C46 Roc Bone Engraving Map

After a lengthy conversation, dawn was approaching, and the members of the Zhou family each returned to their quarters for rest. Wang Xuelan and Wang Sibo accompanied Zhou Jibo as he departed.

"Brother Jibo, I wouldn't have known what to do without you," Wang Xuelan said with a smile. "I'm so grateful to you, Brother Jibo!"

Wang Sibo then presented a golden flower to Zhou Jibo: "Young Master Zhou, this is Jiao Lexin's Golden Pistil Needle. You had to leave in such a rush last time that I didn't get the chance to give it to you. It may not be a top-tier weapon, but it possesses considerable power."

Zhou Jibo was about to mention that he had reached the Innate Stage and the item would be of little use to him. But considering his tens of thousands of attribute points still available, he graciously accepted the gift.

After bidding farewell to Zhou Jibo, Wang Sibo and Wang Xuelan retreated to their rooms.

"Grandfather, have you decided to support Brother Jibo from now on?" Wang Xuelan inquired.

Wang Sibo nodded affirmatively. "Indeed, I must. The Picture of Bone Seizing is perilous. Without Young Master Zhou's intervention, even if you had taken me to Basinpond, I would not have survived."

"My life was saved by Young Master Zhou, and there are few who could have done the same. It was fate that brought me to him. I owe Young Master Zhou my life, and that is the debt I intend to repay."

Wang Xuelan's eyes sparkled with admiration. "He's truly remarkable! He can defeat a ninth layer Acquired Warrior and possesses such advanced medical knowledge."

Wang Sibo chuckled. "And he even complimented your beauty."

A blush crept across Wang Xuelan's cheeks.

Wang Sibo remained silent, yet he inwardly sighed: Xuelan's prospects seem slim.

Reflecting on Zhou Jibo's recent demeanor, Wang Sibo realized he must have broken through to the Innate Stage. This deepened his understanding of why Zhou Jibo's backers supported him and why the Shrine of Astral Radiance was interested in his bone root.

His innate talent certainly didn't resemble that of an Earth Spirit with a low-grade bone root.

Could Zhou Jibo's true bone root be stronger than Wang Sibo had imagined?

The more Wang Sibo pondered this, the more at ease he felt. He was rooting for Zhou Jibo to be a warrior of boundless potential, a future force to be reckoned with. If Zhou Jibo turned out to be merely a doctor with exceptional medical skills, a consultation fee would suffice as payment.

Upon returning to his room, Zhou Jibo laid out two items on the table before him.

One was a bronze disc, and the other was the Golden Pistil Needle, the very one Jiao Lexin had once used in an attempt to poison him.

The system had already identified the items: "Roc Bone Engraving Map, an Earth Rank magic tool of the highest quality. It can be used three times and has yet to bond with a master. You may use attribute points to claim it as your own."

"Golden Pistil Needle, a standard concealed weapon. You may enhance it using attribute points."

Roc Bone Engraving Map? An Earth Rank magic tool of the highest quality!

This was the most advanced piece of equipment Zhou Jibo had acquired to date. Though it had a limit of three uses, each use could silently eliminate a warrior at the Soul Separation Stage and seize their bone root—a truly miraculous capability.

It was likely due to this usage limitation that the Roc Bone Engraving Map was classified as top-grade Earth Rank. Without such a restriction, it would undoubtedly qualify as a Heavenly Rank artifact.

However, wielding the Roc Bone Engraving Map wasn't straightforward. Without first bonding with its wielder, the magic tool would not respond to commands. Ownership alone did not imply mastery.

"Bind the Roc Bone Engraving Map to me."

"Thirty thousand attribute points have been deducted. The Roc Bone Engraving Map is now bound to you, with three uses remaining. You may further enhance it using attribute points," announced the system.

When Zhou Jibo reached for the Roc Bone Engraving Map once more, he instantly sensed its true purpose and the full extent of its powers.

It would attach itself to a human host in utter silence, swiftly executing the Picture of Bone Seizing undetected. The most formidable warrior it could confront would be one at the Soul Separation Stage.

Although he could only use the Roc Bone Engraving Map three times, its potency was undeniable. Its most formidable feature was that it required no input of vitality or true essence from its master to activate, allowing it to etch the Picture of Bone Seizing onto a warrior at the Soul Separation Stage with ease.

Zhou Jibo stowed the Roc Bone Engraving Map with a sense of satisfaction and examined the Golden Pistil Needle. His newly acquired knowledge allowed him to quickly discern the metal and the intricacies of its internal structure. Crafted from top-grade spirit iron, it required a mere hint of vitality to trigger—a process both remarkably convenient and swift.

It seemed likely that the Jiao family had intended the needle as a protective measure for Jiao Lexin, yet it had led him down a path to his own demise.

Nevertheless, the needle was far from useless. In a pivotal moment, it could provide an unexpected advantage.

Zhou Jibo enhanced the needle three times, transforming the Golden Pistil Needle into the top-grade Profound Rank Torrent Needle. Activation now demanded true essence, and upon doing so, it would unleash 300 lethal needles capable of piercing through true essence and overwhelming most defenses. Such a force left even Innate Stage Warriors defenseless, and a Soul Separation Stage Warrior, if unprepared, might fail to shield themselves completely.

However, its use was limited to a single occasion, reserved exclusively for a critical surprise attack.

Jiao Lexin's decision to wield a life-saving hidden weapon in a fit of rage was nothing short of foolish. Despite his near-success in ambushing Zhou Jibo, there had been no deep-seated enmity warranting such extreme measures. Ultimately, it cost him his life.

Zhou Jibo, Wang Sibo, and the others were taken aback by the sheer folly and rashness of his actions.

Zhou Jibo was left with two thousand attribute points. While insufficient for a significant boost in strength, these points could be strategically allocated to enhance medicinal herbs and pills when it mattered most.

Following a half-day's rest, Zhou Jibo resumed his cultivation, intent on advancing his skills. With the aid of the low-grade Holy Spirit bone root, the middle-grade Heavenly Rank Solar Heart Sutra, and the Innate Essence Gathering Pill, his true essence flowed through his body, comprehensively elevating his physical condition and rapidly augmenting the volume of his true essence.

Two days on, Wang Sibo had made a full recovery. Accompanied by Wang Xuelan, he settled into the Zhou family residence, assuming the role of an esteemed guest within the household.

While Zhou Jibo took breaks from his own cultivation, he also took the time to restructure the warriors within the Zhou family. Not everyone with a lack of innate talent for cultivation was required to pursue it. Once they reached a certain proficiency, they could either manage the family's enterprises or take on roles within the family structure.

Those endowed with the yellow bone root persisted in practicing the Zhou family's traditional mental cultivation techniques and the Gravel Palm. Their inherent bone root limited the extent to which they could employ these techniques.

For those with the Profound Spirit bone root, Zhou Jibo tailored his instruction to their specific circumstances, teaching either the Profound Rank low grade Dawn Mental Cultivation Method and Mountain Splitting Palm or the Profound Rank top grade Frost Mental Cultivation Method and Mountain Suppressing Palm.

In reality, the Zhou family had a limited number of individuals with the Profound Spirit bone root. Beyond the former Patriarch, Elders, and venerable members of the previous generation, there were merely three contemporaneous family disciples with the Profound Spirit bone root and two with the low grade Profound Spirit bone root who had mastered the Dawn Mental Cultivation Method. Additionally, one individual with a medium grade Profound Spirit bone root had acquired the Frost Mental Cultivation Method.