Subconsciously, Yue Guan's gaze snapped toward Gui mei, who had remained silent at the side.
Gui mei turned his head to "look" over as well. No one could see his expression beneath the shadow of his hood.
The two were connected through their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and their hearts had long been in tune. Gui mei easily understood the excitement, longing, and deeper hesitation and struggle in Yue Guan's eyes.
Yet he still said nothing, merely giving an almost imperceptible nod. Having partnered for over sixty years, the two had long formed an unspoken understanding. In most matters, Yue Guan was the one who made the decisions.
Although he had not seen what was inside the box, he had caught the same chrysanthemum fragrance that clung to Yue Guan. He roughly understood what the item in that box meant to Yue Guan.
Bai Shu did not disturb them either. With a faint smile on his lips, he simply watched quietly from the side.
After a long while, Yue Guan finally looked back at Bai Shu. He gently closed the box, caressed the wooden case with utmost tenderness, then, as though he had exhausted all his strength, slowly held it out with both hands and returned it.
His voice trembled slightly. "Young friend Bai Shu... thank you. Thank you for letting me have the fortune of seeing it with my own eyes in this lifetime. But I still cannot agree to your request."
He gave a bitter laugh and looked at Xie Biyan, who stood behind Bai Shu like a statue, with an incomparably complicated gaze before continuing,
"Spirit Hall's strength far exceeds your imagination. Though you captured us easily today, if you truly become enemies with Spirit Hall, not only will my brother and I die without a burial place, but you and your faction will also face utter destruction. I... do not want to harm you, and I do not want to die."
"Spirit Hall's strength?" Bai Shu paused slightly, then understood Yue Guan's concern. He chuckled. "You mean the Worship Hall, or rather, that level ninety-nine Grand Priest, Qian Daoliu."
"You!" This time, Yue Guan and Gui mei were the ones left stunned. This was Spirit Hall's deepest secret. Even within Spirit Hall, only a very small number of people knew that the Grand Priest was still alive!
But surprise aside, since Bai Shu had exposed it so directly, Yue Guan no longer hid anything. He took a deep breath and said solemnly,
"Yes, the Worship Hall! Among the seven priests, even the weakest are level ninety-six Super Douluo! So, young friend, give up. You cannot possibly be their match."
Bai Shu shook his head slightly, his smile unchanged as he turned to look at Xie Biyan.
"Old Xie, tell them about your strength."
Xie Biyan did not hide anything upon hearing that. He spoke calmly to Yue Guan and Gui mei,
"You already know this old man's strength: a level ninety-eight peak Douluo. However, this old man possesses two Soul Cores. Even a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo might not be a match for me."
As he spoke, Xie Biyan felt somewhat emotional. He had come to this world less than two years ago, yet his strength had risen so dramatically. It made him feel even more grateful and awed toward Bai Shu.
Bai Shu turned back to Yue Guan and added unhurriedly,
"Did you hear that? Old Xie may have put it rather mildly. I can tell you clearly: if Qian Daoliu does not use Angel God Power, he is absolutely no match for Old Xie."
"Of course, unless he wants the Angel God Inheritance to be severed forever, he cannot casually borrow divine power. So? Do you still think the Worship Hall is that troublesome?"
Yue Guan was still immersed in Bai Shu's earlier words. There was no other reason—the amount of information in them had been overwhelming. What was a Soul Core? And what was the Angel God Inheritance? Was that not the faith of Spirit City?
But upon hearing Bai Shu's question, he fell into deep thought again. It seemed Bai Shu truly was not that afraid of Spirit Hall. Though there were still risks, the benefits clearly outweighed them by far.
After thinking it through, Yue Guan did not rush to make a decision. Instead, he hesitated and said, "Well... young friend Bai Shu, I have no problem with it, but Gui mei..."
"I agree too." Before Yue Guan could finish, Gui mei's hoarse yet resolute voice rang out first.
Clearly, Yue Guan still could not let go of his old brother and wanted to secure some tangible benefits for Gui mei at the final moment.
But Gui mei did not want Yue Guan to leave Bai Shu with the impression that he was overly calculating over such matters. So he immediately interrupted Yue Guan and made his stance clear.
Seeing the two relent, Bai Shu understood that this was the best time to win their loyalty. He gave a generous wave of his hand and said directly,
"Good! Since you are both willing to join me, I will treat you equally. If Your Excellency Gui mei joins as well, I can promise that afterward, Yue Guan, you may personally choose an Immortal Herb for him that is no inferior to your Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"
Upon hearing this, all of Yue Guan's concerns vanished in that instant, replaced by endless ecstasy and excitement! He abruptly dropped to one knee before Bai Shu and saluted him with the etiquette used for the Pope.
"Your subordinate, Yue Guan, greets the Young Master! From this day forth, I am willing to brave fire and water for the Young Master, without hesitation!"
Gui mei at the side likewise dropped cleanly to one knee, lowering his hooded head deeply.
"Your subordinate, Gui mei, greets the Young Master."
"Haha, good! Rise, both of you!"
Bai Shu burst into delighted laughter. Not only had he gained two top-tier combatants, but the system mission had also advanced directly to four-fifths. Once Dugu Bo found a suitable candidate, he would be able to obtain that supreme cultivation method he had long awaited.
"Now that you have joined my ranks, I will not treat you poorly."
Bai Shu helped the two of them up and continued dropping another bombshell. "Once we return, you may seek Old Xie's guidance on how to condense Soul Cores. By then, not only will your Soul Power soar, but your combat strength will also far surpass what it once was."
Yue Guan had already been intensely curious about the term "Soul Core." Now that things had been settled, he could finally no longer restrain himself from voicing the doubt in his heart.
"Young Master, what exactly... is this Soul Core?"
Naturally, Bai Shu would not conceal it. Only by letting his subordinates understand the value of such things could he make them more loyal to him.
"A Soul Core, simply put, is a solid energy core formed by using a secret method to compress and solidify the liquid Soul Power within a Spirit Master's body. Not only can it greatly increase one's Soul Power reserves, but it can also vastly speed up Soul Power recovery. By continuously tempering it with Soul Power, one can further purify one's Soul Power and strengthen one's attacks."
Bai Shu paused, watching their eyes grow brighter and brighter as he continued,
"With your strength, condensing your first Soul Core should be effortless. But the second Soul Core will be more troublesome. Old Xie can fight above his level because he condensed the extremely risky Yin-Yang Complementary Soul Core. I do not recommend that method for you.
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 Limit Douluo will not be beyond reach!"
"Limit Douluo!!"
This time, not only Yue Guan, but even the usually composed Gui mei drew in a sharp breath. The two looked at each other and saw the same burning fervor in the other's eyes.
They had thought a Soul Core might be some powerful Self-Created Soul Skill, but now that they heard this, how could it possibly be a Soul Skill? This was practically a ticket to a Spirit Master's ultimate dream!
That was a Limit Douluo! Never mind the strength involved—just the theoretical lifespan of a thousand years was enough to drive anyone mad.
Seeing that their eyes were practically popping out, Bai Shu gave a light cough and shattered their fantasies.
"Enough. This is not a place to linger. Let us return to Heaven Dou City first."
"Yes, Young Master!" the two answered in unison, their voices filled with unprecedented respect and drive.
Although Bai Shu seemed to be making grand promises, his promises were the kind that truly delivered. Compared to Bibi Dong, who never even offered promises and would scold them at the slightest provocation, he was far better.
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