Treasure-Seeking Dragon

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Yu Chen's first soul ring shone, and a current of soul power surged around him as he raced across the vines and leaves.

First soul skill: Wind Element-Wind Speed.

In a martial arts world, this move, "Grass-Walking Flight," would surely have left countless people dumbfounded.

But in a fantasy world, it was merely his first soul skill.

After about half an hour, the view before him suddenly opened up.

"Rumble-"

A rumbling sound drew closer from the distance, like muffled thunder, making his eardrums buzz.

Yu Chen focused his gaze. Ahead of him in the valley, a waterfall poured down from high above.

Is this the waterfall where Ah Yin is hidden?

As Yu Chen gazed at the waterfall, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

In the original story, Tang Hao had hidden Ah Yin on the Back Mountain of Holy Soul Village and sealed her soul bone inside a Black Iron Box.

Xiao Bai could fly this far?

Yu Chen grew even more puzzled.

This place was roughly forty or fifty kilometers from Zonghun Village. Even running at full speed, he had taken half an hour to get here.

Could Xiao Bai automatically absorb soul power to sustain herself?

Yu Chen continued forward.

At the edge of the pool.

The torrent plunged straight down, shattering into countless droplets in midair, where the sunlight broke into a scattering of tiny glints.

By his estimate, the waterfall was over two hundred meters tall and forty or fifty meters wide.

"What a magnificent sight!"

Excitement stirred in Yu Chen's heart as he rapidly weighed his options.

Tang Hao is a Titled Douluo. If he's nearby, a little level-twenty Soul Master like me would be finished with a single slap.

But since Xiao Bai hasn't given any warning, this area must be safe for now.

Yu Chen's heart suddenly beat a little faster.

That was a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. Who could see it without burning with desire?

Yu Chen and Tang San were neither beloved friends and family nor brothers bound by blood. He felt no qualms about taking Tang San's destined opportunity.

"Xiao Bai, you said there was something strange about this place. What is it?"

Yu Chen asked, feigning doubt.

The waterfall was so loud that he practically had to shout.

Apart from summoning his martial soul and using soul skills, Yu Chen had to communicate with Xiao Bai through spoken words.

Although a detached martial soul was still a martial soul, she possessed intelligence and existed as an independent individual, almost exactly like a Pokémon.

Yu Chen had no way to read Xiao Bai's thoughts, and the reverse was also true.

"Eeya, eeya!" (There's treasure inside!)

Xiao Bai excitedly flapped her wings twice, her purple eyes sparkling.

"What?"

Yu Chen feigned surprise. "You're saying there's something behind the waterfall?"

Xiao Bai nodded vigorously, even raising her tail.

Yu Chen looked up at the torrent.

The curtain of water was so thick that he could not see the rock face behind it at all.

In the original story, Ah Yin's soul bone was kept inside a Black Iron Box that blocked spiritual probing. Yet Xiao Bai could actually find it?

Curiosity stirred within Yu Chen.

She really was a Treasure-Seeking Dragon!

He just did not know whether Xiao Bai could also appraise treasures like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

"Xiao Bai, hurry and fly me up there!"

Yu Chen pointed halfway up the waterfall.

With his current soul power, trying to climb against a waterfall two hundred meters high was no different from dreaming.

"Eeya." (It's too dangerous.)

Xiao Bai Dragon flapped her wings twice and shot toward the waterfall like an arrow.

Yu Chen stood where he was and scratched his head. He had wanted to see what Ah Yin looked like.

Before long, Xiao Bai emerged from the torrent.

She rushed up to Yu Chen, set down what she held in her claw, then shook the droplets off her body and looked at him with sparkling purple eyes.

"This is... a soul bone!"

Yu Chen's breath abruptly caught.

Even though he had been prepared, seeing the soul bone with his own eyes still filled him with excitement.

It was a crystal-clear leg bone, roughly the length of an adult's lower leg, with a soft blue glow shimmering over its surface.

Pure fluctuations of soul power radiated from the soul bone.

