Chapter 511: The 99,999 Year Soul Bone · Eleven
The outcome of battles is often decided in a flash.
As soon as Er Ming realized what was happening, Ye Wen's spatial shockwave had already struck him. Er Ming's true form, as solid and impenetrable as rock, had long surpassed the strength of diamond, but against this red glowing spatial shockwave, it was like butter against a hot knife. Instantly, it melted away, exposing the flesh that the true form armor had desperately tried to protect.
If the armor could be penetrated so easily, there was little hope for Er Ming's body. In a moment, Ye Wen's attack pierced through him.
When Ye Wen's attack ended, Er Ming stood in shock, rooted in place, before finally collapsing stiffly to the ground.
Within a soul master's body, soul power transitions through three stages as they advance, from solid to liquid to gaseous, from the lowest level of Soul Scholar to the pinnacle of Title Douluo.
Though Er Ming was capable of wielding divine power, he had limited himself, making his soul power equivalent to that of a Rank 99 pseudo god. And now, having been struck by Ye Wen's attack, Er Ming felt utterly powerless; his soul power was entirely out of his control due to the shockwave he'd just suffered.
Er Ming tried to suppress it with his divine power, but Ye Wen had already closed the distance between them. Instinctively, Er Ming didn't dare to move.
A god can battle on the lower planes, but they mustn't do so without cause especially in Er Ming's case, as he was under Tang San, a God of Justice. Though breaking the law might not harm Tang San directly, it would certainly damage his reputation.
After countless years together, Er Ming might not have fully seen through Tang San's nature, but he had Da Ming, his elder brother, who had long warned him about the dark side hidden beneath Tang San's gentlemanly facade.
Tang San was a profoundly self centered person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Even if Tang Wulin couldn't inherit his godhood, he could still become a god level entity in the future, just like Da Ming and Er Ming. However, Tang San had resolutely cast his son back to the mortal realm to gamble on an uncertain fate and to strengthen his own divine following.
Despite the protection of the Haotian Sect, Da Ming and Er Ming two ultimate devotees of Xiao Wu had chosen to descend to assist their young nephew.
And as an additional precaution, Tang San, the God of Justice, had broken the law himself.
Er Ming now recalled Da Ming's words.
"Er Ming, our descent to the mortal realm itself is already a violation. It's fine if we remain hidden, but if we're exposed, Tang San will inevitably sacrifice us to protect himself. Though he might spare our souls out of respect for Xiao Wu, he'll certainly make us reincarnate. I know you're as concerned for Xiao Wulin as I am, but if you're truly afraid, go back to the God Realm. I alone can still support Xiao Wulin."
"Da Ming, what nonsense are you talking about? Do you really see me, Er Ming, as someone who values his own life above all else? Xiao Wu only has eyes for that bastard Tang San, so I won't lose you, my family, again. And I can't leave Xiao Wulin behind, either. He's so young... how could Tang San, that scoundrel, bear to let him return alone to the hell of the Douluo Continent?"
The past played vividly in Er Ming's mind, and he quelled his burgeoning divine power. He could die, but he would not let his death drag Tang Wulin down.
Besides, he also remembered the emergency tactic Da Ming had taught him.
Once, Er Ming thought that with his power, nothing on the Douluo Continent could pose a real threat to him. But now, his mind raced, searching for ways to stay alive after all, who wants to die if they don't have to?
"Stop! You can't kill me! I am the High Priest of the gods!" Er Ming said urgently, sending a faint signal of divine power to Da Ming in the Haotian Sect, summoning help.
Ye Wen, however, was unmoved, taking two more steps forward.
Panicked, Er Ming pressed on, "I'm telling you the truth! Can't you see my six black, three red spirit ring combination? Only those who've passed a divine examination can have such a spirit ring combination on the Douluo Continent today!"
At last, Ye Wen stopped, bringing a flash of relief to Er Ming's face until Ye Wen's next words left him frozen.
"A High Priest of the gods? Ha! And which god exactly do you serve? Tell me, is there any chance a peerless Douluo like myself could inherit godhood?"
Er Ming was hardly a High Priest he was just one of Tang San's enforcers. Still, after so many years as a god officer, he was familiar with some of the God Realm's rules.
