External Soul Bone! (Seeking follow-up reads, collection)

Zichuan closed his eyes, carefully sensing the mysterious connection established between the Heart of Destruction and his new spirit ring.

With a flick of his mind, a scorching, violent power surged from his heart, instantly sweeping through his entire body!

"Hah!"

He let out a low shout. A faint dark gold sheen rippled across his skin, and his muscles bulged slightly. Though not an exaggerated expansion, his entire presence suddenly soared to a new height!

Deep within his eyes, a dark red light flared, and an aura—more ferocious and battle-hungry than the pure destruction he had felt before—began to permeate the air.

"First Spirit Skill: Battle Blood Boiling." Feeling the power surging within him, Zichuan spoke the name of the skill, his voice carrying a metallic, clanging resonance.

"The effect is a fifty percent reduction in pain during its duration... and," he paused, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes, "a thirty percent increase to all attributes!"

"Hiss!"

Du Busi gasped, his bull-like eyes widening into perfect circles. "Thirty percent?! All attributes?! A first spirit skill?!"

He grabbed Zichuan by the shoulder with such force that Zichuan winced in pain.

"Good lad! Say that again? Thirty percent to all attributes?! Spirit power, strength, speed, defense, mental power... all included?"

"All included." Zichuan nodded affirmatively, feeling stunned himself by the effect of this spirit skill.

A thirty percent increase to all attributes was a god-tier skill for any spirit master, let alone as a first spirit skill!

Moreover, as his spirit power increased, the base effect of the skill might grow even further! It was truly worthy of being a skill produced by a thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear; it was absolutely tyrannical!

"Good! What a magnificent Battle Blood Boiling!" Du Busi paced back and forth in excitement, slapping his thigh.

"This skill is practically tailor-made for you! Combined with the double spirit power and double recovery provided by your two hearts, once you activate this skill, your combat power will soar to a terrifying level in a short time! Those of the same rank... no, even those ten or twenty levels above you might not be your match!"

Zichuan thought that was not even the half of it, considering he still possessed two major domains.

"Destruction Domain, effect: Suppresses all attributes of non-friendly units within the domain by twenty percent, and reduces their recovery speed for life, spirit power, and mental power by twenty percent."

"Life Domain, effect: Increases all attributes of friendly units within the domain by twenty percent, and increases their recovery speed for life, spirit power, and mental power by twenty percent."

This combination of buffs and debuffs could create a massive gap between him and his opponents.

Zichuan smiled as well, just about to say something else, when a thunderous "rumble" suddenly erupted from his stomach.

An intense hunger struck him like a tidal wave, instantly washing away the joy of having just acquired such great power.

Only then did he remember that from awakening his martial spirit in the morning, to consuming the Whale Shark Beast meat, and then absorbing the thousand-year spirit ring, he hadn't had a drop of water or a grain of rice. His body had undergone massive consumption and reinforcement, and it was in desperate need of energy replenishment.

Du Busi was stunned for a moment before bursting into loud laughter: "Hahaha! Hungry? That's normal! Absorbing a spirit ring is already a huge drain, let alone a thousand-year one! Come, it's perfect—we have ready-made ingredients!"

He waved his large hand toward the mountain-like carcass of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear on the ground, his eyes gleaming with a green light:

"This thing is a massive tonic! Especially for your current physique! I'll show you what I can do today and let you taste what true human delicacy is!"

He acted as soon as he decided. Du Busi was nimble; using his spirit power as a blade, he quickly carved two large chunks of meat from the most succulent hind leg of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, then gathered dry wood and lit a bonfire.

Clearly, this wasn't his first time doing this in the wild. His technique was skillful, and before long, the bear meat was sizzling on the fire. A rich, meaty aroma mixed with a faint charred scent filled the air, making Zichuan's stomach growl even louder.

Before the meat was fully cooked, Zichuan was already growing impatient.

Du Busi tore off a piece that was charred on the outside and tender on the inside, handing it to him. Zichuan took it, ignoring the heat, and devoured it ravenously.

As soon as the meat hit his tongue, Zichuan's eyes lit up.

The meat of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was firm and springy, full of chewiness, and packed with the essence of the spirit beast and Bloodline Power. Every bite turned into a warm current that nourished his body, eased his hunger, and he could even feel his depleted spirit power slowly recovering.

"Delicious!" Zichuan praised indistinctly, eating even more fiercely.

Du Busi had initially watched with a smile, thinking the boy had a good appetite. But soon, his smile froze.

