"Senior Dugu, you know I wasn't lying to you now, right?"
Once Dugu Bo's state of mind had calmed down, Yu Yan leaned against a nearby large tree and looked at Dugu Bo with a smile.
After calming his emotions, Dugu Bo finally remembered there was someone standing beside him. He glanced at Yu Yan and controlled his expression to return to its original icy state.
"In any case, thank you. I won't go back on the three requests I mentioned earlier. You can make any request you want, and I will do my best to fulfill it."
As Dugu Bo spoke with a composed expression, the icy coldness in his tone dissipated quite a bit. After confirming that the other party really hadn't lied to him, Dugu Bo's favorable impression of Yu Yan improved rapidly.
"As it happens, I do have a matter right now that requires Senior Dugu's help."
Speaking of the three requests, Yu Yan indeed had a very urgent matter that required Dugu Bo's assistance.
"Oh?"
Dugu Bo looked at Yu Yan, waiting for him to voice his request.
"Senior Dugu, I was fortunate enough to reach Level 30 yesterday and urgently need to absorb a spirit ring to achieve a Breakthrough. My first request is for you to help me obtain my third spirit ring."
Since he would be staying with Dugu Bo for the next six months or so, Yu Yan couldn't allow himself to remain stuck at Level 30 without breaking through.
Since Dugu Bo said he could make three requests, Yu Yan chose to use one immediately.
"Just a mere thousand-year spirit ring? I can resolve such a trivial matter for you with a wave of my hand. There's no need to waste a precious promise from a Titled Douluo."
Dugu Bo felt Yu Yan was making a mountain out of a molehill. A third spirit ring just over a thousand years was something he could handle effortlessly; he felt Yu Yan really shouldn't waste such a valuable request.
"Ahem, Senior Dugu, the third spirit ring I want to obtain is a bit special. Besides obtaining the spirit ring, I also need you to keep a secret for me."
Under Dugu Bo's uncomprehending gaze, Yu Yan summoned his Spirit and spirit rings, and released the Cang Feng Secret Art attached to the second spirit ring. A purple second spirit ring of about 4,500 years appeared before Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo's eyes were filled with confusion, shock, and incomprehension. Normally, the second spirit ring should be yellow; why was Yu Yan's second spirit ring purple?
As a Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo could tell at a glance that Yu Yan's second spirit ring had a cultivation age equivalent to the fourth ring of an ordinary Spirit Master.
Was this even logical?
Yu Yan had seen Dugu Bo's expression before on the face of the Speed Clan's Clan Chief, Bai He. When Bai He saw Yu Yan's thousand-year second spirit ring, his expression was extremely similar to Dugu Bo's right now.
"Yu Yan Kid, can you tell me exactly what's going on here?"
After a few breaths, Dugu Bo forced himself to calm down and looked at Yu Yan with an eager inquiry.
"Senior Dugu, give me a storage soul tool capable of storing the herbs from this place, and I will tell you this secret."
The request Yu Yan proposed was very simple, partly for the sake of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Since he had taken advantage regarding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, there was no need to take advantage in this matter.
"Fine. This is the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse. It can store living things, and herbs placed inside can also be kept fresh."
Dugu Bo did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately took a pouch-style spirit tool from his robes, transferred the items inside to another spirit tool, and handed it to Yu Yan.
Exchanging a storage soul tool for a method to increase the age of a spirit ring was a deal where he gained immensely without losing anything.
The Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse was originally a storage soul tool that Dugu Bo would have gifted to Tang San for picking and storing herbs, but now it was in Yu Yan's hands.
Having received the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse, Yu Yan kept his word and informed Dugu Bo about using whale glue to improve one's Physique, thereby increasing the age limit for the first few spirit rings.
"Whale glue? It actually has such an effect?"
Dugu Bo had also heard of whale glue, but he hadn't expected it to have this kind of use.
Knowing that whale glue could increase the age of spirit rings, Dugu Bo stared at Yu Yan, having an urge to pry open Yu Yan's head to see how it was put together inside.
"If you want to increase the age of your granddaughter Dugu Yan's second spirit ring, I suggest she takes whale glue first. Once the whale glue is no longer effective, then take medicine refined from the Immortal Herb, Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng. This can raise her second spirit ring's age to a new height, at worst similar to my ring of about 4,500 years."
While Dugu Bo was marveling, Yu Yan took the opportunity to briefly plan out a growth path for Dugu Yan.
"4,500 years... truly astonishing!"
As Dugu Bo said this, a bit more of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
The thought of his granddaughter's second spirit ring being as high as 4,500 years made Dugu Bo unable to control his grin.
"Yu Yan Kid, can you also teach me the method to hide the color of a spirit ring?" After making the request, Dugu Bo immediately added, "As long as you teach me this method, I can grant you another request."
The method to increase the age of spirit rings involved too much Karma for him to bear alone.
Unwilling to spread that method, Dugu Bo could only set his sights on Yu Yan's method for hiding the color of spirit rings.
"Sure. Once I return from obtaining my spirit ring, I'll organize the method for you."
Exchanging a truncated portion of the Cang Feng Secret Art for a promise from a Titled Douluo—no matter how one looked at it, this deal was not a loss.
"Hahaha, you're quite straightforward, kid."
From Dugu Bo's perspective, this deal was also not a loss for him. Helping his granddaughter obtain a higher-age spirit ring was a gain by any calculation.
In a great mood, Dugu Bo found Yu Yan more and more pleasing to the eye.
"Senior Dugu, I have one more small matter I need your help with."
The jovial Dugu Bo gestured for Yu Yan to state his request.
"I consumed two herbs from this place, and my Physique has been improved in all aspects. I'd like to ask Senior Dugu to help me test my physical strength, so I can determine the specific age for my third spirit ring."
This was indeed a question that puzzled Yu Yan. He didn't have a concrete reference and didn't know how many years he should aim for with his third spirit ring.
Dugu Bo didn't refuse Yu Yan's request. He came to Yu Yan's side, placed his hand on Yu Yan's shoulder, and released his spirit power.
Relying on his experience, Dugu Bo quickly judged that Yu Yan's third spirit ring could definitely be a spirit ring of just under ten thousand years.
In Dugu Bo's view, Yu Yan's Physique could fully absorb a spirit ring of over ten thousand years, but his mental force might not necessarily be able to withstand the mental shock of a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast's ring.
There was a huge difference between a thousand-year Spirit Beast and a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast. To be safe, it was better to absorb a spirit ring under ten thousand years.
Dugu Bo's judgment was basically consistent with Yu Yan's own.
Dugu Bo's judgment came from his own experience, while Yu Yan's judgment came from Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
The limit for the fourth ring is under five thousand years, and the fifth ring can absorb a ring under twelve thousand years; this was the data published by Yu Xiaogang.
If Yu Xiaogang, who only had two spirit rings, dared to release this data, it proved he must have seen accurate records somewhere.
Based on the specific data of the limit doubling from the fourth to the fifth ring, and based on the actual data of his own 4,500-year second spirit ring, Yu Yan deduced that he could fully absorb a spirit ring of just under ten thousand years.