At the end of the passage lay an enormous valley! Towering cliffs surrounded it on all sides, forming a natural barrier.
Buildings of stone and wood were scattered throughout the valley in a neat arrangement. They were ancient and rugged, utterly different from the style outside.
At the center stood a huge training ground, where several people were currently sparring and cultivating amid constant shouts.
Farther away, there were medicinal fields, beast pens, and other facilities. Spiritual energy filled the entire valley, making it an exceptional place for cultivation.
Who would have thought that behind the imperial palace of Heaven Dou City, there was such a secluded mountain gate of the Body Sect?
"Sect Master!"
"The Sect Master is back!"
Upon seeing Du Busi, the people on the training ground stopped and respectfully saluted him.
Their gazes soon fell upon Zichuan beside Du Busi, especially his hair, which had yet to fully return to normal, and the Dark Gold Palm Bone in his arms, whose Soul Power fluctuations could not be concealed. Their eyes filled with curiosity.
Du Busi waved a hand, signaling that there was no need for ceremony, then said to Zichuan,
"This is the Body Sect. There may not be many people here, but every one of them is family, brothers and sisters. You are my, Du Busi's, personal disciple. From now on, this place is your home."
He paused, looking at the Spirit Bone in Zichuan's arms, and said seriously,
"Go find a quiet room and absorb that External Soul Bone immediately. This is a tremendous opportunity—the sooner you fuse with it, the better. As for the Star Dou Great Forest, we can forget about going back anytime soon. That old bastard Bear Lord will definitely remember this grudge. But it doesn't matter. We'll deal with it later."
He patted Zichuan on the shoulder again. "I'll go inform the others about you. Our sect has gained a new member, especially such a precious treasure as you. That's a major event! We need to make a proper fuss over it!"
With that, he burst into hearty laughter and turned toward the grandest stone hall deep in the valley, shouting at the top of his lungs as he walked,
"Old brothers! Stop cultivating! Come out and welcome guests—pah, come out and meet my precious disciple! Dual Heart Martial Soul! A first soul ring at a thousand years! And an External Soul Bone! Hahaha!"
His booming voice echoed through the valley, drawing people out to peek from all directions.
Zichuan stood where he was, holding the heavy Dark Gold Palm Bone as he watched Du Busi's loud, showy back.
Then he looked at the curious, friendly, probing gazes around him. The strange feeling brought on by their miserable escape earlier gradually gave way to a warmth in his heart.
Although this teacher of his seemed a little unreliable and was exceptionally good at causing trouble and running away, his undisguised protectiveness, straightforward nature, and complete trust made Zichuan feel incredibly at ease.
"Family..." Zichuan murmured, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
The stone chamber was simple, with bare walls, a stone bed, and a meditation cushion. But for Zichuan, who needed peace and quiet to absorb the Spirit Bone, it was enough.
He placed the dark-gold right palm bone, heavy as iron and radiating a vicious aura, on the stone bed. Then he sat cross-legged on the cushion, took a deep breath, and adjusted himself to his best condition.
The God of Destruction's voice sounded in his mind at just the right moment, carrying a hint of approval and a trace of barely detectable anticipation.
"An External Soul Bone from a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, and a right palm bone at that. Your luck is decent. The extreme destructive power within this Spirit Bone suits your Heart of Destruction rather well. When absorbing it, use Destruction Soul Power to guide it and Life Soul Power to protect your meridians. Proceed steadily. This Spirit Bone is of no low grade, so it may be somewhat painful, but with your current physique and the support of your Dual Heart, it should not be a problem."
Zichuan nodded. Without further hesitation, he raised his right hand and slowly reached for the Dark Gold Palm Bone.
The fusion began. With the restorative power of the Heart of Life assisting him, everything went fairly smoothly.
Time passed little by little. In the stone chamber, only Zichuan's heavy breathing could be heard, along with the dark-gold light on his right palm constantly flickering in and out.
The External Soul Bone seemed to melt as it slowly "seeped" into his palm, perfectly merging with the bones of his hand.
Who knew how much time had passed? Perhaps an hour, perhaps longer.
At last, the final trace of dark-gold light completely withdrew into Zichuan's right hand. He suddenly opened his eyes, and a dark-red glint flashed through their depths. Slowly, he raised his right hand and spread his fingers, a thought stirring in his mind.
"Hiss!"
