Storm of Ideas

As Zhou You spoke, he took out the External Soul Bone he had obtained in the Sunset Forest that day from his Treasure Bag.

"Everyone, please look. This is an External Soul Bone. Do you see that crystal-like object inside? If I told you it was a Soul Tool, what would you think?"

The group of old men were wondering where this kid had come from, daring to get involved in their argument.

But before they could ask any questions, they were drawn to Zhou You's topic and the things in his hands.

"Impossible! You're saying this is Soul Tool?"

"I think you're really getting senile. He's not saying anything more; this is External Soul Bone!"

"I think you're the one with dementia. The real problem is that he fused his External Soul Bone and Soul Tool together."

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

"Soul Tools are man-made objects, while Soul Bones are things created by heaven and earth. How can they be integrated?"

Zhou You immediately interjected, "Then the question arises: if Soul Bones are truly natural substances, why are they specifically designed for Soul Masters?"

As the crowd's voices gradually subsided, Zhou You's voice stood out.

"As everyone knows, no matter what kind of Soul Beast it is, as long as it produces Soul Bones, they are for the use of Soul Masters. I have never heard of any Soul Beast absorbing Soul Bone. Of course, Transformed Soul Beasts are another matter."

"However, the example of Transformed Soul Beasts also proves that only humans, or rather, 'human form,' can absorb and use Soul Bones. Haven't you noticed anything wrong with that, everyone?"

"What's the problem?" someone asked instinctively, clearly completely absorbed by Zhou You's words.

"Specificity!" Zhou You's voice was calm and carried a strong persuasive force. "Whether it's Soul Ring or Soul Bone, they only appear when humans kill Soul Beasts. I've never heard of Soul Rings or Soul Bones being produced when Soul Beasts fight each other."

"Therefore, the appearance of these two things carries a strong specific purpose; they are like items created specifically for Soul Masters, just as Soul Tool are designed specifically for Soul Masters."

"Ordinary people without Soul Power cannot use Soul Tools, nor can they absorb Soul Rings. Obviously, these things are prepared for Soul Masters, but why?"

This is what is meant by "the darkest place is under the lamp"—it has always been so, so we take it for granted.

People in this world have accepted this basic common sense, so few people think about the reasons behind it. Or perhaps some have thought about it but couldn't find any meaningful answers and gave up.

Just as before Newton discovered Universal Gravitation, did no one really think about this problem? Not necessarily, right? It's just that those people didn't have enough basic knowledge or enough financial resources to study and solve this mystery.

In fact, even Newton, who discovered Universal Gravitation, was troubled by the problem of the "first cause." In his compilation of Classical Mechanics, he could only explain the laws of motion of macroscopic objects, but could not explain how these laws came about in the first place.

Unable to explain it, Newton ultimately attributed the problem to divine intervention.

It is evident that even great scholars have limitations in their understanding, and these elderly scholars before us are no exception.

Zhou You's question struck everyone's minds like a thunderbolt, as if a barrier of knowledge had been suddenly broken through.

Someone muttered to themselves, "Yes, why?"

"Soul Rings, Soul Rings!" Some people began to peruse ancient books, or other Soul Masters ' notes, or even recently published Thesis.

"No, no! No one has ever witnessed the production of Soul Rings and Soul Bones in battles between Soul Beasts!"

"Good heavens, why hasn't anyone noticed this problem before!"

"Same format, same rules, hiss... Aren't Soul Rings and Soul Bones just like Soul Tools?"

"You mean Soul Rings and Soul Bones are also a type of Soul Tool? That's absolutely unbelievable!"

"But think about it carefully, don't you think this makes sense? I've heard that most members of the royal Dai Clan and the Zhu Clan family of the Star Luo Empire hunt the same Soul Beasts that their predecessors hunted, thus obtaining the same Soul Rings and ultimately the same Soul Skills."

"Doesn't this perfectly match the characteristics of Soul Tools being 'repeatable' and 'mass-producible'?"

"But this raises a new question: who, or rather what, makes the Soul Rings and Soul Bones?"

"Gathered by heaven and earth?"

"What a convenient way to put it! You can use this reason to explain everything you don't understand. Do you even deserve to be called a scholar?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

The person being asked naturally couldn't give a clear answer, so he subconsciously turned his gaze to Zhou You.

Not only him, but others who couldn't think of an answer also looked at Zhou You, and for a moment, Zhou You was surrounded by many eyes.

Ning Rongrong, who was lost in thought, finally realized that the entire research institute had fallen silent at some point, and all the scholars had temporarily stopped their work and gathered around Zhou You.

Ning Rongrong is short, and her view was blocked by the crowd, so she could no longer see Zhou You.

She tugged anxiously at the sleeve of the Soul Saint beside her, and only then did he come to his senses.

"Young Miss?"

"Can I borrow your shoulder?"

Soul Saint Guardian: "???"

But when the young lady spoke, how could he dare to object? He could only bend down and let Ning Rongrong's two fair and tender little legs straddle his shoulders and neck, and then lift the little girl up high.

Now Ning Rongrong will be able to see Zhou You.

Zhou You, usually so composed, suddenly became piercingly bright, his voice steady and powerful, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible passion.

"Imagine, everyone, that such a being truly exists in this world. It uses its own will to define the camps for all living beings, stipulating that Soul Masters can hunt Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings and Soul Bones. What can we do with these things?"

"Enhance your strength?"

"That's right, its most direct effect is to enhance the strength of Soul Masters," Zhou You pointed to the speaker and affirmed, "To be more precise, it allows Soul Masters to transform and gain combat abilities capable of fighting against Soul Beasts."

"This at least shows that the entity that exists encourages us to compete for survival with the Soul Beasts!"

Zhou You spoke quickly, but his enunciation remained clear. "Then let's think about it again, in this competition for survival, which side has the greater advantage?"

"Of course, it's the Soul Master!" Someone said confidently on the spot, without a doubt.

Zhou You nodded. "Yes, without a doubt, they are Soul Masters. Although the average cultivation level of Soul Masters is not high nowadays, and Soul Saints are already extremely rare, in terms of individual combat ability, Soul Masters are generally inferior to Soul Beasts. However, we have more of them, and their numbers are increasing."

"Although the Soul Master community has its own stances and divisions, overall, we are all human beings, and when facing Soul Beasts, we can unite as one."

"And what about Soul Beasts?" He changed the subject, shifting to the perspective of Soul Beasts, "From the lowest level, Soul Beasts not only face hunting by human Soul Masters, but also predation from natural enemies, and even have to fight with other Soul Beasts in the same ecological niche to protect their territory."

"While the human world isn't a monolithic entity, the Soul Beast population is even more fragmented. At the current rate of development, Soul Beasts might become completely extinct within a few thousand years!"

At this moment, someone asked in surprise, "You mean, that being... He deliberately designed rules that benefit Soul Masters Soul Master, intending to completely exterminate Soul Beasts?"