Chapter 159: Lan Yin Wang's Head Soul Bone

Soon Yang Xiong and Lin Gong arrived at the Training Ground, ready to test Yang Xiong's true bodily strength.

Yang Xiong immediately summoned his martial soul and Soul Ring, his whole body turning blood‑red, and rushed at Lin Gong at breakneck speed.

Lin Gong seemed unusually casual; with a simple wave, countless Purple Emperor Bamboos appeared to block Yang Xiong.

Brother Yang threw an all‑out punch at the Purple Emperor Bamboo, which instantly bent under Yang Xiong's force.

But however mighty Yang Xiong's strength, the Purple Emperor Bamboo was not completely shattered; instead it became extremely flexible.

Yang Xiong's face flashed with surprise as the bent Purple Emperor Bamboo sent back a tremendous recoil force, hurling him several meters away.

Opposite him, Lin Gong couldn't help but smile: "Xiao Xiong, if this is all your power, I advise you not to aim for a Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring, but your strength is indeed far greater than I imagined."

Yang Xiong did not hesitate; his third and fourth Soul Rings flashed simultaneously, activating the Third Soul Skill: Tyrant's Fury and the Fourth Soul Skill: Dragon‑Elephant Rigid Body.

After using both soul skills at once, Yang Xiong, originally about 1.9 m tall, instantly swelled; his muscles became incredibly dense, his bones hardened, his strength and bodily endurance rose severalfold, and his height briefly reached roughly 2.3 m.

Immediately, Yang Xiong charged again at full force toward Lin Gong, or rather, at the Purple Emperor Bamboo protecting Lin Gong.

Yang Xiong delivered a Bone‑Crushing Steel Fist straight onto the Purple Emperor Bamboo, and the normally unyielding bamboo shattered into fragments under the blow.

Even Lin Gong was somewhat amazed by Yang Xiong's power; purely in terms of strength, it unquestionably reached the Soul Douluo level.

But nine Soul Rings instantly manifested on Lin Gong, and countless Purple Emperor Bamboos sprang up around him, as if to envelop Yang Xiong.

Yang Xiong did not hesitate, punching the Purple Emperor Bamboo repeatedly; unfortunately, each time he shattered some, more Purple Emperor Bamboos appeared around him.

At that moment, Lin Gong directly activated a soul skill, and countless Purple Emperor Bamboos turned into sword‑like spears attacking Yang Xiong—his Second Soul Skill: Purple Bamboo Ten Thousand Stabs.

All of Yang Xiong's soul power converged, especially onto his skin and bones, forming the Self‑Created Soul Skill: Steel Reinforced Iron Bones.

Countless Purple Emperor Bamboo spikes struck Yang Xiong's body, yet they could not breach his defense.

This time Lin Gong's purpose was to test Yang Xiong's physical qualities—primarily strength and defense—so neither side employed many combat techniques.

Afterward, Yang Xiong felt that, after countless bamboo spikes struck his body, his skin seemed pierced, yet he could still barely fend them off.

But before Yang Xiong could react, all bamboo spears instantly exploded, which was Lin Gong's Fourth Soul Skill: Purple Splendor Bamboo Explosion.

Yang Xiong only sensed countless explosion sounds around his body, and during the blasts countless bamboo spikes seemed to thrust toward him.

Facing the Purple Splendor Bamboo Explosion, Yang Xiong let out a roar, his body exuding endless blood‑red aura, striving to block the blast's force.

When all the explosions and their aftereffects finally ceased, Yang Xiong emerged from the smoke, appearing immensely towering.

Yet at that instant, a green light flashed from Lin Gong's head; Yang Xiong felt his entire body numb, as Lin Gong's Head Soul Bone Skill: Spirit Paralysis activated.

Yang Xiong felt a wave of paralysis throughout his body, his head seeming to split open, even his soul and soul power appeared completely uncontrolled.

