External Soul Bone

"Soul Bone?" Tang Hao fell silent for a moment, looking at Tang San, who was sitting cross-legged beneath the tree and absorbing the Soul Ring. "Two Soul Skills. Though the Man Faced Demon Spider's poison might not be very suitable for Blue Silver Grass, Blue Silver Grass is special in itself and can accommodate any attribute. Besides, it's only the Third Soul Skill, so it's acceptable."

Wang Xingyu shook his head and snapped open his fan. "No, no, no. Uncle Hao, keep watching. It's a perfect fit."

Tang Hao nodded and said no more, his gaze returning to Tang San. After a while, he suddenly turned his head. "Why do you keep opening and closing that fan, kid?"

"Oh, this?" Wang Xingyu closed the fan and snapped it open again, his movements smooth as flowing water. "A little stress-relief toy. Don't you find opening and closing it, opening and closing it, really relaxing? Want one, Uncle Hao? I can get you one too."

Tang Hao pictured himself wearing a black cloak, holding a little fan and opening and closing it. He shook his head. "I'll pass."

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject. "You know who that girl is." It was a statement, not a question.

He had watched when Wang Xingyu was dragged away-the Blue Silver Grass had come apart once along the way, but the angle at which it separated showed it hadn't been pulled apart; it had loosened on its own. The kid had never intended to be dragged along.

Wang Xingyu chuckled. "Found out by accident, by accident." He waved his fan and said no more.

Tang Hao watched him for two breaths, then let the matter drop.

Beneath the tree, Tang San suddenly let out a stifled groan. Two bulges abruptly rose on his back, stretching his clothes taut. Then the fabric ripped, and eight dark purple spider legs burst from his back.

Each one was over a meter and a half long, its surface covered in fine barbs, its tip gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light in the moonlight.

The spider legs spread sharply through the air, like an eerie flower blooming in the night. Tang San remained seated cross-legged, eyes tightly shut, still in the final stage of absorbing the Soul Ring.

"This is-" Tang Hao clenched his fists in an instant, the muscles beneath his black robe tensing sharply. Even his Soul Power leaked out in an uncontrolled wisp.

He had seen countless treasures of heaven and earth, but at this moment, even his voice trembled slightly.

"That's right, an external Soul Bone." Wang Xingyu closed his fan and tapped it against his palm, a confident smile in his voice. "You couldn't find three of these treasures on the whole continent. It can grow along with its owner, with no upper limit on the age it can absorb. It can follow Little San all the way to Titled Douluo without a problem."

Tang Hao stared at the eight spider legs, his voice changing pitch. "Quite a bargain." Just three words, but Wang Xingyu could hear the excitement buried deep in his throat.

A Titled Douluo and direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect, he had seen plenty of fine things, but there were only a few external Soul Bones on the entire continent. His son had obtained one with his Third Soul Ring.

"Hehe, Uncle Hao." Wang Xingyu seized the chance to lean closer, lowering his voice. "I heard the Blue Silver Emperor has a Soul Bone. Wildfire can't burn it all away; the spring breeze brings it back to life. How about giving me that one?"

The excitement vanished from Tang Hao's face. He turned his head and stared at Wang Xingyu.

"How did you know?" After a breath of silence, he sighed first. "Forget it. I get the feeling you know more than I do, kid."

He turned to look at Tang San beneath the tree, his eyes closed as he absorbed the Soul Ring. His expression showed a rare hint of difficulty. "By rights, since you pointed Little San toward this external Soul Bone, I should give it to you. But his mother left that for Little San."

Tang Hao said no more, but his expression said it all. He didn't want to give away the Blue Silver Emperor's Soul Bone.

A jumble of footsteps came from beneath the tree. Ma Hongjun's voice rang out explosively from far away.

"Little San! Where are you? Xiao Wu! Wang Xingyu!" He shoved through the bushes and rushed in. The moment he saw Tang San, he stopped as though someone had slammed on the brakes, and blurted out, "Damn, Little San's turned into a giant spider!"

Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing arrived close behind, both stopping in their tracks. Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Zhao Wuji came through the bushes one after another, and everyone was rooted to the spot by the eight spider legs still trembling faintly on Tang San's back.

Tang San remained seated cross-legged, eyes tightly shut, still at the final juncture of absorbing the Soul Ring.

Zhao Wuji frowned for a moment and stared at the eight spider legs for a long while before speaking uncertainly. "Tang San's fine. This could be... a Soul Bone?"

