Xu Yang remained in meditation. Though the fusion with the Three-Tailed Fire Crow's soul ring was already complete, he didn't stop—still carefully adjusting his internal state.
Only once he was in optimal condition did he finally open his eyes. A glint of golden flame flashed within them.
"Whew."
He let out a deep breath—accompanied by a small tongue of flame.
"Grandpa Gu, I did it!" Xu Yang grinned, clearly a bit proud of himself.
Gu Rong rolled his eyes but didn't respond directly. Instead, his gaze shifted to the corpse of the golden Three-Tailed Fire Crow lying nearby. Dugu Bo was staring too, surprise written across his face.
"There's still a Soul Power fluctuation… Could it be a Soul Bone?"
Earlier, both men had been focused entirely on Xu Yang and had missed the abnormal energy lingering in the crow's body. Now that the fusion was complete, they became keenly aware of it.
Gu Rong extended his claw-shaped fingers and gestured at the crow's right wing. A powerful suction force surged out, pulling forth a glowing golden right arm bone, which flew neatly into his palm.
"Considering the mutation level of this Fire Crow, even though the Soul Bone is only around thirty thousand years old, it's definitely comparable to an ordinary sixty-thousand-year Soul Bone," Gu Rong said, his face lighting up with a rare, satisfied smile.
Dugu Bo inspected it briefly, then nodded, smiling as well. He had no intention of coveting the Soul Bone—not just because he already possessed a right arm bone, but because he genuinely admired Xu Yang.
Dugu Yan was equally happy for him. This Soul Bone would undoubtedly raise Xu Yang's strength by a significant margin.
Xu Yang, however, was a little conflicted. The Soul Bone's age didn't meet his high standards. Like his Soul Rings, he wanted his six future Soul Bones to all be hundred-thousand-year grade if possible.
Still… something about this Soul Bone drew him in.
"Brat, take it. It's yours," Gu Rong said with a chuckle as he tossed the Soul Bone over.
"I don't know… Wouldn't it be better to store it in the clan's treasure vault?" Xu Yang hesitated.
"Cut the nonsense," Gu Rong snapped. "If a Soul Bone and Soul Ring come from the same beast, they offer enormous synergy. Plus, this Soul Bone suits you perfectly. Miss this one, and who knows when you'll find another match!"
Xu Yang hadn't even finished his sentence before Gu Rong shut him down.
"Alright, alright…"
After thinking it through, Xu Yang agreed. Compatibility trumped age, after all—and he could accept this compromise if it gave him an edge.
Sitting back down, he placed the golden Soul Bone against his right arm and began the absorption process.
Soul Bone absorption was significantly easier than Soul Ring fusion. There were fewer requirements—just a steady flow and proper control.
As the Soul Bone merged with his arm, Xu Yang channeled his Sun Martial Soul's energy into it.
Soon after, he noticed something odd—and smiled.
The Soul Bone's quality seemed to improve as it absorbed his Sun Soul Power.
Xu Yang quickly guessed the reason.
The Three-Tailed Fire Crow carried traces of Golden Crow bloodline—and the Golden Crow was the legendary Sun Bird.
His Sun-type Soul Power likely resonated with this ancient bloodline, enhancing the Soul Bone's refinement process.
He shook off these distracting thoughts and focused fully on sensing the energy transformation.
The Soul Bone's power was intense, though still not as scorching as his own Sun Soul Power. Very soon, his right arm was covered in flowing, crimson-gold lines resembling an armored gauntlet. This was the manifestation of the Three-Tailed Fire Crow's Right Arm Bone.
Soul Bones, like Soul Rings, could grant a Soul Skill that was partly influenced by the Soul Beast it came from and partly by the user's Martial Soul. In that respect, they functioned very similarly.
After three full hours, dusk began to fall—and Xu Yang fully completed the fusion.
From the Soul Bone, he received a powerful Soul Skill:
Flame Control.
It was a highly practical, passive-type Soul Skill. Even without activating the Soul Bone, it enhanced his fire manipulation. When activated, it boosted his flame control ability by tenfold.
This instantly resolved all of Xu Yang's earlier problems regarding flame-based skills.
Until now, none of his first three Soul Skills had involved fire. Even his fourth Soul Ring was unrelated to flame. But this Soul Bone turned the tide—it made him a true fire-type Soul Master.
With Flame Control at his disposal, he could now focus his future Soul Skills on light-attribute abilities.
"So strong…"
Xu Yang clenched his fist, feeling the surge of Soul Power within. After fusing both the Soul Ring and Soul Bone, his level had jumped to Rank 43, gaining three entire ranks—a staggering feat for an Ultimate-attribute Soul Master.
Keep in mind: After reaching Soul Elder, it had taken him four full years to gain seven ranks.
He summoned his Sun Martial Soul behind him and raised his hand forward. With a casual flick, golden flame shot forth and formed a half-meter-long flame dragon that curled and spun around his arm. He could effortlessly shape it into any pose or form.
"As expected of a Soul Bone that shares a source with the Soul Ring… This skill is outright broken."
Gu Rong, watching from nearby, was visibly astonished. He could already tell that this Soul Bone's ability rivaled—or even surpassed—many Titled Douluo's eighth-ring skills.
Dugu Yan stirred from rest and smiled warmly at the sight.
Somehow, Dugu Bo had also shown up silently, his eyes filled with approval.
"Grandpa Gu, Senior, Yan'er! I've decided to name this Soul Bone the Flame Control Right Arm Bone. The skill is perfect for me. For any regular fire-element Soul Master, it might be so-so, but for me? It's a godsend!"
Xu Yang dispersed the flame from his hand and spoke with visible excitement.
"As long as you're satisfied," Gu Rong nodded with a smile.
"Oh, right!" Dugu Yan leaned in curiously. "You absorbed the Soul Ring and then the Soul Bone—we haven't even heard what your fourth Soul Skill is yet!"
"It's called Sun God Light," Xu Yang replied. "It inherits the Fire Crow's original skill—combining high explosive force, intense heat, and powerful vibrational impact. It has two forms: a spread shot of golden beams for wide-area coverage, though less destructive; and a concentrated laser blast, which is incredibly deadly."
He was extremely pleased with this Soul Skill. It filled in the gap in his light-attribute arsenal and gave him the burst damage he lacked. With it, he was confident he could take down opponents a full rank above—even going toe-to-toe with a Soul Emperor wouldn't be impossible.
"Show me," Gu Rong said, curious.
"Alright, but brace yourself, Grandpa Gu."
Xu Yang's four Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet: yellow, purple, black, black—a stunning configuration.
Especially the fourth ring—its deep, ink-black glow was mesmerizing.
He simultaneously activated Splitting Sun and Divine Sunlight.
His Sun Martial Soul split into five miniature suns that rose into the air. Golden flames on the mini-suns condensed sharply—and five intense golden laser beams blasted down toward Gu Rong.