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After summarizing the Spirit Bone gifts from the Water and Fire Dragon Kings, Ye Lan slowly opened his eyes and turned his gaze toward the 'Ten-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor.'
It was only then that Ye Lan noticed the 'Blue Silver Emperor' seemed to be acting somewhat... "shy"?
Many of the 'Blue Silver Emperor's' leaves were tightly closed, mimicking the behavior of a mimosa plant.
Ye Lan was quite puzzled by this change in the 'Blue Silver Emperor.' What was going on?
Curious, Ye Lan stepped forward, pinched the leaves of the 'Blue Silver Emperor' with his fingers, and forcibly pried the "shy," closed leaves open.
Once opened, Ye Lan examined the leaves from left to right.
After a careful inspection, however, Ye Lan didn't notice anything different from before.
Just then, a soft, gentle voice resonated.
"Lord... Lord God..."
The hair on Ye Lan's body stood up instantly. He reacted immediately—had the 'Blue Silver Emperor' gained sentience?
"You have awakened wisdom?" Ye Lan asked.
"Yes... yes, Lord God. The pressure from the two Dragon King adults who were communicating with you earlier was simply too terrifying, so I did not dare to communicate with you immediately. Afterward..." Ah Yin trailed off.
Hearing the Blue Silver Emperor's explanation, Ye Lan finally realized why the plant was acting so shy.
It seemed the 'Blue Silver Emperor' had been right beside them during his "warm-up exercise" with Dugu Yan earlier.
"Uh... there is no need to call me Lord God," Ye Lan quickly changed the subject. Fortunately, this 'Blue Silver Emperor' was female; otherwise, he would have had to destroy it without hesitation.
"This humble maiden dares not. You are the God of the 'Blue Silver Grass Clan' and the Lord God who saved this humble maiden," Ah Yin said with adoration.
"Wait until I actually become a God before you call me that. As long as you don't call me God right now, you can call me whatever you like," Ye Lan said.
"Lord... Lord Master," Ah Yin corrected herself.
Ye Lan nodded and asked, "Why do you say I am the God of the 'Blue Silver Grass Clan'?"
"Lord Master, this humble maiden is the Emperor of the 'Blue Silver Grass Clan,' but facing you, I finally understand what a true Emperor is. Your bloodline hierarchy is at least three levels higher than mine. Aside from being the God of the 'Blue Silver Grass Clan,' you are also the Emperor of all natural life."
"If I am the 'Blue Silver Emperor,' then you, Lord Master, must be the 'Nature Emperor.' All natural life must heed your commands."
"So that's how it is," Ye Lan remarked.
It appeared that natural life forms possessed a strict hierarchy and placed great importance on bloodline levels.
With the three ultimate attributes of the 'Blue Silver Grass - Radiant Life,' facing these natural life forms that didn't even possess 'Ultimate Wood' or 'Ultimate Life,' he was indeed the Emperor of all natural life and the God of the Blue Silver Grass.
"In that case, will you execute any command I give?" Ye Lan asked.
"Lord... Lord Master, I can hardly defy your orders. But please, Lord Master, do not make things difficult for this humble maiden. I... I am already a married woman," Ah Yin said shyly.
Ah Yin recalled the open-air battle between her Lord Master and the Mistress earlier, and her thoughts instantly went astray.
"You are currently still a blade of grass; I won't have any improper thoughts about you," Ye Lan said helplessly.
"It was this humble maiden who offended Lord Master. Please punish me, Lord Master." The 'Blue Silver Emperor' trembled, her consciousness projecting a blushing face.
"It's fine. You said you are a married woman. But weren't you just a 'Blue Silver Emperor seedling' before this?" Ye Lan feigned ignorance.
"Lord Master, I was originally a 'Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor.' Feeling that I had reached the end of the 'Soul Beast Path,' I transformed into a human to recultivate. While traveling the Douluo Continent in human form, I met my husband."
"After knowing each other for several years, we became husband and wife."
"However, not long after, my whereabouts were discovered by Spirit Hall. He and I constantly fled from Spirit Hall's pursuit. On the night I went into labor, we were surrounded by Spirit Hall. To save my child and husband, I ultimately chose to sacrifice myself."
"After the sacrifice, I reverted to a 'Blue Silver Emperor seed'."
