Douluo Dalu - Volume 02 - The First Spirit Ring Read online

  The datura snake was thoroughly enraged, and the scales on its body began to shine, the deep green scales were covered in a layer of faint yellow light, its speed suddenly increasing, in practically only a split second it had already pounced in front of Tang San.

  When Tang San unexpectedly let go, Grandmaster already moved more than ten metres by inertia. This all happened in a split second, right now again wanting to rescue Tang San is already too late.

  In the crucial moment, Tang San’s heart instead became extremely calm. Mysterious Heaven skill working in his whole body, this kind of genuine Daoist internal skill right now caused him to enter a state where his heart was like still water. Watching the datura snake’s widely stretched open snake mouth, without being the slightest amount flustered. His right hand turning over, the short sword Grandmaster gave him already turning in the palm of his hand.

  Part 4

  The datura snake regardless of speed still had power, but neither could match the current Tang San. Watching the snake head rushing up, Tang San used Ghost Perplexing Shadow Track, and his body in a flash already moved sideways three chi away. Tang San knew that to him there would be only one chance, if he could not succeed, then, the datura snake would absolutely not be taken in again.

  Deciding quickly in the crucial moment, Tang San moved both hands above practically completely filled by his Mysterious Heaven skill effect, in his palm blue light glimmered, the left hand drawing in then sending out, his body under the effect of Ghost Shadow Perplexing walk once again changed position.

  The datura snake only felt an attractive force from the side of its head, and the snake’s head turned uncontrolledly. Right now, because of pouncing at Tang San, the snake mouth was stretched wide, just about to close.

  A vast blue radiance seemingly appeared as if out of nowhere, quietly waiting there, in the split second as the datura snake’s head turned over, in the instant before its mouth closed, puu——

  The nearly four metre long snake body stiffened in practically a split second, that one chi two cun sword, was already completely driven into the snake’s mouth. After a moment, the datura snake’s body violently stirred, and at once on the ground sand flew about and stones hurtled through the air, where its hard body swept across, regardless of shrubs or small trees, all were tested as if enduring a tornado, branches and leaves broken.

  Stabbing with full strength behind that sword, Tang San using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track had already retreated at full speed, just far enough to avoid the datura snake’s lashing tail. What is called ‘a centipede dies but never falls down’, regarding the snake’s characteristics Tang San in no way would think the datura snake would die immediately?

  “Little San.”

  Grandmaster in a haste calling out suddenly roused Tang San. He knew, all he just did, he already could not avoid appearing before Grandmaster. His soul was not part of this world, and all this, clearly could not be known by any person. What’s to be done?

  Kill Grandmaster to silence him? Tang San believed that relying on the attack power and specific characteristics of the sleeve dart, his chance of success was at least seventy percent, as Luo San Pao right now already had no attack strength. But how could he go through with that? Grandmaster was his Teacher, although they had only known each other for several days, already he had already gained Tang San’s heartfelt respect. Nothing to be done, he could only lie.

  Underfoot intentionally staggering, Tang San immediately rolled back on the ground.

  Grandmaster stretched out his arms and grabbed him, he was after all a twenty ninth ranked spirit grandmaster, and although his spirit was somewhat poor, he still had spirit power. He supported Tang San with one hand,

  “Little San, what..?”

  “Teacher, I was scared to death. How that snake chased us.”

  Grandmaster looked at the datura snake in the process of terrible destruction, rebuking said:

  “Just now why did you suddenly let go, do you not know how dangerous that was?”

  Actually, Grandmaster did not see as much as Tang San imagined. After all, this was in the middle of the night, Grandmaster also did not have his Purple Demon Eye type of eye ability. In the darkness, Grandmaster only faintly saw Tang San’s body fall back behind, and that blue short sword’s glimmering radiance. As for the ringing of the sleeve dart hitting the salamander’s body, Grandmaster took no notice of at all.

  “I also do not know how to explain, with sweaty hand, it suddenly slipped. Teacher, just now in the confusion I wielded the short sword you gave me, seemingly it dealt a piercing blow to that snake.”

  Pulling up Tang San’s hand, in his palm there was indeed cold sweat, Grandmaster also guessed that Tang San hit the datura snake with a piercing blow, and very likely with a piercing blow to a vital spot, otherwise, how could this kind of violent and vicious, seeking revenge for a single look spirit beast not suddenly pursue and attack.

  “Don’t assume it’s over, wait and see. Snake category spirit beasts’ vitality is extremely tenacious, it does not die so easily.”

  Tang San gulped for breath, this was not intentionally assuming an air, and he already somewhat lost strength.

  Confronting such a formidable spirit beast as a hundred year datura snake, just now in a split second he already used his full strength. If that one Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon had not pulled over the salamander’s head, then, the ending would have become completely different.

  As a result of this time’s alarming danger, Tang San already secretly resolved, after going back, he must think of a way to increase his armaments. Before completing Mysterious Heaven skill, various kinds of mechanism type hidden devices clearly was the best choice that was also Tang San’s most outstanding talent.

