Dugu Bo was one of them now, so Xu Xiao had no intention of hiding it from him.
As they grew stronger, Dugu Bo would become an important fighting force, and Xu Xiao would not neglect him.
Dugu Bo's face was filled with increasing confusion and bewilderment. What exactly were these three talking about?
Dugu Bo stared blankly at Xu Xiao.
Xu Xiao said, "Fourth Brother, just watch for now."
Dugu Bo said nothing more. Suppressing his curiosity, he quietly watched Xu Xiao and Gui Mei.
Gui Mei stepped aside and nodded at Xu Xiao. "Big Brother, I'm ready. Go ahead!"
Xu Xiao looked at the white nine-tiered pagoda in his hand and murmured softly, "First Soul Skill: Soul Bestowal!"
The little white pagoda in his hand trembled slightly, and layer upon layer of white light wrapped around Gui Mei.
Gui Mei's Martial Soul emerged as well, and the shackles holding him at level 10 shattered with a crisp crack.
Gui Mei's level gradually rose, reaching level 12 before long, exactly the same as Yue Guan.
A purple Soul Ring slowly emerged beneath his feet.
Dugu Bo's mouth hung wide open as he stared fixedly at the two before him, too shocked to say a word...
"Th-this... this..."
He instinctively swallowed, the shock in his eyes beyond description!
As the layers of white light around Gui Mei faded, his whole body felt relaxed. The level that had suppressed him for so long had finally risen.
"Hahaha, thank you, Big Brother!" Though Gui Mei was not especially tactful, he still held great respect for Xu Xiao.
A thousand-year first Soul Ring... I, Gui Mei, have one too.
Xu Xiao smiled and put away his Martial Soul. Its cooldown had returned to ninety days; he would have to wait another ninety days before using it again. He wondered whether absorbing Immortal Herbs would change that.
Xu Xiao asked for nothing else. As long as the cooldown could be reduced, that would be enough.
"B-Big Brother, so... so you're this amazing. So... so Chrysanthemum, your Soul Ring was given to you by Big Brother."
Dugu Bo understood. He finally knew what Gui Mei's earlier words had meant.
Their Soul Rings had all been given by Xu Xiao, yet Xu Xiao's Soul Rings could only depend on them.
When Xu Xiao had used his Soul Skill just now, Dugu Bo had seen that Xu Xiao's Soul Ring was yellow. Yet both of his brothers possessed thousand-year Soul Rings. Clearly, that was all thanks to Xu Xiao.
"Fourth Brother, do you understand what I meant now?"
"Big Brother helps us grow stronger, and we help Big Brother reach the pinnacle!"
Gui Mei's words made Dugu Bo nod repeatedly. When he had decided to follow Xu Xiao, he had already prepared himself for the worst.
But now, it seemed his preparations had been for nothing. Following Big Brother could only bring good things.
"Big Brother, we need to keep this secret. We absolutely must keep it secret!" Dugu Bo immediately recognized the seriousness of the matter. He was a fallen noble himself, so he had that much insight.
Shock was one thing, but Dugu Bo had also considered the problems that would follow.
Xu Xiao was quite satisfied with Dugu Bo's reaction. At the very least, it showed that Dugu Bo had truly given him his loyalty.
"Don't worry, Fourth Brother. Only the four of us know about this, and we trust you."
"Second Brother will explain the details of my Martial Soul to you. You two talk first; I'll go find some Immortal Herbs for you."
It was better to let Gui Mei explain this matter. Xu Xiao trusted his own judgment, and he trusted Dugu Bo as well.
Hearing that, Dugu Bo felt even more moved. Big Brother had not doubted him or wanted to kill him to silence him!
Xu Xiao did not care what Dugu Bo thought. Loyalty was all that mattered.
As for the Immortal Herbs, Yue Guan's was obvious: the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum he could not bear to put down. Dugu Bo's was the Earth Dragon Golden Melon buried in the soil.
Dugu Bo had only absorbed his first Soul Ring so far, so the toxins had not yet grown too powerful. After consuming an Immortal Herb, his Martial Soul would certainly evolve, and his toxins would naturally disappear.
