Dugu Bo's mind was a muddle. Unable to make sense of it, he looked at Ling Yun with an eager, questioning gaze and asked, "What's going on? How did you do that? Why can you obtain a Soul Ring without hunting a Soul Beast?"
Casually prying into other people's secrets was taboo everywhere.
Even between father and son, there were secrets.
But Dugu Bo simply couldn't suppress his curiosity. He went on, "I swear on my Martial Soul that I won't tell anyone what happened today. Otherwise, may my Poison Core explode and leave me dead without a whole corpse."
"There's no need for that!"
"I showed you in person, so I never planned to hide it from you. But for the time being, it really shouldn't become common knowledge."
"You saw the Array I set up earlier, didn't you?"
Dugu Bo nodded. The Array was very complicated, but he was a Titled Douluo, with sufficiently powerful mental strength. Strong mental strength meant a good memory.
He remembered the Array Ling Yun had set up perfectly.
"The answer lies in this Array. It's called the Contract Array. As the name suggests, it's used to form contracts with Soul Beasts. The bead floating in the center of the Array is the key to the contract."
"This bead was condensed from my Martial Soul. It's called the Creation Bead."
"When a Soul Beast and a Soul Master are inside the Array and touch the Creation Bead at the same time, the Qi of Creation envelops them both, and they begin exchanging memories."
"The exchange of memories is forced, and its purpose is to let both sides understand each other thoroughly."
"Once they understand each other, if neither side feels strongly opposed, the contract will succeed."
"After the contract succeeds, the Soul Beast will produce a Soul Ring. A Contract Space will also open up inside the Soul Ring, where the Soul Beast can stay."
"Also, the Soul Master and Soul Beast will be connected in mind and can communicate directly through thought. During battle, the Soul Beast can even emerge from the Soul Ring to help fight."
"After forming a contract, a Soul Beast can provide more than one Soul Ring, up to three at most. That depends on the Soul Master's wishes."
"None of that is the most important part. The most important thing is that the Soul Beast can cultivate on its own, and the Soul Ring will grow along with it..."
After listening, Dugu Bo drew in a sharp breath.
Compared to ordinary Soul Rings, the advantages were simply too great! He could already picture Ling Yun surrounded by a whole set of Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings in the future.
Soul Masters with Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings had a level of combat strength that was worlds apart from others. The most famous example was Tang Hao.
He had only just broken through to Titled Douluo, yet he'd already achieved an astonishing feat.
The previous Pope of Spirit Hall had taken two Titled Douluo to surround Tang Hao. Facing all three alone, Tang Hao had fought opponents whose Soul Power Levels were all higher than his. In the end, one of the two Titled Douluo the Pope had brought died, and the other was injured. Not long after Qian Xunji returned to Spirit Hall, he died. The public explanation was that he had succumbed to his serious injuries.
Dugu Bo had become a Titled Douluo even earlier than Tang Hao and had lived through what happened six years ago.
Now Ling Yun had pioneered a new way to obtain Soul Rings. It was practically certain he would acquire Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
Just how powerful would Ling Yun become in the future? Dugu Bo was filled with anticipation. He had witnessed the birth of history.
"Grandpa Dugu, I'll give you this Contract Array. I'll condense a Creation Bead for you, too. I need to establish a sect."
"My Martial Soul is special. I've glimpsed a corner of the future. Within twenty years, a war that sweeps across the entire Douluo Continent will break out. Even Limit Douluo could die in that war."
"We need to make preparations early!"
Dugu Bo's expression turned grave. He didn't suspect Ling Yun of exaggerating. Ling Yun was mysterious enough, and his Martial Soul was one he had never seen before.
Most importantly, there was an unmistakable certainty in Ling Yun's tone—as though the future would definitely unfold that way.
Dugu Bo nodded. Even without the threat of a terrifying war, establishing a powerful faction would be a good thing for him.
He had territory and strength. Ling Yun had knowledge and techniques that surpassed the era, as well as the Pills from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. This venture had great promise.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
Ling Yun set up a concealment Array, and Dugu Bo reinforced the Poison Array outside once more. These were among their foundations of strength.
After they finished, Ling Yun continued cultivating there. Dugu Bo hadn't been home for several days and needed to return to let his granddaughter know he was safe.
Dugu Manor, Heaven Dou City.
As soon as Dugu Bo returned, he couldn't help calling out, "Yanyan, Grandpa's back!"
Hearing his voice, Dugu Yan stopped cultivating.
Over the past month, while Dugu Bo had been forcing the poison out of his Soul Bone, he had often come home. Each time he did, he seemed to be in better spirits.
Dugu Yan had noticed, and she was happy for him.
The last time Dugu Bo came home, he had stayed with her for three days and told her about the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison in the Dugu Family.
It was the first time Dugu Yan had heard these secrets, and she had grown up a great deal in an instant. So the reason her parents couldn't be there to watch her grow up was the poison of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. She felt even more compassion for her grandfather.
To have a white-haired man bury a black-haired one—not once, but twice—she couldn't imagine how much pain her grandfather had suffered. But it was certainly far, far greater than hers.
Once she had composed herself, Dugu Yan secretly vowed to cherish her grandfather even more from then on.
Hearing Dugu Bo's voice, her heart filled with joy.
A dozen breaths later, in the rear courtyard of Dugu Manor, Dugu Yan threw herself into Dugu Bo's arms, greedily savoring her grandfather's embrace.
It was the pure, heartwarming way family cherished one another.
"Grandpa, why did it take you so long to come back this time?"
"I was finding a Soul Ring for that boy, so it took longer. Now that his business is settled, Grandpa rushed straight back to see you! So, did you miss me?"
"Of course I did!"
Grandfather and granddaughter asked after each other, sharing what had happened in their lives and enjoying each other's company.
After they had caught each other up, Dugu Yan asked, "Grandpa, when are you bringing Ling Yun to our manor? I want to meet him, too."
"Maybe after a while. That boy's a cultivation fanatic. He says he's going to keep cultivating until school starts."
"When the time comes, Grandpa will arrange for him to attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy and be your classmate. You two should get along."
"I definitely will!" Dugu Yan's resolve was firmer than ever. She went on, "Anyone who gives him trouble is picking a fight with me."
Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction and said, "Our Dugu Family may have a poor reputation, but we repay kindness and value trust and honor."
"Ling Yun solved our biggest problem and gave us a new lease on life. Anyone who crosses him is crossing the Dugu Family."
Half a month later.
A piece of news appeared in Heaven Dou City and spread throughout the entire Douluo Continent at astonishing speed.
Heating Whale Rubber until it melted and swallowing it directly could increase Soul Power and improve physical fitness, as well as raise the upper limit for absorbing Soul Rings.
Ling Yun had asked Dugu Bo to spread the news. Naturally, the aim was to explain his thousand-year second Soul Ring.
Only Dugu Bo knew that Ling Yun's ability to absorb a thousand-year second Soul Ring had absolutely nothing to do with Whale Rubber.
Another half a month later.
Ling Yun broke through to level 28. The energy in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was simply too astonishing, and his absorption rate was no slouch either.
With both conditions combined, his cultivation had shot forward like a rocket. His speed was every bit as impressive as that of a God Trial.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy is about to start the new school year!"
"Come on! I'll take you to meet Yanyan. You'll be classmates from now on."
Before you continue