"Young master, how did the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's pincers grow onto your body?!?"
Dugu Feng was just about to further probe the external spirit bone when Old Scorpion burst in, his face filled with shock.
He had been standing guard outside. Having already tested Dugu Feng's physical resilience, he was certain the boy would face no danger during spirit ring absorption.
The only concern was the Ice Jade Scorpion clan.
By all rights, Dugu Feng had already completed the absorption. Old Scorpion had breathed a sigh of relief, believing their greatest trial was finished.
Yet this bizarre scene unfolded.
Despite his vast knowledge, he had never seen such a thing. Even spirit mutations wouldn't cause this.
"Could it be… the legendary…"
Old Scorpion's voice shook as sudden excitement overtook him. That kind of treasure he had only ever heard of in stories and no one had ever been known to possess it!
Could the young master have gained it through this absorption?
"Old Scorpion, you guessed right. This is the legendary external spirit bone. The rarest of all spirit bones, bones capable of growing alongside the spirit master!"
As Dugu Feng spoke, he channeled spirit power into the massive pincers.
The three-meter-long pincers gradually shrank back into his body.
Finally, they disappeared entirely, fusing into strange energy that clung to his shoulder bones.
With a single thought, Dugu Feng surged his spirit power, and the pincers burst forth again, snapping toward Old Scorpion.
It was like retracting and throwing a punch, only now he wielded two extra limbs at will.
They could strike out whenever he desired.
What's more, he could control their length. This time, instead of extending the full three meters, they reached just over a meter, just enough to clamp down right before Old Scorpion.
Startled, Old Scorpion infused his hands with spirit power, grasping at the pincers' tips.
And instantly regretted it.
Even with his strength, an external spirit bone wouldn't budge under pressure.!
And these pincers were unnaturally sharp, ridged with serrated edges. Old Scorpion felt his palms sliced open.
"Don't move, Old Scorpion. This external spirit bone could be of immense use to our clan. Let me see if it can absorb toxins!"
Dugu Feng's voice was firm.
He had purpose in this. The Eight Spider Lances could devour spirit power, vitality, even the poison within a spirit master's body.
His pincers, too, shimmered with the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's emerald venom.
As he wielded the external bone, his own toxins coursed into them, ready to strike.
But beyond attacking, he could feel that he could absorb from others as well.
Could it draw out the deep-seated poisons within a body?
Dugu Feng sank his mind entirely into the pincers, probing with meticulous focus.
Old Scorpion cooperated readily.
His own venom was scorpion poison, inherited through bloodline since birth, deepened through cultivation.
It had fused entirely with his spirit power, his flesh, his blood.
Now, hearing Dugu Feng claim he might resolve this problem, his heart burned with hope.
But was Dugu Feng truly only relying on the external bone?
Not quite. He also used the pearl.
The pearl was his greatest hidden card, one he had no intention of revealing.
Its ability to absorb toxins far surpassed the external bone!
Now, working together, they slowly drew out a trace of gray-green venom from Old Scorpion's body.
The difficulty in detoxification lay in the fact that poison was bound to strength. To erase it fully was to erase one's power.
So Dugu Feng's plan was to extract only the old, entrenched toxins and through ut lightening the agony of poison flare-ups.
Repeat the process at intervals, and at the very least, he could greatly reduce the death rate among his clan caused by their bloodline poison!
After its evolution, the pearl had already absorbed much of his own hereditary venom. Though he still suffered flare-ups, the pain was negligible now.
With the external bone, he had the perfect excuse to demonstrate a solution to his family's problem.
Moments later, Old Scorpion's face lit with joy. "Young master, this external spirit bone is incredible! I feel my poison loosening!"
His heart pounded. Could the clan's toxin curse truly be eased like this?
Dugu Feng drew the pincers back slowly, his face pale.
It worked—but the cost was high. Supporting both the pearl and the external spirit bone devoured his spirit power. In just minutes, he was drained.
And with Old Scorpion's venom fused so deeply into his being, separating even a fragment was difficult.
"It seems I'll need to raise my strength further before I can truly cleanse the poison," Dugu Feng admitted.
Old Scorpion's expression was fervent. "No hurry, no hurry! With your talent, young master, your growth is inevitable!"
Dugu Feng nodded. For now, it was a temporary solution. But once he reached Soul Elder or Soul Ancestor, he could at least mitigate it more effectively.
And one day, once he formed the Seven-Colored Poison Pearl, perhaps he could end it entirely.
"There's movement. We must retreat, young master!"
Old Scorpion suddenly tensed, guiding him back through the tunnels.
On the surface, Dugu Feng too sensed it, the disappearance of the Emperor Scorpion's aura had stirred its kin!
"Stay close!"
At once, he entered Martial Spirit Possession, keeping right on Old Scorpion's tail as they darted through the icy caverns.
After a long dash, they emerged from the glacier, clearing the mountain's range. Only then did their pace slow.
"Young master, what about your second soul skill? How strong is it?" Old Scorpion rubbed his palms together eagerly now that they were safe.
The second ring was purple. He couldn't wait to see its power.
Dugu Feng smirked and chose to show him.
His gaze swept around before settling on a withered tree.
The second spirit ring flared, and a wave of emerald power shot forth.
In an instant, it enveloped the tree.
Old Scorpion frowned. This was clearly a fusion of toxin and spirit power.
Its hue resembled the Emperor Scorpion's venom.
But if it was just poison, wasn't that too simple?
As he pondered—
Boom!
A thunderous blast rang out.
The distant tree exploded into fragments.
"My second soul skill is called Poison Explosion. It's derived from the Emperor Scorpion's innate Ice Explosion. Once my venom enters an enemy's body, it instantly condenses and detonates. Not only does the poison corrode but it creates a second wave of destruction. If the enemy's body isn't tough enough, after the venom spreads and then bursts, they'll be blown apart on the spot!"
Dugu Feng's eyes gleamed coldly. This skill was ruthless and meant purely for killing!
No wonder absorbing beyond his level had yielded such a deadly ability.
For now, the toxin he released through this skill was still drawn from the ring itself.
But once he infused it with his fusion poison… even he couldn't imagine the devastation.
Even a spirit master one or two ranks higher, if unable to purge the venom in an instant, would have no chance to resist!