Chapter 1620: Gold and Spirit Stones

No matter whether the large creature before him possessed a dragon bloodline or was composed of dragon bones, since it was associated with the word "dragon" but hadn't reached the true dragon level, it would inevitably be suppressed by the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon. Zhang Xuan knew this beforehand, but being a humble person, he didn't want to show off. Moreover, he wished to subdue it with his own strength. Who would have thought... this creature would be so shameless, secretly increasing its power when it couldn't win?

He could pretend not to notice if it raised its power by one major level, but raising it by several in a row was simply too much.

Therefore, he held back no longer and let out a roar... As expected, the creature was suppressed and fell to the ground.

"You... you... are you a true dragon?" the bone dragon stammered, lying on the ground. Its teeth chattered, and it felt its consciousness on the verge of collapse, ready to faint at any moment.

It was not the consciousness of the dragon that had lived within these bones, but rather an artifact spirit born after the bones were refined into a divine spear. Having originated from the dragon bones, it still possessed draconic characteristics and remained in awe of the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon, which only a true dragon could unleash. This power represented the very bloodline and the supreme, unchallengeable authority of the dragon race.

"What, must one be a true dragon to unleash the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking at it.

"This..." The bone dragon was speechless. It had followed Ancient Sage Ran Qiu throughout his campaigns and had even encountered Confucius, the most powerful being of that era. Yet, even Confucius could not unleash the Eight Notes of the Heavenly Dragon... but this young man before it could. What exactly was his identity?

"I am willing to recognize you as my master!" Though it couldn't fathom Zhang Xuan's identity, after a moment of hesitation, the bone dragon lowered its head. The dragon race highly valued bloodline, and it was considered natural for those with a lower bloodline to submit to those with a higher one. Furthermore, Zhang Xuan had indeed defeated it.

"Indeed," Zhang Xuan nodded. He was about to ask how a bone dragon, lacking blood, could acknowledge a master, when he saw the skeleton before him abruptly shrink. Just like before, it transformed back into a massive spear. The spear gently swayed in the air, quickly reducing its size to about ten feet, and then settled into his palm.

He looked down at the spear, which was entirely black. Its tip reflected a cold gleam, as if it could pierce through space and leap forth at any moment.

"What a magnificent spear!" Zhang Xuan's eyes instantly lit up.

As he gently stroked the spear's body, dragon roars seemed to echo all around him. His zhenqi flowed into it seamlessly, as if traveling through his own meridians, encountering no obstruction whatsoever.

*Plop!*

A drop of blood from his fingertip landed on the spear tip and was immediately absorbed. In the blink of an eye, a sharp spear-light shot forth, causing cracks to appear in space.

"With this divine weapon, my strength can increase by at least twofold..." Zhang Xuan trembled uncontrollably with excitement.

This weapon was undoubtedly the most powerful artifact he had ever wielded. Even with its power sealed by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, it remained overwhelmingly formidable. Of course, his current cultivation was too low to unleash its full combat potential. However, if he were to use the blood of Confucius in conjunction with this spear, he was confident that he would have no equal below the Ancient Sage realm! He even dared to challenge a Half-Ancient Sage or two.

"No wonder the Library chose this passage; to obtain such a divine weapon, this trip was truly worthwhile..."

He laughed heartily and, with a flick of his wrist, the spear transformed back into the bone dragon, hovering around his body. With a thought, Zhang Xuan willed it to change into a belt, which he then tied around his waist. Having refined it, he now understood the bone dragon's abilities: it could change form at will. As a spear, it was indestructible; as a whip, it also possessed the power to shatter the heavens and earth.

After subduing the bone dragon, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and once again surveyed his surroundings. The pool water before him was now calm, devoid of its previous turbulence, and the entire hall appeared vast and empty, with no discernible exit.

"Have I passed the trial?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking around.

"You have certainly passed... I will now send Master out. However, there are some items I used here that I hope you can take with you!" the bone dragon replied.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Go ahead!"

With a flick of his wrist, the bone dragon flew from his waist, expanding once more to several tens of meters in length. It hovered above the pool and, with a powerful aerial swipe of its claw...

*Whoosh!*

The pool water boiled and surged with power, as a circular platform slowly ascended. The platform, only about three meters in diameter, emanated an astonishing spiritual aura, providing a sensation as pleasant as a spring breeze.

"This is... a supreme treasure for artifact forging, a Golden Origin Spirit Stone?" Zhang Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief.

As an eight-star artifact forger, despite only knowing how to refine bricks, Zhang Xuan was highly proficient in the fundamental knowledge of artifact crafting and the identification of various ores, even surpassing some nine-star experts. With just a glance, he recognized the stone platform before him as a Golden Origin Spirit Stone—a supreme treasure that artifact forgers dreamed of acquiring but rarely found.

With this substance, even a common high-grade Saint artifact could transform directly into a supreme-grade one with just a gram or even less... and before him was such an enormous piece! It weighed several tons... Even with his usually composed demeanor, his face flushed, and he found it difficult to contain his excitement. It could be said that this single spirit stone was worth no less than, and perhaps even more than, a top-tier Grand Saint treasure!

"Yes, it is indeed a Golden Origin Spirit Stone," the bone dragon explained. "Ancient Sage Ran left me here to await a destined successor... but the waiting period was uncertain. Although I am an artifact spirit, I too possess a lifespan... Therefore, this item was prepared. As long as I rest upon it in slumber, my power will not diminish, and my lifespan will extend. I can live for tens of thousands of years without my strength waning!"

"Ah!" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood. He had previously wondered how a divine weapon left for tens of thousands of years could still function, assuming its artifact spirit would be too ancient to fight. It turned out Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had already made preparations. With this item for sustenance, its vitality would be preserved, and its lifespan greatly extended. Even after slumbering for tens of thousands of years, it could still unleash its full combat power, like a dragon or a tiger.

"Now that I have awakened, this item is of no further use to me, and I wish to present it to Master!" The bone dragon lifted a claw, and the Golden Origin Spirit Stone immediately flew toward Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan swiftly caught it and, with a mental command, placed it into his storage ring. "Haha, in that case, I shall not decline!"

Having witnessed the magnanimity of Sword Saint Xing, Zhang Xuan knew that his own perspective was limited; while this Golden Origin Spirit Stone seemed incredibly precious to him, it might be insignificant in the eyes of a powerful figure like Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. Since the bone dragon was offering it as a gift, he would certainly keep it. With this item, the Golden Origin Cauldron, which he had rarely used due to its previous rank, would undoubtedly be able to advance further, its power greatly increasing. The Golden Origin Spirit Stone was indeed the perfect material to re-refine it.

"Master, we can leave now..." After presenting the spirit stone, the bone dragon transformed back into a belt and coiled around Zhang Xuan's waist. Zhang Xuan turned and, sure enough, saw a stone door identical to the one before appear not far away. He took a few steps, approached it, and gently pushed.

*Creak!*

The stone door swung open. He then saw a spacious hall where several people stood facing each other, their zhenqi surging with an imminent confrontation.