True Spirit Theory, Universally Absorbable Spirit Ring

I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the latest chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!

Link: Patreon.com/NineClouds69

--- Chapter 42 ---

The next day.

Han Yuan led Liu Erlong and others into Sunset Forest's core area, looking for rare medicinal herbs and treasures. Of course, the real reason behind this surprise treasure hunting was to locate the exact location of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Han Yuan wasn't afraid of the poison barrier Dugu Bo (Poison Douluo) set up to protect his garden. He has the cheat-like Sky Poison Pearl, baby!

He only needed blue silver grass to grow in that "certain" area and could access it.

Of course, Han Yuan would get disappointed very soon. 

He underestimated how vast the Sunset Forest was. Although not as big as the Star Dou Forest, Sunset Forest is still big enough for him to stay here and look for "that" place for weeks.

After crouching for seventeen times in the last three hours, Han Yuan could only sigh and mutter, "Damn it! This place is too big!" 

"That's what she said." Liu Erlong giggled behind him,

"Wait, where did you learn that phrase?" Han Yuan turned around and gave Liu Erlong a puzzled look.

Liu Erlong shrugged, "Your sister. Who else?" 

"You're acting weird for real." 

Oh, hell nah. 

That's right. Han Yuan sometimes had chaotic times, and Han Yue learned some "modern catchphrases, slangs, and memes" that shouldn't appear in this world, especially not in this era.

Nevertheless, Han Yuan didn't expect Han Yue to teach Liu Erlong these new concepts.

"..." Han Yuan couldn't help but do some self-reflection, hoping he didn't say too many outrageous shits near Han Yue.

And yup. Han Yuan couldn't remember any. Sometimes, random words from his past life "simply" come out of his mouth.

"Forget it." 

"Just don't say what you learned from Han Yue randomly." 

"Hehe, got it." Liu Erlong gave him a teasing smile.

Nearby, the red-grade students hunted a 3,000-year-old Great Woolly Mammoth as a team. 

Ye Shan and Du Buzi are strength-type spirit masters.

Luo Li and Zhang Lie are control-type spirit masters.

Hong Jia and Sun Yi are support-type spirit masters, one acting as a buffer and the other as a debuffer.

Huo Xi is a sensitive attack-type spirit master.

Finally, Yu Bai is a defensive attack-type spirit master. 

They only lacked a priest who cleansed harmful effects and healed the team. In other words, a healing-system spirit master!

Sun Yi can somewhat fit this role because her "Meat Bun" can grant many effects with the proper choice of spirit rings. However, Han Yuan similarly can fit in as a healer if he converts his lightning energy into life energy in his body and then uses it to treat others.

Who could have thought the healer was the "strongest" spirit master in the party?

Enter Redo of Healer-!

Anyway, Dao Academy's team is different from the conventional spirit masters team because each member was 'literally' taught the way of combat in their own way. So, they don't lack attackers.

Even Sun Yi, a food-type spirit master, could beat nearly any spirit master on her level with her mastery over Four Basic Arts and Beserk-inducing 2nd spirit skill.

Han Yuan had to say that Douluo Dalu finally can fit into the cultivation world's genre slightly more.

"What a waste of a spirit ring," said Liu Erlong. "Han Yuan, have you invented that technique?" 

"Rather than a technique, I would call it a method or application of spiritual power." Han Yuan replied casually.

The technique Liu Erlong mentioned in this conversation is called the True Spirit Theory, which can preserve the spirit ring's energy body and allow others to absorb it.

When spirit beasts succumb in the hand of spirit masters, their remaining will (resentment) is 'naturally' imprinted on their killer as their last way of revenge, which is why others couldn't absorb the same spirit ring.

Even after the spirit master absorbed the spirit ring, their resentment still lingered inside, preventing their killers from advancing in cultivation by a "hidden" means.

Since Han Yuan has a method to cleanse (purify) these resentments, he can manipulate the spirit ring using the "Thousand Eyes" and seal it on its energy's body to prevent loss of essence, creating what he called a storable spirit ring that anyone can absorb.

Unfortunately, it's not cost-effective and worth it to use Sky Poison Pearl in this way alone, so Han Yuan looked for an alternative, maybe utilizing Ultimate Lightning's exorcise-like quality to cleanse the resentment like lightning does to ghosts in many cultivation novels.

It's a viable idea for sure.

"Hmm, let's see..." Han Yuan walked to the purple spirit ring and released "Ultimate Lightning" of Purple Silver Grass, wrapping it like a blanket. He also runs "Thousand Eyes" and manipulates its structure one piece after another.

Although Ultimate Lightning's purification power clashes with destructive quality, he can somehow manage it by using the trace "Holy Lightning" of Fallen Lightning Bamboo from the Fallen Finger Bone.

Ten minutes later.

