Awakening, External Soul Bone

Outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, at Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, in the monitoring hall.

Xiao Ran stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed tightly on the massive soul-guided screen before him. On the screen, five points of light moved rapidly, representing the real-time positions of Xiao Cheng and the other four within the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"They've already encountered the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger." Leng Zhaoran held a teacup beside him, his expression calm, though a hint of concern lay hidden in his eyes. "The five little ones are cooperating quite well."

On the screen, the five points of light were surrounding the red point representing the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger, launching a coordinated assault. The battle appeared to be proceeding quite smoothly.

"Yes, the two children from the Qiangu Family are indeed quite capable." Xiao Ran gave an objective assessment. "Qiangu Dongfeng's Coiling Dragon Staff has already reached a respectable level."

Leng Zhaoran smiled and was about to say something when suddenly—

The battle on the screen changed drastically!

The red point representing the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger suddenly erupted with energy fluctuations far beyond anything it had shown before. Two of the five points—Qiangu Qingfeng and Qiangu Dongfeng—dimmed almost simultaneously before vanishing from the screen!

"What?!" Leng Zhaoran shot to his feet, spilling tea from his cup.

Xiao Ran's expression instantly turned grave. "It was hiding its strength! That beast actually knew how to lure its enemies in!"

The two exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other's eyes. This Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger was far more intelligent than they had expected!

Immediately afterward, the point representing Leng Yulai also disappeared from the screen. She had been teleported out.

Then, the points representing Leng Yaozhu and Xiao Cheng simultaneously emitted teleportation signals.

"They're coming out." Xiao Ran relaxed slightly.

However, just as the teleportation light was about to activate—

A suffocating wave of immense dark energy erupted from the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger's location! The image on the screen was instantly swallowed by darkness, and even the points representing Xiao Cheng and Leng Yaozhu became extremely faint within it!

"Dark Sky Curtain?!" Leng Zhaoran's face changed dramatically. "That Scorpion Tiger was hiding this move too!"

Xiao Ran's heart leaped into his throat. He could see that under the suppression of the Dark Sky Curtain, the teleportation light was being greatly delayed. Meanwhile, the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger was charging toward the two at incredible speed!

"Cheng'er! Hurry!" Xiao Ran clenched his fists so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms.

Just then—

A dark-purple light suddenly flared on the screen!

Though faint, that light carried an indescribable, heart-palpitating aura. It seemed to ignore the Dark Sky Curtain's suppression as it blossomed across the screen.

Then, the red point representing the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger vanished.

It vanished completely.

As if it had never existed at all.

The Dark Sky Curtain dispersed as well. The points representing Xiao Cheng and Leng Yaozhu were enveloped by teleportation light and disappeared from the screen.

The entire monitoring hall fell into dead silence.

"What... just happened?" Leng Zhaoran's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Xiao Ran said nothing, but complex light flickered in his eyes. He recognized that dark-purple glow—it felt somewhat like the Purple-Gold Mark he had glimpsed for an instant when Xiao Cheng's martial soul awakened a year and a half ago!

"Come on! Let's go see the children!" Xiao Ran turned first and strode outside.

Spirit Ascension Platform exit.

Five metal pods opened one after another.

Qiangu Qingfeng and Qiangu Dongfeng emerged first. Both were pale and listless. Although injuries sustained within the Spirit Ascension Platform would not carry over into reality, severe wounds still affected the mind. Furthermore, the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger possessed an evil attribute, and the evil aura carried by its attacks was especially effective against one's mental state.

Qiangu Qingfeng was doing better. His Purgatory Halberd martial soul could already control baleful energy and negative energy, granting him some resistance to evil aura, so he could barely remain standing. Qiangu Dongfeng, however, had to be helped out by the staff, his legs trembling badly.

"Dad..." When Qiangu Dongfeng saw Qiangu Dieting waiting at the door, he lowered his head in shame. Losing this time was not a big deal, given the gap in their strength, but being utterly outwitted by a soul beast made Qiangu Dongfeng feel deeply humiliated.

Qiangu Dieting's face remained calm, giving no indication of joy or anger. He merely said flatly, "Go back and recover properly. Losing is not important. What matters is knowing where you lost."

"Yes, Father." The Qiangu Brothers bowed respectfully and were helped away by the staff.

Immediately afterward, Leng Yulai's pod opened.

The moment the little girl came out, she burst into tears and threw herself at Leng Zhaoran. "Dad! Sister! Sister saved me..."

Leng Zhaoran quickly held his daughter and comforted her. "Don't panic, don't panic. Your sister is fine. She's coming out too."

As soon as he finished speaking, Leng Yaozhu's pod opened as well.

Leng Yaozhu lay inside the pod, her face pale as paper, though her breathing was relatively steady. She struggled to sit up on her own.

Leng Zhaoran hurried forward and carefully helped his daughter out, sending a stream of pure Soul Power into her body to examine her injuries.

