Golden Earth Dragon Torso Bone

Ye Qingxian had already absorbed a Moonlight Spirit Deer Soul Ring. Now she was merely refining power from a Soul Beast of the same kind in that same Soul Ring slot.

With that foundation already in place, she encountered no resistance and completed the absorption with ease.

For Dugu Xin, however, it was an entirely different story.

The Golden Earth Dragon's violent Dragon-type Soul Power surged into his body like a roaring golden flood.

The power carried a savage, primal dragon aura. It battered and tore through his meridians, making every inch of his flesh feel as though it were burning.

Dugu Xin trembled violently. Veins bulged across his forehead, and huge beads of cold sweat soaked his clothes before dripping from his chin to the ground.

He clenched his teeth so hard he nearly bit through his lips. Enduring the agony of his meridians being torn apart, he refused to let his focus waver.

The formidable body he had forged over years with the Earth Dragon Golden Gourd and medicinal pills had become his last line of defense.

He drove his own Soul Power to its limit, clamping down on the turbulent golden torrent. Bit by bit, he wore away the Soul Beast's lingering ferocity and struggled to guide its immense energy toward the source of his martial soul.

Streaks of golden light coursed beneath his skin, swelling and fading in turn as the earth dragon's Soul Power battered his body.

If his focus slipped, that power would shatter his meridians and destroy him utterly.

Nearby, Dugu Bo, Ye Renxin, and the others held their breath, their eyes fixed on Dugu Xin. Their Soul Power gathered quietly, ready to intervene at any moment.

They knew what this Soul Ring meant to Dugu Xin. If he succeeded in absorbing the Golden Earth Dragon's Soul Ring, surpassing Dugu Bo would only be a matter of time!

Before long, Ye Qingxian successfully finished absorbing her sixth Soul Ring.

She closed her eyes and carefully examined the Soul Power surging within her. She knew she was now strong enough to attempt a seventh Soul Ring.

But there was no need to rush. She looked toward Dugu Xin, who was enduring terrible pain as he struggled to refine the Golden Earth Dragon's Soul Ring, then set the thought aside and waited quietly.

With Dugu Xin facing such danger, she had plenty of patience.

Ye Qingxian stood beside Zhao Yan and told her husband about her condition.

The Immortal Pill had broken through her limits, giving her the foundation to become a Soul Sage.

Now that she had absorbed a thirty-thousand-year Soul Ring, she could even try one over fifty thousand years old for her seventh!

Another three hours passed. Dugu Xin's muffled growls rang out again and again, veins pulsing at his temples as he summoned every scrap of willpower to refine this sixty-three-thousand-year seventh Soul Ring, far beyond the usual age limit.

At last, the violent dragon power slowly subsided and sank into the depths of his martial soul. The ground trembled faintly, and the Golden Earth Dragon's oppressive aura erupted from his body.

"He did it!"

Dugu Bo stared at his son. Seeing him survive the most dangerous stage, he finally let out a long breath.

Now that Dugu Xin had crossed that life-or-death threshold, the remaining refinement of the Soul Power posed no mortal danger.

Seeing that Dugu Xin's condition had stabilized, Lu Xuan stopped watching. He took out a dagger and went to work on the Golden Earth Dragon's carcass.

For a Golden Earth Dragon this powerful, it would hardly be surprising if it yielded a Soul Bone.

"There is one!"

Lu Xuan labored to cut open the Golden Earth Dragon's carcass, revealing a Soul Bone gleaming faintly gold. It was the Golden Earth Dragon's Torso Bone!

The earth dragon had been comparable in strength to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. A Torso Bone from it was bound to be extraordinary.

Lu Xuan did not yet know what soul skill the bone carried, but he knew Dugu Xin was the one best suited to it.

"Grandpa Dugu." Lu Xuan picked up the Soul Bone and held it out to Dugu Bo with a smile. "Uncle Dugu's luck is incredible. With this Torso Bone, he could aim for an even stronger eighth Soul Ring!"

"A Soul Bone!"

"And one of such exceptional quality!"

Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin stared at the golden Torso Bone, unable to hide their excitement.

It was a Soul Bone!

More than that, it was a supreme-quality Soul Bone from a powerful Soul Beast like the Golden Earth Dragon. Even seasoned experts like Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin could not keep the fervor from their eyes.

But both knew the Torso Bone suited Dugu Xin best. Even if Dugu Xin chose not to use it himself, it should be kept for Dugu Yan.

"Hold on to it for now," Dugu Bo told Lu Xuan. "Xiao Xuan, give it to Xin'er yourself when he's done."

"Why not let Yanyan keep it?" Lu Xuan showed no desire to keep the Soul Bone. He tossed the gleaming bone to Dugu Yan and smiled. "If Yanyan gives it to Uncle Dugu when he wakes, he'll be even more delighted."

Powerful as the Torso Bone was, Lu Xuan did not covet it.

Unless it was an External Soul Bone, he had no interest in ordinary Soul Bones from beasts under a hundred thousand years old. His first martial soul could accommodate at least three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings, and his second martial soul gave him another nine chances to absorb Soul Rings.

Lu Xuan was in no hurry to acquire Soul Bones.

"For me?" Dugu Yan froze, astonishment written across her face. "You want me to look after it?"

They had handed her such a rare treasure just like that? Knowing how precious Soul Bones were, Dugu Yan was surprised they did not fear she might accidentally damage it.

Of course, Soul Bones were nearly indestructible. It would hardly be such a treasure if it could break that easily.

"Give it to Uncle Dugu yourself when he's done," Lu Xuan said with a smile. "He'll be even more delighted if it comes from you."

"Okay!" Dugu Yan nodded firmly and cradled the golden Torso Bone with great care, afraid to let it suffer even the slightest knock.

Lu Xuan caught a flicker of envy in Ye Lingling's eyes. Leaning closer, he said softly, "Don't worry. You'll have Soul Bones of your own someday."

"Our Lingling has a second martial soul, after all. You'll be able to absorb nine whole Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings," Lu Xuan continued teasingly. "By then, you'll have so many Soul Bones you won't know which one to absorb first!"

Ye Lingling's eyes brightened. She nodded earnestly and said in a gentle voice, "That's true. Brother Lu Xuan, when I have Soul Bones to spare, I'll share them with you and Sister Yanyan!"

"Haha! I'll look forward to that day," Lu Xuan said with a hearty laugh.

As Lu Xuan joked with the two girls, easing the tension in the forest, Dugu Xin finally finished absorbing his seventh Soul Ring.

The irrepressible joy on his face made it clear that the Golden Earth Dragon Soul Ring, far beyond the usual age limit, had given him an enormous boost in strength.

Apart from a few rare exceptions, every Soul Master's seventh soul skill was a Martial Soul Avatar.

But even among Martial Soul Avatars, the differences could be vast.