Mission Progress: Four-Fifths

Subconsciously, Yue Guan's gaze snapped toward Gui mei, who had remained silent the entire time.

Gui mei also turned his head to "look" over; beneath the shadow of his hood, no one could discern his expression.

The two shared a connection through their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, their thoughts long since intertwined. Gui mei easily read the excitement, longing, and the deeper layers of hesitation and struggle in Yue Guan's eyes.

Yet, he still said nothing, merely giving an imperceptible nod. Having been partners for over sixty years, they had long since formed a tacit understanding; in most matters, Yue Guan was the one who made the decisions.

Although he had not seen what was inside the box, he smelled the same chrysanthemum fragrance that clung to Yue Guan, and he roughly understood what the object meant to his companion.

Bai Shu did not disturb the pair, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched them quietly from the side.

After a long while, Yue Guan finally looked back at Bai Shu. He gently closed the box, stroked the wooden lid with extreme tenderness, and then, as if exhausting all his strength, held the box with both hands and slowly handed it back.

His voice carried a trace of a tremor: "Young Master Bai Shu... thank you. Thank you for letting me have the honor of seeing it with my own eyes in this lifetime. However, I still cannot agree to your request."

He gave a bitter smile, cast a look of immense complexity at Xie Biyan, who stood like a statue behind Bai Shu, and continued:

"The strength of Spirit Hall is far beyond your imagination. Although you easily captured us today, if you truly make an enemy of Spirit Hall, not only will our brothers be left without a burial ground, but you will also bring catastrophic disaster upon yourself and your forces. I... do not wish to harm you, nor do I wish to die."

"The strength of Spirit Hall?" Bai Shu paused for a moment, then immediately understood Yue Guan's concerns and chuckled, "You are referring to the Worship Hall, or rather, that ninety-nine-level Great Elder, Qian Daoliu, right?"

"You!" Now it was Yue Guan and Gui mei's turn to be astonished. This was the most core secret of Spirit Hall; even within the organization, only a very small number of people knew that the Great Elder was still alive!

However, surprise was surprise. Since Bai Shu could state it so bluntly, Yue Guan no longer hid it. He took a deep breath and said solemnly:

"Yes, the Worship Hall! The seven Great Elders, the weakest of whom is a ninety-six-level Super Douluo! So, young friend, give up. You cannot possibly be their match."

Bai Shu shook his head slightly, his smile remaining, and looked back at Xie Biyan.

"Old Xie, tell them about your strength."

Upon hearing this, Xie Biyan did not hide it either, speaking indifferently to the two:

"You already know my strength: a ninety-eight-level peak Douluo. However, I possess two Soul Cores; even a ninety-nine-level Limit Douluo is not necessarily my match."

Speaking to the end, Xie Biyan felt a sense of emotion. Having been in this world for less than two years, he had achieved such a massive improvement, which made him feel all the more grateful and awestruck toward Bai Shu.

Bai Shu turned back to look at Yue Guan and added slowly:

"Did you hear that? Old Xie might be being a bit modest. I can tell you clearly: if Qian Daoliu does not use his Angel God Power, he is absolutely no match for Old Xie."

"However, unless he wants the Angel God Inheritance to be severed right here and now, he cannot use that divine power at will. So, do you still think the Worship Hall is such a problem?"

Yue Guan was still immersed in Bai Shu's words. There was no other reason than the sheer volume of information: what was a Soul Core? What was the Angel God Inheritance? Wasn't that the very faith of Spirit City?

But hearing Bai Shu's question, he fell into deep thought again. It seemed that Bai Shu really wasn't that afraid of Spirit Hall. Although there were still risks, the benefits were clearly far greater than the dangers.

After thinking it through, Yue Guan did not rush to make a decision, but said with some hesitation: "This... Young Master Bai Shu, I have no problem, but Gui mei..."

"I agree as well." Before Yue Guan could finish, Gui mei's hoarse and decisive voice rang out first.

Clearly, Yue Guan still couldn't let go of his old brother and wanted to secure some tangible benefits for Gui mei at the last moment.

But Gui mei did not want Yue Guan to leave an impression of being petty in Bai Shu's mind over such a matter, so he immediately interrupted Yue Guan to state his own stance.

Seeing that both had relented, Bai Shu understood that this was the best time to win their hearts. He waved his hand generously and said directly:

"Good! Since both of you are willing to join, I will treat you equally. If His Excellency Gui mei also joins, I can promise that afterward, Yue Guan, you can personally select an Immortal Herb for him that is no less than your 'Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum'!"

Upon hearing this, all of Yue Guan's misgivings vanished in an instant, replaced by boundless ecstasy and excitement! He suddenly knelt on one knee before Bai Shu, performing a salute with the etiquette reserved for the Pope:

"Subordinate Yue Guan, greets the Young Master! From this day forward, I am willing to go through fire and water for the Young Master, without hesitation!"

Beside him, Gui mei also knelt on one knee with equal decisiveness, his head bowed deeply beneath his hood.

"Subordinate Gui mei, greets the Young Master."

"Haha, good! Rise, both of you!"

Bai Shu laughed heartily at this. Not only had he gained two top-tier combatants, but the system mission had also advanced to four-fifths. Once Dugu Bo found a suitable candidate, he would finally obtain that long-awaited supreme technique.

"Since you two have joined my ranks, I will not treat you poorly."

Bai Shu helped them up and continued to drop bombshells: "When we return, you can ask Old Xie for guidance on how to condense a Soul Core. By then, not only will your Soul Power advance by leaps and bounds, but your combat strength will also far exceed what it was before."

Yue Guan had been curious about the term "Soul Core" to the extreme, and now that the dust had settled, he couldn't help but ask the question in his heart.

"Young Master, I wonder... what exactly is this Soul Core?"

Bai Shu would naturally not hide this; only by letting his subordinates know the value of things could he ensure their loyalty.

"A Soul Core, simply put, is a solid energy core formed by compressing the liquid Soul Power within a Spirit Master through secret methods. It not only greatly increases your Soul Power reserves but also significantly accelerates the speed at which you recover it. By constantly refining it with your Soul Power, you can also purify your energy and enhance your attack power."

Bai Shu paused, watching their eyes grow brighter, and continued:

"With your strength, condensing the first Soul Core should be easy. However, the second Soul Core will be more troublesome. Old Xie can fight above his level because he condensed the high-risk Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Core; I do not suggest you use that method."

"As long as you proceed step by step and use the Homologous Resonance Method to condense your second Soul Core, then in the future... the realm of a Limit Douluo is not out of reach!"

"Limit Douluo!!"

This time, it wasn't just Yue Guan; even the usually composed Gui mei gasped in unison. The two looked at each other, seeing the fanaticism in each other's eyes.

They had thought the Soul Core might be some powerful self-created skill, but hearing it now, this was no mere skill! This was a ticket to the ultimate dream of every Spirit Master!

That was a Limit Douluo! Not to mention the combat strength, the mere fact that their lifespan could theoretically reach a thousand years was enough to drive anyone mad.

Seeing that their eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, Bai Shu coughed lightly, breaking their fantasies.

"Alright, this is no place to linger. Let's return to Heaven Dou City first."

"Yes, Young Master!" the two replied in unison, their tones filled with unprecedented respect and drive.

Although Bai Shu seemed to be painting a picture for them, he was actually providing the food to go with it. Compared to Bibi Dong, who didn't even paint a picture and would scold them at every turn, this was far better.