Douluo: Martial Soul Iron-Eating Beast, Never Be a Slave

"You were only with Yu Tianheng because, back then at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, no one else could match you. Only Yu Tianheng could defeat you, so you became curious about him, even felt a trace of admiration."

"But as your strength grew and even surpassed Yu Tianheng's, and after you encountered people more outstanding than him, you naturally began to notice many of Yu Tianheng's flaws that you couldn't see before."

"Besides, Yu Tianheng was never a good match. Yan Yan, I fully support you being with Zhao Mu instead of him."

Dugu Yan then asked Dugu Bo, "Then, Grandfather, if one day my strength surpasses Zhao Mu's too, will I start looking down on him as well?"

Dugu Bo answered her question with complete seriousness. "Yan Yan, you're overthinking it. That day will never come!"

"Grandfather!" Naturally, Dugu Yan was unhappy to hear Dugu Bo show so little confidence in her.

"Yan Yan, that boy is a complete monster. Forget surpassing him—even keeping up with him would be impressive. Even the youngest Title Douluo on the continent was far inferior to him at the same age. As long as he doesn't die young, his future will be limitless."

"But Grandfather, I'm much older than him."

"Hehe, I told you, age means nothing. Aren't some men just into that?"

"But he's still your sworn brother, my Second Grandfather."

"So what? As long as you can win him over and be with him, I can sever ties with him immediately!"

What a joke.

How could a second brother compare to a son-in-law!

Dugu Yan left.

She left with her head full of wild thoughts.

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, only Zhao Mu and Dugu Bo remained once more.

Sizzle, sizzle~

On the open ground beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, two figures—no, to be precise, three figures—continuously clashed.

It was clearly Zhao Mu and Dugu Bo sparring. With Heibai included, there were naturally three figures.

Dugu Bo stood atop the Jade Phosphorous Profound Dragon. After retreating over ten meters, he looked at the corrosive injuries on both himself and the dragon, a hint of wariness rising in his eyes as he watched the mist before him.

"Second Brother, what kind of technique did you come up with this time? This acid mist is incredibly corrosive."

"Just some little trick I messed around with."

Since Qin Ming could not withstand the damage from the Boil Release Acid Mist, Zhao Mu could only seek out Dugu Bo to test its limits.

The result exceeded Zhao Mu's expectations. Even Dugu Bo could not ignore the damage dealt by the Boil Release Acid Mist.

This further affirmed Zhao Mu's commitment to researching elemental properties.

However, although the Boil Release Acid Mist possessed powerful corrosion and considerable offensive strength, it also had many limitations and weaknesses.

The first was that the Boil Release Acid Mist was an indiscriminate attack. It did not distinguish between friend and foe, making it unsuitable for large-scale use when allies were nearby, as it could easily injure them by mistake.

Second, the Boil Release Acid Mist was not without counters.

The Jade Phosphorous Profound Dragon beneath Dugu Bo's feet opened its massive maw. Fierce gusts immediately poured from its savage mouth, blowing away most of the Boil Release Acid Mist.

After dealing with the Boil Release Acid Mist, Dugu Bo unusually did not attack again. Instead, he ended their sparring session for the day.

"Second Brother, let's stop here today. I have something to tell you."

Zhao Mu had already noticed that Dugu Bo was acting differently today, so he was even more curious about what Dugu Bo wanted to discuss.

He immediately walked over to Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo asked, "Second Brother, what parts determine a soul master's overall strength?"

Zhao Mu was puzzled. Was this suddenly a test?

Still, Zhao Mu answered honestly, "A soul master's strength is determined by three things: Soul Power Level, Soul Rings, and Soul Bones."

Dugu Bo nodded. "That's right. A soul master's strength is indeed determined by these three aspects. Between soul masters of equal Soul Power Level, whoever has Soul Rings with greater age and better quality holds the advantage. Likewise, whoever has more Soul Bones, with greater age and better quality, also holds the advantage."

"Although your Soul Rings were not obtained by hunting soul beasts, the Soul Rings you gained by absorbing Immortal Herbs are no worse than those of other soul masters. They may even be much stronger."

"But when it comes to Soul Bones, how many do you have now?"

Zhao Mu spread his hands. "Not a single one!"

Seeing Dugu Bo's expression, coupled with his strange questions today, Zhao Mu suddenly guessed, "Could it be... could it be that you have a suitable Soul Bone for me?"

As a Title Douluo, Dugu Bo did possess some unused Soul Bones. This was also what allowed him, in the original story, to treat Dugu Yan according to Tang San's method.

However, the Soul Bones in his possession were not suitable for Zhao Mu.

Like Soul Rings, Soul Bones did not merely depend on strength; compatibility was equally important.

Of course, 100,000-Year Soul Rings and Soul Bones were exceptions.

After spending so much time together, Dugu Bo naturally knew how clever Zhao Mu was, so he was not surprised that Zhao Mu had guessed it.

