Special Soul Bone from Devil Island

The moment he set foot on Sea God Island, before he had time to observe his surroundings, a trace of surprise appeared in Nan Liujing's eyes.

Pale gold mist drifted faintly beneath his feet, driving the circulation of Soul Power within his body. This practically meant that his Soul Power was cultivating itself at every moment.

"As expected of one of the places with the richest Heaven and Earth Yuan Power on the continent. Even ordinary people could live longer and healthier here." Letting go of her disciple's shoulder, Leng Yaozhu surveyed the surroundings. Everywhere she looked was filled with dense ancient forests.

The pale gold mist was like an array, separating one area after another. When Mental Power was released to investigate, it vanished without a trace, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.

Only forest paths paved with bluish-gray stone slabs and wooden signs standing beside them guided travelers toward their destinations.

Ya Li smiled as she walked down one of the forest paths. "Follow me."

Leng Yaozhu and Nan Liujing silently followed. As they walked, large numbers of blue-green-leaved shrubs appeared along both sides of the stone path. Even Leng Yaozhu, with all her knowledge and experience, was somewhat surprised. "Shrek Academy actually has Water Soul Wood?"

Water Soul Wood was an extremely special wood-element Spirit Item. It could only grow in water infused with the purest life force. After a hundred years, it could produce energy every day that greatly enhanced Mental Power cultivation.

In other words, it was similar to a top-tier ingredient like Spirit Rhyme Sea Urchin. The difference was that consuming too much Spirit Rhyme Sea Urchin would build resistance, while Water Soul Wood was different. As long as one passively absorbed its spiritual energy during cultivation, it would remain effective until one reached the Spirit Abyss Realm.

Ya Li smiled gently. "We can only grow Water Soul Wood by relying on the Golden Ancient Tree. Besides, the spiritual energy produced by these Water Soul Woods is supplied to Inner Court Students. As long as one becomes a member, one can receive it unconditionally."

Leng Yaozhu raised her delicate brows slightly. With her powers of observation, she had long since noticed that Ya Li's words carried another meaning.

She glanced at her own disciple, only to see a faint smile on Nan Liujing's lips as well.

Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction.

As expected of my disciple. He realized there was something wrong with Ya Li's behavior too.

Walking ahead, Ya Li appeared to be casually leading the way, but she continuously displayed the benefits Sea God Island had to offer.

If they were truly in a hurry to hand over the Soul Bone and arrange the Golden Ancient Tree baptism, why would they deliberately drag things out and stroll along at such a leisurely pace?

As the Holy Spirit Douluo, she could naturally ignore the isolation arrays on Sea God Island.

At last, after passing through an even denser stretch of mist, it was as though they had parted clouds and fog to see the light. A truly Sky-reaching Ancient Tree came into view.

Its trunk was so thick that at least dozens of people would need to join hands to encircle it. Its bark, tempered by countless years, was covered in intricate patterns resembling runes and faintly emitted a soft radiance.

Its canopy covered the sky and blotted out the sun. Every leaf seemed to have been forged from gold. When the breeze blew, countless golden motes visibly drifted down like an unending fine rain, merging into every corner of the island.

Directly beneath the ancient tree stood a wooden house, above which hung a plaque bearing the words Sea God Pavilion.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze fell upon a young man standing outside the wooden house. He appeared to be in his twenties, refined and gentle, with a faint smile on his lips.

He looked entirely ordinary, yet he was the regret she had failed to attain in her youth.

Sky Pillar Douluo, Yun Ming!

Ya Li still had her own little schemes. She secretly watched for changes in Leng Yaozhu's expression, but once again, she was disappointed.

When Leng Yaozhu saw Yun Ming again, her expression remained calm. She went straight to the point. "Where is the Soul Bone?"

That was good too. Yun Ming breathed a sigh of relief, and the awkwardness in his heart dissipated. "Naturally, we will not go back on our word regarding the Soul Bone we promised. However, this child must make a choice."

