Absorbing a Spirit Bone, Black-Hearted Shop, Whale Rubber

Ye Qingyi looked into Xiao Yin's incomparably resolute eyes and let out a faint sigh:

"Since that is the case, I cannot force you. Take this token."

She took out a white jade token engraved with exquisite begonia patterns.

"This is the Ye Family Guest Elder Token. Keep it with you.

The Ye Clan still carries some weight in Heaven Dou City.

The doors of the Ye Clan will always be open to you."

Xiao Yin looked at the token, which gave off a faint fragrance. He did not refuse it and solemnly accepted it.

"Thank you! I will remember this kindness."

"Brother Xiao Yin... take care..."

Ye Lingling finally raised her head and spoke softly through tears.

Xiao Yin gave her a gentle smile and nodded.

Without further hesitation, he clasped his fists once more toward Ye Qingyi, her daughter, and Guard Wang.

"Everyone, until we meet again!"

With that, he turned and used Wind-Following Step. After several swift leaps, he vanished into the dense forest at the mouth of the valley, leaving without the slightest hint of reluctance.

Ye Qingyi stared in the direction where Xiao Yin had disappeared for a long time without speaking. Her mature, charming face was filled with irrepressible regret.

Nestled against her mother, Ye Lingling looked at the empty valley entrance with vacant eyes.

Only Guard Wang's eyes flashed with sharp light as he said in a low voice:

"Madam, this young man... is no ordinary person. One day, he may stir up the winds and clouds."

Ye Qingyi gently patted her daughter's hand and gazed into the depths of the forest. "Yes... a hidden dragon lies in the abyss."

She took Ye Lingling's hand. "Lingling, it is time for us to return as well."

Do not ask why Xiao Yin ran so fast. He simply could not wait any longer.

Wouldn't you be anxious with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone in your hands?

He had not absorbed it before because he was stuck at his level cap. Now that the level restriction had been lifted, only an idiot would not absorb it immediately.

Only strength was real. Everything else was but passing clouds!

As for women... that could wait until later. Right now, they would only slow the speed at which he drew his sword!

Half an hour later, night fell.

Deep within an extremely secluded crevice in a cliff, Xiao Yin found a naturally formed cave.

Sitting cross-legged in the deepest part of the cave, he opened the lead box, and that dense life energy surged forth once more!

"I wonder what surprise this spirit bone will bring me!"

"Let's begin," Xiao Yin murmured, his gaze resolute.

He poured his Soul Power and spiritual power into the spirit bone without holding anything back, while guiding the massive energy within it to slowly merge with his right leg!

Buzz—!!!

The Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone began to glow with blue-gold light. Then it slowly melted, finally flowing onto Xiao Yin's right leg!

Comfortable!

A lustrous blue-gold radiance shone from Xiao Yin's body. Nourished by the vast source of life, his Soul Power soared like a rocket!

Level twenty-five! Level twenty-six! Level twenty-seven!

It shot straight to the peak of level twenty-seven!!

The strength, toughness, and recovery ability of his body underwent a complete transformation!

Every inch of muscle and bone seemed to have been tempered, containing explosive power and endless vitality!

At the same time, as the spirit bone completely fused with him, information on two clear and powerful spirit bone skills imprinted itself deep within his soul!

Spirit Bone Skill One: Flight!

Gather Soul Power in the right leg to briefly fly through the air, or perform short-range, explosive high-speed dashes or evasions.

Flight altitude and duration increase along with Soul Power.

Spirit Bone Skill Two: Endless Life!

Passive skill. Greatly increases the recovery speed of life force and Soul Power. When suffering nonfatal injuries, Soul Power can be consumed to accelerate self-healing.

The light gradually faded, and the floating spirit bone disappeared, having completely fused with Xiao Yin's right leg.

He slowly opened his eyes, gently raised his right leg, and shifted his thoughts.

Buzz!

A faint blue-gold halo covered his right leg, and even the surrounding air seemed to grow lighter.

With another thought, his body seemed to lose all weight as he slowly floated three feet off the ground!

Light as a feather, nimble and free!

"Flight... Endless Life..."

Feeling the powerful force surging through his body, along with the immense vitality and ability to fly contained in his right leg, Xiao Yin's lips curved into a grin of wild delight and confidence.

