"It's extinct."
Tang San stated calmly, "At least, that's what's recorded in the Encyclopedia of Soul Beasts. The Dragon Rabbit had the bloodline of a true dragon and was highly sought after by soul masters with dragon-type martial souls. It disappeared over 10,000 years ago."
"Then why are you telling me this?" Xiao Wu rolled her eyes. Still, she knew she could use her 100,000-year cultivation origin to trace back to the Dragon Rabbit and condense a compatible soul ring regardless of its extinction.
"That's just what's written in the encyclopedia," Tang San replied with a shrug. "Whether the Dragon Rabbit still exists in the world today… who knows? The Douluo Continent hasn't been fully explored. Maybe there are undiscovered places where they still survive."
"Besides, since your martial soul is the Soft Boned Rabbit and you have innate full soul power, your family might know something. You can look into it yourself."
Xiao Wu stared at Tang San for a long moment, her expression unreadable.
He knows. She couldn't shake the suspicion.
Otherwise, given how meticulous Tang San usually was, he wouldn't have spoken so casually about her "family." The only family she had was in the Star Dou Great Forest…
Still, she pushed the thought away for now.
"What kind of soul skill would the Dragon Rabbit give me?" she asked instead.
Tang San's tone shifted into explanation mode.
"The Dragon Rabbit's key trait is its dragon vein, located along the spine."
"Outwardly, it looks like a normal rabbit. But when it activates its bloodline, a unique qi called blood essence flows from its spine through the rest of its skeleton. Golden dragon patterns appear symmetrically on its body, and it unlocks a soul skill called True Spirit Bone."
"This soul skill massively enhances the entire skeleton—making it as hard as steel when needed, or as soft and pliable as ox tendon. Hard and soft coexisting, as if the bones have gained their own consciousness."
Tang San paused, then continued.
"That's why the skill is called True Spirit Bone. The 'true' implies that the soul master can enhance their overall strength without drawbacks—as if partially activating their Martial Soul True Body."
"Of course, this only affects the bones. But the result is similar."
"Some researchers call this soul skill the Hard, Soft, and Spirit Bone, based on its properties. But personally, I think 'True Spirit Bone' sounds better."
Xiao Wu silently agreed. True Spirit Bone had a concise dignity to it.
More importantly, it didn't conflict with her existing soul skills—Waist Bow and Wind Listening. In fact, it could enhance them.
Waist Bow relied on core strength—the waist and, by extension, the spine.Wind Listening sharpened the five senses, particularly hearing—tied to the structure of the skull.
The True Spirit Bone skill would provide the perfect skeletal foundation to support both.
She had to get this soul ring.
But she was still only level 21. She'd need time to reach level 30. With each level, the soul power requirement grew steeper.
By the time a soul master reached the Titled Douluo stage, advancing even one level required not only enhanced physical and spiritual strength but also a refined understanding of their martial soul. The required soul power doubled with each stage.
Xiao Wu estimated it would take her around two years—until she was nine or almost ten—to reach level 30.
Tang San, who had started cultivating earlier, would probably reach level 30 by the time he was eight, though close to nine as well.
No. She couldn't let him surpass her.
Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and vowed to train harder. She immediately returned to her room, lay down on her bed, and entered a meditative state—drawing in the energy of heaven and earth and refining it into soul power.
Three months passed in a flash.
The whale glue storm that had swept across the continent finally began to calm.
Most of the whale glue had already been bought up by major forces. It could no longer be found in ordinary pharmacies. Those still searching could only try their luck at rare auction houses.
Some people considered venturing into the deep sea to hunt whale-type soul beasts directly.
But while whale glue was valuable, the risks of deep-sea expeditions deterred most would-be hunters. Currently, only the Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou Empire, and Star Luo Empire had invested manpower and resources to form exploratory teams.
Of course, true exploration of the sea would take time to establish.
In these three months, Guang Ling had learned all the commonly used characters of the Douluo Continent. She'd also memorized the basic classifications of martial souls.
Her soul power had increased by two levels.
That sounded fast—but considering the daily doses of whale glue she'd consumed, it was actually rather slow. Her cultivation speed was only slightly faster than Wang Sheng's.
Still, Guang Ling had one significant advantage:
Accuracy.
Using her martial soul to fire arrows, she could hit anything within seven meters. Beyond that range, her accuracy declined—but for a six-year-old girl, seven meters of precision was impressive.
Moreover, thanks to her improved physical condition from three months of whale glue, she could now draw the bowstring of an ordinary training bow with ease.
Tang San hoped to guide Guang Ling into becoming a long-range assault-type soul master. Her martial soul had already determined that this was her natural path.
But every archer needed more than just distance.
A long-range soul master still had to know how to defend in close combat—at least enough to survive until help arrived.
Tang San often thought of the powerful and nimble Ze Lacquer from the second season of Wushan Five Elements—now that was inspirational.
So, while training Guang Ling in soul power control and archery, he also had her spar with himself and Xiao Wu. They drilled fistwork, footwork, and even close-range combat using her bow as a melee weapon.
Guang Ling had little soul power and a frail body. So whatever small advantages she had, she used. Tang San didn't restrict her. It would be unfair otherwise—even if he and Xiao Wu held back or suppressed their own soul power.
When Su Yuntao, Sisi, Wang Sheng, and other Spirit Hall members were free, Tang San would invite them to act as sparring partners.
But he never asked for favors for free.
If a sparring partner needed help finding a suitable soul beast for a ring, Tang San would provide advice.
If they didn't know how to use their current soul skills effectively, he would instruct them—explaining how to time them, control the soul power output, or integrate them with other abilities.
And if they needed nothing?
Then Tang San simply paid them.
He believed in fair exchange, not exploitation.
Not long after Nuoding Academy resumed classes, Tang San received his official reward from the Spirit Hall for publishing his theory on soul ring evolution and ring compatibility.
100,000 gold soul coins and a storage-type soul tool.
It came in the form of a wrist guard, identical in appearance to the one Tang San wore on his left arm.
But this one?
He gave to Guang Ling.
"Thank you, Brother!" Guang Ling beamed as she slipped the wrist guard onto her right arm. She channeled soul power into it, and the tool instantly shrank to match her petite size—fitting her perfectly.
"It's the same style as your left wrist!" she said with a smile.