The Spirit Ring gradually condensed into shape, black tinged with red, hovering above the Blue Silver King's corpse.
That crystalline blue bone and blue pearl floated quietly at the very center of the Spirit Ring, made all the more mysterious by its radiance.
Demon Subduing Douluo stared at the blue bone, both shocked and delighted.
"That's a Spirit Bone! That old monster truly was extraordinary. With more than eighty thousand years of cultivation, it actually dropped something this good upon death!"
As Demon Subduing Douluo spoke, he raised both hands.
Two gentle streams of Soul Power respectively wrapped around the Spirit Bone and pearl, drawing them both into his palms.
He held the Spirit Bone in his left hand and cradled the pearl in his right.
He carefully sensed the energy contained within them.
"This is a wisdom-type Spirit Skull containing exceptionally pure spiritual power. No wonder that old monster, despite having only eighty-five thousand years of cultivation, had awakened its intelligence early and could speak human language. This pearl contains immense life energy. Here, feel it for yourself."
As he spoke, Demon Subduing Douluo handed over both the blue pearl and the skull.
Ye Han accepted them with both hands and examined them carefully.
Sure enough, the Spirit Bone contained pure spiritual power, while the pearl contained immense life energy.
Demon Subduing Douluo's gaze shifted repeatedly between the Spirit Ring, Spirit Bone, and Ye Han. Then he suddenly exclaimed in delight.
"Kid, your Soul Power has reached rank forty-nine. After fusing with this skull, you should be able to break through the bottleneck at rank fifty! You might even still have time to absorb this Spirit Ring!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became.
"Your fifth Spirit Ring would then be fifty thousand years old, and your physical strength would far surpass that of ordinary people. Once you fuse with this eighty-five-thousand-year Spirit Skull, your spiritual power will also rise drastically. You should be able to withstand its energy impact! This is a heaven-sent opportunity!"
Ye Han shook his head.
"Grandpa Demon Subduing, although this Spirit Ring contains immense life energy, it isn't suitable for me. This Spirit Bone is pretty good, though. I can fuse with it first."
For such a crucial area as the head, he should theoretically have matched it with an even better Spirit Bone.
But Ye Han had his own considerations.
To ordinary Soul Masters, this eighty-five-thousand-year Spirit Skull was unquestionably a top-tier treasure.
But to him, a transmigrator, it was clearly not enough.
A Spirit Bone needed to be at least a hundred thousand years old to deserve such a crucial position as the head.
Fortunately, this was a pure spiritual Spirit Skull, similar to the Wisdom Skull of Spiritual Condensation awarded to the champion of the Soul Master Tournament.
Perhaps they could be fused together in layers.
If he obtained similar Spirit Skulls in the future, perhaps he could continue stacking them to improve them further.
Thus, he could fuse with this skull first as a temporary measure.
After fusing with it, he could try challenging a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring for his fifth ring.
Ye Han lowered his head to look at the blue pearl in his hand.
"This Core Pearl seems to contain the essence of that old monster's cultivation from when it was alive. We can bring it back for Grandpa Qian Jun to refine and absorb, helping him break through his Soul Power bottleneck."
"Fine, we'll do as you say. But it's still a pity to give up this eighty-five-thousand-year Spirit Ring."
Ye Han smiled faintly, his expression calm.
"There's nothing to regret. Perhaps there are better ones. After I fuse with this Spirit Skull, I might be able to absorb a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring."
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring?!"
Demon Subduing Douluo was startled when he heard that.
"Kid, are you serious? Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts aren't easy to find!"
Ye Han nodded and said calmly.
"There are Soul Beasts over a hundred thousand years old in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, and there are quite a few of them. I know a place where two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts live. But the two of us definitely won't be enough. Let's go back and find Grandpa Qian Jun. Then the three of us can go together."
"Two Soul Beasts with over a hundred thousand years of cultivation?!"
Demon Subduing Douluo was immediately intrigued.
"Good, good, good! Haha~~ Then hurry up and fuse with the Spirit Bone. I'll guard you. The Blue Silver Grass in this forest is rich in energy and can help you fuse with it faster!"
"Mm. I'll put this pearl away first and give it to Grandpa Qian Jun after we return."
Ye Han said no more and stored the pearl in the Seven-Star Dragon-Pattern Belt at his waist.
Then he found an open space and sat down cross-legged.
Holding the crystalline blue skull in both hands, he activated his Soul Power and spiritual power, beginning to guide its spiritual power toward his head.
Demon Subduing Douluo was somewhat surprised.
He sensed a trace of spiritual fluctuations emanating from Ye Han.
Those spiritual fluctuations were extremely distinct.
One had to know that this youth was not yet sixteen years old.
Yet his spiritual power already rivaled that of an ordinary seven-ring Soul Saint.
He truly was a peerless genius!
Ye Han had previously fused with the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone.
Now, this Spirit Skull that shared the same origin as the Blue Silver Emperor seemed, in his perception, to resonate wondrously with the right leg bone.
They shared the same origin and echoed each other, making the fusion process exceptionally smooth.
The skull transformed into specks of blue light and gradually merged into Ye Han's brow.
Vast spiritual power surged into his Sea of Consciousness like a tide.
He felt his spiritual power rapidly rising, while his Sea of Spirit grew even broader.
Demon Subduing Douluo stood guard nearby, vigilantly watching the surroundings.
He saw a layer of blue-gold radiance gradually light up around Ye Han.
The radiance grew brighter and brighter, enveloping Ye Han completely.
The surrounding Blue Silver Grass seemed to receive some kind of summons. Though there was no wind, it swayed on its own, gathering the life energy it emitted toward Ye Han.
Countless blue motes flowed into Ye Han's body like rivers returning to the sea, helping him accelerate the fusion.
"What a strange kid. He always finds fortuitous encounters..."
Demon Subduing Douluo murmured softly, his eyes full of gratification.
Several hours later.
Ye Han suddenly opened his eyes, and two flashes of blue light shot from them before vanishing.
He felt as though everything outside had changed.
Every color had become more layered.
Not even the slightest changes in his surroundings could escape his spiritual perception.
"Kid, you've finally finished fusing with the skull! How is it? What does it feel like?"
As Demon Subduing Douluo spoke, he extended his right hand and pulled Ye Han to his feet.
Feeling the surging spiritual power in his mind and the Soul Power boost brought by the Spirit Bone, Ye Han smiled.
"My Soul Power has indeed broken through the rank-fifty bottleneck, and my spiritual power has risen drastically. My perception is several times stronger than before, and I've also gained a soul-impact-type skull skill. It can act directly on the spiritual level, suppressing and attacking opponents with spiritual power."
"That's wonderful! At your rate of growth, you'll probably catch up to old fellows like us before long. Haha~~"
The sky gradually darkened.
But neither of them intended to stop and rest.
They shot into the sky and flew toward Spirit City.
After fusing with this Spirit Skull, Ye Han's spiritual power had reached the level of a Title Douluo. Both his body and spiritual power were sufficient to withstand the energy impact of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.
Before you continue