The improvement brought by this Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone far exceeded his expectations!

Not only had his Soul Power surged and his physique transformed, but he had also gained the godlike ability of flight and formidable recovery power!

"Looks like I can really trade blows with soul beasts one-for-one in the future..."

Time in Star Dou Forest passed swiftly amid devouring and refining.

To Xiao Yin, who was immersed in increasing his strength, three months were merely cycles of the Taotie Martial Soul hunting and feeding him power again and again.

He was no longer satisfied with low-level soul beasts. His sights gradually settled on thousand-year soul beasts with special bloodlines or immense energy.

Every hunt was a life-and-death battle;

Every devouring was painful rebirth and ascension.

His body was constantly torn apart and reassembled by the torrent of violent energy, becoming ever tougher and stronger, containing explosive power.

Driven by both the essence devoured from soul beasts and the residual energy of the spirit bone, his Soul Power advanced without obstruction!

Finally, on this very day at the end of the third month, he successfully broke through the threshold of level thirty!

Level thirty! Soul Elder!

Feeling the vast Soul Power within him, far surpassing that of soul masters at the same level, Xiao Yin turned his gaze toward the more dangerous regions of the forest under the Taotie Martial Soul's greedy influence.

A bold, almost insane thought grew in his heart—

For his third soul ring, he would absorb a ten-thousand-year one!

For ordinary soul masters, the limit for a third soul ring was generally around seventeen hundred years.

Even top geniuses, such as Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, rarely managed to absorb a soul ring close to two thousand years for their third ring.

Ten thousand years?

That was practically a forbidden zone only Soul Kings dared attempt!

The terrifying energy and soul-shaking force contained within a soul ring would be enough to tear a Soul Elder's soul into fragments.

But Xiao Yin was no ordinary soul master.

After devouring the essence of countless soul beasts and being transformed by the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, his physical strength had long reached an inconceivable level.

Nourished by the Purple Heart Jade Bone Orchid, his spiritual power also far surpassed those of his generation.

More importantly, the instincts of the Taotie Martial Soul told him that only a soul ring of greater age could truly unleash the potential of this primordial ferocious beast!

"A ten-thousand-year soul ring... the risk is enormous, but the reward will be equally astonishing!"

Xiao Yin clenched his fists, ambition blazing in his eyes.

"Once I succeed, my strength will undergo a qualitative leap! Those who once looked down on me... will have no choice but to look up!"

However, Xiao Yin also knew that obtaining and absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring would be no easy task.

So he thought of something, something whose true use had not yet been discovered in this era—

Whale Rubber!

Whale Rubber was a special substance produced in the brains of whale-type soul beasts. It was an extremely potent tonic of pure yang energy. Consuming it could strengthen a soul master's physique, allowing them to surpass their limits and absorb soul rings of greater age.

The higher the quality of the Whale Rubber, the stronger its effect.

But in this era, Whale Rubber was merely a little pill used by nobles as an aphrodisiac and virility booster!

Moreover, Whale Rubber built up resistance, and the number of times it could be consumed was limited. Thus, Xiao Yin set his sights directly on one that was over ten thousand years old.

His consciousness sank into the System Shop as he searched for "Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber":

[Ten Thousand Year Deep Sea Demon Whale Glue]: Effect: Greatly increases the body's tolerance, stabilizes the mind, and can increase the maximum absorbable soul ring age by up to ten thousand years. Price: 10,000 Wish Value.

...Expensive! It was fucking outrageous!

"Highway robbery!" Xiao Yin complained helplessly.

The 500 points from the previous mission reward had seemed like quite a lot, but before this top-tier resource, it was a drop in the bucket—worthless.

It seemed the System Shop route was temporarily blocked.

"Looks like... I can only try my luck in Heaven Dou City," Xiao Yin muttered.

As the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City gathered the continent's finest auction houses and merchant associations. It was the best place to search for rare treasures.

Besides, the Ye Family Guest Elder Token Ye Qingyi had given him might come in handy.

With his goal clear, Xiao Yin no longer lingered.

After getting his bearings, he sped toward the outer regions of Star Dou Forest.

After fusing with the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, his speed had already greatly increased. Now, as he fully used Wind-Following Step, his figure darted through the dense forest like the wind, leaving behind only a faint afterimage.