The bones remember what the flesh forgets.


    —Demon Lord Sha Kong, Consumer of Ten Thousand Souls


    Skin reinforcement followed simr principles to muscle reinforcement, though the process stretched across a broader area and required a constant pressure. The first challenge was finding a suitable location—somewhere private enough for Xin and Feng Yu to strip down without permanently damaging the surroundings.


    After constructing a makeshift enclosure with two disposal holes and fence, they enlisted Mei Chen as their ''guard spirit''. No one was going to sneak up on them and take a peek.


    The process proved sessful despite initial awkwardness.


    The only true difficulty she had with it was the raging swirl of elements in her core from consuming the five elemental pills. But that subsided quickly under the pressure of her meridianwork.


    Feng Yu just looked at her and proimed, "As expected."


    Xin expelled a forceful breath as thest traces of impurities seeped from her pores. Dark, oily residue coated her skin like a film of midnight ink.


    Channeling qi through her meridians, she directed the viscous substance toward the prepared pit. The filth slithered off her body in ribbons, pooling into the earthen hole.


    Grabbing the nearby shovel, she scooped dirt over the contaminated pit. The pungent odor of purged impurities made her nose crinkle.


    "Your control over meridian flow has improved a lot." Feng Yu nodded approvingly.


    "Let''s just get the bones over with." Xin wiped thest traces of dark residue from her skin. "The other refinements proved simple enough."


    Feng Yu shook her head. "You''ll want to take that bone refining powder first. Trust me on this."


    "But muscle and skin refinement barely stung." Xin stretched her newly purified skin.


    "Just trust me." Feng Yu''s amber eyes held a knowing glint.


    A small knot formed in Xin''s stomach. She pulled out the powder packet and called over the fence. "Mei Chen, could you send some water this way?"


    "Of course, Miss!"


    A sphere of water floated over the wooden barrier, hovering before Xin. She cupped a hand beneath it, using her qi to maintain its shape while emptying the powder packet into the floating orb. The mixture swirled into a murky gray as she spun it with her energy.


    Xin took a deep breath and swallowed the concoction in one swift chug.


    "I''ll support you through this, just like before." Feng Yu ced a steadying hand on Xin''s shoulder.


    Xin closed her eyes and focused. First things first, she reached out and drew Feng Yu''s offered qi thread through her meridians, weaving them into her own energywork. The support flowed like warm sunlight through her channels, steady and reassuring.


    She inhaled deeply, centering herself. The task demanded her own mastery—Feng Yu could support but notplete the refinement for her.


    Starting at her toes made sense, following the same methodical approach she''d used for skin and muscle. Qi condensed at the tips of her feet, pressing into the dense bone structure.


    White-hot painnced through her. The sudden intensity would have shattered her focus if not for Feng Yu''s qi threads instantly hardening, providing crucial stability. Though the stumble proved minor, it demonstrated the value of having backup.


    Gritting her teeth, Xin increased pressure on her toe bones. Dark spiritual filth leaked from her feet in steady rivulets, far more concentrated than the previous refinements. The bones'' spiritual density meant they harbored deeper impurities.


    ck sludge pooled around her feet. The disposal pit''s capacity hadn''t seemed relevant moments ago, but feeling the thick stream of corruption pour out gave her second thoughts.


    Xin forced qi through her toe bones methodically, working upward to her ankles and legs. Each push of energy burned like molten metal poured into her marrow. Her lungs struggled against the searing pain, every breath scorched her throat.


    Moving to her fingers, she channeled qi through each delicate bone. The refinement spread up through her forearms in excruciating waves. Her heart thundered against her ribs, threatening to burst from the strain.


    The bone powder must be working.  She clung to that thought as another wave of agony crashed through her system. At least her opened meridians allowed qi to flow quickly—a small mercy. She focused on maintaining steady breaths despite the inferno raging inside her body.


    Dark sludge oozed from her pores, thicker and fouler than before. Each bone section yielded more spiritual filth, the corruption within far deeper than muscle or skin had contained. Cool water suddenly washed over her skin, carrying away the viscous residue.


