The system fell silent for a moment. "...Did this system say you couldn't? Just don't let it happen again."
"Ahem!" Wang Yan coughed and advised, "I don't know why you chose to fuse with it only now, but if you obtain another Spirit Bone in the future, it's best to fuse with it immediately. The earlier a Spirit Bone is absorbed, the better. It will evolve along with the soul master's growth, so naturally, the longer it has to evolve, the better."
"Huh?! Is that so?" Zheng Li put on a surprised expression.
Wang Yan asked doubtfully, "You didn't know?"
Zheng Li nodded as though it were only natural. "The old man never told me, so of course I didn't know. The old man was very good to me. I originally planned to keep it as a memento... But after thinking it over yesterday, I felt that since I was participating in the tournament, it would be better to absorb it and strengthen myself. Steward Grandpa did tell me to fuse with it as soon as possible."
"Ahem, ahem, ahem..." Xu Sanshi coughed dryly, as though he had choked on something. A memento, my ass! Junior, do you even have any concept of what a Spirit Bone is?!
Bei Bei and the others also wore strange expressions.
Wang Yan was stunned for several seconds before patting Zheng Li on the shoulder. "Just remember next time. Don't worry, we won't let the Spirit Bone you finally made up your mind to fuse with go to waste. You'll have a chance to compete tomorrow."
As he spoke, worry clouded Wang Yan's brow. According to his calculations, the team they would face next would not be an easy one. Their chances of victory... he held little hope.
He was already considering giving up.