Ban Shu furrowed his brow. It was true that this Soul Beast was exceptionally high quality, but it was already seven hundred years old, far beyond the maximum age limit for absorbing a Soul Ring.
Besides, Ban Shu hadn't taken any Whale Rubber, so he couldn't absorb a Soul Ring beyond his limits. It seemed this Soul Ring wasn't meant for him.
Ban Shu sighed inwardly. What a pity. He'd thought he'd found a suitable Soul Beast, only to discover it was far too old for him to absorb its Soul Ring.
"Ugh~"
Just as they were both lamenting the missed opportunity, the Painted Halberd stuck in the ground beside them suddenly began to move.
"Hmm?"
Ban Shu turned toward the trembling Painted Halberd and reached out to pull it free.
"..."
He closed his eyes and felt the rhythm of the weapon in his hand. As if he'd understood something, he opened his eyes, his expression growing utterly resolute.
"How can this be a false alarm?"
"Uncle Li, I want to absorb this Soul Beast's Soul Ring!"
"What!"
Li Yan's eyes widened. "Xiao Ban, don't mess around! This is no joke!"
"I'm not joking."
Ban Shu pointed the Painted Halberd in his hand at the Sharp-Feathered Thunder Eagle. "My Painted Halberd is trembling. It's telling me this is the Soul Beast I've been looking for!"
"Xiao Ban!"
At that moment, Qian Xunji, who had been listening for a while, couldn't help stepping forward, his expression grave.
"A Soul Beast that's over seven hundred years old is far too dangerous! Besides, you're a tool-using Soul Master. You don't have the powerful physique of a beast-type Soul Master. Absorbing its Soul Ring recklessly would be far too dangerous."
"Listen to Uncle Li. There are plenty of Soul Beasts in this forest. We can find another one!"
"Teacher, please let me try."
Ban Shu looked at Qian Xunji solemnly, his grip tightening around the Painted Halberd. "I know my limits. Besides, I believe in my Martial Soul!"
"..."
Qian Xunji slowly closed his eyes and recalled the moment Ban Shu had awakened his Martial Soul. In the end, he let out a sigh.
"All right, Xiao Ban. But if anything goes wrong, I'll stop you immediately."
"Mm."
Ban Shu nodded and slowly walked toward the giant eagle, the Painted Halberd in his hand.
This was his first time killing a creature like this. For Ban Shu, who hadn't even killed a chicken in his previous life, it was a huge challenge.
Looking at the unconscious giant eagle before him, Ban Shu let out a gentle breath. Then he slowly raised the halberd, aimed for its heart, and drove it down with all his might.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed everywhere. The halberd's tip pierced straight through the eagle. The Sharp-Feathered Thunder Eagle twitched a few times, then fell completely still.
"Phew~"
After finishing, Ban Shu let out a soft breath. He'd taken his first step.
Before long, a deep-yellow Soul Ring slowly rose into the air. Ban Shu knew that the most crucial moment had finally arrived.
Ban Shu sat cross-legged, gripping the Painted Halberd tightly. Focusing his mind, he drew the Sharp-Feathered Thunder Eagle's Soul Ring toward himself until it settled around him.
Only then did Bibi Dong lift the tent flap and step outside. "Xiao Ban, what's all that noise?"
"Shh~"
Li Yan hurriedly gestured for Bibi Dong to be quiet and pulled her over.
"What's going on?"
Bibi Dong first blinked in confusion, then noticed Ban Shu sitting cross-legged as he absorbed a Soul Ring.
Li Yan told Bibi Dong that Ban Shu was absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the usual age limit.
"Xiao Ban's gone mad! He's absorbing a Soul Ring that's seven hundred years old! If something goes wrong, at best his Martial Soul will shatter; at worst, he'll die!"
Bibi Dong covered her mouth, her eyes reddening with worry that nearly spilled over.
But so as not to disturb Ban Shu, she could only press all her words down in her heart and pray silently, hoping he would absorb the Soul Ring safely.
Time passed, second by second, but Ban Shu still didn't wake.
The good news was that the seven-hundred-year-old Soul Ring didn't seem to be affecting him. Aside from a brief sting at the very beginning, he hadn't felt anything at all.
Qian Xunji keenly noticed that Ban Shu's Painted Halberd Martial Soul was helping him absorb the excess Soul Power, keeping his body from exploding under the strain.
This surprised him. Ban Shu's Martial Soul clearly held many mysteries, and there were probably more to it than even that.
After an unknown amount of time, Ban Shu finally woke. As he opened his eyes, a flash of purple light vanished.
He let out a soft breath, stood up, and brushed the dust from his clothes. Then he smiled and said, "Sister Dong'er, Teacher, Uncle Li, I did it."
"Xiao Ban!"
Bibi Dong could no longer hold back. She hurried over and threw her arms around him. "You scared your big sister to death!"
Seeing the tear tracks at the corners of Bibi Dong's eyes and sensing how worried she'd been, Ban Shu pretended to be carefree and patted her back.
"Sister Dong'er, I'm fine, aren't I? Don't worry. I wouldn't joke around with my life."
Reassured by his words, Bibi Dong calmed down a little. She wiped her tears and said sternly, "Don't do anything so dangerous again, understand?"
"You're the only family I have. If anything happened to you, how could I go on living?"
"Yes, I understand."
Ban Shu scratched his head and smiled.
Seeing how unconcerned he looked, Bibi Dong gave a soft snort. She suspected her words had gone in one ear and out the other.
At that moment, Qian Xunji stepped forward and carefully examined Ban Shu's condition. Only after confirming that nothing was wrong did he nod in relief.
"As long as you're safe. Tell us, what kind of Soul Skill did you get?"
"Well..."
Ban Shu summoned the Painted Halberd in his hand, and a bright-yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet.
"First Soul Skill: Thunder Demon!"
As soon as he spoke, the Painted Halberd in Ban Shu's hand changed shape. A curved blade extended from one of its crescent-shaped blades.
Then strands of purple lightning coiled around Ban Shu, making him look like the God of Thunder.
"My first Soul Skill is called Thunder Demon. When I activate it, my Painted Halberd becomes imbued with the destructive power of Thunder Devour."
"It can increase my speed by one hundred percent, and it can also send lightning into my enemies' bodies to destroy them from within."
"Most importantly, this is a sustained enchantment skill. As long as I have Soul Power, I can maintain this state indefinitely."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ban Shu swung the battle halberd and struck a nearby tree. When the lightning surged into it, the trunk instantly burst apart from the inside, crumbling into dust.
"Oh? So there's no time limit?"
Qian Xunji's eyes lit up. This was an excellent skill, just what one would expect from a seven-hundred-year-old Soul Beast.
"Not only that, my Soul Power shot up to level fourteen all at once. I suppose that's because the Soul Ring was so old," Ban Shu said with a smile.
"Well done."
Qian Xunji patted him on the shoulder. Their mission in the Star Dou Great Forest was now complete, and they could head home.
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