Chapter 112: Xue Qinghe
Shrek Team's victory over Star Luo Royal Academy was considered a bit of an upset. After all, Star Luo Royal Academy had all Soul Venerables on their team and even a Soul Fusion skill. Their average soul power was five levels higher than Shrek's.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that it was only thanks to Yang Xiong's external soul bone that Shrek Team was able to pull through. Without it, they wouldn't have been able to withstand the terrifying power of Davis and Zhu Zhuyun's Soul Fusion skill, the Yin-Yang White Tiger.
Everyone was staring at Yang Xiong's external soul bone with great excitement. Simply in terms of value, it was far greater than the three soul bones awarded in the Soul Master Tournament.
In the Pope's Hall, Bibi Dong smiled and spoke, "Master Ning, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has really produced a talented one. His combat prowess is outstanding, and now he even possesses such a precious external soul bone. This kind of treasure even I envy."
Ning Fengzhi appeared very calm. "Your Majesty, you flatter him. Yang Xiong is still young, and his martial soul is unique. He has just entered the Soul Venerable realm. What happens in the future is still uncertain."
"But this soul bone is his own opportunity. Luckily, it has already been fully integrated, so no one can take it from him. I believe no one will try."
Although their voices were not loud, everyone in the hall, especially those with high status, could clearly hear. Most of them, particularly those in the Pope's Hall, were focused on the two of them.
Bibi Dong nodded. "That's true. At least within Spirit Hall, no one would dare to touch him. However, geniuses like this still need to be cautious in the future, as there will always be envious people."
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Our clan's elder has already accepted Yang Xiong as a disciple, so I don't believe anyone will be so foolish as to act against him."
They exchanged a glance and said no more. Although their conversation seemed casual, there was an underlying meaning to their words.
The Sword Douluo, who had appeared indifferent before, surveyed the crowd with a sharp gaze.
The entire room instantly quieted down. Sword Douluo, known as the number one attack-type Douluo on the continent, was someone no one could afford to ignore.
From the conversation between Bibi Dong and Ning Fengzhi, it was clear that Yang Xiong had completely absorbed the external soul bone, and no one would be able to take it from him, even after his death. All they could do was envy him.
Yang Xiong and the others left the arena. The battle was finally over, and with this victory, Dai Mubai had successfully held his ground against Davis. For the short term, his life was no longer in danger.
However, Yang Xiong had other things to worry about. Helping Dai Mubai once was already fulfilling his duties as a classmate and long-time friend. But the future was something Dai Mubai would have to face on his own.
At least, their relationship wasn't strong enough for Yang Xiong to give him any rare spiritual herbs. Moreover, Yang Xiong had no intention of revealing them, especially to outsiders. To truly help Dai Mubai would require two rare spiritual herbs.
After the match, Tiandou Royal Academy quickly arranged for soul masters to heal the team. Even Prince Xue Qinghe showed up in person. This battle had taken a huge toll. Apart from Yang Xiong, everyone else had sustained injuries, while the Spirit Hall team had been able to take it easy.
Xue Qinghe spoke seriously, "Xiong, I didn't expect you to have such a precious external soul bone hidden away. Looks like I underestimated you."
Yang Xiong smiled slightly, "Brother Qinghe, you flatter me. It's just a soul bone. With your status, obtaining one should be easy. How many soul bones do you have now?"
Xue Qinghe had originally intended to tease, but hearing this, his expression subtly changed. He seemed a little more tense than usual.
"Spirit bones are known as treasures of the Blood River. Although I am a prince and have seen many, I've never found one that suits me. So, I don't have any soul bones yet."
Yang Xiong sighed, "That's a pity. But based on your keen eye, I'm sure you wouldn't settle for anything less than a top-tier soul bone. I wonder what kind of soul bone would suit you?"
"I think the three soul bones awarded in this Soul Master Tournament are quite good. With your status, acquiring one of that level shouldn't be too difficult."
Ning Fengzhi, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly became interested.
"Qinghe, your cultivation is progressing well. You might want to consider soul bones. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has some excellent soul bones that would suit you. When you have time, come to our clan and take a look. It will be my little gift to you."
Xue Qinghe quickly responded, "Master, my current strength is still lacking, and I want to improve through cultivation. I haven't thought about absorbing a soul bone for now."
Ning Fengzhi said, "Qinghe, we are teacher and disciple, and there are some things I must consider for you. A soul bone won't affect your cultivation. On the contrary, it will benefit you greatly. I know you're indifferent to fame and fortune, but sometimes you must consider what's best for you."
Xue Qinghe: ...
At this moment, Xue Qinghe was silently cursing himself. Why had he even mentioned soul bones to Yang Xiong? He had almost gotten himself tangled up in this.
