The Sun's Essense and Connect

As Sheng Jun delved into the depths of his consciousness, he found himself face to face with his Martial Soul, Corvus, gazing down upon the Crystal Swan with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. The swan's head hung low as if intimidated by the presence of the crow.

Sheng Jun watched as the Swan's form began to dissipate, its essence merging seamlessly with Corvus. A surge of energy pulsed through Sheng Jun's being as the spirit ring integrated into his Martial Soul.

With the successful absorption of the spirit ring, Sheng Jun felt a weight lift from his shoulders as his Heavenly Dao Sutra broke through the bottleneck, reaching the 2nd level. Relief flooded through him as he realized that the bottleneck had indeed been related to the spirit ring, confirming his suspicions. He also manifested a special ability called 'The Sun's Essence' its ability currently unknown. 

After a while, the information about the spirit ring's skill and ability appeared in his mind. Sheng Jun couldn't help but blush. "What kind of ability is this?"

As Sheng Jun began the absorption process, Flender couldn't help but pace around anxiously, his eyes never straying from his disciple. Every fibre of his being was on high alert, ready to intervene at the first sign of danger. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily upon his shoulders, a constant reminder of the risks involved in absorbing a spirit ring beyond one's limits.

"Teacher, relax. I'm sure my brother can do it" Ma Hongjun's voice broke through Flender's tense thoughts, accompanied by the tantalizing aroma of grilled meat. "Why don't you come to eat this delicious grilled meat with me while we wait"

Flender turned to look at Ma Hongjun, momentarily taken aback by his relaxed demeanour. How could he be so nonchalant? Didn't he understand the potential consequences of Sheng Jun's actions?

Suppressing the urge to reprimand Ma Hongjun with a slap, Flender returned his attention to Sheng Jun.

As Sheng Jun emerged from his meditative state, a brilliant white ring materialized around him, its ethereal glow casting a mesmerizing aura. The ring spun gracefully around his body before finally settling behind his back.

Flender widened his eyes in astonishment. It had only been an hour since Sheng Jun began the absorption process. Keep in mind this is the spirit ring that exceeds normal limits, and yet, Sheng Jun did it in a mere hour but the color of the spirit ring left Flender bewildered.

"Sheng Jun, what's wrong with your spirit ring? Why is it white?" Flender's voice betrayed his confusion as he approached his disciple. "Isn't the Crystal Swan supposed to be at least 500 years old?"

"Reporting to the teacher, while absorbing the spirit ring, my Heavenly Dao Sutra broke through the second level. I can feel that my first spirit ring can now grow along with my cultivation, additionally, my soul power has reached level 14" Sheng Jun exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he delivered the news.

Flender's eyebrows shot up "This...!" he began, his voice tinged with disbelief. The growable spirit ring isn't unheard of but they are still extremely rare with unknown requirements that need to be met. He had known the Heavenly Dao Sutra was powerful, but he hadn't anticipated it to be this extraordinary. 

As Sheng Jun spoke, the white spirit ring behind him pulsed with energy before transforming back into its original yellow hue.

Flender's mind raced with possibilities. If Sheng Jun's first spirit ring could grow alongside his cultivation when his Heavenly Dao Sutra broke through the second level, what would happen when Flender himself mastered the Heavenly Dao Sutra to the same level?

The mere thought sent a thrill of anticipation coursing through Flender's veins. The prospect of his first spirit ring being over tens of thousands of years old filled him with excitement.

Turning his attention back to Sheng Jun, Flender couldn't help but be curious. "Sheng Jun, what spirit ring skill did you get?" he inquired eagerly, his eyes alight with anticipation.

Sheng Jun's smile widened as he revealed his newfound ability. "My first spirit ring skill is called Connect" he explained, his voice filled with pride. "As the name suggests, I can form a connection with anyone to share any damage taken, with an additional 10% damage reduction against every type of damage. The effect will increase by 10% every time I gain a new spirit ring"

Flender's eyes lit up. He exclaimed, unable to contain his enthusiasm. "Doesn't that mean that once you reach Titled Douluo, you'll reduce all kinds of damage by 90%? For someone of the Healing system like you, you're practically unkillable as long as you have soul power left and your healing potency is enough" Flender couldn't help but tremble with excitement.

Seeing Flender's overly excited expression, Sheng Jun made a quick decision to keep the second ability of his first spirit ring skill a secret. He couldn't help but tremble slightly at the possibility that if Flender knew about it, he might get carried away and throw him into questionable places just to activate the ability, all in pursuit of faster cultivation. He couldn't help but blush thinking about it.

The second ability of his first spirit ring also named Connect, is a one-time use ability. It required a 'deep', 'personal' 'connection' with another individual to trigger. Once activated, it would permanently boost the cultivation speed of both parties by an astonishing 200%. No matter how many times he thought about it he couldn't understand how such a vicious ability manifested by someone as righteous as him. Sheng Jun thought bashfully.

Flender's loud exclamation jolted Ma Hongjun awake, his eyes blinking tiredly as he tried to shake off the drowsiness that clung to him. "Huh? Brother, you finished already?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "What ability did you get?"

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ma Hongjun listened intently as Sheng Jun explained his newly acquired spirit ring skill. Despite the grogginess that still lingered, Ma Hongjun's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of his brother's newfound abilities.

After Sheng Jun finished recounting his experience and abilities, the two of them decided to call it a day and rest. With Flender keeping watch, they could rest with peace of mind. As a Spirit Saint, Flender possessed remarkable endurance, able to go without food, water, and sleep for extended periods if necessary. Of course, it is still better to rest and eat every day.