Han Li didn't return to the stands but walked straight out of the field.
"What's wrong? You won, but you're not happy?"
A voice that shouldn't be there at this moment sounded behind Han Li.
"Master, why are you here?"
Han Li turned his head, looking somewhat surprised at him and the three girls behind him.
"My disciple won. As your master, I must come to congratulate you. Everything else can be decided by your Uncle Luan."
Guang Ling reached out and ruffled Han Li's hair, messing it up.
"It's not that I'm unhappy; I'm just not used to this kind of situation..."
Han Li's words trailed off under Guang Ling's gaze.
"Alright, I was your age once too. How could I not understand what you're thinking?"
"Isn't it just that you feel, even though you won, the applause only came after your grandmaster clapped, making you feel the applause wasn't truly for you, the victor?"
Guang Ling looked at the somewhat awkward Han Li and teased him.
"A bit, yeah."
Han Li, having his thoughts exposed, could only respond vaguely.
"These things are quite common in big power. It's just more obvious this time because of the special circumstances."
"You usually seem pretty smart, so why can't you get over this? Or do you think that your master, your uncle, and the girls here aren't genuinely happy for you?"
Guang Ling playfully punched his shoulder and indicated the three girls behind him with a thumb.
Han Li was stunned for a moment, then looked up at the three girls who still had a bit of excitement on their faces and were smiling at him. A warm feeling rose in his heart, and most of his gloominess dissipated.
"Yeah, I guess I was being overly sensitive."
Han Li's expression returned to normal, and he smiled.
"That's right. It's just some applause from irrelevant people. Once this is over when they meet you again, won't they still have to smile and flatter you?"
Guang Ling laughed and put his arm around Han Li's shoulder, walking forward.
"But you, kid, really put on a show in the arena just now."
"Be grateful for your weakness. I'm even afraid of accidentally hurting you."
Guang Ling mimicked what Han Li had said in the arena earlier, putting on an arrogant look.
Hearing Guang Ling's imitation, Han Li suddenly felt an urge to run away.
The three girls following them couldn't help but laugh.
Xiu'er and Shui Bing'er managed to cover their mouths, only bowing their heads with their shoulders shaking.
But Du Gu Yan burst out laughing, gasping for breath and leaning on Xiu'er's shoulder, her body trembling.
"Master, stop it. I was just trying to vent your anger," Han Li said, a bit flustered and exasperated.
"Really? I didn't feel that. I think when you were fighting, talking, and hitting at the same time, it had an effect."
"Weaklings still have the chance to become strong, but idiots are beyond saving."
"And you, kid, was ruthless. The injuries they suffered probably weren't as harsh as your words. After this, those three might have a psychological shadow whenever they hear your name."
"Honestly, do you have more lines like that? Teach me some, so I can use them in fights."
"Hey, why are you running? Teaching me a few lines won't cost you anything."
"Alright, alright, slow down. Fine, I won't say any more. Wait for us!"
On the way back from the Pope's Palace to the Worship Mountain, Guang Ling's voice and the girls' light laughter kept echoing.
Of course, there was also the sound of Han Li, who was walking ahead in silence, cutting through the air.
Even though Han Li prided himself on having thick skin, in the following days, whenever he saw the group smiling at him, he couldn't help but blush and feel embarrassed.
Seeing his reaction, they stopped teasing him.
However, they secretly exchanged the "famous lines" Han Li had said during the match. To be honest, they found them very cool and even wanted Han Li to teach them more.
A week had passed since the competition ended. Apart from the initial few days of awkwardness, it didn't have much impact on Han Li's life.
Azure Luan came back to inform them that Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong had jointly issued a confidential order to everyone present, forbidding any disclosure of the match's details.
That's not too bad. At least Hu Liena and her group's reputation was temporarily preserved.
However, nearly everyone present was a high-ranking or soon-to-be high-ranking member of the Martial Soul Hall. Hu Liena's position as the Holy Maiden was now out of reach, and the three would never be able to avoid the shadow of this event in their future promotions within the Martial Soul Hall.
