Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 335 Soul Bone, Trade

The atmosphere at Xingluo Stadium still carried a hint of stagnation after the initial excitement.

When Bai Yuan's name was officially announced as the champion of the individual competition of the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, the applause was far less enthusiastic than in previous years, and was even mixed with suppressed boos and dissatisfaction whispers from many Star Luo spectators.

The way he defeated Long Yue was too bizarre, and his subsequent awakening of his martial soul led many to believe that he had cheated. In the eyes of the Xingluo people, the championship was somewhat "dishonorable".

However, rules are rules.

Under the silent yet oppressive gaze of Elders Zhuo Shi and Cai Yue'er of the Sea God Pavilion, Emperor Dai Tianling of the Star Luo Empire personally handed Bai Yue the prize for the individual competition: a magnificent treasure box made of special soul-guided metal and engraved with the Star Luo royal emblem.

Bai Yuan's expression was calm, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible indifference. He took the treasure box but did not open it on the spot. He merely nodded slightly, as if he were receiving an ordinary item rather than a priceless treasure.

This attitude only fueled the frustration of the Star Luo leadership. They knew perfectly well that if Shrek Academy hadn't been backing them up, the 50,000-year-old True Dragon left leg soul bone, which had been prepared for Long Yue long ago, would have been replaced no matter what.

Even if it's the same 50,000 years, if you exchange it for a dragon soul bone with slightly inferior bloodline, the amplification it provides and the soul skills it grants will be greatly reduced, making it completely unworthy of the title of "champion".

This True Dragon Soul Bone is practically the most suitable top-tier soul bone for dragon-type martial souls that the Star Luo Empire can offer.

Bai Yuan held the treasure box, and with a flicker of his figure, he disappeared from the spot, leaving behind a crowd of complicated gazes.

Inside a luxury suite at the Xingluo Hotel.

Gula was casually flipping through an ancient book from the Star Luo Empire, his posture relaxed. Bai Yuan's figure appeared silently in front of him, handing him a treasure box containing immense dragon might.

Gula looked up, caught the treasure box, but did not open it. In his deep eyes, an indescribable golden light, seemingly capable of piercing through the very essence of matter, flashed silently.

A god-level eye for appraisal!

In his eyes, the barrier of the treasure box was useless. The essence of the left leg soul bone inside the box, which was thick and dark gold in color, shaped like a dragon's claw, and exuded a strong earthy aura and ancient dragon might, was peeled away layer by layer.

“Interesting.” Gula’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Fifty thousand years? Ha, that’s just a facade. The ‘bone age’ of this soul bone far exceeds one hundred thousand years.”

"Its material strength, toughness, and the trace of immortal and indestructible true dragon divinity contained within are all far beyond what a 50,000-year-old soul bone can possess. However... the erosion of the long years, the loss of the world's primordial energy, and the dormancy of the core's original power have caused its energy level to drop to the level of a 50,000-year-old one."

He flicked his finger and gently tapped the treasure box from a distance, producing a dull echo. "The years that have passed must be in the hundreds of thousands. It seems that only that place could have left behind such a complete and intact true dragon soul bone."

“Dragon Valley?” Bai Yuan replied, his voice low.

“Most likely.” Gula nodded, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, directed towards a distant place. “Since the fall of the Dragon God, pure-blooded true dragons have almost disappeared. Only the place where the Dragon God fell, the burial place of all dragons, can nurture such true dragon soul bones that, even after losing most of their energy, still possess exceptional quality.”

"It seems that the Star Luo Empire has gone to great lengths to win over Long Yue. The soul bones of Dragon Valley are not easy to obtain. You can't take them away without a stroke of luck."

"This earth attribute, as heavy as a mountain and as vast as the earth, is a perfect match for Long Yue's Mountain Dragon King Martial Soul, and... barely fits my Groudon base."

He fell into a brief moment of contemplation. His fingertips unconsciously traced the surface of the treasure box, as if deducing some possibility. "Restore its peak power? Eight or nine hundred thousand years... or even a soul bone approaching god-level?"

Gula shook his head, dismissing the few thoughts that had flashed through his mind. "The cost is too high. Forcibly injecting energy would be a losing proposition. Finding a compatible dragon soul for replenishment would be like finding a needle in a haystack—virtually impossible."

"Reversing time... Ha, trying to master an unfamiliar power for such a bone, the benefits are disproportionate to the effort." The interest in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by apathy.

"Once I achieve my title and anchor myself at the coordinates of Dragon Valley, I will travel directly through time and space, returning to the time when Dragon Valley was first born, when the dragon's remains still existed, and the dragon's soul had not yet dissipated..."

