Special Soul Bone

"Yes, this is not just an ordinary spirit bone; it is a rather precious skull bone, and it appears to have been left behind by a pure-blooded avian spirit beast of the phoenix lineage."

Qian Daoliu pondered, "I cannot sense its exact age, but judging by the bloodline pressure, it is far more than what a simple hundred-thousand-year spirit beast would entail. However, in terms of spirit power fluctuations, it seems to be only around eighty-nine thousand years..."

"I know, Grandfather."

Qian Renxue, holding Xiao Jiu, hurriedly shared her hypothesis. "It must be that this spirit bone was hidden inside the stone for too long, which is why its age has diminished."

Qian Daoliu nodded. "What Xiao Xue says is not without reason; such a possibility exists. Some spirit bones are left out in the elements, exposed to wind and sun, and as the terrain shifts, they lose the nourishment of spirit power, causing their inherent spirituality to be slowly worn away and lost."

"But you two are truly lucky to have found a spirit bone in this place, and a rather excellent one at that. Its quality is in the highest tier, comparable to a hundred-thousand-year bone, and that feather on the spirit bone seems to have a faint tendency to exceed the hundred-thousand-year mark... If this were to get out, it would surely infuriate some of those old fogies to death."

Qian Daoliu could not help but sigh.

"Alright, I have temporarily sealed this spirit bone so that the situation from just now will not happen again. However, if you intend to absorb it, you should do so as soon as possible; my flames cannot suppress it for long."

As he spoke, the Lion Douluo casually placed the spirit bone, which was covered in orange-red patterns, onto the table.

Following this, the two of them vanished as silently as they had appeared.

The three of them looked at the spirit bone, then at each other, and all shook their heads at the same time.

"I don't want it. I have the Angelic Divine Set; I cannot let other spirit bones take up those slots. Besides, its attributes do not match mine." Qian Renxue puffed out her cheeks and shook her head.

"I don't need it either. Although I can absorb multiple attributes, I have already absorbed a spirit bone of the same type. Furthermore, this is an avian-type, so it won't be of much help to me; whether I absorb it or not makes little difference." Although Lie Xu was curious about the spirit bone, he had no great desire to absorb it.

Moreover, the little lion beside them was not as excited as it had been when it first saw the spirit bone of its own heritage; it merely glanced at it a few times before losing interest.

"So..."

Lie Xu and Qian Renxue exchanged a look, and from each other's eyes, they understood what the other was thinking.

"So, if we are talking about who is most suitable for this spirit bone, it seems it can only be Sister A-Yuan."

"That's right, Sister A-Yuan."

Qian Renxue nodded repeatedly.

"Look at your martial soul—it is both fire-attributed and avian. If you don't absorb it, no one else here can."

"This..."

Chi Yuan was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to refute them. Compared to herself, she would rather Lie Xu absorb this spirit bone to increase his foundation and make his future path easier. After all, the talent her younger brother displayed was heaven-defying and rarely seen in the world!

However, analyzing it this way, she was indeed the most suitable person to absorb this spirit bone at the moment, and her own martial soul was craving it intensely.

It had been on the verge of going out of control; if not for her desperate suppression, her martial soul would have already manifested on its own.

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

"Sister A-Yuan, just listen to us. Not to mention that this spirit bone has an extremely high compatibility with you, just consider that you raised me from such a young age. You were only an adopted daughter taken in by my mother; you didn't have to do this for me, and no one would have blamed you, yet you did it anyway. You did it for six years, and you were only a child of ten or so at the time. Therefore, I have long since regarded you as my own sister. You are the only memory of my mother left in this world; what is a ten-thousand-year spirit bone compared to you?"

Lie Xu pushed the spirit bone toward her. "Hurry and absorb it; Xue'er and I will guard you. Besides, I have a faint intuition that you will definitely gain unexpected benefits if you absorb this spirit bone."

When Lie Xu first saw the spirit bone, combined with the familiar resonance of his martial soul and Qian Daoliu's earlier statement, he had a vague suspicion. Based on the form the spirit bone displayed and the temperature it radiated, it was highly likely related to the Golden Crow from the myths of the Blue Star...

Seeing the two of them like this, Chi Yuan had no choice but to nod. She did not decline further, choosing instead to pour all her emotions into her future actions.

Chi Yuan channeled her spirit power to draw the spirit bone toward her, sat on the bed, and began the absorption process.

At this moment, her martial soul, the Flowing Fire Kite Eagle, no longer suppressed, let out a joyful eagle cry and began to circle around the spirit bone.

Gradually, the moon climbed over the mountaintop, and the tall tree shadows of the Star Dou Great Forest were cast upon the curtains in the moonlight. As the night breeze brushed by, the shadows of the trees rustled...

As the flames on Chi Yuan's body grew more intense, the temperature in the room soared sharply, turning the interior into a furnace.

Her original Flowing Fire Kite Eagle martial soul was constantly reshaped under the tempering of the spirit bone's power.

Black feathers burned with golden flames, and her eyes were like the scorching sun.

Lie Xu and Qian Renxue could only lean against the window, using the cool air to meditate and circulate their spirit power...

Time passed second by second.

Suddenly, the high heat in the room receded like a receding tide.

BOOM--!

The martial soul had completely transformed!

A spirit crow, pitch-black all over and burning with crimson-gold flames, circled and ascended into the sky, its cawing making the windows vibrate with a hum.

"My martial soul... it has evolved!"

Chi Yuan opened her eyes, her aura surging by three levels, directly reaching level sixty-nine—a half-step Spirit Saint!

The waves of coolness drifting in from the forest gradually dissipated the lingering heat in the room.

Lie Xu and Qian Renxue opened their eyes simultaneously, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and looked at Chi Yuan, who was sitting on the bed having finished absorbing the spirit bone.

At this moment, having finished absorbing the spirit bone, Chi Yuan slowly opened her eyes and hopped down from the bed.

"How is it, A-Yuan?" Lie Xu asked impatiently about the effects of the spirit bone.

Seeing Lie Xu approach, Chi Yuan was so overcome with excitement that she suddenly pulled him into an embrace. Due to the difference in their age and height, Lie Xu's entire head was buried deep into her chest.

"Little brother, thank you."

Lie Xu was stunned by the sudden hug, standing frozen on the spot. Ever since he could remember—ever since he started bathing and dressing himself—Chi Yuan had never hugged him again.

It took him a long while to snap out of it. He patted Chi Yuan on the back and said in a muffled voice, "A-Yuan, didn't I already tell you? I've long since considered you my own sister; there's no need for thanks between family. Also... you're holding me too tight, I can't breathe."

"Ah? Oh, oh..."

Chi Yuan's face flushed red as she realized her lack of composure, and she immediately let Lie Xu go.

"Huff... huff..."

Lie Xu slumped onto a stool by the table, gasping for fresh air. Qian Renxue blinked her round eyes, fanning Lie Xu with her hand while glancing at Chi Yuan's chest to compare it with her own.