Ch.32: 1 Month of Training

"Not bad, kid. You finally managed to use [Spirit Ring Fusion Mending], but don't let it get to your head. You barely managed to create the fusion, and your soul power was almost exhausted," Luo Tian remarked, nodding in approval at Dugu Xin's efforts.

Dugu Xin agreed with a determined expression. '1The old man is right. Even if I can recover my soul power in less than 5 minutes, it would only slow me down in a real fight. I need to devote time to perfect this technique. Not only that, I need to test and see the effects of my other spirit skills once they reach 10,000 years old. I could sense a qualitative change in the essence of the spirit rings.'

After that, Luo Tian left to check on the others, leaving Dugu Xin to his practice. Determined, Dugu Xin began to use Spirit Ring Fusion Mending with each of his spirit skills.

Meanwhile, as Luo Tian was walking toward the training grounds of the academy, he suddenly stopped and spoke as if to the air, "You know your son has been working really hard these past few months. Why don't you go talk to him?"

As he finished speaking, a figure emerged from behind one of the trees - it was Dugu Xin's father, Dugu Bo. "It's not the time yet. After the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament ends, I will contact him again. But until then, he is on his own."

"Hmm, would you care for a drink then?" Luo Tian asked.

"Yeah, sure, I could use one," Dugu Bo replied.

The two of them departed to a small house on the academy's grounds. Inside, there was only a simple bed, a table with two chairs, and a bottle of wine. However, the most significant item in the room was a picture of a woman with blonde hair, smiling. It was Dugu Bo's late wife. When he saw the picture, Dugu Bo sighed, his gaze fixed on the image. "I see you still have her picture."

"Of course, I do. She was my daughter. I still miss her. Don't tell me you don't?" Luo Tian replied.

"Of course, I do. But the circumstances of your last meeting let me to think..." Dugu Bo's sentence was cut short.

Before he could finish, Luo Tian interrupted him. "Doesn't matter. She was my daughter, and that is all that matters."

Dugu Bo sighed and sat down on one of the chairs, and Luo Tian followed suit, pouring both of them a glass of wine. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Luo Tian spoke again. "So, you've reached Titled Douluo. Not bad, kid."

"Yeah, I could become one so fast due to Xin'er."

"Do you know he wants to start a sect?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't want to start one; he already did."

"Heh, how so? I haven't heard any news about any new sect emerging."

"Because it still isn't official, and he still hasn't integrated the family into it."

At this statement, a flash of understanding passed through Luo Tian's eyes as he grasped Dugu Bo's thoughts. "So, you want to get him acknowledged by the entire clan before you make it official?"

"Yeah, once he shows that he can be a true leader, that is when the Hall of Souls rises. And with the support of three Titled Douluos, I say we will be fine."

"What!? What do you mean, three Titled Douluos, you mean other than you, there are two other people that are Titled Douluo!?"

"Hahaha... you are right," Dugu Bo chuckled.

The two continued to discuss details about Dugu Xin's plans, drifting off to reminiscing about their old experiences and trivial matters until it was late in the night.

…

Meanwhile, at the Hollow Beast Academy's grounds, Ma Jun, Yao Chen, and Li Jingying were drenched in sweat as they maintained a horse stance with buckets filled with stones on their arms. The dean observed them, a satisfied smile on his face at their determination. "Even if you reached the semifinals, you still can't face any of the other academies without the help of Dugu Xin and the martial soul fusion of Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang. So, in this month, I will make sure to drill as much fighting experience into you as possible!"

Everyone grimaced at their dean's words, but their eyes burned with determination.

"Alright, drop the buckets and attack me," the dean ordered, and as he finished speaking, eight spirit rings appeared behind him, along with the phantom of an armored beast.

Quickly, everyone summoned their martial souls, their spirit rings shimmering behind them. Ma Jun activated his spirit skills, transforming his flames to a blazing blue, allowing them to reach a searing 2500°C. He then summoned his deep red scales and clawed hands, rushing towards Lin Mo, who effortlessly blocked all of his strikes.

"Weak, too weak! Again! Attack together!" Lin Mo demanded.

Li Jingying summoned her War Flag and used her second spirit skill to boost Ma Jun's elemental attacks by 50% and physical attacks by 15%. Yao Chen appeared behind Lin Mo, and under the effects of Shadow Vajra Enhancement and Hell Decapitation, he instantly activated Shadow Connected Clones as he struck towards Lin Mo. Although the old dean anticipated the attack and used soul power to block Yao Chen's strike, the subsequent clones broke through his defense. Lin Mo lowered his body and kicked Yao Chen away. "If that's all you can do, you won't even be able to hit a fly! Again!"