"Thankfully, it's only some mental trauma. She'll be fine after resting for a while." Leng Zhaoran sighed in relief, though a trace of heartache still flashed through his eyes.

At that moment, the final pod opened.

Xiao Cheng's pod.

Xiao Ran strode forward, his eyes fixed tightly on the slowly opening pod door.

Inside, Xiao Cheng lay quietly, breathing evenly with a normal complexion. He looked as though he were simply asleep. Yet Xiao Ran could sense that some subtle change seemed to have occurred within his son's body.

"Cheng'er? Cheng'er?" Xiao Ran called softly.

Xiao Cheng's eyelids twitched, then slowly opened.

His eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he had just awakened from a long dream. He saw his father's concerned face, then the surroundings around him, and his awareness gradually returned.

The moment his consciousness returned, Xiao Cheng felt as if he had been hauled up from the depths of the sea.

His eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and he had to exert tremendous effort to open them. A snow-white ceiling met his gaze, while the faint hum of soul-guided equipment reached his ears.

"Dad... Dad?" Xiao Cheng's voice was a little hoarse.

He wanted to sit up, but his mind felt utterly exhausted, as though he had undergone three days and three nights of intense training without rest. What surprised him even more was that an unfamiliar power seemed to have appeared within him—cold and sharp, lurking at the base of his spine like a sleeping venomous scorpion.

"Cheng'er, you're awake. Don't talk. Drink this first." Xiao Ran handed him a potion that could stabilize his mind. Xiao Cheng accepted the cup and gulped it all down before finally feeling somewhat better.

"Yao... How are the others?" Xiao Cheng asked.

Xiao Ran sighed. "That girl Yao Zhu wasn't directly tainted by the evil aura. Her mind was mainly shaken up a little, and she'll be fine after a few days of rest. The two boys from the Qiangu Family directly endured the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger's attacks, but their lives aren't in danger either. As for that girl Yu Lai, she was basically uninjured. She was just frightened and cried after going back."

Hearing that, Xiao Cheng relaxed somewhat. Everyone was safe. That was already a blessing amid disaster.

"Right, Dad," Xiao Cheng suddenly remembered something. "That Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger..."

Xiao Ran's expression became somewhat strange. He fell silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before slowly saying, "That's what I need to talk to you about. Cheng'er, tell me honestly, what did you do at the end inside the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

Xiao Cheng froze and tried hard to recall what had happened. He only remembered the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger using Dark Sky Curtain, delaying his and Leng Yaozhu's teleportation. That Scorpion Tiger had pounced at them... Then his forehead grew hot, and he remembered nothing else.

"I don't remember." Xiao Cheng honestly shook his head. "I only remember that Scorpion Tiger charging at us, and then I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was here."

Xiao Ran studied him deeply, seemingly judging whether he was lying, but ultimately chose to believe him.

There was a trace of unconcealable astonishment in Xiao Ran's voice. "After that Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger used Dark Sky Curtain, for some reason, a streak of purple light appeared within it. Then, that Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger disappeared."

"However, I don't know if it was just my imagination, but that purple light felt somewhat like the Purple-Gold Mark that flashed across your forehead when your martial soul awakened a year and a half ago." Xiao Ran paused before adding that final sentence.

Though Xiao Cheng was somewhat surprised, he was not overly shocked.

That was because he had already guessed what the extra power at the base of his spine was. Most likely, it was the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger's External Soul Bone.

External Soul Bones were countless times rarer than ordinary soul bones! Ordinary soul bones were already treasures one could only encounter by chance, while External Soul Bones were the finest among soul bones. Not only could they grant soul masters additional abilities, but they could also evolve alongside their owners' growth. They were supreme treasures coveted in the dreams of countless soul masters!

Since the External Soul Bone had entered his body, there was naturally no need to discuss the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger's fate. It was just that the dark-purple glow was actually connected to the Purple-Gold Mark. Xiao Cheng did not doubt Xiao Ran's intuition. At Xiao Ran's level of cultivation, his instincts could sometimes be more trustworthy than what he saw with his own eyes.

Xiao Cheng did not hide the existence of the External Soul Bone in his body from Xiao Ran either. If he could not even trust his own father, then there was no one else in this world he could trust.

After hearing Xiao Cheng's explanation, Xiao Ran was somewhat surprised as well. He had not expected Xiao Cheng to obtain the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger's External Soul Bone.

"Don't worry. You can use this External Soul Bone without concern. I also guessed that it might have been your doing, but I told them that the dark-purple light was a special method your mother had left within your spirit, one that would activate on its own whenever you were in danger."

He paused before continuing, "However, Tower Master Qiangu and Vice Tower Master Leng are no fools. They should have noticed something and guessed that you might possess some secret. But since they don't know the specifics, they won't say much."