Leng Yaozhu frowned. "What choice?"

Yun Ming said, "One Lightning Attribute Soul Bone and one Soul Bone possessing the Destruction Attribute. He may choose one of them. However, the latter requires him to undergo a test."

Destruction Attribute? A test?

Nan Liujing's heart stirred. He remembered that Shrek Academy controlled a place called Devil Island, where one generation of the Shrek Seven Devils from a thousand years ago was hidden.

About two thousand years ago, fragments intertwined with Destruction and life fell from the sky. The Federation joined forces with Shrek Academy and sent those seven people there. Unexpectedly, the power of the Destruction Fragments tore apart their bodies, while the energy of the Life Fragments protected their souls. From then on, they remained there forever and became the Seven Old Devils.

Every generation of Shrek Academy sent students there for training. In the Original Timeline, Tang Wulin and the others had gone there as well.

In fact, from ancient times to the present, the only Soul Beast recorded to possess the Destruction Attribute was the Purple Blazing Sky Dragon, which had gone extinct an unknown number of years ago.

Could this Soul Bone be related to the Purple Blazing Sky Dragon? Could its origin also be connected to Devil Island? Otherwise, Yun Ming would not have mentioned a test.

Leng Yaozhu also became serious because of the Destruction Attribute. In a grave voice, she said, "I need to see the actual items first."

Yun Ming did not refuse. Turning around, he entered Sea God Pavilion. "Follow me."

"This way." Ya Li gestured.

Everyone entered Sea God Pavilion together. It was not as luxurious and exquisite as the outside world claimed. On the contrary, the entire hall was exceptionally simple.

The square table in the center of the hall made Nan Liujing pause for a moment. Ten thousand years ago, people from Huo Yuhao's generation might have sat there holding meetings.

Time passed, and all things changed.

Upon reaching the deepest part of the hall, Yun Ming extended his hand and touched what seemed like an invisible wall. In an instant, strands of Light Power spread out, transforming into a beam of brilliant light that enveloped everyone.

The world shifted. When Nan Liujing's vision became clear again, a picturesque valley appeared before him.

"This is the internal space of the Golden Ancient Tree. Over the past ten thousand years, you are only the second and third non-Shrek Sea God Pavilion members to enter this place." Yun Ming continued leading the way, entering an ordinary wooden house on one side of the valley.

When they entered, the floor creaked beneath their feet, and a faint fragrance drifted in through the open window.

There were no other decorations inside the wooden house. Only a wooden cabinet resembling a traditional medicine cabinet stood at the very back of the room.

Dense Life Element seeped out from the cabinet. It was most likely made from branches of the Golden Ancient Tree.

Yun Ming made a grasping motion through the air, and two small drawers sprang open. A streak of light flew from each one, hovering in midair.

The golden light surrounding their surfaces faded, revealing the appearances of two Soul Bones.

One was deep blue, densely covered in intertwining lightning patterns. Its flowing glow seemed to contain terrifying explosive fluctuations.

The other was purple-black and completely unremarkable. It looked no different from a stone shaped like a skull, with no special aura leaking from it. It was difficult to believe that it was actually an incomparably precious Soul Bone.

The moment this item revealed its true form, Nan Liujing felt as though his heart had been struck by lightning, and his pupils contracted slightly.

He clearly sensed a reaction from the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl.

Another opportunity had arrived?

Yet what surprised Nan Liujing was that the reaction vanished in an instant, like an illusion, catching him completely off guard.

What was going on?

This was the first time the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl had displayed such a condition.

Leng Yaozhu remarked, "You placed the Soul Bones directly inside a wooden cabinet. It seems you are very confident that no one can invade this place."

Ya Li smiled faintly. "To invade this place, someone would have to kill every Sea God Pavilion Elder in one go."

"Other than Godhood, no one can do that."

