Hearing that familiar voice, Shi Bantian froze. He quickly turned around to look.
There stood a pink-cheeked, jade-carved baby before him!
The baby looked only a few months old. He wore rose-red clothes, his chest and belly exposed, with a green leaf skirt around his waist.
"Father... Father."
The baby called sweetly, leaving Shi Bantian dumbfounded.
"Are you Da Wa?"
The baby nodded. "Father... I'm Da Wa."
Overjoyed to the point of tears, Shi Bantian pulled the baby into his arms. The feeling of recovering what he had lost was truly too wonderful.
"Hehe... Father cried, Father cried. Father isn't a real man."
"Father, shame on you."
The Gourd siblings watching from the side immediately burst into laughter.
Shi Bantian's face turned red with embarrassment, and he hurriedly explained himself.
"You saw wrong. How could Father possibly cry... Father just got sand in his eyes."
As he spoke, Shi Bantian quickly changed the subject and began examining Da Wa in front of him. He got quite a shock the moment he looked.
Feeling the weight of the little one in his arms, Shi Bantian could not help frowning. If he had not spent the past few days watering, fertilizing, and building these muscles, he probably would not even have been able to hold the child.
"You can't eat this Gourd Shell. You don't even have teeth—you can't chew it."
Shi Bantian noticed that Da Wa was actually trying to eat the shattered Gourd Shell and hurriedly stopped him. That thing was far too hard; it was not for babies to eat.
"Father... I'm hungry."
Da Wa's little face crumpled miserably.
"Hungry... What should I do?"
Shi Bantian scratched his head. Now that Da Wa had been born, he looked like a human child, so naturally he could not eat what plants ate.
What were babies supposed to eat again? As the "father" of seven children, Shi Bantian truly had little experience. After all, he had only ever raised plants directly.
But the little one in his arms kept tugging hard at his clothes, his mouth constantly edging closer.
"Is this... him wanting milk?"
Shi Bantian instinctively reached to lift his shirt, but in that instant, he suddenly remembered that he did not have any. Shi Bantian gave a bitter smile. What was he supposed to do? Ask another woman for some? No, no. Shi Bantian immediately shook his head. Wouldn't that make him a hooligan?
Then what should he do...
Just then, Shi Bantian noticed the few Soul Beasts nearby—the Demonic Pattern White Tiger and the others. His eyes immediately lit up.
"Meow..."
"Chirp chirp."
"Woof!"
The three Soul Beasts all took a step back, frightened by Shi Bantian's ill-intentioned expression. What was this guy planning?
"Hehe, if I remember correctly, you Soul Beasts are all female... which means you have milk too, right? Hahaha! Since that's the case, I'll entrust the glorious task of being wet nurses to you."
As he spoke, he carried the little one toward the Soul Beasts.
Seeing the red gourd grandpa, who had nearly crushed them to death, getting closer and closer, the Soul Beasts were terrified and cried out even more loudly.
Seeing this, Shi Bantian could not help smiling as he said to the Soul Beasts, "Look at you, getting all excited... I know, I know. You all have some. Don't rush, don't rush. One at a time."
What the Soul Beasts were actually thinking was, Don't come over, don't come over.
But the red gourd's immense strength had left too deep an impression on them. That final blow had severely wounded several Soul Beasts.
The little one pounced on the mother white tiger and began sucking forcefully, making her bare her fangs in pain. This truly hurt her to the bone.
"Father... Delicious. I love beast milk."
Shi Bantian revealed a satisfied smile. He had really stumbled onto the right answer by accident!
Thinking of his love for beast milk, Shi Bantian's eyes suddenly lit up... He had nearly forgotten that he had not named the child yet.
In that case!
"Da Wa, you love beast milk... so how about I call you Shi Hao?" As he spoke, he pinched those chubby cheeks. They felt pretty nice.
"Shi Hao... Yay, then I'll be called Shi Hao from now on!" Shi Hao cried out in his babyish voice. Though he did not know what the name meant, he immediately agreed.
Over the following days, the remaining Soul Beasts took over the chores: one fetched water, one fertilized, and one provided milk... Gradually, the Soul Beasts handled all the work.
Naturally, this was the seven little gourds' idea. They did not want their Father to work too hard. Shi Bantian simply held Da Wa beneath the Gourd Vine, telling stories and chatting with the little gourds.
Shi Bantian watched Da Wa change with each passing day, as though he grew an entire year older every day. Shi Hao's growth rate left Shi Bantian utterly astonished!
This was way too fast!
But when he remembered that Shi Hao was not an ordinary human child, he accepted it.
Another six days soon passed. Shi Bantian stared blankly at the child standing before him. He already had the build of a six-year-old and even looked somewhat sturdy, though the childishness had not yet faded from his face.
"My God, really one year a day. He's growing far too quickly."
Although Shi Bantian had noticed this pattern over the past few days, he was still shocked.
"Little Hao, did you drink too much beast milk? Is that why you're growing so fast?" Shi Bantian said, placing both hands on Shi Hao's shoulders, his face full of disbelief.
"Little Hao wants to grow up quickly, protect Father, and rescue Mother."
Shi Hao patted his somewhat sturdy body and spoke proudly.
"You're still little. Father will protect you, and Mother will return... Father will make it happen himself." Shi Bantian gently stroked Shi Hao's head.
Shi Bantian did not know whether it was an illusion, but he felt that his Soul Power had been increasing at an astonishing pace lately. Perhaps he really would have a chance to save Qian Renxue and reunite the family.
Shi Bantian suddenly remembered, amid his shock, that since Little Hao was already six years old, it was time for him to awaken his Martial Soul and see what it was.
As he spoke, he went to retrieve the crystal ball Qian Renxue had left for him and began testing Shi Hao.
Shi Bantian brought over a yellow crystal ball and six black stones. He arranged the black stones into a hexagon on the ground and had Shi Hao stand inside it.
"Let's test your Martial Soul, Little Hao."
Shi Bantian spoke, and Shi Hao looked puzzled.
"Martial Soul... What is a Martial Soul, Father?"
"A Martial Soul is something every child on Douluo Continent can awaken when they reach six years old... Some are weak, while others are strong. With a powerful Martial Soul, one can gain powerful strength!"
"Conversely, a weak Martial Soul is almost impossible to cultivate..."
Shi Bantian patiently explained it. The moment Shi Hao heard that he could gain strength, he became excited.
"Strength... I want strength! Father, hurry and awaken my Martial Soul. I want to awaken a powerful Martial Soul, then go save Mother!!!"
Shi Hao had not forgotten his great duty to save Mother even for a single day, but Shi Bantian merely thought it was childish talk.
Before you continue