The Priceless Value of Life

Returning to the hall, Qian Lingche sat on the sofa, his brows tightly locked in deep thought.

The most reliable method was to find two spirit bones, one for Dugu Bo and one for Dugu Yan, to use as vessels for the toxins within their bodies.

However, while this method sounded simple, it was fraught with difficulties in practice.

Although Dugu Bo possessed one spirit bone, it was clearly insufficient to fully contain the toxins within him.

Once he used his full strength, the spirit bone would overload and shatter, endangering his life.

Qian Lingche rubbed his temples and muttered to himself, "Spirit bones are rare enough as it is, let alone ones with attributes suitable for both of them. In such a short time, where am I supposed to find two suitable spirit bones?"

He himself only possessed one spirit bone, the torso bone of a 100,000-year Extreme Ice Phantom Butterfly, which had already fused directly into his wings.

The spirit beasts he had hunted for his ten-thousand-year third and fourth spirit rings hadn't dropped any spirit bones at all.

Guang Ling walked into the hall and, seeing the troubled look on Qian Lingche's face, couldn't help but chuckle. "What is it, Xiao Che? Encountered a difficult problem?"

Qian Lingche looked up, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Yes, the issue of spirit bones is not easy to solve; they need to be at least ten thousand years old to be of any use."

Guang Ling walked over to his side and sat casually on the armrest of his chair. "What's so hard about that? Spirit Hall still has quite a bit of inventory."

Qian Lingche shook his head. "I don't want to have anything more to do with that place."

Just then, the hall door was gently pushed open, and Shi Yi stepped inside, carrying two spirit bones that emitted a faint glow.

"Xiao Che." Shi Yi walked up to Qian Lingche and handed over the two spirit bones. "This is a ten-thousand-year left arm bone and a ten-thousand-year right arm bone. Here, for you."

"These were dropped by spirit beasts when I hunted for my fourth and fifth spirit rings. I have no use for them anyway, so they might as well go to Dugu Bo and his granddaughter."

Qian Lingche froze for a moment, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. "Brother Yi, this..."

Shi Yi waved his hand, his tone relaxed. "Don't be so formal. Do we really need to stand on ceremony between us? Besides, these two spirit bones are just going to waste in my hands."

Guang Ling chuckled from the side, teasing, "Yo, Little Eight, you arrived at just the right time. Xiao Che was just worrying about this."

Qian Lingche took the spirit bones, feeling a weight lift from his heart. "Thank you, Brother Yi. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony with you."

Dugu Bo stared in shock at the two ten-thousand-year spirit bones in Qian Lingche's hands, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Dugu Yan, standing to the side, was still young and didn't fully grasp the value of spirit bones, but she could still sense the powerful energy contained within them, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Dugu Bo, however, was completely different. He stared fixedly at the two bones, his expression shifting from shock to complexity. "You... you are going to give these two ten-thousand-year spirit bones to us?"

Spirit bones were rare, and ten-thousand-year spirit bones even more so; their value was enough to drive spirit masters in the outside world to madness.

That Qian Lingche would so easily offer them to him and his granddaughter left him momentarily at a loss for words.

Qian Lingche looked at Dugu Bo calmly. "The toxins in your body have already seeped into your marrow and have become one with your spirit."

"Setting aside whether I can help you detoxify, even if I could, if the toxins were forcibly stripped away, your body would collapse instantly. You would either be crippled or dead."

Dugu Bo's expression shifted slightly; clearly, he was aware of this. He asked in a deep voice, "Then what are you suggesting?"

Qian Lingche continued, "But we can try another way: force the toxins in your body into the spirit bones, using them as vessels. This will not only save your life but could even allow you to advance further."

"You already have one spirit bone in your body, and with this ten-thousand-year one I'm giving you, it will be enough to contain the toxins."

"As for Dugu Yan, she is young and the toxins haven't seeped in deeply yet. A single spirit bone as a vessel will be enough to solve the problem entirely."

After listening, Dugu Bo looked down at the spirit bones in his hands, then back up at Qian Lingche. "You... are you really willing to use these two ten-thousand-year spirit bones to save us?"

Qian Lingche nodded. "Spirit bones are precious, but compared to your lives, they are worth it."

Come to think of it, Dugu Bo was a tragic figure; his son and daughter-in-law had died due to spirit backlash, and his granddaughter was also...

"The attributes might not be a perfect match for you, but these are the only ones I could find. You'll have to make do."

Dugu Bo waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of relief. "Many people would beg for a thousand-year spirit bone, yet you are giving us ten-thousand-year ones. We are already satisfied."

His gaze fell on the spirit bones Qian Lingche had placed in his hands, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "Qian Lingche, this favor—Yan'er and I will remember it. From this day forward, our lives belong to you."

Qian Lingche nodded. "There is no need to be so dramatic. As long as you keep your promise, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

"Go and absorb the spirit bone first. Once you have finished, I will assist you in forcing the toxins into it. As for Dugu Yan, she is still too young; let her wait until she is older to absorb hers."

With that, Qian Lingche turned and left.

Inside the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, Ning Fengzhi stood before the window, looking into the distance with a grave expression. "Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, Dugu Bo has also joined the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall. What do you think?"

Sword Douluo sat to the side, holding a cup of clear tea. At these words, his brows furrowed slightly. "Dugu Bo is a man of eccentric character. While his strength is not top-tier, his threat to groups is extremely high."

Bone Douluo leaned back in his chair. "Fengzhi, Dugu Bo joining them doesn't really affect us."

Ning Fengzhi pondered for a moment and nodded. "Dugu Bo's addition will make the faction next door even more formidable, but it doesn't change much; after all, those three are already strong enough."

Bone Douluo's tone carried a hint of schadenfreude. "The one who should be getting a headache now is the Heaven Dou Empire. The power of that kid next door is growing ever stronger; I fear Xue Ye is living in constant fear."

Ning Fengzhi's lips curled upward slightly at this. "Xue Ye always wanted to balance the various factions, but now that the Eternal Night Frost Song has risen so abruptly, he has essentially nurtured a tiger that will eventually turn on him."

He had originally intended to use Qian Lingche to keep the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect in check, but in the end, Qian Lingche had become the greatest danger of all.

The pillar of light that had shot into the sky from the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall some time ago—those far away might not have understood it, but they in the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect had felt it with absolute clarity.

It was an aura that one could not defy; the only ones capable of such a feat were—gods.

Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly. "Jing Chen and Xiao Che have a good relationship. With the bond between the two of them, I imagine our Seven Treasures Glazed Sect remains quite safe."

But Sword Douluo did not share this view. He shook his head and said, "Fengzhi, your calculations are clever, but that kid next door is no simple character. We cannot rely too heavily on such relationships."