Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bone: Life Marrow

"Hmph!"

Watching the exhausted boy fall asleep, only to be carried from the carriage into the inn by his own daughter, Tang Hao's face turned ashen. Yet in the end, he still allowed the two little ones to stay in the same room before turning and leaving on his own.

Now that they had obtained their First Spirit Ring, the two little ones returning to Nuoding City were safe.

Tomorrow, Xiao San would head to Spirit Hall to register as a Spirit Master and receive her monthly Gold Soul Coin stipend.

At such a critical moment, he, as her father, had to make some move to draw Spirit Hall's attention.

Otherwise, if those fellows from Spirit Hall had nothing better to do, they might report Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass and Innate Full Soul Power.

Once information such as the Tang family, a Blue Silver Grass martial soul, and Innate Full Soul Power reached Spirit Hall's upper ranks, his Xiao San would be in trouble!

"Perfect. Watching those two little ones fight today has made my hands itch as well."

With a savage grin, Tang Hao clenched his right hand, and a heavy Clear Sky Hammer appeared within it.

The next instant, his figure vanished completely.

That night, countless Spirit Hall branches were destined to remain awake all night...

"Chirp... chirp..."

Only after several red marks had appeared on Lin Yue's face did Tang Yin finally stop. Her blazing cheeks pressed tightly against her beloved's chest, unwilling to part.

"Brother Lin, what were you doing just now? Why did you suddenly fall asleep in the carriage?"

"Ah, I was just..."

Looking embarrassed, Lin Yue scratched his head. Only then did he realize that the mental strain and energy consumed by the enhancement had made him appear to pass out.

He had been so absorbed in enhancing it that he had completely forgotten about the time outside.

Still, what he valued had finally fallen into his hands.

His spiritual sense swept over the dazzling Life Marrow inside his Soul Tool, and Lin Yue's heart trembled at the thought of it!

A Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bone! This was a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bone!

As long as he acquired something like an Enhancement Protection Coupon or an item that increased enhancement success rates in the future, this Spirit Bone would have a chance to advance completely to the Hundred Thousand Year level!

After taking several deep breaths, Lin Yue suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked toward the item at the very top of the system interface.

[Epic Quest: Different Paths]

[Quest Objective: Train Xiao San (Tang Yin) to compete against Tang San from the original world during the same period]

"System, what reward will I get if I succeed?"

Gritting his teeth, Lin Yue asked curiously.

An Epic Quest... This was even the system's only quest issued on its own initiative, rather than a commission formed from someone else's thoughts.

[If the protagonist cultivated by the host defeats Tang San, the host may seize Tang San's destiny and enhance the protagonist cultivated by the host]

[At the same time, the host will receive double destiny and additional rewards]

"What additional rewards?"

Destiny was intangible and difficult to cash in within a short period. These additional rewards were what Lin Yue could see—the most direct rewards!

[The first victory will grant one Fixed Enhancement Coupon, one random External Soul Bone reward, and one random equivalent reward]

"Hiss!!"

Lin Yue had just been wondering whether there were items like Fixed Enhancement Coupons that guaranteed a successful enhancement. He had never expected the reward for winning the first match to be such a treasure!

There was even an External Soul Bone reward, whose value was surpassed only by a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bone!!

Besides those two, there was also a random reward of nearly equal value as an additional surprise!!!

"No. I have to win this first match. There cannot be even the slightest possibility of failure!!"

Thinking that Tang San from the original novel might be forging some strange hidden weapon in the blacksmith shop, Lin Yue clenched his teeth, anxiety beginning to rise in his heart.

What if this challenge caused some butterfly effect in Xiao San from the original world and made him stronger?

With rewards of this level, any cost was worth paying. He had to be cautious. There could not be the slightest chance of failure!

Having made up his mind, Lin Yue let out a long breath and brushed his right hand across the spatial Soul Tool at his waist.

That was right. He was considering whether to give the Life Marrow to Tang Yin now.

In the original growth path, Xiao San would smoothly obtain all sorts of Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bones. All four limb bones were Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bones, while his only Ten Thousand Year head spirit bone, a mental Spirit Bone, merged with the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud during the Sea God trials and rose to the Hundred Thousand Year level, reaching its peak.

However, Xiao San in the original novel truly had no torso Spirit Bone before becoming a Titled Douluo or even reaching Sea God Island.

His torso Spirit Bone came from the million-year Soul Beast—the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.

Even when absorbing the spirit ring and Spirit Bone of that million-year Soul Beast, the Sea God had secretly intervened. Otherwise, the remnant soul of that Soul Beast alone would have been enough to give Xiao San a hard time.

In other words, if Tang Yin retraced Xiao San's old path, then her torso bone would remain empty until she became a Titled Douluo.

But since future matches would take place as time advanced, leaving it empty like this was clearly an enormous waste.

Even if she used this Ten Thousand Year torso bone, once she reached the final stage, the Sea God could still strip it away or fuse and strengthen it with the million-year Demonic Whale King's Spirit Bone.

Or perhaps...

Looking at the bewildered Ah Yin, a terrifying plan suddenly surfaced in Lin Yue's mind—

He might be able to raise this Life Marrow to the million-year level!!

As for the million-year Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's Spirit Bone, naturally, he could gladly take it for himself!

This way, not only would the Spirit Bone's attributes match perfectly, but Ah Yin's combat strength would receive the greatest possible boost early on, completely eliminating the possibility that she might lose to the original Xiao San.

