Just as Tang San reached out to claim this heaven-sent fortune, a familiar voice suddenly came from the side.
Turning his head, Tang San saw a graceful figure emerge from the side of the hall—none other than Xiao Queban Ye Ruxue.
Seeing Qian Renxue in disguise, Tang San couldn't help but ask curiously, "Freckles? How did you get in here?"
Ye Ruxue rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. "I have a name, you know."
Tang San chuckled. "Right, right, Senior Ye Ruxue. How did you get here? Did you also pass the test and get an identity token?"
The question momentarily stumped Ye Ruxue. Her eyes darted about as she struggled to respond, unaccustomed to lying. After all, she hadn't entered through the Godhood Ascension Ladder but through another means.
Amused, Tang San helped her out: "Oh, did you find a token along the way? That's how you got in, right? What a coincidence—me too."
"Ah? Well... something like that," Qian Renxue replied sheepishly, nodding quietly with visible guilt.
In truth, Tang San had already guessed. If the Holy Spirit Sect had indeed been eradicated by a past Pope or Six-Winged Angel from Spirit Hall, there were likely records within Spirit Hall—perhaps even a special Soul Guidance Device that could teleport someone directly into the sect's inner sanctum.
Feigning nervousness, Tang San said, "Senior Ye Ruxue, you're not going to fight me for this Spirit Bone, are you? Even if you're in the top ten of the Elite Soul Master Ranking, I won't give this up."
Qian Renxue gave him an exasperated look. "Do I look like someone who steals from others? I don't want the Spirit Bone."
Even in disguise, her unimpressed expression carried a unique charm—a side of her that the Saintess identity would never reveal, yet here it was, displayed before Tang San.
She walked over to the skeleton pinned to the wall, examining the sharp Holy Light embedded in it. "I want this Holy Light."
"You want... the light?"
Qian Renxue nodded. "This Soul Light contains immense power—that's why it hasn't dissipated even after all this time. It's useful to me. Besides, as long as this light remains, you can't take the Spirit Bone anyway."
Tang San blinked in disbelief. "Seriously? A Soul Skill from so long ago can still stop me?"
Skeptical, he reached for the Spirit Bone—only for the Holy Light to erupt violently the moment his hand drew near, sending him flying back with a powerful shockwave.
"This is a sealing Soul Skill?!" Realization dawned on him quickly. He then studied the Spirit Bone on the corpse, deducing it must have been created using the Soul Bone Refining Technique—hence why the Six-Winged Angel Soul Master from back then had sealed it away.
"Believe me now?" Qian Renxue huffed slightly. She had only learned these secrets through ancient records in Spirit Hall.
According to those records, the Holy Spirit Sect had once been a seemingly righteous institution that helped Soul Masters awaken their powers for free. Later, when Spirit Hall exposed it as a cult, the Pope of that era annihilated it.
Tang San immediately changed his expression, grinning as he said, "Oh, my beautiful and reliable senior Ye Ruxue, I was blind just now and failed to recognize your greatness. I hope you won't hold it against me. This light is a perfect match for you—please help this poor soul in need and take it away. Thank you."
Tang San had heard from Tang Hao that the Spirit Hall possessed a Six-Winged Angel Soul Bone Set, consisting of six pieces—head, torso, and all four limbs—so Qian Renxue had no need for additional soul bones.
There weren't many people in the world who could make Tang San jealous, but Qian Renxue was definitely one of them.
Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction and said, "Don't worry. As a Clergy of the Spirit Hall, I will assist any Soul Master in need."
She slowly approached the Holy Light, and soon, a sacred radiance enveloped her entire body—similar to the piercing light from before. Under Tang San's watchful gaze, a golden sword Martial Soul materialized.
Seeing that Qian Renxue's Martial Soul was a sword, Tang San frowned slightly and thought, Just a sword? Is it because she's suppressing her power and disguised herself? She can even alter her Martial Soul? If not for the Rakshasa God Eye bestowed by the Rakshasa God, I probably wouldn't have seen through her disguise.
Qian Renxue gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword with both hands, holding it before her as her lips moved silently, as if reciting something.
Hummm!
As she finished her chant, the light piercing the wall began to release strands of Holy Light, and golden Soul Power gradually merged into the Holy Sword.
"Huh? Her Soul Power is increasing!"
Under Tang San's stunned gaze, the disguised Qian Renxue's Soul Power surged—starting from level 40, then 41, 42, all the way to 45 before stopping. In just a few minutes, she had gained five levels!
Tang San rolled his left eye and confirmed it—her true Soul Power was the one increasing!
[Martial Soul: Six-Winged Angel (God-level)]
[Soul Power: Level 65]
"My heavens… The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul can even inherit the Soul Power of a previous Six-Winged Angel?" Tang San roughly understood why Qian Renxue's Soul Power had skyrocketed—she had absorbed the Six-Winged Angel Soul Power that had been sealing the soul bone.
Once Qian Renxue absorbed all the Soul Power, the corpse pinned to the wall naturally fell. With a clang, the skeletal remains, now devoid of sealing energy, crumbled into dust, leaving only a jade-white right arm soul bone behind.
Tang San bent down slowly and picked up the soul bone from the ground. Yes, picked it up—straight-up free loot!
[Evil Soul Bone (Right Arm) (Dark Attribute) (Purified)]
[Age: 18,000 Years]
"An 18,000-year-old soul bone…" Tang San stared at the bone in his hand. Normally, obtaining a ten-thousand-year soul bone would have thrilled him, but seeing Qian Renxue jump from level 60 to 65 in mere minutes beside him, he found it hard to feel happy.
By the time I reach Titled Douluo, will she already be at level 99? Tang San couldn't help but suspect that his father's title of "youngest Titled Douluo" might have been a bit exaggerated.
Seeing Tang San pick up the soul bone, Qian Renxue, now done absorbing the Soul Power, smiled and said, "Tang San, you're quite lucky. This soul bone couldn't be used freely due to certain special reasons—it might have corrupted you or driven you to qi deviation. Now that it's purified, it's practically a gift to you."
Hearing this, Tang San gleaned crucial information from Qian Renxue's words and thought to himself, "No wonder the Rakshasa God Eye showed it had been purified. So the Spirit Bones refined through this method must have severe side effects."
"No wonder Qian Renxue appeared here. She probably heard the Sacred Dragon Sect had publicly revealed the Holy Spirit Sect's ruins entrance and came to retrieve the Spirit Bones, fearing someone might obtain the Evil Soul Bone and lose control."
Tang San asked, "Then do you know if there are other places with such Spirit Bones?"
(End of Chapter)