A Seventeen-Hundred-Thousand-Year Firmament Thunder Leopard Right Leg Bone

Xuan Zi's excited shout came from outside the door.

Su Ling slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the corner.

Wang Dong lay on her side on the bed she had made, her eyes closed, her lashes trembling slightly. The ornament hanging from the abdomen of her Shrek freshman uniform rose and fell gently with her breathing.

She was asleep.

Su Ling shook his head helplessly, got out of bed, and walked to the entryway to pull open the door. "Elder Xuan?"

Xuan Zi strode straight in, closing the door behind him. He looked mysteriously at Su Ling and was just about to speak.

Suddenly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Wang Dong asleep on the bed in the corner. The Shrek freshman uniform she wore was especially conspicuous.

Xuan Zi's grizzled brows furrowed as he looked at Su Ling in confusion. "Kid Su, who is this?"

He had specially arranged Room 106 for Su Ling. Knowing Su Ling had a cleanliness obsession, he had canceled the usual double-room arrangement.

"Oh, her." Su Ling explained the whole story to Xuan Zi.

Xuan Zi's brow furrowed tighter and tighter as he listened, until he heard the words "Light Goddess Butterfly" martial soul.

His brows abruptly relaxed, and a meaningful smile appeared in his eyes.

"So that's how it is. Having someone take care of the cleaning isn't bad either. As long as you're happy, Kid Su."

Xuan Zi smiled at Su Ling. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, followed by an explosive burst of delight.

"Kid Su... you... you're already Rank 29!?"

Su Ling did not hide it. His black hair stirred without wind as Rank 29 Soul Power burst forth.

It was solid and substantial, without the slightest trace of instability.

"Good... good! You broke through three ranks in less than two days! Just as expected of the Qilin prodigy this old man had his eye on!" Xuan Zi said excitedly, his old face blooming like a chrysanthemum.

"You flatter me, Elder Xuan."

Su Ling chuckled and withdrew the fluctuations of his Soul Power.

At that moment, Wang Dong woke up, startled awake by the Soul Power fluctuations Su Ling had released.

"Mmm..." She gave a soft hum and rubbed her eyes, only then seeing the scruffy old man who had appeared in the dormitory.

Hm?

!!

"Su Ling! Why did you bring a begging old man into the room?"

"Hey, you little brat... You've got no manners at all!" The smile vanished from Xuan Zi's face as he blew his beard and glared.

Fortunately, Wang Dong was Su Ling's roommate. If anyone else had called him that, he would have already flung a chicken leg at them.

Chicken Leg Douluo's reputation was not undeserved.

Su Ling held his forehead and smiled wryly. "Little Dong, this is Elder Xuan, an elder of Shrek's Sea God Pavilion, not some beggar."

Wang Dong was still a little groggy from waking up. When she heard Su Ling say that this scruffy old man was an elder of the Sea God Pavilion, she instantly sobered up.

Of course she had heard of the Sea God Pavilion's elders. Every one of them possessed strength at least at the Titled Douluo level, and there were even rumors that the Pavilion Master was a Rank 99 Limit Douluo.

"My apologies, Elder Xuan! This junior was presumptuous."

Wang Dong smiled awkwardly.

"I'll let it go for Kid Su's sake, but don't let it happen again!" Xuan Zi said with imposing authority, then waved his hand. "Go out first. This old man has some private matters to discuss with Kid Su."

Wang Dong nodded so hard her head bobbed like a rattle, then jogged out and gently closed the door behind her.

Once only he and Su Ling remained in the dormitory.

Xuan Zi cast a Soul Power barrier around the room, then took out a large, classically elegant box.

Su Ling looked over curiously.

The box was forged from some unknown metal, its surface engraved with soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes. It was clear that what lay within was extraordinary.

"This is what this old man got for you from the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Because of those words you spoke to prove your heart, that old fossil Lin Huiqun broke through to Rank 97. Consider this her gift of thanks."

Su Ling suddenly understood. "I see. Then this junior offers congratulations to Elder Lin, and to the Sea God Pavilion as well."

"Heh heh, enough flattery. Open it and have a look."

Xuan Zi smiled as he flicked out a strand of Soul Power, and the seal on the box unlocked at once.

Looking at the box before him, Su Ling gently lifted the lid.

A radiance interwoven with white and purple light shone out from within.

He focused his gaze.

