Both of Dai Mubai's arms were broken, leaving him unable to move them.
He could only shift his body with difficulty, lower his head, and pick up the dark-brown pill lying on the ground with his mouth.
There was nothing special about the pill when it entered his mouth. It was neither fragrant nor bitter, as though it really were just a ball of mud.
Is this edible?
Dai Mubai grumbled inwardly, but under the old man's gaze, he finally steeled himself and took a mouthful of the faintly earthy water from the bamboo tube beside him...
He tipped his head back and swallowed it whole.
The moment the pill entered his stomach, nothing happened.
Just as Dai Mubai was inwardly wondering whether the thing worked at all, a faint warmth suddenly rose from his stomach.
Then that warmth erupted like a spark tossed into a haystack!
The medicinal power surged like a river bursting its banks, unlike the power of the Soul Power he knew.
Instead, it was a purer warm current brimming with astonishing vitality, sweeping unstoppably through his entire body!
His limbs, bones, internal organs, and even every pore were instantly washed and suffused by that warmth.
It felt as though he had suddenly fallen from frozen confinement into a warm spirit spring, so soothing that he nearly moaned aloud.
The most obvious change was in his broken arms.
Crack... crack...
Faint but distinct sounds of bones rubbing together came from his arms. Accompanied by a tingling, aching itch, the piercing agony actually receded as swiftly as the tide.
Dai Mubai's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched his limp, powerless arms visibly regain their normal shape and color, drawn and repaired by some invisible force.
He could clearly feel his broken bones knitting together with precision, bone calluses forming and strengthening at an unbelievable speed.
In just three to five breaths, the pain in his arms had vanished without a trace, replaced by a warm sensation brimming with strength.
He tried moving his fingers, bending his elbows, waving his arms...
They moved freely and easily, and even seemed tougher and stronger than before his injury!
This... how is this possible?!
Towering waves of shock surged through Dai Mubai's heart.
On the Douluo Continent, unless a top-tier healing Soul Master used a high-age Soul Ring skill, or someone consumed an exceedingly precious and rare natural treasure, how could broken bones heal so swiftly and so completely?
And this was merely the effect of one utterly unremarkable-looking pill?
Yet the surprises were far from over.
While Dai Mubai was still immersed in the shock of his arms recovering, the tremendous medicinal power flowing throughout his body...
After repairing all his hidden injuries and nourishing his flesh, what remained surged into the Qi sea of his dantian in his lower abdomen!
Hum-!
Dai Mubai's body jolted violently. He felt the Soul Power that had been circulating steadily within his dantian instantly boil and roar!
"This..."
Shock covered Dai Mubai's face. Not daring to hesitate in the slightest, he hurriedly began practicing his meditation method.
Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy.
They saw that, after Dai Mubai took that ordinary pill in the heavenly screen, his twisted arms actually returned to normal within a few breaths, becoming even more robust.
"This pill's healing effects..."
Tang San's eyes were filled with astonishment. "Broken bones regenerated, and it happened instantly."
"If we could get the formula for this pill..."
He did not finish, but everyone understood what he meant.
If Shrek Academy had such a miraculous healing medicine, why would it need to worry about growing stronger?
Yet the next moment, Dai Mubai suddenly froze within the screen of light.
"Why isn't Boss Dai moving?" Ma Hongjun's voice came from beside them.
The fatty had squeezed to the very front of the crowd, his plump face full of confusion. "How did taking a pill leave him in a daze?"
"And he's actually started cultivating?"
Ning Rongrong was also somewhat curious. "Wasn't this pill supposed to heal the injuries to his arms?"
"What is Boss Dai doing?"
Tang San frowned slightly, unconsciously activating his Purple Demon Eye. Although it could not see through the heavenly screen, he still instinctively wanted a clearer look.
"Something's wrong. The Soul Power fluctuations inside Boss Dai are very chaotic."
"Chaotic Soul Power?"
Oscar scratched his head. "What does healing medicine have to do with Soul Power?"
Ning Rongrong also asked in confusion, "Even a supreme-grade pill should dissolve into medicinal power and nourish the body. How could it cause Soul Power fluctuations?"
Spirit Hall, Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong sat high upon the papal throne, her scepter resting at an angle against her. She watched the screen of light calmly, revealing neither pleasure nor anger.
"Your Holiness," Ghost Douluo Gui Mei's voice echoed through the hall, "this pill's healing effects far surpass any healing method currently available to our Spirit Hall. If we could obtain its formula..."
"The formula?"
Bibi Dong interrupted softly, her voice cool. "Gui Mei, have you still not noticed? Healing may not be the most important thing about this pill."
Gui Mei froze. "What do you mean, Your Holiness?"
Bibi Dong did not answer. Her gaze was deep as she watched Dai Mubai cultivating within the screen of light, watching the glow of Soul Power around him grow ever brighter.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi stood on the sect's highest stargazing platform, with Chen Xin and Gu Rong standing to his left and right.
"Fengzhi, this pill is no simple thing."
Ning Fengzhi nodded and said gravely, "Indeed, Uncle Gu."
"With healing effects that mend bones the moment it is used, if it could be mass-produced, it would be enough to change the balance of the entire continent."
Chen Xin shook his head. "Is that important?"
"Look closely... that boy's Soul Power is increasing."
"Hmm? His Soul Power is increasing?"
Curious, Ning Fengzhi looked closely at the heavenly screen.
Sure enough, the Soul Power fluctuations around Dai Mubai were climbing at an astonishing speed.
"Level thirty-nine..."
Ning Fengzhi counted softly, shock gradually emerging in his eyes. "This pill... can actually increase Soul Power directly?"
"More than that." Chen Xin's gaze was as sharp as a sword. "His Soul Power is very condensed. It doesn't look forcibly raised. Rather, it seems... like water flowing into a channel once it is full."
Meanwhile, in the Shrouding the Heavens World.
The presence of Dai Mubai's Soul Power grew ever stronger, its white glow particularly conspicuous in the dim cell.
The Soul Power within his body was like a river bursting its banks, smashing through barrier after barrier with unstoppable force.
Level thirty-nine!
An uproar swept across the square at Shrek Academy in Heaven Dou City.
"Boss Dai's Soul Power reached level thirty-nine?!" Ma Hongjun jumped straight up.
"He was only level thirty-eight a few days ago! One pill raised him a whole level?"
Oscar's mouth fell open. "Is-is this pill for healing or cultivating?"
Tang San's pupils abruptly contracted.
"No," he said, his voice somewhat dry. "It hasn't stopped."
Sure enough, after reaching level thirty-nine, Dai Mubai's Soul Power did not pause in the slightest, continuing to climb even faster!
Level forty...
Yet even then, it did not stop.
The most unbelievable scene unfolded.
"Level forty-one?!"
Zhao Wuji's startled cry exploded across the square. "How could he break past level forty without absorbing a Soul Ring?!"