Final Preparations

When Tang San returned to the courtyard in Seahorse City, it was already the next day.

The five people sat down again in the courtyard.

Tang San took out the Soul Bones from his Storage Soul Tool and placed them one by one on the stone table.

The five Soul Bones gleamed with their own unique luster in the morning light, refracting varying shades of light under the sunlight.

The most eye-catching item is the 80,000-year-old skeleton of Evil Spirit Orca.

The torso bones and Head Soul Bones are the most important and precious of all the Soul Bone positions.

The Head Soul Bone can greatly enhance Soul Master's Spiritual Power, while the torso bone can comprehensively strengthen Soul Master's basic attributes.

This 80,000-year-old Evil Spirit Orca skeleton, with its dark gold color, is approaching the 100,000-year mark and is the most precious of the five Soul Bones.

In addition, there is a 60,000-year-old left leg bone, a 50,000-year-old right leg bone, a 30,000-year-old right arm bone, and the 40,000-year-old Demon Soul Great White Shark Left Arm Bone.

The group's gazes swept over the five Soul Bones one by one, each weighing their attributes and value in their minds.

After a moment of silence in the courtyard, Tang San spoke first, his gaze sweeping over the four girls' faces in turn. "Everyone, what do you think we should do with these Soul Bones?"

Ye Lingling's gaze lingered on those few Soul Bones for only a moment before she looked away.

She answered first, "The Evil Spirit Orca's attributes are mainly water, ice, and evil, which don't match my Martial Soul. Therefore, none of these Soul Bones are suitable for me."

Tang San nodded and turned his gaze to Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er's gaze fell on the Soul Bones of those Evil Spirit Orca. She remained silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I just absorbed a 100,000-year-old Evil Orca King's right leg bone. If I absorb another Evil Spirit Orca Soul Bone of the same origin, although there won't be any conflict in attributes, the skills might overlap, which would prevent me from maximizing the value of each Soul Bone."

She raised her head, her eyes already showing determination. "I'd rather reserve the position for a more suitable Soul Bone in the future."

Xiao Wu waved her hand dismissively, her tone crisp and decisive. "No need to look at me. The attributes of the Evil Spirit Orca are completely incompatible with me, and none of these Soul Bones are suitable for me."

Tang San's gaze finally settled on Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan's eyes swept back and forth between the several Soul Bones, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

After a moment, she slowly spoke, "Besides its water attribute, the Evil Spirit Orca also possesses a strong evil attribute. This aspect is quite compatible with my Evil Dragon Martial Soul."

"Yan Yan is right." Tang San nodded, reached out and picked up the most precious 80,000-year-old torso bone, handing it to Dugu Yan. "You can absorb this torso bone. You still have nine Life and Death Arena battles to complete, so you need to improve your strength as soon as possible to prepare for those battles. The torso bone provides the most comprehensive boost to basic attributes among all Soul Bone slots, and this 80,000-year-old one is of extremely high quality, perfect for you."

Dugu Yan looked at the dark golden torso bone and reached out to take it.

As her fingertips touched the bone, a glint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes. "Alright, then I won't be polite."

Tang San picked up the remaining four Soul Bones, examined them one by one, and then put them back into his Storage Soul Tool.

He concluded, "Let's save the remaining four pieces for now. There's no rush to use them. We'll see if a more suitable opportunity arises later, or when everyone urgently needs to replenish their Soul Bones."

The group nodded to each other, with no objections.

Dugu Yan didn't linger. She picked up the piece of torso bone, stood up, and walked towards the secret chamber deep in the courtyard.

Three hours later, the door to the secret chamber reopened, and Dugu Yan walked out.

Her steps were more steady than when she went in, each step carrying a solid sense of power.

To Tang San's surprise, the curves had become even larger.

He stood by the stone table, looked Dugu Yan up and down, and then asked, "How is it?"

Dugu Yan felt the new power within her body, her tone tinged with satisfaction. "My Soul Power has increased by one level, now it's level eighty-eight. My physical strength and basic attributes have also improved significantly, more than one level stronger than before. The most noticeable improvement is in defense; I can clearly feel that the muscles and bones in my torso have been reinforced."

"The torso bone skill is called 'Evil Whale Armor'," Dugu Yan continued. "Once activated, the entire body is covered with a layer of dark purple energy armor, greatly increasing its defensive capabilities. The armor can withstand a full-force attack from Titled Douluo and can absorb any attack with evil attributes."

Tang San nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "This is a trump card to save your life in a critical moment; it will be extremely useful in the Life and Death Arena you are about to face."

With level 88 and the addition of a powerful defensive Soul Bone Skill, Dugu Yan's strength has reached another level.

The five people continued to sit around in the courtyard.

Tang San then shifted the topic to the upcoming tests, asking, "We need to speed things up. What is your Fifth Trial?"

Shui Bing'er explained very seriously, "The Fifth Trial is 'Challenging the Sacred Pillar Guardians.' I need to defeat seven Sacred Pillar Guardians of Sea God Island consecutively, and I must complete this within thirty-six hours. Sister Yan and Xiao Wu's tasks are relatively easier; they need to defeat two Sacred Pillar Guardians within thirty-six hours."

Tang San nodded; this was basically the same as the assessment he remembered.

He remained silent for a moment, his brow furrowed slightly, before voicing his concerns. "Seven consecutive battles, even if each one is quick and decisive, the continuous drain over three days and three nights is beyond the capacity of a normal recovery rate. Moreover, the opponents are all Titled Douluo, so none of the battles will be easy. The sustainability of our Soul Power will be the biggest problem."

Shui Bing'er slightly curved the corners of her mouth, a hint of composure flashing in her icy blue eyes. "Third Brother, don't forget I also have a newly acquired domain skill, 'Ice Phoenix Returns to Nest.' This skill can draw energy from the surrounding water elements with extremely high efficiency to replenish its own consumption. In an ocean environment, I can continuously replenish my Soul Power."

She paused, then added, "While continuous battles on Sea God Island are a war of attrition for others, for me it's a battle where I can continuously replenish my energy. The Soul Power I used up in the first battle can be mostly restored through the icy tides during the breaks in the fighting. I'm confident I can last until the seventh battle."

Tang San shook his head, his brows still furrowed. "The others are fine, but as far as I know, one of the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians is a Sea Dragon Douluo. He possesses a Demon-Breaking Domain that can break through any domain. If he uses his Demon-Breaking Domain to suppress your Ice Phoenix Domain, your domain skills won't function properly, and your Soul Power will be interrupted."

Shui Bing'er's pupils contracted slightly, and the composure on her face was instantly replaced by a hint of seriousness.

"Demon-Breaking Domain?"

She knew what that meant.

If her domain is suppressed, her Soul Power replenishment will be cut off.

Once her Soul Power is exhausted, and her opponent's Soul Power is nearly ten levels higher than hers, it will be difficult to deal with and the risk is very high.