Chapter 41: External Spirit Bone

That ancient contract, though unspoken, had established a marvelous connection on the level of the soul.

The Deep Valley Thunder Dragon Python retracted its overwhelming aura, its massive form coiling once more around the colossal Heart of Wind and Thunder. Yet, those vertical, violet pupils never once strayed from Bai Chenxiang. The gaze was no longer one of icy scrutiny; it held a touch of curiosity, a measure of anticipation, and a peculiar sentiment, much like an elder observing a younger member of their kin.

Bai He let out a long, shuddering breath, feeling as though he had just been pulled from a river, his clothes soaked through with cold sweat. He walked over to Bai Chenxiang and, lowering his voice to a near-whisper, asked, "Xiangxiang, what is this? Did you reach an agreement with it?"

"Yes." Bai Chenxiang nodded. "It agreed to let me cultivate here, and in return, I help it bear the energy pressure of the Heart of Wind and Thunder. As an exchange, it will protect us."

The corner of Bai He’s eye twitched violently. Listen to that—was that even human talk? She had negotiated a "cultivation-for-security" partnership with a terrifying beast nearly a hundred thousand years old? He felt as though his eighty-some years of life had been spent in vain. In his youth, he had nearly run his legs off just to escape the claws of a fifty-thousand-year-old soul beast. And yet, his six-year-old granddaughter was here, chatting and laughing with a beast of nearly ten millennia. How could the gap between people be so vast?

"Then... be careful." Bai He struggled for a long time, eventually finding only those pale, powerless words. He retreated self-consciously to the edge of the cavern, sat down on a clean rock, and kept his gaze fixed ahead, striving to look like a competent guardian who wouldn't interfere with a child's studies.

Bai Chenxiang did not say more. She walked to the massive Heart of Wind and Thunder and sat cross-legged about ten meters away. This time, there was no need for her to painstakingly search for gaps in the storms or cautiously draw in wisps of volatile energy. With the tacit consent of the Deep Valley Thunder Dragon Python, the most core and pure energy of the entire Wind and Thunder Valley opened its arms to her without reservation.

She sat with her palms turned upward, her consciousness sinking into her body. If cultivating in the valley before had been like swimming against the current, struggling to survive in the midst of raging waves, then this was like drifting downstream, galloping freely across an endless river. The majestic, gentle flow of blue-violet energy poured into her meridians as if it were a mighty river. She did not even need to refine it consciously; her body’s instincts were frantically devouring this high-quality "sustenance."

Her soul power, which had just broken through to level eighteen and was vaguely touching the threshold of level nineteen, was rapidly filled and solidified under the scouring of this energy. Then, with a steady and unstoppable momentum, it began its charge toward a higher level.

Level nineteen!

Her soul power settled firmly at this threshold for a soul master. But Bai Chenxiang knew it was far from enough. She did not rush to冲击 level twenty, instead focusing her energy on the "quality" of her soul power. She guided the blue-violet energy to wash over her meridians, bones, and every individual cell, over and over again.

The lightness of the wind and the dominance of the thunder—these two distinct characteristics were perfectly kneaded and forged within her. Her body was undergoing a transformation from the inside out, a rebirth of sorts.

Time slipped away quietly in this marvelous state of symbiosis. Bai Chenxiang was immersed in the pleasure of cultivation, forgetting both herself and the world. Bai He, having gone from initial trepidation to numbness, and finally to accustomed ease, even managed to take an occasional nap. The Deep Valley Thunder Dragon Python remained like an eternal statue, quietly guarding it all. It could clearly feel that as Bai Chenxiang absorbed the energy, the feeling of being bound by the Heart of Wind and Thunder was weakening bit by bit. A life that had been silent for tens of thousands of years seemed to be regaining its vitality.

This peace lasted for about ten days.

On this day, outside the valley, a sneaky figure was stealthily making its way toward the entrance, using the mountain rocks for cover. The person was dressed entirely in black, blending almost perfectly with the color of the stone. His breathing, his heartbeat, and even his soul power fluctuations were suppressed to their lowest point by a peculiar secret technique. Even a Soul Douluo like Bai He would have found it difficult to detect his presence without deliberate investigation.