Xiao Cheng also silently praised his father for being reliable. The origins of that Purple-Gold Mark were simply too mysterious. If it were exposed, it might bring unnecessary trouble.

"Right, Dad," Xiao Cheng suddenly thought of a question. "What exactly was that Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger? I felt that it wasn't an ordinary thousand-year soul beast. Its intelligence and cunning were far too terrifying."

Xiao Ran fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "That Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger was indeed no simple creature. It was originally a ten-thousand-year Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger. The Spirit Pagoda once researched it, attempting to uncover the secrets of its ancestor—the legendary god-level soul beast, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. They used some rather brutal methods, but still found nothing.

"Its cultivation also fell to the thousand-year level, and it was sent into the Spirit Ascension Platform as a guardian. However, it retained the intelligence and combat experience of a ten-thousand-year soul beast. That is why it behaved so cunningly."

"A ten-thousand-year soul beast..." Xiao Cheng drew in a sharp breath. Top-tier soul beasts like the Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger were already extremely intelligent. Since it had once been a ten-thousand-year soul beast, its intellect would not be inferior to a human's. No wonder the five of them had been toyed with so thoroughly.

"It was already incredibly fortunate that you came out without anything serious happening." Xiao Ran patted his son's shoulder, a trace of lingering fear in his tone. "You must be more careful in the future. Don't let a momentary victory make you lower your guard. Remember this lesson well."

"I understand, Dad." Xiao Cheng nodded solemnly.

At that moment, a knock sounded from outside the door.

"Uncle Xiao, I heard Xiao Cheng woke up. Can I come in and see him?" A crisp female voice came from outside. It was Leng Yaozhu.

Xiao Ran smiled and shook his head, then rose and walked toward the door. "You young people talk. I have some matters to handle."

He opened the door. Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai stood outside. Leng Yaozhu's face was still somewhat pale, but she was in much better spirits, and concern shone in her beautiful eyes. Leng Yulai hid behind her sister with her head lowered, seemingly still embarrassed, knowing that she had held everyone back this time.

"Hello, Uncle Xiao." The two bowed together.

"Good, good. Go on in, but don't talk for too long. Let Cheng'er rest more." After saying that, Xiao Ran turned and left.

Leng Yaozhu led her younger sister into the hospital room. Seeing Xiao Cheng leaning against the headboard, his face still a little pale but his spirits seemingly good, she could not help but sigh in relief.

"Xiao Cheng, are you okay?" Leng Yaozhu walked to the bedside, looking him over from head to toe as she asked with concern. Then she held up five fingers. "Are you hurt anywhere? How many is this?"

"Of course it's five, Sister Yao Zhu. I just took a mental hit—I'm not stupid." Xiao Cheng rolled his eyes, then looked at Leng Yulai behind her. "Yu Lai, you came too. Are you okay?"

Leng Yulai raised her head, her eyes slightly red as she softly said, "I'm fine... I'm sorry, Xiao Cheng. It's all because I froze up back then. Sister and you nearly got hurt because of me..."

As she spoke, tears began gathering in her eyes again.

"Hey, don't cry, don't cry." Xiao Cheng hurriedly waved his hands. "Isn't everything fine now? Besides, if your sister hadn't saved you, I wouldn't have had the chance to play the hero and save a beauty. We turned misfortune into good fortune, right?"

Leng Yaozhu rolled her eyes, though the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted. Still, she stubbornly said, "Who needed you to save me? I could've dodged it myself!"

"Really? Then I won't save you next time. I'll just let the Scorpion Tiger eat you." Xiao Cheng said with mock grievance.

"You wouldn't dare!" Leng Yaozhu glared at him.

Watching the two bicker, Leng Yulai could not help letting out a giggle, and her tears retreated as well. She softly said, "Xiao Cheng, Sister, thank you for saving me."

"We're family. Why are you thanking us?" Leng Yaozhu rubbed her sister's hair, her tone gentle. "If you encounter danger in the future, remember to run away immediately. Don't stand there frozen, understand?"

"Mm! I understand!" Leng Yulai nodded vigorously.

The three chatted for a while longer. When Leng Yaozhu saw fatigue appear on Xiao Cheng's face, she stood to say goodbye. "Get some proper rest. Once you're better, we'll get together again."

"Alright, we'll get together then." Xiao Cheng agreed with a smile.

Only then did Leng Yaozhu nod in satisfaction and leave the hospital room with her sister.

The room became quiet again. Xiao Cheng lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the thrilling battle from yesterday replayed in his mind.

"Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger... External Soul Bone... Purple-Gold Mark... Could this be some perk of being a transmigrator? Then why didn't I have it in my past life? I can't figure it out."

He shook his head, temporarily casting these distracting thoughts aside. Closing his eyes, he began to sense the unfamiliar power lurking at the base of his spine.

"Once I've recovered, I'll study you properly."

Then, he fell into a deep sleep.