One Year Later

"It's a Spirit Bone!" Xie Xie shouted in excitement.

Everyone looked at that Right Palm Bone with agitation.

Spirit Bones were extremely rare items, far more precious than Spirit Rings; it was said that one might only drop after the death of ten thousand spirit beasts.

Now that spirit beasts were under protection, killing them was simply impossible.

One could imagine just how scarce Spirit Bones were!

And that was not to mention that it was a Right Palm Bone.

"Isn't this the Spirit Ascension Platform? How could a Spirit Bone drop here?"

Xu Xiaoyan's question brought everyone back to their senses.

"That's right, isn't the Spirit Ascension Platform virtual? How could it drop a Spirit Bone!" Wei Xiaofeng asked.

Yun Xiao had some guesses in his heart.

Cheng Duoyi said, "Certain spirit beasts within the Spirit Ascension Platform are condensed from these Spirit Bones; when the spirit beast dies, the Spirit Bone drops."

Cheng Duoyi walked forward, picked up the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Right Palm Bone, and looked at the group, saying, "This is the Right Palm Bone of a century-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. Fusing with it will definitely grant an offensive skill, most likely an attack skill of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. Who among you wants to try fusing with it?"

Everyone stared at the Spirit Bone, their eyes filled with longing.

But they also knew that the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's Spirit Bone was incredibly overbearing, making the fusion process extremely difficult; if one were the least bit careless, they would be backlashed by the power of the Spirit Bone.

Xu Xiaoyan blinked her large blue eyes and asked curiously, "Brother Cheng, is this Spirit Bone real? Can one really possess the power of a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear after fusing with it?"

Cheng Duoyi nodded. "The probability is high. However, the power of a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is incomparably immense; ordinary four-ring Soul Ancestors cannot fuse with it, and there is even a danger to one's life. If one's physical constitution is extremely strong and their spiritual power is not low, one could give it a try."

Xie Xie scratched his head. "I'll pass. I'm an agility-attack type; this Spirit Bone doesn't suit me."

Wei Xiaofeng also shook his head. "I'll pass too. My martial soul is the Green Shadow Snake, which is incompatible with this Spirit Bone, and I definitely wouldn't be able to withstand its power."

Wang Jinxi looked at the Spirit Bone, hesitated for a long time, and finally shook his head. "I can't either. My martial soul is the Bone Dragon King; although it is also a power type, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's power is too overbearing. I'm afraid I won't be able to fuse with it."

Yun Xiao shook his head even more directly.

His martial soul was the Star Disk, which was completely mismatched with this Spirit Bone.

Just then, Tang Wuling stepped forward, looked at Cheng Duoyi, and said firmly, "Brother Yi'er, I want to try fusing with this Spirit Bone."

"Ling'er, you?" Cheng Duoyi looked at Tang Wuling, saying with some concern, "Fusing with this Spirit Bone is very dangerous."

Tang Wuling shook her head, her gaze incomparably firm. "I'm not afraid. I want to become stronger!"

Gu Yue looked at Tang Wuling, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.

But in the end, she said, "I believe you can succeed."

Cheng Duoyi looked at Tang Wuling's determined gaze and finally nodded. "Alright, then give it a try."

"Mm!" Tang Wuling nodded vigorously.

Cheng Duoyi handed the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Right Palm Bone to Tang Wuling. Tang Wuling took the Spirit Bone, took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began to attempt the fusion.

Everyone gathered around her, watching her nervously.

The Spirit Bone made contact with Tang Wuling's right palm and, enveloped by her Soul Power, merged into her right palm.

Instantly, an overbearing power began to ravage Tang Wuling's body.

Tang Wuling's face turned somewhat pale.

"Ling'er!" Cheng Duoyi said nervously.

At the same time, the Seven-Colored Bloodline aura amplified Tang Wuling.

"I'm fine..." Tang Wuling said.

At this moment, a golden light radiated from Tang Wuling's right arm, and a powerful dragon might erupted, instantly suppressing the power of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Spirit Bone.

Under the suppression of the Golden Dragon King bloodline, that overbearing power became much more docile, obediently surging toward Tang Wuling's right palm.

Tang Wuling breathed a sigh of relief and seized the opportunity to guide that power, fusing it with her right palm.

Time passed second by second.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats.

Finally, as the golden light faded, Tang Wuling slowly opened her eyes.

"I succeeded!" Tang Wuling shouted in excitement.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, happy smiles appearing on their faces.

"Congratulations, Ling'er!" Cheng Duoyi said happily. "The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's Right Palm Bone does not occupy a Spirit Bone slot; in the future, you can still fuse with a right arm bone, and by then, the power of your right arm will increase once again!"

Tang Wuling nodded, simultaneously looking at her right palm and feeling the powerful strength contained within it, her heart filled with joy.

"Try the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Right Palm Bone's skill?" Xie Xie asked curiously.

Tang Wuling wanted to try but discovered she couldn't use it. After she told the others, they were all shocked.

"That shouldn't be!"

"Could it be that the Spirit Bones in the Spirit Ascension Platform are fake?"

