Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
******
"Soul Bone Armor?" Battle Sky Douluo muttered, a look of brief confusion crossing his face.
Soul bones were undeniably treasures, categorized as incredibly rare resources across the entire continent. Unlike soul rings, which integrated with a Spirit Master's martial soul, soul bones merged directly into the physical body. They strengthened the user's base constitution while providing a specific soul skill.
However, when a Spirit Master integrated a certain volume of soul bones, rejection reactions could occur. After all, soul bones were condensed from the remains of soul beasts and carried their specific bloodlines. If there was a natural predatory or elemental conflict between the source beasts, there was a high probability that their soul bones would also repel one another.
This meant that most soul bones were naturally incompatible. When this rejection accumulated—for instance, after absorbing multiple mismatched bones—the conflicting energies could create a chain reaction. At best, the constant internal friction would distract the Spirit Master and stall their cultivation; at worst, the clashing soul power or bloodline essence could lead to a violent body explosion.
Of course, there were exceptions.
On rare occasions, instead of repelling each other, the soul bones would strangely resonate, linking together to form a complete set. When this happened, an ability similar to a suit of plate mail would manifest: the Soul Bone Armor.
Theoretically, the emergence of Soul Bone Armor relied heavily on a Spirit Master obtaining six soul bones from the same species of soul beast, all of which had to be perfectly compatible with their own martial soul. This offered the highest statistical chance of triggering the fusion.
Unfortunately, such a feat was titanically difficult. Furthermore, while the appearance of a soul bone was generally random, soul beasts were still limited by their nature; they typically produced bones that matched their primary attributes. A speed-oriented beast would likely yield a leg bone, while a strength-oriented one would yield an arm bone.
Thus, it was nearly impossible to gather a full set of six different body parts from a single species. In reality, anyone hoping to complete a Soul Bone Armor set had to rely almost entirely on luck—finding six pieces that, despite potential individual rejections, somehow miraculously complemented each other due to the specific constitution of the Spirit Master.
Yet, this remained largely in the realm of theory. No scholars had ever seen such a thing in person, let alone had the opportunity to study it.
Su Wen knew that Soul Bone Armor existed on the continent—the Seraphim God Costume was a prime example—but it was impossible for him to gain access to that for research. Therefore, Su Wen had to conduct his own investigations.
Knowing that his independent research would be agonizingly slow, Su Wen decided to consult the gods. Simultaneously, this served as his excuse to establish contact with a divine being. Su Wen wanted to "pluck some wool" from the divine sheep, but he couldn't exactly walk up to Battle Sky Douluo and demand free handouts.
Asking, "I have some questions I'd like to understand; could you please ask the Great War God for me?" felt much more professional and respectful.
Because Soul Bone Armor had devolved into little more than an impractical fantasy, few Spirit Masters ever mentioned it, which explained Battle Sky Douluo's initial daze. It took a long moment for him to process exactly what Su Wen was referring to.
"That stuff relies purely on luck to manifest through the collective resonance of six soul bones," Battle Sky Douluo finally said. "Even with the exact same six bones, if a different Spirit Master absorbed them, the armor might never appear. Even if the Great Spirit Arena could scrape together six bones, we couldn't guarantee that level of compatibility, nor do we know the method to guide the armor's manifestation."
"The Great Spirit Arena might not have it, but aren't there four gods standing behind it?" Su Wen 'kindly' reminded him.
Battle Sky Douluo's eyes widened. "How bold!"
You brat, you actually dare to scheme against the gods?
Battle Sky Douluo's eyebrows shot up, and he was about to glare when the white fist mark on his forehead began to flicker. As he received the information flowing from the mark, his expression shifted. The combination of his intended glare and the sudden, vacant stare of his pupils made him look remarkably like a particularly "wise" husky.
"Ahem, actually, I still believe that knowledge is power," Su Wen added while the Douluo was still receiving the divine transmission. "So, I only need to know the relevant theories. There's no need to actually find the physical soul bones for me."
He knew that even in this trance-like state, Battle Sky Douluo could likely hear him—or rather, the War God himself could sense Su Wen's intent.
After a moment, Battle Sky Douluo's expression returned to normal, though he looked at Su Wen with a deeply complex gaze.
"The Lord War God has guided me to bring you to his inheritance space. When you are free, come with me for a visit."
Su Wen was about to reply that he was free immediately. Half a month had passed since the opening of the Academic Realm, and they had just arrived at Heaven Dou City.
According to Su Wen's plan, his only remaining goal in the city was to obtain the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Once that was done, his arrangements on the continent would be largely settled. His reason for contacting the War God now was to add an extra layer of insurance. He wanted the War God to keep an eye on things, ensuring he could claim the Shroud without "accidentally" triggering its master-recognition process.
Though he knew the War God might not be able to stop the Sea God if the latter truly decided to be unreasonable, it was a precaution worth taking. Besides, Su Wen had many other hidden motives for seeking the War God's counsel.
Just as Su Wen opened his mouth to confirm his availability, his expression suddenly turned strange. He sensed something.
At Shrek Academy:
"How is it, Little San?" Liu Erlong asked. She was currently in her Spirit Body Enhancement state, looking like a human-shaped fire dragon as she intimidated three low-level Soul Elders into entering the Academic Realm.
At that moment, Tang San was focusing every ounce of his mental energy on sensing the surroundings. He opened his eyes, his gaze flickering with a mix of confusion and disappointment, though he quickly suppressed it.
"Teacher, let me try a few more times."
Despite lacking a natural talent for spatial attributes, Tang San firmly believed that by tracking the mental energy of these Spirit Masters, he could find the fluctuations of the Academic Realm. After all, if the realm was "receiving" people, there had to be a corresponding fluctuation or bridge during the connection.
"Alright. Little San, be careful," Yu Xiaogang cautioned, before nodding to Liu Erlong to continue forcing the three Spirit Masters to cycle in and out of the realm.
"Faster!" Liu Erlong snapped, dissatisfied. She demanded the three Soul Elders increase their frequency. How was Tang San supposed to find the "rhythm" if they were being so intermittent?
"Again! Faster!"
Under this repeated cycle, after an unknown number of entries and exits, Tang San finally captured a sliver of that elusive fluctuation.
"Teacher Erlong, I've almost got it!"
"Then keep speeding up!" Liu Erlong urged the three Soul Elders, who were already on the verge of total exhaustion. The constant shifting in and out took a significant toll on them. They could only endure the mounting weakness and continue as ordered.
"Teacher Erlong!" Tang San shouted excitedly. "I think I can go in now!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes instantly lit up with joy. His entire body trembled with excitement as he watched Tang San, waiting for the breakthrough.
(End of Chapter)