"A Soul Bone?" Ma Hongjun's mouth fell wide open. "That thing's a Soul Bone? I thought Soul Bones were all hidden inside the body. How come there are ones that grow on the outside? Teacher Zhao, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"I'm not sure either." Zhao Wuji shook his head, his voice tinged with wonder. "I've only seen a Soul Bone once or twice myself. One that grows outside the body... I've never even heard of it."

Everyone gathered around Tang San, but no one dared touch him. They could only wait for him to finish absorbing it, then continue looking for Wang Xingyu and Xiao Wu.

Above them, the two men moved to a tree farther away.

"What if there's more than just the external Soul Bone? There'll be more later. Once Little San gets up, I can get you both back into the Clear Sky Sect, and even make you or Little San the sect master."

Tang Hao turned to look at him, clearly unconvinced. "Go back to the Clear Sky Sect? And become sect master? After what happened more than ten years ago, the sect completely shut itself off. Even I can't go back." With that, he turned and walked away.

Wang Xingyu hurried after him, following behind Tang Hao and leaning his head around. "Uncle Hao, you have to believe me."

Tang Hao moved around to the other side of the branch, and Wang Xingyu followed him again. "Then tell me what plan you have."

"It won't work if I say it out loud."

In truth, it was because he only had a rough idea.

Tang Hao took another step to the side, and Wang Xingyu stuck to him again like a plaster.

The two kept up their back-and-forth.

Below.

Tang San had just finished absorbing the Soul Ring and Soul Bone. He sat cross-legged on the ground, quickly regulating his breathing, the faint marks left behind when the spider legs withdrew not yet completely faded. The Shrek group surrounded him, none daring to disturb him.

"Who killed my Man Faced Demon Spider?"

A clear voice came from the forest, carrying obvious displeasure.

Everyone turned to look. Three people emerged from the woods-Meng Yiran, Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang, and a burly old man with white hair and beard, none other than the Dragon Duke.

Zhao Wuji's expression changed slightly. He instinctively took half a step forward, shielding the students behind him. He hadn't expected the Dragon Duke to come too. A Soul Douluo-level expert was not someone to trifle with.

Meng Yiran looked over and frowned. "You again?"

Tang San had nearly finished regulating himself. He stood up, his mind fixed solely on finding the two of them quickly, with no inclination to argue. "Sorry, I've already absorbed the Man Faced Demon Spider's Soul Ring."

The Dragon Duke looked at Tang San and said in a deep voice, "We chased that Man Faced Demon Spider for a whole day, only for you to snatch it from under our noses again, kid. Either join us or leave an arm behind."

Meng Yiran said quietly, "Grandpa."

She thought making him leave an arm behind was a little too much.

Zhao Wuji also stepped forward, his tone polite but not yielding an inch. "Senior, isn't that a bit much?"

The Dragon Duke glanced at his granddaughter and fell silent for a moment, his tone softening somewhat. "Fine, then we'll have another contest. Yiran, take out your Soul Breaking Knives."

Meng Yiran was startled for a moment, then untied a leather pouch from her waist and opened it. Inside, thirty-two throwing knives were arranged neatly.

The blades were as thin as willow leaves, their edges gleaming with a faint cyan light. "Thirty-two Soul Breaking Knives, sixteen for each person. The fallen leaves on that tree twenty meters ahead-whoever hits more wins."

When the Shrek group heard what the contest was, they looked at one another, then all lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking as if they were sifting chaff. Ma Hongjun jabbed Oscar hard with his elbow and lowered his voice, though he couldn't suppress his excitement. "Throwing knives! A throwing knife contest! Hahaha-" Oscar grimaced from the jab, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing to slits, and added quietly, "Aren't they just handing us the win?"

The Dragon Duke paid no attention to the Shrek group's reaction and continued, "If you win, the matter of the Man Faced Demon Spider will be wiped clean."

Ma Hongjun poked his head out of the crowd and chimed in, "What if she loses? Does Meng Yiran have to leave an arm behind too?"

Oscar immediately added, "Or giving Little San a kiss would work too!"

Tang San shook his head, his impatience plain in his voice. "No need, no need."

He had no time for that. He only wanted to settle this quickly and go find Xiao Wu and Wang Xingyu.

Meng Yiran, however, raised her chin and stared straight at Tang San, refusing to back down. "I accept."