"Yu Yan Kid, which Spirit Beast are you planning to pick for your third spirit ring?"
After some discussion and calculation to confirm the age of Yu Yan's third spirit ring, Dugu Bo grew curious about which Spirit Beast the boy would choose.
Dugu Bo didn't bother asking whether Yu Yan had already made his choice; in his eyes, a shrewd kid like Yu Yan would have decided long ago.
And indeed he had—Yu Yan had long since settled on the Spirit Beast for his third spirit ring.
"Senior Dugu, I want to hunt the Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree for my third spirit ring."
Yu Yan had prepared several candidates, but with a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo helping him, he naturally aimed for the most suitable one.
The Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree grows within Sunset Forest, near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Like the Ice Fire Sub-Dragon Lizard and Frost Ash Remnant Dragon Yu Yan had hunted before, it's powerful yet ill-suited to most Spirit Masters of its level.
"Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree?"
Dugu Bo was no scholar of Spirit Beasts; this obscure species was unknown to him.
Yu Yan, who carried notes on the Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree, handed the records and an illustration to Dugu Bo.
Taking the pamphlet, Dugu Bo saw the tree's appearance and the approximate area where it might be found.
Curious, he flipped through the booklet and found many dual-attribute Dragon-type Spirit Beasts.
After skimming it, Dugu Bo teased, "Yu Yan Kid, you've cataloged this many Spirit Beasts, ending with two Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts—quite the confidence."
"Does Senior Dugu think I won't need them?"
Yu Yan didn't answer directly; he threw the question back.
An eight-year-old Spirit Elder who would never reach Titled Douluo? Neither Yu Yan nor Dugu Bo believed that.
"You little rascal." Dugu Bo pointed at him, then soared into the sky. "I'll go look for this Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree."
Yu Yan watched enviously as Dugu Bo flew off—free flight, something he longed for.
Half a day later, while Yu Yan studied the beast records Ning Fengzhi had given him near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he heard the whistle of something cleaving the air.
"Yu Yan Kid, I finally found a suitable Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree—picky little brat, you chose a hard one."
The complaint accompanied Dugu Bo's landing; the Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree was obscure to begin with, and the required age made it even harder to locate.
Relying on a Titled Douluo's unfettered flight and mental force sweep, he had searched for hours before finding a fitting tree.
"Thank you for this, Senior Dugu."
The greatest sincerity Yu Yan could offer was gratitude—promises were impossible.
"Stop dawdling; come with me."
Unwilling to hear thanks and eager to watch Yu Yan absorb the spirit ring, Dugu Bo grabbed him and shot into the sky.
"Yu Yan Kid, which Spirit Beast are you planning to pick for your third spirit ring?"
After some discussion and calculation to confirm the age of Yu Yan's third spirit ring, Dugu Bo grew curious about which Spirit Beast the boy would choose.
Dugu Bo didn't bother asking whether Yu Yan had already made his choice; in his eyes, a shrewd kid like Yu Yan would have decided long ago.
And indeed he had—Yu Yan had long since settled on the Spirit Beast for his third spirit ring.
"Senior Dugu, I want to hunt the Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree for my third spirit ring."
Yu Yan had prepared several candidates, but with a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo helping him, he naturally aimed for the most suitable one.
The Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree grows within Sunset Forest, near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Like the Ice Fire Sub-Dragon Lizard and Frost Ash Remnant Dragon Yu Yan had hunted before, it's powerful yet ill-suited to most Spirit Masters of its level.
"Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree?"
Dugu Bo was no scholar of Spirit Beasts; this obscure species was unknown to him.
Yu Yan, who carried notes on the Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree, handed the records and an illustration to Dugu Bo.
Taking the pamphlet, Dugu Bo saw the tree's appearance and the approximate area where it might be found.
Curious, he flipped through the booklet and found many dual-attribute Dragon-type Spirit Beasts.