He saw Zichuan holding a piece of roasted meat larger than his own face, gnawing it down to the bone in a few quick bites, then staring longingly at the next piece on the fire.

Du Busi hurriedly tore off another large chunk for him. Zichuan took it and continued his whirlwind consumption.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces...

Zichuan's stomach seemed to be a bottomless pit. He was only a six-year-old child, and his frame wasn't particularly large, but the meat he had consumed already weighed nearly half as much as he did!

Moreover, his speed was incredibly fast; he swallowed after only a few chews, as if he didn't need to digest at all.

Du Busi could barely keep up with his eating speed. Eventually, Zichuan simply took over himself, using his spirit power to manifest Dark Gold Terrorclaw blades to slice the cooked bear meat, making the process even more efficient.

"My goodness..." Du Busi watched, dumbfounded, forgetting to even turn the meat in his hands. "You brat... this appetite... are you a starving ghost reincarnated?"

Zichuan felt a bit embarrassed, but the hunger that seemed to originate from the depths of his soul drove him to keep eating.

"Teacher, I don't know either. I just feel incredibly hungry, like every cell in my body is screaming for food... It might be the two hearts, and the consumption from the earlier reinforcement was too great."

Du Busi nodded thoughtfully: "That makes sense. Your two hearts provide double the power, so the consumption must be double, if not more. Body reinforcement also requires a massive amount of energy. Fine, being able to eat is a blessing! Eat more, grow strong!"

He simply threw the entire hind leg onto the fire, tore off a piece for himself, and joined Zichuan in the feast.

Zichuan was enjoying himself when suddenly, a crisp "crack" sound came from his mouth, making his teeth ache.

"Ptooey!" He spat out a bone fragment, clutching his cheek and wincing in pain. "What the hell is so hard?"

Du Busi leaned in to look. What Zichuan had spat out was a small, dark gold bone fragment with strange patterns, shimmering with a restrained luster in the glow of the bonfire.

"This is..." Du Busi's pupils suddenly contracted. He snatched the fragment, examined it closely, and then looked sharply at the bear paw on the fire, which was charred and fragrant but still intact.

He channeled his spirit power, lifting the massive bear paw into the air. Ignoring the heat, he gripped it with both hands and gave it a violent snap!

"Snap!"

The bear's paw split open in response, revealing its internal structure. At the center of the palm bones lay not ordinary bone, but a piece that was deeper, denser, and entirely dark gold. It possessed a strange shape, as if natural claw patterns had grown directly into the bone itself!

A wave of soul power so thick it could not be dissolved, accompanied by a fierce and violent aura, radiated from this bone!

"An... an External Soul Bone?!" Du Busi's voice shifted in pitch, filled with incredulous ecstasy. "A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear right palm bone! An External Soul Bone! Hahaha! Heavens! You are far too good to my disciple!"

Zichuan was also stunned, forgetting even the pain in his jaw. An External Soul Bone? Produced by a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear? This... wasn't this luck a bit excessive?

Soul bones were already incomparably precious, and External Soul Bones were the cream of the crop—rare, sought after, and possessing immense growth potential!

Furthermore, an External Soul Bone from a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear would most likely grant the innate soul skill—Dark Gold Terrorclaw! That was a terrifying attack capable of tearing through space itself!

This was like a gold brick falling from the sky—no, a diamond—landing directly in his mouth! It almost chipped his teeth!

"Quick! Absorb it!" Du Busi's hands trembled with excitement as he carefully extracted the Dark Gold Palm Bone and handed it to Zichuan. His eyes were burning, yet clear and filled only with pure joy, without a hint of greed.

"The earlier an External Soul Bone is absorbed, the higher its compatibility with the body! You brat, this fortune... it's heaven-defying!"

Zichuan took the Dark Gold Palm Bone, which still held residual warmth. It felt smooth to the touch yet was incredibly heavy, and the violent energy contained within made his heart palpitate.

Just as he was about to sit cross-legged to attempt absorption, a sudden change occurred!

"ROAR!!!!!"

A deafening bear roar, filled with endless grief and rage, exploded from the depths of the forest like a thunderclap on flat ground!

The sound rolled toward them, carrying a terrifying pressure that made the surrounding ancient trees tremble and shed their leaves. The campfire flickered violently under the impact of the sound waves, and Zichuan felt his blood churn and his eardrums ache from the shock.

Immediately following, the earth began to quake!