Deep Blue Soul Bone Skill and the System's New Feature

"Successful extraction."

"Extraction point: Haagen-Dazs City - Classified"

"Duration: 00:58:22"

"Loot this round: 1891564"

"Total eliminations: 28"

Back in the real world, a pale blue screen popped up.

31>>>32

207EXP↑

12585/68000

After closing the experience page, Zhang Yang immediately withdrew the Soul Bone from his storage.

The moment the Soul Bone appeared in Zhang Yang's hands, an intoxicating surge of energy instantly filled the entire room.

In the system, the torso bone had measured a full 4*4, making it comparable to a level-six armor.

But when it materialized, it shrank to the size of his palm.

It looked like a miniature skeletal model: a complete spine and 24 ribs.

The Soul Bone was deep blue all over, with the smooth, warm texture of jade, and it gave off a faint blue glow.

"Beautiful," Zhang Yang couldn't help exclaiming.

There was no time to lose. Zhang Yang immediately sat cross-legged, and Soul Power surged from his hands, enveloping the torso bone.

As his Soul Power wrapped around it, the blue light radiating from the torso bone suddenly grew brighter.

In almost an instant, the soft blue glow enveloped Zhang Yang's body.

Within the blue light, the first thing Zhang Yang felt was a faint, icy surge of Soul Power wrapping around his upper body.

It was a steady, weighty energy that made him feel grounded.

Zhang Yang felt each breath grow easier, and Soul Power flowed more smoothly through his upper body with every cycle.

Just then, the icy current suddenly surged in strength, swallowing him almost in an instant.

Zhang Yang straightened involuntarily. At some point, the deep blue torso bone had grown to match the size of his body.

The moment Zhang Yang thrust out his chest, the torso bone grew once more, enveloping his upper body like a suit of skeletal armor before slowly shrinking again.

As it neared Zhang Yang's chest, the entire torso bone turned into a phantom and silently merged into his body.

By then, Zhang Yang had been submerged in a cool, clear ocean. It was as if his body had been separated from his senses, and he could no longer feel anything around him.

Just as Zhang Yang's consciousness went dark, the system panel quietly appeared.

"Detected that you are equipping a tactical item. Checking item attributes."

"Check complete."

"Discovered a tactical item not found in the database. Searching for the closest match."

"Match successful. Modifying."

"Modification complete."

"Congratulations, user. You have obtained the tactical item—[Deep Blue · Anti-Riot Shield · Torso Bone]."

The system panel closed, as if nothing had happened.

Before he knew it, Zhang Yang's posture had grown straighter, and his bearing had improved considerably.

Beneath his clothes, Zhang Yang's skin had become fairer, his figure more defined, and his muscles more pronounced.

The next day, Zhang Yang opened his eyes.

A system notification appeared before him at once.

31>>>32-->32>>>33

101460EXP↑

17932/68000-->55045/73000

"Congratulations, you have obtained a tactical item. The tactical equipment slot has been unlocked; the Forging Bench has been unlocked."

"[Gun Modification Bench] and [Forging Bench] have been combined into the [Workbench]."

"You can now view your equipped tactical items via Workbench - Forging Bench."

"The Soul Bone Age Enhancement Function has been unlocked. For details, go to Workbench - Gun Modification Bench - Enhance Soul Ring Age."

Zhang Yang had only just opened his eyes, and the string of messages left him reeling.

First, the Soul Bone's skill.

[Deep Blue · Anti-Riot Shield · Torso Bone]:

When its Soul Bone Skill was inactive, the Soul Bone provided Zhang Yang's upper body with exceptionally high base defense.

To put it in perspective, attacks without armor-piercing properties from ordinary Soul Masters below level 40 could no longer damage Zhang Yang's torso.

After all, Zhang Yang had absorbed a torso bone, so it naturally protected his torso.

No problem there.

But when Zhang Yang activated the torso bone's Soul Bone Skill, [One Man Guards the Pass], things changed.

When Zhang Yang activated the Soul Bone Skill, a steel shield with a viewing port appeared in front of him.

