External Spirit Bones were extraordinarily rare — even rarer and more precious than ordinary spirit bones.
Not only could they greatly enhance a spirit master's strength, but they also granted unique abilities of their own.
More importantly, they evolved alongside their owner's cultivation, growing stronger as the spirit master grew stronger.
For Yan, however, this external spirit bone meant far more than that.
It was a pair of magnificent wings.
With them, he had gained the power of flight — and with it, the ability to engage in aerial combat.
Combined with his innate fire attribute, this opened up an entirely new range of offensive possibilities.
Even more, flight gave him a critical advantage in survival.
No matter how powerful an opponent's attack was, it still had to land on its target to be effective.
A spirit master who could soar freely in the air was far harder to restrain.
At that moment, Yan realized that the absorption of the Skyfire Fox's spirit ring was finally complete.
A surge of power erupted from deep within him. Four spirit rings — two yellow, two purple — flared to life around his body, radiating dazzling light.
His strength had increased dramatically.
Not only had his fire attribute improved — his physical power and speed had also grown significantly.
But what truly astonished him was the new weight and power emanating from his back — the external spirit bone.
Without hesitation, Yan stood up, took a deep breath, and focused his will on those wings, trying to make them part of himself.
Under his mental control, the fiery wings slowly unfolded, releasing waves of scorching heat into the air.
He concentrated fully, both nervous and exhilarated, attempting to master their movement.
At first, his control was clumsy and awkward, as though the wings belonged to someone else.
But as time passed, the bond between him and the external spirit bone grew stronger, their connection more seamless.
Each time the wings moved with his thoughts, he could feel immense power coursing through them.
He tried flapping them lightly — and his body lifted slightly off the ground.
With repeated attempts, he gradually learned to balance, to maintain altitude, to steer.
Finally, after a deep breath, Yan bent his knees and launched himself upward with all his might.
The massive fiery wings flared wide — and he shot into the sky like a comet.
It was his first true flight in this world.
The sensation of soaring through open skies, completely free, made his heart surge with wild exhilaration.
He let out an unrestrained shout of joy as he swooped and rolled, carving elegant arcs through the air.
The wings felt like an extension of his own body — as though he and the flames were one.
He circled, dived, climbed again and again, reveling in the thrill of flight until exhaustion finally set in.
Only then did he slowly descend back to the ground, chest heaving, his excitement still burning strong.
He gently retracted the wings.
Thanks to this external spirit bone, a potent current of power now flowed through his back.
When not in use, the wings would merge seamlessly into his body, leaving no visible trace — no one would know they existed.
After absorbing his fourth spirit ring and the Flame Wings, Yan could clearly feel his spirit power had become denser and more vigorous.
His level had reached Spirit Ancestor, level forty-two.
The Skyfire Fox's ring had granted him a powerful new skill — his Fourth Spirit Ability: Blazing Flame Slash.
It was a devastating single-target attack.
When activated, both his hands gathered the ultimate form of his flame, condensing into a massive blade of pure fire.
This flaming greatsword burned at an incredibly high temperature and could slice through nearly anything with sheer destructive force.
In battle, Blazing Flame Slash could easily tear through enemy defenses, dealing enormous damage — capable of melting most materials instantly.
Even after the initial strike, residual flames would continue to burn, inflicting sustained damage over time and consuming the enemy's spirit power.
As for his external spirit bone, Yan named it "Flame Wings."
If they were only for flight, they would merely be a pair of crimson wings.
But these wings held far greater potential.
Beyond flight, they granted Yan a formidable attack technique — Heavenfire Meteor Rain.
In battle, he could unleash countless sparks from the Flame Wings — each one a blazing shard of fire, sharp and searing hot.
When he spread his wings and let the fire rain fall, it became a terrifying area-of-effect attack.
Each spark could inflict severe burns, and the sheer range and density of the attack made it nearly impossible to evade.
Over the next several weeks, Yan continued his training while mastering control over his wings.
After countless takeoffs and landings, he had fully synchronized with the external spirit bone, able to manifest or retract it at will.
One day, after finishing his cultivation, Yan gazed into the distance.
Unknowingly, more than a month had passed since he had separated from Hu Liena and Xie Yue.
He wondered how they were faring — whether they had broken through rank forty and obtained their fourth spirit rings.
Originally, among the three of them, Xie Yue had been the most likely to reach rank forty first.
He was a few months younger than Yan — sixteen this year — but his talent was exceptional.
With his top-tier offensive and agility-type tool spirit, the Moon Blade, and his self-created skill Full Moon, he had become the leader of the Golden Generation — universally recognized as the number one genius among the younger members of Spirit Hall.
Despite his position, Xie Yue was never arrogant.
He was calm, composed, and perceptive — someone who could read situations and control the battlefield with ease.
Yan guessed that by now, Xie Yue had probably obtained his fourth spirit ring.
He decided it was time to find them again.
At the same time, at the edge of the canyon's inner region, Xie Yue was sitting cross-legged, absorbing a spirit ring.
Hu Liena stood guard beside him.
A chill ran down her spine; cold sweat dampened her back.
She could feel them — countless pairs of crimson eyes staring at them from the darkness.
A swarm of Bloodthirsty Bats had gathered.
Moments earlier, she and her brother had joined forces to kill a White-Faced Demon Tiger, and the scent of blood in the air had drawn these predators in.
Bloodthirsty Bats — vicious and fearless.
They possessed incredible speed and flight, attacking anything that moved, even foes stronger than themselves.
Hu Liena's eyes narrowed as she glared into the darkness, cursing inwardly:
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"Damn it! Of all times… these wretched bats had to show up now!"
"My brother is still absorbing his spirit ring — I can't let him be disturbed. No matter what, I must protect him!"
Without hesitation, Hu Liena released her Enchanting Fox martial soul.
Three spirit rings — two yellow, one purple — flared into existence around her, their light reflecting off her tense expression.
She braced herself for battle.
Suddenly, the swarm of bats descended like a black storm, rushing straight toward her.
Hu Liena took a deep breath — her second spirit ring lit up.
"Second Spirit Skill — Fox Charm!"
In an instant, a wave of enchanting energy radiated outward from her, filling the air with a mesmerizing aura.
The bats at the front of the swarm faltered mid-flight, momentarily dazed by the illusion.
Hu Liena seized the opportunity.
Her first spirit ring flared to life.
"First Spirit Skill — Foxfire Command!"
Fiery light erupted from her palms, sweeping outward in a blazing wave.
Under the scorching flames, the stunned bats shrieked and fell from the sky, reduced to ashes.
But the swarm was vast.
For every group burned away, more emerged from the darkness, screeching as they surged toward her in another relentless assault.
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