It was another morning. Wang Nan sat on his dorm bed, holding a Spirit Bone in his hand—the very one he had obtained from that spatial rift.
The black Spirit Bone shimmered with a luster. Wang Nan held it in his hand; its texture was fine yet exceptionally heavy, feeling like he was holding a piece of metal.
After a moment of contemplation, he put the Spirit Bone away and rose to walk towards the Sea God Pavilion. He couldn't identify the origin of this Spirit Bone, but there were always people with extensive knowledge. Moreover, absorbing a Spirit Bone at the Sea God Pavilion meant that even if something went wrong, there would be people to assist him.
Upon arriving at the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En was already sitting there, basking in the sunlight, and beside him, Wang Nan saw a familiar figure.
"Senior Brother Wang." Huo Yuhao was visibly excited upon seeing Wang Nan.
"Why are you here?"
"Senior Brother Wang, I…" Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Nan, then at Mu En, unsure whether he should speak.
Only after seeing Mu En nod did he open his mouth, "Senior Brother Wang, I have actually already become Mu Lao's disciple."
Wang Nan was not too surprised.
With twin spirits—one of which was a Body Spirit, and the other an Ultimate Spirit—possessing even one of these three talents would qualify one as a genius. Let alone Huo Yuhao, who possessed all three.
Furthermore, Mu En had always been looking for a successor, so taking Huo Yuhao as a disciple was also within expectations.
"Yuhao, you should go meditate in the Pavilion first."
"Yes, Teacher." Huo Yuhao nodded obediently. After glancing at Wang Nan, he entered the Sea God Pavilion.
"You've arrived."
Wang Nan looked at Mu En. At this moment, Mu En appeared even more aged, like any elderly person in their twilight years, with every word spoken seemingly requiring considerable effort.
"It's rare to see that expression on you." Mu En smiled. "But as you can see, I have taken on a very talented disciple, so I have no regrets."
"Of course, I am also very happy to have made a friend like you in my later years. Since I became bedridden, others who saw me either sympathized, pitied, or revered me, but rarely did anyone look at me as if there was no difference from anyone else, like you do."
"This reminds me of my friends from my youth. Back then, there was no hierarchy between us; we could talk freely, just like you and I now."
"Perhaps you don't even realize it yourself, but you truly are like a Dragon. Whether it's me or anyone else, your gaze has always been from a high vantage point, looking down. You must have gained something from your recent outing; I see you are gradually understanding your inner self."
"I suppose I did gain something." Wang Nan nodded and took out the Spirit Bone from his spirit tool.
Mu En glanced at it, not asking about its origin, but simply nodded slowly. "Indeed, if I'm not mistaken, this should be the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's left arm bone."
"I once obtained an arm bone from a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear as well, but mine was far inferior to yours. This one is already like metal; this Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's cultivation must have exceeded one hundred thousand years."
Wang Nan once again examined the Spirit Bone before him.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is also known as the peak of the Spirit Beast world, second only to the Dragon Clan. An adult Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear can even rival a true Dragon. This, being a one-hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone, must have been extremely precious even in Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago.
"If you wish to absorb this Spirit Bone, do it here. With me present, you will not be disturbed."
"Alright."
Wang Nan nodded and went to his usual meditation spot, sitting down cross-legged.
His entire body's spirit power circulated, and his mental force and spirit power gradually made contact with the Spirit Bone.
However, the next moment, a deafening roar echoed in his ears. Even with Wang Nan's mental force, his Sea of Consciousness was still in turmoil.
Although there are no spirit power rank restrictions for absorbing Spirit Bones, this particular Spirit Bone was clearly different.
Just at the moment of contact, this roar was already something an ordinary Spirit Master could not withstand. If it were a Spirit Master with lower mental force, this single roar could directly shatter their Sea of Consciousness.
Immediately following this, the spirit power within the Spirit Bone began to surge into Wang Nan's body.
This was the first time Wang Nan had felt such intense resistance within spirit power. It was as if he was truly facing a Spirit Beast. The violent spirit power surged wildly in his left arm, trying to break free from the restraints of his meridians.
This spirit power was quite domineering, but there was something even more domineering within Wang Nan's body.
The golden Coiling Dragon Staff had already appeared in Wang Nan's hand, and a golden dragon shadow slowly circled around him. His internal spirit power also seemed to be enraged, surging into his left arm and the Spirit Bone's power, "fighting" together.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's left arm bone finally underwent a change. The metal-like Spirit Bone began to slowly melt, transforming into a dark golden liquid that flowed into Wang Nan's left arm.
"Hmph—"
Wang Nan let out an involuntary grunt.
As the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's left arm bone integrated, Wang Nan's own bones felt as if they were being smashed inch by inch by a heavy object, and excruciating pain followed.
At this very instant, a vibrant green light illuminated from his embrace, and a rich life essence surged into his body.
However, this only made Wang Nan feel more pain. Before, it was just his arm being smashed; now, it felt like someone was roughly squeezing his bones back together.
His external chest bone also shimmered with light, and his entire body's blood, as if coated with a golden film, pumped into his left arm.
Wang Nan gritted his teeth, his brows furrowed, and sweat continuously seeped from his forehead, but he endured it after all. As time passed, he seemed to have grown somewhat accustomed to the pain in his left arm.
The power of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and Wang Nan's own power battled for an unknown duration. All that was known was that the bones in Wang Nan's left arm broke and healed, then healed and broke again, finally exhausting the last trace of will within the Spirit Bone.
A dark golden light emanated from Wang Nan's left arm, and a rich spirit power surged out from the Spirit Bone, entering Wang Nan's body.
Mu En, who was beside him, nodded gently, and the reclining chair beneath him swayed slightly.
Days passed, and Wang Nan was continuously enveloped in a layer of golden light, with only the color on his left arm being slightly darker.
The Golden Ancient Tree swayed in the wind, and the life essence flowed into Wang Nan's body, where he absorbed it all.
Finally, half a month later, the light on Wang Nan's body gradually began to recede, and the spirit power fluctuations slowly receded into his body.
Wang Nan opened his eyes. Under the influence of the Golden Ancient Tree, half a month of meditation did not make him feel the slightest discomfort. On the contrary, the spirit power within his body surged continuously, and he could feel that his spirit power was already approaching a barrier.
Rank 69—this was Wang Nan's current spirit power rank.
He clenched his left hand, feeling his left arm brimming with power. As expected, this one-hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone provided him with two Spirit Abilities: Barrier Break and Thousand Jin.