Although Ah Yin was already very strong, there was no guarantee that Xiao San over there would not encounter some fortuitous opportunity. To be safe, Xiao San, you'll have to work hard and endure Ah Yin's beating.

The corner of his mouth rose. Having made his decision, Lin Yue extended his hand, took the crystalline, dazzling Spirit Bone from the Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon, and held it out before Tang Yin.

The instant the Spirit Bone appeared in the guest room, a faint emerald-blue glow illuminated the entire space. It immediately drew the girl's attention!

Seeing this, Tang Yin's pupils constricted as she murmured in disbelief:

"Th-this... what is this?"

The vast, boundless aura of life on the Spirit Bone actually caused the source of her Blue Silver Grass to stir faintly!

Especially the sense of familiarity coming from the Spirit Bone—it even made her First Spirit Ring resonate slightly.

"Could this be a Spirit Bone?"

Without touching the divine object floating before her, the girl bit her lip and stared at Lin Yue with a face full of shock.

Ah Yin had once read scattered records concerning Spirit Bones in the academy library. She was certain that her judgment was correct. She simply did not understand where Brother Lin had obtained such a priceless treasure!

"That's right. This is a Spirit Bone. I prepared it for you, so absorb it. It should suit your Blue Silver Grass and First Spirit Ring very well."

As he spoke, Lin Yue revealed a faint smile. He had long since made plans for Ah Yin's development.

The Blue Silver Grass would follow a path of ultimate vitality, strengthening itself, endlessly renewing and inexhaustible.

The Clear Sky Hammer, on the other hand, would follow another path of ultimate offense—absolute slaughter, brewing destruction, smashing everything apart.

Possessing two top-tier martial souls while following two ultimate paths at once, allowing her Soul Power to merge and making her equally adept at attack and defense—this was the path most suited to Ah Yin in Lin Yue's plan.

Not to mention anything else, this plan and development would certainly be far superior to that damn master Yu Xiaogang's planning...

"But something as important as a Spirit Bone..."

The instant Tang Yin reached out and touched the Spirit Bone, her expression changed dramatically, and she jerked her hand back as though shocked by lightning.

That overwhelming vitality, that attraction she craved to the extreme...

There was no doubt that her Blue Silver Grass was instinctively yearning for that dense life force.

Tang Yin even vaguely sensed that if she successfully absorbed this Spirit Bone, her Blue Silver Grass would undergo some astonishing transformation.

But shouldn't such an important Spirit Bone be absorbed by Brother Lin himself?

"Enough, don't worry about it. This Spirit Bone is filled with immense life force, so it suits your Blue Silver Grass best. It doesn't fit my martial soul very well, and it wouldn't be of much use even if I absorbed it."

Seeing Tang Yin struggle as she looked at him, Lin Yue understood what was on her mind. He smiled, his expression utterly calm and without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing her beloved like this, the softest place in Tang Yin's heart was struck hard once again, and her entire body began to tremble faintly.

This was a priceless treasure that ordinary Spirit Masters would slaughter one another for until rivers of blood flowed. A Spirit Bone that could turn father against son, or even cause an entire faction to collapse...

Yet before Brother Lin, he gave it to her so easily.

Did she truly deserve such favor and care?

No, she did!

At that thought, Tang Yin's face flushed crimson. Rather than touching the Spirit Bone on the ground, she pounced forward and tightly wrapped her arms around Lin Yue's neck.

Because even she herself... should belong entirely to Brother Lin.

"Brother Lin, I'll teach you the Mysterious Heaven Skill right now."

The girl breathed softly, her eyes sparkling like stars.

"Ah? Aren't you going to think it over a little more?"

"No, I'm teaching you now."

With her cheeks puffed out, Tang Yin's entire body burned hot, yet she clung tightly to Lin Yue and refused to let go.

"Ah, all right."

Recalling the slight sluggishness and difficulty he had experienced while absorbing the Spirit Ring earlier, Lin Yue nodded.

Indeed, among Tang Sect's many cultivation methods, the thing most useful to him was undoubtedly the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

As Arad's Sword Saint, he could do everything. He lacked neither moves nor combat techniques. Only this internal cultivation method—the Mysterious Heaven Skill—could genuinely help him.

While he pondered, a thought suddenly sprang into Lin Yue's mind—

"Since the Universal Amplifier can enhance anything, could I enhance the Mysterious Heaven Skill and raise it into an even more powerful cultivation method?"

But when he saw Tang Yin, her face faintly red, extend her delicate hand and fumble around his body as though she were about to remove his outer clothes, Lin Yue's eyes widened. He immediately covered his collar and said in panic.

"Wait, aren't you teaching me the Mysterious Heaven Skill? Why are you taking off my clothes?"

"This is to point out the meridians Brother Lin's internal energy must travel through... It's a necessary step for passing on the technique."

"Is that so?!"

That wasn't how it was written in the books from my previous life, hey!!

"It is. This is so I can better teach Brother Lin the technique through direct practice."

Her cheeks flushed red, Tang Yin beckoned with her left hand. As Blue Silver Grass emerged, her dark yellow Spirit Ring flickered faintly. Her lips parted slightly.

"Brother Lin... don't resist. It'll be over soon... It won't hurt..."

The rapidly expanding Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the entire room, completely drowning out Lin Yue's muffled cries of resistance...