The Snow Empress's Gift: Opening the Sea of Spirit

It was a head spirit bone, translucent ice-blue throughout, as though forged from the purest frozen ice.

Faint golden patterns flowed across its surface, dense and intricate like the natural markings on an ice silkworm, emitting a soft glow.

Most eye-catching was the core of the spirit bone, where a cloud of golden light seemed to drift slowly. It was the mark of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

"This is..." Jing Hongchen's pupils contracted slightly.

"A hundred-thousand-year Golden-Pattern Ice Silkworm head spirit bone." Snow Empress spoke lightly, her gaze settling on Yan Hongchen.

"This soul beast possesses both spiritual and ice attributes. Back then, to make Bing'er a little happier and avoid wasting resources, I fed it several ten-thousand-year ice marrows until it reached a hundred thousand years."

"Later, Bing'er tortured it for a while, until all the ice-attribute essence in its body had dissipated. Its spiritual energy was of no use anyway, and it couldn't withstand the two of us playing with it, so we ate it together in the end."

"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast is guaranteed to produce a spirit bone. That ice silkworm produced this one. It only retains the spiritual attribute and can greatly enhance spiritual power. Consider it a gift from me to that little fellow."

Jing Hongchen kept his expression steady, but inwardly, he was anything but calm. This was a hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone! Liu Yueming's fifty-thousand-year one had already been top-tier; this was a hundred thousand years!

Though he had no idea what kind of spirit bone skill such a useless soul beast as an ice silkworm could produce, if word of this got out, it would be enough to stir up a bloody storm!

Snow Empress actually intended to give it away just like that?

"Senior," Jing Hongchen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and wariness in his heart as he cupped his hands. "This is far too precious. We..."

"When I give something, do I need your approval?" Snow Empress cast Jing Hongchen an indifferent glance. The chill in her eyes instantly made him shut his mouth.

Yan Hongchen had already brought Yi Hongchen and Liu Yueming over to Jing Hongchen. He had heard more or less everything that had just been said.

Snow Empress looked back at Yan Hongchen, anticipation surfacing in her eyes as she teased, "Are you afraid of this gift?"

Yan Hongchen met her gaze and suddenly smiled. His smile held a response to Snow Empress's goodwill, as well as a composure that did not match his age.

"I'm not." Yan Hongchen believed Snow Empress would not set him up. Gratefully, he said, "This junior could not ask for more than Senior Snow Empress's gift."

Snow Empress had not expected Yan Hongchen to trust her so much. She continued, "Even if this spirit bone's skills are the ice silkworm's innate skill, Mimicry, and another unknown spirit bone skill, you still aren't afraid of wasting this spirit bone slot?"

Mimicry! Yan Hongchen's heart shook violently. Through spiritual fluctuations, it could use oneself as the foundation to distort space and mimic all sorts of forms, even imitating another person's aura, soul power fluctuations, and perhaps even martial soul traits. If used properly, it was the perfect disguise for moving through the world!

He had actually considered choosing a soul ring with this soul skill for himself. If a spirit bone skill could provide it as well, that would be even better. It was simply that this head spirit bone would not grant him an offensive spirit bone skill, but rather one inclined toward support.

Yan Hongchen did not believe Snow Empress acted without reason. She must have some deeper intention in doing this. Even if it was a test of obedience, he was determined to take this spirit bone!

"I'm not afraid. Spirit bones are hard to come by. If Senior Snow Empress is willing to give it to me, then I dare to accept it."

Snow Empress directly held the spirit bone out before Yan Hongchen. "It's yours."

Yan Hongchen extended both hands and solemnly accepted the hundred-thousand-year spirit bone. The instant his fingertips touched it, a strange spiritual fluctuation surged from within it, creating a subtle resonance with the Phantom Water Spirit Toad inside him!

He seemed to hear a distant voice calling to him, waiting for him, and... summoning him?

Snow Empress nodded faintly, a trace of satisfaction flashing through her eyes. "Absorb it here." Her tone allowed no question. "I'll protect you. Bing'er, help me keep watch outside."

Then, addressing Yan Hongchen, she said, "Absorbing the spirit bone first will benefit you. Otherwise, if you really die from absorbing the soul ring later, I truly won't be able to find a second person anytime soon."

Finally, she glanced at Jing Hongchen and the others, saying coolly, "Step back. Do not disturb him."

Jing Hongchen and the other two exchanged looks. Though doubts still lingered in their hearts, they did not dare disobey. They retreated several yards and watched Yan Hongchen in the center with tense expressions.

Snow Empress used the Snow Dance Radiant Sun Domain to isolate all surrounding interference while protecting Yan Hongchen.

Feeling the surroundings fall silent, Yan Hongchen knew this was Snow Empress's kindness. He sat down cross-legged and gently pressed the hundred-thousand-year spirit bone against his forehead.

"Focus." Snow Empress's voice sounded beside his ear, cold and calm. "Release your martial soul. Use your spiritual power to establish a connection between yourself and the spirit bone."

Yan Hongchen took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and slowly released the Phantom Water Spirit Toad. A small spirit toad landed on his shoulder, its pale-blue translucent body gleaming beneath the snowy light.

It seemed to sense the spirit bone as well. A strange gleam flashed through its Glazed Rainbow Eyes, and it let out a soft croak as Yan Hongchen used his spiritual power to make contact with the spirit bone.

The spirit bone began to shine. At first, the light was a faint ice-blue, but it gradually deepened before finally transforming into a dazzling golden pillar that enveloped Yan Hongchen's entire head.

Yan Hongchen only felt an incomparably vast surge of spiritual energy flood into his mind like a tidal wave!

"Do not resist." Snow Empress's voice rang out again, entering Yan Hongchen's mind. "Guide it. Fuse with it. Make it part of yourself."

A trace of deliberation entered Snow Empress's voice. "I will guide you in opening up your own sea of spirit."

Sea of spirit! That was a realm only accessible once a soul master's cultivation had reached a certain level, a space created when spiritual power condensed to a sufficient degree!

For ordinary soul masters, unless they specialized in spiritual power, they could likely only successfully open one up after reaching Soul King, and it would be no more than a small lake, depending on the quality of their martial soul and their own circumstances.

Yan Hongchen's current strength was insufficient for such a feat, but the spiritual power and soul power enhancement from a hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone made it possible.

Her voice carried a strange calming power as she transmitted to him, "Feel the spiritual energy within the spirit bone and guide it into your brain. That is the gateway to the sea of spirit."

Yan Hongchen followed her instructions. He sensed the vast, ocean-like spiritual energy within it. Those energies were gentle and obedient, as if they had long been awaiting his summons. He guided them, gathering them bit by bit within his brain.

The depths of his mind had originally been a chaotic void, but the moment that spiritual energy poured in, the void seemed to light up. It began slowly rotating, expanding, and taking shape.

"Opening a sea of spirit is like opening up a world of one's own." Snow Empress's voice continued.

"The foundation must be steady, and you must not be impatient. Your martial soul possesses both spiritual and water attributes. Try turning your spiritual power into trickling streams that gradually soak into that chaos, rather than a raging flood that destroys everything."

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Yan Hongchen's forehead. He could feel that, under the guidance of his energy, the chaos was gradually becoming clear. Countless strands of spiritual energy poured into it, transforming into a steadily expanding, shimmering sea of spirit.

The spirit bone gradually shifted from ice-blue to gold before finally turning into a streak of light that completely merged into his head, echoing with the sea of spirit that was being opened within him.

Boom—

Yan Hongchen's consciousness went blank. His entire being seemed to be suspended within a boundless void.