"Hm? Dad, Uncle Zhuo Shi, why are you all here?" Lin Chen looked around at the elders seated inside Sea God Pavilion and asked in confusion.
Yun Ming gave a soft snort. "Have you forgotten what you said a few days ago about wanting a Soul Bone?"
Lin Chen scratched his head. "Well... I just said that offhand."
Yun Ming patted Lin Chen on the shoulder and took out a Soul Bone that shone with a deep blue light, lightning coiling around it. "I prepared this for you shortly after your Martial Soul Awakening."
Lin Chen froze in place. His gaze grew complicated, and his fingertips trembled slightly. He had only asked Yun Ming for a Soul Bone as a joke; he hadn't expected his father to have prepared one so long ago.
Zhuo Shi teased, "Little Lin Chen, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and take it."
Feng Wuyu nodded along. "That's right. This Soul Bone's attributes are a perfect match for your Azure Dragon Martial Soul."
Lin Chen turned to Ya Li beside him. She smiled and nodded at him. He accepted the deep blue Soul Bone with both hands and said gratefully, "Thank you, Dad."
The Soul Bone felt cool in his hands. Fine threads of lightning curled around his palm, and wisps of thunder energy flowed slowly along his meridians.
Yun Ming patted his shoulder again, his tone calm. "All right, absorb it here. The few of us will protect you."
Lin Chen found an open space and sat cross-legged. He placed the Soul Bone in front of him, then used his Soul Power to slowly press it against his right leg.
As he continuously circulated his Soul Power, the deep blue Soul Bone gradually melted into the skin of his right leg. Perhaps his Martial Soul was exceptionally compatible with the Soul Bone, or perhaps Lin Chen's Azure Dragon Martial Soul was of a higher rank than the Thunder Dragon's. Either way, the absorption went smoothly.
Two and a half hours later, the azure lightning coiling around the young man gradually withdrew. Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes and murmured, "Not bad. I advanced two levels."
Lin Chen got to his feet and stretched, then bowed in thanks. "Thank you all for protecting me."
Yun Ming and Ya Li looked at Lin Chen, their eyes brimming with unconcealed satisfaction. "Now that you've finished absorbing it, make sure you consolidate your cultivation in the days ahead."
Lin Chen bade everyone farewell. After Ya Li saw him off Sea God Island, she let him wander around Shrek Inner Court on his own.
A call came from behind him. Lin Chen turned at the sound and saw Shen Yi waving to him from a short distance away. Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi stood beside her.
When he reached Shen Yi, she asked, "Lin Chen, why are you wandering around Inner Court by yourself? Where's Na'er?"
Lin Chen scratched his head and replied with a smile, "Na'er's at the Spirit Pagoda. What's up, Sister Shen Yi?"
Shen Yi smiled, her eyes curving as she stepped aside to reveal Ye Xinglan. "It's nothing much. Ye Xinglan just wants to spar with you."
As for sparring, Lin Chen happened to be bored out of his mind anyway. Looking at the golden-haired girl before him, he said, "Let's go to the Battle Platform."
Ye Xinglan gave a slight nod and said calmly, "Sorry for the trouble."
Xu Lizhi looked worried. "Sister Xinglan..."
Lin Chen waved a hand. "What's the big deal? I need to consolidate my cultivation, too. It's no trouble." He looked at Shen Yi. "Sister Shen Yi, would you mind refereeing this match?"
Shen Yi readily nodded. "No problem. Keep it controlled, and don't seriously injure your opponent."
The group quickly reached the spacious Battle Platform. Ye Xinglan leapt onto it, the Stargod Sword in her hand giving off a faint hum.
Lin Chen walked onto the stone platform at an easy pace. Azure lightning coiled around him as he looked at Ye Xinglan across from him. "Are you and that little fatty going to take me on together, or is this one-on-one?"
Ye Xinglan's gaze was resolute as she replied, "Since this is just a spar, naturally it'll be the two of us."
Lin Chen made an OK sign and raised an eyebrow. "Then I won't use any Soul Skills. Just give it your all."
