Golden Hawksbill Soul Bone, Level 3 Soul Engineer? Setting Out for the Far North Land (Seeking Collection and Recommendation)

"That's right. This is one of the six great Soul Bones—the Right Leg Bone. It came from a fifty-thousand-year-old overlord of the coastal seas, a Demon Soul Great White Shark. I obtained it while adventuring in my youth, but I already had a Right Leg Bone back then, so I kept it all this time."

"Judging by its condition, this Soul Bone is flawless and can be called a supreme-grade treasure. That Demon Soul Great White Shark possessed royal blood before its death, making it extremely extraordinary. This Soul Bone also condensed its top-grade water-element essence.

After fusing with it, you should obtain a powerful attack-type Soul Skill or a control-type Soul Skill. It will also greatly improve your physical constitution and affinity with water-elemental energy. The benefits will be immense. Absorb it here. I will protect you."

Xu Xiaoyun nodded, handed the Soul Bone to Xu Sanshi—who had been "enduring hardship and fleeing home for food" at Shrek—and spoke with a kindly expression.

"Ancestor, I..." Xu Sanshi was so moved that tears filled his eyes, but he did not accept the Soul Bone. Instead, he looked toward Xu Tianxi.

Xu Tianxi turned his head away and waved dismissively.

"Don't look at me. You're the one suffering at Shrek, not me. I'll find a top-grade Soul Bone myself in the future. Besides, I'm a Mental Attribute Soul Master, so this doesn't suit me."

Xu Sanshi broke into laughter through his tears. He slapped Xu Tianxi hard on the shoulder, returning to his shamelessly cheeky manner from before.

"Don't worry, Tian Xi. Once your big brother graduates from Shrek, I'll definitely help you kill several powerful soul beasts!"

Xu Tianxi looked at him in surprise, then revealed an inscrutable smile.

"Then you should be careful. My targets will probably be very powerful. Right now, you can't even withstand my mental attacks."

"Now is now, and the future is the future. From this moment on, I, Xu Sanshi, have been reborn! Ancestor, help me!"

Xu Sanshi happily took the priceless Soul Bone from Xu Xiaoyun's palm. He eagerly sat down cross-legged, pressed the Soul Bone against his leg, and began the fusion.

A milky-white halo of Soul Power immediately enveloped him, rising into a hazy mist that gradually obscured Xu Sanshi's face.

At that moment, Xu Tianxi heard Xu Xiaoyun's voice beside his ear.

"Tian Xi, your grand martial ancestor has another Left Leg Bone here, one passed down within the family. It should suit you very well. Would you like to try fusing with it?"

Xu Tianxi abruptly turned to look at Xu Xiaoyun and asked in surprise, "Grand Martial Ancestor, wouldn't that violate the rules?"

He was still only a Soul Master. Directly fusing with a top-grade Soul Bone seemed a little too extravagant.

Xu Sanshi could claim that he had suffered and worked hard at Shrek, and that his grand martial ancestor had felt sorry for him and given him a Soul Bone he had saved for himself. But a Soul Bone passed down through the family was another matter entirely.

Even if he was the family head's son and the grand martial ancestor's most promising junior, shouldn't there at least be a formal procedure?

The Golden Hawksbill was known as an auspicious turtle and was an imperial existence among turtle-type soul beasts. It possessed an aura of royalty and was, aside from the Three-Eyed Golden British Shorthair, one of the exceedingly rare soul beasts known as auspicious beasts.

According to legend, if someone with the Black Tortoise Shield Martial Soul obtained a Soul Ring from such a soul beast, the Martial Soul could evolve into a Golden Black Tortoise, raising its quality to another level.

Whether the legend was true or not was unknown, but after Xu Sanshi fused with the hundred-thousand-year Golden Hawksbill soul spirit, he had truly completed an evolution and directly established the foundation for becoming a Super Douluo.

"No. The authority to interpret the sect's rules lies with me. Whatever I say the rules are, that is what they are."

Xu Xiaoyun's expression remained unruffled as he delivered the most domineering words in the calmest tone.

"Of course, your body hasn't developed enough yet. That Soul Bone has an extremely high age, and fusing with it now could be dangerous. You'll have to wait until after you've reached three rings. For now, eat."

After displaying his authority, Xu Xiaoyun added with a smiling, humorous expression.

"All right."

Xu Tianxi looked at his still-tender body, then at Xu Sanshi beside him, who was trembling nonstop during the fusion. His gaze returned to the delicacies before him, and he continued his campaign of devouring food.

