After negotiations that left both sides thoroughly satisfied, the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python created a pair of eyes at Su Yun's request, which Su Qingxue fused with as an External Soul Bone.
Looking at those eyes, Su Yun could not for the life of him figure out what they had to do with the word "bone." But when he thought of the Evil Emperor, and the External Soul Bone that was Hu Liena's tail in Douluo I, he accepted it.
After she fused with the eye Soul Bone, Su Qingxue's spiritual power soared. At this point, fusing with the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python's Soul Ring would no longer be a problem.
The Purple Lightning Netherworld Python was not a spiritual-type Soul Beast to begin with, and its spiritual power was quite limited. Its Soul Shock would be no stronger than that of other Soul Beasts, while Su Qingxue had already gained the enhancement of an External Soul Bone.
Now, even if the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python regretted its decision and tried to take her down with it during the subsequent fusion, with the enhancement of her spiritual-type External Soul Bone, Su Qingxue would only need to abandon her physical defenses and devote all her Soul Power and spiritual power to dealing with it.
As for her body, with a Fifth-Tier Pulse-Protecting Pill, it would not matter even if Su Qingxue did absolutely nothing and let the twenty-thousand-year Purple Lightning Netherworld Python's Soul Power rampage through her.
The fifth-grade pill was enough to provide a safety net, lasting until the power of the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python's Soul Shock ran out. By then, the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python would be nothing but a Soul Ring and would no longer affect Su Qingxue.
Diverting a resource that could have given the clan another Soul Douluo with a high-tier Eighth Soul Ring was precisely to ensure that nothing could go wrong for Su Qingxue.
But reality proved that Su Yun had overthought things. Ever since creating the External Soul Bone, the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python had become an exceedingly obedient snake.
Not only did it keep Su Qingxue from experiencing Soul Shock, the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python even controlled the force of the Soul Ring's impact to prevent anything from happening to her.
Only when it discovered that Su Qingxue's meridians were safely protected did it increase its output, ultimately becoming her Soul Spirit.
"A twenty-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring... I thought that even if it wasn't a brush with death, it should at least be pretty difficult. This didn't even feel as hard as fusing with my third Soul Ring."
Four Soul Rings appeared around Su Qingxue-two yellow, one purple, and one black. Looking at that final black Soul Ring, she did not know what to say for a moment.
"If absorbing it had still been difficult under these conditions, all those things I prepared would have been for nothing." As Su Yun spoke, he tossed Su Qingxue a crystal ball.
Su Qingxue caught it, and as she injected a trace of Soul Power into it, the number displayed on it was forty-three.
"Level forty-three! Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond my level even gave me extra Soul Power!" Su Qingxue exclaimed in surprise.
"Really, that's what should normally happen. If a high-level Soul Ring doesn't give you extra Soul Power, that can only mean something went wrong during absorption. Anyway, enough about that. Sis, try summoning the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python."
As soon as Su Yun finished speaking, a little snake suddenly appeared and coiled around Su Qingxue's wrist. At her signal, it crawled onto the ground and gradually grew, becoming a Purple Lightning Netherworld Python in its normal form.
But soon, the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python turned back into a little snake.
"With my current Soul Power Level, I can't keep him at full strength for very long yet. Once I reach level fifty, though, I should be able to maintain it for extended periods. As for making that his regular state, I'll have to wait until after Level 60."
After briefly sensing her condition, Su Qingxue was not disappointed. She was only a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, but now she could briefly unleash Soul Saint-level combat strength.
After reaching level fifty, with the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python's might and his own strength, even ordinary Soul Saints would be no match for her. As for Level 60, she would simply be able to beat ordinary Soul Saints into submission.
At full power, the Purple Lightning Netherworld Python was no weaker than a Soul Saint, while she herself had both a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill and an External Soul Bone. Even with five rings, her attacks would be enough to threaten a Six-Ring Soul Emperor or even affect a Seven-Ring Soul Sage.
Upon discovering this, Su Qingxue could scarcely contain the excitement in her heart.
"Sis, spend this next stretch of time fully fusing with the External Soul Bone first. When you return to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, tell them the clan obtained an External Soul Bone."
"To gain the ability to protect me in the future, you made a wager with the clan that you could use this Soul Bone to fuse with a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring. That was why the clan gave you the Soul Bone."
"Got it."
Su Qingxue nodded. She had not expected Su Yun to have even thought up an explanation for her Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
And in theory, the explanation held water.
Whether it was taking a gamble to look after her younger brother, or having a chance to absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring after a ten-thousand-year External Soul Bone enhanced her body, there was theoretically nothing to find fault with.
Compared to Huo Yuhao's blatantly obvious lies, this at least had a theoretical basis.
Over the following stretch of time, Su Qingxue stayed with the clan and slowly fused with her External Soul Bone, working toward perfect fusion to prevent anyone from coveting it.
Once an External Soul Bone was perfectly fused, it could no longer be removed and would only become useless upon its owner's death. This was a rule from Douluo I. Fortunately, a Terrorclaw Douluo with a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear External Soul Bone appeared later, proving that this rule had not been discarded during the Douluo II era.
Otherwise, Terrorclaw Douluo could still have left behind an inheritance by now.
Half a month later.
Having fully fused with her External Soul Bone, Su Qingxue prepared to return to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Accompanying her was the clan's second elder.
"Second elder, when you meet Jing Hongchen this time, tell him to keep my sister's information confidential for now. Otherwise, I'm worried someone inside the Illustrious Virtue Hall will leak it. That wouldn't be good for our clan."
As Su Qingxue was about to leave, Su Yun gave the second elder these instructions.
Given the clan's limited combat strength, the Su Clan's geniuses had to attend the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and fight against people from Shrek Academy.
If news of a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring leaked ahead of time, the people from Shrek might well find a way to abduct Su Qingxue and make her a student of Shrek Academy.
In Douluo Dalu III: The Legend of the Dragon King, when Shrek Academy lacked geniuses, they abducted an entire group of students without another word, forced them to see just how wonderful Shrek was, and forced them to become Shrek Academy students.
In Douluo II, Shrek Academy had geniuses, so they did not do that. But if news of a ten-thousand-year fourth ring really spread early, in an era before Huo Yuhao had risen to prominence, there was no telling what Shrek might do.
"Understood. I will certainly inform Jing Hongchen of this and ask him to keep it confidential."
After the second elder gave his assurance, the two left the Su Clan and headed for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
The next morning, when Jing Hongchen saw Su Qingxue's ten-thousand-year fourth ring, he immediately told the second elder to rest assured: outsiders would never learn the Illustrious Virtue Hall's information.
Then, at noon, the second elder took out a loan from the Illustrious Virtue Hall to purchase a full set of Level 9 Soul Tools.
That afternoon, the second elder returned to the Su Clan with the Soul Tools.
That evening, a report on Su Qingxue landed before the crown prince.