, the more vibrant its life force and the tougher its soul, and naturally, the more powerful the spirit ring it forms," Electrolux continued. "Conversely, the greater its help to the Spirit Master, and the higher the quality and effect of the Spirit Ability.
Actually, Ziyang, I want to say that your Spirit Masters' absorption of spirit rings is not thorough."
"Ah?" Electrolux's words made Zhu Ziyang's mouth gape open, his face full of surprise and doubt.
"I ask you, after Spirit Masters absorb a spirit ring, is their physique strengthened by the spirit ring?" Electrolux asked, calm and composed.
"Mm-hm! That's right." Zhu Ziyang nodded in agreement.
"That's it! The strengthening of the physique comes from the tempering of the spirit ring's spirit power and the feedback of the Spirit Beast's life force!" Electrolux's words were astonishing, directly opening up a new World for Zhu Ziyang. He said, "From my observations, most of your Spirit Masters' absorption of spirit rings only stays at the first level, which is the refinement of spirit power. They rarely touch upon the second level of life force. This leads to the relationship between Spirit Masters and spirit rings always remaining at the level of attachment, unable to achieve true fusion.
Being unable to truly and completely absorb a spirit ring also means that every time you use a Spirit Ability, you need to release the spirit ring. A spirit ring is more like clothing, and a Spirit Ability is just an effect attached to the clothing. Only by completely refining the spirit ring and making it thoroughly merge with you, becoming an organ like a limb, can you truly master a Spirit Ability and make it your instinct!"
"Teacher, do you have a way to make me completely absorb my spirit rings?" Zhu Ziyang asked directly. He didn't doubt Electrolux's words because what Electrolux said was fundamentally the same as Zhu Ziyang's own feelings. Coupled with Electrolux helping him increase the age of his first spirit ring earlier, he had ample reason to believe Electrolux's words.
"That's natural." Electrolux's tone was very confident, with a hint of arrogance on his face. He said, "Isn't it just life force? Have you forgotten my title, Teacher?"
"Of course not! Necromantic Saint Magic God!" Zhu Ziyang blurted out.
"That's right," Electrolux said with a beaming smile. "The Power of Death we possess, isn't it the best tool for refining life force?"
"!" Zhu Ziyang's eyes immediately lit up. How could he have forgotten this? Death, in essence, is the deprivation and erosion of life force!
"Hahaha, good child, don't rush," Electrolux said with a smile. "What you need to do now is not to refine your spirit rings, but to improve your use of the Power of Death.
With your current strength, you are not yet capable of completely refining all three spirit rings on your own. Be patient and wait until you absorb your fourth spirit ring; I, your Teacher, will naturally help you refine the life force within the spirit rings. In fact, once you skillfully master the Power of Death, increasing the age of your own spirit rings won't even be a problem. After all, the essence of a spirit ring's age is life force!"
"Mm-hm! I understand, Teacher!" Zhu Ziyang's eyes sparkled; he couldn't even imagine how much his strength would grow after completely refining his spirit rings.
"Very good." Electrolux was very satisfied and said with a smile, "Then, for the next period, I will teach you Light Magic and Undead Magic. Once you can skillfully use Undead Magic, your Power of Death will have reached a foundational level. At that time, I will teach you the method of combining the two."
"Yes, Teacher!" Zhu Ziyang happily agreed.