Soul Bone!
The term flashed instantly through Zhou Qing's mind.
In the world of Soul Masters, soul bones were treasures of immense value. Even a century-level soul bone could spark fierce competition among Soul Masters, simply because the chances of a soul beast dropping a soul bone were vanishingly low.
Except for hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts or those with extremely rare bloodlines, even a ninety-thousand-year-old soul beast might not drop one.
Because of their rarity, soul bones were highly coveted in the Soul Master world.
But what Zhou Qing hadn't expected was—Tang San actually obtained a soul bone while absorbing his very first soul ring...
And Zhou Qing suspected it was an external soul bone!
Based on the original story's description of soul bones, only external soul bones had the potential to be absorbed and fused directly during soul ring absorption. All other soul bones had to be excavated from the remains of slain soul beasts.
So this is what it means to be the protagonist?
Jealous!
Meanwhile, watching secretly from the shadows, Tang Hao also noticed the change in Tang San's right palm and paused in surprise.
"That's... an external soul bone?"
Even though Tang Hao's brain was mostly brawn, being a member of the Clear Sky Sect, he still had a solid understanding of soul bones.
Still, he never imagined that his son would obtain a soul bone—and not just any soul bone, but an external soul bone nearly on par with the hundred-thousand-year level—during the absorption of his very first ring!
Why nearly?
Because external soul bones can grow stronger along with the Soul Master. In theory, if a Soul Master reaches Titled Douluo rank (level 95+), the external bone could evolve into the hundred-thousand-year tier.
Moreover, due to their rarity, external soul bones were scarcely recognized. Once fully absorbed and fused into a Soul Master's body, even if that Soul Master were killed, the bone could no longer be retrieved by others…
Time passed quickly. Half an hour later—
Tang San had completed the absorption of his first soul ring. Compared to before, he'd grown about five centimeters taller, and his face had filled out slightly, giving him a more refined appearance.
This was likely due to the slight awakening of his Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
But Zhou Qing had his doubts. Could a mere soul ring from Wolfbrush Grass really cause such a noticeable transformation? The only reasonable explanation was the external soul bone in his right palm.
After all, it was a plant-type bone. Given Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, the stimulation must have awakened a small portion of his innate power—which Zhou Qing could understand.
"How is it? What level is your soul power now?"
Xiao Wu rushed over, eager to know. Her position as the boss of Dorm Seven was on the line. If Tang San's soul power surpassed hers, wouldn't she have to give up her title?
"Around level fourteen... maybe close to fifteen,"
Tang San responded after sensing his internal condition. Deep down, he confirmed a theory: although his tenth-level soul power had been cultivated using Xuan Tian Technique, it didn't mean his martial spirits lacked innate soul power.
After acquiring his first soul ring and breaking through level ten, he could clearly feel that the innate power within his two martial spirits had begun to circulate along the Xuan Tian route, merging into controllable soul power.
After this integration, his connection with his Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer martial spirits became even stronger—he could even faintly sense some of their instinctive traits.
Martial spirits… had life too!
However, his leap to level fifteen wasn't just due to the soul ring energy or the latent power of his martial spirits. Tang San sensed a mysterious change in his right hand as well.
But with outsiders like Xiao Wu and Romantina present, he had no intention of revealing it just yet. He planned to ask Zhou Qing about it later in private.
"Level fourteen?!"
Romantina gaped. "The boost from a hundred-year soul ring is that strong?"
"Probably because the Wolfbrush Grass was highly compatible with Tang San's Blue Silver Grass," Zhou Qing replied calmly. "That particular plant had likely cultivated for nearly five hundred years."
"Five hundred?! But isn't the max limit for a first soul ring around four hundred and twenty years?" Romantina asked, frowning slightly. Still, she didn't question it too much—perhaps she'd misjudged the plant's age earlier.
"Everyone's body is different,"
Zhou Qing said seriously. "I've studied records in Notting Academy's library detailing the age limits Soul Masters can endure at each stage. A thousand years ago, even Titled Douluo sometimes had thousand-year-level sixth rings. Over time, every generation has pushed those limits higher."
"So from that perspective, every generation of Soul Masters has grown physically stronger."
"Plus, soul ring compatibility with the martial spirit plays a crucial role," he added. "Take Tang San. His martial spirit is plant-type, and his physical condition is above average, allowing him to absorb a higher-level plant-type soul ring. But if he tried absorbing a beast-type ring, even a hundred-year one might have caused excruciating pain."
In the original story, Tang San had suffered greatly while absorbing the Mandrake Snake's soul ring. Without the support of Xuan Tian Technique, his body might've exploded from the backlash.
To Zhou Qing, that was because the Mandrake Snake and Blue Silver Grass were worlds apart—in race, in elemental nature. The only similarity between them was perhaps their "entangling" nature.
So refining that ring's energy had been a struggle.
But now, the refining process was far smoother and more efficient.
"I see!" Romantina nodded as if suddenly enlightened. Then she blinked. "So... with my physique, could I handle a soul ring older than five hundred years too?"
"I'd recommend three to four hundred years," Zhou Qing said cautiously. He wasn't about to make risky assumptions—Tang San had the Xuan Tian Technique, and both his martial spirits came with their own cultivation paths. Romantina couldn't be compared directly.
Based on her slow cultivation speed alone, Zhou Qing guessed she didn't even sense the soul power flow pathways provided by her brain-type martial spirit.
A brain-type martial spirit was clearly spiritual in nature.
That meant its soul power routes would be incredibly complex. Without the aid of psychic skills, Romantina likely relied solely on meditating with her martial spirit to passively absorb energy from her surroundings. She probably had no idea how to actively circulate soul power through her body's meridians to cultivate efficiently.
Which meant trying to absorb a five-hundred-year ring would be highly dangerous for her.
Of course, the Wolfbrush Grass that Tang San absorbed probably wasn't actually five hundred years old—more like three or four hundred. But to make Tang San's nearly level-15 soul power more believable, Zhou Qing had to exaggerate.
Besides, the plant had already been incinerated—no one could verify its age now anyway.
"Why not?" Romantina asked, puzzled. "I feel like my body's stronger than Tang San's."
"Uh... it would hurt. A lot."
Zhou Qing had barely finished speaking when he remembered a crucial detail: Romantina is a masochist.
As expected—
"Painful?!"
Romantina's eyes sparkled with excitement.