At this moment Yang Xiong gritted his teeth; his eyes instantly turned blood‑red, and a blood‑red beam shot from them—Purple Extreme Demon Eye: Asura Divine Light.

Even Lin Gong was taken aback, not expecting Yang Xiong to have such means, but given his Title Douluo strength, his head emitted another green flash; the red and green lights collided in the air, ultimately erupting into a massive explosion.

When the scene calmed again, Yang Xiong was already collapsed on the ground, his entire soul power exhausted.

Normally, Yang Xiong employed two top‑grade amplifying soul skills, boosting his strength and defense fourfold; after using Asura Body, his strength increased an additional threefold, meaning that with his Body martial soul, his power alone rose twelve times, and his defense saw an even greater amplification.

With such terrifying amplification, a single strike from Yang Xiong reached tens of thousands of jin, unquestionably reaching the Soul Douluo level.

However, Lin Gong is a Title Douluo‑level powerhouse; even though Yang Xiong's short‑term burst power and defense are formidable, the gap in their soul power usage is simply too vast.

Lin Gong appeared very serious: "Xiao Xiong, your strength surpasses my expectations, especially in strength and defense; your physical quality has likely reached the Soul Douluo level, it seems your Body Tempering in these years was not in vain."

"Even your spirit power is quite impressive; I feel your spirit power has also reached the top‑tier Soul Douluo level."

"But even if your physical quality is extremely strong, you are still only a Quasi‑Soul Emperor; the direct soul power gap between you and me is simply too large."

"The more powerful a soul skill, the greater its consumption of bodily soul power, and correspondingly the greater its drain on your stamina; it may grant terrifying combat power in the short term, but cannot be sustained long."

"Perhaps you can absorb Soul Rings below a Hundred‑Thousand‑Year level, but if you wish to absorb a Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring, your body is still insufficient; you might endure the short‑term shock of such a ring, yet a normal Soul Grandmaster requires a very long period to absorb a Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring, and you likely cannot persist to the end."

"Therefore, if you insist on absorbing a Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring, unless your body undergoes another metamorphosis, you cannot achieve it at present."

Yang Xiong thought for a long time before speaking: "Teacher Lin, I still have my own trump card; I am certain I can make my body metamorphose again, and the sixth Soul Ring will be able to absorb the Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring."

Lin Gong couldn't help his tone: "Xiao Xiongzi, I don't know whether to call it persistence or courting death; anyway I can't control these matters of yours. If you are truly decided, then we old folk will go to Sunset Forest together."

"However, regarding that Soul Beast, I'm not confident it's a Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Beast; it seems slightly weaker in aura compared to the Azure Bull Python of the Star Dou Great Forest, as if it lacks a certain tier."

Yang Xiong didn't hesitate and directly took out the Inner Core of the Ten‑Headed Blazing Sun Snake.

"Teacher Lin, what level would you say the energy inside this Inner Core has reached?"

Lin Gong took the Ten‑Headed Blazing Sun Snake Inner Core from Yang Xiong, examined it for a while, then said: "It's roughly around a 60,000‑ to 70,000‑year level; if you use it as a Soul Ring, it could be quite excellent."

Yang Xiong thought carefully before speaking: "Teacher Lin, I still want to find a top‑grade Fire Attribute Power‑Type Soul Ring. Let's first go to Sunset Forest; perhaps there will be other surprises."

Lin Gong replied helplessly: "You little brat's demands are way too high—both a Fire Attribute Soul Ring and a Power‑Type Soul Ring. Where will you find the Hundred‑Thousand‑Year top‑grade Soul Beast you want?"

Yang Xiong smiled: "If I recall correctly, we once heard a bull's roar; bovine Soul Beasts are generally Power‑Type, and those with Fire Attribute are extremely rare. I hope the Soul Beast in Sunset Forest matches my expectation."

