As dusk descended, a silver moon, round like a disc, hung high in the night sky.

At the back of a somewhat cool courtyard in the Si Tu Mansion, one of the four great families in Shen Wu Nation's border city of Shou Zhou.

Murong Lan Yue lay on the ground, his body covered in blood and wounds.

Raising her arms, she looked forward at Situ Yan who was holding a whip with a poisonous look on her face. The barbs on the whip even had...

"Cousin, why?" A tear escaped the corner of Murong Lan Yue's eye. Her eyes were filled with fear and confusion.

Why would my usually kind cousin suddenly attack today, and with such vicious cruelty?

"Why?"

Si Tu Yan seemed to have heard something extremely funny, she laughed out loud, her laughter laced with mockery: "Murong Lan Yue, you wouldn't think that we raised you all these years just because we truly considered you family, would you?"

What does this mean?

Murong Lan Yue looked at her with puzzled eyes. Her aunt had once said that she was entrusted to them by her mother on her deathbed, which is why she had lived in the Si Tu Mansion for so many years. And over the years, her aunt had treated her as her own daughter.

"Is that really what you think?"

Si Tu Yan exaggeratedly covered her laugh and then looked at Murong Lan Yue's face with an utterly disgusted and jealous expression. She said viciously, "Your parents offended someone powerful and were being hunted down. Your mother knelt before my mother holding a spirit stone and begged her to take you in. My mother was kindhearted, so she reluctantly agreed."

Si Tu Yan sneered, her eyes full of contempt. Of course, this was a lie. If it weren't for the fact that the little wretch's mother had given enough treasures, and her mother had other plans, she wouldn't have agreed to keep them.

What?

Murong Lan Yue suddenly looked over, disbelief contorting his face as he reached out to grab Situ Yan's hand to confirm, but she darted past him with incredible speed, kicking him to the ground.

Murong Lan Yue seemed oblivious to the pain she was enduring. Instead, she anxiously asked, "How's my father?"

"How is it going?" Situ Yan said with a playful smile, enjoying Murong Lan Yue's anxiety before nonchalantly continuing, "He's dead, what else could happen."

Boom…

It was like a bolt of lightning striking his mind, leaving him stunned and speechless. He burst into tears.

I always knew Mama was gone, but I still clung to the hope that Papa was out there. As long as I stayed put, I told myself, he would come back for me someday. Even if he didn't, once I turned fifteen and awakened my bone magic, I could find him myself. But now...now this news has hit me like a bolt from the blue.

Sithu Yan bowed low, and toward Lan Yue she gave a smile full of malice.

Of course, I've let you eat and drink for free for so many years, you should pay me back, right? Today, it's time for you to awaken your bones, my bone cultivation.

Bone culture?

<>

All the warmth was fake! Our schemes have all been for this day!

Murong Lan Yue, stunned by the news from her parents, instantly paled. Looking at Situ Yan's eyes, which seemed to be filled with poison, she was incredibly shocked.

In the divine nation of Shenwu, each person is born with a bone that awakens on their fifteenth birthday.

There are six grades of bones: lower, middle, upper, holy, immortal, and divine. The higher the grade of bone that awakens, the more important it is, and the greater the number that will be able to awaken in the future.

It can be said that the bone is the foundation upon which the people of Shenwu nation stand.

And there happens to be a kind of martial arts technique in this world that can improve the level of one's own bones by devouring the bones of others.

It's just that this cultivation technique is too evil, it has long been destroyed and vanished.

Sithu Yan would actually!

"No! No! You can't!"

Murong Lan Yue shook her head, supporting herself as she retreated. She couldn't lose her bone. Si Tu Yan must be lying! She had to find her father!

"Haha..."

Sithu Yan's laughter sounded like a demon, watching the futile struggle, she held up her whip and approached step by step.

"Yan'er, no need for pleasantries, are you ready?" A man in full finery stepped out of the darkness.

When Murong Lan Yue arrived, all he saw was his once kind aunt now looking at him with disgust, her face contorted in displeasure, her eyes cold as if looking down upon an ant.

"Mother, I am ready."

Si Tu Yan's face was full of eagerness.

My mother said that this dead girl's mother had extraordinary talent. This dead girl inherited her mother's bloodline, and her bone quality definitely won't be low. As long as I devour her, my bones will definitely upgrade!

"Good."