As night fell, Xu Sanshi, overjoyed, rose with a hearty laugh and declared that he was now terrifyingly powerful.

"Hahahaha... I did it! I did it! I'm only one final level away from becoming a Soul Elder!"

Xu Xiaoyun frowned slightly. Black light flowed from his palm, and he extended his fingers, tapping several major acupoints around Xu Sanshi's body. The latter's Soul Power, which had surged to level twenty-nine, was immediately suppressed and fell to level twenty-six.

"Eh, Ancestor, why did you seal my cultivation?" Xu Sanshi felt most of his explosively increased Soul Power disappear and immediately sobered up.

"Idiot! Anyone would know that suddenly increasing your Soul Power by five levels meant you had either eaten a top-grade heavenly treasure or fused with an advanced Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. High-level Soul Masters could detect it just by squeezing your leg. Do you want to turn yourself into a prize everyone fights over?"

"It's just right for you to stabilize your cultivation. You can still accumulate Soul Power by cultivating without obtaining a Soul Ring; it will simply be slower. Over the next year, carefully contemplate the true meaning of being a Defense Type Soul Master."

Xu Xiaoyun raised his brows and scolded Xu Sanshi, who immediately became obedient.

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone carried the reputation of being a Treasure of the Blood River. Countless Soul Masters would risk their lives for one. If news leaked that he had fused with a supreme-grade Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, then even with his identities as a Core Disciple of Shrek's Outer Courtyard and the Second Young Master of the Xuanming Sect, he might still attract people consumed by greed.

It was better to fear the unlikely than ignore the possibility. That was the ancestral instruction of the Xuan Ming Family, and it suited the nature of their Martial Soul perfectly.

When Xu Sanshi raised his head again, he discovered that Xu Tianxi was nowhere to be seen and asked curiously, "Ancestor, where did Tian Xi go?"

"He's studying Soul Tool knowledge with Xiao Yue. Don't worry." Xu Xiaoyun answered in an indifferent tone.

"What? Why would we orthodox Soul Masters study Soul Tool knowledge? Isn't that a waste of time and putting the cart before the horse?"

Xu Sanshi was stunned and completely unable to understand.

Xu Xiaoyun glanced at him lightly.

"One Level 9 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell is enough to blow our Xuanming Sect into the sky. Even your ancestor here couldn't withstand many of them. Do you still think Soul Tools are useless?"

"Ah, this..." Xu Sanshi imagined the scene of everything being reduced to ashes. His shoulders trembled involuntarily, and his body turned cold with fear.

"Clang—"

Xu Xiaoyun took out the Soul Guidance Physical Tester and Power Detector he had purchased from the Sun Moon Empire and said, "These are the latest devices I bought from the Sun Moon Empire. They don't exist in any of the three nations. Our Xuanming Sect also uses an Advanced Soul Guidance Pill Furnace for alchemy. Open your horizons a little. Soul Tools can serve us too!"

"Come in now and let me check your Soul Power condition. As long as this device can't detect your true Soul Power either, I can rest easy."

"Oh, oh, all right." Xu Sanshi hurriedly stepped onto it and accepted the Soul Tool scan.

After the examination ended, no abnormalities were found in his Soul Power, while all of Xu Sanshi's physical indicators had reached the Soul Ancestor level.

Xu Xiaoyun nodded lightly, then reminded Xu Sanshi, "By the way, Tian Xi cultivated for a while after eating and has already broken through to level thirteen. As his big brother, you had better work hard. Don't let him catch up after you've fused with a Soul Bone. That would be incredibly embarrassing."

"Rest assured. Starting today, I won't go play in Shrek City anymore. I'll work myself to the bone, return to the academy, crush Bei Bei, and raise the prestige of our Xuanming Sect!"

"That would be best. I'll be watching."

Two years later.

Beside a huge metal table, Yue Lao and Xu Xiaoyun stood on either side of Xu Tianxi, carefully observing his movements. Xu Xiaoyun wore a delighted expression, while Yue Lao clenched both hands, sweat seeping from his palms.

Xu Tianxi sat before the metal table. He held a metal sphere in his left hand and gripped a Profound Black engraving knife in his right, moving it swiftly across the surface as though writing dragons and snakes. Layers of blade shadows filled the air, metal fragments fell, and exquisite, art-like marks emerged across the sphere.

Clear moonlight flickered in his eyes. The mark between his brows shone brilliantly, and a bright Moon Shadow faintly appeared behind his head. It was not a Crescent Moon, but a full, glowing moon. Reflected within it was the shape of the metal sphere, rendered in minute detail. It was mystical and extraordinary.