Gula's voice carried an air of superiority, looking down upon all living beings: "A mere divine-level soul bone is easily obtained. Why be so fixated on a flawed piece?"

He casually tossed the treasure box back to Bai Yuan, as if discarding a useless trinket: "You can decide what to do with it. It's tasteless to use, but a pity to throw away. It's not very useful to us. Or you can go to Shrek Academy and exchange it for the Golden Water Infusion to make your battle armor."

Bai Yuan caught the treasure box steadily, showing no surprise at Gula's decision.

The awakening of the Abyss Glutton made his perception of power more acute, and he also gained a clearer understanding of the level of spacetime power that his true form controlled. Ten thousand years might be a bit far, but it's not impossible.

This soul bone, which others would consider enough to cause a bloodbath, was indeed just a useless piece of trash in their eyes.

He stroked the cold metal box, feeling the earth-attribute true dragon power contained within, and a thought arose: "This thing is useless to me, and it's also a useless thing to you. But there is one person who might be just right for it."

"Oh?" Gula raised an eyebrow, a thought flashing through his mind.

“Tang Wulin.” A glint flashed in Bai Yuan’s eyes. “The Golden Dragon King’s bloodline is domineering and unparalleled, extremely strong and powerful. This earth-attribute true dragon soul bone contains the weight of the earth and the foundation of the dragon vein. Its characteristics of ‘bearing’ and ‘stabilizing’ can complement his violent Golden Dragon King power. Although it is damaged by 50,000 years, its foundation is still there. For him, it is an excellent boost.”

"What's your idea?" Gula asked knowingly.

“A drop of essence blood.” Bai Yuan’s voice carried the greed unique to Taotie. “The bloodline of the Golden Dragon King, the violent power at the pinnacle of all dragons, the ancestor of power.”

"If I could use the power of the Abyss Gluttonous Beast to devour a drop of its original essence blood, analyze the mysteries of its bloodline, and even just grasp a trace of the Golden Dragon King's aura... by relying on 'ancient memories' to trace its origin, continuously strengthen it by returning to its ancestral form, or integrate its destructive power into the Gluttonous Beast's origin, its potential... would far exceed that of this soul bone itself."

Gula remained silent for a moment. He understood Bai Yuan's meaning. Although the Ancient Memory Soul Skill was wondrous and could trace the source of bloodlines, it was not omnipotent. It needed a "catalyst," relevant bloodline information or possibilities as a coordinate.

Without the essence and blood of the Golden Dragon King as a medium and key, trying to trace back to that terrifying bloodline belonging to the level of a god-king is nothing short of a pipe dream.

“It’s feasible.” Gula finally nodded. “A drop of essence blood in exchange for a 50,000-year-old true dragon soul bone is definitely a worthwhile deal for him.” “For us, the value of obtaining information about the Golden Dragon King’s bloodline is indeed far greater than the soul bone itself. However, remember,” he looked at Bai Yuan with a profound gaze, “ancient memories have their limits. They cannot be created from nothing; they can only amplify and trace existing ‘traces.’ Unless… one day, I can truly wield the power of time, instead of being the so-called God of Time in the God Realm.”

“But by then…” Gula’s tone carried a hint of regret, “the mere Golden Dragon King, or even the Dragon God, will be nothing more than a ripple in the long river of time.”

Different goals lead to different perspectives. This single drop of essence blood is the key; in the future, perhaps even the Dragon God himself will only be a stepping stone.

"Understood." Bai Yuan nodded slightly, his figure disappearing back into the shadows.

Inside the top-tier sanatorium provided by the Star Luo Empire, sunlight streamed through the window lattices, casting warm dappled patterns.

A faint medicinal fragrance filled the air. Tang Wulin sat back on the bed, his face still pale from blood loss, but his spirits were noticeably better.

The terrifying regenerative power bestowed by the Golden Dragon King's bloodline was surging within his body. He could feel his broken bones healing rapidly, and his damaged meridians gradually recovering under the gentle nourishment.

Wu Changkong sat to the side, gently using his soul power to help him clear the remaining blockages in his body.

The door was pushed open silently, and Bai Yuan appeared in the doorway. His arrival seemed to lower the temperature in the room, creating an abyss-like stillness.

"Bai Yuan?" Tang Wulin was somewhat surprised, and Wu Changkong also raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise.

Without wasting any words, Bai Yuan placed the magnificent treasure box on the table beside Tang Wulin's bed and opened it with a click.

Instantly, a rich and heavy earth-attribute true dragon aura spread out, and the dark golden soul bone lay quietly on the velvet cushion, exuding an ancient dragon might that made one's heart tremble.

