"Senior Qilin, that invisible force — it has something to do with the ancestral dragon's remains, right?"
Chu Feng asked the Heaven-Devouring Qilin.
"Little Feng, you've hit the nail on the head."
"The reason this great lord had you go see the ancestral dragon's remains was to confirm something."
"Whether that ancestral dragon is truly dead — with nothing left but its remains and a bit of dragon marrow."
"Or whether it isn't fully dead yet."
"Based on what we've seen, that ancestral dragon is most likely not fully dead."
"Precisely because it isn't dead, there's this invisible yet powerful force."
"Of course, there's another possibility we can't rule out."
"What possibility?" Chu Feng asked.
"Didn't that Dragon Scale say the Totem Dragon Clan owes its current standing to the first patriarch, who grew powerful by relying on that ancestral dragon?"
"But later on, that same first patriarch forbade his descendants from approaching the ancestral dragon."
"This great lord's guess is that either the first patriarch used some secret technique, or the ancestral dragon itself used a special secret technique before it died."
"It's precisely this technique that created the current situation — nothing on the ancestral dragon can be used freely, and it certainly cannot be taken away."
"The forbidden ground we're in right now is close to the ancestral dragon's remains, so it counts as a safe zone."
"If you leave this safe zone, the effect will become far more obvious."
"You won't be able to take the dragon marrow out at all. In fact, if you leave the safe zone, your life will be in danger."
At these words, the Heaven-Devouring Qilin materialized into a physical form and appeared before Chu Feng.
"Come, let this great lord try and see whether my divine abilities can help you refine that dragon marrow."
"If it can be refined, that means the technique was set by their first patriarch, and that's easy enough to deal with."
"But if it can't be refined, then we're in real trouble. It would mean the ancestral dragon set it before it died, and even this great lord can't do anything about it," the Heaven-Devouring Qilin said.
"You just want to refine the dragon marrow for yourself, don't you?" Chu Feng asked.
"Don't say that. This great lord is helping you verify the truth."
"Don't worry, this great lord will only refine a tiny bit. Dragon Scale won't notice," the Heaven-Devouring Qilin said.
Chu Feng thought for a moment, then decided to give it a try.
"Fine, just a tiny bit."
With that, Chu Feng did his best to control the dragon marrow and push it outward from his soul.
But ultimately, he couldn't move the dragon marrow out of his soul.
Meanwhile, golden light flickered around the Heaven-Devouring Qilin's body, and sure enough, a strange force emerged from its mouth.
This force was hard to describe — it didn't feel particularly powerful on a sensory level, yet it possessed an extraordinary power that could not be underestimated.
It was far stronger than the force the Heaven-Devouring Qilin had used when devouring the Sacred Beast.
The force entered Chu Feng's body smoothly and attempted to refine the dragon marrow.
But it couldn't get close to the dragon marrow either.
After several attempts, the Heaven-Devouring Qilin withdrew its power.
It was now panting heavily, with visible beads of sweat rolling down its pig-like body.
It was clear that the effort had exacted a considerable toll.
"No good."
"It's that ancestral dragon's doing."
"This great lord is powerless for now. Little Feng, you'll have to fend for yourself."
The Heaven-Devouring Qilin shook its massive pig-like head, then cast Chu Feng a look of sympathy.
The look in its eyes suggested that Chu Feng was about to face catastrophe. With that, it transformed into a medal and settled onto Chu Feng's chest.
Hearing the Heaven-Devouring Qilin's words, Chu Feng too realized the situation was genuinely dire.
Under normal circumstances, the dragon marrow could not be removed.
But there was one scenario in which it definitely could be removed — if Chu Feng's soul dissipated.
Put simply, as long as Chu Feng died, the dragon marrow could be taken out.