Tracing it back to the source, it was because the rules of the Douluo Continent plane were too weak, and Bai Shu's mortal body at the age of six had been far too frail when he awakened his martial soul.
This had caused the martial soul to passively disperse most of its energy during the awakening process, ensuring that his body could withstand it.
Thus, the Chaos Green Lotus from before could at most be considered an immature "seedling" that had regressed to the extreme.
This time, however, the pure and immense life energy brought by the Blue Silver Emperor's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone happened to be the finest nourishment.
It greatly compensated for the foundation the Green Lotus had once lost, allowing the Chaos Green Lotus to cross its juvenile stage in one leap and barely enter its "growth stage."
Of course, unlocking its true complete Chaos form would still require a vast amount of high-level energy.
Yet even with this small step forward, the Chaos Green Lotus had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.
Previously, the Ultimate Life attribute of the Chaos Green Lotus had only been concentrated within its lotus seeds. Bai Shu's own Soul Power and the soul skills he used did not possess this Ultimate Life enhancement.
But now, things were different! Even without using any soul skills, simply infusing his own Soul Power into another person's body could produce powerful healing effects.
He could even use this Soul Power directly to ripen ordinary crops and medicinal herbs. If he encountered weak plant-type Spirit Beasts, then so long as he was willing to expend Soul Power, he could directly help them increase their cultivation age!
After sorting through all the information in his mind, Bai Shu finally let out a long breath of stale air and slowly rose from the ground.
The instant he stood, a series of sharp crackling sounds like popping beans rang out from his bones.
When Bai Shu opened his eyes again and looked around, he felt as though everything before him had come "alive."
The plants in particular no longer required him to deliberately sense them. He could clearly distinguish the faint yet unique rhythms of life within every single plant, and could even communicate simple emotions with them!
Seeing Bai Shu rise, Xie Biyan flashed down from a nearby rock and arrived before him. Bowing, he asked, "Young Master, you're awake. Where are we going next?"
The corners of Bai Shu's lips lifted into a meaningful smile. Rather than answer Xie Biyan directly, he looked toward Notting City.
"Where? Of course, Notting City..."
"After all, we took his wife's keepsake. We should give our lofty Clear Sky Douluo a gift in return."
When Xie Biyan brought Bai Shu to Notting Academy, dawn had just broken, and the morning light gilded the academy in gold.
Bai Shu first returned to the dormitory without making a sound and investigated. Once he confirmed that Tang San had not returned all night, he understood everything.
He turned and found Xie Biyan hidden in the shadows, then ordered in a low voice:
"Go immediately and lie in ambush on the necessary road outside Notting City leading to the Soul Hunting Forest. If nothing unexpected happens, a Titled Douluo will pass through there today. The moment you spot him, show no mercy and kill him with everything you have."
"Yes, Young Master." A bloodthirsty glint flashed through Xie Biyan's eyes. He was all too familiar with sneak attacks.
Bai Shu then told Xie Biyan some of Tang Hao's physical features and methods of attack, lest anything go wrong.
Before finishing, Bai Shu solemnly added, "His explosive power is extremely strong, and it's uncertain whether he has some backup left by a God King. If things cannot be done, remember this: your safety comes first. Prioritize preserving yourself. Understood?"
Warmth filled Xie Biyan's heart as he respectfully replied, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master. This old servant will surely give it his all!"
"Mm. I'll head to the Spirit Hall in the city afterward to register as a Spirit Master. If you don't encounter Tang Hao, or once the matter is done, find me near the Spirit Hall."
Bai Shu was not foolish enough to remain at the academy. If Tang Hao took a detour back to the academy for some reason and saw the changes in him, he would likely seize Bai Shu immediately.
Xie Biyan did not hesitate any longer. With a flicker of his body, he melted into the morning mist like Gui mei and sped toward the outskirts of Notting City.
Rather than set off immediately, Bai Shu went to the academy cafeteria for breakfast first and asked the dean of studies about the recent class schedule.
Only then did he leisurely leave the academy.
Notting Academy was not far from the Spirit Hall. Both had been built near the city center.
Therefore, although Bai Shu wasted quite some time strolling and looking around along the way, he still reached the Spirit Hall in less than half an hour.
It had to be said that the Spirit Hall truly deserved its reputation as the continent-spanning number one power. Even a branch hall in a remote little city like Notting City had been built with imposing grandeur.
The main structure had a domed design and was likely more than twenty meters tall. Its grounds were even more expansive, covering at least several thousand square meters.
The Spirit Hall had only just opened at this time. Aside from two solemn-looking guards, scattered staff members were also making their way into the hall with sleepy eyes.
As Bai Shu observed the Spirit Hall, he suddenly caught sight of a somewhat familiar young man out of the corner of his eye. The man was saying something to a delicate-looking woman, but the impatience on her face was obvious.
Taking a closer look, Bai Shu realized that this was Brother Tao, the one who had awakened his martial soul.
Since he had run into an acquaintance, Bai Shu naturally wanted to greet him. Besides, he had been worrying about who to ask to test his Soul Power.
However, before Bai Shu had taken more than a few steps, the guards stopped him.
The guards had naturally noticed Bai Shu long ago. So early in the morning, anyone with eyes could see a child wandering around here.
"Little friend, this is the Spirit Hall. You can't just barge in."
Bai Shu had expected the guards to stop him, so he directly took out Notting Academy's school badge and explained:
"Hello, I'm a student of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy. I'm here to test my Soul Power Level and register as a Spirit Master."
The guard was stunned. Testing one's Soul Power Level required one to be at least a one-ring Spirit Master, but this child looked far too young.
Still, the guard did not stop him. After all, Bai Shu was wearing Notting Academy's uniform.
"If that's the case, go on in. You can wait on the first floor for a while. Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo should be arriving soon, and I'll remind him then."
"Alright, thank you, big brother." After thanking the guard, Bai Shu hurried toward Su Yuntao.
By the time Bai Shu found Su Yuntao, he was sitting alone on a sofa in the hall with a worried expression, so distracted that he did not even notice Bai Shu approach.
Seeing this, Bai Shu could only take the initiative. In a clear voice, he greeted him, "Grandmaster Su Yuntao, long time no see. Have you run into something troubling?"
Hearing someone call him, Su Yuntao snapped back to his senses as if waking from a dream. He looked up blankly and saw that it was Bai Shu, whom he had not seen in quite some time.
Su Yuntao naturally remembered this genius with Innate Full Soul Power and an exceptionally high-quality martial soul. He had even written a special report on Bai Shu and sent it to Spirit City.
Yet for some reason, no news had ever come back from Spirit City.
What Su Yuntao did not know was that no one had ever read his report. The moment it arrived in Spirit City, it had been tossed into the trash.
After all, during the few days of martial soul awakenings each year, Spirit City received far too many reports. Moreover, many people exaggerated the quality of martial souls in order to earn promotions.
As a result, any report below a certain rank was shelved without exception, and no one paid it any attention.
Before you continue