The sky before sunrise was a muted gradient of purples and greys, the world caught between breath and motion. On the training ground, Tang San and Tang Yan stood in silence, waiting. The iron slabs from yesterday's hammer session still steamed faintly in the morning chill.
Tang Hao arrived without fanfare, his heavy steps crunching the gravel beneath his boots.
"You've improved," he said without turning to face them. "But power doesn't make a soul master. Control does."
The twins exchanged a look. They already knew.
Tang Hao's eyes narrowed. "Your soul's bones have merged completely. Let's talk about that."
Both boys instinctively straightened. The faint glow of integrated power flickered just beneath their skin—visible only to those with sharp senses.
Tang San's previously sealed 100,000-year soul ring now pulsed with authority, its apparent age stabilized at 11,500 years, just within believable range. The integration of his external soul bone had strengthened the seal cast by Tianmeng Bug, further anchoring the ring's energy.
Tang Yan's soul ring flared brighter, more volatile. The carapace fused to his back and hummed with resonance. His sealed ring's projection had shifted from 10,000 to 20,000 years—the limit of what a freakishly talented prodigy might attain without drawing too much suspicion.
Tianmeng Bug:"Sealing a 100k ring is tough. Making it look cool? Art."
System:"Host now radiates danger. Congratulations. Please don't explode."
The Power of Bone
Tang Hao circled the boys, nodding slightly as their soul's bones flickered into view.
"Two external soul bones… fused by spirit and body. Rare, but not unprecedented. But be warned—power this deep always has a cost."
He gestured for them to show their soul-bone skills.
Tang San stepped forward first, calling forth Nature Spine Armor—translucent vines surged from his back, weaving into a spiralled defensive carapace.
"Spine Root Binding," he said. "It extends vines from my core to control enemies."
Then his second skill bloomed: Vital Core Renewal. A soft green glow encased his skin, a healing wave spreading outward.
"It helps replenish stamina and gradually heals minor internal damage."
Tang Yan responded in kind. His Golden Pulse Carapace shimmered into place like molten metal plating.
"First skill—Void Pulse Eruption."
A shockwave burst from his spine, tearing the nearby dust into the air.
"Second—Soul Vein Surge."
His muscles expanded, spiritual threads flaring across his arms. His draconic form crackled under the armour, surging with increased power.
"Temporary boost to all physical attributes. Comes with serious backlash if overused."
Tang Hao stared for a moment, then grunted.
"We train. We train hard."
Round One — Tang San's Trial
Tang San stepped forward, spear in hand. Tang Hao didn't draw a weapon—he simply activated his presence. The gravity of his soul pressure pressed down like an avalanche.
They exchanged blows—Tang San's strikes were fast and precise, rooted in calculation. When Tang San used Spine Root Binding, Tang Hao side-stepped before tangling it with his aura to negate it. He never struck to harm—only to test.
As Tang San activated Vital Core Renewal, Tang Hao finally closed the gap and delivered a palm to his chest. Controlled, but powerful.
Tang San flew back ten meters before landing on one knee.
"You waited too long to recover," Tang Hao said, "and your control faded under pressure."
Tang San exhaled. "Understood."
Round Two — Tang Yan's Turn
Tang Yan walked forward, rolling his shoulders.
"Are you going to smack me into next week, or do I get five minutes of fun?"
System:"Host's death wish is fully functional."
Tianmeng:"Please dodge the first hit this time."
Trident in hand, Tang Yan launched forward. His strikes were erratic, calculated chaos. When he triggered Void Pulse Eruption, even Tang Hao narrowed his eyes.
He followed up immediately with Soul Vein Surge, his body crackling with amplified power. His strikes grew heavier, faster.
Tang Hao let three blows land before retaliating. With one spinning counterstrike, he disrupted the momentum, redirected the Trident upward, and locked Tang Yan's core.
"Killing attribute must be tempered," Tang Hao murmured, "or it kills you too."
Tang Yan hit the ground hard—groaning, but grinning.
"Still made you work for it."
Reflections at Twilight
Later, under the moonlight, both brothers sat on worn boulders near the healing spring. Tang San leaned back, deep in thought.
"Our strength is real now… but we're still raw."
Tang Yan sipped from his elixir. "We've climbed a step. Ten thousand more to go."
They sat in silence, save for the occasional slosh of water and the rustle of the night breeze.
A Yearlong Path
Tang Hao approached, arms crossed.
"You've passed the first trial. The next phase begins tomorrow."
"Weighted training," he continued, "soul power pressure tests, spiritual endurance, forging reinforcement… for one full year."
"Your soul bones will grow with you. But only if you grow first."
Gu Yuena, Ah Yin, and Bi Ji watched from the distance, unseen.
Gu Yuena: "Their potential is beginning to surface."
Ah Yin: "And their will is catching up."
Bi Ji: "Hope they like pain."
System:"Host enters Trial Arc: Year of the Forge."
Tianmeng:"Let's see if you can scream through success."
The twins stood as the stars rose above them, the first day of the longest year yet behind them—and many more to come.
End of Chapter 66