Eight Soul Bones, Xiao Wu

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding...!

A series of crisp, clashing sounds—so dense and rapid that it felt as if ten thousand thin blades were striking a diamond simultaneously—exploded without warning in this forest clearing!

This sound did not originate from any single point; it erupted from all directions, from every inch of air, every leaf, and every speck of dust!

Tang Hao's pupils shrank to pinpricks!

He could not see the trajectory of any attack, yet his instinctual perception of danger as a Title Douluo was screaming frantically!

Subconsciously, he tried to mobilize his soul power, release his martial soul, and even call upon the power of those few soul bones...

But it was too late.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the space around him seemed to be simultaneously sliced, pierced, and shredded by countless invisible, razor-sharp threads!

An ancient tree beside him, thick enough for two men to embrace, silently disintegrated into perfectly uniform wood powder, which drifted down in a soft rustle.

Several hard, greenish-brown boulders on the ground crumbled at the same instant, turning into fine sand.

And his own body...

The terror in Tang Hao's eyes froze.

He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but no sound emerged.

A gentle breeze blew through the forest.

Whoosh—

It was as if a delicate piece of porcelain had shattered, or a structure of building blocks had collapsed.

Tang Hao's body, along with the tattered black robe he wore, instantly decomposed into countless pieces of uniform size with mirror-smooth cross-sections, which scattered across the ground, mixed with warm blood.

Six soul bones of varying shapes, radiating intense energy fluctuations and magnificent light, clattered onto the pile of flesh and blood, appearing strikingly conspicuous.

From the moment Zhao Linchuan struck to the moment this Haotian Douluo, renowned across the continent, was reduced to a pile of minced meat, the entire process took less than a single breath.

Zhao Linchuan did not pause for a second. With a wave of his left hand, divine power surged, and the six priceless Haotian Douluo soul bones were lifted through the air and stored into his system space.

He then closed his eyes and focused his mind. The divine sense of the Sword God swept across the entire Douluo Continent like flowing mercury, instantly locking onto a strange location containing extreme ice and fire energy.

Found it.

He opened his eyes, the silver light intensifying.

His entire body transformed into a silver sword beam that pierced the heavens. He shot upward, tore through the clouds, and sped toward the Sunset Forest in the Heaven Dou Empire at an astonishing speed!

[Ding—]

[Mission "Kill Tang Hao" completed.]

[Reward "Tears of Remidios"... has been issued to the system space.]

Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

In the valley surrounded by mountains, two diametrically opposed energies—scorching heat and extreme cold—circulated endlessly like a Taiji, forming a unique, miraculous realm.

Countless rare flowers and herbs grew vigorously here; any single one of them would be enough to incite a frantic scramble in the soul master world if placed in the outside world.

But Zhao Linchuan did not even glance at them.

He leaped, his body enveloped in silver sword light, and like a fish entering water, he dove straight toward the bottomless abyss of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!

The deeper he went, the more extreme the water temperature became—one side as scorching as molten lava, the other as frigid as black ice. An ordinary Soul Douluo would likely be unable to endure it.

But under the protection of the Sword God's power, Zhao Linchuan did not slow down.

He did not know how deep he had descended. The surroundings were already a realm of eternal darkness and silence, illuminated only by the light of the ice and fire springs themselves.

Finally, the view before him opened up—or rather, it was filled by two unimaginably massive skeletons!

They were the skeletons of two giant dragons, each over a thousand feet long!

Even though they had perished countless millennia ago and were reduced to nothing but bleached bones, the skeletons still radiated an ancient dragon might that made the soul tremble, resting quietly at the bottom of the abyss.

One skeleton was entwined with eternal, crimson flames, while the other emitted a ghostly blue light that could freeze the soul.

At the core of the chest bones of both dragon skeletons, there was a unique bone in each, dazzling even among the remains!

One was crimson, burning with illusory flames.

The other was ice-blue, permeated with chilling mist.

Two phantom dragon souls, one scorching and one frigid, were swimming slowly around their respective divine bones, emitting extremely pure spiritual power fluctuations.

"The soul bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings... no, these are divine bones!" A brilliant light flashed in Zhao Linchuan's eyes.

He did not hesitate for a moment. His right hand formed a sword gesture again, and infinite sword qi converged at his fingertips!

"Ultimate Sword Art—Heaven-Opening Slash!"

In a quiet, deserted alley in Nuoding City.

A faint silver light flickered, and Zhao Linchuan's figure appeared silently.

He leaned against the wall, gasping for air as fine beads of sweat seeped from his temples.

"Phew... the timing was just right."

He felt the empty spirit power within his body and his aching limbs, his heart still lingering in fear.

The power of the experience card was incomparably immense, but the burden it placed on him was equally great; if not for his Glimmer spirit continuously improving his physique, he would likely have collapsed from exhaustion by now.

After steadying his breathing, he immediately checked his system space—Tang Hao's six spirit bones, the two god bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, and that drop of "Tears of Remidios" radiating a soft, life-giving halo all lay there quietly.

"A massive haul..." He felt invigorated, but immediately recalled his original plan. "I've been delayed for so long; I wonder if I can still 'pick up' that hooligan rabbit."

He quickly straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, confirmed there were no bloodstains or anomalies on him, and stepped out of the alley, merging back into the flow of people on the street as he headed toward the grocery store he had planned to visit.

This time, his goal was clear, and he finished his shopping quickly: two brand-new, thick quilts.

One was an extremely eye-catching "macho pink," vibrant in color with obvious intent.

The other was a simple, elegant blue-gray, intended as a spare.

Stowing the two quilts away, Zhao Linchuan headed in the direction of Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy.

Notting Academy, Dorm Seven.

When Zhao Linchuan pushed the door open, the room was quite lively.

He saw several work-study boys, led by Wang Sheng, surrounding a little girl standing in the center with a long scorpion braid and large, bright eyes, all clamoring and calling her "Sister Xiao Wu."

The little girl had her hands on her hips, her small face filled with a touch of pride and novelty; she was clearly enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention.

Zhao Linchuan's gaze swept quickly across the dormitory. Luggage had already been placed on several of the crude beds, but he did not see the deep blue figure he had expected.

Tang San really isn't here... It seems Yu Xiaogang vomited quite a bit of blood; his 'good disciple' must be tending to him by his bedside.

Zhao Linchuan understood the situation, and without changing his expression, he carried his quilts toward an empty bed.

"Hey! New guy, do you know the rules of Dorm Seven?"

A voice as crisp as a silver bell, yet carrying a hint of feigned maturity, rang out. It was the girl with the scorpion braid surrounded by the others—Xiao Wu.

She had noticed Zhao Linchuan, a stranger who had entered without coming to "pay his respects" like the others, which made her feel that her authority as the freshly minted "Sister Xiao Wu" was being challenged.

Almost at the same time, a familiar system notification sounded deep within Zhao Linchuan's mind.