Soul Bone Ownership

Gu You and Tang San stared at each other. Gu You had never expected Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao to be willing to give them the Spirit Bone. After all, no matter how one looked at it, this was a Spirit Bone—the ultimate treasure of a Soul Master.

Gu You had thought Ma Xiunuo would offer a large sum of Gold Soul Coins to buy the Spirit Bone. Instead, he had actually returned it to Gu You and Tang San.

Tang San, meanwhile, had not expected such an important event to happen while he was absorbing his Soul Ring—and for everyone to hide it from him. Although he knew they had been worried about others overhearing and leaking the secret, he was still very unhappy.

"Fine, so you didn't tell me about something as important as a Spirit Bone? I was even worried that you and Brother Tao had gotten into a fight. So you stopped talking because you didn't want to tell me about the Spirit Bone, huh?"

Hearing the displeasure in Tang San's voice, Gu You immediately put on a fawning smile and said, "How could that be? We were just trying to prevent anyone from eavesdropping and reduce the chance of an accident."

Looking at Gu You's ingratiating expression, Tang San could not bring himself to bring the Hammer down, so he could only shake his head and look at the Spirit Bone on the table.

Gu You also dropped his frivolous expression and walked over to the table. He introduced it to Tang San: "Lightning-Struck Wood Left Leg Bone. It came from a Lightning-Struck Wood of about three hundred years. It is a Plant Type Soul Beast, whose inherent traits are hardness, vigorous vitality, and lightning resistance. The vigorous vitality has already been obtained by your Soul Ring, so I think the ability will most likely be either hardening or lightning resistance. Considering that the Spirit Beast Forest where it lived isn't a region with frequent lightning strikes, it is even more likely to be a skill that enhances defense."

Tang San did not understand Gu You's logic and expressed his confusion with a single syllable: "Hm?"

Gu You explained, "First, in the forest, I proposed the factors involved in the formation of Soul Skills. Student Tang San, do you remember what the teacher said in the last lesson?"

Tang San ignored Gu You's antics and seriously recalled it. "I remember. First, the Soul Beast's own strengths and traits. Then, adapting to the traits of the Martial Soul itself. Finally, being influenced by the Soul Master's own thoughts."

"Exactly. Those are the conditions I believe form a Soul Skill. After verifying them with myself and with you, Xiao San, I confirmed that this possibility exists."

"As something produced from a Soul Beast, it is perfectly normal for it to carry strong traits of that Soul Beast. However, because it must adapt to our Martial Souls, it is also perfectly normal for enormous changes to occur during the formation of a Soul Skill."

"But Spirit Bones are different. Although very few Spirit Bones have been recorded in books, some patterns can still be found among them."

As he spoke, Gu You placed several books on the table. "Travelogue: Shadows Under the Raging Sand; Travelogue: Psychedelic Journey; and the autobiography Beyond Myself: Records from the Land of Flame. All three books clearly mention Spirit Bones, and describe in great detail the Soul Beasts that produced them, their effects, and the forms their abilities took. We can compare that with the records in the Spirit Beast Bestiary."

Gu You pushed the books toward Tang San. Tang San did not stand on ceremony and began reading the pages Gu You had specified.

As he read, Tang San's expression changed slightly. "This effect..."

"Pretty amazing, right?" Gu You picked up his cup and took a sip. "The Soul Beast Explosive Flame Tiger has flames with explosive properties. The Spirit Bone skill it produces gives all flame skills explosive properties. The Soul Beast Starry Sky Butterfly can gradually weaken the strength of anyone who sees it, and the Spirit Bone skill it produces is weakness. The Soul Beast Lightning Bird can release lightning from its entire body, and its Spirit Bone skill is electrical discharge."

"What is especially amazing is that the users of the Starry Sky Butterfly Spirit Bone and Lightning Bird Spirit Bone are, respectively, an Agility Attack System Soul Master and a Support System Soul Master. Both obtained Spirit Bone skills completely unrelated to their own development paths and unrelated to their Martial Souls."

