Chapter 100: The Origin

Chapter 100. Let's gooo.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ning Tian and Huo Yuqing naturally had no objections to Wang Rui taking the soul bone.

"I owe you one," Wang Rui said casually as he put away the soul bone.

"I'll remember that," Ning Tian replied with a smile.

Mu Jin, however, looked at Wang Rui in surprise—shouldn't these kids at least show some courtesy and offer it to each other first?

Besides, in her own judgment, this secret soul bone was actually meant for Ning Tian.

All three of her students were exceptionally talented, so they obviously wouldn't use the soul bone themselves. Yet, Mu Jin couldn't afford to give them something even more precious. However, as the heir of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian belonged to a great sect that housed many disciples of more average talent. Whether used as a reward or for some other purpose, this secret soul bone would be of great value. Additionally, by taking it, Ning Tian would owe both Huo Yuqing and Wang Rui a favor—an invaluable favor from the heir of a prestigious sect.

Compared to Zhou Yi in the original story—who rewarded the secret soul bone to Huo Yuhao and the others and urged them to absorb it immediately—Mu Jin was genuinely thinking about her students' interests.

As for the original Zhou Yi... it was hard to say whether she was simply shortsighted or eager to secure her own rewards by making her students feel indebted.

Luckily, the protagonist of the original story had a golden-fingered grandfather who helped him use the secret soul bone for another purpose, thus avoiding a pitfall.

"Are you planning to absorb this soul bone?" Mu Jin couldn't help but ask Wang Rui. "While soul bones are precious... this is just a secret soul bone. There might be better options in the future."

"I know what I'm doing," Wang Rui nodded at her.

The red-haired boy remained indifferent, showing no excitement about receiving a reward. Mu Jin suddenly had a bad feeling—was he unhappy with the reward? But then again, Wang Rui always seemed lazy and nonchalant in class...

Maybe she was just overthinking it. This kid was probably just naturally this calm.

"Alright, the rewards have been distributed. Now that the class has been reorganized, you'll need to elect a class leader. Head back to your classroom for now," she waved them off.

Wang Rui, however, didn't like secret soul bones—more precisely, he hated them.

Still, he didn't hold it against Mu Jin. After all, she had good intentions, and she wasn't the one who created secret soul bones. Wang Rui could differentiate between the two.

Secret soul bones had a much higher drop rate than ordinary soul bones. Compared to the near-mythical probability of obtaining regular soul bones, they functioned almost like a guaranteed safety net.

Unlike human Soul Masters, who sought out the most powerful soul beasts when hunting for soul rings, secret soul bones required a large number of the same type of soul beast. Since the stronger soul beasts were rare and hard to capture in groups, humans instead massacred the weaker, more populous species—those that reproduced quickly and in large numbers. These species didn't even require Soul Masters to venture deep into the forests; they could simply farm them in the outer regions. How easy and convenient!

At the time, even the most powerful soul beasts at the top of the food chain didn't see a problem with this. Soul Masters killing soul beasts was an everyday occurrence. These weaker creatures were nothing more than food, and their deaths didn't weaken the forest's overall strength. They would reproduce quickly enough to replenish their numbers. Some particularly vicious soul beasts even enjoyed excessive slaughter themselves.

And because these soul beasts were too weak to be of much use, Soul Masters often didn't even bother taking their corpses. It was like how fishermen would cut off a shark's valuable fins and then toss the rest back into the ocean. Other soul beasts would eat the discarded remains, meaning the forest didn't even lose any food supply. The dominant soul beasts saw no issue with this cycle.

While soul beasts were generally united against humanity, internally, they were far from cohesive. There was no solidarity. No strong soul beast felt any sympathy for the weaker ones—almost none. After all, who would pity their own food? This was like an all-you-can-eat buffet opening up for free.

No one realized that, over time, this practice would erode the foundation of the entire forest. After all, human lives were short, and soul beast lives were long... Back then, Wang Rui had desperately wanted to crack open the skulls of those powerful soul beasts and stuff the story of The Foolish Old Man Who Moved the Mountains inside.

As a result, large numbers of human Soul Masters flooded into the forests to engage in this low-risk, high-reward activity, wantonly slaughtering weaker, social soul beasts. Even the two great empires increased their manpower, intending to equip their Soul Master armies with secret soul bones.

The weaker social soul beasts were slaughtered en masse—scattered, bloodstained fur and feathers flying through the air, shattered insect shells reeking of a peculiar scent, broken bones and limp bodies, shrill screams and dying cries, charred flesh, lightning-scorched remains, severed limbs...

Any human could say, "We're just killing weak soul beasts for soul bones. Don't you eat meat? What's the difference between soul beasts and livestock? Why shouldn't they be killed?" But Wang Rui couldn't accept that.

Any soul beast could say, "They're not my kind, just some lowly ants. Weak creatures don't deserve to live in a world of survival of the fittest. If they die, it's their own fault." But Wang Rui couldn't accept that either.