    She dared not open her eyes or break concentration to see who helped. She didn''t need to, anyway.  Mei Chen.


    The pain intensified beyond bearing. Xin shifted tactics, focusing on single vertebrae instead of whole sections. She worked up her spine methodically, each bone a fresh trial of zing agony.


    Feng Yu''s hands pressed firmly against her back, anchoring her trembling body. Without that support, she might have copsed entirely.


    Doubt crept into Xin''s mind as another wave of agony ripped through her. How could anyone endure this torment alone? The thought of attempting bone refinement without support seemed impossible.


    The world dissolved into fragments of pain, each bone requiring more focus than thest. Minutes stretched into eternities as she pushed qi through her skeletal structure. Her consciousness narrowed to pinpoints of excruciating pressure.


    She had to mp down harder as she worked, each bone requiring more qi force to refine. The crushing force became so strong she feared they might splinter into dust. The corruption resisted, clinging stubbornly to marrow and calcium. She could feel the rivulets of spiritual filth trace patterns down her limbs.


    At her neck, the refinement choked off her breath. Her qi flow sputtered like a dying me. Just as panic threatened to overwhelm her, Feng Yu''s steady energy pulsed through their connection. The princess breathed for her, sustaining them both through sheer force of will.


    Sister...  The word floated through Xin''s mind, tender and grateful.


    Tears cut clean tracks through the filth coating her face as she forced qi upward. The skull remained—one final challenge that sent her blood pressure skyrocketing. Each heartbeat pounded like a war drum in her ears.


    Xin gathered every scrap of spiritual energy remaining in her system. The skull had to break—had to yield its corruption—or she''d die here with blood trickling from her ears. No half measures remained.


    She bore down with raw spiritual might, forcing qi through microscopic channels in her skull. The pressure built like a dam about to burst. Behind her, Feng Yu pressed closer, lending crucial support as theirbined energy hammered against the bone''s resistance.


    A thunderous pop reverberated through Xin''s head. Her eyes snapped open involuntarily, vision swimming with dancing stars. ck sludge poured from her scalp in thick rivulets, joining the river of filth already coating her body. Every nerve felt deadened except for the zing spiritual tether connecting her to Feng Yu—now hanging ck like a heavy rope between them.


    Feng Yu''sbored breathing punctuated the silence. Her own breaths came shallow and rapid.


    How in hell did Ren Chun and Feng Yu manage this alone?  The thought drifted as she struggled to remain upright. Even with theirbined strength, the refinement had nearly broken her.


    The realization struck hard—attempting this refinement alone would have killed her, or at best left her permanently crippled.


    She drew in a shaky breath, noticing how different the qi felt flowing through her system. The energy stream connecting her to Feng Yu hitched and stuttered as her own breathing pattern rejoined the flow.


    Her bones had transformed into endless spiritual voids, greedily devouring energy from her meridians and dantian. The sensation spread across her entire skeletal structure, each bone demanding more qi to fill its newly refined channels.


    Pain and numbness warred. The crushing pressure had felt wrong—far more intense than any of the warnings had suggested. Xin lifted her trembling hands, studying her palms.


    What she had been told about bone refinement seemed woefully inadequate. Something fundamental felt off about the entire process. Different. Wrong. The powder should have helped manage the pain.


    Why didn''t they warn me properly?  The thought echoed through her mind as another wave of bone-deep exhaustion washed over her.


    ck spiritual filth coated every surface around them. Xin blinked through bloodshot eyes as her vision swam. The pressure slowly ebbed.


    Through the haze, Mei Chen''s blurry form materialized. Cool water cascaded over Xin''s skin in a refreshing wave. The water twisted and rippled as Mei Chen pulled the dark sludge away from their bodies, separating the corruption from the clean liquid with precise control before sshing them again.


    The disposal pit provedughably inadequate for the sheer volume of spiritual waste. ck sludge overflowed its edges, spreading across the ground in viscous pools.


