Seeing that Dugu Yan had put away her Martial Soul, Gui Yuan naturally lost the desire to spar.
After all, the level gap between him and Dugu Yan is quite large now, so it's more interesting to fight Dugu Bo.
However, the feeling of showing off in front of others is actually... quite nice.
He was very satisfied with the reactions of Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan.
Dugu Bo looked at the Soul Ring that had already retracted beneath Gui Yuan, a hint of shock still lingering in his eyes. His usually cold and stern face was now filled with complex emotions. "Your Soul Ring Configuration... what's going on? Hmm... can you tell me?"
Dugu Yan's gaze also fell upon them. This was the first time she had ever felt curious about a man—pure curiosity.
How could this boy, several years younger than her, possess such high cultivation and such a terrifyingly powerful Soul Ring Configuration?
Even the current Pope wasn't this terrifying back then, was he?
Her eyes were fixed on Gui Yuan, as if trying to find the answer in his face.
Gui Yuan blinked and looked at the two of them. "Uncle Dugu Bo, Sister Dugu Yan, are you sure you want to know?"
He paused slightly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Telling you isn't impossible, but as you know, I'm from the Spirit Hall, and you're currently members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family..."
"I've only joined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy; I'm not a member of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. This distinction needs to be made," Dugu Yan interrupted, her tone serious.
Anyone who is a nobleman of the Heaven Dou Empire can join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
However, this does not mean that everyone at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is loyal to the royal family; the academy is merely a place for selecting talent for the royal family.
Whether the Soul Master here will be willing to join the royal family in the future depends on the incentives offered by the royal family.
For example, Yu Tianheng is a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but it doesn't mean that just because he studies at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he is loyal to the royal family.
Loyalty to the royal family means a superior-subordinate relationship.
However, Yu Tianheng was clearly not among them. He was first and foremost a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and only secondly a member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
To put it bluntly, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family actually begged Yu Tianheng to study at the academy.
And so it was with her, Dugu Yan.
This is all because the forces behind them are ones that the royal family cannot afford to offend.
Gui Yuan shrugged, unconcerned, and continued, "This matter concerns the secrets of my Spirit Hall. Are you sure you want to know? If you don't join the Spirit Hall after hearing this, things might get complicated."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo sighed and said, "Never mind then. We can talk about it again when we actually join the Spirit Hall in the future."
His voice carried a hint of helplessness, and a hint of resignation that even he himself didn't realize.
Clearly, Dugu Bo was willing, but he was still hesitant.
What Dugu Yan hated most were riddle tellers, who would pique people's interest but then remain silent.
Her lips were slightly pursed, her brows were furrowed, and her beautiful eyes were fixed on Gui Yuan, as if she wanted to stare a hole through his face.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly, eventually turning into a soft snort tinged with dissatisfaction.
Gui Yuan merely smiled slightly upon seeing this.
To be honest, he hates it when others are the riddle solvers, but when he's the riddle solver himself, the expressions on other people's faces make him feel good. Would you call that being cunning?
"But," Dugu Bo said, "Even if your Soul Ring Configuration is very powerful, with your abilities as a Food System Soul Master, plus an External Soul Bone, how dare you say you can defeat Titled Douluo?"
He tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes scanning Gui Yuan up and down, as if trying to see right through him.
Gui Yuan's lips curled slightly. "Uncle Dugu Bo, why don't you try and see?"
His tone was relaxed, but his eyes became more serious.
Seeing Gui Yuan's eager expression, to be honest, Dugu Bo was also somewhat tempted. He was curious about what Gui Yuan was relying on.
But once he fights Gui Yuan, if he doesn't join the Spirit Hall afterward, he will probably be hunted down and killed by the Spirit Hall.
He could tell that Gui Yuan's status in the Spirit Hall was probably second only to Bibi Dong, the Pope.
If the Great Enshrined knew what Dugu Bo was thinking at this moment, they would probably scoff: Are you sure? Do you even know who obtained the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring from Gui Yuan?
It can only be said that Dugu Bo underestimated Gui Yuan's status in the Spirit Hall.
After a moment's thought, Dugu Bo said, "Alright, let me see how strong you are. However, we definitely can't fight in my courtyard. We need to go to the suburbs and find a spacious, deserted place."
His gaze fell on Gui Yuan, with a hint of seriousness in it.