Internally, Lin Mo was pleased with his students' progress. 'Yao Chen timed his attack perfectly, and his strike even pierced a defense equivalent to that of a high-level Spirit Ancestor. Ma Jun is doing well in trying to keep my attention by launching continuous attacks. Li Jingying, on the other hand, wisely chose to boost Ma Jun's abilities, conserving her soul power for maximum effect. Her second spirit skill enhances elemental power more than physical strength.'

"Again!" Lin Mo commanded.

As the sun began to set on the horizon, everyone was drenched in sweat, their soul power exhausted, and their muscles aching. Lin Mo finally called a halt. "Alright, that's enough for today. Go take a bath; I've prepared one with medicinal herbs that will help you heal and strengthen your physique. We'll meet again tomorrow at 8 am sharp."

…

In the mountainous terrain behind the academy, the echoing roars of a colossal golden dragon filled the air. This majestic creature, measuring 20 meters in length, possessed scales of resplendent gold with elegant jade accents. Astonishingly, it hovered gracefully in the air without any external support. A peculiar phenomenon surrounded it - a swathe of green, poisonous flames scorched the ground and vegetation beneath. However, the spectacle was short-lived as the dragon burst into a shimmer of golden and green particles, vanishing into thin air. In its place, on the scorched earth, Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang appeared, their bodies bent with exhaustion.

"Hah hah hah, Tianxiang, are you okay? I feel like I was trampled by a horde of Ground Hardening Bull Rhinos," Meng Shu panted, his breath ragged.

Tianxiang managed to catch her breath between laughs, "Hah hah, yeah… I'm okay, but my soul power is completely drained."

Meng Shu reached into his pocket, retrieving two pills, and handed one to Tianxiang. "Here. These are from Boss Xin. He said they would help us recover our soul power more efficiently."

Tianxiang nodded gratefully and swallowed the pill. As they waited for their soul power to recuperate in silence, Tianxiang broached a topic with a hint of hesitation, "What do you plan to do after... well... after the tournament?"

Meng Shu raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden question. "What's with that question all of a sudden?"

"Well, after the tournament, Boss Dugu will graduate and leave for his clan to officially start his sect. We will most likely graduate in about three months after that. Yao and Jun will also graduate in six months at most. As for Li Jingying, I'm not sure, but I know she will also graduate in a few years."

Meng Shu pondered the future for a moment, gazing at the horizon. "Hmm… I never thought about it. I guess we could travel the Douluo Continent and see the world. I also want to go see the Ocean; I've heard it's enormous. What about you?"

Tianxiang hesitated for a moment before replying, "I don't know..."

"Then how about coming with me?" Meng Shu's proposal caught Tianxiang off guard, and he continued earnestly, "You are my girlfriend, and I don't want us to be over just because we graduate. I truly love you, Tianxiang, and I'd love it if you came with me."

The more Meng Shu spoke, the more embarrassed Tianxiang became. Eventually, she couldn't contain her embarrassment and kicked him in the face. "Enough, let's return to our training."

Meng Shu sighed but couldn't help but smile at Tianxiang's response. "I'll take that as a maybe." He extended his hand towards her, and after a moment of contemplation, Tianxiang smiled and took his hand. The image of the giant golden dragon reappeared as they resumed their training in harmony, their spirits lifted.

For the following month, everyone trained tirelessly, pushing themselves to the brink in an effort to shatter their limitations. Dugu Xin continued to hone his [Spirit Ring Fusion Mending], exploring the alterations it brought to his spirit skills. His first spirit skill focused on physical enhancements, providing no extraordinary changes, but the rest of his skills underwent substantial improvements. His second skill, now plunged opponents within it into hallucinations of their darkest fears, causing their bodies to disintegrate over time.

The third skill, his Poison Dragon, transformed into a creature made of toxic flames, tainting the environment with a corrosive poison. Those afflicted experienced a gradual weakening until death. Additionally, the length of the dragon extended to an impressive 20 meters. His fourth skill could now temporarily halt time for beings below a middle-level Spirit Saint, while even a low-level Spirit Douluo's speed was reduced by 30%.

As for his fifth skill, its potency and range doubled, allowing it to break through even the defenses of a rank 91 Titled Douluo if caught off guard. Dugu Xin had mastered the technique to such a degree that its soul power consumption equaled that of his fifth spirit ring, enabling him to employ it ten times consecutively and still maintain 30% of his soul power for further combat.

Chao Tianxiang and Meng Shu, during their Serpent Dragon Joint Assault martial soul fusion, developed two new abilities. Tianxiang unveiled "Poison Dragon Fire," a potent technique of her own, while Meng Shu acquired "Gravity Increase," which significantly bolstered their combative capabilities.

…