Immediately afterward, Gu Xuan produced another Soul Bone, leaving Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin staring in slack-jawed silence. This was not one of the three reward soul bones from the tournament.
"Xiao Xuan, this Soul Bone is...?" Ning Fengzhi asked, utterly bewildered.
Gu Xuan offered a slight smile and recounted the story of how he had helped Tang San kill Shi Nian. That was how the soul bone had come into his possession.
Ning Fengzhi chuckled upon hearing the tale. "So, it seems this Wisdom Illusion Left Arm Bone is truly meant for Rongrong."
Chen Xin added, "I knew you couldn't have forgotten her, kid. That little girl has been trailing after you, calling you 'Brother' since she could talk."
Gu Xuan stowed the soul bone away, saying indifferently, "That's only natural. They're all my girlfriends; I can't favor one over the others."
A line of black appeared on Ning Fengzhi's forehead at that comment. However, a thought occurred to him—Gu Xuan was right. Up until now, every girl by his side had been equipped with a Soul Bone.
Dugu Yan had the Wisdom Skull Bone, Ning Rongrong had the Illusion Left Arm Bone, Li Li had the External Soul Bone: Eight Spider Lances, and Zhu Zhuqing had the Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone.
'Wait... what about Ye Lingling? Why didn't she have one?'
Ning Fengzhi kept the thought to himself, fearing the brat would turn around and ask him for a soul bone. It wasn't that he was stingy—Ye Lingling's talent was top-tier—but he felt a surge of envy.
'How old is Gu Xuan? Fifteen! At fifteen, he not only has five girlfriends but has personally outfitted almost every one of them with a Soul Bone? There's no such thing as a free lunch. Gu Xuan has to find Lingling's soul bone himself. In fact, I'll secretly tell Rongrong to mention it to Lingling just to put a little pressure on the boy.'
Little did Ning Fengzhi know, Gu Xuan had already secured a soul bone for Ye Lingling. It was currently sitting in his storage tool, and it was the most formidable piece among all five girls. It was the concentrated essence of Tang San's own mother—the 100,000-Year Blue Silver Empress Right Leg Bone!
Gu Xuan decided it was time to stop hiding it from his elders. Once Ye Lingling absorbed it, there was always a risk of exposure. Telling them now allowed for proper precautions.
He produced a translucent, emerald-green right leg bone. As Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin felt the pulsating life force and power radiating from it, they were instantly stunned into silence.
"A 100,000-year Soul Bone?!" Even as a Rank 98 powerhouse, Chen Xin couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. Had Gu Xuan not been his own grandson, he might have been tempted to commit murder for it!
Gu Xuan nodded calmly, his tone making the two elders seem like they hadn't seen much of the world. "Uncle, Second Grandpa, I stumbled upon this while helping Lingling get her fifth ring. I was so focused on her ring that I forgot I had it until just now."
The two looked at the bone with raw longing. Despite the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's vast wealth and their collection of seven or eight inherited soul bones, they didn't possess a single 100,000-year specimen. Such beasts were simply too rare.
Gu Xuan quickly shattered their fantasies. "Uncle, Second Grandpa, don't call me heartless, but this soul bone isn't a fit for either of you. It feels tailor-made for Lingling. It has to go to the most suitable person."
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin sensed the boundless vitality and had to agree. Still, the envy was real. Gu Xuan might be a bit of a rascal, but he was a "good" one—five girlfriends, and a Soul Bone for every hand.
'If Gu Xuan had kept these for himself, he'd almost have a full set by now,' Ning Fengzhi realized. He remembered the 50,000-year Earth Tyrant Dragon Torso Bone he'd given Gu Xuan at Rank 30. Combined with his external bone, the boy was essentially a walking treasury.
Gu Xuan interrupted their musings. "However, the origin of this soul bone might be a bit unusual."
Ning Fengzhi snapped back to attention. "I thought you said it was an accidental find?"
"It was," Gu Xuan nodded, "but the circumstances were... scandalous."
"Speak," Chen Xin said plainly.
Seeing Chen Xin's peerless aura, Gu Xuan felt safe. Chen Xin was now Rank 98. He might not be able to beat an old-timer like the Second Worship, but handling a broken-down Tang Hao should be no problem.
"I suspect this Soul Bone belonged to Tang Hao," Gu Xuan dropped the bombshell with the most innocent expression possible.
"Tang Hao's?" Ning Fengzhi was incredulous. "What makes you say that?"
Gu Xuan explained his "series of accidents": passing by a scenic spot, finding a hidden cave, spotting a specific Blue Silver Grass, and finding a bone resting above it.
Listening to the "accidents," Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were speechless. 'Is this what luck looks like? Why didn't we have this when we were young?'
From the details, it was undeniably Tang Hao's. Few knew his lover was a soul beast, but Ning Fengzhi was one of them. He didn't need to see it to know that a man chased by Spirit Hall, who could fight three-on-one as a new Titled Douluo, had to have a "special" source of power.
Ning Fengzhi felt a bit helpless. Returning it was out of the question—this was a 100,000-year-old soul bone. After a moment, he asked sharply, "Xiao Xuan, did you leave any traces behind?"
Gu Xuan offered a meaningful smile. "I did."
"What?!" Ning Fengzhi was confused. "A smart boy like you... Why would you leave evidence?"
"I pointed the finger at Spirit Hall," Gu Xuan replied.
Ning Fengzhi choked for a second, then nodded. "That works. But from now on, never speak of this again. Maintain your 'friendship' with Tang San; we need the manufacturing methods for his remaining hidden weapons. If this ever gets out, we'll be in a life-or-death struggle."
Gu Xuan smiled. "Uncle, do you think it's possible for us to just send someone to 'ambush' Tang Hao? That way, he'll never find out."
Ning Fengzhi's heart skipped. It wasn't impossible. The clan had several Titled Douluos, including a Rank 98 and a Rank 97. Pinning down one Tang Hao should be easy. Since they intended to suppress all competitors eventually anyway, why not nip this threat in the bud?
The only problem: "Where do we find him? The continent is vast; a Titled Douluo's tracks aren't easy to pin down."
(End of Chapter)
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