  The two master and apprentice like that stood up and very cautiously observed. The datura snake’s hysterically frenzied struggle gradually subsided, body unceasingly twisting, smashing every single plant on the ground, revealing the soil beneath.

  The short sword Grandmaster gave Tang San, although one chi two cun was not long, but it was already sufficient to skewer the datura snake’s brain. That was a fatal wound.

  Watching the datura snake’s struggle grow weaker and weaker, Grandmaster gradually let out his breath, and following this, the expression on his face gradually began to change, the panicked look gradually became wild with joy,

  “Excellent, this truly is excellent. Little San, you’re getting your spirit ring.”

  “Teacher, what are you saying? You can’t be talking about this snake, right?”

  Tang San shocked looked at Grandmaster.

  Grandmaster nodded seriously,

  “Precisely, it’s this. Datura snake’s cultivation until it reaches a thousand years, every year it lives, its body will grow one centimetre, this datura snake’s body already nears four metres, which also means he has nearly four hundred years cultivation. As it happens approaching the limit for absorbing the first spirit ring when going from spirit scholar to spirit master. With your innate full spirit power absorbing its spirit ring will be no problem.”

  “But, Teacher. My spirit is a plant, this datura snake is an animal type spirit beast. Can I use its spirit ring? Will it not cause a conflict?”

  Tang San said uncertainly.

  Part 5

  By now Grandmaster had already relaxed, in his eyes was an extremely confident radiance,

  “One of the ten core spirit world concepts of my research, is the spirit mimicry principle. Plant spirits does not necessarily have to absorb a plant spirit beast spirit ring, and beast spirits are not necessarily unable to absorb plant spirit rings. Under a variety of pre-conditions, these both can mutually absorb. Because it is excessively small and weak, whatever spirit ring property is added will not cause rejection, and only passively assimilate. Therefore, absorbing this datura snake’s spirit ring is no problem. At the same time, still remember what type of spirit ring we wanted to look for?”

  Tang
San’s eyes brightened,

  “Adding a toughness effect, best was having poison. Certainly, the datura snake possess these two attributes.”

  Grandmaster gave his disciple a keen look, saying:

  “Whether common spirit masters or not, they still are Spirit Hall fellows; regarding my ten great core concepts they were all laughing through the nose and nobody believed. Previously also no spirit master consented to absorbing different kinds of spirit rings to strengthen themselves. Little San, are you willing to give it a try? Even though for the theory up to here I have absolute certainty, this has never been tried by people. Actual practice is the sole criterion for judging truth, the ten great core spirit concepts I put forward can only be theory and not truth, precisely because no people are willing to put it in practice.”

  In Grandmaster’s eyes, Tang San saw fanaticism. Because of spirit variation, Grandmaster all his life was unable to become a formidable spirit master, but he was still this persistent, throwing his life’s energy into spirit research.

  Regarding this kind of person, the respect growing from Tang San’s heart, respect for Grandmaster’s person, also meant respecting the results of his research,

  “Teacher, please let me help you put this into practice. I believe your research will not be wrong.”

  The datura snake’s body already gradually grew motionless, a vital part of the head had been penetrated by a sharp sword; even if its vitality was indomitable, it would still be difficult to escape death.

  A bit of faint yellow light started to coalesce on the datura snake’s body, different from when Tang San before saw the ten year hell wolves’ spirit rings, the spirit ring which emerged from the datura snake was extremely distinct, the radiance also glittered more compared to the hell wolves’ spirit rings. Even without coming into contact with it, he still could clearly feel contained within it an enormous energy.

  Hearing Tang San’s words, Grandmaster’s eyes filled with gratitude,

  “Little San, begin.”

  Tang San nodded, lifting his right hand, resisting the feeling of weakness from lost strength, with his remaining spirit power slowly condensing in his palm, following the faint blue light mist, blue silver grass grew from in his palm, emitting a faint smell of life and swaying softly along with the undulations of spirit power.

  ‘Come, my first spirit ring, you decide whether I am able to practice Tang sect’s secret lore, and also decide whether I can inherit Teacher’s hope.’

  Under the attraction of that faint blue radiance, the hundred year datura snake spirit ring slowly flew towards Tang San.

  Grandmaster’s both eyes stared fixedly at the floating spirit ring, and in a low voice declared:

  “Cross your legs and sit up straight, focus your mind on the spirit.”

  Tang San complied with the words and sat down cross legged, concentrating on his right hand’s spirit. Right then, following the approach of the hundred year datura snake spirit ring, he felt a kind of unprecedentedly powerful pressure, even his very skeleton under this kind of pressure emitted small noises.

  Very quickly, the ring of yellow light reached the top of Tang San’s head, and without giving him without giving him any chance to react, that yellow halo abruptly contracted, becoming only bracelet sized, incomparably condensing into a solid gold ring that immediately dropped to encircle the blue silver grass spirit on the palm of his right hand.

  Tang San felt as if his right hand was invaded by magma, a roasting hot energy frenziedly rushing in, in a flash the violent hot current had rushed inside his body, and instantly within, the organs were like burning. His body couldn’t help a burst of violent shaking.

  “Regardless of how the spirit ring’s energy lashes your body, keep in mind you must absolutely maintain consciousness, only then in the future can you even better utilize the spirit ring’s energy.”

