Divine Position Scheming, Heart of the Sea God Obtained

What is a Spirit Bone?

It is the crowning treasure of a Spirit Master, the best way to acquire powerful skills outside of one's own Spirit Rings.

Spirit Bones are incredibly rare, with only a minuscule chance of being obtained through the hunting of Spirit Beasts.

Even Titled Douluo powerhouses are desperate for such items. Take Dugu Bo, for instance; as of now, he possesses only a single skull Spirit Bone, with all other slots remaining empty. This alone illustrates just how scarce they truly are.

It was precisely because Fang Xuan mentioned Artificial Spirit Bones that the three of them were so stirred.

"Don't get too excited; I was merely speaking hypothetically."

Seeing that the three had taken the bait, Fang Xuan prepared for the next stage of his performance.

"Soul Tools cannot entirely replace Spirit Bones, but they do share certain similarities."

"Both function by channeling Soul Power. One acts internally while the other acts externally, but at their core, they are both auxiliary tools driven by Soul Power."

"Since Spirit Bones are currently so scarce, I have been wondering if we might reduce that scarcity by researching Soul Tools."

"Of course, these are just my own theories; the actual feasibility would require further verification."

This grand vision left the three of them stunned and bewildered.

After all, to people of this era, Fang Xuan's ideas were nothing short of whimsical, yet they somehow possessed a strange logic.

Soul Tools were not mere figments of imagination; they were tangible objects, and their effects were indeed similar to what Fang Xuan described.

However, no one had ever suggested that these items could serve as a substitute for Spirit Bones.

Perhaps someone had, but not everyone had the opportunity to stand in this position and voice such thoughts.

The same words spoken at different times, in different settings, and by different people yield vastly different results.

This is what is known as the right time, the right place, and the right people.

Fang Xuan happened to satisfy all three elements, and the effect was particularly significant.

Watching the three of them fall into deep contemplation, the corners of Fang Xuan's mouth curled upward involuntarily.

It seems the plan is a success.

As a transmigrator, how could he not know the importance of Soul Tools?

The feeling of copying an assignment while already holding the answer key—whoever uses it knows just how incredibly satisfying it is.

After a brief silence, the three looked up at Fang Xuan in unison, their eyes now carrying a hint of gravity compared to their previous confusion.

Clearly, Fang Xuan's words had touched their souls; after all, most people are the same when faced with extreme profit.

If they remained indifferent, it only meant the pie you were painting wasn't big enough.

"Truly, a hero emerges from the youth. Such insightful and unique ideas are indeed rare. It is only a pity that I was born too early, and you were born too late."

Xue Ye sighed, while Fang Xuan simply dismissed it as nonsense.

The old emperor was clearly trapped by traditional thinking, unable to see what was laid out right in front of him.

But this was exactly the effect Fang Xuan wanted. If everyone could see through it, would it still be his turn to reap the benefits?

In fact, these words weren't even meant for Xue Ye, but for Xue Qinghe (Qian Renxue) standing beside him.

The Spirit Hall was far superior to this decaying empire; if he wanted to research Soul Tools, he would need their help.

As for Dugu Bo, he was merely an afterthought—a convenient excuse to facilitate the conversation.

Fang Xuan's words moved Xue Ye so deeply that he even added to the rewards on top of the original offer.

"Very well. Since Minister Fang Xuan has such ideas, I shall naturally support them."

"In addition to the treasure I previously promised you could select from the vault, I grant you the authority to freely call upon and examine all the Soul Tools and related ancient texts stored within."

Xue Ye's generosity was seemingly immense, but in reality, it was much like Fang Xuan's own tactic—painting a grand picture for the other party.

It appeared to be a great bounty, but in practice, there wasn't much to actually gain.

Fang Xuan didn't react to this; after all, he couldn't exactly make the man lose face on the spot.

Once Xue Ye finished painting his picture, Xue Qinghe took over the conversation.

"Since Your Majesty has already bestowed a reward, I naturally cannot be stingy myself."

Regardless of anything else, Fang Xuan was someone he had recruited, so making an appropriate gesture was necessary.

"Researching Soul Tools must require significant manpower, not to mention the location and the funding for materials."

"Since this is for the sake of the empire, I should be the one to bear these costs."

Xue Qinghe's linguistic artistry was superb; he provided benefits to Fang Xuan while giving Xue Ye enough face, all without overstepping his bounds.

Xue Ye nodded with a smile, quite satisfied with his successor's response.

Dugu Bo stood to the side in silence, unable to interject in such a situation.

However, that did not stop his mind from wandering.

Soul Tools as a substitute for Spirit Bones? Does this mean Soul Tools could also be used to help Yanyan purge her poison?

If that's the case, then the Spirit Bone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan might not be necessary after all...

Dugu Bo had never used the spirit bone sent over by Yu Yuanzhen as a betrothal gift, primarily because using it would be equivalent to him officially sanctioning the marriage between Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.

Once that happened, Dugu Yan would have to marry into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Just as Fang Xuan had previously told her, Dugu Bo was not yet ready to see his granddaughter married off so soon.

Before, he had no choice but to compromise temporarily.

But if he had a choice, he actually did not care for this spirit bone at all.

In his heart, Dugu Yan was far more important than any spirit bone.

Now that Fang Xuan had brought this up, Dugu Bo found himself entertaining other ideas.

For instance, turning his disciple into his grandson-in-law.

Compared to a half-son, a grandson-in-law was naturally closer.

Furthermore, Fang Xuan was inherently more outstanding than Yu Tianheng and lacked any interfering factions, which naturally made him a better fit for his requirements.

In short, Dugu Bo now harbored the thought of kicking Yu Tianheng to the curb and letting Fang Xuan take his place.

Of course, it was just a thought; if Dugu Yan did not agree, he could not force the issue. After all, he could hardly drug his own granddaughter and toss her onto Fang Xuan's bed.

If he did that, he feared he would end up offending both sides; it would be far too unscrupulous.

With the matter resolved satisfactorily, Fang Xuan finally obtained the Heart of the Sea God he had been longing for.

Gazing at the azure, diamond-shaped crystal in his hand, Fang Xuan could not help but reveal a smile.

"Finally got my hands on it."

It was the inheritance object for the Sea God's divine position and one of the essential prerequisites for succeeding the Sea God.

He now had one foot through the door of the God Realm. All that remained was to wait for the right moment to head to Sea God Island and inherit the Sea God's mantle.

He was familiar with the process, though this item was merely a backup; his true preference remained the Asura God inheritance in Slaughter City.

"I'll need to secure a few more divine positions; one or two simply won't be enough to go around."

Ye Lingling would certainly need one, and his mother-in-law would need one as well.

Both had consumed immortal herbs—immortal herbs that had been further enhanced by Energy Beans—and their martial souls had evolved.

Even though Ye Qinru was on the older side, passing the trial for a second-tier divine position should not be a major issue.

However, thinking about such things now seemed a bit too premature.

"Forget it, I'll just take things one step at a time. Some matters cannot be rushed."

Storing the Heart of the Sea God inside his Hundred Treasure Pouch, he stepped outside the Imperial Treasury.

Xue Ye and Dugu Bo had already departed, leaving only Xue Qinghe waiting there alone.

"I have fulfilled the promise I made to you; now, it is time we had a proper talk about our own affairs."