It was fortunate that it was still early. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy. If Xu Xiao wanted to neutralize his poison later, it would take quite a bit of effort.
As for Gui Mei? He was rather special. His origin had been damaged and needed replenishing. Xu Xiao planned to give him two Immortal Herbs: one to mend his origin, and one for Martial Soul Evolution!
Xu Xiao did not know many Immortal Herbs, but fortunately, the ones he knew were all useful to his own people.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Earth Dragon Golden Melon, and Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma—Xu Xiao knew these. He only recognized a few of the famous ones.
Xu Xiao summoned his Martial Soul, white light enveloping his hand. Immortal Herbs required special handling when harvested, and the light of Xu Xiao's Martial Soul was the purest form of energy, perfectly suited to make up for that.
He dug out the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and picked the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma.
"Third Brother, your Martial Soul is an Immortal Herb. Can you sense any Immortal Herbs related to your Second Brother's attributes?"
Xu Xiao could not recognize the other Immortal Herbs, so he could only rely on Yue Guan to try.
Yue Guan stood up and helplessly shook his head. "Big Brother, right now I can only sense the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. I can't sense anything else."
Xu Xiao sucked in a breath. That would be troublesome. Could they only put it off for now?
Then Xu Xiao changed the subject. "Third Brother, if you consumed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, could you sense it through the connection between Immortal Herbs?"
The moment he said this, Yue Guan immediately shook his head. "Big Brother, I can't bear to consume this Immortal Herb!"
Xu Xiao knew that Yue Guan's love for flowers and plants came from the heart. Now that he had found an Immortal Herb identical to his own Martial Soul, he naturally could not bear to use it up.
Xu Xiao said, "Third Brother, I know how much you love flowers and plants, but if we lack strength, we won't even be able to protect this place!"
Yue Guan froze and looked toward his two brothers.
That was right. He did not even have the strength to protect this place...
He took a deep breath. "Big Brother, I understand what you mean, but there is only one Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum."
Xu Xiao immediately said, "Third Brother, as long as the roots remain, it can still be cultivated. Wouldn't one you cultivate yourself hold more meaning than one that suddenly appeared?"
"Its appearance is a surprise, but one you raise yourself would be different!"
Yue Guan paused. That did seem to be the case. The roots of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum were still there; he could completely cultivate one of his own!
Thinking of that, Yue Guan felt much more at ease, though he was still reluctant.
"Alright! Then I'll consume it!"
Xu Xiao smiled. Yue Guan was not someone who failed to see the bigger picture. He knew how to make choices.
Calling Gui Mei and Dugu Bo over, Xu Xiao handed the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma to Gui Mei. "Second Brother, this is the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma. It can make up for your deficiency. I know what happened to you back then."
"After you make up for that deficiency, I'll have Third Brother find an Immortal Herb that suits you."
Then he looked at Dugu Bo and handed him the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. "Fourth Brother, this is what Big Brother promised you. After consuming it, your Martial Soul will evolve. When that happens, your poison will be easily resolved."
The two of them were extremely excited. Their Big Brother truly considered everything for their sake.
"Thank you, Big Brother!" Neither of them stood on ceremony, and they bowed.
Xu Xiao waved his hand and continued, "The three of you should consume the Immortal Herbs and cultivate properly beside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."
"Do not touch the lake water. I need to enter the lake myself to refine the Immortal Herbs. We'll discuss everything after I finish cultivating!"
The three of them had no objections. "Big Brother, can you touch that lake water?"
The three of them still asked, unable to hide their concern.
But Xu Xiao waved his hand. "Don't worry. Your Big Brother knows what he's doing."
The three of them said nothing more.
Only after watching the three consume their Immortal Herbs did Xu Xiao feel at ease enough to pick the herbs—one blazing hot, the other icy cold.
I'm testing the waters, I'm testing the waters! Dear readers, please keep reading and following along. Thank you, thank you! This is the foundation of whether this book can survive.
Dear readers, please keep following along. This little author is incredibly grateful!!