Two small bones lay quietly inside the box, separated by a divider in the middle.

The one on the left was entirely purple and emitted faint thunderous might, while the other was crystal-clear, like a small crystal.

"Soul Bones!?"

Su Ling's eyes lit up.

Before opening it, he had vaguely guessed they might be Soul Bones, but seeing them with his own eyes still startled him.

And there were two at once!

"Haha, that's right! The one on the left was specially selected for you by this old man. It took quite a bit of effort before that old fossil Lin Huiqun agreed to part with it. It's a right leg bone from a seventeen-hundred-thousand-year Firmament Thunder Leopard. The other is somewhat inferior, only eighty thousand years old, but it is still a rare spiritual-type skull bone."

After Xuan Zi finished his introduction with a smile, his gaze settled on Su Ling's face. He seemed to be anticipating something.

"Elder Xuan, you've gone to great trouble!"

Su Ling casually placed the box on the bed, turned around, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply to Xuan Zi.

"Kid Su, you mustn't!"

Xuan Zi's heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly helped him up.

He had merely wanted Su Ling to show some appreciation, say a few nice things, and bring them closer.

But there was no need to go this far!

What an outstanding child Kid Su was. Even when facing all the elders in the Sea God Pavilion, he had remained neither servile nor overbearing throughout.

How could he lower himself over two mere Soul Bones?!

Besides, he had not even become Su Ling's teacher yet. How could he deserve such a grand gesture from him?

"No, Elder Xuan. Though I, Su Ling, am young, I know how to repay kindness. These two Soul Bones are immensely precious. This junior has no means of repaying this favor for now, so I can only offer this bow to express my gratitude!"

Though Xuan Zi's reputation in the original story was poor, and he was mockingly called the Holy Spirit Cult's Supreme Elder.

He had genuinely treated Su Ling well.

Su Ling was not some ungrateful wretch. Although he could not give Xuan Zi anything at present, he had to at least show the proper attitude.

"Good... good!"

Xuan Zi's eyes brimmed with gratification as he heavily patted Su Ling's shoulder. "Kid Su, absorb the Soul Bones. This old man will guard you."

Su Ling nodded and took out the Firmament Thunder Leopard right leg bone. Faint purple thunderous might flowed slowly over it, vaguely resonating with the lightning power within his body.

"My Soul Power is actually merging with this Soul Bone on its own! Could this Firmament Thunder Leopard have been an Ultimate Thunder soul beast?"

Even as Su Ling marveled, the deep purple radiance on the Firmament Thunder Leopard right leg bone surged forth like a tide, instantly winding around his right leg.

Purple and black lightning immediately illuminated the entire dormitory, spiraling and intertwining around Su Ling's right leg.

Su Ling let out a long breath and sat down cross-legged.

Brilliant light repeatedly flashed in Xuan Zi's eyes as he stood guard nearby.

This Soul Bone, which no one had been able to absorb for centuries, was actually taking the initiative to merge with Kid Su!

Sure enough, he had made the right choice!

Xuan Zi stroked his beard and smiled.

"Once Kid Su finishes absorbing it and breaks through to Rank 30, this old man will take him soul hunting. Just so happens, several children in the Inner Court have also broken through and need to obtain Soul Rings."

Meanwhile.

The underground region of Evil Demon Forest.

A Skeleton Palace stood here, its ghostly purple lamps reflecting off the bloody altars around it. It was eerie and terrifying.

The Holy Spirit Cult, the den of Evil Soul Masters across the continent.

At this moment, within the main hall.

A mysterious man draped in dark robes and wearing a white bone mask sat in the seat of honor with one leg crossed over the other. His purple eyes carried deathly stillness and vicious malice.

"A death domain appeared outside Shrek City? Is that true?"

A black-robed subordinate knelt on one knee and respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Cult Master, this was reported by the Holy Church's scouts. This subordinate also personally went to verify it. It is indeed a death domain, and that aura... is in no way inferior to yours, Cult Master."

"Oh? Interesting!"

The mysterious man's mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin, revealing a mouthful of chilling fangs.

"Pass down my order. Mobilize every spy our cult has planted in Shrek, and summon Ming Lei to go with them. We must find this genius who created the death domain."

After a pause, fanatical fervor flashed through his eyes. Suppressing his excitement, he rasped, "He will become the great Holy Spirit Cult's sacred envoy..."