But when you thought about it, Medusa's Head Soul Bone was already incredibly powerful.
If the Spirit Bone Dugu Bo obtained had been around seventy thousand years old, its power would surely have been even greater, far surpassing what he had shown.
Most importantly, a Head Soul Bone over fifty thousand years old significantly enhanced one's mental power.
If Dugu Bo's Head Soul Bone had been seventy thousand years old, his mental power would surely have been formidable. There was no way he would have failed to notice Xiao Wu's identity as a Soul Beast the first time he saw her.
Back then, Xiao Wu had no Immortal Herb protecting her and concealing her aura.
"What does Dugu Bo have that's worth studying?"
Qian Yu wasn't short on Spirit Bones, so he wasn't particularly interested in them. What interested him was whether Dugu Bo, as a Titled Douluo, had any research or insights of his own.
"This is Dugu Bo's Storage Soul Tool."
Porcupinefish Douluo only kept the Spirit Bone. He wasn't particularly interested in anything else, so he tossed it to Qian Yu.
Qian Yu began searching through it, going over everything in an attempt to find something valuable.
And sure enough, he found a few useful things.
Detailed records of how Dugu Bo had condensed his Poison Core, along with the route his Soul Power took as it circulated.
Judging by the paper and handwriting, these notes had clearly been written only recently.
"How interesting."
Looking at the diagrams in his hand, Qian Yu smiled.
He didn't know the exact circumstances, but he could still make a rough guess.
Dugu Bo had probably discovered the flaws in that method of dispelling poison himself.
With no way to find Tang San, had he started researching the Poison Core, hoping to find a solution that way?
It had to be said, this method really might work.
Unfortunately, he had failed.
If Dugu Bo had succeeded, there would surely have been stories about him a thousand years later.
"Could this really be the prototype of a Soul Core?"
The more Qian Yu studied the pages in his hand, the more excited he became.
If this method of forming an inner core really could lead to the discovery of Soul Cores, it would be an enormous boon to them.
Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent found it difficult to fight for long periods.
Even Limit Douluos would lose their combat ability after releasing Soul Skills repeatedly and exhausting their Soul Power.
And there was only one way to restore Soul Power: meditation.
Even Tang San, who possessed the Mysterious Heaven Skill, needed an external aid—the Dragon Ganoderma Leaf—to restore his Soul Power quickly.
If they could work out how to form Soul Cores, Titled Douluos would be able to fight for extended periods.
As long as the difference between their Martial Souls wasn't too great, and they weren't defeated in a single exchange, a level 93 Titled Douluo with a Soul Core could wear down a level 95 Titled Douluo to death.
Qian Yu thought he should tell Snake Lance and Porcupinefish Douluo about Soul Cores when he got back, and have them look into it.
Maybe they'd succeed.
There was someone among them who was genuinely suited to researching Soul Cores.
Hu Liena, whose specialty was mental power.
Once she broke through to the Titled Douluo level, she would have a good chance of succeeding with the detailed method for condensing a Poison Core in hand, along with some theories he knew.
"Looks like I'll have to find a way to get another Spirit Bone with spatial attributes."
To condense a Soul Core, one needed some control and understanding of space. After all, it involved opening up a new space, so it was best to have at least a sliver of spatial power.
He didn't have anything suitable on hand, so he would have to create one from scratch.
Just then, Hu Liena successfully absorbed her Eighth Soul Ring.
Her Soul Power rose straight to level 83.
"Thank you, Seniors!"
After obtaining her Eighth Soul Ring, Hu Liena was in better condition than ever.
She first thanked Snake Lance and Porcupinefish Douluo. There was no need to thank her brother or Yan.
Only then did she turn her gaze to Qian Yu.
"Let's get out of here first. Things might not be particularly peaceful for a while, so we should keep out of sight and focus on improving our strength."
There was a hint of solemnity in Qian Yu's voice.
The death of one Yang Wudi wouldn't cause much of a stir. But with Dugu Bo dead soon afterward as well, the back-to-back deaths made the situation anything but simple.
Still, they could be certain they had some time.
After all, it would take a while for anyone to discover Dugu Bo's death.
A Titled Douluo might go into seclusion for a long time, so no one would notice their absence right away.
The group then returned to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Qian Yu, however, chose to go back to Heaven Dou City.
On one hand, he needed to gather some information and resources. On the other, he wanted to give the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo to his maid, Lüzhu.
This time, when he returned to Heaven Dou City, he didn't bring Hu Liena. Instead, Xie Yue came along to protect him.
The others had made breakthroughs and needed to stabilize their strength.
And since Qian Yu also needed Xie Yue to guide his combat training, Xie Yue would have to make the trip.
"Everyone else has reached the Soul Douluo level, and they've all gained something along the way. You're the only one who's still a Soul Saint. Does that leave you feeling down?"
On the way back to Heaven Dou City, Qian Yu chatted with Xie Yue.
"I do feel a little disappointed, but not much."
Xie Yue clearly had a better mindset than the others.
Of them all, Qian Yu most enjoyed spending time with Yan. That guy had no brains, so Qian Yu never had to worry too much or tire himself out. Constantly keeping up his guard and calculating everything was exhausting.
But when it came to working together, he preferred Xie Yue.
Steady, mindful of the bigger picture, and good under pressure.
All along, Qian Yu had felt that if Tang San hadn't been an unexpected variable, Xie Yue would undoubtedly have achieved the most among the Spirit Hall Golden Generation.
"Right now, I really don't have anything good to give you. So how about I teach you a few things instead? If you can grasp them, with your talent, you might become a Titled Douluo even before Hu Liena."
After thinking it over, Qian Yu decided to put in some effort to keep the balance within their team.
"Really?"
At those words, Xie Yue's eyes lit up.
After spending so much time with Qian Yu, he had realized that everything Qian Yu brought out was far beyond the current era.
Whatever path Qian Yu had in mind for him would surely be extraordinary.
"Find a way to make your mental power, Soul Power, and will fuse together. Just focus on fighting and keep experimenting. Once you can manage it to some extent, I'll guide you onto that path."
Qian Yu didn't hold anything back. He told Xie Yue about some of the things he knew from a thousand years in the future.
He told him about the direction Mu En's Self-Created Soul Skill had taken, and the path Ji Juechen had followed...
"I see."
"So it can be done like this!"
As soon as Qian Yu finished speaking, Xie Yue looked thoughtful and began experimenting.
In less than half an hour, he had managed to fuse his mental power and Soul Power to some extent.
Before you continue