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Such benefits were truly one-of-a-kind, even across the entire Douluo Continent—like a scorpion's droppings, utterly unique.
Other factions could only dream of such advantages. If a spirit bone were to appear, the first thing they'd worry about was whether they'd be killed to silence them.
The probability of someone like Oscar in the original storyline obtaining both a Mirror Beast soul ring and a spirit bone, while also having his team leader willingly share the spirit bone with him, was literally one in ten thousand.
Over the years, as Tianxing Academy grew stronger, even Soul Sages dared to flaunt their spirit bones. This bold display served as a living advertisement, attracting a large number of talented civilian soul masters to the academy.
Of course, all of this was part of Ye Wen's strategy.
Soul masters from humble backgrounds understood the value of spirit bones far better than those from powerful factions, so they naturally wouldn't dare to show off recklessly.
But once such a living advertisement existed, its allure to civilian soul masters was undeniable.
Would they leave the academy after graduation to wander aimlessly? No sensible civilian soul master would do that—they'd secure employment immediately upon graduation.
To attract such talent, Ye Wen even established a new mandatory course on common knowledge in the soul master world. Its purpose was to teach these newcomers about the dangers of the soul master realm, emphasizing that Tianxing Academy and its affiliated forces were a haven where uniting for mutual benefit was the ultimate path to survival.
However, some hidden forces were quite brazen, even daring to ambush a Soul Sage teacher when they ventured out.
Unfortunately for them, that teacher was already a level 79 Soul Sage—one of Ye Wen's direct subordinates—and wore a three-word Battle Armor set. Though the amplification of Battle Armor diminished at higher cultivation levels, this teacher's strength was equivalent to a level 95 Title Douluo.
Though the details of the incident remained unknown to the major factions, a tacit rule soon spread throughout the soul master world: Do not provoke Tianxing Academy unless you're a Title Douluo.
External spirit bones were not only rare but also exceptionally unique.
They only had a chance of appearing during the absorption of a soul ring, and even then, the initial fusion was superficial. Only through immense external pressure or years of cultivation could the fusion be completed. Otherwise, the bearer risked being killed for the spirit bone.
Liu Erlong's soul power burned fiercely, and even though the surroundings were covered in ice and snow, they began to melt gradually, revealing the vibrant green beneath.
Xu Jingwen stood still, struggling to resist the mounting pressure of Liu Erlong's soul power.
Only when he summoned his martial soul to withstand the pressure, and eventually forced the external spirit bone out of his body, did the process finally conclude.
Feeling the Eight Spider Spears now inseparably linked to him, Xu Jingwen couldn't help but smile with joy. Trading a low-year fourth soul ring for an external spirit bone was an incredible bargain.
But the allure of an external spirit bone was too tempting. The other control-type soul masters remained unwilling to give up, deciding to continue hunting Human-Faced Demon Spiders with Ye Tianxin.
Ye Tianxin inwardly resisted the idea. Though she had a tomboyish streak, she found insects utterly repulsive.
But for the glory of Tianxing Academy!
Meanwhile, within Tianxing Academy, Ye Wen toyed with a soul crystal in his hand, chuckling softly.
"A centipede remains unyielding even in death. The dragon race's foundation truly runs deep.
If I were to study these cultivation methods alone, who knows how long it would take? Indeed, taking what's readily available is the fastest shortcut.
Perhaps the God-King realm that Poseidon couldn't reach was due to the division of power among the God Realm's strongholds. But with this sample, I can certainly make progress.
You've worked hard this time, Snow Empress. You've followed me for so long, yet I haven't rewarded you. Tell me—what do you desire? If it's within my power, I'll grant it."
After a moment of contemplation, the peerless beauty Snow Empress spoke.
"My Lord, I have a sister who will soon face her heavenly tribulation. I fear she may not survive it. Could you allow her to become one of your Divine Officials?"
Ye Wen, of course, knew who Snow Empress referred to—none other than Bing Di, the little loli arranged by Tang Buddha in the future.
This was also one of the reasons Ye Wen had abandoned the original plot—it was simply too disgusting. In the Qiankun Love Valley, Tang Buddha forcibly pushed Tian Meng onto Bing Di to pair them together. It was utterly revolting.
Though this segment was later edited out, it significantly soured Ye Wen's opinion of Tang San. Already, the stitched-together mess that was Tang Wutong was nauseating enough—then they added this nonsense.
Though Tian Meng Ice Silkworm boasted impressive cultivation, it was fundamentally trash, driven by lust for Bing Di's body to the point of near madness.
Wouldn't a pairing between Bing Di and Xue Di as yuri have been far better? Tang Buddha, your twisted ways are asking for death!
Seeing Ye Wen remain silent for a long while, Snow Empress thought her request might have been too much. After all, divine power was extremely precious to Ye Wen at this stage.
Her heart sank slightly, but she couldn't blame Ye Wen. After all, Ye Wen was treading carefully amidst the gods of the God Realm.
"It's possible, but not now. Her 300,000-year heavenly tribulation shouldn't be imminent, right?" Ye Wen said softly.
Snow Empress' heart leapt with joy, but outwardly, she remained calm, nodding slightly.
"Yes."
"In that case, there's no rush. When the time is ripe, I'll transform her into a Divine Official.
However, I'll need her to perform a sacrifice for someone. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Ye Wen asked.
Having ascended to godhood, Snow Empress no longer cared about the physical bodies of spirit beasts. She readily agreed.
She also had a good guess about the person Ye Wen intended for the sacrifice.
After all, Ye Wen's two children possessed extreme ice attributes—a fact easily discernible for someone like her, an old player. Moreover, this would further bind her to the Ye family. Why not?
Meanwhile, news of the Great Star Forest being blanketed in ice and snow spread like locusts across the continent.
In the Douluo Continent, the climate was typically stable. Such widespread ice and snow were only seen in the untamed Extreme North.
Even a Title Douluo couldn't cause such a vast impact.
This development led the major factions to speculate about the identity of the powerful being behind it. Was it a legendary god? Or perhaps the awakening of some ancient, world-shaking beast?
As time passed without any calamitous news emerging from the Great Star Forest, the factions gradually calmed down.
This largely ruled out the possibility of an ancient, world-ending beast awakening.
Many factions shifted their focus to another theory, their hearts ablaze with excitement. Secretly, they began searching for signs of a god.
Ye Wen remained indifferent to all this.
As long as his plans weren't disrupted, these weak soul masters could dream all they wanted. Shouldn't even the weak be allowed their aspirations?
Meanwhile, the opening of the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament was drawing near.
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