He was the top scout of the Purple Lightning Family, acting under the strict orders of Zi Dianxiong to investigate the movements of the grandfather and granddaughter. Zi Dianxiong had felt more and more uneasy. Surrendering the Wind and Thunder Valley had been a measure of desperation, an attempt to trade a "chicken rib" of a territory for the family's safety. Yet, a thorn remained in his heart. The girl’s talent was too monstrous, and the old man’s strength was unfathomable. Handing over such a treasure trove for cultivation to two potential threats was no different than aiding an enemy. He dared not act openly, so he could only use this method to spy in the shadows.

The scout was extremely cautious. He knew the dangers of the valley and the terror of the old man, so he stayed far away, lying on a cliff and peering into the valley.

Just as his gaze was about to pass the valley entrance and catch a glimpse of the interior, the Deep Valley Thunder Dragon Python, which had been resting with its eyes closed in the depths of the cavern, snapped its purple, vertical pupils open!

A trace of icy, emotionless killing intent flashed and vanished. It did not even move; it merely exerted its will.

"Boom!"

Outside the valley, the previously clear sky was suddenly torn apart by a heaven-shaking explosion of thunder! A bolt of purple lightning, thick as a water barrel and condensed to the extreme, descended like the spear of a god. Without warning and with pinpoint accuracy, it struck the cliff where the scout was hiding!

There was no scream, no struggle. In that instant, the top-tier Soul King-level scout, along with the giant rock beneath him, was instantly vaporized by the violent power of the thunder and lightning. They were reduced to their most primitive particles, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.

Bai He, who had been dozing, was jolted awake by the massive roar. He jumped up, looking toward the valley entrance with a wary expression. He could feel that a terrifying energy fluctuation had erupted in the distance just a moment ago. Subconsciously, he looked at the giant python, only to see it still coiled there as if nothing had happened.

Bai He’s heart sank. He understood instantly. This was a warning from the giant python—a warning to anyone who dared to spy on this place. A sense of lingering fear washed over him; he was fortunate that he hadn't harbored any ulterior motives, or that bolt of lightning might have landed on his own head. At the same time, he was filled with utter admiration for his granddaughter's judgment. Cooperating with such a powerful and promise-keeping "local tyrant" was far safer than hiring ten Soul Douluos as bodyguards.

Several more days passed.

Bai Chenxiang slowly withdrew from her cultivation state. Her soul power had completely stabilized at the peak of level nineteen; she was just one opportunity away from stepping into the ranks of Great Soul Masters. But she knew that her greatest gain was not the increase in soul power, but her mastery over the power of wind and thunder, and her physical body, which had been tempered until it was as tough as a magical artifact.

She opened her eyes and smiled slightly at the giant snake's head. "Thank you."

A trace of human-like satisfaction flickered in the Deep Valley Thunder Dragon Python's vertical pupils. Bai Chenxiang had kept her word, absorbing only the "impurity" energy that was a burden to it, without touching its origin.

Its massive body gave a slow, undulating movement. A dragon scale, located in the center of its spine, stood out from the others with a crystalline texture. It was covered in natural lightning runes and protruded slightly, shaped like a short wing. It suddenly gave a soft, crisp "click."

The dragon scale actually detached from its body, drifting downward. The moment it fell, a burst of energy, purer and more majestic than anything before, erupted from the scale!

It was no ordinary scale!

It was a soul bone! It was an external soul bone, one that had condensed the essence of its nearly hundred thousand years of cultivation and undergone a peculiar mutation under the nourishment of the Heart of Wind and Thunder!

"This... this is..."

On the other side of the cavern, Bai He saw the glowing dragon scale, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. He gasped, his voice cracking, "A spinal-type, external soul bone!"

He felt as though he were going insane. Cultivation and security were one thing, but now it was throwing in a graduation gift? With treatment like this, even the granddaughter of the Pope probably wouldn't fare any better, would she?