"Doesn't this mean all our hard work was for nothing?"

Cheng Duoyi thought of something. "Ling'er, try using the Golden Dragon Claw and see what happens."

Tang Wuling nodded. As the soul power and blood essence in her body rapidly depleted and the Golden Dragon Claw manifested, everyone noticed a change.

"Tang Wuling's Golden Dragon Claw has changed; it seems sharper. Could it be that the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right palm bone was absorbed by the Golden Dragon Claw? Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for her to be unable to use the skill!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Wuling attacked again and discovered that the Golden Dragon Claw could now unleash a dark-gold energy strike, instantly piercing through the trees in front of her.

This left everyone stunned!

"That power is a bit intense!" Xie Xie's eyes widened.

The others gulped as well. Tang Wuling was already formidable; if she now possessed a powerful long-range attack, wouldn't she be invincible?

Everyone was genuinely happy for her, with no signs of jealousy, because they knew that even if they had attempted the fusion, they wouldn't have succeeded. Had they not seen how difficult it was for Tang Wuling herself?

From then on, Tang Wuling possessed a long-range attack. Although it consumed a significant amount of soul power and blood essence, with Cheng Duoyi present, her recovery speed was not slow at all.

The group hunted many more soul beasts inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, and everyone's soul ring ages saw a significant increase.

It wasn't until everyone's soul power was nearly exhausted—to the point where continuing to fight would likely lead to death, and a much more powerful aura had locked onto them—that Cheng Duoyi led the group out of the Spirit Ascension Platform.

Because Yun Xiao's soul spirit had broken through, a white light flashed. As his white ten-year soul ring transformed into a yellow hundred-year soul ring, everyone offered their congratulations.

Wu Changkong looked at the group and said sternly, "I told you all long ago that the Spirit Ascension Platform is dangerous and you must not act on your own. Zhang Yangzi was eliminated precisely because he didn't follow orders. I hope you take this as a warning and do not make the same mistake again."

"Yes, Teacher Wu." Zhang Yangzi hung his head, looking dejected.

Wu Changkong looked at the group, his tone softening slightly. "However, your overall performance this time exceeded my expectations. Not only did you successfully hunt a large number of soul beasts and increase your soul ring ages, but you also killed a thousand-year Earth Bear and a hundred-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, and even obtained a spirit bone. This shows that your training during this period has not been in vain."

Xie Xie and the others lifted their heads, smiles of joy appearing on their faces.

"Alright, everyone is tired. Go back and rest first; we will continue training tomorrow," Wu Changkong said.

"Yes, Teacher Wu."

The group returned to Eastsea Academy, bid farewell to Wu Changkong and Leng Xue'er, headed toward their dorms, and began their meditative cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed.

During this year, the members of Zero Class underwent grueling training under Wu Changkong's strict guidance.

Every day, aside from necessary rest, they spent almost all their time at the training grounds.

At the same time, they added sessions in the forging rooms of the Eastsea Blacksmith Association and the mecha rooms established at Eastsea Academy.

The amplification effect of Cheng Duoyi's Seven-Colored Bloodline became increasingly apparent as time went on.

Cultivating by his side, everyone's martial souls underwent varying degrees of evolution.

The first to change was Zhang Yangzi.

Ever since he was eliminated in the Spirit Ascension Platform due to his recklessness, Zhang Yangzi had become much more composed.

He trained even harder, and every time he cultivated under Cheng Duoyi's amplification, he was exceptionally focused.

Hard work pays off.

During one entry into the Spirit Ascension Platform, at a moment of life-or-death crisis, Zhang Yangzi's Dark Phantom Eagle martial soul evolved, activating the dragon clan bloodline within him and transforming it into a Dark Phantom Dragon Eagle.

No one had expected that Zhang Yangzi, who was initially unaffected by Cheng Duoyi's amplification, would be the first to achieve martial soul evolution. After the evolution, Zhang Yangzi's strength increased dramatically; not only was he faster and more powerful in his attacks, but he also possessed a trace of dragon might.

A faint silver pattern also appeared on his forehead, similar to those of Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng.

After his martial soul evolved, Zhang Yangzi became even more grateful and loyal to Cheng Duoyi.

He understood deeply that if it weren't for Cheng Duoyi's amplification, his martial soul would never have evolved.

From then on, he followed Cheng Duoyi's orders implicitly, even more resolutely than Xie Xie.

Following closely behind, the martial souls of Xie Xie and Wang Jinxi also showed signs of a second awakening.

Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger became increasingly solid, and the dragon might grew more potent. Sometimes during battle, the two daggers would faintly manifest as two dragons!

Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon King martial soul became even more massive, and his right arm was covered in a layer of faint black dragon scales, with his defense and strength greatly enhanced.

Wei Xiaofeng's changes were also significant.

Under the continuous nourishment of the Seven-Colored Bloodline, the sub-dragon bloodline within him was nearly condensed into form. Fine scales had already begun to grow on his Green Shadow Snake martial soul, and both his speed and toxicity were much stronger than before. He believed it wouldn't be long before his martial soul underwent a second evolution.

