Chapter 67: Choosing the Fourth Spirit Ring, Long Aotian Breaks Through to Spirit King!
The quiet room was thick with the lingering residue of a breakthrough. Liu Yuan exhaled, a long, steady breath that disturbed the settling dust. He had just crossed the threshold into level 40. Yet, his expression remained perfectly placid. There was no triumphant fist pump, no eager rush to the door. Instead, he remained seated on the cold stone floor, his Double Pupils faintly glowing as he turned his focus inward to contemplate his fourth spirit ring.
For any Spirit Master, this was the definitive watershed, the harsh dividing line between a novice and an intermediate powerhouse. The Spirit Ability it granted would anchor the overarching rhythm of his future battles.
He began to methodically deconstruct his current arsenal, analyzing his strengths and weaknesses.
In terms of long-range output, he possessed his first Spirit Ability, Spirit Ray. This pure mental force strike bypassed physical defenses entirely. In same-level combat, it was an absolute, unavoidable execution.
In terms of survival and endurance, his second Spirit Ability, Undying Body, was the absolute foundation of his combat style. Its absurd self-healing properties were the sole reason he could ruthlessly gamble his life in cross-level deathmatches.
In terms of close-quarters combat and flexibility, his third Spirit Ability, Qilin Precious Technique, provided a flawless synthesis of offense and defense, perfectly bridging the gap in his physical martial combat.
He lacked nothing in terms of sheer variety. The current Liu Yuan possessed incredibly complete combat means and was not in urgent need of new offensive or defensive skills.
'Rather than adding a new way of fighting, it is better to strengthen all existing means,' Liu Yuan concluded, his fingers lightly tapping his knee.
He realized that whether it was Spirit Ray, Undying Body, or the Qilin Precious Technique, the raw power and duration of these Spirit Abilities fundamentally depended on his mental force. As the possessor of the Double Pupils, a supreme Body Martial Soul, mental force was the very soil from which his power bloomed. If he could obtain an amplification-type Spirit Ability that comprehensively multiplied his mental attributes, then all his previous Spirit Abilities would undergo a qualitative evolution.
For the current Liu Yuan, increasing his mental force was undoubtedly the most cost-effective choice.
With a crystallized objective, Liu Yuan shifted his battlefield to the Body Sect archives. As a top-tier faction with an ancient legacy, the Sect compendium on Spirit Beasts was exhaustively detailed. After spending several days buried in towering stacks of ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast records, his finger finally traced over a faded illustration of an exceedingly rare specimen.
The Singing Cricket.
It was a peculiar, unassuming auxiliary Spirit Beast. Barely the size of a man's palm, its true terror lay in its wings. When vibrated, the resulting song produced a potent mental force reverberation effect. In the wild, this melody acted as a massive area-of-effect enhancement for allied beasts, with its most explosive amplification applied directly to mental force. The characteristics of this creature perfectly matched his exact needs.
However, the data also clearly marked the hunting difficulty in stark red ink. Because of their strategic value, Singing Crickets held a very high status among Spirit Beast groups and were treated as Army Priests by apex predators. They rarely traveled alone, constantly surrounded by a vanguard of ferocious, carnivorous Spirit Beasts. More crucially, their habitat was buried deep within the inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest, a death zone where the danger eclipsed the periphery by magnitudes.
'It seems that for a Spirit Beast of this caliber, I will need Master to step in to secure it safely.'
Liu Yuan closed the heavy tome, packed his notes, and pushed open the doors to head toward the Sect Master hall to find Du Busi.
As he handled the winding corridors bordering the martial arts arena, light footsteps approached. Vina rounded the corner. She had traded her usual elaborate royal dresses for a sleek, light purple training suit. The tailored fabric hugged her developing, well-proportioned figure, giving her an aura of sharp, practical elegance.
Her bright eyes immediately caught him. She closed the distance quickly, her gaze sweeping over him.
"Liu Yuan, you have come out of seclusion?" Vina asked, feeling the heavy, condensed fluctuations of spirit power rolling off his frame. A flash of genuine surprise crossed her features.
Liu Yuan offered a faint nod and asked about Du Busi's whereabouts.
Vina smiled proudly. "The Sect Master and Ao Tian have gone out. During the time you were in seclusion, Ao Tian also welcomed a breakthrough. His spirit power cultivation successfully crossed the hurdle of level 50. The Sect Master attaches great importance to this and took him to find a suitable fifth spirit ring."
A ripple of genuine respect surfaced in Liu Yuan eyes. "It seems that within this Sect, I am not the only one cultivating desperately. Senior Brother Ao Tian progress is indeed astonishing."
Vina pursed her lips, a soft laugh escaping her. "After all, Ao Tian is an extremely strong-willed person. Although he didn't say it, ever since you surpassed him, he has always regarded you as his target to chase. He knows very well how terrifying your talent is, so during this time, he has been cultivating extremely hard, almost to the point of self-abuse."
