Everyone took turns restoring their soul power, then waited for Dugu Bo to absorb the soul ring. After recovering, they spread out around the area to prevent any soul beasts from breaking in.
Once Dugu Xin regained his strength, he inspected Medusa's corpse. Since it was the body of the soul beast from which Dugu Bo had just obtained his soul ring, Dugu Bo had asked him to check it.
They were fortunate this time—Medusa's body had produced a soul bone, a rare head soul bone. It seemed that the rarer the soul beast, the more likely it was to yield a soul bone. With this new addition, Dugu Bo now had two soul bones—far more than in the original timeline. Clearly, Yuan Changqing's arrival had greatly changed Dugu Bo's fate!
Indeed, many things had changed. Dugu Xin was no longer riddled with toxins and sickness. He would live a long and healthy life. Perhaps he would even go on to have more children in the future.
Time passed slowly as Dugu Bo absorbed the soul ring, and everyone witnessed the birth of a Titled Douluo with their own eyes.
Yuan Changqing joked, "Hey, old poison, congratulations. You've officially become a Titled Douluo. How does it feel? Care to share?"
Dugu Bo played along. "Ahem, I feel like I've finally made it—hahaha!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
After the laughter subsided, Dugu Xin stepped forward holding the soul bone and said, "Father, there's something even more exciting. Look—Medusa left behind a soul bone. A very precious head soul bone."
Dugu Bo quickly took the soul bone, examined it closely, and then handed it to Yuan Changqing. "Changqing, I'm giving this to you. Without your help, I wouldn't have obtained Medusa's soul ring so easily. Your assistance to the Dugu family has been invaluable. Let this soul bone be a token of our gratitude."
Yuan Changqing was surprised. He hadn't expected Dugu Bo to give up the soul bone, especially when the combination of a soul ring and soul bone from the same beast was the most compatible.
But from this act, it was clear—Dugu Bo was a man who knew how to repay kindness. Gaining his friendship might be even more valuable than the soul bone itself.
Yuan Changqing declined politely. "Old poison, this soul bone is best suited for you. Absorb it quickly. We're all friends here, no need for such formality. Besides, having a Titled Douluo like you around in the future will be a great help—especially when Catherine needs to find her soul ring."
The others chimed in, encouraging Dugu Bo to absorb the soul bone.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo didn't insist further. "Alright then, I'll absorb it. If you ever need anything from me in the future, don't hesitate to ask."
Yuan Changqing smiled. "Exactly. This soul bone will shine brightest in your hands. When my family searches for soul rings again, I'll definitely be counting on you."
Dugu Bo then began to absorb the soul bone. Once the absorption was complete, his soul power rose directly to Level 92 Titled Douluo—far surpassing the original story, where he only reached Level 91 after decades and still struggled with the threat of toxins within his body.
…
With Dugu Bo now a Titled Douluo, Yuan Changqing and the others resumed their search for a suitable soul beast.
They spent several more days in the forest, encountering many soul beasts, but none were suitable. Either the beasts weren't old enough, or the ones with the right age didn't match their needs.
Suddenly, a sharp bird cry echoed above them.
"Chirp!"
Everyone looked up and saw an eagle-like soul beast soaring overhead.
Yuan Changqing pointed to it. "That's a Golden Sword Eagle. It's a flying-type soul beast, more than ten thousand years old. It looks like a good match for Catherine."
Dugu Bo nodded. "No problem. Let's catch it and see exactly how old it is."
Yuan Changqing agreed. "Alright, old poison. This is your first move as a Titled Douluo—let's see what you've got."
Then, turning to Catherine and his uncle, he said, "This flying soul beast will be tricky to capture. Catherine, Uncle, you and the old poison should intercept it from different angles so it doesn't escape."
"Got it," Dugu Bo responded.
The three of them leapt into the air, forming a triangle formation to encircle the Golden Sword Eagle. The battle began in the sky.
Seeing the fight start, Yuan Changqing warned, "Take it down quickly. Fighting in the air is dangerous and could attract the attention of other soul beasts."
With Dugu Bo's strength as a Titled Douluo, the Golden Sword Eagle was soon struck down. His venom was no joke.
The eagle was severely poisoned, making things easier for the team on the ground.
Yuan Changqing turned to his sister-in-law and Dugu Xin. "Let's finish this quickly so we can leave the Star Dou Forest as soon as possible."
Without waiting for the others to return, the three of them launched their attacks.
"The fourth soul skill, Diamond Lock!"
"The fifth soul skill, Sword of Ice!"
"The third soul skill, Corroding Black Witch Snake!"
…
After Dugu Bo and the others rejoined them, they unleashed their own attacks. Though the Golden Sword Eagle was poisoned, it still fought back fiercely.
The eagle released a flurry of feather-blade attacks. Yuan Changqing and the others quickly activated their defensive soul skills.
"The eighth soul skill—Time Freeze!"
With Dugu Bo's skill, the Golden Sword Eagle was trapped on the ground. Everyone took advantage of this and bombarded it with attacks. The soul beast could only let out a final sharp cry.
Eventually, it was Catherine who delivered the finishing blow. A black soul ring emerged from the corpse.
The Golden Sword Eagle turned out to be 78,000 years old—older than Dugu Bo's ninth soul ring.
However, even though Dugu Bo's ring wasn't the oldest, it was perfectly suited to him. Rare beasts like Medusa provided incredibly strong soul skills, proving that compatibility often mattered more than age.
Catherine sat beside the eagle's corpse and began absorbing the soul ring, while Yuan Changqing examined the body.
To their surprise, another soul bone had appeared—a torso bone this time. It seemed their luck was exceptional. Both Medusa and the Golden Sword Eagle had produced soul bones, and not just any bones—two of the most valuable types among the six: head and torso.
Once Catherine finished absorbing the soul ring, Yuan Changqing handed her the soul bone. "Catherine, absorb this soul bone too while you're at it."
She nodded and, without hesitation, began absorbing the torso bone.