"You certainly have the qualifications, but sadly, my god has no intention of passing on their godhood for now. Besides, your martial spirit doesn't align with that of my god."
Watching Er Ming's earnest, clumsy attempt to deflect him, Ye Wen smirked to himself. He had no intention of killing Er Ming, but that didn't mean he couldn't toy with him a bit.
"Oh, is that so? What a pity. I thought I might finally have a chance at godhood~. But since you can't offer me that opportunity, and you dared to offend my authority, you're still going to die."
As he spoke, Ye Wen raised his soul power once more.
!!!?
Er Ming was horrified. He hadn't expected Ye Wen to turn on him so quickly.
"Wait! Are you insane? I'm a High Priest of the gods! Would you dare offend a god?"
Sure enough, Ye Wen paused, but not for the reason Er Ming had hoped. Instead, he coldly replied, "And so what if I do? I know full well that gods aren't allowed to descend. And it's been ten thousand years ever since the Shrek Seven Monsters ascended, no peerless Douluo has touched the divine realm. So, if we're all prisoners waiting for death, why shouldn't I try to feel a bit of divine power from this so called High Priest? Maybe I, too, can break through to godhood."
With this, Ye Wen released a powerful aura belonging to a pseudo god, leaving Er Ming stunned.
In this era, the strongest soul master was Dragon God Douluo Mu En, who had only reached the demigod level, still quite far from the level of a pseudo god. Er Ming regretted deeply now he should have seriously assessed his opponent's level before charging in.
And the fanatic gleam in Ye Wen's eyes was no act; Er Ming realized that this time, he was doomed.
"Da Ming... In our next life, we'll be brothers again."
Despair filled Er Ming's gaze as he closed his eyes, awaiting death. In that moment, he felt a wave of release, comforted by the belief that Da Ming would avenge him. Even if space abilities were tricky, Da Ming's control over time would ultimately win.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 512: The 99,999 Year Soul Bone · Twelve
At that moment, rather than quickly finishing off Er Ming, Ye Wen deliberately slowed his actions like a low grade villain, savoring his enemy's shifting expression of despair in the face of death.
Then, a brilliant green streak lit up the distant night sky, illuminating half the heavens. A cultured yet urgent voice resounded from the sky.
"Stop! Slow Domain, activate!!"
Ye Wen played along, feigning shock, and quickly clasped his hands together, colliding his soul power with the rapidly approaching force. In an instant, the green soul power and Ye Wen's silver tinted soul power seemed to fill the entire world.
In the distance, the soul barrier protecting the Star Luo Imperial City shattered instantly. The once sturdy city walls were now covered in dense cracks, revealing the terrifying power of their clashing soul energies.
Only the Super Douluo in Star Luo Imperial City understood that this wasn't merely a clash of soul power but a collision of domains.
Following the acting principle of "go all out," Ye Wen activated his own Spatial Domain to counter the effects of Da Ming's Slow Domain. When facing a domain with rules based abilities, only another domain can provide a sufficient counterbalance.
During this intense standoff, Da Ming successfully forced Ye Wen away from Er Ming. The sudden reversal from life threatening danger left Er Ming momentarily stunned, but when he saw that slender yet dependable figure, he choked out in relief.
"Da Ming…"
Da Ming responded softly, his gaze fixed cautiously on Ye Wen. Unlike the more impulsive Er Ming, Da Ming possessed wisdom, especially after shedding his soul beast identity. He had become an avid reader, seeking to enrich his mind. From their brief clash, Da Ming could already tell that Ye Wen had reached the pinnacle of this world, just one step shy of godhood.
Though not afraid, Da Ming couldn't help but reflect on the favor shown to humans by this world. However, anyone who harmed his family would face consequences. Da Ming's eyes turned cold as he stared at Ye Wen.
Ye Wen met his gaze without flinching, scrutinizing this horned opponent. Compared to Er Ming, Da Ming was more like the "chosen one" of this era. In the current world, dragon type martial spirits dominated. Following Tang San's ascension, Da Ming, whose soul resided within Tang San's soul bone, had evolved from the Azure Bull Python into the Azure Divine Dragon, achieving a species breakthrough.
