The atmosphere at the Star Luo Grand Stadium still carried a lingering tension after the earlier tumult.
When Bai Yuan's name was officially announced as the champion of the individual competition of this year's Continental Youth Elite Soul Master Tournament, the applause that followed was far less enthusiastic than in previous years. Among the spectators of Star Luo, there were even suppressed boos and murmurs of dissatisfaction.
The method of defeating Long Yue had been too bizarre, and the subsequent martial soul awakening led many to believe he had cheated. In the eyes of the Star Luo people, this championship carried a taint of "dishonor."
However, rules were rules.
Under the silent yet overwhelmingly oppressive gaze of Zhuo Shi and Cai Yue'er, two Sea God Pavilion Elders, Emperor Dai Tianling of the Star Luo Empire personally handed over the reward for the individual competition—a splendid box crafted from special soul-conducting metal, engraved with the imperial emblem—to Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan remained calm, even carrying a hint of indifference barely noticeable to others. He accepted the box without opening it immediately, merely nodding slightly, as if what he held wasn't an invaluable treasure but an ordinary item.
This demeanor only added to the frustration brewing among the upper echelons of Star Luo. They knew full well that if it weren't for Shrek Academy backing him, this True Dragon left leg soul bone, originally prepared for Long Yue and at fifty thousand years, would have undoubtedly been replaced.
Even if another fifty-thousand-year soul bone of a lesser dragon lineage were chosen instead, the amplification it provided and the soul skills it bestowed would be significantly inferior, unworthy of the title "champion."
This True Dragon soul bone was almost the top-tier soul bone that the Star Luo Empire could offer, most suitable for dragon-type martial souls.
Bai Yuan held the box and vanished from sight, leaving behind a sea of complex gazes.
---
In a luxury suite at the Star Luo Grand Hotel
Gu La was casually flipping through an ancient tome of the Star Luo Empire, his posture relaxed. Bai Yuan appeared soundlessly before him, handing over the ornate box brimming with overwhelming dragon might.
Gu La glanced up, catching the box without opening it. A fleeting golden glow, indescribable and as though capable of piercing the essence of matter, flickered within his deep-set eyes.
The Divine Appraisal Eye!
To him, the box's obstruction was as good as nonexistent. Inside lay a soul bone shaped like a dragon's claw, exuding a dense earthy aura and ancient dragon might, its dark golden hue thick and heavy. Its essence was peeled back layer by layer.
"Interesting," Gu La's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Fifty thousand years? Hmph, just a facade. This soul bone's 'bone age' far exceeds a hundred thousand years."
"Its material strength, resilience, and the trace of immortal True Dragon divinity it contains are beyond what a fifty-thousand-year soul bone can possess. However… the erosion of countless eons, the depletion of heaven and earth essence, and the dormancy of its core origin force have caused its energy level to drop to that of fifty thousand years."
He flicked his finger, tapping the box lightly from a distance, producing a dull resonance. "The time lost likely amounts to hundreds of thousands of years. To leave behind such an intact True Dragon soul bone with undiminished structural integrity… it must have come from that place."
"The Dragon Valley?" Bai Yuan interjected, his voice low.
"90% chance," Gu La nodded, his gaze seemingly piercing through space toward some distant location. "Since the fall of the Dragon God, pure-blood True Dragons have nearly vanished. Only the burial grounds of the fallen Dragon God, where dragons rest, could nurture such a soul bone—even after losing most of its energy, its 'essence' remains unparalleled."
"It seems the Star Luo Empire went all out to win over Long Yue. The soul bones of the Dragon Valley aren't easy to obtain; unless you're incredibly lucky, you won't walk away with one."
"This earth attribute, as heavy as mountains and vast as the earth, is a perfect match for Long Yue's Mountain Dragon King martial soul—and also marginally compatible with my Primal Groudon."
He fell into brief contemplation, his fingers unconsciously sliding across the box as if calculating possibilities. "Restore it to its peak power? Eight or nine hundred thousand years… perhaps even approaching god-level soul bones?"
Gu La shook his head, dismissing several fleeting thoughts. "Too costly. Forcibly infusing energy would be counterproductive. Searching for a compatible dragon soul to replenish it—like finding a needle in a haystack, nearly impossible."
"Reversing time… hah, attempting to master an unfamiliar power now for the sake of a mere bone wouldn't yield worthwhile returns." The spark of interest in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by disinterest.
