"What? What did I do?"
Ban Shu had just emerged from the spring and was still a little dazed. During his time in the spring, it seemed that a figure resembling Madara had appeared in his mental world.
It seemed like he had said something and given Ban Shu a Soul Bone.
"X-Xiao Ban, hurry and put on some clothes!"
Bibi Dong's face was red as a cooked lobster. At her age, she had never seen a man's body before, much less Ban Shu's completely naked one. It had dealt her quite a shock.
The three who had hurried over at the sound of the commotion understood the situation at a glance.
After secretly giving Ban Shu a thumbs-up, Qian Xunji noticed the confusion in Bibi Dong's eyes and coughed lightly. "Xiao Ban, hurry up and get dressed. What kind of behavior is this?"
Only then did Ban Shu realize that the spring had burned his clothes to ashes. He hurriedly took out another set and pulled it on.
Curiosity got the better of Bibi Dong when she heard Qian Xunji's voice—or perhaps she just wanted another look—so she slowly parted her fingers, leaving a narrow gap.
When she saw that Ban Shu had already dressed, she lowered her hands. For some reason, though, a hint of disappointment suddenly welled up inside her.
What am I thinking? Bibi Dong quickly shook her head, driving the thought away.
"Xiao Ban, how did things go? What did you gain?"
After a brief bout of chaos, everyone finally gathered around the campsite to discuss what they had gained.
Qian Xunji was the strongest, so he had gained the least. His Martial Soul's attributes had merely been purified, but that would be immensely beneficial to his future cultivation.
The Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma Dugu Bo had consumed was also a tonic that strengthened the foundation and nourished the body. It didn't do much to increase his Soul Power, but it was enough for now.
After consuming the Immortal Herb, Bibi Dong had not only gained a great deal of Soul Power, both of her Martial Souls had also improved to varying degrees. Her progress had been astonishingly rapid.
As for Ban Shu, he had practically undergone a complete transformation.
"My Martial Soul underwent a Second Awakening."
"A Second Awakening?"
Everyone stared at Ban Shu in surprise, curious to see it for themselves.
Ban Shu stood and slowly extended a hand to summon his Martial Soul. This time, what appeared wasn't the Painted Halberd from before, but a human figure.
"After evolving, my Martial Soul has finally become complete: Divine Steed Guardian General."
Ban Shu and the figure merged into one. A magnificent suit of armor covered his body. Looking closely, most of the armor was an illusion, with only the Painted Halberd in his hand and the armor on his arms solid.
"Oh?"
Qian Xunji's eyes lit up when he saw Madara. There was no mistaking it: this was the figure that had appeared behind Ban Shu when he first awakened his Martial Soul.
"After the awakening, all my attributes increased substantially. And that's not all."
Soul Rings slowly rose around Ban Shu. The three purple Soul Skills nearly blinded Dugu Bo.
"Damn, is he even human?"
Dugu Bo exclaimed inwardly. His First Soul Ring was already a thousand years old. He had been right: this kid was a monster too.
"The amplification from all my Soul Skills has increased drastically—almost fivefold."
Ban Shu had just tested it. The instant he activated his Soul Rings, tremendous power surged through his limbs and body. He had even felt as if he could take on a Titled Douluo.
"Fivefold!"
Even Qian Daoliu was stunned by that astonishing figure. He had seen plenty of Martial Soul Awakenings, but none had ever granted an increase as terrifying as Ban Shu's.
"Maybe this is just the nature of my Martial Soul."
Ban Shu rubbed the armor on his chest. Wasn't that just how Madara was? He relied on his overwhelming natural strength and crushed every enemy in front of him without hesitation.
"Not bad."
Qian Daoliu nodded. "You've already passed level forty. Tomorrow morning, I'll find a suitable Soul Beast for you."
"All right, Grandpa."
Ban Shu nodded. "Grandpa Qian, I'd like to try absorbing a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
"Can I?"
This time, Qian Daoliu only asked once. He understood that Ban Shu would never do anything without preparation. The boy had confidence in himself.
"Mm."
Ban Shu nodded. "I might not have been sure before, but now that my Martial Soul has evolved, I'm confident I can absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."
"Very well."
Qian Daoliu nodded.
The night passed peacefully. Early the next morning, Qian Daoliu went out and found a suitable Soul Beast in Sunset Forest.
Ban Shu already had plenty of attack power, speed, and strength. What he lacked was defense, so Qian Daoliu found him a Stone-Armored Behemoth.
This Soul Beast had extremely high defense. Even most Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts couldn't break through it, making it one of the beasts they least wanted to encounter.
Of course, it was no match for Limit Douluo Qian Daoliu. A single strike left it on the brink of death, and Ban Shu finished it off before absorbing it.
Everything went smoothly. The Stone-Armored Behemoth's spiritual attack had no effect on Ban Shu. Under the Divine Steed's protection, its spiritual power was completely suppressed.
After some time, Ban Shu finally absorbed the Soul Ring and gained his first Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill: Rock Solid.
After activating the Soul Skill, Ban Shu's defense increased dramatically. Even a full-power strike from an ordinary level-thirty Soul Master couldn't scratch his armor. It was truly terrifying.
"Not only that, my Soul Power went up by a full four levels. I'm now a level-forty-four Soul Master!"
Ban Shu sounded excited as he said it. The ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, combined with the Soul Power he had stored in his body, had let him break through four bottlenecks in one go, advancing four levels.
Everyone was happy for Ban Shu and his enormous improvement.
"All right. Everything's taken care of now. We should start thinking about how to make the best use of this precious place."
Qian Xunji looked at the medicinal garden before them. To him, it was no longer just a garden. It was the hope of Spirit Hall's future.
And these Immortal Herbs weren't one-time resources. As long as they had seeds, they could keep producing them, giving Spirit Hall a steady stream of top-tier talent.
"Actually, I have someone in mind."
Ban Shu took out the Catalog of Rare Herbs that Yue Guan had given him. "The only reason I recognize these Immortal Herbs is that I learned about them from this book by our Spirit Hall bishop, Yue Guan."
"I've met him and studied with him, too. Bishop Yue Guan loves flowers and is an expert on rare herbs. If we let him look after this garden, there won't be a single problem."
As he spoke, Ban Shu looked at Dugu Bo. "And Senior, I think that bishop may have a way to deal with the poison in your body, too."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up at that. As long as there was a solution, that was good enough. Until the poison in his body was gone, it would remain a thorn in his side.
Hearing Ban Shu's suggestion, Qian Xunji didn't hesitate. "Good. I'll notify the nearby Spirit Hall at once and have them summon Yue Guan."
Before you continue