Having once recruited Da Ming as his subordinate in their original world, Ye Wen knew full well that Da Ming's evolved Azure Dragon bloodline contained essence potent enough to rival the Dragon God. Unfortunately, Da Ming hadn't received Ye Wen's dedicated guidance in this timeline, and he was far from reaching even third tier godhood.
Ye Wen considered reasoning with Da Ming, but he knew that, despite his shift away from a soul beast, Da Ming still adhered to the law of the jungle.
Without further words, they clashed again.
Domain against domain
The dark night was now ablaze with their confrontation. The powerful Douluo of Star Luo had always known peerless Douluos were strong, but only now did they realize the terrifying chasm that separated them. Even the strongest Level 97 Guardian Douluo would be reduced to dust if caught in this battle.
However, the Star Luo powerhouses hadn't yet realized they were witnessing not just two, but three peerless Douluos. Nevertheless, Emperor Xingluo had already resolved in his heart to align with Ye Wen. Unlike Shrek Academy, which interfered in continental affairs under the guise of being an academy, Ye Wen neutral and merely seeking to promote his sect was the ideal figure for an emperor's allegiance.
Yet, as the battle raged on, Xingluo's heart remained apprehensive. Da Ming was growing more unsettled with every blow.
Though unable to access divine power, Da Ming had been confident that his peerless martial spirit could overwhelm any Title Douluo on the continent. Yet Ye Wen's presence was a harsh reality check.
His once unbeatable time based Slow Domain was stifled by Ye Wen's domain. When Da Ming attempted to overpower Ye Wen with close combat, he found that Ye Wen wielded unmatched self created soul skills that leveraged Da Ming's own strength against him.
Da Ming took Ye Wen even more seriously, sighing internally at his naive brother's loss to this foe. But this was no reason for Da Ming to back down.
In Da Ming's view, no matter how powerful Ye Wen was, he was still a mere mortal.
Deciding to reveal his full power, Da Ming summoned his soul rings. Although these rings were a form of suppression, they still symbolized his restrained strength. Unlike Er Ming's six black and three red rings, Da Ming's rings were a pure red, each one menacing.
Ye Wen simply sneered at the sight. Impressive as they appeared, they contained no true beast level power.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Spirit Avatar! Ninth Soul Skill: Azure Tyrant Body! Ninth Soul Skill: Azure Roar Cannon!"
An even more intense soul power surged from Da Ming as he unleashed his true form. His enormous snake body stretched for hundreds of meters, bearing a massive bull head and sprouting five clawed limbs. Cloaked in azure light, Da Ming opened his enormous mouth, gathering terrifying soul power at his maw, which culminated in a blinding beam of energy that surged toward Ye Wen.
All beings who felt the presence of this attack trembled uncontrollably, as if reduced to dust in its wake.
But Er Ming immediately sensed that something was wrong the moment Da Ming used this move. He remembered the moment he had been helpless against Ye Wen, even after delivering a full force punch.
"Da Ming, be careful!" Er Ming shouted, his voice distorted and drowned in the torrent of soul power.
Ye Wen stared impassively at the oncoming attack. It was time to end this farce. Without releasing his soul rings, Ye Wen summoned his martial spirit, conjuring an enormous spatial gate that materialized in front of him.
Using his opponent's strength against them.
Faced with this near light speed attack, Da Ming had no time to react as Ye Wen opened a second spatial gate, redirecting Da Ming's attack back at him and striking him in his strongest area.
A snake's weakness is its seven inch mark, where a blow can be fatal. Similarly, dragons have a reverse scale, critical for their survival.
Fortunately, Da Ming was no longer a soul beast and wouldn't perish from such a hit. Yet, even he couldn't withstand his own attack. His martial spirit avatar shattered, and he was thrown backward.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 513: The 99,999 Year Soul Bone · Thirteen
Da Ming now felt as much pain as he once felt pride in his ultimate skill. Forced out of his Martial Spirit Avatar state, blood surged up his throat, threatening to spill. But Da Ming knew he couldn't let it out, or his state would deteriorate even further. Swallowing the blood, Da Ming prepared to re enter his Martial Spirit Avatar state.
