Outer Spirit Bone: Dragon Wings!

As he lost consciousness, a surge of energy began to churn violently behind his back.

"Lin Yan!"

"What happened, Lin Yan? Don't scare me!"

Wen Ruan rushed to Lin Yan's side and pulled him into her arms.

Zhao Wuji also charged over at this moment, placing his palm on Lin Yan's shoulder in an attempt to discern the cause.

After about four or five seconds, Zhao Wuji sensed a burst of energy about to erupt from Lin Yan's back and immediately grabbed Wen Ruan, pulling her back rapidly.

"Get back! His body is about to explode!"

The two figures flashed, putting several meters of distance between themselves and Lin Yan in an instant.

Wen Ruan still wanted to return to hold Lin Yan, but Zhao Wuji's grip was too firm for her to break free.

It was then that the energy behind Lin Yan finally shattered its shackles!

Whoosh—

A gale erupted, and a pair of magnificent golden Dragon Wings suddenly unfurled, flipping the unconscious Lin Yan over.

His body was hoisted up by the pair of wings like a discarded rag doll.

Immediately afterward, Evil Fire began to spread and cover them; in just a few seconds, the golden Dragon Wings turned purple—or perhaps, purple-gold!

"This... is this an External Spirit Bone?"

Zhao Wuji's expression was one of sheer horror; after being shocked time and time again, he had become somewhat numb.

At this, Wen Ruan broke free from his large hand and rushed to Lin Yan's side.

Regrettably, when she reached him, she realized that he was being propped up by the three-meter-wide wings, and she couldn't reach him...

In the end, it wasn't until Lin Yan had exhausted all his spirit power that the pair of wings automatically retracted into his body.

Time quickly slipped away until nightfall.

The bright moon hung high in the sky.

The deep night in the Star Dou Forest was far from silent, filled with the roars of various beasts.

Zhao Wuji had set up camp with the three of them. At this moment, Wen Ruan was cradling Lin Yan, praying silently to the gods in her heart.

Beside her, Zhao Wuji and Ma Hongjun were both filled with unease, their minds racing with countless thoughts.

Zhao Wuji was undoubtedly the most terrified of them all.

If Lin Yan had failed to absorb his first thousand-year spirit ring, it would have been one thing—at worst, it would just be a dead student, and their academy had lost students before.

But the problem was that Lin Yan had successfully absorbed a thousand-year first ring, becoming the only exception in the entire spirit world. Once such news got out, it would trigger a frenzy across the entire continent.

If such a genius were to die while under his supervision, he would truly become a sinner for all eternity.

The three who were awake sat in a circle. They didn't light a campfire, nor did they enter their tents, simply listening to the roars of the beasts in the darkness while watching the stars and the moon.

Before long, Lin Yan, who had been unconscious, finally began to regain his senses.

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling a dull ache still lingering in his internal organs, but the scene before him was enough to make him forget the pain.

Lying on Wen Ruan's lap, the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was a dizzying sight.

Perhaps because it was late, everyone was drowsy, and the young girl holding Lin Yan had just drifted off, accidentally pressing her assets directly against Lin Yan's face.

"Mmph—"

Lin Yan was suffocated, unable to breathe. Just as he tried to open his mouth to gasp for air, her clothing brushed against his lips.

The accidental contact caused Wen Ruan to wake up instantly.

The girl hurriedly straightened her posture, finally allowing Lin Yan to get a breath of fresh air.

"Lin Yan! You're finally awake!"

She blurted out instinctively, immediately drawing the attention of Zhao Wuji and Ma Hongjun.

Lin Yan didn't get up right away; instead, before the other two could look over, he pulled Wen Ruan's jacket up to her chest.

Only then did Wen Ruan notice that during the time Lin Yan had been struggling, his saliva had soaked her clothes...

"I... I'm so sorry!"

In the night, the girl's cheeks turned as red as if they had been scorched by fire, and she hurriedly looked away.

It was at this moment that Zhao Wuji also rushed to Lin Yan's side.