After the two mothers finished speaking, they both turned to look at Murong Lan Yue who was still futilely trying to move backward. Their eyes were cold and evil, like looking at a lamb waiting to be slaughtered on an altar.

"

Never! I'd rather die than give you my bones!

Murong Lan Yue let out a roar, and with the last of his strength, suddenly unleashed an immense force, crashing into the courtyard wall.

Even if it meant getting killed, I wouldn't let this evil mother get away with it!

"Hehehe..."

A contemptuous snort, and the slender figure that dashed out was caught by an invisible force.

Then, Madam Situ faced Lan Yue with five fingers outstretched. She held her position for a moment, then suddenly swirled them inward. Lan Yue was violently yanked back to the ground and rolled at Mrs. Situ's feet, looking disheveled.

"Just like your mother, that bitch. Why won't you obediently offer up your bones? Does resistance even help?"

Madam Situ's voice was soft, but her words were colder than the icy wind of this midnight hour.

Murong Lan Yue raised her head in shock, stammering, "My mother... my mother was killed by you..."

"Yeah!"

Mrs. Situ nodded with satisfaction. "Your mother wanted me to save you, but is just a Spirit Stone enough? You were born into this life risking everything, naturally powerless against me, your very bones are under my control now, hahaha..."

A burst of triumphant laughter, hiding for many years, can finally vent his anger in front of the dead.

"You! You! I'm going to kill you!"

Murong Lan Yue's eyes were bloodshot, her hands clasped forward in a fierce embrace, and with a snap, she bit down on her disciple's wife.

No matter how powerless I am, I will fight to the death and bite off a piece!

"Toasts refused, penalty drinks!"

Mrs. Situ let out a cold snort. With the strength of a mid-stage Grand Spirit Master, a bite wouldn't cause any harm, not even pain. But being bitten by this dead girl was a disgrace.

Only to see the spiritual energy ripple, Murong Lan Yue instantly shattered a mouthful of silver teeth, even the bones of her arms holding the person broke.

"Ah..."

Murong Lan Yue let out a painful cry, instantly fainting. At this moment, his spine felt like it was burning with heat.

"Shriek..."

A clear and resonant cry echoed through the sky, red surged into the heavens, a massive fiery phantom appeared behind Murong Lan Yue.

Noble and domineering, with an air of superiority.

Then, a fiery red spirit egg appeared before the phoenix's phantom.

"Divine Bone! Phoenix Egg!"

Mrs. Situ let out a cry of surprise, her joy so great that her voice sounded different.

The last time the Shenwu Kingdom witnessed a divine-grade bone was a millennium ago, when the founding ancestor of the sect awakened the divine-grade Qilin Bone.

"What a prodigy! How could this little wench have such excellent aptitude?"

Not to mention phoenix eggs!

Spirit Eggs are extremely rare, only appearing with a minuscule chance when super geniuses with exceptional talent awaken their bones.

In contrast to later contracts, a soulbound spirit possesses greater combat prowess and unwavering loyalty. It is the ultimate aspiration of all warriors in the Divine Martial Kingdom.

Mrs. Situ was absolutely overjoyed. These, all of them, belonged to her son!

"Yan'er, hurry, take the bone directly! Get the Phoenix egg!"

We must act immediately. The bone's emergence is too significant; the entire Suzhou City, even possibly forces loyal to the Shenwu Kingdom, will be drawn here.

Even though the backyard is specifically arranged with an isolation formation to prevent other people's divine senses from probing, one must also guard against the possibility that those who cannot be offended might impatiently break into the back house.

"Okay, Mother!"

Si Tu Yan was so excited that her whole body trembled. There was an undeniable heat and jealousy in her eyes. She had only awakened a mid-grade bone this morning, how could this dead girl awaken a high-grade bone!

Why is this dead girl so lucky?

Oh, no, it's the good fortune! Bone and phoenix egg!

Thinking of this, Situ Yan's subordinates became even more anxious.

“Ah... ah...”

Even more agonizing pain, Murong Lan Yue, who had fainted from the pain, was once again awakened by the excruciating torment of his soul.

His eyes were wide with horror as his spine was broken inch by inch...

Watching as Si Tu Yan, with bloodstained hands, laughed while holding a bone and cradling the phoenix egg...

Vision blurred increasingly until it was completely dark.

Dissatisfied!

(Editor in charge:romance novels young adults)