Liu Yuan tilted his head, shooting her a dry, sidelong glance. "What about you, Vina? As a princess of the Empire, have you been a bit slack during this time?"
Vina groaned, her shoulders slumping in a theatrical display of helplessness. "I can't compare to you two monsters. Although I am also very diligent, I can't sit for half a month without eating or drinking like you, nor can I spend all day fighting hand-to-hand like Senior Brother Ao Tian." She crossed her arms, feigning indignation. "I am twelve years old now, level 26, which is considered a genius in those academies outside, okay? It is completely because you two are not human that I seem slow."
Liu Yuan was speechless, finding himself unable to argue. He knew her well. Vina possessed a tenacious and mature mind, but she had grown up in the comfortable environment of the royal family. Expecting her to embrace the suicidal, ascetic grind that he and Long Aotian thrived on was indeed unrealistic.
Before he could reply, a series of exaggerated, deliberate coughs echoed down the corridor.
Chen Lu and Teacher Wang Yan were strolling toward them. The moment the two spotted Liu Yuan and Vina chatting intimately by the arena, identical, mischievous grins spread across their faces.
The fact that Liu Yuan and Vina had an ambiguous relationship and were very likely to marry was no longer a secret within the entire Body Sect. Even in private, many female disciples were already giggling and calling her Senior Sister-in-law.
"Yo, Senior Brother Liu Yuan, long time no see." Chen Lu waved enthusiastically from a safe distance, making zero effort to actually approach. He threw a blatant wink at the pair. "We will go to the practice room first, and we won't be light bulbs here to disturb you. You two chat slowly!"
Teacher Wang Yan chuckled, patting Chen Lu on the shoulder. "Exactly, exactly." Without missing a beat, Wang Yan practically dragged Chen Lu down the opposite hall, sprinting away as if walking slowly would ruin the romantic atmosphere.
Liu Yuan watched them flee, a muscle twitching in his jaw. These guys were usually steady, battle-hardened martial artists, yet they possessed a terrifying, unified hive-mind when it came to teasing.
Beside him, Vina cheeks dusted with a faint, rosy hue, but she was much more generous than Liu Yuan. With a bold, natural grace, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, gently pulling him toward the path outside the Sect.
"It is rare that your seclusion is over, and the Sect Master and the others will probably take a few more days to return," Vina said softly, her clear eyes looking up at him with quiet anticipation. "You have been in seclusion for half a month, you must be getting moldy, right? Why don't you accompany me for a walk outside? Just in the town near the Sect, let's walk around casually."
Liu Yuan looked down at her bright, expectant gaze. The phantom weight of the past two weeks of high-stakes cultivation still pressed against his temples, and he needed to wait for Du Busi to return to hunt his spirit ring anyway. Slowly, the tension bled from his shoulders, and he nodded in agreement.
For the next two days, Liu Yuan rarely put down his cultivation and accompanied Vina to play in the city controlled by the Body Sect.
They handled crowded markets, tasted local special snacks from steaming street carts, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder watching vibrant folk performances in the town square.
In this relaxed atmosphere, Liu Yuan found that Vina was indeed a knowledgeable and considerate woman. She never forced him to do anything, never demanded conversation when he was quiet. She simply stayed by his side. That kind of silent, undemanding care made Liu Yuan sense of belonging deepen a bit more.
At dusk two days later, the tranquil sky above the Body Sect was abruptly torn open. Two massive, suffocating spirit power fluctuations fell into the Sect like meteors.
Liu Yuan and Vina sensed the impact instantly and rushed straight to the gates of the main hall.
Through the settling dust, Du Busi strode forward, his towering frame exuding an untamed pressure. Right behind him was Long Aotian. The Chief Disciple looked entirely reborn. His whole body was extremely vigorous, and every subtle movement of his limbs vaguely carried a heavy feeling of cracking gold and stone.
Apparently, this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest had gained him a lot. His level 50 realm had been completely stabilized, and he had obtained an extremely powerful fifth spirit ring.
"Senior Brother Ao Tian, congratulations on your breakthrough," Liu Yuan smiled, stepping forward to congratulate him.
Long Aotian was obviously in a very good mood. His originally somewhat severe face now carried a proud smile, and he nodded deeply at Liu Yuan. "It is all thanks to Master guidance. Junior Brother Liu Yuan, these few days..."
Before he finished speaking, Long Aotian voice stopped abruptly.
Beside him, Du Busi, who had just opened his mouth to show off Long Aotian new spirit ring, snapped his jaw shut. The Sect Master emerald-green eyes shrank to the size of needle points.
The eyes of both men locked violently onto Liu Yuan.
With their immense cultivation bases, at this close range, there was no hiding it. The level 40 spirit power fluctuation radiating from Liu Yuan body, which had not been fully restrained after just breaking through, burned as clearly as a blazing torch in the dark night.
The courtyard plunged into a dead, stunned silence.
Master and Chief Disciple stared at the twelve-year-old monster in front of them, unable to help themselves as they spoke in unison:
"You... you are level 40?"
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