Two Soul Bones

After successfully saving Huyan Li, Qian Yu did not reveal himself.

He was waiting, waiting for the final outcome.

Not long after, Snake Lance Douluo brought them to Qian Yu's side. As for Huyan Li, he had already departed.

Huyan Li had clearly chosen a path that diverged from theirs.

"He harbors great resentment toward the Spirit Hall Empire and has already chosen to accept his fate. Fortunately, before leaving, he indicated that he would not tell anyone he had encountered us."

As soon as Yan finished his assessment of Huyan Li, he noticed the others looking at him with strange expressions.

It was as if they were looking at an idiot.

"A wasted effort. Not only did we gain nothing, but we also increased the risk of exposure!"

Pufferfish Douluo, who had the most contact with Qian Yu, spoke seemingly offhandedly before fixing his gaze on Qian Yu.

"It's not as if we gained nothing; it is highly likely we will obtain a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone for the head, which counts as a bountiful harvest."

Qian Yu spoke indifferently.

No sooner had his words fallen than Pufferfish Douluo's figure vanished from where he stood.

The others remained silent, save for Yan and Hu Liena, who were still wearing bewildered expressions.

"Why?"

"If you intended to strike at him, why save him just a moment ago?"

Hu Liena, being blunt, asked her question directly.

Although Yan did not speak, the expression on his face betrayed him; clearly, he did not understand why this was done either.

Qian Yu did not answer, instead glancing at Xie Yue.

Xie Yue did not speak immediately, but after a moment of contemplation, he provided an answer.

"Saving him at first was because he might have become one of us, a source of assistance."

"Killing him now is because his existence is very likely to expose us."

"Just because he said he wouldn't reveal our information to others, does that mean he really won't?"

"Given Huyan Li's current predicament, even if he and his Elephant Armor Sect wanted to bow their heads and act as dogs for others, it would depend on whether those others were willing to take them in."

"At a time like this, he would need a sufficiently weighty 'tribute,' and we are the best tribute available."

After Xie Yue finished speaking, he looked at Qian Yu, as if waiting for his critique.

Qian Yu nodded with a maturity beyond his years, fully approving of Xie Yue's reasoning.

"Indeed, that is only one of the possibilities."

"Perhaps Tuoba Li would truly keep our secret, mindful of today's life-saving grace, but he is not alone. The Elephant Armor Sect still has remnants of others. What Huyan Li might do for their sake is impossible to predict."

"Do not forget who the enemy we face is—a god!"

"Under these circumstances, we should judge others with the greatest malice."

Qian Yu felt a certain amount of regret.

Regardless, he was a Soul Saint. Even if his combat power was lacking, he could have been used as cannon fodder in a crisis.

What a pity!

Before long, Pufferfish Douluo returned.

"I didn't expect it to really be a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. The quality is quite good, the kind that increases defensive power."

"She Long, it's yours!"

Pufferfish Douluo tossed the head-piece Soul Bone he had stripped from Huyan Li's head directly to Snake Lance Douluo.

The two of them were partners with a deep bond; in such matters, there would be no reluctance.

Moreover, Qian Yu had already reserved a head-piece Soul Bone for him—a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone that was a perfect fit.

Good things, naturally, go to one's partner first.

"I won't stand on ceremony with you!"

Looking at the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone in his hand, Snake Lance Douluo did not decline. He tucked it directly into his storage Soul Tool, intending to absorb it once they settled down.

"Let's go. Continue helping Yan hunt for a soul."

Regarding this outcome, Qian Yu could not say he was happy or disappointed.

From the moment he decided to step onto this path, he knew the road ahead would be difficult.

With Tang San and the others currently so powerful on the Douluo Continent, even among old acquaintances, how many would be willing to accompany them in a mad gamble that didn't even have a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success?

As for the underhanded nature of his methods, Qian Yu never took it to heart.

He had his own underlying logic. There is no such thing as a struggle between justice and evil; it is merely a dispute between different factions, different ideologies, and different systems.

The one who achieves final victory is absolute justice.

Perhaps because the previous topic was too heavy, Yan remained uncharacteristically silent on the way to hunt for the soul.

He was using his limited brainpower to think about the problem.

Soon, they arrived at their destination once again.

They successfully located the soul beast they needed.

A seventy-three-thousand-year-old Two-Headed Fire Lizard, belonging to the sub-dragon species, possessing both fire and earth attributes.

It was a perfect match for Yan.

The problem was that killing it would be no simple task.

Fortunately, they had the numbers. Even without using their full strength, the two Title Douluo were equivalent to peak Soul Douluo, plus the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Xie Yue and Hu Liena, which could also rival a Soul Douluo, not to mention Yan, who was a quasi-Soul Douluo.

As for Qian Yu, he only needed to stay at a distance and provide support by unleashing his Angel Domain.

They successfully killed the target in short order.

While Yan was in the process of absorbing the soul ring, Qian Yu quickly noticed something unusual.

Or rather, he noticed that something was off with the two Title Douluo, Snake Lance Douluo and Pufferfish.

A spirit bone?

Sensing the fluctuations of a spirit bone on the corpse of the Two-Headed Fire Lizard, Qian Yu knew that these two were tempted.

A seventy-thousand-year spirit bone was enough to make even a Soul Douluo struggle to suppress their greed.

The reason they hadn't made a move yet was that they were locked in an internal struggle.

Qian Yu didn't say a word, instead moving to shield Hu Liena and Xie Yue behind him without leaving a trace.

If the worst-case scenario truly unfolded, they would at least be able to hold out for a while.

"That kid Yan sure is lucky!"

After a long silence, Snake Lance Douluo spoke first, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

Clearly, they had managed to suppress the greed in their hearts.

He stepped forward and dug out the spirit bone.

When he saw that it was a perfect torso bone, Snake Lance Douluo's pupils trembled.

He then tossed it in front of Yan with obvious resentment, unwilling to take another look.

He was afraid that if he looked at it any longer, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from snatching it away.

The reason the two of them suppressed their greed was simple.

Even if they snatched this seventy-thousand-year spirit bone, so what?

Would using the spirit bone to increase their power change the outcome?

Their enemy remained an invincible existence.

If they wanted to live out their days in hiding, with their power as Title Douluo, they could simply hide in some small mountain village; as long as they weren't too conspicuous, nothing would happen to them.

But how could they be content with a life like that?

The hearts of the people they had worked so hard to bring together could not be scattered over a single spirit bone.