Absorbing an External Soul Bone!

"Pinky promise. A hundred years without changing our minds. Whoever breaks it will turn into a puppy!"

Su Yu grinned brightly and shook their linked fingers vigorously.

Qian Renxue said nothing. She merely gazed at their entwined fingers as a faint blush quietly spread across her face again.

Even the bitterness in her eyes seemed to fade a little.

The wind outside the cave continued to howl, but the firelight within seemed to grow warmer.

"By the way, Big Sister, my name is Su Yu. What's yours?"

Su Yu placed the prepared wild chicken over the campfire and began roasting it, asking as though it were an afterthought.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you my name!"

Su Yu flipped the sizzling, grease-dripping chicken in his hands and raised an eyebrow at that.

The chicken fat dripped into the fire, sending up tiny sparks that reflected the hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Can't even tell me your name? Could it be some earth-shattering secret?"

Beside the campfire, Qian Renxue gathered her clothes around her. Her profile flickered between light and shadow in the firelight, and her voice was as quiet as smoke scattered by the wind.

"Telling you wouldn't do you any good." Her fingers unconsciously picked at the stones on the ground.

"You only need to know that I won't hurt you."

"All right."

Su Yu did not press further. He poked the chicken skin with a branch, and the aroma instantly grew stronger.

"Then I'll temporarily call you 'Mysterious Sister.' We can talk about it when you're willing to tell me."

Qian Renxue did not answer. She only silently added another piece of firewood to the flames.

The sparks crackled and leaped, illuminating her lowered eyelashes like a butterfly resting with its wings folded.

The next morning, before the thin mist in the forest had fully dispersed, Qian Renxue awoke from her light sleep.

Her Soul Power flowed slowly through her body like a warm current, and she had recovered considerably. Supporting herself against the cold stone wall, she slowly stood and looked at Su Yu, who was still sleeping nearby.

The young man's brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were dreaming, and his face still carried an unmistakable childishness.

She silently summoned the Angel Holy Sword. Sacred golden light flowed through the dim cave, and the blade reflected the complicated look in her eyes.

Her mission was exceptionally special. Aside from the absolute upper echelons of Spirit Hall, no one could know of her existence.

She absolutely could not allow her identity to be exposed. Any potential threat had to be eliminated.

The boy before her was undoubtedly a variable. He had seen her appearance and knew of her existence.

The blade was only a few inches from the boy's neck, yet Qian Renxue's hand trembled slightly.

The roasted meat he had given her last night, the warm afterglow beside the fire, and that foolishly earnest "Mysterious Sister" all flashed before her eyes.

In the end, she closed her eyes briefly and withdrew the Angel Holy Sword, its golden light vanishing in an instant.

From the Soul Tool at her waist, she took out a token engraved with the pattern of a Six-winged Angel. A faint Sacred Aura flowed across its cold metal surface.

Then she took out paper and a pen from her clothes, quickly wrote several lines, and gently pressed the note beneath the token, moving so lightly that she seemed afraid of disturbing the boy's dream.

After finishing everything, she took one last look at Su Yu, then turned and left the cave without a sound.

Six white wings appeared behind her, and Qian Renxue's figure soon melted into the morning mist.

Only the boy's even breathing and the quietly resting token remained in the cave.

The moment Qian Renxue's figure vanished into the morning mist, Su Yu sat up from the ground, his eyes clear. There was not the slightest trace of sleepiness in him.

His gaze fell on the token glowing with Holy Light beside him. He reached out and picked it up, and the note pressed beneath it drifted into his palm.

"Seeing these words is like seeing me in person. I have left. Do not look for me. If you encounter any difficulties, take this token to Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall will provide any assistance unconditionally."

The handwriting on the note was elegant and forceful, carrying a decisive resolve that brooked no argument.

Su Yu silently read the words, rubbing the angel pattern on the token with his fingertips. A low murmur escaped his throat.

"Qian Renxue, you're mine."

He carefully put away the token and note, storing them in the space within the Immortal Slaying Array Diagram.

Then he picked up the Man Faced Demon Spider External Soul Bone beside him.

Dark purple patterns still flowed faintly across its pitch-black surface, and the violent Soul Power it contained seemed almost ready to break free of its restraints.

"This is a good thing."

"After absorbing you, I might really be able to rise two levels in a row."

Su Yu muttered inwardly, increasing the strength in his fingertips.

Su Yu sat down cross-legged and took a deep breath.

He slowly closed his eyes and guided the Soul Power within him toward the Soul Bone, attempting to establish a connection with the power inside it.

The instant his Soul Power touched the Soul Bone, a cold and vicious aura suddenly surged back at him, as though it intended to tear his meridians apart.

Su Yu's brows knitted tightly as he circulated his Soul Power and forcibly suppressed it.

When the Soul Power from the Immortal Slaying Array Diagram appeared, the cold and vicious aura within the Soul Bone vanished completely.

In less than five minutes, he had finished absorbing the Soul Bone.

The sound of clothing being torn apart rang through the air, and eight purple-black spider legs emerged from Su Yu's back.

Su Yu felt the new power surging through his body, and a trace of excitement flashed in his eyes.

The eight purple-black spider legs extended and retracted freely, fitting him as naturally as if they had been born with him.

Every swing carried a sharp whistle as it cut through the air, faintly revealing the vicious aura belonging to the Man Faced Demon Spider.

"This speed is rather beyond my expectations."

He rolled his neck, and his bones gave off a faint crack.

His Soul Power had also broken through. It had originally been level twenty-three, but now it had reached level twenty-seven.

His fingertips brushed over the torn clothing on his back. He did not care in the slightest, merely tugging at the edge of his clothes as all his attention remained fixed on the spider legs that could burst from his body at any moment.

With another thought, the eight spider legs extended once more. Their purple-black shells gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the faint light, while their tips shimmered with a ghostly blue chill.

"With this thing, I'll be able to save some effort the next time I encounter a Soul Beast."

Su Yu gave a low chuckle and thrust the spider legs forward. They left eight deep holes in the solid stone wall, sending fragments of rock pattering down.

Satisfied, he retracted the spider legs and dusted the dirt from his hands, turning his gaze toward the cave entrance.

Since he was awake, it was time to see what was happening outside.

Qian Renxue stood in the forest pierced by the morning light, her body still surrounded by Sacred Aura that had yet to fully dissipate.

Her fingers moved slightly, and two obscure waves of Soul Power quietly spread outward.

A moment later, two figures clad in golden-yellow armor appeared beside her like Gui Mei.

"Young Mistress!"

Ci Xue and She Long dropped to one knee, their voices filled with undisguised urgency and guilt.

"Are you unharmed? We subordinates failed to protect you yesterday. We deserve a thousand deaths!"

Qian Renxue slowly raised her hand, signaling for them to rise. Her gaze swept over the faint scratches on their armor, and her voice was calm yet carried unquestionable authority.

"I'm fine. Explain yourselves. Why were you so late yesterday?"

Ci Xue looked up, a grave expression flashing across his face.

"Reporting to the Young Mistress, we were secretly guarding you during your training yesterday."

"We didn't expect to encounter Sword Douluo Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect when we approached the area where you were."

"To avoid exposing your existence, we could only fight him and lure him away."

"He didn't withdraw until early this morning. After the two of us broke free, we hurried here immediately. Fortunately, the Young Mistress is safe and sound."