Unlike ordinary soul masters, who would need a long cooldown after having their Martial Spirit Avatar broken, Da Ming's ability wasn't constrained in the same way. Though he wore the appearance of a soul master, he was, in fact, a god officer, and his Avatar state was merely a manifestation of his bloodline power, which he could re consolidate and use again.
Yet, as Da Ming drew in his strength, he froze. Half kneeling on the ground, Da Ming saw Ye Wen standing before him, one hand in his pocket, the other pointing a finger condensed with energy directly at his forehead a technique he called Overclocked Red. Its sheer destructive power wasn't limited to the physical realm; Da Ming felt that even his soul was locked in place, any movement would mean death.
Fear mixed with profound doubt. Could this level of power really belong to someone who was merely a quasi god?
Just then, Ye Wen's voice drifted over.
"It's over. You've lost."
Da Ming, who had been tense, now let out a sigh of relief. From Ye Wen's tone, it seemed he had no intention of killing them. But not far off, Er Ming's eyes filled with fury at the sight of his elder brother subdued by the very technique that had so recently injured him.
"Da Ming!"
Now recovered enough to fight again, Er Ming prepared to rush to Da Ming's aid. But Da Ming, knowing the immense difference in strength between them and Ye Wen, quickly raised his hand to stop him.
"Stay back, Er Ming!"
Though Er Ming was impulsive, he instinctively obeyed Da Ming. He glared at Ye Wen, his expression twisted in frustration, yet he dared not make a move.
Ye Wen chuckled. "A wise choice."
In this world, the strong rule the weak. Da Ming spoke in a calm, low voice.
"I can see you don't intend to take our lives. What are your conditions?"
Unlike Tang San's hypocritical display of righteousness, Da Ming was genuinely loyal, ready to sacrifice his life for his kin despite no blood relation. However, Da Ming was ultimately a side character in this world, not its protagonist.
Ye Wen had never intended to kill the two brothers; it was too soon to draw the God Realm into this conflict. But he intended to intimidate them sufficiently.
"You two are quite strange. You're at a quasi god level, just a hair's breadth from godhood, yet you lack the resolve true power demands. It's as if your strength was forcibly bestowed upon you."
At Ye Wen's pointed observation, Da Ming's eyes narrowed.
"But if you're so called High Priests of the gods, I suppose that makes sense. However, I'm curious. Your soul rings don't look right. Are you going to tell me you both serve the same god? A god with two High Priests is... unusual, isn't it?" Ye Wen added, twisting the knife.
Da Ming began to sweat. He now realized the trap he'd walked into by claiming to be a High Priest. One lie inevitably demands more lies. Gritting his teeth, Da Ming pressed on.
"You're correct. We are both High Priests. But we don't serve the same god. We are sworn brothers, bonded by fate, nothing more. Our martial spirits differ entirely, as you can see, so we clearly aren't blood related."
Ye Wen feigned understanding, nodding as if he accepted Da Ming's story, then looked at him with feigned excitement.
"Then… is the god you serve currently seeking a successor for their divine position?"
A sudden silence fell.
Technically, Da Ming and Er Ming could indeed be considered High Priests, as they were the only two beings left to act as Tang San's emissaries in the Douluo Continent. But could Da Ming truly offer Ye Wen a god's inheritance? The answer was clear.
"I apologize… my god currently has no plans to pass on their divine position," Da Ming replied with difficulty.
Ye Wen's face, filled with hopeful anticipation, fell, perfectly embodying the descent from hope to despair.
"Is that so? I thought I'd finally gotten lucky, running into two High Priests and hoping one of them could grant me a path to immortality. But in the end, it's all for nothing. If I'm doomed to die one day, what right do you have to go on living?"
Ye Wen's tone turned vicious, and the energy of Overclocked Red flared brightly, as though he intended to end Da Ming's life in the next instant.
Da Ming's mind went blank, thoughts racing, even as the stream of memories of his long life replayed before him. Though his opponent had initially shown restraint, Da Ming realized he had crossed a line his lie had pushed a peerless Douluo from the brink of hope into utter despair.