  These were the last words Tang San heard Grandmaster speak, after a second, closing both eyes, his consciousness already completely immersed within that boiling hot ocean.

  The Mysterious Heaven skill internal strength seemingly also ignited from that suddenly arising energy, the hot current in a flash spreading through every part of his whole body, Tang San felt like only spreading his mouth would make it spout fire.

  Truly potent energy.

  The surging inside spirit ring power in an instant severely tested Tang San’s body, but made Tang San somewhat surprised: such burning hot energy, without destroying the blue silver grass spirit.

  Within his consciousness abruptly revealed, Tang San as if seeing himself immersed within a sea of flame, and in the centre of this flame, a solitary blade of blue silver grass gently swayed with the flame, regardless of how hot that flame burned, it was still unable to destroy it.

  Tang San rejoiced in his heart; this seemingly was the visual state of internal strength. In his previous life because he was already too old when he cultivated Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, he never experienced this kind of state, and did not expect it to actually appear when absorbing the first spirit ring.

  Under the dry heat of the flame, a change began to occur in blue silver grass. The originally tenuous grass stalk became longer, became wider, the pale blue color also gradually began to deepen. The deep blue grass stalk within the ocean of flame started to extend, spiritedly moving about swaying, as if it was countless snakes leaping within the flame.

  The pale blue grass blade began to become deep blue, on the surface it also had a few black lines, lines exactly like on the body of the datura snake before.

  Hong——, all the hot current surged out, Tang San felt as if that blazing breath dissolved into his body.

  Chapter 010: The First Spirit Ring Ability

  Part 1

  And in a moment, he seemed to hear a clear and melodious crack, immediately following, that hot current frenziedly dispersed, then again merged. Merging into a milky white stream. That originally winding little streamlet in a flash became a brook, congcong flowing, trailing, the blazing agony already disappearing, only leaving a comfortable warmth.

  Success. Wild joy once again arrived; Tang San was familiar with this kind of breaking feeling Tang San, that clearly was the feeling of Mysterious Heaven skill’s first bottleneck splitting open, internal strength merging together with the spirit ring’s power, becoming an even more formidable energy, within this extremely brief time, at full speed going around within his body’s energy passages revolving several circuits, slowly flowing into his dantian.

  Just as Tang San suspected, arriving within this world, his Mysterious Heaven skill had virtually formed a bizarre relationship with spirit master’s spirit power. Mysterious Heaven skill’s every tier corresponded to a spirit master title. Obtaining this first spirit ring, he finally broke through the first tier Mysterious Heaven skill bottleneck.

  Of course, his current power in no way was as simple as only Mysterious Heaven skill entering the second tier, he still possessed the spirit strength unrelated to Tang sect, as well as the ability produced by the first spirit ring.

  Absorbing the spirit ring brought about a kind of unfolding clear feeling that was impossible to describe in words, like floating to and fro high in the clouds not subject to gravity, also like entering the pinnacle of extreme bliss. All over his whole body, thirty six thousand pores without exception stretched open, greedily respiring wonderful air, the fundamental change already made amazing changes occur in Tang San’s body.

  Tang San as much as possible calmed his excited heart, Mysterious Heaven skill under the aid of the spirit ring breaking through informed his future developing direction, he knew, regardless of how, his life in this world, he was probably unable to separate from the spirit again. Spirit power was exactly Mysterious Heaven skill internal strength, internal strength also was exactly spirit power. His destiny would be to walk a spirit master’s path. Of course, he would be classified as a Tang sect spirit master.

  Just when Tang San slowly opened both eyes, th
e sky was already light, the new day brought vigorous vitality seemingly calling to his body.

  Tang San lowered his head to look at himself, he discovered, his body because of obtaining the spirit ring also seemed to have changed somewhat. His originally thin and small stature seemingly grew a bit taller, his shoulders also somewhat broader, on his skin even more a layer of jade-like lustre.

  Between gestures, brimming with strength he had a lithe feeling of comfort. Not needing painstaking experiments, he knew that not only his inner strength broke through the bottleneck, all parts of his body’s functions had also substantially elevated under the influence of obtaining the hundred year datura snake’s spirit ring.

  “Teacher.”

  Regaining consciousness, Tang San first of all thought of Grandmaster, he was eager to tell Grandmaster, that Grandmaster’s spirit beast mimicry principle was a success. The whole merging process, although also enduring not a little agony, was without any feelings of conflict.

  Just when his gaze found Grandmaster, he couldn’t help but be greatly taken aback.

  Grandmaster lay fallen on the ground, body seemingly already rigid, motionless. Around him and Grandmaster, realgar powder surrounded them in a circle, situation the same as their previous campsite.

  “Teacher, what happened?”

  Tang San in his heart was greatly worried, hurriedly standing up, coming over to Grandmaster’s side, helping his body up.

  Seeing Grandmaster’s face, Tang San unconsciously blurted out,

  “Poison.”

  Grandmaster’s originally rigid face was surrounded by a sinister air, the whole body already breathing hard, body rigid, already lost feeling.