Acquiring a Soul Bone

The night in the Star Dou Great Forest was cold, but Tang San felt even colder. The bone-deep chill was like reliving Ghost-Crying Cliff. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief and repeatedly questioned En Zuo. "What do you mean... Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast...?"

"The Titan Giant Ape that took Xiao Wu away is her family, and the other one is also a hundred-thousand-year Azure Sky Bull Python?!"

"How can soul beasts possibly take human form?" Tang San staggered back several steps. He refused to believe En Zuo's words. How could something so absurd possibly be true?

If it was true, then what was he?!

"A soul beast's soul rings, until it reaches Soul Sage, are all soul rings born from its own body." En Zuo had expected Tang San's reaction. He decided to add more fuel to the fire and make it burn even hotter. "Have you ever seen her hunt for a soul ring in front of you?"

"Did you ever truly notice whether, right before your eyes, when you spoke of hunting soul beasts, Xiao Wu felt happiness... or pain?"

"But that is only your side of the story." Tang San argued forcefully, refusing to yield. "I only believe what I see with my own eyes."

Taking a step forward, En Zuo leaned close and whispered into his ear, "Is this how the Tang Sect trains its disciples?"

No matter what evidence En Zuo offered, Tang San could explain it away. But the secret of his previous life was the one thing that could never possibly have been uncovered.

How could anyone else possibly know such information?

"Who exactly are you?" Tang San quietly retreated a few steps, his entire body tensed as though a single movement would set everything in motion.

"Allow me to introduce myself." En Zuo summoned his martial soul. Four soul rings—black, black, black, and dark purple, completely beyond ordinary comprehension—circled around him. Driven by his first soul skill, his entire body rose into the air. "I am the disciple of the dean of Monster Academy from ten thousand years in the future. The captain of the team that will lead its squad against Shrek Academy."

"You may call me En Zuo."

What kind of soul ring configuration was this?!

Tang San finally understood where that faint but ever-present sense of danger deep within him came from. At such a young age, this man's four soul rings all far surpassed the age limits of soul masters in this era.

He was a monster through and through.

Suppressing the fear in his heart, Tang San said in a low voice, "En Zuo, where exactly did you learn about the Tang Sect?"

The Tang Sect's affairs were top secret and must never be leaked. Tang San would never allow even his biological father to learn of such matters.

En Zuo had never been obligated to answer any of Tang San's questions. Still, controlling Tang San was far easier than controlling anyone else. He only needed to hold Xiao Wu as his trump card.

Tang San would become a hound at En Zuo's command.

"You should think this through." En Zuo organized his thoughts and said unhurriedly, "Do you want to know about the Tang Sect..."

"Or about Xiao Wu?"

At this point, En Zuo paused. With meaningful implication in his tone, he said, "If my prediction is correct, Xiao Wu will die right before your eyes."

"What?!" Tang San's heart trembled. Only now did he realize just how important Xiao Wu was to him. Not even the Tang Sect's secrets could compare to her safety.

"Tell me quickly, please tell me. Didn't you say the Titan Giant Ape is her family? How could she die before my eyes?"

This time, Tang San no longer thought En Zuo was deceiving him. He would rather believe it was true than gamble on even the slightest chance that it was false.

Tang San dropped to his knees before En Zuo and slammed his forehead heavily into the mud, leaving a bloody mark. "I beg you."

"More precisely, she will die before your eyes twice." En Zuo had no intention of hiding anything. There was no need to conceal something like this. Revealing everything would bring far greater value than withholding it.

"Twice?"

Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot. Why could he not even protect his own sister? And twice at that! Why was he so useless?

"The first time, because you were too weak. To preserve your life, Xiao Wu sacrificed everything and became your soul ring." En Zuo could clearly feel Tang San's body shudder. It was fear born from the depths of his heart.

En Zuo did not stop. He continued, "The second time will come from the natural cycle of life, aging, illness, and death. Even though you will have become a God King by then, you will still be powerless to stop it. In the end, you will choose to end your own life and follow her in death."

"Even becoming a God King... cannot free me from such an absurd fate? Then what is the point of becoming a god?!" Tang San furiously punched the ground. His knuckles sank into the earth as scarlet blood flowed from the wound.

"What use is anger? If you truly want to win a sliver of hope for your sister, then do everything in your power to grow stronger." En Zuo said calmly.

Tang San struggled inwardly. He looked at En Zuo with hope. "You must have a way, don't you? You must know how to save Xiao Wu."

"Of course." A wisp of viscous dark-purple energy spilled from En Zuo's fingertips, reflecting the most primal ugliness in the human heart. "Nightmare Power can reverse life and death. It can even grant life eternity."

"This is entirely different from the eternity of gods. Gods can fall, but Nightmare Power is different. It is rooted in the evil thoughts within human hearts. So long as people still harbor evil thoughts, Nightmare Power will never disappear."

"Even resurrecting gods is merely a matter of time."

Did En Zuo possess a means of resurrection? Naturally, not yet. But Nightmare Power truly could accomplish such a thing. As for the possibility of Tang San leaking the secret? Once Tang San personally witnessed the possibility of Xiao Wu's death, he would never reveal it.

One could say Tang San had flawed character, or that he was cruel to his daughter. But the sincere love he held for Xiao Wu was something he could never let go of.

This was the hope of Xiao Wu's resurrection. Would Tang San extinguish it with his own hands? Tang San had always favored those close to him over reason. As a friend, he was not all that bad.

Besides, En Zuo had never intended to keep this secret forever. Sooner or later, it would be exposed to the world. He might as well use it to win people over.

En Zuo's nearly arrogant words somewhat stunned Tang San, but he did not dare refute him.

Tang San decided to test En Zuo's words for the time being, to see how much of what he said would come true before deciding on his future attitude.

"Since you say Xiao Wu will be fine, when will she return safely?" Tang San asked anxiously at the right moment. "I am worried about Xiao Wu's safety."

"If nothing changes, up ahead, you will encounter a thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider being hunted down. Once all the trivial matters have settled and you absorb the soul ring, Xiao Wu will naturally return safely."

"By then, Xiao Wu will already be a three-ring Soul Elder."

But En Zuo made one request. "The soul bone it produces will count as my additional payment."

"Fine. If there is a soul bone, I will gladly offer it to you."

This time, Tang San did not hesitate in the slightest. It was only a soul bone. Compared with the intelligence En Zuo had given him, it was insignificant.

External soul bones were exceedingly rare throughout the entire Douluo series. Every external soul bone possessed terrifying growth potential, potentially even reaching the level of a super divine artifact.

En Zuo patted Tang San on the shoulder, extended a hand to pull him up, and smiled. "You are fortunate. You made the right choice."