No sooner said than done. Gu Xuan immediately placed the entire dragon egg, along with the magnificent crystal used to incubate it, into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse.
Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo instantly understood Gu Xuan's intentions. They were also curious to see if the Sword-Winged Demon Dragon hatched from this egg could be domesticated. If so, it wouldn't be a bad addition to their combat strength.
However, becoming a functional combatant was still a far-off possibility; the Sword-Winged Demon Dragon would need time to grow. But if it could be raised, it could become the guardian soul beast of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in the future.
The three then produced their various storage soul tools and swept the Sword-Winged Demon Dragon's lair clean. Taking it all back would represent a massive fortune. Gu Xuan hadn't found any other specific treasures he could use, only these piles of "yellow and white things" that he usually regarded as dirt.
Returning from the cave laden with spoils, they found Mi He still absorbing his soul ring. His aura was climbing steadily; it wouldn't be long before he finished the absorption and attained the rank of Titled Douluo.
Ning Fengzhi looked at the returning trio and smiled at Gu Xuan. "Xiao Xuan, how was the harvest?"
Gu Xuan gave a helpless smile. "Just some gold and silver wealth, nothing particularly special."
He paused for a moment before adding. "However, I found a Sword-Winged Demon Dragon egg in the cave. It looks like it's close to hatching, so I want to see if I can raise it."
Ning Fengzhi pondered for a moment. "It's possible. But remember, if the creature cannot be tamed, it is best to return it to the Star Dou Great Forest to avoid it hurting anyone back at the clan."
"Understood."
As he spoke, Gu Xuan looked toward the carcass of the Sword-Winged Demon Dragon. "Uncle, can I have the body of this dragon? I want to try using its blood and remains to nourish the egg."
Gu Xuan had this idea the moment he saw the egg. Many fantasy novels featured plots where powerful dragon blood was used to nurture dragon eggs, so he wanted to give it a try. Moreover, the dragon and the egg were of the same lineage; perhaps this method would yield miraculous results.
As for the concern that the little dragon might grow up to seek revenge for its parent, Gu Xuan wasn't worried. The creature knew nothing now, and Gu Xuan certainly wouldn't tell it the truth later. At most, he'd say it was a wild child picked up from the mountains. Or he'd spin a lie: its father was killed by another dragon, and he and Grandpa Chen Xin had descended like gods to rescue the egg. That would also explain Mi He's ninth soul ring.
Of course, that was all in the future. Whether the little thing could even be hatched was still a question.
Ning Fengzhi looked at Gu Xuan and then at the dragon's carcass before nodding. "Fine. But you must handle it with care. Don't let any accidents happen with this little thing, or I'll hold you responsible."
Gu Xuan grinned. "Understood!"
At that moment, Chen Xin seemed to notice something. An hour had passed since Mi He began his absorption. Chen Xin, who had a unique comprehension of the "Way of the Sword," suddenly felt a faint yet sharp sword intent emanating from the dragon's remains.
Following his intuition, Chen Xin walked over to the carcass. His Seven Kill Sword appeared, and he sliced into the area where he sensed the fluctuation. Gu Xuan, Ning Fengzhi, and the others watched intently as Chen Xin's sword moved like lightning. A crystalline piece of bone suddenly rose and hovered above the dragon's body.
"A soul bone?!" The others couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
This Sword-Winged Demon Dragon was over 90,000 years old. Wouldn't that make this a top-tier soul bone approaching the 100,000-year level? Judging by where Chen Xin extracted it, it looked like a torso bone. A torso bone of nearly 100,000 years was absolute perfection, especially coming from a powerful creature like this.
However, this bone was peculiar. Its shape wasn't quite a torso; it looked like a spine, about fifty centimeters long. On either side of the vertebrae were four protrusions shaped like sword hilts—a miniature version of the eight sword-wings the dragon had possessed.
Gu Xuan's pupils shrank as he took it in. "Could it be an External Spirit Bone?"
He didn't lower his voice, so everyone heard him clearly. No one present was a novice. While they might not be experts on External Spirit Bones, they knew they were special bones outside the six primary slots. They could evolve as the Soul Master grew, and their value was no less than a 100,000-year soul bone. If this were true, it was a 90,000-year External Spirit Bone—if it evolved, wouldn't it reach 100,000 years in no time?
Aside from excitement and envy, no one showed any signs of greed. They were all people who had received the grace of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and were absolutely loyal. Being able to break through to Titled Douluo was already the greatest opportunity of their lives; they wouldn't dream of coveting this bone.
Except for one person. Gu Xuan's eyes were glowing as he stared at the bone. It wasn't exactly greed, but he definitely wanted it more than anyone else.
Ning Fengzhi turned to him. "Xiao Xuan, are you certain?"
Gu Xuan didn't answer immediately. He walked toward the bone and reached out to touch it, but the stray sword intent radiating from it made his hand sting. He had to activate his Martial Soul before he dared to touch it, and even then, the sharp sensation made him frown slightly. 'As expected of a 90,000-year soul bone; even without a host, it possessed such power.'
"I'm certain. It's not a torso bone, but an External Spirit Bone," Gu Xuan confirmed.
Then, under the dumbfounded stares of Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi, Gu Xuan pulled out the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and tucked it inside. He said nonchalantly. "This thing shouldn't be left exposed like this. I'll hold onto it for now, and we can discuss it when we return to the clan."
Knowing him as they did, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin's faces were covered in black lines. How could they not see that the boy had set his sights on it? But truly, a 90,000-year soul bone—even a leg bone at the bottom of the hierarchy—would be considered top-tier at that age, let alone an External Spirit Bone.
Zuo Yi, Long Wu, and Dugu Bo all shared a helpless laugh. Since the kid had made his move, they knew they didn't stand a chance. Setting aside the opportunities Gu Xuan had brought them, his talent alone made him worthy of the clan's investment.
The only issue was that Gu Xuan didn't have a sword Martial Soul; otherwise, he would be a perfect match for it. Ning Fengzhi began to weigh whether he should actually give the soul bone to Gu Xuan.
In truth, Ning Fengzhi had already made up his mind. Gu Xuan rarely asked for anything. He hadn't even been in a hurry to absorb the 50,000-year Earth Tyrant Dragon torso bone given to him previously. Now that he was taking the initiative, Ning Fengzhi found it hard to refuse, given Gu Xuan's contributions and his raw talent. In the eyes of the others, the matter was essentially settled.
However, there was one other person who might have wanted it: Chen Xin. He could feel the extraordinary sword intent within it; if he absorbed it, he might even reach Rank 98. But he didn't say anything. He was too embarrassed to compete with Gu Xuan. After all, reaching the peak of Rank 97 was thanks to the boy's help; without Gu Xuan, he'd still be stuck at Rank 96.
(End of Chapter)
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