"I don't have a suitable Soul Bone in my possession, but I do have news of one. And I'm certain this Soul Bone will suit you perfectly, because it also came from a bear-type soul beast."

"What age was the soul beast?" Zhao Mu pressed.

Since arriving in Douluo Continent, Zhao Mu had already experienced obtaining Soul Rings. Naturally, he felt curious and eager about Soul Bones, which he had yet to absorb.

"As for its age... I believe it was around three thousand years," Dugu Bo said after stroking his beard and thinking for a moment.

The moment he heard it was three thousand years, Zhao Mu's excitement instantly cooled by half. "Damn, only three thousand years? Is that worth being so serious about?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Mu suddenly realized something was off.

That was right. A three-thousand-year Soul Bone would naturally not be enough to make Dugu Bo fuss over it. If a three-thousand-year Soul Bone could make Dugu Bo treat it so seriously, Zhao Mu could think of only one possibility.

"Could it be an External Soul Bone?!"

Soul Bones were already extremely difficult to obtain, but External Soul Bones had an even lower chance of appearing. Moreover, due to their growth potential, the value of an External Soul Bone could rival even top-tier Soul Bones from other body parts.

Therefore, even if an External Soul Bone had a lower age, its value would still not lose out to other Soul Bones. It could even be higher.

Dugu Bo nodded. "You guessed correctly. It is indeed an External Soul Bone, and it is the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Right Palm Bone! Since you possess a bear Martial Soul as well, I can think of no Soul Bone more suitable for you!"

"The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is an exceptionally powerful Ferocious Beast, and its numbers are scarce. The chances of encountering one, killing it, and then obtaining a Soul Bone from it are simply too low. And this is even an External Soul Bone. Even I'm somewhat tempted."

As Dugu Bo said, he truly was tempted. If Zhao Mu had not been the better match and possessed greater potential, Dugu Bo absolutely would not have given it up.

A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?

Among bear-type soul beasts, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was undoubtedly one of the strongest existences.

And it was a three-thousand-year right palm bone?

Between the left and right palm bones, the right palm bone was stronger. Even among all the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's Soul Bones, the right palm bone was the most valuable.

Something like this had actually fallen into his lap?

Could it be that fortune had finally turned, and the protagonist's halo had descended upon him one day?

That made sense. Just because it had not appeared in the original story did not mean it did not exist.

After all, Tang San was not yet in Heaven Dou City.

"Where is this Soul Bone now?" Zhao Mu immediately asked, his words already carrying a clear determination to obtain it.

"What? Getting anxious? Can't sit still anymore?" Dugu Bo smiled. "That Soul Bone is currently at the Tiantou Auction House! It will be the finale item at the next auction. I've heard that quite a few people have set their sights on it. It won't be easy to obtain. Setting everything else aside, just the funds needed to bid on that Soul Bone will be a considerable sum. Even Prince Xue Xing may not be able to guarantee he can secure it."

Unexpectedly, as soon as Dugu Bo finished speaking, Zhao Mu waved a hand. "Money has never been a problem! As long as it's a normal auction, everything can be discussed. I'm only worried someone might resort to underhanded tricks!"

"Hm? Could it be that you have money? Or perhaps..."

Hearing Zhao Mu's confidence, Dugu Bo even began to wonder whether Zhao Mu was really a commoner soul master, and whether someone stood behind him.

Seeing Dugu Bo's confused expression, Zhao Mu did not keep him guessing. He said directly, "I have no money, but you said it yourself—it's an auction. Since it's an auction, it's perfectly normal to auction off a few Immortal Herbs, right?"

Turning to look at the Immortal Herbs within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Zhao Mu said boldly, "With so many Immortal Herbs in hand, I refuse to believe anyone can outspend me!"

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Only after hearing Zhao Mu's words did Dugu Bo belatedly realize it.

With so many Immortal Herbs in his possession, he was actually already a wealthy man.

He had no money, but he could sell Immortal Herbs. Raising the funds needed to purchase the Soul Bone would not be difficult.

And here he had been planning to borrow money from Prince Xue Xing. It would probably not be easy for Prince Xue Xing to come up with such a huge sum either.

Anything worthy of being called an Immortal Herb was equally something that had a price but no market. In some respects, Immortal Herbs were no less valuable than Soul Bones.

It was only a matter of demand.

Zhao Mu wanted to grow stronger, so Soul Bones were an urgent necessity, especially Soul Bones suitable for himself.

Furthermore, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well contained many Immortal Herbs. Therefore, even if trading several Immortal Herbs for a Soul Bone might not be profitable in pure value, it was not a loss considering Zhao Mu's needs.

As for which Immortal Herbs to auction, that required careful consideration as well, mainly based on several factors.

First, those he had little need for or could not use. That way, selling them would not hurt too much—it would be trading useless things for useful ones.