The Ice Glow Worm was trapped by the Chains of Fate, able only to thrash about in a desperate attempt to break free of its sudden restraints.
The creature was extraordinarily strong. With just a few struggles, it had shattered all the ice around it, which was now being diluted by earth element that had appeared from who knew where.
The frozen plain centered around it had turned into a muddy swamp.
Watching this scene, Yun Ze remained unruffled. It seemed that under the influence of his second Soul Skill, even his temperament had slipped free of human emotions, replaced by a merciful detachment that looked down on all things.
Under the control of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion Soul Spirit, the invisible Power of Fate gathered around Yun Ze.
More precisely, it gathered around the Heaven-Propping Spear beneath his feet.
Yun Ze pushed off the spear shaft with one foot and leaped into the air again, using his Martial Soul's unique properties to call the Heaven-Propping Spear back into his hand.
Once Yun Ze had the Heaven-Propping Spear in his grip, the Power of Fate gathered at its tip, forming an even sharper spear point.
"This ends now."
Yun Ze spoke calmly, then thrust downward with all his might. His entire body, along with the spear in his single hand, became a shooting star.
He aimed straight for the Ice Glow Worm's gaping, hideous mouth. The creature was simply too unintelligent to dodge or evade.
By the time it finally sensed the killing intent on the Heaven-Propping Spear—enough to take its life—it was already too late.
The Heaven-Propping Spear pierced the Ice Glow Worm's head in an instant, like a hot knife through butter.
Yun Ze gave his wrist a flick, and the spear point sliced off half the Ice Glow Worm's head, sending it flying.
After its enormous body shuddered a few times, it crashed onto the frozen plain.
Yun Ze slowly touched down and stood with the spear held behind him in one hand. Though he seemed to have already lowered his weapon and settled his aura, his eyes remained fixed on the fallen Ice Glow Worm.
But the Ice Glow Worm wasn't as tough as Yun Ze had expected. It didn't get back up for a second phase. Instead, it slowly dissolved into particles of ice element and vanished within the Spirit Life Platform.
Some of its energy flowed into the third eye of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion Soul Spirit.
Apart from this measurable Soul Spirit energy, another portion of formless, intangible energy entered the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's mouth from within the Spirit Pagoda.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion yawned, seeming quite interested in this energy.
Yun Ze twirled the spear and temporarily put the Heaven-Propping Spear away, then walked forward.
After the Ice Glow Worm disappeared, it left behind a pale blue, mask-like object made of bone.
There was no doubt about it: this was the Spirit Bone left behind by the Ice Glow Worm. Based on Yun Ze's experience, he could tell at a glance that it wasn't one of the six main types of Spirit Bone, but an External Soul Bone.
A facial bone.
Yun Ze picked up the Spirit Bone and considered the number of years' worth of Soul Beasts the Three-Eyed Golden Lion Soul Spirit had absorbed along the way.
After a quick calculation, he realized that even without counting the Ice Glow Worm, there was enough to raise the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to the Thousand-Year Soul Spirit level.
That would be enough for now. They'd already consumed quite a bit of the Spirit Pagoda's fortune. If they took in any more, someone might notice.
After weighing it over, Yun Ze sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Spirit Bone.
The only shame was that the Spirit Pagoda's rules meant he couldn't take the Spirit Bone outside. Otherwise, Yun Ze could have studied its strengths and weaknesses in greater detail before deciding whether to absorb it or save it for someone more suited to it.
Guided by Yun Ze, the Spirit Bone instantly settled over his face. He felt a faint chill spread across it.
As the Spirit Bone pressed closer and closer to his face, that faint chill quickly turned into waves of piercing cold.
Yun Ze knew the energy within the Spirit Bone was merging with his bones, transforming the bones in his face into what were known as Spirit Bones.
Moreover, his attributes weren't very compatible with the Spirit Bone, so the reaction would be more intense than during an ordinary Spirit Bone fusion.
He sat down cross-legged and began practicing Battle to Heaven Standing. This cultivation art flowed endlessly, its purpose being to keep fighting until one could raise the heavens themselves.
Using it to meditate and increase his Soul Power while resisting the Ice Glow Worm Spirit Bone was a perfect fit.
The ice element gnawed at Yun Ze's bones and marrow, freezing his Soul Power, but new Soul Power continued to emerge endlessly within his dantian.
Meanwhile, outside the Spirit Pagoda, the staff were reacting very differently.
They stared intently at the data on Yun Ze's body and Soul Power.
Yun Ze's readings looked abnormal to them. Specifically, after his Soul Power circulated for a while, it would erupt in a burst of special Soul Power imbued with destructive force.
Just then, it seemed as if the destructive force within Yun Ze had been provoked.
Purple Soul Power erupted around him, forming a ring of energy like a shock wave.
The ring of Soul Power quickly struck down the Ice Plain Soul Beasts nearby, which had been hesitating over whether to approach.
At the same time, this purple Soul Power completely melted, dissolved, and absorbed the Spirit Bone's energy, which had been resisting Yun Ze for so long.
This also meant that Yun Ze had officially fused with his first Spirit Bone.
His own Soul Power also broke through to level 32 at that moment. He had deliberately suppressed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion Soul Spirit, holding off on its evolution for now.
Once he returned to Shrek Academy, the evolution would take only about one night. Then Yun Ze would become a Soul Elder with three Thousand-Year Soul Rings.
Yun Ze had no intention of lingering. After standing and stretching his arms and legs, he pressed the emergency distress button on his wrist.
The scenery before him rapidly shifted and spun. By the time he came to his senses, he was back inside the Soul Guidance device pod where he had lain down before entering the Spirit Ascension Platform.
After Yun Ze stood up, the two Spirit Pagoda staff members responsible for monitoring him erased all traces of the purple Soul Power that had erupted during his Spirit Bone absorption.
"All right, Young Master Yun, hurry back. The Pagoda Master will be back soon. If he sees you, he might ask a few more questions. At your age and cultivation level, you can't afford to give yourself away."
One of the Spirit Pagoda staff members helped Yun Ze out of the pod and reminded him.
Yun Ze nodded. Shrek Academy and Spirit Pagoda Headquarters were both in Shrek City, so the trip there and back didn't take him long.
By the time he returned to Shrek Academy, Yun Ming had already watched the entire process of Yun Ze's performance. Before deleting it, the two staff members who favored Shrek Academy had privately sent Yun Ze's footage to Yun Ming.
Yun Ming tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then said to Yun Ze,
"You even came back with a Spirit Bone?"
Yun Ze nodded, then said to Yun Ming,
"Father, I just had a new idea. I'm not sure if it's feasible..."
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