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Dugu Bo didn't think much of the details, but Su Wen's reaction was intense.
In Dugu Bo's trial, the Stone God had specified that the reward would be a Trunk Bone from a "Specialized Stone Monster." Furthermore, the requirement to complete the trial involved gathering four limb spirit bones, all of which had to be of the Earth attribute.
Combining these two points, Su Wen—who had long been obsessed with the concept of Spirit Bone Armor—couldn't help but make the connection.
To Dugu Bo, this looked like a "buy four, get one free" deal: collect four limb bones, and get one for free. It seemed like a bargain, especially since the reward was a Trunk Bone, the most critical piece of any set. However, the difficulty was immense. Even for a Titled Douluo, gathering a full set of specific limb bones required staggering effort; many ended up settling for low-year, poor-quality bones just to fill the slots.
Can Titled Douluos not obtain spirit bones?
The answer is no. It's simply that ordinary spirit bones offer negligible benefits to them. If they absorb "trash" bones early on, they face the agonizing reality of being unable to integrate a high-quality bone later if a true opportunity arises. Consequently, most Titled Douluos hold out for bones that either mitigate their weaknesses or provide massive boosts to their cultivation.
If one were truly desperate to complete a set just for the sake of completion, success was possible. But for someone as proud as Dugu Bo, absorbing mediocre bones just to finish a trial was a hard pill to swallow.
Having finished recounting the trial, Dugu Bo watched Su Wen closely. Knowing Su Wen possessed quite a few high-quality spirit bones, he was secretly wondering if he could borrow one or two that met the Earth-attribute requirement. He saw Su Wen's expression shift through several phases.
"What is it, Xiao Wen?"
"Grandpa Dugu, this trial of yours is anything but simple," Su Wen said solemnly.
He hadn't expected this to be such a monumental stroke of luck for Dugu Bo. A massive opportunity.
If the rewarded "Specialized Trunk Bone" could truly act as a bridge to connect the other five positions, then this was a game-changer. The existence of Spirit Bone Armor meant the bones would complement each other, essentially merging into a single entity. In such a state, the subtle, long-term strengthening of the master's physique and the boost to cultivation speed would be staggering.
"A single Trunk Bone can really do all that?" Dugu Bo asked, voice tinged with disbelief.
Spirit Bone Armor was a thing of legends in the spirit master world. While even 100,000-year spirit rings and bones were the ultimate dreams of masters, no one even dared to fantasize about Spirit Bone Armor. To the vast majority, it existed only in theory—and even then, logical analysis usually proved the conditions were impossible to meet.
Yet, here was Su Wen, suggesting that his reward could fuse the limbs and head bones into a complete set of armor. The more rational and knowledgeable a person was, the more they understood how impossible those conditions were. This was exactly why Dugu Bo was so stunned.
"It should be the case. Otherwise, there would be no need for the Stone God to emphasize a 'Specialized' type. Besides, even without that effect, surely you weren't planning on settling for mediocre bones anyway, Grandpa Dugu?"
"Of course not! I wouldn't just take any old thing," Dugu Bo said arrogantly. Having once possessed a garden of dozens of rare immortal herbs, he wasn't about to settle for sub-par spirit bones.
"Grandpa Dugu, I suggest you start by using the Academy's resources to collect 10,000-year spirit bones. If you can't find a perfect set, don't worry—I'll find a way for you later." The "way" Su Wen alluded to was his plan to develop a method for self-condensing spirit bones.
Even if that research was slow, Su Wen could simply hunt specific 10,000-year Earth-attribute spirit beasts for him. Given Su Wen's current capabilities, he was confident he could eventually manipulate the variables to "artificially" increase the drop rate of spirit bones.
With the trial settled, Su Wen turned his attention back to his original goal: upgrading his third spirit ring to the 100,000-year rank.
But... would he have to hunt the Stone God's "Faith Race" right here in the Stone God Realm?
As Su Wen hesitated, a powerful mental fluctuation emanated from the Stone Monster that had transformed into a massive boulder. Compared to the three monsters outside, this one possessed truly terrifying mental strength. While their soul power fluctuations reached the 100,000-year level due to the formation's amplification, their mental power was entirely their own.
"Do you require the spirit ring of a Stone Monster?"
Su Wen blinked in surprise, then nodded, refusing to hide his intent with hypocrisy.
"The Great Father God has sent his decree. He has commanded us to sacrifice ourselves to become your spirit rings."
"???"
Su Wen's mind went blank. The information was coming too fast for him to process. First off, who is this "Father God"? Do you mean the Stone God?
Wait.
Su Wen's pupils contracted as a realization dawned on him. "You Stone Monsters... were you a race created by the Stone God?"
"Yes. The three of us were the first individuals Father God created. All other Stone Monsters were fashioned based on us."
Su Wen sucked in a cold breath. He had always assumed that because of Douluo Dalu's unique environment, inanimate objects could occasionally gain sentience and become spirit beasts—hence, the Stone Monsters.
But looking back, that didn't make sense. Aside from Stone Monsters, there were no other examples of inanimate matter becoming spirit beasts. There were no "Fire Spirits" or "Thunder Spirits." At best, there were top-tier elemental beasts like Flame Lords or the Thunder Hell God Devil Vine. Pure elemental or inanimate-based spirit beasts seemed to be exclusive to the Stone Monsters.
"This Stone God is truly something else," Su Wen mused.
It was possible the title of "Stone God" had actually limited the deity's growth. To create an entire race of spirit beasts while lacking enough faith to even maintain a god-rank—and then to not only stabilize that rank but push toward becoming a First-Class God—spoke volumes of their talent. Su Wen suspected that even without the Stone God inheritance, this being could have achieved godhood through their own creation.
Since the monsters were offering a sacrifice, Su Wen did not hesitate.
"I will not hunt you, nor will I suppress your souls. My method of absorbing rings is unique. Given that your combined state reaches the 100,000-year threshold, your willingness to sacrifice, and your high mental cultivation..."
Su Wen listed a series of prerequisites before looking at the three massive boulders. "I believe we can attempt to preserve your souls. You could exist within my spirit ring as spirits."
If Xiao Wu's sacrifice could preserve her soul within a ring, these three monsters—with their superior mental mastery—certainly could as well. Su Wen suspected their mental prowess was another gift from the Stone God.
He had been shocked by this Second-Class God too many times today. At this point, if Su Wen encountered something he couldn't explain, he simply attributed it to the mystery of the Stone God.
(End of Chapter)