The Ice Dragon King's Gift

Tang San's first year at Nouding Academy was drawing to a close.

Before long, the holidays would begin.

In less than a year, Tang San had made great progress.

His Soul Power had risen from rank thirteen to the peak of rank fifteen, just one step from rank sixteen.

More important than that increase was his growing mastery of his First Soul Skill.

By now, Tang San could use Blue Silver Enhancement skillfully, making his attacks varied and unpredictable.

He had also shown Ling Han some simple Hidden Weapons he had devised. Combined with Blue Silver Grass, they caught opponents off guard.

Ling Han had not been idle either.

After consolidating his Soul Power, he had steadily advanced to the peak of rank seventy-nine.

Gaining nearly four ranks in less than a year was not especially fast for a Soul Saint with an Ultimate Attribute, but his progress was steady.

Today, Ling Han planned to return to the Sunset Forest.

Partly, he wanted to see Dugu Bo. He also needed to retrieve something.

"Xiao San, I'll be away for a while. If I'm not back before the holidays, go home first. You'll see me when school starts again."

Tang San was no longer a child, so he did not press for details. He simply nodded. "All right, Teacher. Have a safe trip."

After leaving Nuoding City, Ling Han flew straight toward the Sunset Forest.

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Bo lounged in a rocking chair with his eyes closed, thoroughly at ease.

Just then, Ling Han dropped from the sky with a thud, landing before him in a cloud of dust.

"Cough, cough! Who dares ambush this old man? Got a death wish?"

Dugu Bo rose as if furious, though he had not even released his Martial Soul.

He knew Ling Han had returned.

"Old Monster, stop pretending. You know my presence when you sense it."

Caught out, Dugu Bo's anger vanished, replaced by a grin.

"Hahaha! Little Monster, you're finally back. Yan Yan's been asking me about you nonstop!"

Ling Han smiled and walked into the nearby house with Dugu Bo.

"Old Monster, most of the poison in your body is gone, isn't it? Why do you still stay here every day?"

With the top-tier medical knowledge the system had given him, Ling Han had cured both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan.

After taking an Immortal Herb, Dugu Bo had reached the peak of rank ninety-four. He was one step away from becoming a rank ninety-five Super Douluo.

But breaking through from Titled Douluo to Super Douluo was no easy feat.

"You brat, since when do you get to tell me what to do? I've lived here for years. Can't I stay if I want to?"

Ling Han smiled and waved a hand. "Suit yourself. As long as you're happy. But I didn't come back just to catch up. I have something important to do."

With that, Ling Han stood and left the house.

He went to the Cold Spring within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

As he gazed at it, anticipation stirred in his eyes.

He had returned for the Ice Dragon King Soul Bone at the bottom of the spring.

How could someone who possessed the Ice Dragon King Martial Soul pass up the Ice Dragon King's Soul Bone?

No one in the world was better suited to absorbing it than Ling Han.

With that thought, Ling Han hesitated no longer and released his Martial Soul.

Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red. Seven Soul Rings rose slowly around him.

The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul appeared, seeming to resonate with the Cold Spring.

Dugu Bo came out after him but made no move to stop him.

He knew Ling Han had his own plans and would not interfere.

The Seventh Soul Ring beneath Ling Han's feet lit up. "Seventh Soul Skill: Dragon King Avatar!"

A resounding dragon's roar rang out, making even Dugu Bo, not far away, jolt.

The next moment, Ling Han transformed into an Ice Dragon, soared into the sky, then plunged into the Cold Spring.

The Ice Dragon vanished into the spring in an instant.

As Ling Han descended, coolness washed over him in waves.

But that was all it was: coolness.

He possessed the Ice Dragon King Martial Soul. The chill was merely energy leaking from the Ice Dragon King's remains, and it could not affect him.

Ling Han followed the spring downward and soon neared its bottom.

Amid the unbroken ice-blue depths, an enormous skeleton appeared.

The Ice Dragon King's remains!

Delighted, Ling Han swam farther down.

A moment later, he reached the remains.

A Dragon King's skeleton was magnificent.

Ling Han was already enormous in his Martial Soul Avatar, yet beside the Ice Dragon King, he was dwarfed.

He began searching for the Ice Dragon King's Soul Bone.

It was not in the head or the limbs.

That left only the torso.

As he approached, he saw an ice-blue glow emanating from it.

"There really is a Soul Bone!"

Ling Han was overjoyed. The Ice Dragon King had left behind a Soul Bone—and it was a torso bone.

Without hesitation, Ling Han released his Martial Soul Avatar and reached for the Ice Dragon King's torso bone.

"Forgive me, Senior Ice Dragon King!"

He gripped it with both hands and pulled hard, trying to remove it.

To his surprise, the torso bone came free with remarkable ease.

As though it belonged to him, Ling Han removed it effortlessly.

Once freed, the enormous bone began to shrink until it was the size of a normal torso bone.

Ling Han realized at once what had happened.

"Thank you, Senior Ice Dragon King!"

Even without its torso bone, the Ice Dragon King's remains stood firm.

The empty sockets of the dragon's eyes seemed to watch Ling Han.

Ling Han took the torso bone and swam upward without delay.

Dugu Bo was waiting beside the Cold Spring.

When Ling Han emerged, Dugu Bo hurried over and looked him up and down.

Only after confirming Ling Han was unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Why'd you dive down there all of a sudden? Was there treasure below?"

Ling Han nodded with a mysterious smile. "Old Monster, you guessed it!"

Ling Han had no reason to hide it from Dugu Bo.

He brought out the ice-blue torso bone and showed it to him.

"I found this down there."

Dugu Bo stared at the ice-blue torso bone, dumbfounded.

"Is that... a Soul Bone?!"

Ling Han nodded. "I'm going to absorb it now. Keep watch for me."

Dugu Bo nodded and did not look at the Soul Bone again.

Ling Han had saved both his life and his granddaughter's. Dugu Bo would not covet anything of his, not even a Soul Bone.

Ling Han sat cross-legged and began absorbing it.

The moment the Ice Dragon King's torso bone touched him, it merged into his body.

Brilliant light burst from Ling Han's torso, and the temperature around him plummeted.

Meanwhile, Ling Han's consciousness had entered his Sea of Consciousness.

I'm absorbing a Soul Bone. Why am I in my Sea of Consciousness?

As Ling Han wondered, a figure appeared before him.

It was not a person, but a dragon—an ice-blue dragon.

Ling Han stared at him in shock. He looked exactly like Ling Han's Ice Dragon King Martial Soul!