After returning to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Gu Xuan, Dugu Bo, and Dugu Yan did not linger for long. Following a brief meeting with Gu Rong, Gu Xuan took Ning Rongrong along and headed back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Gu Xuan still had an External Soul Bone waiting to be absorbed, and he needed a controlled environment to attempt hatching the dragon egg. Ultimately, he decided that the extreme conditions of the spring were the best place for his next stage of growth.
Gu Rong remained to guard the sect, but as a parting favor, he opened a spatial portal that teleported the group directly to the outskirts of the Sunset Forest. Gu Xuan watched the disappearing rift with nothing but envy—this soul skill was not only stylish but incredibly practical. He wondered why, in the original history, Gu Rong hadn't simply used such a portal to whisk Ning Fengzhi and the others away during their time of crisis instead of fleeing on foot.
While he couldn't wrap his head around that particular plot point, Gu Xuan didn't dwell on it. Real life was different from a novel, and as a traveler, his presence had already shifted the tides of fate.
Back in the Sunset Forest, Ning Rongrong was instantly captivated by the natural wonders. She dragged Dugu Yan around for an entire day of exploration before finally settling down to begin her cultivation. Gu Xuan hadn't brought her here for a vacation; he wanted to keep a close eye on her progress. At Rank 37 and with a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, Ning Rongrong could no longer be allowed to slack off.
To Gu Xuan's relief, this version of Ning Rongrong lacked the arrogant "Young Miss" temperament she possessed in the early parts of the original story. Though she didn't naturally love bitter cultivation, her diligence was commendable—likely spurred by the sight of Dugu Yan's ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring. Gu Xuan was more than happy to see her motivated; a powerful Ning Rongrong would be an invaluable asset in the battles to come.
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo went into seclusion the moment they arrived. With his toxins cleared and his soul power at the peak of Rank 91, he was aiming for Rank 92. With the help of the Soul Ascension Pill and the Barrier-Breaking Pill, he even had hopes of hitting Rank 93 by the time he emerged.
Once everyone was occupied, Gu Xuan finally turned to his own tasks. He had initially thought about placing the dragon egg directly into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but he quickly realized the egg couldn't withstand the two extreme primordial energies. If he forced it in, he'd end up with a hard-boiled egg rather than a dragon.
Instead, Gu Xuan dug a massive pit ten meters in diameter near the spring. He drained the refined blood of both the Sword-Winged Demon Dragon and the Greatclaw Tyrant Dragon into the pit. Using the power of the spring, he then refined the two massive dragon carcasses, distilling their essence before tossing them into the blood pool.
When everything was ready, he placed the dragon egg into the center of the pool. As expected, the egg began greedily absorbing the essence of the two 90,000-year soul beasts. This pool was a concentrated sea of dragon energy; once fully absorbed, the creature inside would surely undergo a terrifying transformation.
With the egg taken care of, Gu Xuan retrieved the External Soul Bone he had scavenged from the Sword-Winged Demon Dragon. The bone, a crystalline spine with eight sword-hilt protrusions, hummed with a sharp, murderous intent the moment it touched the air. The surrounding atmosphere felt as if it were being sliced into ribbons. Even with his Martial Soul active and his hands transformed into bone claws, Gu Xuan felt a sharp sting.
A 90,000-year External Soul Bone was worth no less than a 100,000-year soul bone. Gu Xuan sat cross-legged, focused his mind, and pressed the bone against his spine, circulating his soul power to begin the refinement.
The moment his energy made contact, the bone was drawn toward his back as if by a magnet, merging seamlessly with his own vertebrae. Gu Xuan hadn't expected the process to be so smooth. What he didn't realize was that since receiving the inheritance of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, his constitution was essentially that of a humanoid Dragon King. The bone, sharing the dragon lineage, felt no rejection; it practically scrambled to fuse with its new sovereign.
Instead of the agonizing pain usually associated with such fusions, Gu Xuan felt only warmth and comfort.
He lost track of time. When he finally opened his eyes, he was startled by a pair of large, curious eyes staring back at him. A face with a hint of baby fat was mere inches from his own, blinking cutely as he woke up.
"Brother Gu Xuan! You're finally awake!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her voice full of excitement.
Gu Xuan smiled helplessly. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"You've been sitting like this for a whole week!" Ning Rongrong replied. "At first, Sister Yan and I were worried sick. Especially when eight swords started growing out of your back—they look a bit like Grandpa Sword's Seven Kill Sword, but they have dragon scales on them."
Ignoring the swords for a moment, Gu Xuan looked toward Dugu Yan and saw the deep lingering worry in her eyes. Softening, he stood up and brushed the imaginary dust from his clothes. With a thought, the eight sharp blades retracted into his spine like a sheathed weapon.
He had fully mastered the bone and given it a name: the Sword Dragon Eight Wings.
"I'm fine, it's just my External Soul Bone," Gu Xuan said softly.
But a few words weren't enough to soothe their nerves. He began to explain the nature of the bone to them. While Dugu Yan knew where it came from, seeing eight lethal swords sprout from a human spine was still a jarring sight.
"Don't worry," Gu Xuan continued. "Not only have I mastered the Sword Dragon Eight Wings, but my soul power has also broken through from Rank 38 to Rank 40. I only need one more soul ring to become a Soul Ancestor."
The worry on Dugu Yan's face finally faded, replaced by curiosity. "Why does it look so natural on you? How did you master it so quickly? That soul bone came from a 90,000-year-old soul beast!"
Gu Xuan chuckled and patted his stomach. "Get me something to eat first, and I'll explain everything to you both over a meal."
(End of Chapter)
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