Special Soul Bone

"Right. This isn't just an ordinary Soul Bone. It's also a rather precious skull, and it seems to have been left behind by a pureblood phoenix-type flying Soul Beast."

Qian Daoliu mused, "I can't tell its exact age, either. Judging by the pressure of its bloodline, it's clearly more than just a simple Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

"But judging by its Soul Power fluctuations, it seems to be only around eighty-nine thousand years old..."

"I know, Grandpa."

Qian Renxue, holding Xiao Jiu, hurriedly voiced her guess.

Qian Renxue, who was holding Xiao Jiu, hurriedly voiced her guess.

"It must be because this Soul Bone was trapped inside a rock for so long that its age decreased."

Qian Daoliu nodded. "Xiao Xue's reasoning makes sense. That's certainly possible. Some Soul Bones are left out in the open, exposed to wind and sun. As the terrain changes and they receive no nourishment from Soul Power, the spiritual essence within them is gradually worn away and lost."

"But you really are lucky. You managed to find a Soul Bone in a place like this, and a pretty good one at that. Its quality is among the highest, comparable to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone. What's more, the feather on top seems to show signs of surpassing a hundred thousand years...

"If word of this got out, it'd make some old geezers furious."

Qian Daoliu couldn't help sighing.

"All right, I've temporarily sealed this Soul Bone. It won't cause what happened just now again. But if you're going to absorb it, do so soon. My flames won't be able to suppress it for long."

As he spoke, Mighty Lion Douluo casually set the Soul Bone, covered in orange-red markings, on the table.

Then, just as they had suddenly appeared, the two men vanished without a sound.

The three of them looked at the Soul Bone, then at one another, and all shook their heads at the same time.

"I don't want it. I have the Angel God Suit, and I can't let another Soul Bone take up a slot. Besides, its attributes don't suit me." Qian Renxue puffed out her cheeks and shook her head.

"I don't need it either. Though I can absorb Soul Bones with various attributes, I've already absorbed one with the same attribute. Besides, this one is from a flying beast, so it wouldn't help me much. Whether I absorb it or not won't make much difference." Lie Xu was curious about the Soul Bone, but had little desire to absorb it.

The little lion beside him wasn't as excited as it had been when it first saw the Soul Bone passed down in its own family. It merely glanced at it a few times, then quickly lost interest.

"So..."

Lie Xu and Qian Renxue exchanged a look, and immediately understood what the other was thinking.

"So, if we're talking about who's best suited for this Soul Bone, it seems like it can only be A-Yuan."

"Exactly, Sister A-Yuan."

Qian Renxue nodded repeatedly.

"Look at your Martial Soul. It's fire-attribute and it's a flying beast. If you don't absorb it, no one else here can."

"Well..."

Chi Yuan was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to argue against them. Compared to herself, she would rather Lie Xu absorb the Soul Bone, to strengthen his foundations and make the road ahead easier for him. After all, her little brother had displayed a talent so heaven-defying that it was rarely seen in the world!

But after weighing everything, she really was the most suitable person to absorb the Soul Bone right now. Her Martial Soul was also desperately yearning to absorb it.

It was constantly on the verge of running wild. If she hadn't been doing her utmost to suppress it, her Martial Soul would have manifested on its own long ago.

"Lie Xu, this is too precious..."

"Sister A-Yuan, just listen to us. Even setting aside how perfectly this Soul Bone suits you, you raised me from the time I was so little. You were only an adopted daughter my mother took in, and you didn't have to go this far for me. No one would have blamed you if you hadn't, but you chose to do it anyway—and you did it for six years. You were only a child yourself, barely more than ten.

"So I've long since thought of you as my own sister. You're the only thing Mother left behind for me in this world. Compared to you, what's a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone worth?"

Lie Xu pushed the Soul Bone toward her. "Absorb it. Xue'er and I will guard you."

"And I have a feeling this Soul Bone will bring you unexpected benefits once you absorb it."

The moment Lie Xu had first seen the Soul Bone, he'd felt a faint suspicion. The familiar response from his Martial Soul, combined with what Qian Daoliu had just said, only strengthened it. Judging by its shape and the heat it gave off, it was highly likely to be connected to the Golden Crow from the myths of Blue Star...

Seeing how determined the two of them were, Chi Yuan could only nod. She didn't refuse further, instead pouring all her feelings into what she would do for them from then on.

Chi Yuan used her Soul Power to draw the Soul Bone toward her, sat on the bed, and began absorbing it.

Now that it was no longer being suppressed, her Flowing Fire Kite Eagle Martial Soul let out a joyful cry and circled the Soul Bone.

Gradually, the moon climbed over the mountain ridge. The towering trees of the Star Dou Great Forest cast their shadows across the curtains in the moonlight. The evening breeze stirred, and the shadows rustled...

As the flames around Chi Yuan grew more and more intense, the temperature in the room shot up. It became as hot as a furnace.

Her original Flowing Fire Kite Eagle Martial Soul was constantly being reforged under the Soul Bone's power.

Black feathers burned with golden flames, its eyes like a blazing sun.

Lie Xu and Qian Renxue could only sit cross-legged by the window, drawing in Soul Power while relying on the coolness there...

Time passed second by second.

Suddenly, the scorching heat in the room ebbed like a receding tide.

Boom—!

Her Martial Soul had completely transformed!

A pitch-black spirit crow wreathed in crimson-gold flames spiraled into the air, its caw making the windows buzz.

"My Martial Soul... evolved!"

Chi Yuan opened her eyes. Her aura surged by three levels, carrying her straight to level sixty-nine, half a step from Soul Saint!

Cool gusts from the forest gradually dispelled the heat lingering in the room.

Lie Xu and Qian Renxue opened their eyes at the same time, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and looked at Chi Yuan, who was sitting on the bed absorbing the Soul Bone.

Now that she had finished absorbing it, Chi Yuan slowly opened her eyes and jumped down from the bed.

"How did it go, Sister A-Yuan?" Lie Xu couldn't wait to ask what the Soul Bone could do.

When Chi Yuan saw Lie Xu approach, she was so overcome with emotion that she suddenly threw her arms around him. Because of their difference in age and height, Lie Xu's entire head was pressed into her chest.

"Little brother, thank you."

Lie Xu was stunned by Chi Yuan's sudden embrace. Ever since he'd been old enough to bathe and dress himself, she hadn't hugged him again.

It took him a good while to recover. He patted Chi Yuan's back and spoke in a muffled voice. "Sister A-Yuan, haven't I already told you? I've long since thought of you as my own sister. We're family, so why thank me? And... and you're holding me too tight. I can't breathe."

"Huh? Oh, oh..."

Chi Yuan blushed, realizing how carried away she'd gotten, and immediately let Lie Xu go.

"Haah... haah..."

Lie Xu slumped into a chair beside the table, gasping for fresh air. Qian Renxue blinked her wide, round eyes, fanned him with one hand, and glanced at Chi Yuan's chest, comparing it to her own...