Han Li's name, on the other hand, began to spread among the high ranks of the Martial Soul Hall, marking his true debut on the stage.
There was also good news: after spending more than ten days with Shui Bing'er, Azure Luan finally decided to accept her as a disciple.
Unlike Guang Ling, he didn't make a grand announcement or take her to the Worship Mountain. He just simply informed the others, which was very much in line with his character.
Han Li also once again requested to move into the city.
This time Guang Ling didn't stop him and directly agreed.
Because Guang Ling was planning to move as well, and not just himself—he also persuaded Azure Luan to move to the city with him.
Speaking of which, besides Qian Daoliu, they were the only two who permanently lived on the mountain.
Having gotten used to living with their disciples, Guang Ling thought about how the place would return to its former tranquility once they moved down the mountain. He'd have to go down the mountain just to find some fun, so he might as well move with them.
Fortunately, Han Li had already prepared for this. After making some money, he bought all the neighboring courtyards around the house that Golden Crocodile had given him, even connecting them, intending to invite the two to live together.
When they decided to move, they didn't lack storage space or money. So, on the same day, they took some belongings and headed straight to the mansion in the city.
Seeing the relieved expressions on the kids' faces when they reached the foot of the mountain, Guang Ling and Azure Luan exchanged glances and laughed.
This was also one of the reasons Han Li insisted on moving down the mountain. Although life on the mountain was good, with patrols guarding it all day, the many rules made him feel uneasy.
"I'll handle Bing'er's mimicry environment," Azure Luan said after choosing a courtyard and finishing his tour.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Martial Uncle. I wouldn't dare compete with you for a disciple," Han Li replied with a smile.
Shui Bing'er, standing beside him, rolled her eyes and chose the courtyard next to Azure Luan's as her residence, as her Master had arranged earlier.
"We'll handle Bing'er's Martial Soul issue tomorrow night. I'll have someone dismantle and transfer the ice-element items from my mimicry environment to here during the day. She'll need them," Han Li said to the new master and disciple.
"Alright, you handle it," Azure Luan nodded. "Once her Martial Soul issue is resolved, I'll take her to get her second soul ring and visit her family to reassure them."
Han Li nodded awkwardly as if he heard his martial uncle saying, "I'll clean up the mess for you and Guang Ling."
Although it's just moving from the mountain to the city, they still celebrate.
Han Li initially wanted to invite Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao, but considering his master and uncle would be there, he realized they might feel too restrained. So, he decided to postpone it for another time.
Overall, the atmosphere at the dinner was pleasant. After the lively gathering, everyone returned to their rooms to train.
Early the next morning, Han Li started his busy day.
It wasn't that he needed to help dismantle and move the mimicry environment; rather, he planned to relocate the botanical garden from the mountain to the new residence.
Initially, he did this to obtain the immortal herb compendium and due to Elder Chrysanthemum's instructions. But over time, he got used to relaxing by admiring the exotic plants after training.
There were many poisonous flowers and herbs in the garden, making simple care manageable, but moving them could lead to unexpected situations. This task was best handled by him, with his large living storage space.
By four in the afternoon, Han Li finally finished setting up the botanical garden in the new residence. Looking at his handiwork, he felt a unique sense of satisfaction.
Regarding the mimicry environment, the items in the ice space were nearly relocated. Han Li, without further delay, went to fetch Shui Bing'er.
"Are you nervous? Do you need more time to prepare?"
Han Li asked with a smile, noticing Shui Bing'er taking deep breaths occasionally.
"No need, I'm ready. What do I need to do?"
Shui Bing'er's expression became serious. Previously, Azure Luan hadn't officially taken her as a disciple, and Han Li hadn't disclosed any details.
Hearing her question, Han Li chuckled softly, "No need to be so serious. You just need to communicate with your Martial Soul and then train as usual."
As he spoke, a wooden box appeared in his hand. He opened it to reveal a Purple Spirit Mushroom, emitting a mystical aura.
"Of course, the first step is to eat this," Han Li said, handing the box to her.
Shui Bing'er took the box and examined it but couldn't discern anything special.
