The Golden Figure

Everyone wanted a Spirit Bone, but Zhu Zhuqing wasn't someone who couldn't tell what mattered. More than a Spirit Bone, she cared about Mu Qian.

Mu Qian smiled faintly. "My own strength is already more than enough. Once we enter Death Canyon, who knows what sort of situation we'll face?"

"With this, even if I can't handle things, I'll still be able to protect you. Absorb it. I don't want to worry about you."

Mu Qian thought of what had happened in Star Forest a year ago. If he hadn't exhausted himself and risked his life to save her, Zhu Zhuqing might already have been dead.

"Don't you want to avoid another year like that, when it took me one or two months just to recover my Soul Power and heal my injuries?"

At that, Zhu Zhuqing's expression wavered as she recalled what had happened back then.

"Fine... all right..."

She never wanted Mu Qian to get hurt again—not even a little.

With the skill this Spirit Bone provided, perhaps if they encountered a situation like that again, Mu Qian wouldn't have to risk his life like before.

At last, Zhu Zhuqing decided to accept it.

Seeing that he'd persuaded her, Mu Qian finally smiled. "My goal is to collect a complete set of Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones, so don't feel pressured."

His boastful words made Zhu Zhuqing laugh, too. "You're all talk. Where are you going to find so many Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts to hunt?"

"Do you think they're cabbages?"

Even so, she had never doubted that Mu Qian could do it.

After all, he'd already amazed her countless times.

Mu Qian gave a gentle wave, and the Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Right Arm Bone slowly settled into Zhu Zhuqing's hands.

"Go on. I'll protect you while you absorb it. Maybe once you're done, your Hell Spirit Cat will gain a trace of ultimate chill."

"After you finish absorbing it, we'll go out for a stroll," Mu Qian said with a smile.

Mu Qian wasn't worried that anyone would notice the disturbance caused by her merging with the Spirit Bone. With Jinyu there, even the Pope probably couldn't break through the Spiritual Power barrier he'd deliberately set up.

Still not quite at ease, he spoke with Jinyu inside his body once more.

Only after confirming everything was fine did he set aside his last remaining concern.

Merging with a Spirit Bone had no age limit. What's more, the Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Dragon had willingly offered itself as a sacrifice, leaving behind no strong resentment.

As a result, the merging process went smoothly.

That was one reason Mu Qian had chosen to give the Spirit Bone to Zhu Zhuqing. It wasn't merely the best fit for her; it was also the safest.

Three hours later, a dense wave of Soul Power suddenly spread out, then began to gather again, merging with Zhu Zhuqing.

The Spirit Bone had finished merging.

"Mu Qian, thank you." When Zhu Zhuqing woke, the first thing she saw was Mu Qian. Her heart immediately settled.

She had actually gained a top-grade Spirit Bone that was thirty thousand years old. Before, she wouldn't even have dared to dream of such a thing.

Even her eldest sister didn't have a treasure of this caliber. Though the Star Luo Zhu Family wielded considerable power, even they couldn't afford such a lavish gift.

A thirty-thousand-year Spirit Bone gave her far more than just a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill. It improved her in practically every way.

The most obvious change was her Soul Power cultivation. The immense energy of the top-grade Spirit Bone had pushed her straight past level twenty-eight and up to level twenty-nine.

It wouldn't be long before she could look forward to her third Spirit Ring.

"If you thank me again, my ears are going to grow calluses," Mu Qian said with an easy smile.!

"Don't worry about all that. Getting stronger is what matters most. Come on, Little Flower's been complaining to me for ages."

Mu Qian chuckled and patted Little Flower, who was lying nearby, bored. He hadn't expected...

"Hey, you've learned to dodge!"

Little Flower looked thoroughly aggrieved as he avoided his master's torment. With a light leap, he landed in Zhu Zhuqing's arms.

Watching their familiar antics, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help smiling warmly.

Evening fell. Thick clouds hung low overhead, dense and dark as ink about to dry.

The weather changed in an instant. The sky had been clear that morning, but now the rain was pouring down.

Visibility was poor, and a thin haze drifted through the air. Without using their Martial Souls or Spiritual Power, they could barely make out the shops across the street.

Mu Qian held the utterly miserable-looking Little Flower over Zhu Zhuqing's head, forcing him to use his innate fire attribute to shield her from the raindrops.

As for Mu Qian, he was tough enough to handle the rain and didn't need such special treatment.

"Just put Little Flower down. I'm fine," Zhu Zhuqing said with a helpless laugh.

She had said this more than once, but Mu Qian always had one excuse or another ready.

Mu Qian waved a hand. "Hey, don't feel sorry for him. Can't let him freeload without doing anything, can we?"

Zhu Zhuqing laughed softly and didn't press the matter.

Still, seeing Little Flower's pitiful expression made her feel a little sorry for him.

The two had just finished dinner at the restaurant downstairs from their hotel. With nothing else to do, they'd gone for a stroll around Spirit City.

They hadn't expected the heavens to turn against them and unleash such a downpour.

But in a place like Spirit City, the weather did little to dampen the Spirit Masters' enthusiasm.

The streets were still crowded, especially the Spirit Master Supply Shops along the roadside.

Most customers were adults in groups of two or three, accompanied by teenage boys and girls. They seemed to be preparing for the academy registration and examinations starting the next day.

Mu Qian was used to crowds from his previous life, but Zhu Zhuqing had always been accustomed to solitude, so she felt a little uncomfortable.

"That shop over there is less crowded. Let's take a look," Mu Qian said, naturally taking Zhu Zhuqing's soft, cool hand and quickening his pace.

Zhu Zhuqing naturally clasped his hand in return. Over the past year, they'd grown much closer; they'd even slept in the same bed before, so this felt normal.

Of course, they hadn't done anything untoward. Mu Qian always knew where to draw the line. He wasn't some lecherous fiend.

"Hmm?" Mu Qian suddenly stopped and looked across the street.

Just then, the Yinglong Martial Soul inside him suddenly stirred for no apparent reason.

Amid a wave of inexplicable familiarity, a golden figure flashed across the sky and quickly vanished from Mu Qian's sight.

With the rain and haze in the way, Mu Qian couldn't make out the person's face. He could only tell from the graceful figure that she was probably a woman.

By the time he tried to use his Spiritual Power to inspect her, she had already disappeared. He had no idea where she'd gone.

"Strange. Where did this sense of familiarity come from...?"

Mu Qian's sudden movement left Zhu Zhuqing momentarily confused. She looked at him curiously and asked, "What's wrong?"

Mu Qian shook his head. "It's nothing. Maybe I imagined it."

He didn't think there was anyone in Spirit City who could stir his Martial Soul. Even if it was someone familiar, it would only be someone he'd seen in the anime in his previous life—and they couldn't possibly know him.