"The left leg soul bone of a 50,000-year-old true dragon, earth attribute." Bai Yuan's voice was calm and composed, getting straight to the point, "The individual tournament champion's reward is in exchange for a drop of your essence blood."

Tang Wulin's breathing quickened instantly. His gaze was fixed on the soul bone, and the dormant Golden Dragon King bloodline within him seemed to be strongly stimulated, letting out an excited low roar.

He could clearly feel the power contained in the soul bone, which was of the same origin as his bloodline but also carried the stable attribute of the earth. This soul bone was simply tailor-made for him, and its value was definitely no less than that of an ordinary 100,000-year soul bone!
Just as he was trembling violently and almost blurted out "I'll switch," a gentle yet incredibly familiar voice resounded deep within his mind:
'Wu Lin, calm down.'

It was Old Tang's voice, "This soul bone... is not simple."

Tang San's voice, imbued with a sense of solemnity and insight, said, "Its essence far surpasses that of a 50,000-year-old soul bone. I can sense that it has lost an enormous amount of energy, but the 'quality' of its bones, its toughness, and the trace of pure-blooded true dragon aura within them are incomparable to ordinary 100,000-year-old soul bones."

"This is more like... an ancient bone that has been dormant for hundreds of thousands of years under special conditions!"

His speculation was strikingly similar to Gura's, except that he couldn't confirm the existence of Dragon Valley.

"If you can enter Shrek Academy's inner courtyard and find a suitable environment and opportunity, I have a way to guide your Golden Dragon King's blood and soul power to nourish it, perhaps... to restore it to a level of 500,000 years, or even higher."

"It is very suitable for your Golden Dragon King bloodline, especially its 'Earth's support' meaning, which can stabilize your increasingly violent blood and qi, enhance your physique, and make it easier to unseal in the future."

Tang Wulin's heart pounded even faster. Five hundred thousand years?! This was an incredible opportunity!
"As for essence blood..." Tang San's voice in his divine sense carried a hint of calculation and pride, "To others, primordial essence blood is extremely precious, and losing even a single drop requires years of arduous cultivation to make up for it."

"But your Golden Dragon King bloodline... sigh, its regenerative ability is truly exceptional. Losing a drop will weaken you for at most ten days to half a month, but with some rare and precious herbs, you can quickly recover. This deal... is not a loss for you."

Tang San's analysis, delivered through divine sense, acted as a reassurance, instantly dispelling all of Tang Wulin's concerns and hesitations.

He suddenly looked up at Bai Yuan, his eyes flashing with excitement and determination, but he still asked, "Bai Yuan, what do you want my essence blood for?"

“I just had my Martial Soul awaken for the second time on the field, transforming into the Gluttonous Beast,” Bai Yuan said bluntly. “It’s said that your bloodline power is special; try using it to devour and refine it.”

No wonder. Tang Wulin took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to immediately agree. He glanced at his dance teacher beside him, then assessed his still-recovering physical condition:
“I do need the soul bone, and I’m willing to give up even a drop of essence blood. But…” His gaze was firm. “Now is not the time. The team competition is imminent. If I lose a drop of essence blood now, my strength will be greatly reduced, and it will take at least ten days to recover to a state that won’t affect my combat ability. I can’t let my personal transaction affect Shrek Academy’s team competition.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Changkong's eyes flashed with approval. This child knows how to prioritize in crucial moments and always keeps the academy in mind; he hadn't misjudged him.

Bai Yuan seemed to have anticipated his response and was unsurprised: "Okay. The deal will be finalized after the team competition."

He spoke succinctly, his gaze lingering on Tang Wulin for a moment. The Abyss Glutton's perception clearly detected the immense blood and qi within Tang Wulin's body, rapidly recovering like a furnace, and the terrifying, violent dragon's might deep within his bloodline. The deal was done; his goal had been achieved.

"Okay, it's a deal!" Tang Wulin nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with longing for the soul bone and determination for the team competition.

"Okay, you continue to recover."

Bai Yuan gave a perfunctory and polite remark, his figure disappearing silently into the shadows of the room like ink splashed in water, leaving only the dark golden treasure box lying quietly on the table, radiating an alluring light and a faint but palpable pressure of a true dragon.

Tang Wulin's gaze was fixed on the soul bone, and his fists clenched unconsciously.

Team competition... With the power of the Golden Dragon King, plus the True Dragon Soul Bone that he is about to obtain... he will never repeat the same mistake!

Sensing his son's determination, Tang San nodded inwardly. He had originally planned to retrieve the Golden Dragon Spear sealed on the sixth floor for Tang Wulin when he was defeated, thus helping him win.

Now that he has this soul bone, he is even more confident and no longer needs to worry about affecting the sealing process or interfering with the unsealing progress.

(End of this chapter)