But then, in the fast replaying memories, an image of a beloved figure calling his name appeared. On instinct, Da Ming shouted, "Wait!"
To Da Ming's surprise, Ye Wen actually halted.
The shift from life to death in that split second left Da Ming dazed. Ye Wen, too, exhaled in relief Da Ming's intellect should have helped him find a way to negotiate, but he'd almost gone too far. The last thing Ye Wen wanted was to kill a god officer here. Still, he had to play his part. With a tone of growing impatience, Ye Wen asked,
"What is it? Do you have any last words?"
Snapping back to his senses, Da Ming's mind raced, analyzing the conversation between him and Ye Wen.
"Hurry up. Don't waste time stalling. I may die one day, but I'll make sure you join me in the afterlife," Ye Wen urged, his soul power flaring as if ready to strike. In that instant, Da Ming finally saw a way out.
"Wait, don't kill me! If you want godhood and immortality, I have a solution!"
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 514: The 99,999 Year Soul Bone · Fourteen
Ye Wen appeared intrigued and said calmly, "Speak."
Da Ming swallowed, organizing his thoughts before speaking. "Everyone knows that one becomes a god at Rank 100, but surely you know that reaching this threshold can't be achieved through cultivation alone."
Ye Wen nodded steadily. Since the time when the Shrek Seven Monsters became gods ten thousand years ago, this knowledge had been no secret. Ascending to godhood required a ticket to the God Realm a godly position. Faith as a resource was inherently limited, so the method of self condensing a god position had long been lost, with not even a vague rumor remaining.
Ye Wen understood what Da Ming was implying.
Da Ming continued, "Though my god isn't seeking to pass on his divine position, I do know a method of condensing a god position on your own to help you break through the threshold of Rank 100."
As expected, Ye Wen's eyes showed interest, a reaction Da Ming had hoped for. However, Da Ming hesitated at this point, a struggle evident in his gaze.
Ye Wen kept his expression neutral. "What is it?"
Da Ming took a deep breath, finally making a decision. "I can tell you this method, but you must swear by your martial spirit that you won't reveal it to anyone else. Otherwise, I'd rather destroy both you and myself than let you know."
Ye Wen gazed at Da Ming coldly, like a figure of absolute authority facing a defenseless person seeking justice. Yet, swearing was no concern. Ye Wen only wanted to bring this drama to an end; this was merely a clone of himself, after all. His martial spirit was a mere construct, simulated by divine power, and his true self had already transcended the concept of godhood. Making this vow with his martial spirit meant nothing; after all, what was the connection between a clone's oath and his true self?
But playing his part, Ye Wen replied coldly, "Fine."
Satisfied, and bound by the Douluo Continent's culture of honoring martial spirit oaths as sacred, Da Ming disclosed in detail how one could gather faith and condense a god position independently.
Ye Wen pretended to listen intently, though he found the method distasteful; it was inefficient, and the success rate was abysmally low a reflection of Tang San's rather uninspired approach to crafting rather than creating.
After Da Ming finished explaining, Ye Wen finally withdrew his killing intent.
Just as Da Ming began to feel relieved, Ye Wen's voice drifted over once more.
"This is the first and last time. As High Priests of the gods, you must act with the proper awareness and stop interfering in the natural course of the Douluo Continent. Serve your god diligently. Otherwise "
Ye Wen stood there calmly, but in the next moment, an overwhelming killing intent blanketed the area, making Da Ming and Er Ming shudder in terror. They silently wondered how many lives this man must have taken to cultivate such a dreadful aura.
"If you dare stir up trouble again, I'll kill both of you!"
With those harsh words, Ye Wen turned and left.
Seeing that he had genuinely left this time, the two brothers collapsed to the ground, entirely discarding any semblance of decorum they'd developed since becoming human. Despite Tang San's strict prohibition on revealing the path to godhood on the Douluo Continent, Da Ming felt no regret. Having already experienced death, he valued life more than anyone, especially the chance to be with his loved ones again.
However, Da Ming couldn't help but wonder how Er Ming had ended up antagonizing such a fearsome opponent.
"Er Ming, how did you get involved with someone like that? Tell me."