"As for my memories after that, this humble maiden does not know."
"I only know that it was you, Lord Master, who saved and nurtured me. After you cultivated me to the ten-thousand-year level, my spiritual wisdom opened, and I awakened my memories from my past life," Ah Yin explained.
"Memories of a past life?" Ye Lan asked, feigning confusion.
"Yes, Lord Master. I have already died once, so these are memories of a previous life," Ah Yin confirmed.
"In that case, you are no longer a married woman," Ye Lan said indifferently.
"But... I still clearly remember him and my child," Ah Yin said sorrowfully.
"That was only your past life. Furthermore, I forgot to tell you, I have another identity—I am the Holy Son of Spirit Hall," Ye Lan stated.
Ah Yin sensed Ye Lan with surprise, but recalling that the two Dragon Kings had gifted Spirit Bones to her Lord Master, it seemed only natural.
With Lord Master's talent, wouldn't becoming the Holy Son of Spirit Hall be a simple matter?
"Lord Master, do you know the whereabouts of... my husband from my past life, Tang Hao, and my child?" Ah Yin asked hurriedly.
"Not only do I know, but they are also my enemies." Ye Lan activated his 'Golden Dragon Pupils' and stared intently at Ah Yin.
At that moment, Ah Yin sensed an endless Dragon Might—the pressure emitted by the most perfect creature at the very peak of the biological chain.
Ah Yin's entire 'Blue Silver Emperor' body prostrated completely on the ground.
"Lord... Lord Master."
Ah Yin didn't know what to do for a moment. Her Lord Master was the God who saved her, yet he was the enemy of her husband and child.
Flustered and helpless, Ah Yin fell into a dilemma, unsure of how to respond to Ye Lan.
"Ah Yin, let me ask you. Between Tang Hao and me, who do you choose?" Ye Lan pressed again.
"This humble maiden... I do not know. You are my Lord Master, and Tang Hao is my husband from my past life. I... I don't know how to choose," Ah Yin wept.
Although Ah Yin's love for Tang Hao was etched into her bones and heart, Ye Lan was not only the Emperor of all natural life but also the God of the 'Blue Silver Clan.'
Ah Yin couldn't generate a single thought of resistance against Ye Lan. Moreover, Ye Lan was Ah Yin's savior in this life.
Two complex emotions intertwined with instinct, causing Ah Yin to be stuck in a difficult position.
Sensing Ah Yin's fluctuation, Ye Lan nodded inwardly.
It was time to tell Ah Yin the truth. Only in this high-pressure environment could Ye Lan train Ah Yin into a loyal maid who belonged solely to him.
"You don't know how to choose? Ah Yin, do you know the saying 'A single leaf blinds the eyes'?" Ye Lan asked calmly.
"A single leaf blinds the eyes?" Ah Yin murmured, and then her consciousness broke out in a cold sweat.
Only then did Ah Yin realize—Lord Master actually knew her name?!
Did she not even know such a simple idiom? Truly, an illiterate who just ran around with Tang Hao after turning into a human...
"Correct, exactly 'a single leaf blinds the eyes.' The old you could only see the leaf covering your vision, mistaking one leaf for the whole world, ignorant of the true world."
"The real world is extremely complex and sinister."
"As the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, I naturally know the truth about Spirit Hall's pursuit of you and Tang Hao back then. Do you really think your sacrifice to Tang Hao was entirely of your own free will? Are you still intoxicated by the nobility of your self-sacrifice?" Ye Lan asked.
"The truth? Lord Master, why do you say I wasn't willing? A Soul Beast sacrifice can only succeed if it is voluntary. At that time, I sacrificed myself to Tang Hao willingly," Ah Yin said, puzzled.
"Hehe, there's no harm in telling you."
"Think about it carefully first. Why did Spirit Hall know the specific date of your delivery?" Ye Lan whispered like a devil.
"Why did Spirit Hall know the date of my delivery?" Ah Yin muttered.
Yes, why did Spirit Hall discover her tracks even though she had tried her best to hide her aura back then?
"I ask you again. When you were pregnant, what was Tang Hao's cultivation level?" Ye Lan continued to ask.
"At that time, he had just broken through to rank 90. He only needed a Soul Ring to break through to Titled Douluo. It was after that that I became pregnant," Ah Yin recalled.