Five terrifying claws over a foot long, incomparably solid, entirely dark gold, and edged with fine black spatial cracks shot out from the tips of his fingers!
The roots of the claws fused perfectly with the joints at his fingertips. The extended claw blades radiated a chilling sharpness and destructive aura, as though a light swipe could tear apart metal and stone!
Dark Gold Terrorclaw! The External Soul Bone skill had been perfectly inherited! And because it was an External Soul Bone, its power and size could continue to grow along with his cultivation!
Zichuan retracted the claws and flexed the fingers of his right hand. It moved as naturally as an arm or finger, without the slightest stiffness.
"It is done." The God of Destruction's voice rang out with a trace of satisfaction.
"The degree of fusion is good. This Dark Gold Terrorclaw has decent power and complements your destruction attribute well. It will be another sharp weapon for you against enemies in the future."
Zichuan also let out a breath of relief. Just as he was about to carefully experience the mysteries of this External Soul Bone, a burst of noisy commotion suddenly came from outside the stone chamber. It drew nearer and soon reached the door.
"Little Junior Brother! Is Little Junior Brother inside?"
"The Sect Master said the new Little Junior Brother is incredible! A Dual Heart Martial Soul!"
"Come out and let your senior brothers and sisters have a look!"
"I heard you're only six years old? Is that true?"
"What does having two hearts even feel like? When you sleep, do they beat differently on each side and keep you awake?"
The voices came one after another—men and women, young and old—filled with unabashed curiosity and enthusiasm, even carrying a touch of... simple-mindedness?
Zichuan rose, straightened his clothes, and pushed open the stone chamber door.
Outside, twenty or thirty people had gathered in a crowd. They varied in height and build, ranging from teenagers to people in their thirties and forties. Their one shared trait was that some part of their bodies was more or less "abnormal."
A tall, skinny young man had arms that hung nearly to his knees. He craned his neck to peer into the room. A short, stout middle-aged man had legs as thick as elephant legs, and the ground seemed to tremble whenever he walked.
A girl with a ponytail had ears twice the size of an ordinary person's, and they were still twitching slightly.
There was also an old man with an exceptionally long nose, jutting from his face like a carrot...
This was the Body Sect, a peculiar sect made up of all kinds of "body mutants."
At that moment, all of their gazes were curiously focused on Zichuan, especially his short hair, which had returned to black but seemed to retain a strange sheen, and his right hand, where faint dark-gold radiance still flowed after absorbing the External Soul Bone.
"So this is Little Junior Brother? He looks pretty spirited!"
"Why does his hair look a little strange? The color seems uneven?"
"Huh? His hand... it seems to carry a different kind of aura?"
Everyone talked at once and pointed at him. Their attitude was not particularly respectful, but there was no malice in it either. They were more like a group of curious older children watching some novel toy.
Within the Sea of Consciousness, the God of Destruction let out a quiet sigh.
"Interesting. The path this sect follows has some merit. They temper one part of the body to the extreme, even beyond the limits of mortals... Given the right opportunity, some limbs may become existences akin to divine artifacts. For humans of this world to have explored such a path is no simple matter."
Hearing the God of Destruction's assessment, Zichuan's heart stirred. He raised his head, put on a smile that looked as honest and obedient as possible, and clasped his hands toward the crowd.
"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters. My name is Zichuan. I have just become Master's disciple, so please take good care of me in the future."
His humble and polite attitude immediately won him quite a bit of goodwill.
"Heh, Little Junior Brother has good manners!"
"Why call us Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters? That's too formal! Just call us by name! I'm Long-Armed Liu!" The young man with arms past his knees grinned.
"Right, right! Once you join the sect, we're all family. There aren't so many rules!" Elephant Leg Uncle patted his chest, shaking himself into a coughing fit.
The atmosphere became even livelier. Everyone began asking Zichuan about his circumstances, the process of awakening his martial soul, what having two hearts felt like, and even whether having two hearts meant he had an especially large appetite...
Zichuan patiently answered every question. His tone was sincere, occasionally carrying a touch of self-deprecating humor. Before long, he had blended in with this group of mostly straightforward senior brothers and sisters.
Just then, two people approached from the edge of the crowd, and the people in front automatically made way for them.
"Is Little Junior Brother here?"
"Master said your Heart Martial Soul is stronger than my Skin Martial Soul... I want to test it."
The leading youth wore a face full of confidence!
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