External Soul Bone, Eight Spider Lances

Star Dou Great Forest.

Seeing the unprecedented sight before her, Doudou's eyes widened. "Miss Meng isn't going to turn into a giant spider, is she?"

Doudou had taken more than half an hour to absorb her Soul Ring, but Meng Yiran had been struggling for a full two hours already.

What reassured everyone was that the eight spider legs on her back had continued moving, at least proving that Meng Yiran was still alive.

Then her furrowed brows relaxed somewhat. She gave a soft grunt before slowly opening her eyes, which were filled with confusion.

Meng Yiran had no idea what had just happened. She only knew that for the first two hours, she had been trapped in pain. From time to time, she could hear Ye Buqun's instructions, her grandfather Meng Shu's encouragement, her grandmother Chao Tianxiang's worried voice, and Doudou's repeated exclamations of amazement.

After enduring all that pain, Meng Yiran suddenly felt completely refreshed. The comfort was so overwhelming that it made her drowsy. Everything before her was hazy, as though shrouded in mist. Before long, her mind abruptly became clear, and the scene before her gradually came into focus.

She felt increasingly comfortable. Every cell and molecule in her body seemed to be dancing joyfully. Though her back felt somewhat itchy, that sensation was hard to resist amid such bliss. Every inch of her skin greedily drank in the wonderful air, and she felt as though she had become somewhat different from before.

Everyone had been watching her closely. At that moment, three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—pulsed around her body. The thousand-year Soul Ring was especially distinct and radiant. The phantom Serpent Cane that had originally circled around her had vanished, but the eight spider legs on her back remained.

Worry still lingered on Chao Tianxiang's face, but Dragon Duke Meng Shu burst into laughter. "I truly never expected that something neither this old man nor my wife possesses would fall into your hands, Yiran. This is truly a heaven-sent opportunity! Sect Master, please accept another bow from this old man."

After Meng Yiran's strange transformation, not only was her grandfather not worried, he was overjoyed. He bowed to Ye Buqun again.

Seeing this, Chao Tianxiang seemed to understand something as well. "Old man, you mean?"

The smile on Meng Shu's face did not fade. "Our precious granddaughter truly is a child favored by the heavens. This is a Soul Bone!"

"What? A Soul Bone?!"

Everyone had heard of them, but none had ever seen one.

Soul Bones were incredibly precious, and they were also what Soul Masters dreamed of obtaining. Like Soul Rings, they came from Soul Beasts, but they were also vastly different from Soul Rings. Every Soul Beast would produce a Soul Ring when killed, but the chance of a Soul Bone appearing was less than one in a thousand. Thus, Soul Bones were exceedingly rare and especially valuable.

Another difference between Soul Rings and Soul Bones was that only the person who dealt the final blow to a Soul Beast could use its Soul Ring, whereas any Soul Master could use a Soul Bone. Soul Bones could even be sold after being obtained, and they were rarely seen even at auction houses operated by the Empire. Any Soul Bone, even an ordinary one, commanded an astronomical price. Some were so valuable that they had a market but no price.

And the Soul Bone Meng Yiran had obtained was the most special and precious kind of Soul Bone: an External Soul Bone!

The rarity of an External Soul Bone could even rival that of a top-tier Soul Bone!

It was said that on a Soul Master's wish list, an External Soul Bone was the second most desired item, surpassed only by the number one item, the even more precious 100,000-Year Soul Ring.

The most special aspect of an External Soul Bone was that it could evolve as its host's Soul Power and strength increased. Therefore, the younger the host was when absorbing it, the better it was for them. If the drop rate of an ordinary Soul Bone was one in a thousand, then that of an External Soul Bone was not even one in ten thousand.

The condition for absorbing an External Soul Bone was that one first had to absorb the Soul Ring of that Soul Beast. This requirement was rather demanding.

Just as Dragon Duke Meng Shu had said, Meng Yiran truly could be considered a girl favored by the heavens. Not only was she graceful and beautiful, but today she had encountered an opportunity that other Soul Masters might not encounter in several lifetimes.

From ancient times until now, the Peerless Dragon Snake family had never produced a Soul Master with an External Soul Bone. How could the old couple not be excited?

Thus, they became even more grateful to Ye Buqun.

Dragon Duke Meng Shu stepped forward and bowed to Ye Buqun once more. "This old man truly does not know what to say. In any case, thank you, Sect Master, for your great kindness."

Ye Buqun waved his hand. "Since you recognize me as your Sect Master, this is simply part of my duty. If you continue being so polite, won't that make us seem like strangers?"

At that moment, Meng Yiran rushed over in a few quick strides and tightly embraced Ye Buqun. "Teacher Ye, thank you so much. I really..."

She had heard before that External Soul Bones were incredibly precious in the Soul Master World. She had never dreamed that she would possess one today. This was all thanks to Ye Buqun, so how could she not be excited?

Meng Yiran hugged Ye Buqun tightly, so overwhelmed that she was nearly in tears. This immediately made Doudou burn with jealousy.

Meng Yiran squeezed Ye Buqun so tightly that he could barely breathe. "Y-you should let go first. I still have something to say."

Hearing that, Meng Yiran released him. "S-sorry, Teacher Ye. I really just..."

Ye Buqun could understand her excitement, but seeing that the spider legs on Meng Yiran's back had yet to retract, making her look like a beautiful spider demon, he said, "Your External Soul Bone is called the Eight Spider Soul Bone. It can also be called the Eight Spider Lances. When used, it can enhance your overall condition by fifty percent. If you use it to move, it can also increase your movement speed by fifty percent. In addition, it possesses a poison attribute. If a Soul Master is pierced by it and has no way to counter it, their life will be in danger."

"The Sect Master is absolutely right." At that moment, Dragon Duke Meng Shu spoke. "Yiran, the reason the Sect Master and I did not stop you earlier was because we wanted you to first adapt to this Soul Bone yourself. Especially after obtaining an External Soul Bone, the changes will be far greater than before."

Meng Yiran touched her lips with a slender finger. "External Soul Bone, Eight Spider Soul Bone... Does that mean I suddenly have eight Soul Bones?"

Hearing this, Dragon Duke Meng Shu laughed. "Silly girl, eight Soul Bones? You really dare to say that. This one alone is already an immense blessing. Remember, although Soul Rings can also enhance a Soul Master's attributes, they require the control of Soul Power. Soul Bones do not. They may not possess any skills, but they will certainly strengthen a Soul Master's attributes. And as the host's strength increases, the attribute enhancement brought by the Soul Bone will only grow stronger. So in a sense, Soul Bones are even more precious than Soul Rings, let alone a precious External Soul Bone—"