"Oh? Now that is interesting. For a Soul Master, killing active sperm to prevent pregnancy isn't difficult, is it? Why did Tang Hao make you pregnant after he reached rank 90?" Ye Lan asked again.
Hearing Ye Lan's inquiry, Ah Yin suddenly felt something was wrong.
Why did Tang Hao get her pregnant at that specific time?
At that time, she hadn't settled down with Tang Hao; they were just wandering the continent.
Why get her pregnant in such an unstable environment? And right after Tang Hao became a Titled Douluo?
Ye Lan's questions made Ah Yin's heart sink lower and lower.
"Not answering?" Ye Lan looked at the motionless 'Blue Silver Emperor.' He knew Ah Yin was unsettled, so he continued his pursuit. "Ah Yin, after you became pregnant, why did Tang Hao still drag you to run wildly all over the continent?"
"We were evading Spirit Hall's pursuit," Ah Yin said hurriedly, unwilling to admit that her pregnancy was intentionally orchestrated by Tang Hao.
"Answer my question directly. Why, after you were pregnant, did you still have to run all over the continent? Spirit Hall was pursuing you, true, but that was the result of you running around."
"Facing a walking Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Bone and Spirit Ring, I imagine no Soul Master other than myself would not be tempted," Ye Lan said.
"I... I don't know." Ah Yin was somewhat at a loss. She recalled what happened back then.
Indeed, she didn't know why Tang Hao insisted on taking her running around after she got pregnant.
"At that time, Tang Hao took you running all over the continent. You said Tang Hao was already rank 90. Then, to deal with Spirit Hall's pursuit, why didn't Tang Hao just kill a Soul Beast of over fifty thousand years to obtain a Spirit Ring and break through to Titled Douluo? Wouldn't Tang Hao be better able to protect you from Spirit Hall's pursuit after breaking through to Titled Douluo?" Ye Lan continued.
"Tang Hao... said at the time that there were no suitable Spirit Rings..." Panic grew in Ah Yin's heart.
"I'll ask you one last question. In your past life, why didn't Tang Hao take you back to the Clear Sky Clan?" Ye Lan asked loudly.
"He said returning to the Clear Sky Clan was dangerous. Once Tang Hao and I returned to the Clear Sky Clan, Spirit Hall would attack the clan directly," Ah Yin said with a sobbing tone.
"Hehe, is the Clear Sky Clan dangerous? Ah Yin, let me tell you something. The two Limit Douluo of the previous generation of the Douluo Continent—Qian Daoliu, the Angel Douluo who is invincible in the sky, and Tang Chen, the Clear Sky Douluo who is invincible on the ground—are the Grand Priest of Spirit Hall and the Ancestor of the Clear Sky Clan, respectively. The two of them were not only rivals but also close friends!"
"The Angel Douluo once lost to the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Chen, by one move. After that battle, the Angel Douluo promised the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Chen, that Spirit Hall and its affiliated forces would never step foot on the Clear Sky Clan's mountain!!"
Hearing her Lord Master's words, Ah Yin was stunned on the spot.
Only then did she understand the truth of everything.
As the Blue Silver Emperor, unless she sacrificed herself voluntarily, she could not die as long as there was Blue Silver Grass nearby, thanks to the "Blue Silver Emperor's Blue Silver Domain."
After Tang Hao reached rank 90, he wanted her Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring, but he couldn't kill her himself.
So, Tang Hao used the name of love to get her pregnant.
After she was pregnant, he clearly could have taken her back to the Clear Sky Clan to hide from Spirit Hall's pursuit.
But Tang Hao didn't do that. Instead, he took her running around the Douluo Continent.
When she was close to giving birth, Tang Hao deliberately leaked their whereabouts, ultimately attracting the pursuit of Spirit Hall's Supreme Pontiff, Chihiro Ji (Qian Xunji). Under the threat to the lives of her child and husband, her maternal instincts exploded, and she sacrificed herself, granting Tang Hao his Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring and making him a Titled Douluo.
It turned out that none of this was her voluntary will; it was all Tang Hao's scheme.
"Ah Yin," Ye Lan called out.
"Lord Master!!" Ah Yin snapped back to reality, her entire body clinging completely onto Ye Lan.