"Just like this?" she asked.
"It's not that difficult to solve. The fundamental reason your Martial Soul loses control and acts violently is because it's somewhat congenitally underdeveloped," Han Li explained in the simplest terms.
"You mean that although my Martial Soul mutated in a good direction, it didn't fully evolve, which is why it's like this?"
Shui Bing'er, being intelligent, quickly grasped his meaning.
"Exactly. It's unstable, and another reason is that you're not strong enough to support its complete evolution, so it occasionally acts out," Han Li added, noticing her downcast expression.
"Of course, you're still very capable. At least you've brought it to its current form, which is like hatching it. Unlike some people who can't even support their Martial Soul's mutation, leading to its evolution stopping prematurely and their Martial Soul even regressing."
"So, in that sense, my situation isn't that bad," Shui Bing'er said, looking somewhat relieved. It's human nature to feel better when comparing oneself to worse-off situations.
"Indeed, it's not bad at all. Moreover, your Martial Soul's violent episodes are its instinctual desire to evolve, naturally drawing beneficial energy from the environment to improve itself. That's why you feel a significant increase in your soul power after each episode."
"As your cultivation improves and with the addition of soul rings, the feedback to your Martial Soul increases. One day it may complete its evolution on its own," Han Li elaborated, breaking down the problem for Shui Bing'er.
"So, does this mean that you and Senior Guang Ling were deceiving us before?"
Shui Bing'er asked, blinking and staring intently at Han Li, having realized something.
"Not at all. Every time your Martial Soul loses control and becomes violent, it causes significant damage to your body. The violent episodes are manageable as long as they don't happen too often, and your body can still heal itself."
"But if your Martial Soul loses control again, whether you can survive it is uncertain. Even if you do, you might be limited to the level of a Soul Sage or Soul Douluo because the damage to your meridians would be too severe."
"You should have felt that kind of pain, enough to discern if I'm lying. Moreover, although there have only been two incidents so far, can you guarantee when the next one will be?"
Han Li spoke honestly. He wasn't about to deceive a young girl. Gambling on such probabilities usually ends badly more often than not.
"Yes, the loss of control over my Martial Soul is terrifying. I feel like I could explode from the energy surge at any moment."
Shui Bing'er recalled the incidents shortly after her Martial Soul awakened and the recent signs of losing control, still feeling a lingering fear.
"Alright, these things won't happen anymore. Swallow it and go train. When you're done, you will be a complete top-tier beast Martial Soul wielder."
Han Li pointed to the training room next to her.
"This mushroom must be very precious if it can restore the Martial Soul's essence, right?"
Shui Bing'er didn't immediately go but instead looked at Han Li. Her mother had searched for various medicines for her over the years, but she had never seen such an extraordinary-looking lingzhi.
"Yes, it's indeed very precious. There's only this one in the world. It could even help an eighty-nine-level Soul Douluo easily break through to become a Titled Douluo," Han Li nodded seriously.
Shui Bing'er wasn't like Xiu'er, and although she had become his junior sister, there was no emotional foundation yet. He intended to seek repayment for his kindness.
He wasn't a philanthropist. If he helped someone, they should know how significant his help was, shouldn't they?
"So precious?"
Even though Shui Bing'er had some expectations, she was still startled, feeling like she was holding a Titled Douluo in her hands.
"Otherwise, how could it restore your Martial Soul's essence? You'll understand more in time."
"Alright, Junior Sister Bing'er, this Purple Spirit Mushroom is the price for your loyalty. It's time to start, or dinner will turn into breakfast."
Han Li joked, urging her on.
Shui Bing'er's evolution required his assistance in controlling the ice element to ensure everything went smoothly, so it had to be done while he was in his best condition.
"Okay, thank you, Senior Brother. Bing'er will repay you in the future."
Shui Bing'er looked at the box in her hand again, then solemnly bowed and said earnestly.
"Alright, I'll be waiting for Junior Sister Bing'er's repayment."
Han Li responded with a smile as if he didn't mind.
Shui Bing'er nodded and said no more, heading to the training room with Han Li behind.