Soul Spirit Method, Gathering Whale Rubber

Dugu Bo made no attempt to hide it, admitting that he had a wild herb garden.

After all, the garden contained all kinds of medicinal herbs that even he had never seen before.

If not for Gu Ci's Heavenly Eye and its heaven-defying analytical ability, he would have been sitting on a treasure mountain without even knowing it.

"What about Yanyan? If my problem can be solved, what about hers?"

Dugu Bo suddenly countered. This was the issue he cared about most.

"Does she also need to condense a Soul Core like me?"

Beside them, Dugu Yan listened intently. After all, this concerned her very life and could not be treated carelessly.

"No, Grandpa Dugu. Didn't I say that three inheritances were left behind in total?"

"The second inheritance is the best way to treat the poison in Yanyan's body."

"It is called the Soul Spirit Method."

"What is the Soul Spirit Method?"

Dugu Bo was puzzled. After all, the continent had never had such a concept. Even in the original story, it had only appeared ten thousand years later.

"The Soul Spirit Method is a way to form a contract with a soul beast through a special array, creating a symbiotic relationship."

"The soul beast gives everything it has to the soul master without reservation. Moreover, after becoming a Soul Spirit, it can continue growing stronger while retaining all of its consciousness."

"Because it forms a contract with a human, its intelligence can even increase substantially."

Dugu Bo sucked in a cold breath.

"Then... isn't that equivalent to the legendary sacrifice of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

"That's right. It simply achieves that goal through artificial means, and the benefits are even greater than those of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's sacrifice."

"I plan to contract a soul beast for both my and Yanyan's First Spirit Ring."

"That way, Yanyan can transmit the poison in her body to the Soul Spirit through the contract."

"And Soul Spirits are energy-based and have no physical bodies, so they will not be harmed by the poison."

After hearing the explanation of the Soul Spirit Method, Dugu Bo was completely stunned.

"An artificial Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast sacrifice?"

He muttered the words again, his eyes full of disbelief. "Th-this... how is that possible?"

As a Titled Douluo, he understood all too well what a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast sacrifice meant.

It was the greatest gift a soul beast could offer—a willing surrender of its life and everything it possessed to a soul master.

Throughout the continent's history, the number of soul masters who had received the sacrifice of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast could be counted on one hand.

And now, Gu Ci was telling him that this legendary occurrence could be artificially achieved?

"Ci'er, is what you said true?"

Dugu Bo stepped forward and tightly gripped Gu Ci's shoulders, his voice trembling. "Yanyan... can she truly be saved?"

Gu Ci winced in pain, but still nodded. "In theory, it can work."

"Records of successful cases were left behind in the books of the gods."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Dugu Bo said excitedly.

"You already possess Innate Full Soul Power. You can contract your first soul beast right away!"

"I'll go hunt one for you immediately. What age do you need? Is a four-hundred-year one enough?"

Gu Ci did not know whether to laugh or cry and quickly waved his hands. "Grandpa Dugu, please don't rush."

"Although the Soul Spirit Method is good, it cannot be used casually. Besides..."

He paused, his gaze falling on himself and Dugu Yan as he slowly spoke.

"Before contracting Soul Spirits, we need to do one more thing."

"What is it?" Dugu Bo asked anxiously.

Rather than answer directly, Gu Ci looked toward Gu Xiao and Li Wanyue. "Father, Mother, have you heard of Whale Rubber?"

"Whale Rubber?" Gu Xiao froze. "You mean that gelatinous substance from those sea soul beasts?"

"That stuff is rare, but I heard it has nourishing effects for men. Many nobles use it to... ahem..."

"Of course, your father has no need for it."

At that point, he coughed twice in embarrassment.

Gu Ci shook his head. "Father, you misunderstood."

"Whale Rubber does indeed have nourishing properties, but that is not its most important function."

"Its greatest value is that it can strengthen a soul master's physique and improve the strength of their body, allowing them to withstand more powerful spirit rings. The books left behind by the gods recorded this as well."

He looked at Dugu Bo. "Grandpa Dugu, you should know that the age of spirit rings a soul master can absorb depends largely on their physical condition."

"With the same spirit ring, a soul master with a strong physique can absorb it without pressure, while one with a weak body may explode and die on the spot."

Dugu Bo nodded. Of course, he understood that.

"Then you mean..." Dugu Bo said thoughtfully.

"Yanyan and I are only six years old. Our bodies have not fully developed yet."

Gu Ci spoke seriously. "Although I possess Innate Full Soul Power, my physical strength is ultimately limited."

"If I directly absorb a spirit ring, even a thousand-year one would be somewhat difficult. But if I first consume Whale Rubber to strengthen my physique, it would be different."

A glint flashed through his eyes. "As far as I know, if one's physique is strong enough, a soul master can even absorb spirit rings beyond their level."

"A first spirit ring of a thousand years, or even... ten thousand years, is not impossible."

The moment those words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.

"A ten-thousand-year First Spirit Ring?"

Gu Xiao sucked in a cold breath. "Ci'er, this is no joke."

"If spirit ring absorption fails, the best-case outcome is shattered meridians; the worst is death on the spot. You must not take such a risk!"

Li Wanyue was also full of worry. "Ci'er, Mother knows you are talented, but this is far too dangerous..."

"Wanyue is right." Dugu Bo frowned as well.

"Forget a ten-thousand-year First Spirit Ring—even a thousand-year first ring is something this old man has never heard of in all his years."

"Ci'er, you must not gamble with your life."

But Gu Ci smiled. "Grandpa Dugu, Father, Mother, don't worry. I will not gamble with my life."

"But if Whale Rubber can strengthen my physique to a sufficient degree, then absorbing a thousand-year spirit ring will be a certainty. A ten-thousand-year spirit ring is not entirely impossible either."

"Besides..."

He touched his brow, and the Heavenly Eye faintly emerged. "With the Heavenly Eye, I can clearly see the limits of a spirit ring and my own ability to withstand it."

"The moment it exceeds those limits, I will stop immediately."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

He recalled how Gu Ci had used the Heavenly Eye to see the poison within him and Dugu Yan. That feeling of having everything seen through remained vivid in his memory.

"With the Heavenly Eye's assistance..." Dugu Bo slowly nodded. "It truly might be worth trying."

"Therefore, the most urgent matter is finding enough Whale Rubber first."

Gu Ci said, "Grandpa Dugu, you have many connections. Can you find a way to acquire some?"

Dugu Bo burst into laughter. "For mere Whale Rubber, why would this old man need to act? Is your father's title of Marquis just for show?"

Gu Xiao slapped his thigh. "Right, right, right! I'll immediately send people to buy it up. The trading houses in Heaven Dou City should have quite a bit in stock."

He was about to head out when Gu Ci called after him. "Father, remember: the older, the better."

"Whale Rubber that is over a thousand years old is most effective. Hundred-year Whale Rubber can barely be used as well."

"Also, although it is not expensive, buy as much as you can. Bring more Gold Soul Coins."

"Understood."

Gu Xiao waved his hand and strode away.