Yang Xiong, on the other hand, was internally pleased. "Serves you right for always trying to outwit me. Now you've walked right into it."
Before Yang Xiong could rejoice too much, he suddenly felt a sharp pain at his waist. It was Ning Rongrong's hand, which had wandered too far.
Ning Rongrong's face showed a slight displeasure. "Little bear, you've been hiding a precious external soul bone all this time. I didn't expect you to have such a strong one hidden away."
Yang Xiong gritted his teeth through the pain, quickly replying, "Rongrong, soul bones are a big deal. I never intended to expose this. If it weren't for this special battle, do you think I would have revealed it?"
Ning Rongrong pouted, "I didn't expect you to reveal the soul bone for that old tiger and Zhu Qing. Do they mean more to you than I do? You didn't even tell me about it."
Yang Xiong said, "It's not about who's more important. If you were hurt, I would have revealed it to help you, no hesitation. Anyway, this soul bone has been fully absorbed, and no one can take it."
Ning Rongrong seemed relieved. "Little bear, tell me honestly, do you have any more secrets you're hiding from me?"
Yang Xiong chuckled. "Rongrong, you know me better than that. There's nothing I would hide from you. If there's anything hidden, it's only for your own good."
Ning Rongrong looked at him with a strange expression. "Really? I feel like I'm understanding you less and less. It's like you've got more secrets now. Well, I don't care. Whatever secret it is, I'll be the first to know."
Yang Xiong laughed, "You little girl, whatever secret I have, I'll tell you first. You'll never be left in the dark."
Internally, Yang Xiong couldn't help but think, "I have plenty of secrets. This is just the beginning."
Seeing Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong joking around, Ning Fengzhi just smiled without saying anything. Even Sword Douluo, who usually didn't get along with Yang Xiong, showed no change in his expression.
Meanwhile, the members of Shrek were silently observing, somewhat speechless. It seemed like Yang Xiong didn't even care about the soul bone. Was this the kind of difference that made others feel frustrated?
At this point, Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong approached Yang Xiong, looking more serious than usual.
Yu Xiaogang spoke first, "Yang Xiong, did you break through to level 40 on the arena?"
Yang Xiong was a bit puzzled. "Yes, I just reached level 40. Is there a problem?"
Yu Xiaogang said, "This is very important. If you absorb a fourth soul ring, your strength will increase significantly, and our chances of winning the tournament will improve."
Yang Xiong sighed. "Master, are you underestimating the fourth soul ring? We're in Spirit Hall right now. There are no suitable soul beasts nearby."
Yu Xiaogang quickly replied, "Flender and Liu Erlong can take you to the nearby Soul Beast Forest to hunt for a soul beast. Even one night might be enough. If you become a Soul Venerable, our chances will increase."
Yang Xiong shook his head. "Master, you may be mistaken. I have very high requirements for each soul ring. There are no high-level soul beast forests around here. I've never even encountered a suitable soul beast for my fourth soul ring in the Sunset Forest. I'd need to go to the Star Dou Great Forest, but there's not enough time before the final. Even finding a soul beast would be difficult."
Yang Xiong had already planned for the fourth soul ring. He wouldn't settle for just any soul beast; it had to be a top-tier one that suited his attributes. He wasn't going to waste his future development for a match he was sure to lose.
Yu Xiaogang looked somewhat disappointed. "Yang Xiong, you are the strongest in terms of combat power among all of us. Only by getting stronger can you possibly match the three Soul Kings of Spirit Hall. Otherwise, our chances of winning the final will be slim."
Yang Xiong replied, "Master, I understand your desire to win, but some things are just impossible. Until now, we haven't seen Spirit Hall's true strength. They have three Soul Kings, and I can't fight them all at once."
"Besides, this is Spirit Hall's home ground. They won't let me easily obtain a suitable soul ring. I can bet that as soon as I leave Spirit Hall, I won't make it back in time before the final."
"This final is about the three top-tier soul bones. You should know Spirit Hall's tactics. They won't let me grow stronger and won't allow any surprises in the final."
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo, but they were quietly watching, showing no intention of speaking. It was clear that this was a match they were certain to lose.
Actually, if Sword Douluo had intervened, he might have been able to take Yang Xiong to get a soul ring. However, with so little time, it was impossible to find a high-quality one, and Yang Xiong had high standards for soul rings.
Finally, Yu Xiaogang looked incredibly bitter. "Yang Xiong, I understand now. Perhaps I was too obsessed with winning."
Flender and Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang's expression and could only comfort him softly. At this point, they had no solution. The gap in strength was simply too large.
Yang Xiong didn't say much and simply left. After some communication, Ning Fengzhi and the others also left.
(END CHAPTER)
🔥 Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
⏰ Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 10, 2026.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10