"So I can make a bold guess. Although Spirit Bones are scarce, the reason for their formation is actually similar to that of Soul Rings. They simply do not require the latter two conditions, leaving only the first—in other words, they form according to the Soul Beast's own abilities and traits."

"Xiao San, look at the second book, Psychedelic Journey. That Agility Attack System Soul Master obtained both the Starry Sky Butterfly's Soul Ring and Spirit Bone, but the abilities produced were completely different. The Soul Skill was illusion, which concealed his form, while the Spirit Bone skill was weakness, which reduced the enemy's abilities. Both were exactly abilities and combat methods of the Starry Sky Butterfly: first continuously weaken the enemy, then conceal its form and wait for the prey to weaken to death."

"The Soul Skill and Spirit Bone skill corresponded to the two things the Soul Beast Starry Sky Butterfly was best at, rather than having the same effect."

"This allows us to make a second deduction: at the very least, in the vast majority of cases, Spirit Bone skills and Soul Skills are different."

"Following my deduction in reverse, the Soul Beast Lightning-Struck Wood has three traits. First, tenacious vitality. Second, hardness. Third, lightning resistance. The vitality-related trait has already been absorbed by you as a Soul Skill, so what remains is hardness and lightning resistance. I already explained the comparison between the two."

"So my conclusion is that this Spirit Bone will most likely provide a hardness-related skill—in other words, a Soul Skill related to defense. If you absorb it, it might further strengthen your Blue Silver Grass. It might also increase your body's defense, or perhaps enhance both at the same time. There is also a very small possibility that it will grant resistance to lightning or further strengthen your vitality."

"Xiao San, this Spirit Bone is yours. Whether you absorb it or use it for something else, whatever decision you make, I will support you."

Looking at the emerald-green Spirit Bone, Tang San fell into thought. He did not know whether he should absorb it. Tang San knew very well that once he absorbed it, he would possess an advantage far beyond that of his peers. Even Gu You would be inferior to him. But this Spirit Bone was only a hundred years old. Everyone called his talent that of a future Title Douluo. Was this Spirit Bone truly suitable for him? Would he be able to find a better one in the future?

Seeing Tang San's hesitation, Gu You offered an idea he had considered for a long time. "Xiao San, how about this? Lend this Spirit Bone to me."

"Lend it to you?" Tang San did not understand how something like a Spirit Bone could be lent to someone else.

Gu You explained, "Not for me to absorb it, but for me to study it. Absorbing a Spirit Bone requires placing it against the corresponding body part and circulating Soul Power. As long as I don't let it come near my left leg, there is nothing to worry about. Whenever you decide you want to absorb it, just come and take it back."

Tang San thought it over and felt that this was indeed the most suitable decision. Since he could not make up his mind for the time being, there was no harm in lending it to Gu You temporarily. If Gu You really managed to research something, Tang San could benefit from it as well.

Tang San nodded in agreement. Since neither of them had a Storage Soul Tool, Gu You suggested finding a broken chest, wrapping the Spirit Bone, and placing it inside. They could then cover it with some discarded Soul Tools that still had Soul Power fluctuations, which would allow them to conceal it from prying eyes.

PS: If a person does not act for himself, Heaven and Earth will destroy him. There have been plenty of cases where brothers turned against each other over trivial matters, so when faced with a treasure like a Spirit Bone, it is better to make everything clear. Please don't think Tang San is petty or that the protagonist is too cowardly. After all, it is only a hundred-year Spirit Bone, and it is not particularly useful.

Should I add a Holy Sword of Light Soul Tool in the future? It's such a dilemma. Pure Love released a new card, and it feels like a last meal. I'll be busy tomorrow and need to go to bed early tonight, so both updates tomorrow will be posted in the evening. Finally, please continue to vote, collect, and cast your monthly tickets.