On External Soul Bones

When I read other fanfiction, I came across the claim that "External Soul Bones must be absorbed together with the Soul Ring." I also checked Baidu Baike and saw: "One must absorb the Soul Ring of the Soul Beast that dropped the Soul Bone, and must absorb the Soul Ring first before absorbing the Soul Bone."

But when I looked through the original text of Douluo Continent I, I couldn't find the relevant passage. Maybe I missed the right chapter, or maybe the version I read had already been revised. After all, Tang San loved revising his writing. (If anyone finds it, please send me the chapter number, and I'll go back and take another look.)

Then I reviewed the relevant chapters in Douluo Continent I, II, and III.

Only the Eight Spider Lances in Douluo Continent I were indeed absorbed together with the Soul Ring, but there was no explicit wording stating that they "had to" be absorbed together.

In Douluo Continent II, Huo Gua's Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear Right Arm Bone was actually a Right Palm Bone that Xuan Zi found after cutting open the Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear's corpse while Xiao Xiao was absorbing its Soul Ring. After some discussion, they gave it to Xiao Xiao to absorb, but she couldn't withstand it, so it was transferred to Huo Gua instead. The Evil Eye Tyrant's Evil Eye External Soul Bone was also directly stripped away rather than absorbed together with its Soul Ring.

In Douluo Continent III, after Tang Wulin killed a hundred-year Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear, its Right Palm Bone dropped directly. (This might have had something to do with the Spirit Pagoda's Spirit Ascension Platform, but it also made sense if the setting from Douluo Continent II was continued.)

Furthermore, External Soul Bones could be seized before they had completely fused.

So my secondary setting here is this: an External Soul Bone had a chance of being absorbed together with a Soul Ring, but it was not mandatory! Tang San absorbing the Eight Spider Lances was an exceptionally rare special case. Before complete fusion, they could also be seized by others.

This way, it more or less incorporated all the circumstances from the three works. Some people might not agree with it, but I hope everyone can understand, discuss it reasonably, and refrain from insults.

It was kind of funny. These past two days, some people commented that the protagonist's Martial Soul had been nerfed, saying Tang San was already level 20 while the protagonist was only level 10, so he was trash. Then others complained that the protagonist's Martial Soul was too overpowered, and that it would definitely turn into a Long Aotian story later on.

People complained from both sides, and I honestly didn't know what to say. ╮(╯▽╰)╭

So how exactly was I supposed to write it? Making him overpowered didn't work, and making him weak didn't work either. It was really hard!

It messed with my mentality so badly that I almost didn't want to write today. I wanted to take the day off.