Uncontrollably, an image of a dark shadow appeared in Hu Liena's mind.
Behind her.
It was this shadow that had devoured her External Soul Bone.
She could imagine this shadow laughing cruelly as it consumed her treasure.
Hu Liena shuddered.
"It seems we've encountered an Evil Soul Master. We must report this to His Holiness the Pope immediately after returning.
This Evil Soul Master must be placed on the continent-wide wanted list!" Yan's eyes burned with fury.
Losing an External Soul Bone just like that was truly a pity.
Hu Liena remained silent.
She was struggling to suppress the fear and pain from having her External Soul Bone devoured.
"Whoever stole my External Soul Bone will surely use it!" Hu Liena murmured softly.
"Nana, we will definitely avenge you!" Xie Yue spoke with grave determination.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression darkened. Just wait until I find out who you are.
The moment you reveal that External Soul Bone, you'll face the Spirit Hall's devastating retribution.
Outside the Star Dou Great Forest.
Old Scorpion and Dugu Feng had already left the forest's boundaries.
Without stopping, the two rode the Emerald Dragon Snake day and night, returning to Sunset Forest in just three days.
Dugu Feng didn't go to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, nor did he return to Dugu Mansion.
Instead, he parted ways with Old Scorpion and entered the underground space hidden by his Nine Heavens Centipede Spirit from Sunset Forest's entrance.
Here lay his personal training ground, specially designed for cultivating External Soul Bones.
In the dim cavern.
Dugu Feng advanced steadily through the narrow passageway.
After several turns, the path suddenly opened up to reveal a cavern as spacious as an academy's training ground.
Thick stone pillars supported the expansive underground chamber.
Crystal Soul Guidance Lamps embedded in the ceiling illuminated the entire cavern brightly.
Only here was he truly safe.
He avoided the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well out of concern for encountering Dugu Bo, and Heaven Dou City likewise housed hidden Titled Douluos.
An unassimilated External Soul Bone would tempt anyone who discovered it.
Dugu Feng resolved not to leave this cavern for the foreseeable future.
With such tremendous gains, he needed to focus on cultivation, thoroughly integrating his newfound power.
Dugu Feng removed his upper garments, revealing his well-built torso.
The strands of muscle weren't as pronounced as a strength-type Soul Master's,
but their resilience certainly matched any power-focused cultivator.
"Martial Soul Avatar!"
The diamond-shaped four-colored scale appeared between his eyebrows, emitting rhythmic pulses of light
that imbued Dugu Feng with an imposing majesty.
Simultaneously, the Scorpion Pincers and Eight Spider Lances manifested.
The eight spider legs stabbed into the ground, suspending Dugu Feng's body mid-air.
With the spider legs slightly bent—whoosh—Dugu Feng launched upward.
His entire body landed firmly on the cavern wall.
Using the eight spider lances, he clung securely to the stone surface.
But this was only the beginning.
Alternating between the eight spider legs for propulsion, Dugu Feng scaled walls and ran along ceilings.
His form became a blur as he raced across the cavern walls at high speed, creating rushing wind sounds.
Chunks of earth continuously fell from the walls.
Within moments, the training ground had expanded another circle.
This training ground had been gradually excavated through Dugu Feng's cultivation sessions.
At one point, the blur reached its maximum velocity.
A fiery red meteor streaked across the sky.
Dugu Feng's figure crashed into the central support pillar of the training ground.
The fox tail behind him coiled around the pillar once before suddenly straightening.
Like a launched cannonball, Dugu Feng shot straight to the top of the cavern before plummeting downward.
This time, it wasn't the Eight Spider Lances propelling him—instead, two Scorpion Pincers supported his inverted stance against the ground.
With a scissor-like rotation of the pincers, Dugu Feng shot toward the cavern wall once more.
"Exhilarating!"
"Exhilarating!"
Dugu Feng laughed heartily.
The entire training ground echoed with his voice, his figure appearing everywhere at once—his speed had clearly reached its peak.
The three External Soul Bones were wielded in seamless rotation, as natural as moving his own limbs.
Only within this cavern could he train with his External Soul Bones so freely.
This was his domain alone.
Even Old Nine only knew he had established a training ground here—its exact size and appearance remained a mystery.
Dugu Feng's first training session lasted several hours.
Normally, using External Soul Bones consumed immense Soul Power, let alone three of them.
Yet for Dugu Feng, they were as effortless as flexing different fingers—retractable and deployable at will.
He switched between them skillfully, minimizing Soul Power expenditure.
Moreover, his Eight Extraordinary Meridians had been unblocked when he absorbed the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone.
His Soul Power now surged like a mighty river, recovering swiftly.
Coupled with the support of his Core Pearl, he could train for extended periods.
Of the eight Core Pearls, only one remained by his side—the rest had been expended.
This last one he shared in rotation with the two Emerald Dragon Snakes.
This method had a significant benefit: the heat currents the Core Pearl fed back to him grew increasingly abundant.
It allowed Dugu Feng to relentlessly enhance his physical strength in preparation for absorbing his fifth Spirit Ring.
Once he absorbed another venomous Spirit Beast for his fifth ring, the Overlord Venom would take form.
What would happen then? No one could predict.
Thus, Dugu Feng pushed his body to its limits, fortifying himself against the potent toxins.
With three External Soul Bones and the Blue Silver Emperor Spirit Bone in his right leg, his physical foundation was already formidable.
Yet, he still felt something was missing.
Ah—a top-tier skull bone!
His spiritual power had greatly increased after consuming the Autumn Water Piercing Gaze Dew.
Absorbing the Ten-Thousand Year Soul Beast's fourth Spirit Ring had further tempered his mind through its spiritual impact.
But compared to his physical enhancements, it still fell short.
He also needed to refine the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom.
Gradually, Dugu Feng clarified his priorities.
For the foreseeable future, his training would focus on three areas: External Soul Bones, Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom, and Soul Power.
And so, oblivious to the passage of time, Dugu Feng secluded himself in the underground training ground, immersing in his cultivation.
Spirit City, Pope Mountain.
Chrysanthemum Douluo led Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan step by step up to the Pope Palace at the mountainside.
His expression was as grim as a man marching to the gallows.
The Spirit Ring hunt had been a disaster.
Hu Liena had lost her chance at an External Soul Bone and remained weakened, requiring months of recovery before she could resume training.
He could only hope the Pope's punishment wouldn't be too severe.
Steeling himself, Chrysanthemum Douluo strode resolutely into the Pope Palace.
"What happened!"
Bibi Dong sat solemnly on the Pope's throne, dressed in an exquisite black robe trimmed with gold.
An aura of absolute authority emanated from her.
Recently, Bibi Dong had been in excellent spirits as the Spirit Hall's power continued to grow steadily.
Moreover, tensions seemed to be brewing between the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family and the Clear Sky Sect.
The division of the Upper Three Sects was becoming a real possibility.
Bibi Dong was indeed feeling quite triumphant.
However, it appeared something had happened to Nana who had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest?
How could she be so weakened?
(End of Chapter)