Leng Yaozhu did not argue. Instead, she asked, "Tell me the characteristics of these two Soul Bones."

Yun Ming looked up at the Soul Bones and said, "The Soul Bone on the left came from a seventy-thousand-year Thunder Beast. It is also the Lightning Attribute Soul Bone with the highest cultivation age that we possess."

"As for the Soul Bone on the right, it is unclear what kind of Soul Beast it came from. We speculate that it originated from a Purple Blazing Sky Dragon that had long gone extinct. Its cultivation age is unknown. Even after using every method of examination available, we could not determine its exact age."

"I need not explain the Thunder Beast. You should understand its characteristics. As for this Soul Bone suspected to have come from a Purple Blazing Sky Dragon..." Yun Ming's expression turned grave. "After bringing it back from Devil Island and examining it for over a thousand years, we discovered that fusing with it requires sufficient attribute affinity. As long as the affinity is high enough, even if it is a baby, it can fuse with it."

Leng Yaozhu suddenly understood. "So this is the real reason you send a team to Devil Island every so often?"

The Spirit Pagoda had also been involved in the Devil Island incident back then, so Yun Ming was not surprised. "There is a way to enhance one's affinity with the Destruction Attribute on Devil Island. But regrettably, to this day, no one has been able to fuse with this Soul Bone, not even me."

Leng Yaozhu glanced at him slightly. Even you could not do it? "Then how is my disciple supposed to undergo the test?"

Ya Li continued in a soft voice, "In a sense, Lightning Power belongs to another type of Destruction Attribute. A typical example is Heavenly Tribulation."

"We need this child to release his Martial Soul and let it touch the Soul Bone. If there is a response, that means he has a chance to fuse with the Soul Bone. If there is no response, it means failure. You can rest assured. I have also tried touching the Soul Bone with my Martial Soul, and there was no danger."

"However, if he chooses it and fails the test, this child will lose his chance to obtain a Soul Bone."

Put simply, there were two Soul Bones and one choice.

Choose the Thunder Beast Soul Bone, and he could take it away immediately.

Choose the mysterious Purple Blazing Sky Dragon Soul Bone from Devil Island, and if the test succeeded, it would be his. If the test failed, he would lose his chance to obtain a Soul Bone.

"Choose this Soul Bone with the Destruction Attribute." Leng Yaozhu made her choice decisively, then added to Nan Liujing, "If the test fails, I'll personally pay for another Lightning Attribute Soul Bone for you. Its quality definitely won't be inferior to the Thunder Beast Soul Bone."

Upon hearing this, Yun Ming and Ya Li both glanced at her. From that sentence alone, they could see that Leng Yaozhu truly cared deeply for this disciple.

"I'll listen to Teacher in all things."

Nan Liujing had already recovered from his astonishment over the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl's vanished reaction. Facing the gazes of the three great figures, he answered calmly.

"Good." Yun Ming said indifferently, "Summon your Martial Soul and let it make contact with the Soul Bone."

With a thought from Nan Liujing, the dark green Dragon Subduing Staff flew out from his hand. Under everyone's watchful eyes, it touched the purple-black Soul Bone floating in midair.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Since the Lightning Attribute and the Destruction Attribute had similarities, Nan Liujing simply pushed the circulation of his Soul Power to its limit.

Intense Lightning Element fluctuations rapidly erupted from the Dragon Subduing Staff. A faint Thunder Dragon Soul emerged and began to coil around it.

Dragon roars rang out one after another, like thunderclaps rumbling through the air. The nearby Life Element was forcibly suppressed, then seized and absorbed for its own use. Such domineering power had already surpassed the standard of ordinary top-tier Martial Souls.

"Half-step Extreme Lightning?"

As a fellow Artifact Soul Master, Yun Ming's senses were undoubtedly the sharpest. Staring at the Dragon Subduing Staff Martial Soul, his brows rose slightly.

Things had become more interesting.