Half a Year Later

----Three days later.

Bibi Dong returned to the Primary Martial Soul Academy, while Murong Huai went back to Star Dome Valley to cultivate. Over the past three days, Bibi Dong had kept him company, and Gui Mei, Yue Guan, and the others had urged him to look at things differently from time to time.

Murong Huai had finally come to terms with it. He stopped spending all his time worrying about his family. There was little he could do, even if he worried himself sick. Besides, the commander of the Spirit Hall army was his own father—the undefeated Marshal Murong, whose name struck fear into both empires. With the Red Barbarian Cannon at his disposal, his father was like a tiger with wings.

What Murong Huai needed to do now was focus on cultivating. During this time, he had also continued receiving messages from Qian Xunji. As expected, the war was going well. Although there had been no official large-scale battle, the Spirit Hall had yet to suffer a defeat, and Sea God Island's forces were retreating again and again. The war would likely be over in a few months.

Having made peace with everything, Murong Huai resumed cultivating and improving himself. Though no one personally guided him in the Angel Sword Technique during this time, he still made considerable progress.

Seeing that Murong Huai had recovered, Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and the others nodded in satisfaction and helped him with his cultivation.

----Half a year later, Death Valley.

"Second Soul Skill, Sword Condenses Golden Bell Fall, Spirit Platform Undying Light!"

As his voice fell, a golden Sword Bell appeared around Murong Huai, shielding him.

Clang—

A spider leg as sharp as a blade slammed into the bell, sending sparks flying, but the Golden Bell remained completely unharmed.

Clink, clink, clink—

Taking a closer look, they saw a ferocious-looking demon spider hovering in the air. Its entire body was dark purple, covered in a hard shell. Eight long limbs bristled with serrations, their tips sharp as hooks.

It had compound eyes and venomous fangs on its head, and a swollen, round abdomen. Most striking of all were the purple wings on its back. Thin as cicada wings, they shimmered with a faint violet glow. They beat soundlessly as it flew, their radiance flowing like a river of stars.

This Soul Beast was a Purple-Winged Demon Spider with a cultivation age of eighteen hundred years. After half a year, Bibi Dong had broken through to level twenty, while Murong Huai had reached the peak of level twenty-nine. So the two of them had come to Death Valley, not far from Spirit City, to hunt for Spirit Rings.

Death Valley was a natural gathering place for Soul Beasts, yet it lay close to Spirit City. Spirit Hall had stationed a Spirit Master Legion at its entrance to prevent Soul Beast attacks.

One of the requirements for graduating from the Martial Soul Advanced Academy was to survive in Death Valley for half a year. Strength, luck, and talent were all essential, so everyone who graduated from the Martial Soul Academy was an elite.

After Murong Huai and the others entered Death Valley, it took them a day to find a Purple-Winged Demon Spider that was just over eighteen hundred years old. Earlier, Murong Huai had given Bibi Dong a portion of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue. With her current constitution, she could absorb a Soul Beast under two thousand years old without trouble.

Murong Huai also wanted to see how strong he was now, so he challenged the Purple-Winged Demon Spider alone while Gui Mei, Yue Guan, and the others stood by. The spider stabbed at the Golden Bell again and again with its eight legs, showering it with sparks.

Yet it could not break through at all. Seeing this, the Immortal Lord Nine-Arrival Sword in Murong Huai's hand began to vibrate. In the next moment, the golden swords clinging to the surface of the bell shot out like arrows loosed from a bow. In an instant, countless blades slashed wounds across the Purple-Winged Demon Spider's body, and blood poured out.

It let out a pained wail and hurriedly retreated to dodge. At that, Murong Huai drew his sword. Dark golden light flowed over its blade, and the First Soul Ring around him pulsed.

"First Soul Skill, Sword Emerges Wind and Clouds Move, Ten Thousand Blades Dark Gold Flow!"

Murong Huai's attack power surged. He leapt forward, swinging his sword in a flash of silver light. A single strike severed one of the Purple-Winged Demon Spider's legs.

"Hiss—"

The Purple-Winged Demon Spider cried out in pain, but Murong Huai gave it no chance to recover. He pointed his sword at the heavens. A glimmer seemed to streak across the sky, and his blade came down like a small pillar of light cleaving down from the clouds.

"Heavenly Punishment Meteor Light!"

This was the fourth form of the Angel Sword Technique—Heavenly Punishment Meteor Light. Thanks to his extraordinary talent for the sword, Murong Huai had successfully mastered the fourth form in the past six months. Its power surpassed that of the first three forms.

The sword light plunged straight through the Purple-Winged Demon Spider. With a pained shriek, it crashed heavily to the ground, barely clinging to life.

"Dong'er, go give it the finishing blow!" Murong Huai beckoned to Bibi Dong, who was standing some distance away. At his words, she hurried over.

"Thank you, Brother Murong." Bibi Dong smiled sweetly, then controlled her Martial Soul, the Death Demon Spider, to deliver the final blow to the Purple-Winged Demon Spider. As it died, a purple Spirit Ring slowly took shape overhead.

Bibi Dong sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Spirit Ring.

Some distance away, the four of them watched, their faces filled with admiration.

About half an hour later, Bibi Dong finished absorbing it. Everyone nodded, but then, without warning, the situation changed: a purple light began to shine from her back.

In the next moment,

three pairs of purple wings unfurled from her back. Thin as cicada wings, they shimmered with a faint violet glow. The others were stunned. Yue Guan reacted quickly and cried out:

"Th-this couldn't be an External Soul Bone!"

Murong Huai looked at the wings behind Bibi Dong. Though a little surprised, he said nothing and glanced at the four others.

They understood what he meant and hurriedly said:

"Rest assured, Your Highness the Holy Son. We will never tell anyone."

Murong Huai nodded and thought, When we get back, I need to have Dong'er completely fuse with this External Soul Bone as soon as possible.

External Soul Bones were different from the six other types of Soul Bones. The others could generally be obtained by killing a Soul Master, so Soul Masters with Soul Bones usually kept them hidden unless they had powerful backing or strength.

External Soul Bones, on the other hand, could keep increasing in age as their Soul Master's cultivation improved. They could even grow back if severed. And once they had completely fused with the Soul Master's body, they could no longer be obtained by killing that Soul Master.

After about the time it took to burn two incense sticks, Bibi Dong slowly opened her eyes. Her Soul Power surged, and two Spirit Rings, one yellow and one purple, appeared beneath her. She stood up delightedly.

"Brother Murong, I absorbed it! My Soul Power reached level twenty-three!"

Murong Huai nodded. "Mm, not bad. The Thousand-Year Soul Ring gave you a huge boost. Um, Dong'er, put away the wings on your back first."

Bibi Dong froze. "Wings?" She ran over to a nearby stream and saw three pairs of wings shimmering with purple light behind her. Her eyes immediately lit up.

"Wow, these wings are so beautiful!"

After playing with them for a while, Bibi Dong slowly folded the wings away and named them the Six-Winged Purple Light Wings. They gave her the ability to fly, and their wafer-thin frames were incredibly sharp, making them effective weapons as well.

Her second Soul Skill was called Death Hunt. It could instantly conjure a poisonous web above a target, slicing and corroding enemies while inflicting a potent poison. Those below the Soul Elder rank could hardly withstand it.

After they finished Soul Hunting, everyone left Death Valley and returned to Spirit City. In the carriage, Murong Huai gazed out the window.

"I wonder how Grandpa and the others are doing?"