Without reservation, Er Ming explained how Tang San had tasked him with a simple guardian duty, just in case of unforeseen incidents. He had expected it to be an easy mission, but this unforeseen factor turned out to be so strong it had left both him and Da Ming thoroughly beaten.
Still, Er Ming, simple minded as ever, muttered defiantly, "If I could unleash my full power, that brat wouldn't stand a chance!"
Da Ming, who had been sympathizing with Er Ming's misfortune, frowned.
"Er Ming, mind your words."
"But Da Ming, if I'd really used all my strength, I could've given that brat a good beating," Er Ming retorted, stubbornly.
He shrank, however, under Da Ming's serious gaze.
Da Ming spoke earnestly, "Er Ming, I know you could defeat anyone on the Douluo Continent with your full power. But…"
Here, Da Ming's expression grew heavy.
"We both know that our strength wasn't achieved through our own cultivation. Just like that man said, our power was forcibly elevated; we lack the unwavering will of true powerhouses."
Seeing his elder brother speak so highly of their enemy, Er Ming could only open his mouth, then sigh and nod in reluctant acknowledgment.
Ye Wen's words had sparked a realization in Da Ming, the brains of the two brothers. Da Ming murmured thoughtfully to himself.
"Willpower… I may have the power of a god, but it always felt like something was missing. So it was willpower? That kid back at Sea God Island is a bit weaker than us, but the last time I saw him, he gave me a faint sense of threat. Could that be due to his willpower? Perhaps I could learn a thing or two from him."
Da Ming's voice was so soft that even Er Ming, despite his god level strength, couldn't quite catch it and asked, "What are you talking about, Da Ming?"
Da Ming shook himself from his thoughts and sighed, glancing at his naïve younger brother.
"It's nothing. For now, stay here and protect Xiao Wulin. I'll report our failure to Tang San."
"Oh," Er Ming replied, scratching his head, still baffled by Da Ming's complex expression.
Until he could fully understand this mysterious power, Da Ming decided not to share his thoughts with Er Ming; something told him this power required deeper reflection. What's more, he dreaded facing Tang San after bungling this rare mission. Although Tang San was technically his brother in law, the two brothers were still subordinate to him.
Back in Star Luo, seeing Ye Wen return unharmed, the onlookers collectively exhaled in relief, grateful that they hadn't lost the powerful ally they'd so carefully cultivated.
Yet Emperor Xingluo and his officials were deeply curious about the outcome of the battle. Ye Wen only offered a simple statement: he'd won. He avoided further details, as the stakes of this fight ran too deep.
Nonetheless, his victory had further muddied the already turbulent waters of the Douluo Continent.
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 515: The 99,999 Year Soul Bone · Fifteen
"Master, are you alright?"
As soon as Ye Wen returned to the courtyard, Huo Yu'er rushed over, her sharp eyes full of worry as she circled around him.
Ye Wen, who might have felt touched under other circumstances, held the overly excited Huo Yu'er in place with a sigh. "Who do you think your master is?"
Huo Yu'er wriggled free from his grasp, pressing her hands against his, grumbling playfully, "I was just concerned about you!"
Ye Wen rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help feeling a bit warm hearted as he looked toward the other girls waiting anxiously for him in the hall. Although they knew he was strong and likely safe, it felt nice to be cared for in this world, where no one knew his true identity.
"Alright, have a little faith in your master's abilities. Get some rest; you all have matches tomorrow. I don't want Tianxing Academy's debut to suffer any unexpected losses."
Ye Wen's words were somewhat stern, but the girls felt comforted. Other than the two princesses, most of them had once been adrift without anyone to rely on. Even though they knew Ye Wen was powerful, perhaps even on par with legends, his absence brought natural feelings of unease and anxiety. Now, their "big protector" had returned. Smiling, they each bid Ye Wen goodnight before retreating to their rooms.
Only Xu JiuJiu lingered, her eyes shining with curiosity, clearly eager to know the battle details. However, being mature and composed, she restrained her interest and bowed slightly to take her leave, sparing the others her inquisitiveness.
Once the hall had returned to silence, Ye Wen sat on the couch, slightly weary. While he didn't consider the strength of Da Ming and Er Ming, mere god officers, a threat, precisely controlling his power to defeat them without killing them had been mentally draining. Yet, no matter how tired, he would never show any hint of weakness before his disciples. Their lives had been hard enough; he didn't need to burden them further with guilt or worry.
