Returning to the Body Sect, Senior Brother Long Aotian!

At the end of the passage, there was actually a massive valley! The valley was surrounded by towering cliffs, acting as a natural barrier.

The buildings within the valley were arranged in an orderly fashion, mostly constructed of stone and wood. They were primitive and rugged, a style vastly different from the outside world.

In the center was a huge martial arts arena, where some people were currently sparring and practicing, their shouts echoing incessantly.

Further away, one could see medicinal fields, beast pens, and other facilities. The entire valley was suffused with spiritual energy; it was truly an excellent place for cultivation.

Who would have thought that behind the imperial palace of Heaven Dou City, such an isolated Body Sect mountain gate was hidden?

"Sect Master!"

"The Sect Master is back!"

Seeing Du Busi, the people in the martial arts arena stopped one after another and bowed respectfully.

Their gazes quickly fell upon Zichuan, who was standing beside Du Busi—especially Zichuan's hair, which had not yet fully returned to its normal state, and the Dark Gold Palm Bone in his arms that could not conceal its surging soul power. Their eyes were filled with curiosity.

Du Busi waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for such formalities, and then said to Zichuan:

"This is the Body Sect. There aren't many of us, but everyone here is family—brothers and sisters. You are my, Du Busi's, personal disciple. From now on, this is your home."

He paused, looked at the soul bone in Zichuan's arms, and said sternly:

"Go find a quiet room immediately and absorb this External Soul Bone. This is a heaven-sent opportunity; the sooner you fuse with it, the better. As for the Star Dou Great Forest, we won't be going back there anytime soon; that old thing, Bear Lord, must still be holding a grudge. But it doesn't matter, we'll deal with that later."

He patted Zichuan on the shoulder: "I'm going to inform the others about you. Our sect adding a new member, especially a precious gem like you, is a big deal! It needs to be properly celebrated!"

After saying this, he laughed heartily, turned around, and walked toward the most magnificent stone palace deep in the valley, shouting at the top of his lungs as he went:

"Old brothers! Stop training! Come out to greet the guest... pfft, come out and meet my precious disciple! Dual Heart Martial Soul! A thousand-year first ring! And an External Soul Bone! Hahaha!"

His booming voice echoed throughout the valley, causing people everywhere to poke their heads out and look.

Zichuan stood where he was, holding the heavy Dark Gold Palm Bone in his arms, watching Du Busi's boisterous and unashamedly smug back.

He then looked at the curious, friendly, and inquisitive gazes around him, and the strange feeling caused by his frantic escape earlier was gradually replaced by a sense of warmth.

Although this teacher seemed a bit unreliable and was a master at causing trouble and running away, this unfeigned protectiveness, straightforwardness, and unconditional trust made him feel incredibly secure.

"Family, huh..." Zichuan repeated in a low voice, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

The stone room was simple, with bare walls, containing only a stone bed and a meditation cushion. But for Zichuan, who needed to calm his mind to absorb the soul bone, it was enough.

He placed the dark gold, iron-heavy right palm bone, which flowed with a fierce and violent aura, onto the stone bed. He sat cross-legged on the cushion, took a deep breath, and adjusted his state to the best it could be.

The voice of the God of Destruction sounded in his mind at the right moment, carrying a hint of approval and a trace of imperceptible anticipation:

"An External Soul Bone from a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, and a right palm bone at that—you have good luck. The extreme destructive power contained within this soul bone is quite compatible with your Heart of Destruction. When absorbing it, use your destructive soul power to guide it and your life soul power to protect your meridians; just take it steady. This soul bone is of a high grade and might be somewhat painful, but with your current physique and the assistance of your Dual Heart, it shouldn't be a problem."

Zichuan nodded. Without further hesitation, he raised his right hand and slowly grasped the Dark Gold Palm Bone.

The fusion began. With the restorative power of the Heart of Life assisting him, everything went smoothly.

Time passed bit by bit. In the stone room, there was only the sound of Zichuan's heavy breathing and the dark golden light flickering on his right palm.

That External Soul Bone seemed to melt, slowly "seeping" into his palm and perfectly integrating with his palm bones.

He did not know how much time had passed—perhaps an hour, perhaps longer.

The last trace of dark golden light finally converged completely into Zichuan's right palm. He opened his eyes abruptly, a dark red light flashing in the depths of his pupils. He slowly raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and moved his mind.

"Shhh!"

Five terrifying claws, each over a foot long, incredibly solid, and dark gold in color, with fine black spatial cracks flowing along their edges, instantly popped out from his fingertips!