He didn't care why Wen Ruan had scrambled away the moment Lin Yan woke up; he simply grabbed Lin Yan by the shoulders.

"What's going on? Why would obtaining an External Spirit Bone cause you to be injured?"

Lin Yan heard this and pulled his lips into a bitter arc. He sighed and said, "The first time I unfurled the Dragon Wings, the External Spirit Bone shifted my internal organs out of place."

To be honest, when he looked inward and realized the reason for the strange changes in his body, he was left speechless himself.

The external spirit bone, Dragon Wings, was simply too large; during the process of forming within his body, it had shifted his internal organs into a chaotic mess. This was the reason why he had suddenly fainted after spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Across from him, Zhao Wuji let out a long sigh of relief after receiving this explanation, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropping.

"You brat! You scared the life out of me."

"It's a good thing you're in no danger, otherwise I would have been forced to take the blame for this, whether I liked it or not."

Lin Yan gave a dumbfounded smile. Even he hadn't expected such a dramatic outcome; it seemed he couldn't be too flashy, or else joy would easily turn into sorrow.

"By the way, little senior sister..."

He turned his head to look at Wen Ruan, at which point Zhao Wuji seized the opportunity to interject.

"This girl has been watching over you all night. You little rascal, learning how to woo girls at such a young age."

Wen Ruan, who was busy tidying her clothes, turned bright red at the remark. Even in the dim light of the forest, Lin Yan could clearly see the trace of shyness in her eyes.

He walked up to Wen Ruan.

Recalling the awkward scene from just moments ago, Lin Yan felt a bit embarrassed, but with the two of them facing each other, he couldn't just say nothing.

After fidgeting for a moment, Lin Yan finally spoke slowly.

"How about it? You haven't obtained your second spirit ring yet, have you?"

"No~"

Receiving a positive answer, Lin Yan couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, then quickly turned his gaze back to Zhao Wuji.

"Teacher Zhao, tomorrow take me to the habitat of the ice-attribute sub-dragon species. I want to help little senior sister obtain her second spirit ring."

"Fine! I'd like to see just what kind of combat power your thousand-year first ring and this external spirit bone can actually unleash."

This time, Zhao Wuji agreed very readily.

Because Lin Yan's value had already surpassed that of an ordinary student; because of Lin Yan, even if he were asked to personally hunt a spirit beast for Wen Ruan, it wouldn't be out of the question.

It was, after all, just a matter of lifting a finger.

Wen Ruan, the protagonist of this matter, buried her head in her chest. On one hand, she was shy because of Lin Yan's kindness toward her, and on the other, she felt extremely awkward about her front.

At this moment, Lin Yan also saw that there was still his saliva remaining on the fabric over the girl's chest.

Recalling that he had even touched that area with his teeth just now, he also began to feel a bit embarrassed.

"Let me dry your clothes for you; otherwise, given the humidity at night, you'll likely be uncomfortable for a long time."

Wen Ruan did not refuse upon hearing this.

Of course, had she known Lin Yan's method of drying, she certainly would have refused.

Lin Yan pulled her a distance away from Zhao Wuji to the side of some bushes and said.

"It might get a little hot. If you feel uncomfortable, don't make a sound; it's easy for him to hear."

Wen Ruan didn't understand, and while she was still pondering the meaning of his words, a pair of small hands suddenly gripped her chest.

The next second, a scorching temperature radiated from his palms, clearly transmitting through her clothes onto her skin, and she instinctively tensed her body...

Wen Ruan looked at Lin Yan in disbelief, never expecting this guy to be so daring as to mess around at a time like this.

"You... what are you doing?"

"Helping you dry your clothes!"

Lin Yan looked completely matter-of-fact, making Wen Ruan, the person involved, feel a bit guilty, wondering if she was the one who was being impure.

In the end, she could only silently endure it...

Before long, the scorching heat finally dried the water stains on her clothes. Of course, the girl's body had also gradually gone limp during the process.

Deep in the night, the roars of wild beasts echoed in the surroundings, conveniently masking the girl's gasps...