In ancient times, this continent boasted an extremely glorious Spirit Tool civilization.
Spirit Tools were not limited to storage; they came in a wide variety, flourishing like a hundred flowers.
However, as time withered, the Spirit Tool civilization was buried by wind and sand, and all methods of crafting Spirit Tools were lost.
A large number of combat Spirit Tools were depleted in historical wars. Only a small portion, such as life Spirit Tools like Spirit Tool lamps and storage Spirit Tools that could be passed down through generations, managed to survive among noble families.
Carving knives, as tools for inscribing the core formations of Spirit Tools, naturally also endured within major, long-standing powers.
For instance, their Lin Clan's family treasury held three such carving knives.
The Spirit Devouring Carving Knife, originally the Blade of Life, was an unparalleled carving knife crafted entirely from Gold of Life. Its value was no less than that of top-tier Immortal Grade Medicinal Herbs like the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng and Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
This was because even a small piece of Gold of Life contained pure life force comparable to that of a million-year Spirit Beast.
The creator of the Blade of Life, who could discard such a treasure instead of absorbing it to choose to forge this carving knife, must have been an ultimate expert with Soul Power at rank ninety-nine, and also a Spirit Master of extremely high caliber.
With Soul Power at rank ninety-nine, their strength had already reached its peak, with no further advancements possible except for achieving godhood at rank one hundred. Absorbing Gold of Life would not have helped increase their strength. As a Spirit Master, this is why they chose to forge the Gold of Life into the Blade of Life.
Subsequently, over the passage of time, for reasons unknown, the Blade of Life fell into the hands of a powerful Fallen One (evil Spirit Master).
For whatever reason, that Fallen One placed a curse upon the Blade of Life, transforming it into the Spirit Devouring Fierce Blade, which now backfires on its host.
Only by purifying the curse on the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife can it once again become the Blade of Life. Otherwise, it remains a fierce blade that devours its owner.
Purifying the curse would not be difficult for Lin Rong.
Although he didn't have the convenient cheat of Ilex, the Death Saint Archmage, which allowed him to purify the curse on the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife using magic arrays.
However, there was more than one method to remove curses.
The domain granted to him by the Nine Bend Vine Dragon, with its exclusive effect called Life Dragon Soul, could transform anything harmful to him into pure life force.
Therefore, Lin Rong only needed to pick up the Spirit Devouring Carving Knife and allow the curse on it to come into contact with him, which would trigger the effect of the Life Dragon Soul to transform it into pure life force.
With Lin Rong's current Soul Power cultivation of rank sixty-six, coupled with his Vine Dragon Domain having evolved to the second stage and not being far from the third, the speed at which the curse could erode him would definitely not exceed the speed at which the Life Dragon Soul could purify the curse.
...
Responding to Dugu Bo's question, Lin Rong picked up the ancient, dark, and lustrous carving knife through a layer of cloth and replied concisely:
"I'm not omniscient, how would I know what this is."
"However, I can sense a vast and pure life force hidden beneath this carving knife; it's a significant fortuitous encounter for me."
"You did well in this matter, you've rendered great service. Here, take this."
As he spoke, a beam of light flew out from the Dragon Pattern Jade Bead on Lin Rong's wrist and hovered before Dugu Bo.
When the light dissipated, a Right Leg Bone filled with explosive power appeared before Dugu Bo.
"This is a Right Leg Bone with an age of fifty-seven thousand years. It's one of the spoils of war I obtained from Tang Hao after defeating him."
"Although its attributes don't match yours, its age exceeds fifty thousand years, and the Spirit Bone is extremely complete. This quality is sufficient to compensate for the mismatch in attributes."
"It's a shame you've already absorbed that Torso Bone from over ten thousand years ago; otherwise, I have another Torso Bone from eighty thousand years ago that I could give you."
The first two sentences filled Dugu Bo with joy, but the last sentence made him feel that the Spirit Bone before him suddenly lost its appeal.
How much? Seventy-eight thousand years! A Torso Bone!
If only he had known, he wouldn't have been so hasty in absorbing that Torso Bone from just over ten thousand years ago.
Although his aptitude had improved and his Soul Power had successfully broken through to rank ninety-six, he had consequently lost an excellent Torso Bone nearing eighty thousand years of age.
"My lord," Dugu Bo said with tears threatening to fall, "You really didn't have to tell me that last sentence."
"Without comparison, there is no hurt. This disparity is too great; holding this fifty-seven thousand-year Spirit Bone, I feel completely empty and have no sense of happiness at all."
"Is that so?" Lin Rong replied, glancing at the carving knife in his hand, half-jokingly. "If you're not satisfied, then return it and I'll get you another one."
"However, the only Spirit Bone I have that corresponds to a position you haven't absorbed is that Right Arm Bone from twenty-three thousand years ago."
"Are you sure you want to exchange it?"
"Ah?" Dugu Bo said, waving his hands repeatedly.
"No, no, no. This Spirit Bone is quite good; I'm very satisfied, very satisfied!"
Saying that, Dugu Bo quickly put away the Spirit Bone and hurried out of the carriage compartment, returning to the carriage compartment behind.
What a joke, exchanging a fifty-thousand-year Spirit Bone for a twenty-thousand-year one. While a Right Arm Bone is much more precious than a Right Leg Bone, not only is the age difference over thirty thousand years, but the completeness of a Spirit Bone over fifty thousand years alone is enough to outshine a Spirit Bone of forty-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years.
Even if it were a Torso Bone of forty-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine years, it couldn't compare to a complete Right Leg Bone of exactly fifty thousand years with excellent completeness.
Dugu Bo wasn't a fool; how could he possibly make such an idiotic decision as exchanging Spirit Bones.
Inside the carriage, the old butler looked at the carving knife in Lin Rong's hand and asked with considerable curiosity:
"Young master, is this carving knife so precious that it's worth you giving a Spirit Bone of over fifty thousand years as a reward for Dugu Bo discovering this blade?"
In his opinion, in today's world where Spirit Tool technology was lost, even the most precious carving knife was just an expensive collectible with no practical use.
"Of course it's worth it," Lin Rong looked up at the old butler and replied.
"The value of this carving knife lies in its material, not the knife itself."
"Grandpa Yu, don't mind its current dull appearance. Once I use the Life Dragon Soul to completely remove the curse on it and restore the carving knife to its original state, you'll understand."
As he spoke, Lin Rong wrapped his right hand with his life force. Under the old butler's somewhat worried gaze, he removed the cloth covering the carving knife and grasped its hilt.
The moment his finger skin touched the carving knife's hilt, the curse began to erode Lin Rong.
Simultaneously, Lin Rong activated his innate domain, and the Life Dragon Soul's effect triggered, gradually converting the curse on the carving knife into pure life force.
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