Shi Bantian let out a soft sigh. He knew he simply could not control these Gourd Babies. Rather than letting them sneak out to rescue their mother...
It was better to let them go himself. At the very least, this would give him time to prepare.
Shi Bantian turned and rubbed Er Wa Shi Yi's head, silently praying that nothing would go wrong.
The next day!
Shi Bantian rose early, while Er Wa had already been waiting beneath the Gourd Vine for quite some time.
"Father... tell me about this so-called Spirit Hall. No matter how powerful they are, I'll crush them!"
Er Wa clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice. The other Gourd Babies also chimed in all at once.
"Second Brother is invincible... Once Second Brother makes a move, he'll definitely bring Mother and Eldest Brother back."
"That's right... Second Brother is invincible, Second Brother is invincible!"
Qi Wa, the Purple Gourd, also said in his childish voice,
"Go, Brother! Go, Father!... You're both the best."
Watching the warm scene before him, Shi Bantian smiled with relief. How he wished life could go on like this forever—with Xiao Xue, these seven children, and himself traveling through mountains and rivers every day. How wonderful that would be!
But alas...
Shi Bantian recalled the scene of Qian Daoliu coming to his door and forcibly separating him from Xiao Xue, declaring that his bloodline was lowly and that he was unworthy of her.
Shi Bantian never wanted to suffer that kind of humiliation again for the rest of his life.
"Alright, next I'll tell you about Spirit Hall..."
Shi Bantian looked at all the Gourd Babies and spoke solemnly.
"Spirit Hall... is the strongest force on the entire Douluo Continent, without question. They have more Spirit Masters than anyone else on Douluo Continent—so many that they even surpass the combined total of the two great empires, the Star Dou Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire..."
"Beyond that, they also possess the greatest number of Titled Douluo experts... Among them, the Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu is a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, unimaginably powerful."
The entire day that followed was spent listening to Shi Bantian explain the situation on Douluo Continent, the places Shi Yi would pass through, Spirit Hall's direction, and the people he might encounter.
Shi Yi listened with a serious little face. The image of Spirit Hall slowly unfolded in his mind, and only then did he begin to understand.
Why Eldest Brother had been captured by Spirit Hall... Spirit Hall truly was too powerful.
But he was still confident that he could rescue Mother and Eldest Brother... His Double Pupils were invincible!!!
The next morning, before the sun had risen, the entire forest was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, making it exceptionally quiet.
Shi Yi carried bundles of all sizes on his back, while that seemingly clumsy turtle served as his mount.
This was naturally the result of their discussion the night before. Shi Yi's Martial Soul, the Double Pupils, possessed immense offensive power and illusion abilities, but lacked defensive strength. Bringing a sturdy turtle along would be safer.
Shi Yi waved his little hand, looking at Shi Bantian with reluctance in his eyes. Yet his gaze remained incomparably resolute, as though some force was supporting him.
He said softly, "Father... Father, you must protect the little Gourd Babies, okay? I'll definitely bring Mother and Eldest Brother back too."
Shi Bantian clenched his fists tightly, his heart filled with emotion and pride.
He nodded forcefully, tears glimmering in his eyes as he said in a choked voice, "Good child, Father believes you can do it!"
Shi Yi revealed a brilliant smile, leaving Shi Bantian deeply comforted.
Shi Bantian continued to remind him, "Remember, if you can't win, run. Don't hesitate!"
Shi Yi nodded obediently, indicating that he understood Father's meaning.
After that, the turtle slowly carried Shi Yi away, gradually disappearing from Shi Bantian's sight.
Shi Bantian watched that receding figure, endless longing and worry surging through his heart.
His nose stung, and his eyes grew moist as tears nearly slipped down his cheeks.
Yet he held them back, because he did not want the Gourd Babies on the vine to see his vulnerable side.
Only after Shi Yi could no longer see Shi Bantian's figure continuously waving at him did he finally let out a long breath.
Thank goodness, thank goodness. Father didn't suddenly change his mind.
Then he lowered his head and looked at the turtle beneath him, suddenly feeling that something was off. Though this turtle was enormous, it moved extremely slowly, as if every step required tremendous effort.
"Old Turtle, can't you move faster? Father can't see us anymore." Shi Yi could not help complaining. "At this pace, when will we ever reach Spirit Hall? You need to hurry up."
The turtle seemed to understand him. It raised its head and looked at him with innocent eyes.
"I... didn't you say I couldn't go too fast? That I had to wait until your father couldn't see us before speeding up?" the turtle said slowly, its voice carrying a trace of helplessness.
The Mysterious Water Turtle truly had a headache. She truly did not want to follow Shi Yi out... Hadn't he seen that even her Demonic Pattern White Tiger had yet to return?
If it followed him now, it would probably be doomed too. Yet it did not dare refuse.
Shi Yi rolled his eyes. "Well, Father can't see us now, so you can go faster, right?"
The turtle nodded, then began to quicken its pace. However, its speed did not noticeably improve, and it still moved at a leisurely crawl.
Shi Yi grew a little anxious and urged, "Old Turtle, can't you go any faster? We need to get to Spirit Hall quickly. Mother and Eldest Brother are still waiting for me to save them."
The turtle sighed. "Little ancestor, I'm already doing my best. I was never fast to begin with, and carrying a little fellow like you makes it even harder. How about you get down and walk by yourself?"
Shi Yi widened his eyes. "No! I'm even slower on foot. You're a turtle, so you should have turtle speed."
The turtle shook its head helplessly and continued trying to increase its speed. Even so, it remained very slow.
After a while, Shi Yi began complaining again. "Old Turtle, why are you still so slow? At this rate, when will we ever reach Spirit Hall?!"
The turtle said aggrievedly, "Little ancestor, Spirit Hall is still a very long way from here. I really can't go any faster. How about you go on your own? I can't carry you anymore."
Shi Yi could only sigh helplessly after hearing that. He knew the turtle was right—they really were still far from Spirit Hall. But he was simply too anxious, wishing he could fly there immediately. He had no idea how Eldest Brother and Mother were doing.
Shi Yi suddenly narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Mysterious Water Turtle beneath him. It seemed as though energy was gathering!
Mysterious Water Turtle: "???"
At that moment, the turtle suddenly accelerated, becoming incredibly fast. Shi Yi was startled and hurriedly hugged its neck, asking, "Old Turtle, why are you suddenly running so fast?"
The turtle laughed awkwardly. "Haha, what do you think? Impressive, right? I was just teasing you earlier. I'm a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast—how could I possibly be that slow? Watch closely!"
Damn it, if I don't speed up, I'm afraid you'll roast me alive...
The Mysterious Water Turtle thought to itself.
Shi Yi's mouth fell open in surprise. He had not expected the turtle to be hiding its strength, nor had he expected it to be this fast. Wouldn't that mean they would reach Spirit Hall very soon? He shouted excitedly, "Old Turtle, you're amazing! Let's hurry to Spirit Hall."
Thus, the turtle raced forward at astonishing speed, while Shi Yi eagerly anticipated rescuing Eldest Brother and Mother.
Before you continue