Chapter 401: Glazed Bone

The moment the Glazed Ant Wax touched Chen Fan's shattered bones, he felt a warm yet highly penetrating energy spread along his skeleton. Wherever it passed, his shattered bones seemed to be enveloped and reshaped by an invisible force.

This process was far from pleasant; instead, it carried a tearing pain.

"What an overbearing power!" Chen Fan gritted his teeth, forcing his body to remain calm.

This transformation, a shedding of his mortal frame, was comparable to the pain of being sliced by a thousand knives!

Unknowingly, Chen Fan's consciousness was on the verge of collapse, his ears filled only with the crisp sounds of bones shattering and reforming.

"Young Master, hold on!" Chen Dongliang stood guard nearby, calling out every time Chen Fan's consciousness threatened to slip into silence.

A full day and night passed. Chen Fan's bones gradually began to emit a seven-colored halo. Countless impurities were expelled from his body by the Glazed Ant Wax, replaced by bones that began to turn translucent and smooth!

Another day passed. The Glazed Ant Wax in the pit was completely exhausted, and a crisp, wind-chime-like sound emanated from Chen Fan's body.

At this moment, his skeleton had completely transformed into a glazed state.

With a thought, all 486 wounds on his body healed instantly. He then leaped up, landing heavily on the ground, leaving two half-meter-deep footprints.

"My weight?" Chen Fan was startled and hurriedly felt his body, his expression turning strange.

His weight had increased by a full ten times!

Over a thousand jin—wouldn't that crush an ordinary person to death? How would he manage intimacy in the future? Chen Fan was suddenly distressed.

But upon second thought, over a thousand jin was no issue for a high-level ability user, and he set his mind at ease.

"Young Master, the density of Glazed Bone is extremely high; an increase in weight is normal," Chen Dongliang explained.

"The benefits of Glazed Bone go far beyond this. Why don't you try and see how much your strength has increased?"

"Strength?" Chen Fan clenched his fist and smiled. "Old Chen, come, accompany me for a spar!"

As Chen Fan spoke, he lunged toward Chen Dongliang. Chen Dongliang waved his hand, and a thick earthen wall appeared out of thin air.

Chen Fan slammed a fist into the wall, and its surface merely cracked slightly.

"That's not much," Chen Fan said, looking at his fist with some disappointment.

Chen Dongliang chuckled. "Young Master, this earthen wall of mine cannot be broken by anyone except a Martial Saint. The fact that you could crack its surface shows your strength is on par with a Quasi-Martial Saint."

"Oh? My strength is on par with a Quasi-Martial Saint?" Chen Fan felt it was incredible and grew eager to test it.

"Old Chen, let's go out and find a strange beast; I want to test my strength."

"Young Master, there's no need for such trouble. The sparring partner you want has arrived."

"What do you mean?" Chen Fan was puzzled. The next moment, a figure darted into the ant tunnel like lightning, appearing in the Ant Emperor Nest.

It was a Black Iron Ink Bear!

It looked at the two in the cave, its eyes showing anthropomorphic vigilance.

"This isn't a strange beast; this is an ability user who has undergone beast transformation!"

This thought flashed through Chen Fan's mind.

The Black Iron Ink Bear scanned the area, and upon seeing the corpses everywhere, its pupils contracted sharply.

Immediately, it retreated toward the ant tunnel.

"Don't think about leaving now that you're here!" Chen Dongliang sneered, and the tunnels surrounding the Ant Emperor Nest were instantly blocked by earthen walls.

"Young Master, feel free to test your strength on it. I will hold the line; if you are in danger, I will intervene."

"Good!" Chen Fan roared and instantly charged at the Black Iron Ink Bear.

He did not use his Silver Dragon, choosing to fight bare-handed.

The Black Iron Ink Bear grinned hideously and swiped its paw at Chen Fan.

However, the next moment, a fierce force surged, forcing it back a hundred meters.

Chen Fan followed up with dragon-like punches, striking it repeatedly.

After three punches, the Black Iron Ink Bear collapsed to the ground, twitching incessantly.

Chen Fan felt the surging power erupting from his Glazed Bone, his heart churning with massive waves!

His base strength had increased by at least ten times!

One had to know this was base strength, not the explosive power used when activating skills.

"Young Master, this Black Iron Ink Bear's strength is only at the Eighth-Rank Peak, but the fact that you defeated it with three punches using only physical strength proves your power is on par with a Quasi-Martial Saint."

"However, your ability output and intensity still don't match a Quasi-Martial Saint. Once your ability level advances further, matching a Quasi-Martial Saint will be no problem!"

"So, my current strength exceeds the Eighth-Rank Peak, but I'm still a bit short of a Quasi-Martial Saint?" Chen Fan asked.

"Correct!"

"Alright, I'm satisfied with that."

Having said that, Chen Fan looked at the Black Iron Ink Bear lying on the ground. As the creature was dying, it could no longer maintain its strange beast form and reverted to human shape.

"Old Chen, this guy is also from the Beast Worship Cult. It seems the members involved in this operation haven't been cleared out yet." Chen Fan said, preparing to send this person on his final journey.

"Young Master, wait. I want to test my ability on this person," Chen Dongliang said, reaching out to stop him.

"My Xuanhuang Return to Ruins ability comes with a Return to Ruins Space, which can store departed souls. In other words, it allows people to live in the Return to Ruins Space in the form of spirits."

Chen Dongliang explained to Chen Fan, then looked at the Beast Worship Cult member on the ground.

"Do you choose to die now, or live on in another way?"

The Beast Worship Cult member, who had been filled with a desire for death, began to waver.

Chen Dongliang continued, "The Return to Ruins Space is just like reality; you will simply exist in the form of a spirit. You can still move and communicate. It's just that there are no other spirits there right now, but there will be more in the future. You won't be lonely there."

"How can I trust you?" the Beast Worship Cult member asked.

Just as Chen Dongliang was about to explain further, Chen Fan simply pressed his Silver Dragon against the man's brow.

"Old Chen, let's just kill him."

As Chen Fan spoke, the Silver Dragon pierced the man's forehead.

The threat of death immediately threw the man into a panic.

"Wait! I agree, I'm willing to enter the Return to Ruins Space!"

"Good!" Chen Dongliang was delighted.

"Once your physical body dies, do not resist before your soul dissipates; I will pull you into the Return to Ruins Space!"

"Young Master, you may proceed!"

The next moment, Chen Fan pierced through his skull.

A soul emerged from his brow and was absorbed into Chen Dongliang's body.

Of course, Chen Fan could not see this.

Seeing Chen Dongliang smile, Chen Fan asked curiously, "Is it done?"

"It's done. Young Master, would you like to see my Return to Ruins Space?"

"I can enter?"

"Of course. Young Master, clear your mind, and I will pull you in."

A moment later, Chen Fan's soul entered a gray, misty space.

In the space, he saw the Beast Worship Cult member.

At this moment, the man was looking around, his face filled with extreme curiosity.

It felt like a void, dark and sunless, but as Chen Fan walked forward, he could not reach the end.

"Old Chen, what is the use of this Return to Ruins Space?" Chen Fan asked Chen Dongliang, who was beside him.