Dugu Bo has made up his mind; he cannot shirk his debt of gratitude, and it seems he will indeed join the Spirit Hall.
Now let's learn about Gui Yuan's strength, okay?
Furthermore, if the Spirit Hall can cultivate such terrifying talent, wouldn't it be foolish for it to still support the Heaven Dou Imperial Family?
The twilight outside the window was deepening, and the bamboo shadows in the courtyard swayed gently in the evening breeze, making a soft rustling sound.
Then they decided to go out and fight tomorrow, and Gui Yuan stayed at Dugu Bo's place today.
Dugu Bo arranged a guest room for him, and Gui Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. He quickly tidied up and moved in.
The guest room was small, but it was clean and tidy. A light green plant sat on the windowsill, with a few drops of water still clinging to its leaves.
The Heaven Dou City was much quieter at night, with only the occasional sound of a watchman's drum in the distance and the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind in the courtyard.
Gui Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes in meditation.
Although he spoke casually about tomorrow's sparring match, he wouldn't be careless when facing a Level 94 Titled Douluo.
The current Dugu Bo is not the same person as the Dugu Bo in the original novel who dared not use his full strength.
On the other side.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Rongrong was brought back by Chen Xin, her face still showing signs of fatigue from the journey, and her steps were a little unsteady.
It's normal to feel weak; after all, she's just a Soul Elder, yet she's being protected and flying high in the sky—how could her legs not be weak?
Chen Xin followed behind her with steady steps. As they entered the sect's main hall, his gaze met Ning Fengzhi's on the main seat.
Ning Fengzhi slightly, indicating that he would talk about it later.
After Ning Rongrong returned to her room and closed the door, Ning Fengzhi invited Chen Xin into the study.
Ning Fengzhi sat behind his desk, his expression calm. " Uncle Jian, what's wrong?"
Chen Xin briefly recounted what he had seen and heard at the Shrek Academy, especially regarding Xiao Wu's identity.
"I'm pretty sure that the girl Xiao Wu is Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form." Chen Xin's voice was calm but tinged with excitement.
Ning Fengzhi frowned. "Are you sure? That's a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. If we're mistaken and kill it, it could bring trouble to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"It's pretty much a hunch," Chen Xin said. "Although she concealed her aura well, she couldn't hide it from me."
Ning Fengzhi was silent for a moment, then nodded. "What do you plan to do?"
"Kill her," Chen Xin said calmly. " Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast has taken human form. If we don't act now while she's still weak, it will be too late once she grows stronger."
"Moreover, Tang Hao discovered her identity first but didn't make a move, clearly intending to leave it for his son. Therefore, this time, the attack must be discreet and swift."
Ning Fengzhi did not object.
He was also aware of the stakes involved.
"Then go ahead and do it," Ning Fengzhi. "Be careful, don't leave any traces."
Chen Xin nodded, his figure transforming into a streak of sword light and disappearing into the night.
When Chen Xin returned to the Shrek Academy, it was already late at night.
Most of the lights in the college had been turned off, with only a few dorm rooms still lit by faint candlelight.
Chen Xin remained hidden in the shadows, his aura completely concealed. He did not rush to make a move, but instead observed Xiao Wu's daily life.
Waiting for her to be alone.
For several days in a row, he secretly waited for an opportunity.
Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, he got his chance.
As dusk approached, a lingering orange-red glow remained on the western horizon.
Tang San was discussing some matters alone in the blacksmith shop in Suotuo City.
Xiao Wu walked out of the academy alone and headed towards the grove of trees behind the mountain, as if she were taking a stroll.
Her steps were light, her two long braids swaying behind her, and she hummed an off-key tune.
Chen Xin's gaze locked onto her.
His fingers twitched slightly, without any hesitation.
His figure moved like a drawn sword, silently traversing the sky. Before Xiao Wu could even notice, the Seven Kill Sword was unleashed!
The sword energy shot out, and Xiao Wu's steps suddenly stopped.
Her pupils dilated suddenly, as if she realized something, and she tried to turn around, but it was too late.
The sword energy pierced precisely into the back of her head, passing right through it.
Xiao Wu's body stiffened for a moment, like a frozen statue.
Then, she collapsed softly onto the soft grass in the woods.
A hint of bewilderment lingered on her face.
