Let's try out this Spirit Bone skill.
"Shadow Stealth."
Blue-gold light flashed under Yin Xuan's right leg. Energy surged up and lifted him off the ground, slow at first, but powerful. Even with moonlight all around, he just melted into the darkness. It was almost eerie how completely invisible he became—his presence gone, tucked away perfectly.
When Spirit Masters absorb the same Spirit Bone, it's wild how their abilities turn out so different, depending on their Spirits. Take flight, for example: Yin Xuan's version doesn't even resemble the way Tang San flies after absorbing his own bone.
But Yin Xuan's concealment? Nothing else like it. It's unmatched. And tonight, with the darkness so thick, he can move even faster. Too bad the second Spirit Bone skill, Healing, only works on himself. It's passive—automatic, really. If he gets hurt, the Spirit Bone just drains his power and fixes him up without him lifting a finger.
Now, about that innate Spirit ring he'd just gotten... honestly, it's at least as good as those god-bestowed rings—maybe better. The best part? As his own strength grows, the age of this ring grows with him. God-bestowed rings kind of stay the same. Both rings give the most fitting Spirit Ability to their user, but his Second Soul Skill—Shadow Binding—matches the Dark Blue Silver Emperor perfectly.
It's got both control and parasitic effects. Once it wraps around a target, it can mess with their spirit power, drain their life force, and feed it straight back to Yin Xuan. Even if someone destroys it, it'll regenerate unless they wipe out every last piece. The Dark Blue Silver Emperor basically becomes impossible to shake off.
Looking at it, this ability is almost overpowered. Ten thousand years from now, people would call Yin Xuan an Evil Spirit Master just for this skill and hunt him down.
Yeah, he needs to be careful with this Second Soul Skill.
If he could get his hands on the Man Faced Demon Spider's external Spirit Bone, he'd have even more strength.
A cold smile slid across Yin Xuan's lips. There's no way he'd just sit by and let Tang San get that bone. Whether it's the external Spirit Bone or the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, if Yin Xuan can't have them, Tang San won't either.
—
Two days later.
Balak Kingdom.
Suotuo City.
There's a hidden treasure here too—a Plate Crystal Hair Gold. Natural hidden weapon. The Dragon Beard Needle.
But Yin Xuan has no clue how to use it. Doesn't matter, though. He'll make sure Tang San doesn't get it.
Down a quiet alley, Yin Xuan arrives at a spirit tool shop under Spirit Hall. Not the biggest place, but the sign outside grabs your attention. Door's wide open, so he walks right in.
Inside, the area feels cramped. Layout's simple. Three walls covered in all kinds of spirit tools, most looking ancient, dusty. No counter, just a rocking chair with a middle-aged dude in black glasses lounging, barely awake.
"You here to buy something?"
"Look around. Pick what you like."
"All good stuff."
Guy's lazy, barely glances up.
Yin Xuan doesn't care. He hunts for the Plate Crystal Hair Gold. Sure, some items stir up his spirit power, but deep down, he knows Flender's shop doesn't have anything truly useful. If it did, Flender wouldn't look so rough.
While Yin Xuan hunts for the Hair Crystal, the guy cracks an eye, measuring him up. Noticing Yin Xuan's striking looks, young age, and barely concealed spirit power, he pauses. Plans start brewing.
"This crystal. How much?"
Yin Xuan finally finds the "Hair Crystal" and asks.
"Cheap, one hundred gold coins." Flender doesn't even look.
Yin Xuan says, "Did you even see what I'm holding?"
Flender's eyes open a little. "Whoops. My bad. It's five hundred gold coins. Super rare—got it through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Honestly, I wanted to keep it, but you seem sincere, so I'll let it go for 499."
"Keep it, then." Yin Xuan places the Plate Crystal Hair Gold back and walks by Flender.
"Wait, wait, you can bargain!" Flender calls after him.
Yin Xuan turns, stares—his eyes cold and steady. "Five gold coins."
Flender's mouth twitches. "You don't bargain like a normal person!"
Yin Xuan pulls five coins from his bag. "Five is all I'll pay. Take it or leave it."
Flender plays the angry shopkeeper, waving him off. "Go, go! Not selling! Who bargains like that?"
Yin Xuan doesn't even blink—just leaves.
Flender's heart thumps. "Did I mess up here?"
Just as Yin Xuan steps outside, Flender shouts, "Wait! One hundred, one hundred gold coins!"
Yin Xuan: "Four."
Flender, stunned: "What?"
Yin Xuan: "Three."
"You—you can't! Don't bully me! I've been here a decade, nobody dares bully me!" Flender's voice shakes with anger.
Yin Xuan: "Two."
He stays calm, expression flat.
Flender grits his teeth. He's losing his cool—his face twisted with frustration. Yin Xuan just waits.
It's pretty weird for a Spirit Saint to lose it over a handful of coins.
Flender finally grabs the Plate Crystal Hair Gold, hands it over grumpily. "Fine, five coins!"
Yin Xuan slips the crystal into his bag and hands over the coins. That leaves him nearly broke. Good thing he'll get his Spirit Hall stipend soon. Now that he's a Spirit Grandmaster, ten coins per visit should cover his expenses.
"Hmph."
Flender snatches the money and flops back in his chair, refusing to look at Yin Xuan.
He honestly thought the crystal was trash, took up space, even considered tossing it. But now, letting it go for five coins feels like a major loss.
—
Three days fly by.
Yin Xuan finally makes it to Heaven Dou City, capital of the Empire.
"No noble status, no invitation. If I want in at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, I need a real recommendation."
"That's tough."
Yin Xuan thinks about Tang Yuehua. He wonders if he could get close to Xue Qinghe or Xue Beng by faking interest, but he knows that's a fantasy. Unless somebody spots his talent and invites him, he's out of luck.
Honestly, he can't afford tuition at any Advanced Spirit Master Academy.
"If I could sell this Hair Crystal for a good price, maybe I'd scrape together some funds."