Through the Hell Road—defeating the Darkgolden Three-Headed Bat King, slaying the Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Serpent, and enduring the oppressive aura of the path, Chen Feng had consumed an enormous amount of soul power.
Crossing a thousand-meter-wide blood sea was no easy feat.
Sword-riding flight seemed risky under the current circumstances.
But—where there's a will, there's a way.
Chen Feng quickly devised a plan.
First, he used his Seven Kill Sword to lift himself toward the cavern ceiling. Then, activating his Eight Spider Lances, he leaped with force, eight sharp spider legs pierced the rocky ceiling like tofu, anchoring him in place. His body flipped, now hanging upside down against the cavern wall.
The cave ceiling was rugged and uneven, but for the Eight Spider Lances, it posed no threat.
Dangling upside-down, Chen Feng advanced smoothly and steadily across the thousand-meter span—as if walking on level ground—until he reached the exit.
Scaling down the cliffside, he stepped onto the glowing portal.
At that moment, a mysterious force seemed to tug at the killing aura within him.
Chen Feng turned and glanced at the long path behind him.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the light.
The moment his body passed through the white light curtain, everything around him changed.
Fresh air—something he hadn't tasted in nearly a year—rushed into his lungs.
The scent of flowers drifted by.
In the distance, birds chirped.
Chen Feng felt as if he'd just awoken from a lifetime in a nightmare.
After eleven months in Slaughter City, this return to the human world made every pore on his body tingle with life.
He opened his arms and closed his eyes, as if embracing the world itself.
Then, without warning—
A cold aura surged out of his body.
He didn't even have to summon it—the killing intent exploded on its own.
Sensing the change, Chen Feng immediately released his martial soul.
Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black.
Five soul rings appeared, lined up in perfect formation.
Power poured back into his body, bringing a sense of wholeness and clarity.
The white divine runes began to spread across the Seven Kill Sword, visibly extending along its blade.
At the same time, the arcane red mark on his forehead glowed once more.
It merged with the white runes, and finally, the markings on the Seven Kill Sword settled into a deep crimson hue.
"My martial soul... is evolving!"
Chen Feng was shocked.
A vast, overwhelming power began radiating from within—the Seven Kill Sword was undergoing sublimation.
Just then, a divine voice echoed in his mind—
The voice of the God of Asura.
"Chen Feng, congratulations on completing your third trial.
As your reward:
Your affinity with the God of Asura increases by 20%.
Your soul power rises by 5 levels.
All your soul rings and soul bones increase by 5,000 years in age.**"
As the words faded, his soul ring began to change.
Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Black.
All traces of yellow—the hundred-year rings—were gone.
His weakest soul skill now held nearly 5,500 years of power, far surpassing the optimal 4th ring of most soul masters!
The energy surging through him was immense—almost too much to process.
Even more astonishing was that, despite having made almost no soul power gains during his eleven months in Slaughter City, just stepping out of the Hell Road had made his soul power significantly more robust.
He recalled that before entering Slaughter City, Sword Douluo had helped him hunt a 33,000-year-old Arrow Boar.
Absorbing that soul ring had raised his soul power by three levels, to Rank 53.
Now, after a year in Slaughter City, he'd gained another three levels—Rank 56.
And with the God of Asura's reward adding 5 more levels...
"I'm already at the peak of Rank 60..."
And even then, there was still more untapped energy in his body, waiting to be refined.
He would likely grow even stronger once he fully digested it all.
"Pfft—!"
Just as Chen Feng was soaking in the euphoria, an explosion of pain erupted at the center of his back—
His skin tore open, and dark gray Eight Spider Lances burst forth!
"Even my external spirit bone is evolving!"
Chen Feng's joy reached new heights.
All his gains had converged in this single day.
External spirit bones grow alongside their host's strength.
Now, with the additional 5,000-year enhancement from the God of Asura, what level would his Eight Spider Lances evolve into?
Back at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, after absorbing a 13,000-year spirit ring, his Eight Spider Lances had already evolved once—from purple-black to dark gray—and their durability had increased greatly.
But this time, the transformation was different.
The Eight Spider Lances began to dissolve like melting ice, retracting into his back and vanishing from sight.
Then, with a low rumble, two massive white bone structures extended outward from his back—one on each side.
"Aaaagh—!"
A suppressed cry of agony escaped Chen Feng.
The pain was brutal, as if his bones were being melted down and torn out again.
He collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing uncontrollably.
But even this torment couldn't halt the evolution.
Each of the two massive bones, nearly two meters long, began to sprout smaller structures.
Then came muscle, blood, and feathers—layer by layer, the new form took shape.
Chen Feng stared at his back in disbelief.
He had no idea what the Eight Spider Lances would evolve into.
All he could do was wait—and endure.
This was no longer the Eight Spider Lances.
The arcane red symbol on his forehead began to react, too.
Strands of Asura's divine light streamed from the mark, fusing into the evolving spirit bone—repairing, reinforcing, and perfecting.
Half an hour passed.
Chen Feng slowly rose to his feet.
His upper body was bare.
Behind him, a pair of colossal wings had fully formed.
Unlike bird wings, these radiated pure aggression.
The two primary bones were razor-sharp like swords, covered in dark crimson feathers that appeared ordinary, but were sharp enough to slice steel.
Chen Feng flared his wings slightly.
With just a light tremor, a surge of force lifted him off the ground.
Below, the two wings unleashed waves of blade-like air pressure—
Within a twenty-meter radius, every plant was shredded into pieces, severed cleanly in the blink of an eye.
"Hsssss…"
Even as the one wielding them, Chen Feng was stunned.
Each feather could be used as a blade, and the wings could provide both flight and offense—
So this was the evolved form of his external spirit bone?
"Blades and wings in one form... I'll call you—Sword Wings."
Satisfied, Chen Feng nodded.
With a single thought, the massive wings folded neatly onto his back.
Compared to the Eight Spider Lances, these new wings were even more agile, and despite their size, they felt light and effortless.