Cross-Level Absorption, Ban Shu's First Soul Skill

Ban Shu frowned. It was true; although the quality of the soul beast before him was high, its age was already seven hundred years, far exceeding the maximum limit for absorbing a soul ring.

Furthermore, Ban Shu had not consumed any whale glue, nor was he capable of absorbing a ring beyond his level. It seemed he was not destined to enjoy this soul ring.

Ban Shu sighed inwardly. What a pity. He had thought he'd found a suitable soul beast, only to realize its age was far too high to absorb.

"Sigh~"

Just as both of them were feeling regret, the Painted Halberd stuck in the ground beside them suddenly began to stir.

"Hm?"

Ban Shu turned his head, watching the Painted Halberd tremble, and reached out to pull it from the earth.

"..."

Closing his eyes, he felt the rhythm of the weapon in his hand. He seemed to understand something, and when he opened his eyes, his expression became incredibly resolute.

"How can this be considered a wasted effort?"

"Uncle Li, I want to absorb this soul beast's soul ring!"

"What!"

Li Yan's eyes widened sharply. "Xiao Ban, don't be ridiculous. This isn't a joke!"

"I am not joking."

Ban Shu pointed his Painted Halberd at the Sharp-Feathered Thunder Eagle. "My Painted Halberd is trembling. It is telling me that this is the soul beast I have been looking for!"

"Xiao Ban!"

At this moment, Qian Xunji, who had been listening from the side for a long time, could no longer hold back and stepped out, his face grave.

"A soul beast over seven hundred years old is too dangerous! Besides, you are a Tool Soul Master; you do not possess the robust physique of a Beast Soul Master. To absorb it rashly is far too perilous."

"Listen to your Uncle Li. There are so many soul beasts in this forest; we don't need this one!"

"Teacher, just let me try."

Ban Shu looked at Qian Xunji with a serious expression, his grip on the Painted Halberd tightening. "I know my limits, and furthermore, I trust my own martial soul!"

"..."

Qian Xunji slowly closed his eyes, recalling the moment Ban Shu awakened his martial soul and that figure from the past. Finally, he sighed.

"Very well, Xiao Ban. But if there is any sign of trouble, I will interrupt immediately."

"Mm."

Ban Shu nodded, gripped the Painted Halberd, and walked slowly toward the giant eagle.

This was his first time killing a creature like this. For a Ban Shu who hadn't even killed a chicken in his previous life, this was a massive challenge.

Looking at the unconscious giant eagle, Ban Shu exhaled softly, then slowly raised the halberd, aimed for its heart, and thrust it down with force.

Squelch!

Blood splattered instantly as the tip of the halberd pierced straight through. The Sharp-Feathered Thunder Eagle twitched a few times before falling completely still.

"Hoo~"

Having finished, Ban Shu breathed a sigh of relief. This could be considered his first step forward.

Before long, a deep yellow soul ring slowly rose. Ban Shu knew that the most critical moment was yet to come.

Ban Shu sat cross-legged, clutching the Painted Halberd tightly in his hand, and focused his mind to draw the Sharp-Feathered Thunder Eagle's soul ring toward him, settling it upon his body.

At this moment, Bibi Dong pushed open the tent and walked out. "Xiao Ban, what's all that noise?"

"Shh~"

Li Yan hurriedly signaled for Bibi Dong to be quiet and pulled her over.

"What's wrong?"

Bibi Dong was stunned for a moment, then saw Ban Shu sitting cross-legged, absorbing the soul ring.

Li Yan explained to Bibi Dong that Ban Shu was absorbing a soul ring that exceeded his limit.

"Xiao Ban has lost his mind! He's actually absorbing a seven-hundred-year soul ring! If he's even slightly careless, at best his martial soul will shatter, and at worst, he will die!"

Bibi Dong covered her mouth, her eyes turning red, the worry in them nearly overflowing.

But so as not to disturb Ban Shu, she had to suppress all her words in her heart, praying silently that he would successfully absorb the ring.

And so, time ticked by second by second, and Ban Shu still had not awakened.

But the good news was that the seven-hundred-year soul ring didn't seem to be causing Ban Shu any ill effects. Aside from a hint of pain at the very beginning, he felt nothing else.

Qian Xunji keenly noticed that the Painted Halberd martial soul in Ban Shu's hand was actually helping him absorb the excess soul power, preventing him from exploding from an overload.

This surprised him; there were clearly still many mysteries surrounding Ban Shu's martial soul, and it was likely far more than what they had seen.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Ban Shu finally woke up. He opened his eyes, and a flash of purple light flickered and vanished.

Exhaling softly, he stood up, brushed the dust off his body, and smiled. "Sister Dong'er, Teacher, Uncle Li, I succeeded."

"Xiao Ban!"

Bibi Dong could no longer hold back; she hurried over and pulled him into a tight embrace. "You scared the life out of me!"

Seeing the tear tracks at the corners of Bibi Dong's eyes and feeling her deep concern, Ban Shu patted her back, feigning a relaxed demeanor.

"Sister Dong'er, look, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? Don't worry, I wouldn't joke around with my own life."

Comforted by his words, Bibi Dong calmed down slightly. She wiped away her tears and instructed him sternly, "You are forbidden from doing such dangerous things in the future, do you hear me?"

"You are the only family I have left. If anything were to happen to you, how would you expect me to go on living?"

"Yes, I understand."

Ban Shu scratched his head and said with a smile.

Watching his carefree, heartless expression, Bibi Dong let out a soft huff; she feared Ban Shu was just letting her words go in one ear and out the other.

At this moment, Qian Xunji stepped forward to carefully examine Ban Shu's physical condition. Only after confirming there were no issues did he nod in satisfaction.

"As long as you're safe, that's what matters. Tell me, what kind of soul skill did you obtain?"

"Well, about that..."

Ban Shu reached out to summon his Painted Halberd, and a bright yellow century-level soul ring manifested beneath his feet.

"My first soul skill: Thunder Demon!"

As he spoke, the appearance of the Painted Halberd in Ban Shu's hand shifted, a curved blade extending from one of the crescent moons.

Following this, wisps of purple lightning began to coil around Ban Shu, making him appear like a god of thunder.

"My first soul skill is called Thunder Demon. When activated, my Painted Halberd becomes wreathed in the destructive power of Thunder Devour."

"Not only does it increase my speed by one hundred percent, but it also allows me to strike lightning into an enemy's body, destroying them from the inside out."

"Most importantly, this is a sustained enchantment skill. As long as I have soul power, I can maintain this state indefinitely."

With that, Ban Shu swung his halberd, striking a nearby tree. As the lightning surged into the wood, the trunk instantly exploded from within, shattering into fine powder.

"Oh? It has no time limit?"

Qian Xunji's eyes lit up. This was an excellent skill; it was truly worthy of being a soul skill dropped by a seven-hundred-year soul beast.

"Not only that, but my soul power has jumped straight to level fourteen. I assume that is also due to the high-age soul ring," Ban Shu said with a smile.

"Well done."

Qian Xunji patted him on the shoulder. Their mission to the Star Dou Great Forest had been completed successfully, and they could now return home.