Chapter 34

As Qian Renxue diligently assisted Cai Wen in his recovery process, Qian Daoliu kindly seized this moment to dissect the recent battle. With a discerning eye, he pointed out each minor and significant error Cai Wen had made during the engagement. Despite his ongoing recuperation, Cai Wen listened intently, cataloging every mistake in his mind for future reference.

At first, Qian Renxue decided to sit beside Cai Wen, but she quickly rose to her feet when she felt the lingering heat from Cai Wen's attack warming the ground beneath her. Cai Wen suppressed a laugh at her reaction, mindful that she was the one providing his healing. However, she had already noticed his amusement and gave his injured arm a light pinch, prompting an immediate apology from him.

Standing beside him, Qian Renxue found herself replaying the battle in her mind, the adrenaline rush of the confrontation still palpable. She couldn't help but admire Cai Wen's combat skills and tenacity. She pondered whether she could have confronted the Frostbound Wyrm as effectively as he had, but the memory of his final, powerful attack reminded her that she still had much to learn.

The fact that Cai Wen, who possessed only a single spirit ring, demonstrated such potent force that could potentially rival her own, only increased her respect for him.

However she is not the type to just respect or admire someone. She aspired to defeat him in a fair fight, hoping to prove her own superiority. This is her pride as a genius she knew she was that nobody could deny.

This newfound determination led her to decide to request further training from her grandfather upon their return to the spirit city.

While they were deep in their thoughts, Chrysanthemums Douluo began assessing the aftermath of the battle.

The surrounding trees bore the marks of the battle, charred and scorched, the ground beneath them was still radiating heat, and the river, where the Frostbound Wyrm had met its end, bubbled ominously.

He approached the blackened carcass of the beast, which appeared as though it had been roasting for days.

In the midst of his examination, something peculiar caught his eye. He reached into the remains of the creature and extracted an object, his eyes widening in astonishment. Without wasting a moment, he turned and walked over to Cai Wen, Qian Renxue, and Qian Daoliu.

"Congratulations, Cai Wen," he said, revealing the object he had discovered - a head spirit bone.

The sight of the spirit bone startled everyone. Spirit bones were a rarity, coveted by all spirit masters.

However, Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Chrysanthemums Douluo exhibited little reaction. Qian Daoliu already possessed a complete set of spirit bones, and Qian Renxue was destined to inherit specific spirit bones most suitable for her abilities.

Chrysanthemums Douluo, too, had his own spirit bone, and thus, the discovery of the head spirit bone stirred little excitement in him.

Contrarily, Cai Wen was taken by surprise. This was his first encounter with a spirit bone. He hesitated to absorb it, knowing it originated from just a 1000-year-old spirit beast.

He understood that absorbing a spirit bone from a more formidable beast would augment his abilities even further. However, he also realized that this spirit bone was the most appropriate for his current situation as he was about to absorb the spirit ring of the Frostbound Wyrm.

His gaze moved from the spirit bone to Qian Renxue and Qian Daoliu, and finally rested on Chrysanthemums Douluo. "Thank you," he said, gratefully accepting the spirit bone.

He resolved to contemplate further on whether to absorb it or not. His immediate focus was on recuperating his injuries and rejuvenating his spirit power in preparation for the spirit ring's absorption.

After a few more minutes, Cai Wen had recovered sufficiently. His natural recuperative abilities, coupled with the healing effects of Qian Renxue's third spirit ring, allowed him to move around, experiencing only minimal pain. His burn marks were still visible, but they had already begun to fade.

"Are you certain you're going to absorb it?" Qian Renxue asked, pointing at the Spirit Ring on the charred body of the Frostbound Wyrm.

"Yes, I've already pushed beyond the standard limit for my first ring. This should still be feasible, even now, although the difference this time is that I'm directly jumping to a purple ring," Cai Wen replied.

"Don't worry, Xuer. I've already examined Cai Wen's physique and the quality of his spirit power. He should be able to handle a 1000-year-old spirit ring," Qian Daoliu reassured her, sighing in relief.

Cai Wen stood and slowly made his way towards the scorched body of the Frostbound Wyrm. He sat down beside it and summoned his Dragon Ring Gloves.

He began to draw the purple spirit ring towards him, commencing the absorption process. Cai Wen felt the stark contrast between an 800 and 1000 year old spirit beast. The spirit ring from the Frostbound Wyrm was significantly stronger and harbored more malicious intent, attempting to ravage his body and assault his mind.

However, all its attempts were futile as he easily quelled its rampage. After successfully reaching the second stage of the Resonance Heart Technique, he didn't bother defending his mind, which now had an automatic defense mechanism.

After thirty minutes, the glow of the flickering purple ring finally subsided. Cai Wen opened his eyes, feeling a joyous surge in his strength.

"You really did it," said Qian Renxue, her voice filled with awe even though she had known it was possible and that he was likely to succeed. Witnessing it in person was a different experience altogether.

He had completely shattered the norm of a perfect configuration of spirit rings.

"Yes," Cai Wen replied, his tone bubbling with happiness.

"So... what's your new spirit ability?" Qian Renxue curiously ask.

"My newly-acquired spirit ability is named 'Frozen Shackles'. I'm able to conjure chains of pure ice from thin air, anywhere within my line of sight," he explained, his voice filled with excitement. "These chains carry an intense cold aura, and they can freeze anything they touch almost instantly. They're primarily used to bind adversaries, either limiting their movements or completely immobilizing them."

To illustrate his point, Cai Wen conjured dozens of these icy chains, binding a group of trees in the blink of an eye. The trees began to show immediate signs of freezing, demonstrating the potency of his new ability.

"Remarkable! This spirit ability is impressive indeed," Qian Daoliu praised, clearly impressed. "With such a power, you're set to become an exceptional control spirit master. Just ensure you train it diligently. However, are there any limitations to this ability?" he asked, curious about the potential drawbacks or restrictions.

Cai Wen paused to ponder the question. "As far as I can tell, there aren't any inherent limitations. I could theoretically manufacture as many 'Frozen Shackles' as I want, provided I have sufficient spirit power. I suppose the only constraint would be my mental capacity to create and control them," he finally said. For Cai Wen, this wasn't a significant issue due to his six eye trait.

Then, he ventured to make a request. "By the way, could I ask for Grandpa Qian, Chrysanthemums Douluo, and Qian Renxue to watch over me again? I've decided to absorb the spirit bone," he declared. Despite it being only a thousand years old, Cai Wen had resolved to integrate it into his being.