    Xin slumped backward,cking even the strength to hold herself upright. Feng Yu leaned heavily against her back, theirbined exhaustion creating a precarious bnce. Neither could move as Mei Chen continued washing away the seemingly endlessyers of filth from their skin.


    Feng Yu stirred first, breaking their spiritual connection as she pushed herself upright. Golden mes burst from her palms, not quite burning but intensely hot. The spiritual filth mixed with water evaporated under the concentrated heat.


    Mei Chen''s qi control pulled the water vapor from the air, cooling and condensing into a pristine sphere. The cool water sshed across Xin''s skin, washing away thest traces of corruption.


    A few minutes passed in what seemed like silence until Xin noticed Mei Chen''s mouth moving rapidly. The words filtered through slowly as her hearing returned.


    "—so painful! Should I get healing pills?"


    "We''re fine." Xin blinked, adjusting to the return of her senses.


    Feng Yu frowned thoughtfully. "Something was different about this refinement. The spiritual filth emerged at twice the normal density. The difficulty doubled too—I''ve never heard of anything like it."


    "Why would that happen?" Mei Chen tilted her head.


    "I''m not certain." Feng Yu''s amber eyes narrowed. "Perhaps Xin possesses some special cultivation root? Her meridian capacity appears doubled, and now her bones show simr traits."


    Understanding crashed through Xin like a thunderbolt. The bone refinement hadn''t just purified her system—it had processed double the normal spiritual capacity.


    Double.  The word echoed in her mind as pieces clicked into ce.


    She possessed two ovepping spiritual frameworks rather than the merged single system she''d assumed. Li Mei and Lin Xin''s souls hadn''t simplybined—they''d synchronized, creating parallel channels that worked in perfect harmony.


    To the point where she didn''t notice, where Feng Yu hadn''t noticed. Nor Mei Chen.


    And even Qingfeng hadn''t seen? Although she hadn''t cultivated with him directly. Or had he? Was it part of why he was interested in her?


    The realization brought rity. She didn''t feel split or fractured. Her identity remained whole and unified, perhaps because her two souls proved sopatible from the start. Whether fate or circumstance had guided their merger hardly mattered now.


    Her expanded spiritual capacity exined the brutal intensity of the bone refinement. The process targeted spiritual corruption as much as physical impurities. Cleansing twice the normal spiritual volume meant enduring double the strain.


    Xin pushed herself up on trembling legs. "I''m okay." Her body quivered with bone-deep exhaustion. "Just need rest."


    "Good thing we tackled this together," Feng Yu said.


    Mei Chen stepped out and came back into the fenced area with an armful of fresh robes. "Should we head to the hot springs as nned? Or would you prefer to rest?"


    "Hot springs," Feng Yu replied.


    "Bed." Xin rubbed her aching shoulders.


    They locked eyes.


    "Actually, bed sounds better." Feng Yu slumped.


    "No, you were right—hot springs." Xin stretched.


    "Oh, you two… I vote hot springs, then bed!" Mei Chen bounced on her toes.


    Despite the bone-deep exhaustion,ughter bubbled up from Xin''s chest. Each step away from the refinement area lightened the weight in her limbs. The soreness remained, but the crushing fatigue ebbed.


    "Maybe the hot spring is exactly what we need." Xin epted her robe from Mei Chen.


    Feng Yu rolled her neck with an audible crack. "I''m d I reserved the entire day."


    A wooden fence marked the path to the springs behind the inn. Steam curled into the air, carrying the mineral scent of heated water.


    "You reserved it for the whole day?" Xin raised an eyebrow.


    "Just cost some taels." Feng Yu shrugged. "The innkeeper seemed pleased enough."


    "Okayy." Xin drew out the word skeptically.


    Wisps of steam danced above the crystal-clear pool. The high fence ensured privacy, leaving them alone with the gently rippling water.


    "Well! This is nice." Xin inhaled the warm, mineral-rich air.