Under everyone's confused gaze, the 3,000-year-old spirit ring of the Great Woolly Mammoth loses a few marks and shrinks by a tenth of its size before flying into a "storage" ring made of a unique metal that can contain the body of energy on Han Yuan's palm.

In fact, the material of this "storage" ring is rare and historically used to create storage tools that can hold living beings, though the method of making Soul Guide Tool in Douluo Continent was lost over time.

"It consumed so much spiritual power, but a success at last..." Han Yuan looked at the metal ring on his palm and sighed as the spirit ring inside gradually eroded and became unusable after three months. 

"I really need to improve True Spirit Theory and visit the Sun and Moon Continent." 

"Well, three months of storage time is good enough." 

Han Yuan glanced at Liu Erlong and threw the spirit ring at her, "Keep it in case someone needs it later." 

"As for you guys..." He looked at the dumbfounded students.

Cough!

"We ain't see nothing, Boss!" Du Buzi hurriedly replied. "As a matter of fact, I'm blind in my left eye and 43% blind in my right eye." 

"Right, Dean Erlong?"

"..." Han Yuan's face darkened. 

He glared at Liu Erlong, and she sheepishly looked away. 

"Perhaps I've talked a lot recently..." Liu Erlong said slowly.

"Forget it." Han Yuan threw the spirit beast's body into Sky Poison Pearl and planned to eat it later.

Then, they have an awkward ride back home.

...

...

As Han Yuan and others boarded the Dao Academy, Dugu Yan hurriedly returned to Heaven Dou City and looked for her grandfather in the Dugu Mansion.

Thankfully, he was there. 

Supported by Ye Lingling into the mansion, Dugu Yan immediately threw herself into Dugu Bo's arms when she saw him. "Grandpa!"

"Woah, woah, Yanzi, why did you come back so suddenly? Aren't you going with the academy to hunt for spirit rings?" Dugu Bu was surprised by Dugu Yan's appearance here.

Actually, Dugu Bo would prefer Dugu Yan not to be in Dugu Mansion as her father's condition (Dugu Xin) wasn't very good. 

In short, Dugu Bo doesn't want Dugu Yan to see the inherited suffering of their lineage.

Dugu Yan wiped her tears and slowly told Dugu Bo about her encounter with Han Yuan in the Sunset Forest, his startling young age, monstrous talent, abnormal spirit ring configuration, and lastly, the possibility of curing their poison.

"Impossible!" Dugu Bo shouted immediately. 

"Yanzi, your grandpa has studied poison for his whole life. How could a brat cure our poison?" 

"He must be tricking you with his sweet words." 

"B-But he knew exactly the symptoms of our poison." Dugu Yan recounted Han Yuan's words, which left Dugu Bo shocked on the spot. 

Every word that his granddaughter uttered sounded like thunder in Dugu Bo's head as he knew exactly what she meant. Dugu Bo's body trembled and a melancholic aura came out.

Dugu Bo's face turned white, black, and green before sighing. 

He clenched and unclenched his hand slowly.

"Yanzi, your grandpa is laughable, right?" He chuckled weakly.

"People called me Poison Douluo, the best poison user in the Douluo Continent!"

"However, no one could have thought I could get poisoned by my own martial soul."

"Every day, I suffered like a dog, hoping to get a sliver of relief." 

"I even thought of ending my suffering for good." 

"But then, I met your grandmother." 

"We have Dugu Xin, but I felt heaven is unfair because your grandmother died because of my poison, and your father inherited my enhanced poison, making it more deadly..." 

"You've also inherited my poison from your father, which is even stronger and cling to you like a curse." 

"How laughable! HOW LAUGHABLE INDEED! Why do we have to suffer so much??" Dugu Bo cried out loud. "The only thing I'm very proud of is also the very thing that killed our family." 

Dugu Yan hugged Dugu Bo, "No, Grandpa! You're not that bad! You've tried your best." 

"You've suffered more than me... I can't imagine the backlash of your poison." 

"But we can end this." 

Dugu Yan pulled out the jade bottle Han Yuan gave her and said, "That boy, Han Yuan, gave me this bottle full of medicinal pills."

"After eating one, my condition improved, and the poison weakened slightly." 

"Yanzi..." Dugu Bo is still skeptical.

"Try one, Grandpa." Dugu Yan hopefully said, pulling out one green pill for Dugu Bo.

"Please..." 

Dugu Bo sighed, "Okay." 

Due to Dugu Yan's persistence, Dugu Bo wrapped the green pill with his spirit energy and swallowed it cautiously. He slowly opened the energy shell, allowing the pill's property to enter his body.

Then, something shocking happened. The cursed poison that plagued Dugu Bo from a young age was "successfully" suppressed!

Even though Dugu Bo is far from cured, he finally sees some hope. His dim green eyes brightened with newfound light.

"This is..." 

"How could such a miraculous pill exist??"