The roots of the claws were perfectly fused with the joints of his fingers, and the extended blades radiated a heart-stopping sharpness and destructive aura, as if a light swipe could tear through metal and stone!

Dark Gold Terrorclaw! The External Soul Bone skill, perfectly inherited! And because it was an External Soul Bone, as his cultivation level increased, the power and size of these Dark Gold Terrorclaws would continue to grow!

Zichuan retracted the claws and flexed his right hand, feeling as if they were an extension of his own body, without the slightest stiffness.

"It is done." The voice of the God of Destruction sounded, carrying a hint of satisfaction.

"The fusion rate is good. The power of these Dark Gold Terrorclaws is decent, and they complement your destruction attribute perfectly. You have gained another sharp weapon for future battles."

Zichuan also let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to carefully experience the mysteries of this External Soul Bone, a noisy, clamorous sound suddenly came from outside the stone room, moving from far to near, and quickly reached the door.

"Little Junior Brother! Is Little Junior Brother inside?"

"The Sect Master said the new Little Junior Brother is amazing—a Dual Heart Martial Soul!"

"Come out quickly and let the senior brothers and sisters see you!"

"I heard you're only six years old? Is that true?"

"What does it actually feel like to have two hearts? When you sleep, do the heartbeats get out of sync and keep you awake?"

The voices were a cacophony, men and women, old and young, filled with unmasked curiosity and enthusiasm, and even a touch of... simple-mindedness?

Zichuan stood up, straightened his clothes, and pushed open the door of the stone room.

Outside the door, twenty or thirty people were crowded around. These people varied in height and build, ranging from teenagers to people in their thirties or forties. The only thing they had in common was that some part of their bodies was, to a greater or lesser extent, "abnormal."

A thin, tall youth, whose arms hung down almost to his knees, was stretching his neck to peer into the room. A short, stout middle-aged man had legs as thick as an elephant's, and the ground seemed to tremble with every step he took.

A young girl with a ponytail had ears twice the size of a normal person's, which were still twitching slightly.

There was another old man with a nose so long it stuck out of his face like a carrot.

This was the Body Sect, a peculiar sect composed entirely of "body mutants."

At this moment, everyone's gaze was curiously focused on Zichuan, especially his short hair, which had returned to black but still seemed to retain a trace of strange luster, and his right hand, which faintly shimmered with dark gold light after just absorbing an External Soul Bone.

"So this is our little junior brother? He looks quite spirited!"

"Why is his hair a bit strange? The color doesn't seem very even."

"Huh? His hand... it seems to have a different aura."

The crowd chattered and pointed, their attitudes not exactly respectful, but certainly devoid of malice; it was more like a group of curious, overgrown children surrounding a novel toy.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the God of Destruction let out a soft sigh:

"Interesting. The path this sect follows is quite intriguing—tempering a specific part of the body to the extreme, even surpassing the boundaries of the mortal realm... If given the opportunity, some limbs might even transform into existences akin to divine artifacts. For humans in this world to have fumbled their way onto such a path, it is no small feat."

Hearing the God of Destruction's assessment, Zichuan felt a stir in his heart. He raised his head, put on a smile that he tried to make look as honest and well-behaved as possible, and cupped his hands toward the crowd:

"Greetings, senior brothers and sisters. My name is Zichuan. I have just been accepted as a disciple by our teacher, and I hope you will look after me in the future."

His humble and polite demeanor immediately won over quite a bit of goodwill.

"Hey, our little junior brother is quite polite!"

"Why call us senior brother or sister? That's too formal! Just call us by our names! I'm Long-Armed Liu!" the youth with arms reaching past his knees grinned.

"Exactly, exactly! Once you're in the sect, we're all family. We don't have so many rules!" Elephant Leg Uncle patted his chest, shaking himself into a coughing fit.

The atmosphere grew even warmer. Everyone began asking Zichuan questions all at once—about the process of awakening his Skin Martial Soul, what it felt like to have two hearts, and some were even curious if having two hearts meant he had a particularly large appetite.

Zichuan answered them one by one with patience and sincerity, occasionally adding a touch of self-deprecating humor, and soon blended in with this group of mostly straightforward senior brothers and sisters.

Just then, two people walked over from the edge of the crowd, and those in front automatically cleared a path.

"Is our little junior brother here?"

"The teacher said your heart Martial Soul is stronger than my Skin Martial Soul... I want to test that."

The leading youth was full of confidence!