Lin Gong, after a sigh, finally handed Yang Xiong a Lead Box: "I don't know if I truly owe you in this life, but what's inside might help you."

Yang Xiong opened the Lead Box and found a green Head Soul Bone; its energy was immensely surging, seemingly containing boundless Life Force.

Yang Xiong felt the Head Soul Bone in the Lead Box seemed to share the same origin as his Right Leg Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone.

Lin Gong continued: "My Ninth Soul Ring was hunted together with the Sword Douluo and the Five Great Elders of the Body Sect; it was an 85,000‑year Blue Silver Grass, and we obtained this Head Soul Bone at that time."

"You know I already have a Head Soul Bone; this one is of no use to me, so take it to absorb; perhaps it will aid you at a crucial moment."

Yang Xiong's mouth twitched slightly: "Teacher Lin, the Blue Silver Grass you hunted shouldn't have come from the Star Dou Great Forest, right?"

Lin Gong snorted: "Seeing your limited insight, you only know about the Star Dou Great Forest. This time I leveraged information from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and my past observations to locate a special plant forest; it was strange—entirely covered with Blue Silver Grass, and many of those could be cultivated to ten‑thousand years."

"Nevertheless, that 85,000‑year Blue Silver Grass was indeed hard to slay; its Life Force was so strong we felt a bit hopeless. Had it not been that the Sword Douluo and the five of us struck together, it wouldn't have been so easy to kill."

Yang Xiong was speechless; judging by the situation, it must be the Lan Yin Wang in the Lan Yin Forest, and it seems to have been that way for some time.

One must know that Tang San relied on the Lan Yin Wang for his Second Awakening, his martial soul evolving from Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver Emperor.

Now the Lan Yin Wang has been slain, and it's uncertain whether Tang San had already undergone his Second Awakening; if the Lan Yin Wang was killed early, Tang San likely lost any chance for a Second Awakening.

Originally, Yang Xiong and Tang San were classmates and teammates; their relationship was fairly ordinary, they even made many trades, and theoretically the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect should not be hostile toward Tang San.

Among all of Yang Xiong's affairs, the only one linked to Tang San is that he seized the Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Soul Bone; everything else is at least not a betrayal of Tang San.

But now, with Lin Gong's commotion, the entanglement between the two has grown.

But Yang Xiong didn't hesitate; he took the soul bone straight from Lin Gong's hand, and in any case it was a rare treasure.

After undergoing Body Tempering in the Blood River of Killing City, the aura of the right‑leg Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone had already changed; the blue aura it originally emitted seemed affected by the killing energy of the Blood River, and it faintly began to turn blood‑red.

Even if he later used the Blue Silver Emperor right‑leg soul bone, perhaps even Tang Hao wouldn't be able to recognize it, but now an 85,000‑year Blue Silver Emperor soul bone has appeared; if he uses it in the future, Tang Hao would definitely recognize it.

After returning home, Yang Xiong carefully reconsidered Lin Gong's words; the Hundred‑Thousand‑Year Soul Ring was certainly far stronger than he was, and absorbing it would likely be extremely difficult, even far beyond his expectations.

But Yang Xiong was somewhat unwilling to accept it; his opportunities were far stronger than Du Busi's, so couldn't there be a physique even stronger than his?

Moreover, Yang Xiong thought the Inner Core of the Ten‑Headed Blazing Sun Snake in his hand was rather useless; although the Ten‑Headed Blazing Sun Snake is very powerful, he has always been absorbing Power‑type Soul Rings, and he felt its age was far too low, certainly far below his expectations.

It should be noted that in the original work, Ma Hongjun used the Ten‑Headed Blazing Sun Snake as the Seventh Spirit Ring, and his martial soul indeed mutated, changing from an ordinary Phoenix to a Ten‑Headed Fire Phoenix.

But if my primary martial soul were to absorb this Soul Ring, would it also produce a Ten‑Headed form? That would be a bit of a problem.

(End of Chapter)