The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon, though a genuine true dragon, was not large in size, measuring only five meters from head to tail.
It had two pairs of four dragon wings, which resembled a bird's wings, covered in light purple feathers.
Its body was a vibrant purple, like transparent crystal, and its head was quite distinctive; apart from two dark purple dragon horns, the rest of it bore no resemblance to a dragon.
At this moment, the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon was controlled by Xuan Zi, its eyes dull and its vitality dim.
"Ziyang, do it!" Mu En said with a smile, "First the bone, then the spirit!"
"Understood!" Zhu Ziyang nodded lightly, and the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe appeared in his hand.
With a downward slash of the sharp scythe blade, it instantly cut open the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head.
The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's body twitched a few times, then quieted down.
A purple Spirit Bone, emitting an ethereal glow, floated out from its skull.
The Spirit Bone resembled a purple crystal, transparent and overflowing with precious aura.
Undoubtedly, this was the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone.
After the Spirit Bone appeared, an inner core also shot out from the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's body.
The inner core was crystal clear, displaying a noble purple hue, and flew towards the sky like a purple lightning bolt.
Xuan Zi, quick-handed and sharp-eyed, directly intercepted it and clutched it in his hand.
This was the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's Dragon Core, and also the essence of its entire life's cultivation.
Zhu Ziyang didn't pay attention to the Dragon Core in Xuan Zi's hand; he needed to first fuse with the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone before absorbing the spirit ring.
The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone floated before Zhu Ziyang.
Zhu Ziyang sat cross-legged on the ground, aligning his head parallel with the Spirit Bone.
Then, he closed his eyes, activating the Great Bright Art to mobilize his spirit power, while his mental force sea also boiled.
Fusing with a head Spirit Bone couldn't rely solely on spirit power; it also required mental force.
Only by doing so could perfect fusion be achieved.
Zhu Ziyang's mental force transformed into invisible tentacles, Binding the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone.
The Bound Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone immediately erupted with an aura, its vast mental force almost forming a tangible substance.
Zhu Ziyang seized this opportunity, forcefully pulling it directly into his head, and the two streams of mental force immediately intertwined and merged.
spirit power transformed into a furnace, enveloping the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone, and, combined with his mental force, began to refine and suppress the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's mental force and spirit power contained within the head Spirit Bone.
Mu En and Xuan Zi watched Zhu Ziyang's actions, and expressions of relief involuntarily appeared on their faces.
"Elder Mu, it's going very smoothly! It seems Ziyang is very compatible with this Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's head Spirit Bone!" Xuan Zi said.
"Heh heh, this is just an appetizer!" Mu En said calmly.
The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's mental force was very gentle, like spring sunshine, making it very easy for Zhu Ziyang to absorb and fuse with.
As the gentle and compliant aura was gradually swallowed by Zhu Ziyang, his mental force also climbed steadily.
As a true dragon of the mental attribute, the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's mental force cultivation had infinitely approached the formless and intangible realm.
If he hadn't been targeted by Zhu Ziyang, he might have even broken through to the formless and intangible realm, entering the level of a fierce beast.
Alas, all of his efforts ultimately benefited another, making it easy for Zhu Ziyang.
Time flowed by second by second.
Zhu Ziyang's mental force underwent repeated compression, expansion, re-compression, and re-expansion, until day quietly passed and the moon climbed into the sky, casting soft moonlight.
Zhu Ziyang, sitting cross-legged on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes.
All his aura instantly retracted, leaving only his two eyes radiating golden and silver light.
After a long time, the light gradually faded.
Zhu Ziyang didn't have time to feel the improvement in his mental force realm from the 100,000-year head Spirit Bone, nor did he have time to check the two Spirit Abilities attached to the head Spirit Bone, because a purple-crystal Dragon Core had already fallen into his hand.
"With the blessing of the 100,000-year head Spirit Bone, absorbing this Dragon Core and fusing the spirit ring will surely be much easier," Mu En's voice timely entered his ears.
"After absorbing this spirit ring, you can begin to condense your first spirit core.
Ziyang, you must remember, during this process, you must hold steadfast to your original intention and maintain absolute clarity and rationality.
Finally, strike while the iron is hot; momentum wanes after the first attempt, and is exhausted after the third!
If you cannot successfully condense the first spirit core on your first attempt, it will be very difficult to take this step again afterward!
Therefore, never give up unless absolutely necessary.
With Xuan Zi and me protecting you, you will surely be safe!"
"Understood!" Zhu Ziyang nodded solemnly, then his gaze fell on the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's Dragon Core in his hand, and he began to absorb it.
Vast and pure spirit power enveloped the Dragon Core, and a huge spirit power fluctuation immediately surged out from within the Dragon Core, attempting to resist Zhu Ziyang's actions.
