Of course, they knew what that meant.

Soul bones were rarer than spirit souls—treasures that symbolized the apex of a soul master's fortune. They enhanced the body directly and granted unique soul skills, independent of cultivation limits.

The bone in Ray's hand was unmistakably a right-hand soul bone.

But confusion quickly followed the excitement.

"A soul bone… here?" Ray frowned deeply. "This is the spirit ascension platform. Isn't this supposed to be an illusory world?"

The bone felt real. Alive.

So why… had it appeared here at all?

Lily shook her head gently. "No. As far as I know, the spirit ascension platform isn't a purely illusory world. It's a hybrid of illusion and reality. The elementary level is the least 'real,' but that doesn't mean it's fake. Otherwise, how would we be able to absorb spirit energy?"

She paused, then added calmly, "Since a soul bone appeared, that means the beast we just killed was a guardian of the spirit ascension platform."

"Guardian?" Ray frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lily clearly knew far more than ordinary soul masters. She explained evenly, "Each level of the spirit ascension platform—elementary, intermediate, and advanced—has a guardian. In truth, the platform is a single existence divided into three regions with separate entrances. To prevent soul masters from crossing between levels, the Spirit Tower assigns an extremely powerful soul beast as a guardian to each region."

She glanced at the dark-gold bone in Ray's hand. "Only exceptionally formidable soul beasts can serve as guardians."

Ray's heart skipped a beat.

"In theory," Lily continued, "no one below five rings should be able to kill that Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear. The Spirit Tower never expected it to die at our hands. Because guardians are stronger than ordinary soul beasts, their creation consumes far more energy—and includes a soul bone. That soul bone is the true reward for defeating it."

Violetta's eyes widened. "So that's why…"

Lily nodded. "You can't take it out of the spirit ascension platform. If you don't fuse with it here, it'll vanish. There's no other way to keep it."

Ray was stunned. "But… I didn't defeat it alone. We fought it together. Anyone should be able to fuse with it, right?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "What nonsense are you thinking? Do you think my body could withstand the soul bone of a Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear? Or Violetta's?" Her tone sharpened slightly. "If either of us tried, we'd be devoured by it—or worse, killed outright. The soul bone would be wasted."

She pointed at Ray's right hand. "You're the only one compatible. And more importantly, it has a chance to resonate with your golden dragon claw. Hurry up. We don't have time to hesitate."

Ray still frowned. "But I already have the golden dragon claw. Wouldn't adding the Duskgold Dreadclaw be redundant?"

Lily's brows knit together. "Of course not. It'll enhance your dragon claw. The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear's strongest part is its right claw, and its core lies there. This isn't an ordinary limb soul bone—it's an external soul bone."

Violetta sucked in a breath.

"External?" she echoed.

Lily nodded. "Most soul masters can fuse with six soul bones—the skull, torso, and four limbs. External soul bones are exceptions. They don't count toward that limit and are far rarer. In terms of value, only ten-thousand-year soul rings surpass them."

Violetta turned to Ray earnestly. "Captain, you should do it. Without your attack power, we never would've broken through the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear's defense. This soul bone suits you best."

Ray finally exhaled.

He nodded.

Sitting down cross-legged, he held the dark-gold bone in his right hand.

Fusing with a soul bone was similar to merging with a spirit soul. He circulated the Mysterious Heaven Method, guiding his soul power into the bone. A faint glow spread outward as black radiance mingled with specks of gold.

At first, the bone hovered above his palm.

Gradually, white light drew it inward. The dark-gold color faded, becoming translucent, as if the bone were carved from golden crystal. The light intensified—then suddenly subsided.

Scales rippled across Ray's arm, spreading through his muscles. Golden light surged through his white soul power, the two intertwining.

The soul bone trembled violently, resisting as though it possessed a will of its own.

Ray snorted softly. Wisps of golden light burst from his palm, wrapping around the bone like chains.

The trembling ceased.

In the next instant, the soul bone dissolved and merged fully into his right hand.

Dark-gold radiance pulsed through the scales on his arm, surging back and forth like a tide. Gold and dark-gold intertwined, clashing and blending.

Ray's breathing grew erratic, then gradually steadied.

Finally, everything fell silent.

The dark-gold sheen faded, leaving behind the familiar dull gold of his dragon scales. On the surface, his arm looked unchanged.

Violetta blinked. "Is… is that it?"

Lily frowned slightly. "I don't know. It seems finished, but…" She studied his arm carefully. "I don't see much difference."

Ray opened his eyes, and the same confusion reflected in his gaze.

During the fusion, he had felt a surge of violent power—but it had been suppressed almost instantly by his bloodline. He had expected agony on par with breaking a seal. Instead, it had been… effortless.

Too effortless.

He sprang to his feet and stared at his right hand, flexing his fingers. "My blood and muscles feel stronger," he muttered. "But only a little."

Lily's expression darkened. "That's it? For an external soul bone?"

Ray clenched his fist and punched forward.

Boom!

A sonic crack echoed through the forest.

Golden scales flared along his arm as power surged outward.

He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the change.

"My physical strength has increased by about twenty percent," he said slowly.

Lily's lips pressed into a thin line. Twenty percent wasn't insignificant—but for an external soul bone, it was underwhelming. Such a treasure was supposed to bring a qualitative leap, not a modest improvement.

"Did you gain a soul skill?" she asked.

Ray shook his head.

When a soul bone granted a soul skill, the soul master would feel it immediately—an instinctive awareness, as clear as a newly acquired soul ring.

There was nothing.

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