Back in the hall, Qian Lingche sat on the sofa, brows furrowed as he sank into thought.
The safest solution was to find two Soul Bones, one for Dugu Bo and one for Dugu Yan, so they could contain the poison inside their bodies.
However, the solution sounded simple but was fraught with difficulties.
Although Dugu Bo already had a Soul Bone, it clearly couldn't contain all the poison inside him.
If he ever used his full strength, the Soul Bone would overload and shatter, putting his life in danger.
Qian Lingche rubbed his brow and murmured, "Soul Bones are rare to begin with, let alone ones with attributes suited to the two of them. Where am I supposed to find two suitable Soul Bones on such short notice?"
He only had one Soul Bone himself: the torso bone of a hundred-thousand-year-old Extreme Ice Phantom Butterfly, which had fused directly into his wings.
The Soul Beasts from his third and fourth ten-thousand-year Soul Rings hadn't dropped any Soul Bones at all.
Guang Ling walked into the hall and, seeing Qian Lingche's worried expression, chuckled. "What's wrong, Xiao Che? Run into a problem?"
Qian Lingche looked up, a touch of helplessness in his voice. "Yeah. The Soul Bone problem won't be easy to solve. They'll have to be at least ten thousand years old to be useful."
Guang Ling Ling walked over and casually perched on the arm of a chair. "What's so hard about that? The Spirit Hall still has plenty in storage.
Qian Lingche shook his head. "I don't want anything more to do with them."
Just then, the hall door was gently pushed open. Shi Yi strode inside, carrying two Soul Bones that glimmered faintly.
"Xiao Che." Shi Yi walked up to Qian Lingche and held out the two Soul Bones. "A ten-thousand-year left arm bone and a ten-thousand-year right arm bone. They're for you."
"They dropped when I hunted the Soul Beasts for my fourth and fifth Soul Rings. I have no use for them, so they might as well go to Dugu Bo and his granddaughter."
Qian Lingche froze, surprise flashing in his eyes. "Brother Yi, this..."
Shi Yi waved a hand, his tone easygoing. "Don't mention it. Do we really need to stand on ceremony with each other? Besides, these two Soul Bones would only go to waste in my hands."
Guang Ling chuckled from the side, teasing him. "Well, Little Eight, you sure came at the right time. Xiao Che was just worrying about this."
Qian Lingche accepted the Soul Bones and felt a weight lift from his heart. "Thank you, Brother Yi. I won't stand on ceremony, then."
Dugu Bo stared in shock at the two ten-thousand-year Soul Bones in Qian Lingche's hands, unable to believe his eyes.
Dugu Yan was still young and didn't fully understand the value of Soul Bones, but she could sense the powerful energy within them. Curiosity filled her eyes.
Dugu Bo was another matter entirely. He stared fixedly at the two Soul Bones, the shock on his face giving way to a complicated expression. "You... You're giving us these two ten-thousand-year Soul Bones?"
Soul Bones were rare to begin with, and ten-thousand-year Soul Bones were rarer still. Their value was enough to drive Soul Masters everywhere into a frenzy.
Yet Qian Lingche was offering to give them to him and his granddaughter as if it were nothing. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.
Qian Lingche looked calmly at Dugu Bo. "The poison in your body has already seeped into your bones, and it's become one with your Martial Soul."
"Even if I could help you detoxify, the poison would be forcibly torn out of you. Your body would collapse in an instant, and you'd either be crippled or dead."
Dugu Bo's expression shifted slightly. He clearly knew this as well. In a low voice, he asked, "So what are you suggesting?"
Qian Lingche continued, "We can take a different approach: force the poison in your body into a Soul Bone and use it as a vessel. That way, you'll not only survive, but might even grow stronger."
"You already have one Soul Bone. With the ten-thousand-year Soul Bone I'm giving you, there'll be enough room to contain the poison in your body."
"As for Dugu Yan, she's young and the poison hasn't penetrated as deeply. She'll only need one Soul Bone as a vessel to solve the problem completely."
After listening, Dugu Bo lowered his eyes to the Soul Bone in his hand, then looked up at Qian Lingche. "You... You're really willing to use these two ten-thousand-year Soul Bones to save us?"
Qian Lingche nodded. "Soul Bones are precious, but compared to your lives, they're worth it."
Truth be told, Dugu Bo had suffered a hard life. His son and daughter-in-law had died from their Martial Soul's backlash, and his granddaughter had also...
"The only thing is, their attributes might not suit you. But these are the only two I could find, so you'll have to make do."
Dugu Bo waved a hand, a note of relief in his voice. "So many people would give anything for even a thousand-year Soul Bone. You're giving us ten-thousand-year ones. We're already more than satisfied."
His eyes settled on the Soul Bone Qian Lingche had placed in his hand, and a complicated look crossed his face. "Qian Lingche, Yan'er and I will remember this kindness. From now on, our lives are yours."
Qian Lingche nodded. "There's no need to make it sound so grave. As long as you keep your promise, I won't treat you unfairly."
"Absorb the Soul Bone first. Once you're done, I'll help you force the poison into it. As for Dugu Yan, she's still too young. She can absorb a Soul Bone when she's older."
With that, Qian Lingche turned and left.
Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi stood by the window, gazing into the distance with a grave expression. "Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, Dugu Bo has joined the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall too. What do you think?"
Sword Douluo sat nearby, a cup of clear tea in his hand. At this, his brows drew together slightly. "Dugu Bo has a strange temperament. Although he isn't particularly strong, he poses an extreme threat to groups."
Bone Douluo leaned back in his chair. "Fengzhi, Dugu Bo joining them won't really affect us."
Ning Fengzhi considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Dugu Bo's joining will make the neighboring force even larger, but it doesn't really affect us. Those three are already strong enough."
There was a hint of schadenfreude in Bone Douluo's voice. "The ones who ought to be worried now are the Heaven Dou Empire. That kid next door keeps growing stronger. I'm sure Xue Ye is on pins and needles."
Ning Fengzhi's lips curved slightly. "Xue Ye has always wanted to keep all the factions in balance. Now the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall has burst onto the scene. He's raised a tiger that's become a menace."
He'd originally intended to use Qian Lingche to keep the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in check. Instead, Qian Lingche had become the greatest threat of all.
Some time ago, the pillar of light that had shot into the sky from the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall might have gone unnoticed by those far away, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had felt it all too clearly.
It had been an aura that none could defy. The only being capable of such a thing was probably a god.
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly. "Jingchen and Xiao Che are close. With that bond between them, I believe the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will remain quite safe."
Sword Douluo didn't agree. He shook his head. "Fengzhi, that's a clever calculation, but the kid next door is no ordinary person. We can't rely too much on that relationship, either."