"When I achieve the title of Douluo, lock onto the coordinates of the Dragon Valley, and directly traverse time to when the valley first formed, when dragon skeletons still remained and dragon souls hadn't yet dispersed…"
Gu La's voice carried a tone of superiority, as if looking down upon all living beings. "A god-level soul bone would be within reach. Why obsess over a flawed piece?"
He casually tossed the box back to Bai Yuan, as if discarding a useless object. "You decide how to handle it. Not worth keeping, but a shame to discard. It's of little use to us. Perhaps you could trade it with Shrek Academy for something useful, like creating your battle armor."
Bai Yuan caught the box steadily, unsurprised by Gu La's decision.
The awakening of the Abyssal Taotie had sharpened his perception of power, making him more aware of the temporal forces controlled by his main body. While a hundred thousand years might seem distant, it wasn't unattainable.
This soul bone, which could incite bloodshed in the eyes of others, was indeed nothing more than a white elephant to them.
He ran his fingers over the cold metallic surface of the box, feeling the earth-attribute True Dragon essence within. An idea surfaced: "This thing is useless to me and a mere trinket to you. But there's someone who might find it perfectly suited."
"Oh?" Gu La raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Tang Wulin." A flicker of dark light shone in Bai Yuan's eyes. "The Golden Dragon King bloodline, overwhelmingly tyrannical, incomparably strong. This earth-attribute True Dragon soul bone carries the weight of the earth and the foundation of the dragon lineage. Its qualities of 'bearing' and 'stability' complement his rampant Golden Dragon King power. Though weakened to fifty thousand years, its foundation remains, making it an excellent enhancement for him."
"What do you have in mind?" Gu La understood.
"A single drop of essence blood." Bai Yuan's voice carried the characteristic greed of the Taotie. "The Golden Dragon King bloodline, the pinnacle of draconic ferocity, the origin of power."
"If I could devour a single drop of its primal essence blood with the power of the Abyssal Taotie, analyze its bloodline secrets, and grasp even a trace of the Golden Dragon King's aura… using 'Ancient Memory' to trace its origin, continuously regressing to its roots and strengthening, or fusing its destructive power into the Taotie essence, its potential… far surpasses this soul bone itself."
Gu La fell silent for a moment. He understood Bai Yuan's meaning. While the Ancient Memory soul skill was miraculous in tracing bloodline origins, it wasn't omnipotent. It required a "key"—relevant bloodline information or a possibility to act as a coordinate.
Without a drop of Golden Dragon King essence blood as a medium and key, attempting to trace that terrifying bloodline of the God-King realm would be like chasing a dream.
"Feasible." Gu La finally nodded. "Exchanging a single drop of essence blood for a fifty-thousand-year True Dragon soul bone is absolutely a worthwhile deal for him."
"For us, the value of obtaining Golden Dragon King bloodline information far outweighs this soul bone itself. However," his gaze turned profound as he looked at Bai Yuan, "remember, Ancient Memory has its limits. It cannot create something from nothing, only amplify and trace existing 'traces.' Unless… one day, I truly grasp the authority of time, rather than relying on the so-called God of Time from the God Realm."
"But by then…" Gu La's tone carried a faint trace of regret. "Even the Golden Dragon King, or the Dragon God itself, would be but a ripple in the river of time."
Different goals lead to different perspectives. A drop of essence blood may be a key today, but in the future, perhaps even the Dragon God would be nothing more than a stepping stone.
"Understood." Bai Yuan gave a slight nod, his figure once again blending into the shadows.
---
In the top-tier recuperation room provided by the Star Luo Empire, sunlight filtered through the windowpanes, casting warm patches of light.
The air carried a faint medicinal fragrance. Tang Wulin leaned against his bed, his face still pale from blood loss, but his spirits had visibly improved.
The terrifying regenerative power of the Golden Dragon King bloodline surged within him. He could feel his broken bones rapidly healing, and his damaged meridians slowly recovering under nourishment.
Wu Zhangkong sat beside him, gently channeling his soul power to help smooth out the remaining blockages in Tang Wulin's body.
The door opened silently, and Bai Yuan appeared in the doorway. His presence seemed to lower the room's temperature, bringing with it an abyssal stillness.
"Bai Yuan?" Tang Wulin was surprised, and Wu Zhangkong also raised his head, eyes filled with astonishment.
Bai Yuan wasted no words, placing the ornate box on the table beside Tang Wulin's bed and snapping it open with a soft click.
Instantly, a dense and heavy earth-attribute True Dragon aura spread, and the dark golden soul bone lay quietly on its velvet padding, exuding an ancient dragon might that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Fifty-thousand-year True Dragon left leg soul bone, earth attribute." Bai Yuan's voice was flat and direct. "Reward for winning the individual competition, in exchange for one drop of your essence blood."