Now, he was the Emperor Auspicious Beast of the Star Dou Forest, the chosen ruler of the soul beasts—an existence meant to safeguard their fate. By nature, he was entitled to authority and privileges, and the soul beasts were meant to serve him. The instincts of the soul beasts themselves dictated that they would not resist his hunts; there was no need for coercion—every soul beast obeyed instinctively.

However, Wang Rui had his own thoughts by the time he became the Auspicious Beast. He couldn't accept this as natural, and more importantly, he had made a promise to Jin Ni. He had to protect the forest.

So, he led powerful soul beasts to hunt down the Soul Masters producing secret soul bones. Because soul bones were inherently linked to the fate of the soul beast forest, even if a Soul Master absorbed a secret soul bone, they couldn't escape the Eye of Destiny. Every Soul Master who had ever absorbed one died in the process of hunting for another.

Over hundreds of years, Wang Rui single-handedly built up the terrifying reputation of Cursed Soul Bones, making them a taboo among humans. It was the only way he could curb human greed.

But all conflicts came with bloodshed. Some powerful soul beasts felt it wasn't worth shedding blood for a bunch of weaklings.

Even the Silver Dragon King personally emerged from seclusion to reprimand Wang Rui for his reckless actions—just as she later advocated for retreat and patience when facing humans after Huo Yuhao's ascension. It was hard to say she was entirely wrong. Fully declaring war would have attracted the attention of the God Realm, and soul beasts, who had slower growth rates, couldn't afford a war of attrition. But that confrontation wasn't just a matter of ideological differences—it was also the Silver Dragon King's way of asserting dominance over a rebellious Auspicious Beast.

As dragons, both Di Tian and Zi Ji were bound by bloodline suppression to obey the Silver Dragon King unconditionally. Naturally, they wouldn't defy her direct orders. Wang Rui was confined to the core region of the forest for cultivation.

And so, the matter was left unresolved. Thousands of years later, Cursed Soul Bones became nothing more than an old superstition, and with the founding of Beast Hall, few Soul Masters dared to farm secret soul bones in the Star Dou Forest... but Wang Rui had no way of monitoring the smaller soul beast territories.

Poachers still existed.

And that was the first time Wang Rui realized—Star Dou was not truly under his control.

He needed a force that obeyed only him.

This Bone Condensation Secret Technique was indeed peculiar.

Wang Rui had carefully studied this secret technique and vaguely felt that it didn't seem to originate from the native knowledge of the Douluo Continent—this technique was simply too universal. As long as one's cultivation was sufficient, it could be used regardless of martial soul type. Compared to the various techniques and secret methods of the Douluo Continent, it stood out too much.

Due to the existence of martial souls, the characteristics of soul power varied greatly among soul masters. To draw a comparison with other fantasy worlds, each different martial soul was akin to an entirely unique physique. Under such conditions, it was difficult for cultivation methods to spread widely. For instance, if a soul master developed a technique for circulating soul power, it would be based on their own martial soul and soul power, making it difficult for someone with a different martial soul to use. Powerful techniques were often only passed down within families or sects that shared the same martial soul.

There were only two exceptions: the most basic and weakest fundamental meditation method and… Xuan Tian Gong.

Everyone understood the situation with Xuan Tian Gong. Wang Rui had also managed to steal a copy of it. Perhaps because Tang San's original world was a relatively low-magic wuxia setting where most people had ordinary physiques, Xuan Tian Gong was created as a balanced and adaptable cultivation method that could be used by soul masters with any martial soul. However, only Tang San himself could treat it as a cheat-level ability. For soul masters whose martial souls had distinct traits, using Xuan Tian Gong would actually hinder their own cultivation.

Wang Rui had confidence in the research capabilities of the people of Douluo, but the Bone Condensation Secret Technique contained many "innovations." Whether they were true innovations or knowledge imported from another world was hard to say. At the highest levels, different worlds often arrived at similar methods for harnessing power. It was possible that a transmigrator had localized their knowledge, or perhaps an exceptionally advanced genius had developed it.

There was also one possibility that Wang Rui was most reluctant to consider—the technique had been passed down from the God Realm.

Under this premise, the Bone Condensation Secret Technique practically screamed, "I am suspicious!"

Wang Rui had tried to trace the origins of the person who created this technique, but…

The earliest records of secret soul bones appeared over 9,000 years ago, during a time of immense turmoil.

Modern historical records often describe the era of the Spirit Hall's rule as a dark period filled with corruption and oppression. However, no one remembers that the collapse of this behemoth was only the beginning of a blood-soaked carnival.

At the time, Tang San had just ascended, likely still in the process of handing over duties to the old God of Asura. Wang Rui had cautiously hidden by the shores of the Lake of Life, wary of the few remaining old schemers who had yet to leave the God Realm. The Beast Sect had not yet been established, but small soul beasts infiltrating human society continuously brought back intelligence to the Star Dou Forest, keeping information flowing.

Tang San had found Godhood inheritances for his close companions and ascended to the God Realm together with the Shrek Seven Devils. However, their rushed ascension left behind numerous hidden dangers.