In addition to martial soul evolution, the group also achieved significant success in their secondary professions.

Cheng Duoyi was the one with the highest secondary profession level among them.

Not only had his forging level reached level four, but his skills as a mecha designer, mecha manufacturer, and mecha repairer had all reached level four as well.

He could be called a truly well-rounded talent.

Under Cheng Duoyi's careful guidance, everyone chose secondary professions that suited them.

Tang Wuling had originally studied forging, so she naturally chose it as her second profession. Her forging level had now reached level four.

The Thousand-Refined Metal she forged was of extremely high quality, all of it Thousand Refined Grade One or higher. Furthermore, since Mang Tian knew he could no longer teach Tang Wuling, he had her take Mu Chen as her master. Mu Chen did not try to claim all the credit; both men acted as Tang Wuling's masters, teaching her together.

Gu Yue chose to become a Mecha Designer.

She possessed an incredibly strong grasp of elements, a meticulous mind, and a rich imagination, all of which gave her astonishing talent in mecha design.

Her current Mecha Designer rank had already reached level two.

Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wei Xiaofeng chose to become Mecha Repairers; after a year, the three of them had barely managed to reach level one.

Wang Jinxi chose to be a Blacksmith, just like Tang Wuling.

Although his talent was not as great as Tang Wuling's, he was sufficiently hardworking.

His forging rank had now reached level one, and he was capable of forging low-grade Hundred-Refined Metal.

Xu Xiaoyan chose to be a Mecha Designer, just like Gu Yue.

Although her talent in combat was average, she possessed decent inspiration when it came to design.

Her Mecha Designer rank had now reached level one, and she was able to independently design some simple mecha components.

Only Yun Xiao, due to limitations in his Soul Power and spiritual power, progressed slowly in mecha manufacturing and had only just reached level one.

However, he did not feel discouraged; instead, he poured more of his energy into Spirit cultivation.

Under the help and guidance of Cheng Duoyi, Yun Xiao displayed astonishing talent in Spirit cultivation. The Spirits he cultivated were docile in temperament and easily fused with Spirit Masters.

In just one year, he had successfully cultivated two ten-year Spirits, earning himself a small reputation.

Yun Xiao proved with his actions that even with a low Soul Power Level, one could still shine in other fields.

Everyone was happy for him.

Over this past year, Cheng Duoyi's level had increased the slowest.

Because of his Seven-Colored Bloodline, the Soul Power he required to raise each level was several times that of an ordinary person.

Furthermore, the vitality within his body had been slowly draining away due to his Martial Soul.

After breaking through to level twenty, it became very obvious: he could only stabilize his vitality by holding the hand of Gu Yue or Tang Wuling. At other times, while the impact was not massive, overexerting his Soul Power still had a significant effect.

Cheng Duoyi was currently only level twenty-one, a two-ring Soul Grand Master.

His Dragon God Heart's first Spirit Ring was no longer a ten-year white ring; like his second ring, it was a yellow hundred-year Spirit Ring.

As for Dragon God's Wife, it was naturally two hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings.

Gu Yue and Tang Wuling's levels increased the fastest.

Both of them had now reached level twenty-nine, two-ring Soul Grand Masters, only a step away from breaking through to become three-ring Soul Elders.

Their Spirit Rings had also been greatly enhanced through multiple trials in the Spirit Ascension Platform; both now possessed two purple thousand-year Spirit Rings, far surpassing Spirit Masters of the same age.

Gu Yue's control over elements had reached a state of perfection, allowing her to perform various complex combination attacks.

She could even briefly fuse three or even four elements to unleash even greater power.

Within the Zero Class, apart from Cheng Duoyi, her strength was the greatest.

Tang Wuling's strength had become even more terrifying. After fusing with the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Right Palm Bone, her attack power increased drastically.

Now, when she threw a punch, even a five-ring power-type Spirit King would not dare to take it head-on.

Furthermore, her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had evolved under the dual nourishment of the Golden Dragon King bloodline and Cheng Duoyi's Seven-Colored Bloodline, becoming much tougher. Tang Wuling had now become the veritable control-type and assault-type of the Zero Class.

Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Wei Xiaofeng had all reached level twenty-seven, two-ring Soul Grand Masters.

Except for Wang Jinxi, whose spiritual power was slightly weaker, their Spirit Rings were all two hundred-year rings, while the others had also upgraded to two thousand-year Spirit Rings, greatly increasing their strength.

Xu Xiaoyan's level had also risen to nineteen, and she was not far from breaking through to level twenty.

Yun Xiao's level was the lowest, currently only seventeen.

However, his first spirit skill, Displacement, had become increasingly proficient under Cheng Duoyi's guidance.

He could now not only displace the positions of people but also displace the positions of people and objects.

Within the team, he played a vital role in rescue.

One year had brought tremendous changes to the children who were once so naive.

And Cheng Duoyi remained the core and soul of this team. Everyone trusted and respected him immensely; he was like a beacon, guiding the direction for everyone to move forward...