The Hidden Power: Mount Buzhou?!

Cao Kun smiled faintly and admitted it without hesitation. "You guessed right, Master. The Hundred Herb Spirit Spring and Foundation-Nourishing Pills are secret aids to cultivation made by my sect. They help strengthen one's foundation, nourish the meridians, and speed up the accumulation of Soul Power."

Flender's eyes went wide as he listened. He swallowed involuntarily.

A Spirit Spring and pills that could noticeably benefit Zhao Wuji, a level eighty-eight Soul Douluo?

How precious must they be?!

No wonder Zhao Wuji had quietly broken through to Soul Douluo!

So that was the advantage he'd gained!

When Flender looked at Cao Kun now, there was more than shock in his eyes. He could barely suppress his burning desire.

With that confirmation, Zhao Wuji's last doubts vanished. In their place came a rush of gratitude and the pride of seeing the disciple he considered his own son succeed.

But another question occurred to him. His eyes grew eager, and urgency crept into his voice.

"Kun'er, you said a Martial Soul can undergo a second evolution... Does that mean my Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul has a chance?"

He stared at Cao Kun, his hands clenching unconsciously until his knuckles went pale.

Flender's breath caught. Behind his glasses, his eyes widened as he fixed the same intense stare on Cao Kun.

His Four-Eyed Cat Owl Martial Soul was a high-grade Martial Soul too.

If it could advance even further...

Cao Kun saw the urgency and hope in their eyes. He understood perfectly.

He had expected this question.

He lifted his teacup and took another sip before answering at an unhurried pace. "In theory, every Martial Soul has the potential to evolve."

"Most Soul Masters believe their first awakening determines everything. That is all they know."

"But before true ancient inheritances and extraordinary methods, the limits of a Martial Soul can be broken."

He set down his cup and looked from Zhao Wuji to Flender. "Master's Great Strength Vajra Bear and Headmaster's Four-Eyed Cat Owl are both outstanding among high-grade Martial Souls. They have strong foundations and considerable potential."

"With the right opportunity and guidance from a secret method, a second evolution—even a third—is possible."

"A second evolution! A third!"

Zhao Wuji and Flender's hearts skipped a beat. An indescribable light flared in their eyes.

They had spent most of their lives cultivating. Never had they imagined their Martial Souls might still have room to grow!

"And after evolving? How far could they go?" Zhao Wuji's voice trembled.

Cao Kun considered for a moment, then gave an answer that sent their hearts racing again. "Given the potential of your Martial Souls, a successful second evolution would raise their quality by at least one major tier, bringing them to the Top-Tier Martial Soul level."

"With the right opportunity, enough luck, and a flawless evolution, there might even be... a very slim chance of reaching the threshold of the Demigod Level."

Top-Tier Martial Souls!

Demigod Level!

Blood rushed to Zhao Wuji and Flender's heads. They trembled with excitement.

A Top-Tier Martial Soul was something only the core heirs of the Seven Great Sects could hope to possess!

As for the Demigod Level, they had never even dared to dream of it!

If they could achieve that, their strength would undergo a qualitative leap!

Few at their level would be able to challenge them, and their hopes of reaching still higher realms would soar!

"Is... is that really possible?" Flender asked hoarsely, excitement and disbelief mingling in his voice.

"It depends on what we do."

Cao Kun spoke calmly. "My sect has secret Martial Soul Evolution manuals and the resources to use them. But the requirements are demanding, and the process is not without risk."

Of course there would be risks. That did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm.

What was a little risk beside such a reward?

How many steps of their cultivation had been free of danger?

Flender took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

He was a headmaster, after all, and his thoughts were more measured.

Why had he never heard of a Hidden Sect powerful enough to produce an eighteen-year-old Titled Douluo and possess secret methods for Martial Soul Evolution?

And why had it chosen to emerge now?

"Cao Kun, may I ask... what is the name of your sect?" Flender asked carefully, with a respect he had never shown before.

Cao Kun raised his eyes to the boundless night sky outside the window, as though his gaze pierced the darkness and reached some distant place.

His voice grew distant and ethereal, carrying the weight of history.

"My sect is called Mount Buzhou."

"Mount Buzhou?"

Zhao Wuji and Flender exchanged blank looks.

They searched their memories of the continent's powers and historical legends, but neither could recall anything connected to the name.

"That's right. Mount Buzhou."

Cao Kun turned back to them. "The name comes from an ancient legend. It means 'the pillar that holds up the heavens,' symbolizing our sect's will to guard the world and carry on its legacy without end."

"My sect has remained hidden for nearly a thousand years and rarely involves itself in worldly affairs. That is why its name is unknown today."

"Hidden for a thousand years?!"

The two were stunned all over again.

What terrifying resources and legacy would it take for a sect to remain hidden for a millennium without declining?!

"Then... why now?" Flender ventured.

"Because a great era is approaching."

Cao Kun's tone turned grave. "The workings of fate are in turmoil. Fortune is surging. Prodigies are rising, and stars are beginning to shine."

"A time of unprecedented change is upon us, bringing both danger and opportunity."

"Following our ancient teachings and the will of fate, my sect must reappear in this age. We will welcome those with whom we share an affinity and nurture outstanding talents to face the calamity ahead."

His cryptic words carried a sense of destiny. Zhao Wuji and Flender felt their hearts surge, though an inexplicable weight settled over them too.

A great era?

Unprecedented change?

A calamity ahead?

These ideas lay beyond anything they knew, yet somehow they believed him.

A Hidden Sect with unfathomable resources and a thousand years of history had chosen this moment to emerge... What did that mean?

They dared not dwell on it, but they could not still the tumult in their hearts.

"So..."

Cao Kun looked slowly from Zhao Wuji to Flender, his voice solemn and sincere. "Today, as Mount Buzhou's representative in this age—and as your disciple and junior—I formally invite you both..."

"Would you be willing to join Mount Buzhou, pursue the Great Dao together, and answer the call of this great era?"

Silence fell over the sitting room.

Sandalwood incense curled through the air, and the tea was still warm. Only the faint sound of their breathing remained.

Zhao Wuji did not hesitate. The moment Cao Kun finished speaking, he sprang to his feet, his eyes bright and his voice firm and resounding.

"I'm joining!"

Cao Kun had saved his life tonight, but more than that, he was the disciple Zhao Wuji regarded as his own son.

The strength Cao Kun had shown tonight, and the sect behind him, had also given Zhao Wuji hope of reaching greater heights.

Whether he listened to his heart or his reason, whether he considered others or himself, he had no reason to refuse.

Flender, however, fell silent for a moment. He pushed up his glasses, his eyes shifting behind the lenses as he rapidly weighed the benefits against the risks.