Ye Xinglan's brows knitted when she heard this. A fire rose in her heart as two yellow Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet. She kept her eyes fixed on Lin Chen across from her, starlight flickering around her sword.
Shen Yi stood at the edge of the platform. "Begin."
As soon as her voice fell, Lin Chen's Azure Dragon Martial Soul appeared behind him. A faint azure glow wrapped around wisps of violent lightning. His right hand transformed into a dragon claw, and he pushed off with both legs. His figure became a streak of azure lightning, appearing before Ye Xinglan in an instant as he threw a punch.
Ye Xinglan reacted swiftly, raising the Stargod Sword in front of herself to block. The dragon claw collided with the blade, and the girl staggered backward several meters before barely regaining her footing. What incredible strength. I can't block him head-on.
The Soul Ring beneath her feet flashed, and crisscrossing starlight spread toward Lin Chen like a great net.
Lin Chen darted aside, easily slipping out of the starlight net's reach.
A glint flashed in Ye Xinglan's eyes. Seizing the instant Lin Chen landed, she thrust the Stargod Sword toward him.
Lin Chen neither dodged nor retreated. Dragon scales collided with the blade, producing a clear clang. To the girl's astonishment, he caught the Stargod Sword firmly in his hand.
No matter how tightly Ye Xinglan gritted her teeth and how hard she urged her Soul Power, she couldn't wrench it free.
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "You lost."
"The match is over. Yun Linchen wins," Shen Yi announced promptly.
Hearing the referee declare the result, Lin Chen slowly released his grip on the blade. Ye Xinglan immediately pulled the Stargod Sword back. The golden-haired girl gripped her sword tightly, still unwilling to accept the outcome.
Lin Chen brushed the remaining starlight from his hand, then waved to Shen Yi at the edge of the platform and said with a smile, "Sister Shen Yi, if there's nothing else, I'll head back first."
Shen Yi nodded with a smile. "Go on. Remember to consolidate your cultivation."
Xu Lizhi moved closer to Ye Xinglan. "Sister Xinglan, are you all right?"
Ye Xinglan held the hilt of the Stargod Sword tightly and ignored Xu Lizhi. She murmured under her breath, "He controlled the pace of the entire match. He's really strong."
Lin Chen returned to the villa and sprawled lazily across the sofa. He opened his phone and began sending messages.
Most of the messages were from Xie Xie and Tang Wulin. Xie Xie's were mostly about how bored he was.
Lin Chen ignored them and opened his chat with Gu Yuena instead. Her message said that she'd spent the day learning how to make Soul Spirits from her teacher.
Lin Chen tapped out a message and sent it: "I had a sparring match with someone today. It was so boring, Na'er."
She replied instantly: "If you're bored, come find me at the Spirit Pagoda?"
Lin Chen: "Maybe another day. Is everything going well at the Spirit Pagoda?"
Gu Yuena: "Pretty well. I've gotten the hang of the basic steps for making Soul Spirits. It's just that the Spirit Pagoda has so many tedious rules. It's giving me a headache."
Lin Chen: "Then when you have time in a few days, how about I take you out to relax?"
Gu Yuena: "Sounds good."
After putting away his phone, he heard what his Soul Spirit, the Thunder Hell Vine, seemed to say. Lin Chen shook his head and chuckled. "I haven't refined you in so long. I'll do it today."
He got up and left the living room, walking toward the cultivation room deeper inside the villa. He had just absorbed the Thunder Dragon Right Leg Bone, and his cultivation still hadn't fully stabilized.
The heavy door to the cultivation room closed. Lin Chen sat cross-legged on a cushion and, with a thought, summoned the Thunder Hell Vine from within himself. It floated a short distance in front of him.
Lin Chen raised his palm. Azure lightning gathered into a ball in his hand, then poured toward the Thunder Hell Vine.
The Thunder Hell Vine trembled with delight, as if it had finally received rain after a long drought.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Chen had nearly exhausted his Soul Power. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he panted slightly and said to the Thunder Hell Vine, "Little Vine, if you're full, come back."
At its master's command, the Thunder Hell Vine gave a hum and turned into a streak of purple light, returning to Lin Chen's body.
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