This external spirit bone wasn't really useful in combat,it was more for protection. Kicking someone with it wouldn't even poison them.
Fang Ling had carefully considered all factors and chose this moment to reveal it.
There were multiple reasons.
First, testing.
He had previously observed that after his martial spirit evolved, the level of his scythe technique didn't drop. From this, he speculated that the system panel had a "one-time certification" trait.
Thus, he came up with the twisted idea of amputating limbs to replace spirit bones and gain new proficiencies.
But regular spirit bones were too risky to test with. Amputating a limb would be dangerous without the protection of the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, which he didn't currently have.
Besides, removing a deeply connected spirit bone would cause serious damage to his vitality.
His current cultivation level was too low to take that risk.
However, external spirit bones were the one exception,they weren't deeply connected and could be removed.
Fang Ling had always been extremely cautious. He never used this spirit bone in battle and rarely showed off his powerful jumping ability.
At first, it was to avoid having the bone stolen. Later, it was to prevent deep fusion with the bone.
He had been waiting for this moment.
Second reason: the ruse of self-sacrifice.
At this stage, to efficiently gain more points and upgrade his martial spirit further, he needed Dugu Bo's help.
He also needed Dugu Bo to cover for him if his leg were to regrow unnaturally.
But the progress in his relationship with Dugu Yan was too slow.
All these important matters couldn't be resolved with just the title of "disciple."
He needed to accelerate things!
How? That brings us to the self-sacrificial ruse.
A disciple willingly offering up his external spirit bone,an item second only to 100,000-year spirit bones?
That was unheard of.
This wasn't just any item,it was an external spirit bone!
A rare treasure that grows with its spirit master.
Most spirit masters who possess one guard it with their lives. Offering it up voluntarily? Unthinkable.
Dugu Bo didn't respond well to force, only to sincerity,this was the best way to handle him.
And with Dugu Yan, their relationship would naturally grow closer too.
Exploiting people's emotions might be shameless, but gaining points was more important. Fang Ling's moral bottom line was quite flexible.
"What do you mean?"
Dugu Bo's green eyes immediately turned sharp, his tone full of disbelief.
Whether it was the sudden appearance of this hidden external spirit bone or the implication behind Fang Ling's words, he was utterly shocked.
Fang Ling spoke softly:
"Teacher, you know that regular spirit bones have limits, especially when it comes to holding toxins. But external spirit bones are different."
"I did a lot of research and found that they can grow along with their master!"
"Also, unlike other bones which require dismemberment or killing to remove, external spirit bones, before fully fusing, can be separated with relative ease."
"What are you trying to say?" Dugu Bo could already tell that the bone hadn't fully fused yet.
His face darkened. "What are you trying to say?"
Fang Ling smiled. "Because of its superior capacity, this external spirit bone is perfect for storing poison."
"Though mine looks like a goat hoof and it's kind of ugly, its ability is quite good. For Sister Yan…"
"Enough!" Dugu Bo shouted, cutting him off sternly. "What do you take your teacher for?"
"Do you think I'm the kind of person who would covet my disciple's external spirit bone?"
Third reason: a test.
He wanted to test how genuine Dugu Bo's feelings were toward this sudden new disciple.
That attention when he was detoxifying, the strong pats on the shoulder, the warmth in his palm, the emotion in his eyes,none of it seemed fake.
Fang Ling believed some of it, but not all. He had to test it.
Now he was certain.
That reaction,definitely the Dugu Bo he expected.
The kind of man who was tied to Heaven Dou Empire by a single act of life-saving kindness, and who developed deep bonds with Tang San in just half a year.
Only such an emotionally driven person could be moved by this kind of plan.
If the plan failed, it was fine. At most, he'd lose an external spirit bone.
"But Teacher…" Fang Ling tried to speak again with sincerity.
"If you really think of yourself as my disciple, then don't mention this again. Fuse with that external spirit bone as soon as possible."
Dugu Bo cut him off harshly, his eyes burning.
"As one of the rare Titled Douluo in the world, would I be troubled by a mere ten-thousand-year spirit bone?"
"I understand. Then I'll take my leave, Teacher," Fang Ling said quietly and bowed.
Seeing that Fang Ling seemed to give up the idea, Dugu Bo encouraged him, "Train well. Fuse that spirit bone early. Don't end up losing it one day."
Fang Ling bowed and left, but he had already made a decision in his heart.
The more Dugu Bo rejected it, the more he couldn't keep that spirit bone.
He would remove it as soon as he got back,even if he had to force it onto them.
Dugu Bo responded to sincerity, not pressure.
Dugu Yan, too, would accept genuine kindness.
With this kind of sacrifice, Fang Ling could quickly become one of their own.
"Heh." He chuckled quietly to himself, glanced back, and quickened his pace.
The next morning, before dawn.
Fang Ling got up early, summoned the spirit bone, and started trying to remove it with a dagger.
The external spirit bone was attached to the foot bone, so to remove it, he needed to slice it off at the bone.
It would be the same method if he wanted to remove Tang San's Eight Spider Lances.
But Tang Hao was still around. There was no guarantee he wouldn't be lurking near Tang San.
For example, in the Star Dou Forest,Fang Ling definitely believed Tang Hao was there, even if unseen.
But a few spider legs? Not worth coveting.
The key was acquiring the skill.
The pain of slicing through flesh and bone in the foot was manageable,his warrior's will ensured steady hands.
And as long as the blood vessels were sealed off, blood loss would be minimal.
He'd honed his knife skills as a child slaughtering pigs,his technique was precise enough to cause minimal damage.
When Dugu Bo rushed over out of concern, this was the sight he saw:
Blood stained the floor, Fang Ling calmly holding a dagger as he carved into the bottom of his own foot. Blood-covered bone was visible,chilling to the core.
The spirit bone was almost detached.
Dugu Bo wanted to shout at him to stop, but when he met Fang Ling's smiling eyes and pale face, the words stuck in his throat.
All he could do was sigh deeply. "Why go to such lengths… Why?"
He felt he owed this little disciple far too much.
Fang Ling forced a smile.
He was being careful,the damage was minimal, the bleeding well-controlled.
But he'd done it intentionally. He wanted the scene to look more brutal.
Without this kind of shockingly self-harming display, how could it leave a lasting impression?
"I'll still need Teacher to shield me from pressure from Star Luo. The immortal herbs for Sister Lingling and Zhu Zhuqing are also your precious treasures. I might need more herbs myself…"
"These things improve talent significantly. Even if I offered a ten-thousand-year spirit bone, it would still be hard to find such treasures."
With the final cut severing the last link, Fang Ling carefully removed the spirit bone and handed the still-bloody piece to Dugu Bo.
"There are many things I need to ask of Teacher."
"It's just an external spirit bone,it won't hurt my combat strength that much. What's there to be reluctant about?"
"Sigh…" Dugu Bo could only shake his head and sigh.
He couldn't accept this reasoning.
Curing his poison had already been a huge favor,how could mere herbs compare?
He had plenty of herbs, but they were too rare to give out freely. Most had to be kept for himself.
Even counting Fang Ling's girlfriends, the few of them would already have more than enough.
Dugu Bo had always been generous to those he considered his own,never stingy.
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