After skimming it, Dugu Bo teased, "Yu Yan Kid, you've cataloged this many Spirit Beasts, ending with two Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beasts—quite the confidence."
"Does Senior Dugu think I won't need them?"
Yu Yan didn't answer directly; he threw the question back.
A Spirit Elder who had just turned eight—say he'd never Cultivate to Titled Douluo, and neither Yu Yan nor Dugu Bo would believe it.
"You little rascal." Dugu Bo pointed at Yu Yan, then leapt into the air. "I'm off to look for that Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree."
Yu Yan watched Dugu Bo fly away, envy all over his face—soaring free; he wanted to fly too.
A little half-day later, while reading the Spirit Beast records Ning Fengzhi had sent in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Yu Yan heard the sound of something ripping through the air.
"Yu Yan Kid, I finally found a suitable Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree—you really picked a tricky Spirit Beast."
The complaint landed with Dugu Bo. Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree was an obscure Spirit Beast to begin with, and the required age made the search even harder.
Relying on a Titled Douluo's free flight and sweeping mental force, he had scoured the area for half a day before locating one tree of the right age.
"Thank you for this, Senior Dugu."
The greatest sincerity Yu Yan could offer was thanks; promises were impossible.
"Stop dawdling—come with me."
Not wanting to hear thanks, Dugu Bo—eager to see Yu Yan absorb the ring—grabbed him and took off. Twenty minutes later they landed in a clearing in Sunset Forest where a bizarre-looking giant tree stood alone.
Its trunk spiraled upward, half deep-blue like cold jade bathed in moonlight, half molten-red blazing with sun-fire.
Its leaves were translucent red scales that looked exactly like Dragon scales.
Judging height and traits, Yu Yan reckoned the tree was just over 9,800 years but had not reached Ten Thousand Year; a Ten Thousand Year Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree's leaves would be fully transparent red.
Dugu Bo had clearly put effort into finding a tree of such a precise age.
While Yu Yan studied it, Dugu Bo waved a hand—no Spirit Ability, just a release of Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor venom.
The jade-green poison mist touched the tree, and within moments the Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree turned the same green, a clear sign of poisoning.
"Senior Dugu's Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison is terrifying indeed."
Watching the now-wilted, helpless tree, Yu Yan gained a sharper appreciation for how dreadful the venom was.
After all, the alternating dual attributes of Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree could resist most toxins, much like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well or the combined immunity created by blazing apricot cactus and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
Even so, the tree was poisoned and about to die.
"Naturally—this old man's Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison is supreme," Dugu Bo boasted, then urged, "Enough talk—go absorb that spirit ring."
He pressed Yu Yan partly from curiosity; he'd never seen anyone take so high-aged a ring for their third, and partly for his granddaughter Dugu Yan—only by witnessing Yu Yan succeed could he let her try the same.
With a nod Yu Yan stepped to the tree and called forth Profound Ice Chain to pierce its trunk and end its life.
Soon a spirit ring, purple so dark it verged on black, condensed above the tree and hovered.
Yu Yan didn't rush; he searched the trunk, for Sun Moon Dragon Blood Tree could bear a fruit holding its essence. Eating it while absorbing the ring would bring greater benefits.
In the core of the trunk he found a strange red-blue fruit pulsing with energy akin to the purple moonlight he knew well.
Before its potency could fade he bit into it, leapt down, and waited for the effect to take hold.
When it did, he sat cross-legged before the tree and drew the near-black ring toward him with mental force.
Dugu Bo lounged against a nearby tree, extending his mental force to observe every detail of Yu Yan's absorption.
Only then could he be sure the method was safe.
Absorbing the ring proved easier than Yu Yan had expected.
The strengthening of his Physical Body during spirit power advancement and the opposing yet complementary effects of the two Immortal Herbs were why he could manage it so readily.
As the sun set in endless rose-gold light, the ring settled safely onto Yu Yan.