Qian Xunji reached out and took the soul bone into his hand—a crystal-clear piece pulsing with gentle yet potent energy.
Qian Jun and Jiang Mo couldn't hide the burning desire in their eyes as they stared at it. Soul bones were incredibly rare—something no one ever thought they had enough of.
For a Title Douluo, just having one soul bone was already extraordinary. Even with the backing of the Spirit Hall and inherited soul bones from their clan, Qian Jun and Jiang Mo didn't have a full set themselves.
"Honored Elders, please guard me."
Without hesitation, Qian Xunji sat cross-legged and began to absorb the soul bone. The clan did have a full set of the Angelic Soul Bone Six-Piece Set, each at the peak of 99,999 years—ideal for the Seraphim Martial Soul. But all six pieces had to be absorbed together to evolve into a true 100,000-year set, and that required a soul power of rank 100.
Since he wouldn't be able to absorb the whole set anytime soon and would eventually have to return or pass them down, he decided to absorb this soul bone instead.
As for the prideful Qian Xunji from the original story—would he have absorbed it? Likely not.
But for this Qian Xunji, this would be his first soul bone—an undeniable fact, even as the heir to the Spirit Hall.
As soon as he began the absorption, a blue radiance enveloped him.
Soul bones were more precious than soul rings—not just because of their rarity and inheritance potential, but also because there were no soul power level restrictions for absorbing them. If luck favored you, even a rank-1 soul master could absorb a 100,000-year soul bone.
Half a day later, Qian Xunji opened his eyes, having successfully absorbed it. A flash of blue shimmered in his pupils, which now seemed brighter and clearer. His mind felt sharper, his thoughts more coherent, and within a 5,000-meter radius, everything became distinctly perceptible under his heightened spiritual sense.
"Congratulations, Young Master!"
Qian Jun and Jiang Mo offered their heartfelt congratulations.
"Though Young Master has only just broken through to Soul Douluo, your spiritual power is already at the level of a Title Douluo."
"No need for such formality, Elders," Qian Xunji replied. "When I battle the soul beast, I'll need you to guard me and drive off any others."
With that, Qian Xunji, Qian Jun, and Jiang Mo delved deeper into the Star Dou Forest in search of a suitable soul beast.
The deeper they went, the denser the spiritual energy became. Soul beasts trained faster in this rich environment, and because of limited space, the weaker ones were driven out.
Survival of the fittest—an eternal law of the world.
As the heir to Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji had full access to its grand library. His theoretical knowledge was exceptionally thorough.
To obtain the best soul rings, one had to find soul beasts that matched their martial soul in both type and age.
Theory dictated that the most compatible soul bones—and soul rings—were the most effective. Once absorbed, a soul ring fuses with the body and martial soul. When activating a soul skill, a portion of soul power is drawn into the ring, where it merges with the ring's stored energy and releases power based on its innate rules.
Only soul rings that aligned well with one's martial soul allowed for easier energy transfer, more powerful skills, and growth of the martial soul. In contrast, mismatched rings could hinder growth or even cause regression.
That's why a fire-type martial soul absorbing an ice-type soul ring would not only waste the soul skill but also sabotage future cultivation.
After three full days and nights of searching, they finally encountered a soul beast radiating with brilliant holy energy. It had existed for approximately 75,000 years. This beast stood eight meters long, with two wings on its back. Its fur was snow-white, needle-sharp like steel, laced with black stripes. Its limbs were thick and bursting with strength, and its four saber-like fangs—each thirty centimeters long—gleamed with a pale golden light, capable of tearing through anything.
A 75,000-year top-tier soul beast—Two-Winged Radiant White Tiger.
Its golden eyes locked onto the trio, more precisely on Qian Jun and Jiang Mo, filled with wariness. At this level of cultivation, its intelligence was nearly on par with humans. The aura radiating from Qian Jun and Jiang Mo gave it a palpable sense of impending death—they were likely Title Douluo.
Two Title Douluo escorting a weakling? Their intent was clear: to kill it and harvest its soul ring for the younger one.
"Honored Elders, please guard me!"
Qian Xunji stepped forward. Two yellow, two purple, and three black rings rose beneath his feet. Behind him, his Seraphim Martial Soul unfurled its wings.
Qian Jun said gravely, "Young Master, no! A 75,000-year Two-Winged Radiant White Tiger possesses power equivalent to a Title Douluo. Let us handle it!"
"That's exactly why I need you both to guard me. If I truly face life-threatening danger, I ask you to step in."
Qian Xunji's fifth soul ring lit up, and a brilliant longsword of blazing golden flame materialized in his hand.
Fifth Soul Skill: Holy Sword.
Seeing the trust Qian Xunji placed in them, Qian Jun and Jiang Mo didn't dare fall short. Two yellow, two purple, and five black rings appeared beneath their feet. Each wielded a Red and Blue Dragon Rod thick as a man's wrist.
Their Title Douluo-level pressure burst out unrestrained, dispersing nearby soul beasts and clearing the field for Qian Xunji, ensuring they could rescue him if things went awry.
Qian Xunji pointed his sword at the Radiant White Tiger. "Come, soul beast. At your level, I'm sure you can understand me. Your fate is already sealed. But if you fight back, you might just take me with you."
"ROAR—!!"
The tiger let out a deafening roar, its golden vertical pupils flashing with savage fury. The black stripes on its body glowed with golden light like fireflies. Its wings slowly unfolded.
Qian Xunji wasn't wrong—its chances of survival were zero. But if it could at least drag him down with it, that would be worth something.
The earth beneath it caved in, and in the next instant, the beast shot forward like a bolt of golden lightning, jaws wide, its head twisting at a 90-degree angle. Its massive fangs aimed directly at Qian Xunji's waist, clearly intending to rip him in half.
Second Soul Skill: Angel Wings.
A pair of illusory wings unfurled from Qian Xunji's back, turning his body semi-transparent. The tiger's devastating strike passed straight through him.
Angel Wings: Grants full immunity to physical attacks and 50% resistance to energy-based ones.
As the tiger barreled through his body, Qian Xunji, empowered by his newly acquired intelligence-enhancing soul bone, his reflexes and mental clarity now at their peak, swung the Holy Sword in a swift arc.
A spray of crimson blood burst from beneath the tiger's foreleg!
(Chapter End)
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