Tang Wulin's breathing quickened instantly. His gaze locked onto the soul bone, and the dormant Golden Dragon King bloodline within him seemed to react strongly, emitting an excited growl.
He could clearly sense the power contained within the soul bone—of the same origin as his bloodline but imbued with the stability of the earth attribute. This soul bone was tailor-made for him, its value rivaling that of an ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul bone!
Just as his mind reeled and he was about to blurt out, "I'll trade," a familiar, gentle voice rang out deep within his spiritual sea:
'Wulin, stay calm.'
It was Old Tang's voice. "This soul bone… is no ordinary thing."
Tang San's divine consciousness carried a note of gravity and insight. "Its essence far surpasses fifty thousand years. I can sense that it has lost an immense amount of energy, but the 'quality' of its bone structure, its resilience, and the trace of pure-blood True Dragon aura it contains are unmatched by any ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul bone."
"This resembles… an ancient relic that has lain dormant in a special environment for hundreds of thousands of years!"
His conjecture aligned remarkably with Gu La's, though he couldn't confirm the existence of the Dragon Valley.
"If you enter Shrek's Inner Court and find the right environment and opportunity, I have a way to guide your Golden Dragon King blood essence and soul power to nourish it. Perhaps… it can be restored to five hundred thousand years, or even higher."
"It suits your Golden Dragon King bloodline perfectly, especially its essence of 'earth bearing,' which can stabilize your increasingly unruly blood essence, strengthen your constitution, and make future unlocking much easier."
Tang Wulin's heart raced even faster. Five hundred thousand years?! This was an unimaginable opportunity!
"As for the essence blood…" Tang San's divine consciousness carried a hint of calculation and pride. "For others, essence blood is invaluable. Losing even a single drop requires years of arduous cultivation to recover."
"But your Golden Dragon King bloodline… alas, this regenerative ability is truly unparalleled. Losing a drop would leave you weak for ten days or half a month at most. With some rare herbs, you'd recover quickly. This trade… isn't a loss for you."
Tang San's analysis acted like a calming pill, instantly dispelling all Tang Wulin's concerns and hesitation.
He abruptly looked up at Bai Yuan, his eyes flashing with excitement and determination. Still, he asked, "Bai Yuan, what do you need my essence blood for?"
"I just awakened my martial soul a second time as the Taotie on the battlefield," Bai Yuan replied straightforwardly. "Your bloodline power is said to be unique. I want to try devouring and refining it."
No wonder. Tang Wulin took a deep breath, suppressing the impulse to agree immediately. He glanced at Teacher Wu beside him and assessed his still-recovering physical condition:
"I do need this soul bone, and I'm willing to pay one drop of essence blood. However…" his gaze hardened, "not now. The team competition is imminent. Losing a drop of essence blood now would significantly weaken me, and it would take at least ten days to recover to a state where it wouldn't affect the battle. I can't let personal transactions interfere with Shrek Academy's team competition."
Upon hearing this, Wu Zhangkong's eyes flashed with approval. This child understood priorities, always putting the academy first. He hadn't misjudged him.
Bai Yuan seemed to have anticipated this response and showed no surprise. "Fine. We'll complete the trade after the team competition."
He spoke succinctly, his gaze lingering on Tang Wulin for a moment. The perception of the Abyssal Taotie clearly captured the surging lifeblood within Tang Wulin, akin to a furnace accelerating recovery, and the heart-stopping, violent dragon might hidden deep within his bloodline. With the trade agreed upon, his purpose was achieved.
"Alright, it's a deal!" Tang Wulin nodded firmly, his eyes filled with desire for the soul bone and determination for the team competition.
"Mm, continue resting."
Bai Yuan offered a perfunctory courtesy, his figure dissolving soundlessly into the room's shadows like ink sinking into water. Only the dark golden box remained on the table, emanating an enticing glow and a faint trace of True Dragon pressure.
Tang Wulin's gaze remained fixed on the soul bone, his fists unconsciously tightening.
The team competition… the power of the Golden Dragon King, coupled with this soon-to-be-acquired True Dragon soul bone… he would never repeat his past mistakes!
Sensing his son's resolve, Tang San's divine consciousness nodded inwardly. He had originally planned to help Tang Wulin retrieve the Golden Dragon Spear sealed in the sixth layer should he falter.
Now, with this soul bone, his confidence was even greater, and he wouldn't have to worry about affecting the seal or interfering with the progress of unlocking.
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