The shield's defense was extremely formidable. It could easily withstand attacks from Soul Masters below level 60.

The viewing port was sturdy enough to withstand three attacks from a level-50 Soul Master without being damaged.

What's more, when Zhang Yang took the shield in hand and bashed an enemy with it, the enemy would suffer a special control effect called [Knockdown].

Anyone whose Soul Power Level was lower than Zhang Yang's would need two seconds to get back up after being [Knocked Down].

During that time, the enemy Soul Master's Martial Soul would be forcibly recalled into their body, and any Soul Skills they were casting would be interrupted.

Soul Skills that had already been launched were unaffected, nor were status-effect Soul Skills applied to them by other Soul Masters.

If their Soul Power was higher than Zhang Yang's, the [Knockdown] effect would be shortened in proportion to the level difference between them.

Additionally, when Zhang Yang raised the shield to face his enemies, he couldn't use his Martial Soul or Soul Skills either—unless he planted the shield in the ground or carried it on his back.

Planted in the ground, it served as a sturdy piece of cover. Carried on his back, it became a true "solid backing."

After the Soul Bone and its skill came Zhang Yang's level.

Absorbing the Soul Bone had earned him over 100,000 experience, sending him straight from the early stage of level 31 to the late stage of level 32.

He had only returned from Star Dou Forest at noon the day before, and it hadn't even been 24 hours since he obtained his third Soul Ring.

Next, Zhang Yang learned from the system notification that the system could increase a Soul Bone's age.

Although Soul Bones could evolve as their Soul Masters grew stronger—a fact known to every Soul Master on the continent—a clear path for increasing their age was still good news for Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang immediately opened the system interface, entered the old [Gun Modification Bench]—now the [Workbench]—and selected the [Forging Bench] interface.

The [Forging Bench] page was divided into three columns.

On the left was a vague human figure, with six boxes of different sizes dividing the body into the head, torso, left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg.

In the lower-right corner of each box was a line of small text: "Skull," "Torso Bone," "Left Arm Bone," "Right Arm Bone," "Left Leg Bone," and "Right Leg Bone."

The largest box, marked [Torso Bone], now held a deep blue torso bone.

A line of small text was clearly marked above it: "Deep Blue · Torso Bone."

When he selected his only torso bone, a torso bone appeared in the previously empty middle column.

Its name was at the top: [Deep Blue · Anti-Riot Shield · Torso Bone]

Below it were two lines of small text.

"Age: 10146 years.

"Can be enhanced by: 4854 years."

On the right side of the page was a layout similar to the "Soul Ring Age Enhancement Function" page: five boxes arranged in a row, containing five Soul Rings—"White," "Yellow," "Purple," "Black," and "Red."

Seeing this, Zhang Yang understood. It seemed that increasing a Soul Bone's age also required consuming Soul Rings.

Zhang Yang tried clicking the plus sign beside "Ten-Year Soul Ring." The number in the lower-right corner of the box jumped straight from "0" to "10."

"Huh? One click gives me 10 white Soul Rings?" Zhang Yang clicked the [Confirm Enhancement] button in confusion.

A system notification appeared.

"Are you sure you want to consume the material [Ten-Year Soul Ring] *10 to increase the torso bone's age by [1] year?"

"Note: The material's age will be converted into Soul Bone age at a ratio of 100:1."

"Yikes." Zhang Yang sucked in a sharp breath.

One hundred to one?

That was a terrible exchange rate.

After clicking cancel, Zhang Yang checked his Soul Ring inventory.

Zhang Yang rarely went to Soul Hunting maps, but since he could take the Soul Rings from the Martial Souls in loot crates, his Soul Ring stockpile was still ample.

But now, a real Soul Ring-devouring behemoth had finally arrived.

At a ratio of 100:1, upgrading all six Soul Bones to a hundred thousand years would require an astronomical number of Soul Rings.

It seemed Zhang Yang couldn't afford to slack off on building up his Soul Ring stockpile from now on.