That was the residual consciousness of the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon within the Dragon Core, clinging to life, but Zhu Ziyang would not give it even the slightest chance.
Without any hesitation or mercy, the magnificent Ultimate Light, carrying the vast intent of judgment, instantly crushed the resistance within the Dragon Core.
The Dragon Core became incredibly compliant.
Zhu Ziyang felt a hint of disdain in his heart, and then began to absorb the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's Dragon Core with all his might.
The lifelong cultivation of a 100,000-year true dragon, the profoundness of its spirit power was astonishing.
Such a massive amount of spirit power filled Zhu Ziyang's surroundings, making the air feel several times heavier.
The Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe appeared before Zhu Ziyang, and behind him were five spirit rings: one yellow, two purple, and two black.
These five spirit rings pulsed and flickered, and a blood-red spirit ring quietly appeared beside the fifth spirit ring.
As the other five spirit rings flashed, this blood-red spirit ring became increasingly solid and prominent.
The Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's Dragon Core had vanished, replaced by the blood-red 100,000-year spirit ring shimmering behind Zhu Ziyang.
Zhu Ziyang was still absorbing the Illusory Sky Purple Spirit Dragon's energy.
Every time the 100,000-year spirit ring flashed, a large amount of energy was swallowed into Zhu Ziyang's body.
This process lasted for about three to four hours, until the moon was no longer visible in the sky and the sun appeared.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, red—six spirit rings shone behind Zhu Ziyang, emitting a terrifying and trembling aura that inspired awe.
Zhu Ziyang successfully fused his sixth spirit ring, but the expressions of Mu En and Xuan Zi did not relax at all; instead, they became even more solemn, because what came next was the most crucial step!
Zhu Ziyang remained with his eyes tightly closed; at this moment, he had entered a peculiar state of enlightenment.
Although he hadn't opened his eyes, he could perceive everything outside with perfect clarity.
He had a clear understanding in his heart, and then he responded.
The Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe disappeared, and he stretched out his hands, palms facing upwards.
Pure white spirit power emerged from his palms.
That was the purest spirit power, refined by him layer after layer, containing no elements or bloodlines, infinitely close to the elemental energy of heaven and earth.
This spirit power continuously emerged, accumulating more and more in Zhu Ziyang's palms, rapidly spinning to form two spirit power vortices.
The two spirit power vortices gradually grew larger, finally merging into one giant spirit power vortex.
With the appearance of the giant spirit power vortex, centered on Zhu Ziyang, within an area of several hundred meters, the elemental energy of heaven and earth surged like a frantic flock of sheep, pouring into the giant spirit power vortex.
The incredibly dense elemental energy of heaven and earth formed a nearly tangible cloud above Zhu Ziyang, converging towards his body.
Zhu Ziyang's spirit power spun faster and faster, large amounts of spirit power accumulated, began to compress, becoming increasingly viscous, and finally transformed into a solid state.
With the appearance of solid spirit power, the elemental energy of heaven and earth gathered above instantly became violent.
This turmoil was so unsettling.
Xuan Zi and Mu En, who had been closely observing this change, decisively acted, using their Super Douluo aura to stabilize the turbulent elemental energy of heaven and earth.
Within Zhu Ziyang's mental force sea, the mental force, which had long been ready, decisively surged out, merging with the solid spirit power, pulling it step by step into Zhu Ziyang's upper Dantian.
After countless trials and tribulations within the spirit power vortex, the mental force and solid spirit power thoroughly merged into a special energy.
This energy began to take shape, forming a rough rhomboid crystal, and then began to attempt to connect to Zhu Ziyang's spirit power circuits.
However, this was not enough.
The other two streams of energy within Zhu Ziyang's mental force sea began to act: one gold and one silver, one in front and one behind, one above and one below, pouring into the rhomboid crystal.
With the addition of the two streams of divine force, Zhu Ziyang's process of condensing his first spirit core also reached its final critical moment.
The elemental energy of heaven and earth, gathered into a cloud in the sky, surged in, pouring into Zhu Ziyang's temples, glabella, and crown, integrating into Zhu Ziyang's nascent spirit core.
The spirit core began to operate, Zhu Ziyang's internal spirit power circuits began to connect, and the rough spirit core, under the frantic baptism of the elemental energy of heaven and earth, under the tempering of the golden and silver divine force, and under the grinding of vast mental force, finally became perfect.
The external environment gradually returned to normal.
Xuan Zi looked at the calm surroundings, then at Zhu Ziyang, whose expression was unchanged, and with a joyful face, he said, "Elder Mu, Ziyang succeeded?"
"Yes! He succeeded!" A flush appeared on Mu En's face, and a look of excitement flashed in his old eyes as he nodded gently, trying his best to control his excited emotions.