Dragon Core and Spirit Bone

"This skeleton is enormous. I wonder what kind of Soul Beast it belonged to." Yu Yuanzhen clicked his tongue twice, his dragon claws never stopping as he continued digging through the surrounding soil.

As more and more earth was dug away, more white bones were revealed.

When a huge skeletal claw was completely exposed, the two exchanged a glance and gradually guessed the identity of this gigantic beast.

It was the skeleton of a giant dragon. For some unknown reason, it had died here and been buried beneath thick layers of soil.

"Huh?! This looks like the legendary Dragon Core?" Yu Yuanzhen brushed aside a handful of dirt and unearthed a palm-sized bead that shimmered with flowing light.

The bead was a blend of gold and white, its radiance swirling as it gave off an incomparably pure aura.

"A Dragon Core?!" Yu Mingxiao's eyes flashed brightly as he hurriedly asked, "Is it real? Father, what attribute is this Dragon Core?"

"This Dragon Core... is actually light-attributed!" After examining it closely, Yu Yuanzhen could barely conceal his delight. "Its energy is similar to yours. It should have come from a Radiant Sacred Dragon."

"If that is the case, then this giant dragon's skeleton must undoubtedly belong to a Radiant Sacred Dragon. Mingxiao, this is an enormous stroke of fortune for you!"

Yu Mingxiao smiled. He had not expected to be so lucky that simply wandering into a poisonous miasma would lead him to his own opportunity.

A Dragon Core was a core formed from the lifelong power and bloodline essence of a powerful adult dragon-type Soul Beast after its death.

It contained extremely violent energy, which humans could hardly absorb directly. Forcibly refining it would invite backlash from its baleful aura.

However, nurturing it within the body over a long period could accelerate cultivation, strengthen the physique, improve one's bloodline, and help break through bottlenecks.

Although it could not directly raise one's level, for dragon-type Soul Masters, its effects were even greater than those of many Immortal Herbs.

Yu Mingxiao's smile faded as he said, "Father, please keep digging and see whether this Radiant Sacred Dragon's skeleton has any other treasures."

"You brat, you already know how to order your father around." Yu Yuanzhen laughed and scolded him before continuing to dig through the soil beneath him.

After some time, his dragon claw struck something hard. Once he cleared away the surface dirt, he discovered a right arm bone suffused with a golden glow and radiating the aura of light!

"Mingxiao, I dug up a Spirit Bone."

Yu Yuanzhen wiped the dirt from the Spirit Bone and raised it up, his voice carrying a hint of joy.

Yu Mingxiao was immediately overjoyed. "Wonderful, Father. We have gained quite a lot from this trip."

Although they still did not know how old this Spirit Bone was, a Radiant Sacred Dragon capable of condensing a Dragon Core could not possibly have had a low cultivation age. Even if it had not been a God-level giant dragon, it had at least been a Ferocious Beast-level giant dragon.

Yu Yuanzhen put away the right arm bone and continued digging, but unfortunately, even after excavating the entire skeleton of the Radiant Sacred Dragon, no further treasure light appeared.

Although some Soul Beasts could leave behind two Spirit Bones, this Radiant Sacred Dragon had clearly left behind only this one.

Yu Yuanzhen leaped into the air, patted the dirt from his body, then walked over to Yu Mingxiao with a smile. "There are no more treasures. It is time for us to leave the Star Dou Great Forest. We can discuss this harvest as we travel."

"Alright." Yu Mingxiao nodded slightly.

The two did not linger any longer and swiftly left the Star Dou Great Forest.

Yu Yuanzhen said, "Although our clan does not possess a Dragon Core, it has records concerning them. It is said that these things contain extremely violent power and overwhelming baleful energy, so they cannot be absorbed directly."

"However, nurturing one within the body causes no harm. On the contrary, it will be of tremendous benefit to you."

"Mingxiao, you are a sensible child. Once we return to the clan, I will give you the Dragon Core. Remember, you must not absorb it directly."

"I understand." Yu Mingxiao nodded solemnly.

"Good child." Yu Yuanzhen patted his shoulder, his eyes full of approval. "That Radiant Sacred Dragon Right Arm Bone is likely the most suitable Spirit Bone in the world for you, but I do not recommend fusing with it now."

"The energy within dragon-type Spirit Bones is incredibly violent, far beyond that of Spirit Bones with gentler attributes. There is almost no room for error during fusion."

"Your cultivation is still too low. If you forcefully fuse with it now, it would be no different from courting death."

Yu Mingxiao said, "Don't worry, Father. I know what I'm doing."

"What a good child. You are so much less troublesome than your younger brother."

Yu Yuanzhen's eyes were full of affection as he said gravely, "Mingxiao, rest assured. I will keep that right arm Spirit Bone for you. It belongs to you alone, and I will not give it to anyone else."

After returning to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen immediately gave the Dragon Core to Yu Mingxiao. He then headed to the clan's rear-mountain herb garden and summoned elders and disciples knowledgeable in medicinal principles to identify the herbs and separate the medicinal herbs from the poisonous plants for cultivation.

The clan members had no idea where the Sect Master had obtained such a large batch of herbs, but they did not ask any questions and stepped forward to identify their varieties.

Before long, most of the herbs had been identified. Only one herb remained unrecognized by everyone in the clan.

After discussing it for a long time, someone finally suggested inviting Clan Head Yang from the Breaking Clan to identify it.

The Breaking Clan was affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect. Its entire clan was proficient in alchemy, poison-making, and herb identification, making it a medicinal family renowned across the continent. There was a high chance that they would recognize this herb.

Yu Yuanzhen found the suggestion reasonable, so he personally wrote a letter and sent someone to deliver it to the Breaking Clan, inviting Yang Dingtian to visit the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Elsewhere.

The moment Yu Mingxiao returned home, he went straight into his room. Holding up the Dragon Core, he circulated his Soul Power and guided it toward his lower abdomen.

As his Soul Power surged, the Dragon Core turned into a streak of golden light, entered his body, and settled within his dantian.

Yu Mingxiao sat cross-legged and cultivated for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Success. Not bad."

From then on, the Dragon Core would remain in his dantian. It occupied neither a Soul Ring nor a Spirit Bone slot, yet it could still accelerate his cultivation.

Whenever he circulated his Soul Power, the Dragon Core would automatically release gentle Dragon Qi and bloodline essence, nourishing his body and Martial Soul bit by bit.

This was called nurturing.

The next day.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

Yu Mingxiao, who had been sitting cross-legged and regulating his breath, slowly opened his eyes. He got up and opened the door, only to see a male clan disciple standing outside. The man looked somewhat familiar, but Yu Mingxiao could not recall his name.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Young Sect Master, I am Zhang Qiong, an external-surname disciple. The Sect Master ordered me to serve as your sparring partner and help you accumulate combat experience," the clan disciple said.

"I see. Then let us train in the open space of the front courtyard."

Yu Mingxiao came to a realization. He remembered that his father had indeed said in the Star Dou Great Forest that he would send someone to be his sparring partner, though he had not expected the person to arrive so quickly.

The open area in the front courtyard was fairly spacious and well suited for sparring.

He brought Zhang Qiong to the open area in the front courtyard. The two stood facing each other thirty meters apart.