A Soul Bone Dropped!

Bei Bei watched Chen Ping hold his Martial Soul for quite a while without any movement, unable to figure out what was going on.

"Big Brother Bei Bei, I'm guessing we'll have to wait until Senior Sister Xiao Ya finishes absorbing her Soul Ring before we can fully demonstrate this Soul Skill."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ping's First Soul Ring flickered slightly. The two ends of the Willow Staff in his hand were already tinged with two entirely different faint glows—light purple at one end and light green at the other.

The next instant, Chen Ping lunged forward with his staff. Gripping the Willow Staff in one hand, he thrust straight out from the centerline at the Little Touch Dragon King's insectoid body, flipping it over and leaving a pale green mark on its body.

Immediately afterward, Chen Ping withdrew and stepped back, pivoting on his right foot as his entire body spun around.

The Willow Staff slid rapidly out through his right palm, its tip becoming its tail and its tail becoming its tip. His right elbow then drove backward with force.

Without even looking, he struck backward with another staff thrust, precisely piercing the insectoid body and leaving behind a light purple mark.

A sizzling sound immediately rose from the purple mark as it began to corrode. Chen Ping understood at once—he must have rolled a Corrosion-type toxin.

"What splendid Staff Technique!"

Bei Bei shot to his feet and cried out in excitement, keeping his voice low.

Chen Ping felt rather embarrassed. He did not remember much of the staff techniques passed down by the original owner's family. The Forward and Reverse Turning Staff he had just used was only a move or two he had practiced intensively after awakening the system.

It was fine for striking stationary targets, but it would not be nearly so smooth against people.

At that moment, the colors at both ends of Chen Ping's Willow Staff changed again. One end turned dark green, so green it was unsettling, while the other became blackish brown, frighteningly dark.

Rubbing his chin with his left hand, Chen Ping looked thoughtfully at his Willow Staff.

This Soul Skill was not simple to use. If he wanted to stack five Poison Marks and trigger an explosion, he would have to prepare some specific combinations.

For instance, when catching an enemy off guard and rushing in front of them for the first time, he could first unleash a Staff Flourish. Even if he could not stack all five layers, getting three or four layers would be ideal.

He explained the effects of his First Soul Skill to Bei Bei, especially what happened when five layers of Poison Marks were stacked and detonated.

Bei Bei looked toward Tang Ya, who sat cross-legged in the distance and was still absorbing her Soul Ring. He understood why Chen Ping had said they would have to wait until she was done before fully demonstrating the Soul Skill.

Layered Poison, Explosive Poison.

Such a rare Soul Skill truly was uncommon. Presumably, only a Soul Ring produced by a high-quality Soul Beast like the Touch Dragon King could grant such a Soul Skill.

Bei Bei crouched down and carefully examined the Little Touch Dragon King's insectoid body, which had been marked with green poison and purple poison.

He lightly touched the green Poison Mark with a finger, and a numb, tingling sensation immediately spread through it. When he pressed his thumb against the poisoned index finger, however, his index finger had lost all sensation.

"Not bad. It even has Paralysis Toxin."

Bei Bei nodded approvingly. Although the effects of the Poison Marks generated at the two ends of Chen Ping's staff were uncontrollable each time, in a sense, this could serve the purpose of several other people's Soul Skills.

After carefully sensing the effects of the paralyzing Poisonous Liquid and examining the purple Poison Mark that was slowly corroding the Little Touch Dragon King's body, Bei Bei gave his assessment.

"Whether it's paralysis, Corrosion, or any other effect, the individual Poison Marks probably aren't as potent as specialized Poisonous Liquid of the same level."

"For example, Xiao Ya's Second Soul Ring came from a Ghost Vine over seven hundred years old. Its Soul Skill is Parasitism, and the paralysis effect on the Blue Silver Grass is only incidental."

"But even so, its potency is already about the same as the paralysis effect of your green Poison Mark."

"So I'd guess the real strength of your Soul Skill lies in that explosion when all five Poison Marks have been stacked."

Bei Bei's analysis was quite comprehensive.

Even Chen Ping nodded repeatedly after hearing it, secretly thinking that Bei Bei's conclusions were exactly the same as his own. Shrek's theory classes really were solid.

Bei Bei was, plainly speaking, only a Second Year Student at present, yet he could already analyze things so clearly and methodically. That was truly impressive.

"Hey, Chen Ping, am I seeing things? Why did I just see something flash over there?"

Suddenly, Bei Bei stared at the spot on the Little Touch Dragon King that was being continuously corroded and pointed at it.

He seemed to have seen that spot flicker slightly just now.

Chen Ping was stunned upon hearing that, and an unlikely possibility rose in his mind.

"No way..."

Chen Ping scratched his head.

But soon, Chen Ping also saw the thing Bei Bei had mentioned. It seemed to be a small piece of bone emitting a faint golden glow.

"Oh no, it really is a Soul Bone."

Chen Ping clutched his chest in anguish, his face full of misery.

Bei Bei, who had been happy for Chen Ping, was startled by his reaction.

"Why aren't you happy? A Soul Bone dropped!"

Bei Bei hurried over instinctively, intending to support Chen Ping in case he fell.

Chen Ping merely sighed. He knew what kind of luck he had.

When he bought drinks, he never got another bottle free. In game gacha pulls, he only ever got guaranteed pity rewards.

Once, he got trapped in a malfunctioning elevator on his way home while suffering from diarrhea. Then, while taking a walk outside, he got sent flying by the Hundred Ton King straight into Douluo Continent.

This Soul Bone... wasn't it traded for his life, was it?

Even if it was not, after getting this Soul Bone, would he have nothing to do with Soul Bones for the rest of his life?

At that thought, Chen Ping was so heartbroken that he nearly burst into tears.

"You don't get it, Bei Bei. You don't get it. Now that this soul bone has dropped, with my luck, I might never see a second soul bone for the rest of my life."

Bei Bei was speechless, then laughed. Just listen to that—he himself had never expected his luck to be good enough to get even one soul bone to drop.

Bei Bei knew perfectly well just how abysmal the drop rate for soul bones was.

Chen Ping was already doing well to have gotten one soul bone. He should be celebrating in private.

Did he seriously expect to gather all Six Soul Bones just by farming drops?

Dream on!

There were countless Titled Douluo in the world. Out of a hundred Titled Douluo, how many could afford to equip all six soul bone slots? And how many had all six at the Ten Thousand Year Level?

Absorbing a Hundred Year Level soul bone like this would indeed take up one of his soul bone slots.

But if he sold it, it would fetch at least tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins. If he got lucky, it might even sell for well over that.

That was more or less how Bei Bei consoled Chen Ping.

The moment he heard that this thing could sell for tens of thousands, perhaps even well over that many Gold Soul Coins, Chen Ping perked right up.

A Hundred Year Level soul bone was worth that much?

He could worry about overdrafting his luck later. He had already asked the system to make Great Strength Pills and overdrafted his potential—why would he care about overdrafting his luck?

Besides, Chen Ping had vaguely guessed why he had managed to get a soul bone to drop. It might not have been luck at all, but something related to the production rules for soul bones.