After consuming the fruits, neither of them hesitated. They sat cross-legged on the ground, palms upward toward the sky, and began circulating their respective cultivation techniques to refine the energy within the fruits.
Yue Guan stood off to the side, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he observed the two.
He had immense confidence in his research. In fact, he had previously cultivated a half-formed Holy Spirit Fruit, which he had personally consumed. While the energy it provided had little effect on someone already at the level of a Titled Douluo, it was still useful for rapidly restoring soul power. Unfortunately, the fruit's growth cycle was far too slow to allow mass production.
If it could be grown in quantity, even as a half-product, it could serve as an excellent soul power recovery item during battles—pop one in a critical moment, and the tide of combat could shift.
But these two fully matured Holy Spirit Fruits were on a completely different level. Their effects weren't just about replenishment—they could strengthen the very essence of a Soul Master's Martial Soul and innate foundation.
When Yue Guan succeeded in cultivating them, the first people he thought of were Gu Han and Bibi Dong.
Within all of Spirit Hall, these two youths were the closest to him—and the ones he believed in most.
Gu Han had even studied herbology under his guidance, and was essentially half a disciple—a potential heir to carry on his knowledge of medicinal herbs.
As for Bibi Dong, beyond being the disciple of the Supreme Pontiff, she was spirited, charming, always sweet-talking him, and deeply affectionate. Naturally, he was quite fond of her.
Just then, a shadow silently emerged—Ghost stepped out of the darkness.
"Chrysanthemum, I sensed your presence from far away."
Yue Guan didn't even flinch. Their Martial Souls were compatible, allowing them to sense one another's presence easily.
If Ghost could feel him here, he had, of course, already sensed Ghost's approach as well.
"Old Ghost, keep quiet. I'm observing how Xiao Han and Dong'er are absorbing the energy," Yue Guan raised a hand to shush him.
Ghost rolled his eyes. "Still as obsessed with herbs as ever, I see."
Even so, he gave the two cultivating disciples a quick glance.
They were absorbing the energy smoothly—likely just half an hour away from complete refinement.
"After they finish absorbing your Holy Spirit Fruits, they should both break through to Soul Emperor."
At that, Ghost couldn't help but sigh. "A sixteen-year-old and a thirteen-year-old Soul Emperor… That's unheard of. In all of recorded history, no one's ever cultivated at such a pace."
Yue Guan nodded in agreement. "At this rate, they might reach Titled Douluo before the age of thirty."
He was being conservative. But one thing he was certain of—Bibi Dong would become the youngest Titled Douluo in history.
As for Gu Han… well, he was three years older. Even if they reached that stage at the same time, the title of "youngest" would still go to Dong'er.
"Young people these days, truly terrifying," Ghost sighed once again. Then he pulled out two flasks of wine, a small table, two stools, a large plate of beef, and some peanuts from his soul tool.
"Enough about that. It's been ages since we've enjoyed a proper meal together. Let's drink till we're satisfied today."
Yue Guan had finished his observations. The results were slightly below his expectations—not quite as effective as immortal herbs, which wasn't surprising.
What disappointed him was that the Holy Spirit Fruits didn't match the potency of the Nine Treasure Purple Zoysia. But considering that the latter was a Immortal-grade herb, it was only natural.
Still, his Holy Spirit Vine could continuously produce fruit as long as it wasn't uprooted and remained nourished. In that regard, it was superior.
With that in mind, Yue Guan felt reassured. His mood lifted, he plopped into the chair and clinked his wine flask against Ghost's. With a bold yet elegant gulp, he drank.
"Excellent wine!"
The two sat there, enjoying their wine and meat, reminiscing about the passage of time.
Although Ghost had estimated that it would take thirty minutes to finish refining the fruits, it actually took just over forty minutes before Gu Han and Bibi Dong awakened.
Gu Han opened his eyes, a powerful aura surging around him, soul power roiling through his body. A hint of joy gleamed in his gaze.
Breaking through to Rank 60 was secondary—what truly delighted him was the transformation of his Martial Soul attributes. They were now frighteningly powerful, just a step away from perfection.
Once he reached Rank 70 and absorbed his next soul ring, his Martial Soul would undergo a complete evolution. At that point, achieving the Ultimate Ice attribute would be guaranteed.
Even better, he had completely avoided the typical drawback of extreme attributes—sluggish cultivation speed before Rank 70. It felt almost unfairly good.
Bibi Dong, too, had broken through to Rank 60. Though she couldn't sense a specific change in her Martial Soul attributes, she could still channel its nature to empower her swordsmanship with poison and darkness, drastically boosting her offensive capabilities.
She pursued both beauty and strength with equal dedication.
Her sword techniques were now just as formidable as her soul skills.
Inspired by both Tang Chen and Gu Han, Bibi Dong had begun shedding her dependence on soul skills.
To her, soul rings were primarily a means to strengthen her sword—and to unlock higher levels.
Sometimes, she even donned the bunny mask Gu Han had picked for her and went to the Great Spirit Arena to demolish weaker opponents. That stopped after she became a Soul King, though.
The problem was, in the entire arena, there was barely anyone who could withstand more than three moves from her.
Eventually, it all became boring. These days, she only sparred with Gu Han or dueled idle elders and worshippers.
She often sighed, "It's lonely being invincible."
Among her peers, only her junior brother could be considered a worthy rival.
As for Tang Hao—she hadn't seen him in a long time. Spirit Hall had no new information about him either.
She had no idea what level he was at now. But if he hadn't grown much beyond his previous level, he was no longer a threat.
Back when Tang Hao was a high-level Soul King, Gu Han had barely reached Rank 40—and they'd still fought to a draw.
Now, years later, Tang Hao was probably a Soul Emperor.
But even then, he likely wasn't a match for either her or Gu Han anymore.
Gu Han had even developed an entire sword technique specifically to counter the Clear Sky Hammer.
Next time they fought, Tang Hao might not even last.
Bibi Dong was equally confident that she could defeat him too.
"Uncle Chrysanthemum, Uncle Ghost—we've both reached Rank 60."
~~~
If You Wish To Support Me And Read 30 Chapters Ahead, Consider Joining Me On This Journey!
> p@treon.com/HudaLin