Chapter 29: Another External Soul Bone? | Encounter Again in Suo Tuo City
"Did something drop?"
"Did it explode a soul bone?"
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head to look at the headless bear corpse, her heartbeat quickening slightly.
Her cold gaze swept across it rapidly as she controlled the Eight Spider Lances to slice the body open bit by bit, searching for any trace of a soul bone.
Left arm — nothing.
Right arm — nothing.
Left leg and right leg — still nothing.
Torso bone — also nothing.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned. "Are you sure there's something?"
She had practically dissected the entire bear. Why hadn't she seen anything?
'You cut it open, but not completely.'
Bai Lu looked at the little kitty as if she were an idiot.
"Check its paw."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked.
It was true: she had only cut open the limbs and torso. As for the bear's paw, which didn't fall under the conventional categories of soul bones, she hadn't examined it at all.
The spider lances moved again, slicing open the thick paw.
Flesh parted. Bone was revealed.
Resting quietly within lay a small palm bone, its surface flowing with a faint golden-brown luster.
"Does this count as… a left arm bone?"
Zhu Zhuqing picked up the palm bone, slightly puzzled.
If she remembered correctly, arm soul bones never included the palm itself.
"No."
After thinking for a moment, Bai Lu said, "Strictly speaking, this should be considered an external soul bone."
"Another external soul bone?"
Zhu Zhuqing's heart stirred. "Can I fuse with it?"
"If you want to, then fuse it. If you don't like it later, just remove it."
Bai Lu was completely indifferent.
With the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone and the Eight Spider Lances already in hand, they could simply prepare a few soul beast corpses, sever the limbs and extract the bones, and the severed limbs would regenerate within the same day.
"But why…"
Just as she was about to fuse it, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly thought of something.
"The Eight Spider Lances required absorbing a soul ring to obtain them. But this one dropped directly.
They're both external soul bones. Why are the acquisition methods different?"
Bai Lu countered calmly, "Have you ever heard of a soul master awakening a Man-Faced Demon Spider or a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger as their martial soul?"
"No."
"Then, since they're all soul beasts, why is it that some soul beasts never become a soul master's martial soul?"
"I don't know."
Bai Lu explained, "Top-tier evil soul beasts that only know slaughter and devouring are rather special. It's already difficult for them to become martial souls, so it's not strange that the way their soul bones drop is also unusual."
Just like in the original story, every Man-Faced Demon Spider Tang San killed either provided an external soul bone or an evolution opportunity for the Eight Spider Lances.
As for the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, it was even more extreme: when it died, it dropped nothing at all and simply transformed into a bead and escaped.
"Oh."
Zhu Zhuqing stopped dwelling on it. She gripped the palm bone and began absorbing it.
The soul bone melted instantly like liquid and flowed into her left hand.
Almost at the same moment, a piercing pain surged into her mind.
It felt as though her left hand had first been gently wrapped by the earth, only to be mercilessly crushed by gravity a heartbeat later.
The golden-brown liquid acted like an adhesive, binding the shattered palm back together, piece by piece, strengthening it layer by layer.
At the same time, the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone released a cool stream of energy that flowed toward her left hand.
Under its soothing presence, the pain lessened greatly, and the fusion speed increased significantly.
"Ha…"
About half an hour later, sweat beading on her forehead, Zhu Zhuqing slowly opened her eyes.
She discovered that the bones in her left hand had become far sturdier than before, yet their appearance remained unchanged—still slender and fair.
Her physical strength had risen again, especially in her left hand. The power contained within it had become even more terrifying.
She clenched her fist and smashed it toward the ground.
Boom!
The earth trembled as her fist instantly pierced through the surface, embedding into the ground.
"A strength-type external soul bone. Not bad."
Bai Lu gave a simple evaluation.
Although it was certainly inferior to the Dark Gold Terror Claw that could tear through everything, it was still an external soul bone with enormous potential.
As for its ability—
Zhu Zhuqing gathered soul power into her left hand. It glowed faintly, as though containing explosive force.
She threw a punch into the empty air.
"Whooo!"
The wind from her fist roared violently as compressed air burst outward.
Even the gravity in front of her was disrupted by that single strike.
"Great Force Pressure. For ten seconds, it doubles the strength of my left hand and applies a gravity suppression effect, slowing the target and making it difficult to evade attacks. The soul power consumption isn't too high."
She paused, then said seriously:
"If I combine this with my other soul skills, I feel like I could kill Dai Mubai with a single punch."
"Practice is the only standard for testing truth."
Bai Lu teased lazily, "Want to find a chance when he's alone? Let him help you test your strength. Maybe invite him to sit inside your soul bone while you're at it?"
Sit inside her soul bone?
If he went in, would he ever come out again?
Zhu Zhuqing shot a speechless look at Bai Lu, who was strolling leisurely through the spiritual sea, and replied coldly:
"There's no need. I have nothing to do with him anymore."
"I believe that. After all, although the little kitty is decisive in killing, she's actually quite kind at heart."
Bai Lu shook his head with a smile.
"You've stayed in the forest long enough. It's time to leave."
"You can't become a god through killing alone."
"We need more opportunities."
…
The moon hung high among sparse stars as a cool breeze swept through the night.
Zhu Zhuqing left the Star Dou Forest and arrived at nearby Suo Tuo City.
Walking along the street, she soon noticed a luxurious hotel named Rose Hotel.
It was already late. Seeing that it looked clean enough, she stepped inside.
"Hello. Are there any rooms available?"
"Yes, honored guest!"
The attendant smiled. "There's one last room left, but it costs ten gold soul coins."
"I'll take it."
Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate and tossed out ten gold soul coins.
After all, she hadn't earned the money herself—spending it didn't hurt in the slightest.
"The room is Blue Enchantress, at the end of the second-floor corridor."
The attendant respectfully handed her the room card.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, went upstairs, and found her room.
Days of living in the forest had left her physically and mentally exhausted. She urgently needed a proper night's rest.
"Little Kitty, you're going to bathe?"
Bai Lu's voice rang out at the opportune moment.
"Mhm."
She responded casually as she slowly removed her equipment piece by piece.
"Perfect. I haven't bathed in a long time either. How about we do it together?"
As he spoke, Bai Lu attempted to control her body, planning to transform her into a white tiger girl and summon a clone.
"Hm?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes turned icy as she firmly seized control of her body.
You dare?
"You think I wouldn't?"
Bai Lu retorted shamelessly, "I've already given my life to you. What's wrong with wanting to come out and take a bath together?"
"..."
Zhu Zhuqing was instantly rendered speechless.
This tiger truly never changes.
"Fine, fine. You wash, you wash~~."
Inside the spiritual sea, Bai Lu clasped his hands behind his head, leisurely watching after successfully teasing the little kitty.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room.
After washing up and changing into a new set of black fitted attire, Zhu Zhuqing opened the door.
Click.
Almost simultaneously, the door across from hers opened as well.
Dai Mubai stepped out, arms around a pair of beautiful twin girls, chatting and laughing.
The moment he saw Zhu Zhuqing, the satisfaction and smugness on his face instantly froze.
"…Disgusting."
Looking at Dai Mubai with a girl in each arm, Zhu Zhuqing made no effort to hide her contempt and revulsion.
She did not stop. She did not question him. She did not even spare him another glance.
She turned and walked straight out of the hotel.
End of Chapter