Seeing the three of them looking at him with curious eyes, Ban Shu calmly held out his hand and summoned his Martial Soul.
"Take a look."
Qian Xunji and the others hurriedly examined the weapon in Ban Shu's hand, but no matter how they looked, they couldn't find anything unusual.
"Xiao Ban, stop keeping us in suspense. What exactly changed? Hurry up and tell us." In the end, Qian Xunji couldn't help urging him on.
"Okay, I'll tell you now."
Ban Shu held the Painted Halberd horizontally and pointed at the blood-red patterns extending from the two pairs of crescent blades on its head, as well as its now somewhat elongated point. "It's this, actually."
"This..."
Qian Xunji and the others looked at one another, none of them understanding what Ban Shu meant.
"Aren't those just ordinary stripes? What's different about them?" Bibi Dong asked, baffled.
"They're very different!"
Ban Shu nodded solemnly, then spoke with some hesitation. "Actually, I don't know if this counts as a Soul Bone."
"A Soul Bone?"
Ban Shu nodded and pointed at the patterns. "Don't be fooled by how inconspicuous they look. They're actually what the Painted Halberd became after fusing with the Demon-Devouring Mosquito's proboscis."
"Now that it has this, when the Painted Halberd hits an enemy, it can absorb their blood essence to heal itself. Simply put, it sucks blood."
"That powerful?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo was astonished. He knew all too well how terrifying this was. Bloodsucking and soul absorption—put together, they were definitely more than one plus one equaling two.
In other words, from now on, Ban Shu no longer had to fear being surrounded. Most likely, his enemies wouldn't be able to outlast him.
"That's not all."
Ban Shu spread the Painted Halberd's blades. "Like a Soul Bone, this skill requires very little energy. Demon Devour can easily balance what it takes in and what it uses, making the effect sustainable."
Bibi Dong, standing nearby, gaped in astonishment. "Doesn't that mean the more enemies you encounter, Xiao Ban, the more terrifying your strength becomes?"
"Exactly." Ban Shu nodded in agreement.
The more enemies he faced, the greater his staying power; the greater his staying power, the faster he could eliminate his enemies. So the more enemies there were, the fewer enemies there'd be.
"How terrifying!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head and sighed. Ban Shu really was a monster. If he'd been born in Golden Crocodile Douluo's era, there probably wouldn't have been anything left for the rest of them.
Even the supremely gifted ancestor of the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't dare claim he could defeat the Ban Shu of today while only at level thirty.
"But fortunately, Ban Shu is one of ours."
Golden Crocodile Douluo chuckled to himself. Just wait. At the sect tournament a few years from now, he'd show the people of the Clear Sky Sect Ban Shu's strength and thoroughly crush their arrogance.
"All right, the sun's about to rise. Let's hurry up and set out. First, we'll leave the Star Dou Great Forest and get some proper rest, then head to the ruins."
Golden Crocodile Douluo glanced up at the sky. The sunlight had gradually begun to brighten it. There was no chance of getting any sleep now, so they might as well leave the forest and rest properly in a nearby village.
"Okay."
After resting in a village near the Star Dou Great Forest, the four of them set off again to search for the ruins.
On the way, Golden Crocodile Douluo also told them some stories from his younger days.
"I still remember when I was just forty years old, in my prime, adventuring all by myself across the Douluo Continent. In the blink of an eye, all these years have passed. Time really waits for no one."
Looking at the desolate rocks all around, Golden Crocodile Douluo stroked his beard and sighed.
"Not at all, Grandpa Golden Crocodile. You're still very young."
Ban Shu comforted him. "For a Titled Douluo, you're still just a young man. How can you say time waits for no one?"
"Hahahaha, you're right. I'm still young!"
Ban Shu's reassurance pleased Golden Crocodile. Laughing, he hurried off toward the road ahead. "Hurry up and catch up. The ruins aren't far."
"Uncle Golden Crocodile, wait for us!"
Since Qian Xunji had to look after Ban Shu and Bibi Dong, he could only travel slowly. Watching Golden Crocodile Douluo suddenly grow so excited, he could only shoot Ban Shu an exasperated glare.
"Xiao Ban, look what you did by running your mouth!"
"I was just trying to cheer Grandpa Golden Crocodile up." Ban Shu scratched his head helplessly. Who knew the other man would suddenly act as if he'd been injected with stimulants and get so worked up?
"Forget it. We have to catch up!"
Qian Xunji shook his head helplessly. He picked one of them up in each hand, channeled his Soul Power, and pushed off lightly with his feet, hurrying after Golden Crocodile Douluo.
"..."
"Grandpa Golden Crocodile, you call this 'not far'? We've already walked hundreds of miles. How have we still not arrived?"
Bibi Dong, being carried along, looked at the road ahead and complained helplessly.
"Of course it's not far. A few hundred miles is just a warm-up for me, so naturally I'd call that close."
Golden Crocodile looked around, muttering softly, "I remember it was somewhere around here. Why can't I see it?"
"You can't be serious..."
Ban Shu stared blankly at Golden Crocodile Douluo. "Grandpa Golden Crocodile, you're joking, right?"
"Ah, hahahaha, of course I'm joking! How could I have forgotten the way?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo looked around, then pointed toward a nearby valley. "The ruins are over there. Let's hurry."
The three of them exchanged glances. None of them really believed what Golden Crocodile Douluo had said, but there was nothing for it now except to follow him.
"Found it! I told you, how could I have forgotten the way?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo stopped outside a deep, secluded cave. "This is the place. I found that box here back then."
Looking at the deep, secluded cave before him, Ban Shu hurriedly took out the box. Unexpectedly, rows of purple runes lit up across it, flickering gently as if responding to something.
"Looks like this is the place."
Qian Xunji looked thoughtfully at the box in Ban Shu's hand and nodded. "Let's go."
"Mm."
Holding up the box, Ban Shu walked at the front. Golden Crocodile Douluo was beside him, while Qian Xunji brought up the rear.
The cave was deep and more spacious than they'd imagined. There were all sorts of buildings inside, though, and they didn't look like natural formations.
Unfortunately, most of the buildings had been destroyed beyond recognition. They couldn't make anything of them, and the ruins instead became obstacles in Ban Shu and the others' path.
After finally making their way through the ruins, they reached what looked like a main hall.
At the very front of the palace stood two enormous statues, silent and still.
They were forty or fifty meters tall. One looked male, the other female.
The man held a scepter in one hand. His other hand seemed to be holding something aloft, but it was empty.
The woman, meanwhile, held a tree above her head with both hands. There was nothing else strange about her.
Ban Shu stepped forward and looked at the box in his hand. He figured this must be the object the man had once held aloft.
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