Even just holding it, Yu Chen could feel the soul power within him being drawn by those fluctuations, stirring restlessly.

A soul bone!

The right leg bone of a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor!

"Eeya!"

Xiao Bai placed what she held in her other claw on the ground.

It was a stalk of blue silver grass.

It was somewhat longer than ordinary blue silver grass, with fine golden markings on its blades.

Yet all its leaves were withered and yellow, and its roots and stem were shriveled, no different from dead weeds by the roadside.

"Xiao Bai, why did you bring out a stalk of grass?"

Yu Chen asked, pretending not to know.

"Woo, woo, woo-"

Xiao Bai crouched on the ground, her purple eyes fixed on the withered blue silver grass as a low rumble came from her throat.

Gu Yuena's emotions were far less calm than she appeared.

After flying through the curtain of water and entering the Secret Chamber, she had immediately discovered this stalk of blue silver grass.

In that instant, fury had risen within her.

She had recognized her.

This was a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor.

The bloodline rank of soul beasts like blue silver grass was too low for them to have the right to call themselves emperors.

Only after long ages, as generation after generation of blue silver grass gathered the power of faith, could a Blue Silver Emperor bloodline emerge.

The hardships involved were beyond anyone else's imagination.

Yet an emperor who carried the hopes of an entire continent's blue silver grass had actually been imprisoned in a secret chamber that never saw the light of day!

As the sovereign of all soul beasts, how could Gu Yuena not be furious?

There were traces of human activity in the Secret Chamber. Perhaps someone had come regularly to water her.

But no one had visited in the past two or three years.

This Blue Silver Emperor soul beast had been left so thirsty that she was on the verge of withering to death.

Gu Yuena had seen many soul beasts hunted and killed by humans.

But imprisonment?

Death by thirst?

This torture, like slicing flesh with a dull knife, stoked her fury even more than skinning a creature and tearing out its bones.

"Eeya!"

Xiao Bai raised a claw and touched the withered blades of grass.

"You want to find somewhere to plant her again?"

Yu Chen played dumb despite knowing perfectly well.

He crouched down, scooped up a little water, and poured it over the blue silver grass's roots.

The water seeped in, but the blue silver grass showed no reaction.

It had been too long!

She had gone without water for far too long!

A handful of water could not save her.

Inside a secluded cave.

Vines concealed the entrance, and the interior was dry and well ventilated-a good place to hide.

"Xiao Bai, you want me to absorb this soul bone right now?"

Yu Chen asked once more.

"Eeya, eeya!"

Xiao Bai crouched before him, her purple eyes shining.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor soul bone would not only grant two skills; more importantly, it would increase Yu Chen's vitality.

As his martial soul, Gu Yuena could also gain considerable benefits.

She excelled at controlling the elements: fire, water, earth, wind, light, darkness, space...

But her grasp of the metal and wood attributes could only be considered rudimentary.

Of these two attributes, one represented power that could destroy heaven and earth, while the other offered unparalleled recovery.

These were the Golden Dragon King's specialties.

If Yu Chen absorbed this soul bone, Xiao Bai would also gain a portion of its wood-attribute abilities.

Once Yu Chen became a god and Gu Yuena devoured Xiao Bai, she would gain complete control over those abilities.

In the original story, Tang San's entire appearance changed after he absorbed the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone. If my appearance changes too, how will I explain it to Ming Dashan when I return?

As Yu Chen felt the soul bone's energy, he kept turning the matter over in his mind.

No, that's not right!

Tang San's martial soul improved in quality because blue silver grass was inferior. After inheriting a higher bloodline, its original traits ceased to exist.

Xiao Bai is a dragon martial soul. Her quality is far higher than blue silver grass, and may not even be lower than the Blue Silver Emperor's.

Besides, I have a second martial soul!

Two Dragon-type martial souls together should be enough to crush the Blue Silver Emperor, right?

Besides, with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone right in front of me, am I supposed to put it back instead of absorbing it?

Yu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and pressed the soul bone against his right leg.