After resting a moment, Ye Wen returned to his room and laid out four soul bones on the table: two left arm bones, one right arm bone, and one left leg bone. Apart from the duplicate left arm bone, he'd almost gathered half of a soul master's ideal soul bone set. Still, his expression was unperturbed. These were, after all, merely mortal level soul bones, and having seen numerous divine artifacts, he felt little excitement over these lesser items.
Yet, for newcomers to soul mastery like Huo Yu'er and the others, they would make excellent equipment.
Before giving the bones to them, however, Ye Wen planned to make a few modifications.
The people of Douluo Continent generally believed that soul bones were closely tied to a soul beast's cultivation. After millennia of observation, soul masters had concluded that extreme pain and negative emotions at the moment of a soul beast's death could increase the likelihood of producing a soul bone. But, of course, all of this was mere speculation.
Even after ten thousand years, soul bones remained rare treasures, coveted by ordinary soul masters as something almost mythical.
Yet, Ye Wen knew this rule was genuine because he had seen it explicitly while reshaping Douluo Star's laws. However, because this rule seemed unfairly punitive toward soul beasts and could incite conflict between humans and soul beasts, Ye Wen had erased it. With the rise of the Soul Armor era, the significance of soul bones had waned anyway.
Back to the point, the connection between soul bones and a soul beast's cultivation level was so strong that even a god attempting to create a 100,000 year soul bone from nothing would trigger Douluo's divine tribulation. However, this tribulation for soul bones allowed for a "grace period," just as it did for 100,000 year soul beasts. Upon crossing 100,000 years, there would be a thousand year buffer before the tribulation arrived.
However, unlike soul beasts, soul bones are inert and cannot transform into human form.
Because of this grace period, newly ascended gods could increase the age of their soul bones without triggering a tribulation immediately. Gods could only remain on the Douluo plane for a maximum of 100 years after ascension, thus avoiding any divine retribution.
Douluo's God Realm may be unscrupulous in its rules, but not all of its members lack honor. The Angel God, for instance, left behind a generous legacy, providing their inheritor with a full set of soul bones that wouldn't trigger a tribulation, along with strict tests of character.
Unfortunately, no matter how noble someone's character might be, if they're hopelessly fixated on love, even the best of them are lost.
Images of two radiant figures, cloaked in holy light, briefly crossed Ye Wen's mind, but he quickly refocused.
"Let's get to work."
To avoid a future tribulation, the soul bone age limit had to be capped at 99,999 years. Once a soul bone exceeded that age and reached 100,000 years, it would be recorded by Douluo's twisted world rules, potentially leaving behind hidden dangers.
Since Huo Yu'er and the others were still quite young, Ye Wen didn't want to stir up trouble. He used his divine power to raise the age of the soul bones to 99,999 years. As for the 100,000 year soul bones they'd need later for divine armor, he would deal with that in time.
After enhancing the bones to this limit, Ye Wen began adjusting the soul skills embedded in the bones, excluding the Ice Jade Scorpion left arm bone.
Previously, it was mentioned that the soul skills obtained by absorbing a soul bone weren't fixed except in rare cases. Regular soul masters couldn't manipulate the origin rules within a soul bone, leaving them to chance. But as a God King, Ye Wen could manipulate the rules within a soul bone, directly solidifying the skills he desired.
A short while later, Ye Wen inspected his work, nodding in satisfaction.
The left leg bone was ideal for Jiang Nannan, whose Soft Bone Rabbit martial spirit matched leg bones perfectly. It was a 99,999 year Gale Leopard left leg bone with the skill Heavenly Wind Flash, which doubled speed for three minutes.
The right arm bone was power oriented, making it perfect for Tang Ya. While Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron had a strength aspect, Tang Ya's Blue Silver Emperor martial spirit, combined with her years of training in the Tang Sect's secret techniques, made her the better candidate. Tang Ya's skill with hidden weapons required strong arms, and a boost in power would further enhance her abilities with hidden weapons.
(End of Chapter)
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