Plans for What Came Next

"Dad, Uncle Ye."

Dugu Xin slowly opened his eyes, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. "The soul skill this Golden Earth Dragon gave me is incredibly powerful!"

"With a Soul Ring of such high quality, its skill was bound to be extraordinary." Dugu Bo smiled and pressed him. "Tell us, is there something unusual about your Martial Soul Avatar?"

"When I activate my Martial Soul Avatar, all my attributes triple! My first six soul skills no longer consume Soul Power, and their power triples too!" Dugu Xin told them its effects, then added, "On top of that, the period of weakness afterward is much shorter."

Powerful as the Martial Soul Avatar was, almost every soul master suffered a period of weakness after using it.

A substantial reduction in that time was undoubtedly a rare advantage.

As Dugu Bo and the others listened to Dugu Xin, they offered words of encouragement, though they could not help feeling envious.

Dugu Bo, Ye Renxin, and Zhao Yan had, in the end, been held back by the era they had trained in.

Their options had been limited when they absorbed their Soul Rings. Now, their foundations could no longer compare with those of a younger man like Dugu Xin, who had rebuilt his step by step with rare treasures and high-quality Soul Rings.

Fortunately, they were family. They might sigh and feel a little envious, but there was not a trace of jealousy.

"Congratulations, Dad." Dugu Yan hurried up to Dugu Xin, carefully holding out the Golden Earth Dragon Torso Bone with both hands. Gold light flowed across its surface. Her eyes shone with genuine delight as she looked up at him. "This Soul Bone came from the Golden Earth Dragon. Once you absorb it, you'll get even stronger!"

"A Soul Bone!"

Dugu Xin's gaze snapped to the weighty Torso Bone, which brimmed with spiritual light. Excitement and surprise surged through him.

He knew how rare and precious Soul Bones were. An ordinary soul master might never encounter one in a lifetime. He had never expected to gain such a treasure just as he broke through to Soul Sage.

And this was no ordinary Soul Bone!

It was a Torso Bone formed by a sixty-three-thousand-year-old Golden Earth Dragon, with pure bloodline power and a deep reserve of energy. Its quality far surpassed other Soul Bones of the same age.

Even compared with limb Soul Bones from a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it lost nothing in offense, defense, enhancement of one's innate power, or potential. It was a treasure one could only dream of finding!

Yet for all its value, Dugu Xin had a nagging feeling that absorbing it himself would be a waste.

"Yanyan." Dugu Xin turned to his daughter. "Why don't we save this Soul Bone for you?"

He wanted the treasure himself, of course. But after weighing it up, he believed his daughter needed it more.

"You're far more talented than I am. If you refine it, you'll reach heights far beyond your grandfather and me."

"Me?" Dugu Yan froze for a moment, then shook her head. "Dad, I don't want it."

With that, she ran over to Lu Xuan and Ye Lingling. Smiling, she said, "Lu Xuan will help me find Soul Bones later. Besides, Sister Lingling said that when she absorbs Soul Rings for her second martial soul, she'll give me one if she gets a spare Soul Bone."

Dugu Yan knew exactly how precious a Soul Bone was. That was why she refused to take this opportunity from her father.

If he refined the bone now, his path to Soul Douluo and even Titled Douluo would be much smoother.

Dugu Xin had never expected such a firm refusal from his daughter. He turned to Lu Xuan. "Xiao Xuan, then perhaps this Soul Bone—"

"Uncle Dugu." Lu Xuan gently shook his head, cutting him off. "You've just absorbed the Golden Earth Dragon's Soul Ring, so this bone is best suited to you. Refine it. The stronger you are, the better you can protect Yanyan."

With everyone urging him to refine the Soul Bone, Dugu Xin stopped refusing.

He carefully put away the Golden Earth Dragon Torso Bone, then looked at Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin. "Dad, Uncle Ye. After I absorbed my seventh Soul Ring, the Soul Power stored in my body by the pill was released too. I've just barely reached the level of a Quasi-Titled Douluo. If I refine this Soul Bone as well, I should be able to withstand an eighth Soul Ring over eighty thousand years old."

Dugu Bo considered this briefly and swept a wary gaze across the desolate forest. "We shouldn't stay here. First, we'll find somewhere completely safe. Then you can focus on refining the Torso Bone."

He knew each stage of a soul master's cultivation built on the last, so he reminded Dugu Xin patiently, "The eighth Soul Ring may not take priority over the seventh, which grants the Martial Soul Avatar, or the ninth, which sets the upper limit of your strength for life. But it's the crucial link between them. You can't afford to settle for less."

"It will solidify your foundation as a Soul Sage and pave the way to Soul Douluo. If that foundation is weak, your future progress will be limited." Dugu Bo looked at Dugu Xin gravely. "Focus on fusing with the Soul Bone first and stabilizing your cultivation. Once that's done, we'll determine exactly what your body and Soul Power can withstand, then choose the best-suited eighth Soul Ring at the right age."

Dugu Xin had no objections. With nothing else to do there, the group set off back toward Suotuo City.

Every one of them was powerful, but they did not kill the Soul Beasts in the forest without reason. When one attacked them along the way, they simply drove it off.

The sole exception was a two-thousand-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider that charged at them. Lu Xuan dispatched it with a casual strike, and they continued on.

Lu Xuan had briefly considered letting Dugu Yan kill the Man Faced Demon Spider to see whether it might produce the Eight Spider Lances External Soul Bone.

But after a little thought, he abandoned the idea.

The Man Faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring was a poor match for Dugu Yan's martial soul. Forcing her to absorb it would disrupt the Soul Ring progression he had already planned for her.

Even if they got lucky and obtained the Eight Spider Lances, the boost to her strength might not match what he had originally planned.

Before long, the group returned to Suotuo City and the inn where they were staying.

Dugu Xin secluded himself to refine the Golden Earth Dragon Torso Bone, while Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin stood guard nearby.

As they waited, the two discussed what came next.

"Once Xin'er has refined the Soul Bone, we'll need to consider his eighth Soul Ring." Dugu Bo looked at Ye Renxin, his expression serious. "Your niece's seventh Soul Ring needs arranging as soon as possible. And your ninth Soul Ring, Brother Ye, along with your nephew Zhao Yan's, must be put on the agenda now."

He paused, his tone turning more cautious. "Every high-level Soul Ring affects one's foundation for life. We can't be careless. But we'll be searching far and wide for suitable Soul Beasts and preparing for these breakthroughs. It's no longer practical to bring Xiao Xuan, Yanyan, and Lingling along."

Ye Renxin nodded as he listened to Dugu Bo.

The Soul Rings they sought might take a year or more to obtain.

It would be far too dangerous for Lu Xuan and the two girls to accompany them!