A bright red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring slowly emerged from her corpse, radiating a dazzling luster like blood in the dim twilight.
Without pausing for a moment, Chen Xin flashed and appeared beside her.
He scooped up Xiao Wu's body, his Third Soul Ring rose, and he soared into the sky on his sword, flying away into the distance.
Only a small patch of flattened grass and a few drops of blood that had not yet seeped into the soil remained on the ground.
From a distance, the bright red light looked like a red shooting star streaking across the sky, disappearing in an instant.
Occasionally someone would glance up and see it, but they would just assume it was an optical illusion and no one would investigate further.
After flying a distance, Chen Xin landed in a deserted valley.
The valley is surrounded by steep rock walls, with only a narrow crevice leading to the outside world. Moonlight shines down from above, spreading a silvery-white halo on the ground.
He laid Xiao Wu's body flat on the ground, then squatted down and reached out to touch her right leg.
A moment later, he took out a Soul Bone that emitted a pinkish glow.
The Soul Bone had smooth lines and a warm luster; it was the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit Right Leg Bone!
Chen Xin's gaze fell on the Soul Bone, and a rare ripple flashed in his eyes.
He glanced down at the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring above Xiao Wu's corpse, which was beginning to appear somewhat ethereal, and sighed inwardly.
It's a pity. He originally thought that if there were any Level 90 Soul Master in the sect, he could bring them over to absorb this Soul Ring.
But it wasn't available within the sect.
As for waiting until a Level 90 Soul Master appears in the sect before hunting down Xiao Wu, that would be too late, and things might change if it's too late.
He also knew that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast possessed the ability to sacrifice themselves, but could he guarantee that the beast would sacrifice itself for the person he wanted?
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was unaware that there were actually two ways to sacrifice Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
One method is the conventional sacrifice, where the sacrifice is offered to Soul Master. As long as the recipient can withstand the pressure of Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, it can be absorbed.
Another method is to sacrifice both the body and soul. The sacrificed Soul Master can completely ignore the pressure brought by the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Even if Chen Xin forced Xiao Wu to sacrifice herself to Ning Rongrong, she probably wouldn't agree.
This kind of Soul Beast, once given an opportunity, will only self-destruct.
If Tang San happens to be next to Xiao Wu, then without a doubt, she will offer herself to Tang San, rather than Ning Rongrong.
Chen Xin then placed the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit Right Leg Bone against his own right leg. The pink light slowly seeped into his panel and merged into his bones.
The moment it entered his body, a gentle yet powerful energy surged into his limbs and bones, carrying the unique suppleness and agility of the Soft Bone Rabbit.
His meridians swelled slightly under the influence of this energy, as if warm water was slowly flowing through his body.
Chen Xin, guiding the energy to merge with himself.
His aura began to rise at that moment, surging like a tide.
The Seven Kill Sword trembled slightly beside him, its blade shimmering with a faint red light, as if echoing the power of the Soul Bone, emitting a low hum.
Three hours later.
Chen Xin slowly opened his eyes, a sharp silver light flashing across them.
The aura emanating from him, that belonged to a peak Level 96 Peak Douluo, has completely broken through to Level 97, and Level 98 is within reach!
He looked down at his right leg, sensing the two new Soul Bone Skill he had acquired: Invincible Golden Body and Teleportation. Unfortunately, they were both life-saving Soul Bone Skill, not offensive ones.
The Invincible Golden Body provides eight seconds of absolute defense, during which your strength is doubled.
Teleportation can achieve instantaneous movement within a range of 100 meters.
This Soul Bone Skill is actually quite suitable for Ning Rongrong to save her life, but she needs to rely on the energy of this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone to break through to Level 97, or even Level 98.
From a broader perspective, what he did was actually right, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
Chen Xin stood up and glanced at Xiao Wu's body on the ground. Her young face still bore a trace of lingering fear.
Chen Xin raised his hand and unleashed a sword aura that cleaved the ground into a deep pit. He placed the body into the pit, then covered it with soil. He stood before the newly built mound of earth and remained silent for a moment.
Then, Chen Xin turned around, transformed into a sword light, and disappeared into the night.
P. S.: In the original novel, Invincible Golden Body is Xiao Wu's Fourth Soul Skill, lasting for three seconds. The duration increases by one second for every ten levels gained, making it eight seconds for Titled Douluo level character.