The Ghost Douluo used a bit of force. Accompanied by the purple-winged magic spider's desperate struggle and wailing, its huge body went limp in an instant.
Dong!
He tossed the corpse casually onto the open ground, then turned toward Bibi Dong with a respectful tone.
"Your Highness, this soul beast is nine thousand seven hundred years old. Are you certain you want to absorb it?"
"Mhm!"
Bibi Dong nodded firmly. "Cultivation is like defying the heavens. If you just go step-by-step, you'll never achieve anything great."
She had learned this truth from her younger brother's stories. None of the protagonists in those tales followed common sense—each one sought the highest, strongest, and best possible opportunities.
As the Heaven's Chosen Daughter, how could she allow herself to be lesser than those protagonists?
Clenching her small fist, she seemed to radiate with a protagonist's halo.
Gu Han instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, muttering inwardly, What a strong second-year aura…
"Very well. A good mentality. But Your Highness, if anything goes wrong, Yue Guan and I will have no choice but to interrupt you."
Ghost Douluo admired her courage but still reminded her: if she couldn't endure the process, they would break the absorption even at the cost of damaging her foundation to save her life.
"Don't worry, I'll succeed."
Bibi Dong waved a small hand with a domineering air.
Her petite figure approached the purple-winged magic spider. A sharp spider leg extended behind her, piercing its head with a soft poof.
Hoo…
The beast let out one final unwilling roar before its life ended. A deep purple soul ring, tinged faintly with black, slowly rose.
Having gone through this twice before, Bibi Dong didn't hesitate. She sat cross-legged on the spot, drawing the ring toward herself with soul power.
Everything went smoothly—until her brows furrowed and cold sweat beaded her forehead.
"No… something's wrong!"
Ghost and Yue Guan's expressions changed. But since she didn't show any true signs of failure, they held back for now.
Suddenly, threads of spider silk shot out, wrapping her completely into a large cocoon.
"This is…"
Gu Han's brow twitched. The scene was all too familiar—wasn't this the sign of an external soul bone appearing?
"She won't be in danger, will she?"
If he hadn't sensed her life force was stable, Ghost would have already acted. For now, he stared intently at the cocoon, worry plain on his face.
Yue Guan also looked tense. This girl was the most gifted genius in Spirit Hall's history—and the Pope's personal disciple. If anything happened, they would both be held responsible.
Seeing their reactions, Gu Han tried to reassure them.
"Senior Yue Guan, Senior Ghost, don't worry. This is almost identical to the signs of a legendary external soul bone. The senior sister might have just stumbled upon a great fortune."
"What?!"
"External soul bone?!"
Both men's eyes widened. An external soul bone was the greatest treasure after a hundred-thousand-year soul ring—and for a Title Douluo, its value was even greater.
It could evolve alongside the soul master, was completely bound to them, and couldn't be stolen even if the host died.
In all of recorded history, those who possessed one could be counted on two hands. The last time one appeared was over two hundred years ago, in the hands of a Spirit Hall elder.
And since they couldn't be taken from the dead, not a single external soul bone remained loose in the world.
Were they… about to witness history?
"Uh, seniors… I think we'd better set up a tent for her."
Gu Han felt uneasy under their heated stares. Coughing, he added, "According to the records, when an external soul bone manifests, it… tends to tear apart the host's clothing."
"Uh…"
Yue Guan and Ghost were stunned. Could that actually be true?
"Oh."
They exchanged a glance, then quickly pulled a tent from a soul tool and carefully moved the cocoon inside.
Time trickled by. The cocoon inside the tent remained still. The three men outside had been waiting for hours.
"Why is it taking so long?"
Gu Han frowned. Half a day had passed with no sign of completion. Had something actually gone wrong?
"Don't worry. Xiao Dongdong's aura is becoming more and more stable," Yue Guan reassured, his tone far more relaxed than before.
Hearing this, Gu Han resisted the urge to probe with his spiritual sense.
"It's been half a day. She'll definitely be hungry after absorbing the soul ring and soul bone. Let's prepare some food."
Yue Guan glanced at the darkening sky. Since they were idle anyway, why not make a fire and cook?
"Agreed. Kid, go get some firewood."
Gu Han nodded. He'd only had mushroom soup all day, and it was already four or five in the afternoon—he was starving.
Before long, the savory aroma of barbecue filled the air.
Inside the tent, the cocoon gradually thinned, revealing the figure within.
The absorption of her third soul ring—nearly ten-thousand-year in quality—had caused Bibi Dong's height and curves to grow noticeably. Her formerly petite frame now stood tall and shapely.
Her fair skin was fully exposed. On her back, three pairs of delicate purple wings unfurled like cicada wings.
Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes—only to feel a sudden chill. She looked down and froze.
"Ah!!!"
A piercing scream rang out.
The three outside shot to their feet.
"Your Highness!"
"Xiao Dongdong!"
"Senior Sister!"
"I… I'm fine! Don't come in!"
She quickly regained her wits, realizing she was inside a tent. Relieved, she shouted to stop them.
The three outside finally relaxed. That scream really had sounded like a girl startled by being seen naked.
Inside, Bibi Dong examined the purple wings and frowned slightly. This seemed exactly like the external soul bone her younger brother had once described.
According to him, such a bone felt like part of one's own body—like moving an arm. With focus, it could be retracted.
She gathered her will, connected with the six purple wings, and—sure enough—easily retracted them.
Hoo…
Exhaling, she glanced down at her naked body. The growth from absorption had brought her to about 1.65 meters in height, with a figure like that of a mature sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl.
She pulled spare clothes from her soul tool—only to find they were too small to wear.
After a moment's hesitation, her face flushed.
"Um… Senior Yue Guan, can I borrow some of your women's clothes?"
Yue Guan, known for his fondness for feminine attire, was her only hope in this situation.