As the blade shadows flashed, dense and profound patterns appeared on the metal sphere. Yue Lao's eyes grew brighter and brighter, while Xu Xiaoyun wore a faint smile throughout.

After a short while, Xu Tianxi set down the engraving knife, exhaled softly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and handed the metal sphere to Yue Lao.

"Yue Lao, does this count as a success?"

Yue Lao carefully accepted the square block and slowly infused it with spiritual energy. The metal block immediately radiated a cold silver light. Its gentle halo transformed into a pillar of light that rose a full three feet into the air.

"Success! Young Master, you succeeded! This Level 3 Soul Guidance Core Array was made perfectly. It has seven additional arrays attached to it. Under normal circumstances, this is something only a Level 4 Soul Engineer could accomplish!

"Even by the strictest standards of the Sun Moon Empire, Young Master, you absolutely qualify as a Level 3 Soul Engineer!"

Yue Lao spoke with indescribable excitement, then turned to Xu Xiaoyun.

"Moreover, Young Master's Soul Tool Core Array contains his special effect—the Mental Paralysis trait. With it as the core, it will definitely be possible to create a supreme-grade Level 3 Soul Tool!"

Xu Xiaoyun stroked his beard and laughed in satisfaction, though he did not let it show in his words. "Don't make things up just to amuse Tian Xi and this old man. As far as I know, there probably isn't anyone in the three nations who has become a Level 3 Soul Engineer in only two years."

Over these two years, Xu Tianxi had studied and read with him during the day, then spent an hour each night learning Soul Tool production from Yue Lao. All the necessary materials had been brought in from the Sun Moon Empire. Even Xu Xiaoyun's temperament could not help but rejoice at the enormous results now before him.

Yue Lao shook his head solemnly. "It's exceedingly rare not only here in the three nations, but even in the Sun Moon Empire. If you also consider Young Master's age, it is unprecedented throughout history!"

"Of course, the first reason Young Master can achieve this at his age is that his Mental Attribute Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes Martial Soul is wondrous beyond compare. It is simply the most suitable Martial Soul for a Soul Engineer that this old servant has ever seen."

"The second reason is the result of your cultivation of Young Master. The Soul Power foundations and physical constitutions of the Soul Engineers in the Sun Moon Empire are generally inferior to those here in the three nations.

"Although Young Master's Soul Power is only at level twenty, all his physical indicators have reached the Soul Ancestor level. His Soul Power is also far purer than that of Soul Grandmasters and even some Soul Elders. This gives Young Master enough Soul Power to create a perfect Level 3 Core Array."

"Of course, the Soul Engineer ranking system in the Sun Moon Empire is much stricter than the one here in the three nations. It also includes examinations on extensive theoretical knowledge. This old servant learned Soul Guided Technology from the former master while serving in the military. I focus on practical applications and am not skilled in minute theoretical details."

"But with Young Master's gift for remembering everything after seeing it once, it won't be difficult for him to obtain certification from the Sun Moon Empire after becoming familiar with it there for a while."

Xu Xiaoyun nodded slightly and asked, "Aside from his shortcomings in theory, does Tian Xi have any other deficiencies?"

"Yes! Soul Power!"

Yue Lao answered without hesitation. "Although Young Master can rely on his powerful Spiritual Power to manipulate Soul Power with exquisite precision and create a Core Array, once this Level 3 Soul Tool is completed, Young Master won't be able to use it with his own Soul Power."

"You know that one must have a cultivation level close to three rings, at the very least, to use a Level 3 Soul Tool. Once Young Master's Core Array is made into a supreme-grade Level 3 Soul Tool, it will be an excellent weapon even for a Soul Ancestor."

"Hahahaha, I thought it was something serious! That's easy to solve! With this old man here, what soul beast under heaven could I fail to capture?"

Xu Xiaoyun laughed heartily, his spirit soaring, then said to Xu Tianxi, "Tian Xi, you've been at level twenty for almost three months. This time, your grand martial ancestor will take you soul-beast hunting, and we'll go see your Senior Martial Uncle as well. How does that sound?"

Xu Tianxi nodded with a smile and blinked expectantly. "Grand Martial Ancestor, I want to go to the Far North Land this time and hunt an Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly with the talents of Simulation and Illusion. Can we go?"

"An Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly from the Far North Land..."

Upon hearing the name of the Far North Land, Xu Xiaoyun hesitated briefly. But he instantly regained his composure, nodded firmly, and instructed Yue Lao as well.

"Old Yue, prepare several thick, warm cotton clothes for Tian Xi. We're going to the Far North Land together."