For a time, the human world fell into chaos—even more so than during the collision between the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent. Yet, for certain reasons, human history omitted this period. All that remained in historical records was the glorification of the Seven Devils' ascension, and almost no one remembered the blood and carnage that engulfed the next thousand years.

In the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had ascended early. Their descendants were too young, and due to their parents' esteemed status, no one dared to properly educate them, leading to their corruption.

As the royal heir, the child's lack of talent became an unforgivable sin. Ministers, each serving their own interests, supported rival claimants to the throne.

The young Star Luo ruler faced threats from his older half-siblings, while the court was rife with scheming ministers, plunging the entire nation into civil strife.

Yet, Star Luo's situation was still better compared to the political disaster unfolding in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Heaven Dou's Emperor, Xue Beng, had never received a proper imperial heir's education.

This fourth prince had been suppressed his entire youth by Qian Renxue, who had disguised herself as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, forcing him to act like a hedonistic fool to survive. But in reality… to put it mildly, Xue Beng was mediocre in every aspect—character, ability, and strength. Even without Qian Renxue's interference, he would never have ascended the throne.

He was ambitious yet short-sighted, possessing all the qualities of a foolish emperor. He was weak, yet bore the title of a Sea God's disciple.

As the saying goes, "A rich heir squandering money isn't scary; a rich heir squandering money on businesses is." The same applies to emperors.

After enduring humiliation for over twenty years, Xue Beng naturally wanted to make his mark. His goal was to reclaim the small principalities that had declared independence, but the situation at the time simply didn't allow for a military campaign. Naturally, voices of opposition emerged—voices that Xue Beng saw as obstacles to his centralization of power.

To consolidate his authority, he needed scapegoats. After all, he had long viewed every major sect outside of Tang Sect and Clear Sky Sect as thorns in his side.

As luck would have it, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Ning Fengzhi had once been Xue Qinghe's teacher—an obvious grudge. Not to mention, Ning Fengzhi had used a special method to temporarily prolong Emperor Xue Ye's life, ultimately shortening the previous emperor's lifespan. That alone was enough to justify post-war retribution.

Incidentally, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, who had massacred countless enemies, was also labeled as committing heinous sins against Heaven and couldn't escape retribution.

Even if he hadn't committed those acts, given Xue Beng's character, he wouldn't have tolerated such a powerful figure anyway—why not have someone take the fall for him?

With the Seven Devils gone, the time for settling old scores had come.

At the time, Xue Beng seemed short-sighted, openly oppressing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and other sects, ignoring the backing of two deities, and disregarding the potential turmoil within his own empire.

But in the long run, those sects were indeed weakened, reduced to insignificant third-rate factions. The Nine-Colored Goddess in the God Realm didn't even lift a finger. In hindsight, it was difficult to say whether Xue Beng was simply a fool or if he had been deliberately ruthless.

The Tang Sect emerged as the dominant force, eager to devour the remnants of the suppressed sects. Shrek Academy, despite never calling itself a sect, replaced the Spirit Hall as the spiritual center of all soul masters, attaining supreme prestige. Meanwhile, Clear Sky Sect, due to its past tensions with Tang Hao, withdrew into obscurity.

But how many people were caught in the bloodshed as opportunistic sharks fought over the remains of the once-prosperous Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

To intimidate potential predators, the sect changed its name to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—despite not having a single Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—as a reminder that it once produced a Nine-Colored Goddess.

But what use was that? Even after Ning Rongrong and Oscar ascended, when Ning Fengzhi exhausted himself for the sect and died prematurely, the Nine-Colored Goddess never descended to intervene.

Wang Rui had met Ning Fengzhi a few times.

He was curious about these characters from the original story, but spying on the core ones was risky due to the old schemers in the God Realm, so he only observed Ning Fengzhi from the shadows.

The last time he saw him was eleven years after the Seven Devils ascended. Ning Fengzhi, leading his sect's last hope, was out hunting spirit beasts. Though only sixty years old, the former Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Soul Sage was already gray-haired—still refined, but visibly exhausted.

With just one glance, Wang Rui knew he wouldn't live much longer.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before news came from Tian Dou that Ning Fengzhi had passed away.

Wang Rui had indeed considered keeping Ning Fengzhi's soul, but unlike Ma Hongjun, who still missed his wife even after ten thousand years, Ning Fengzhi might not be able to restrain Ning Rongrong and Oscar in the future. From the reaction of the Nine-Colored Goddess, at least Wang Rui himself was not optimistic about this. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was a tool spirit, different from Bai Chenxiang's beast spirit, and Ning Fengzhi himself didn't seem to have much desire to live... so Wang Rui didn't bother to make the effort.

He just wondered whether, before his death, Ning Fengzhi had ever thought: If only I had obtained the Qiluo Tulip instead. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion thought to himself.

The topic had strayed a bit—back to the main point.

No matter how chaotic the political situations in Star Luo and Heaven Dou were, they still managed to cooperate harmoniously to accomplish one major thing.