"Previously, you couldn't choose between Tang Hao and me. I will ask you one more time now: who do you choose, me or Tang Hao?" Ye Lan whispered.
"Lord Master!! I am yours forever." The helpless Ah Yin wrapped tightly around Ye Lan's body.
Heaven Dou Empire, Blue Silver Forest.
"Dad! You're finally here! What's wrong? Is Mom okay?!" Tang San looked at Tang Hao's bloodshot eyes, feeling uneasy inside.
Tang Hao looked at Tang San, whose appearance bore a slight resemblance to Ah Yin. Seeing the object of his memories, he instantly gripped Tang San's shoulder.
Tears burst forth like a dam breaking as he cried bitterly:
"Little San!! It's Dad who let you down!! I lost your mother!"
Sensing his father's endless sorrow, Tang San huddled together with Tang Hao, and they wept.
"Mom!!"
"Dad, you still have me! Once I become strong, I will definitely help Dad find Mom back!!"
The two rough men hugged and cried for half an hour before recovering.
Tang San asked, "Dad, why did we come here? Can my Martial Soul be awakened here?"
"Yes, this is the 'Blue Silver Forest.' Only here can you thoroughly awaken the 'Blue Silver Emperor.' Your mother told me this forest's location. Sit down now and carefully sense everything around you," Tang Hao said sorrowfully.
"Okay, Dad, wait for my good news." Hearing this, Tang San sat cross-legged on the ground and carefully sensed his surroundings.
One minute later.
Tang San's expression was full of confusion.
Five minutes later.
Tang San's face looked a bit ugly.
Fifteen minutes later.
Tang San's expression was tense as he tried his utmost to sense everything around him.
Half an hour later.
Tang San's face was ashen, veins popping out on his forehead.
An hour and a half later.
Tang San's butt hurt from sitting, and his legs were numb.
"Little San, what's the situation? Can you not sense it?" Tang Hao asked in confusion. How could he not sense the Blue Silver Grass after so much time?
"I... I don't know, Dad," Tang San stammered.
"Summon your 'Blue Silver Grass.' Presumably, that will increase your perception of the 'Blue Silver Grass.' Sense the Blue Silver Grass carefully," Tang Hao instructed.
"Blue Silver Grass?"
Only then did Tang San realize he was supposed to be sensing the Blue Silver Grass.
Subsequently, he circulated his soul power and summoned his 'Blue Silver Grass.'
More than a dozen slender, pitch-black Blue Silver Grass strands covered in fine, dense spikes emerged from Tang San's body.
The moment Tang San's Blue Silver Grass appeared, countless blades of wild Blue Silver Grass involuntarily leaned in the opposite direction of Tang San.
If Ye Lan was a "Wood Magnet," attracting them, then Tang San's current 'Blue Silver Grass - Man-Faced Demon Spider' was a "Same-Pole Magnet" to the Blue Silver Grass—they repelled each other.
Tang San didn't know what the reaction of the nearby Blue Silver Grass meant. He sat on the ground, sensing the grass.
After activating his Martial Soul, Tang San gradually became able to sense the 'Blue Silver Grass.'
However, the emotions coming from these 'Blue Silver Grass' were resistance, disgust, and disdain.
Facing the 'Blue Silver Emperor,' these Blue Silver Grass would emit the emotions of children facing a loving mother. Facing 'Blue Silver Grass - Radiant Life,' they would emit emotions of worship, piety, submission—like commoners to an Emperor, or believers to a God.
At this moment, facing Tang San's 'Blue Silver Grass - Man-Faced Demon Spider,' they emitted emotions of commoners facing a heresy, a deformity.
Tang San said excitedly, "Dad, I sense it! I can sense all these Blue Silver Grass."
Tang Hao looked at the excited Tang San and nodded.
As expected of his, Tang Hao's, son. Wasn't awakening a 'Blue Silver Emperor' a trivial matter?
Just as Tang San was incredibly excited, a voice spoke without warning in his heart.
"Who are you? Why are you so evil? Leave here immediately. If you stay any longer, the subjects will inevitably be polluted by you."
Evil? Polluted by me?
"Who are you?? Why do you say I am evil? I am a disciple of the Tang Sect; I have acted with a clear conscience my entire life. How could I be evil?" Tang San said with dissatisfaction. This person already had a path to death; to actually call him evil and say he would pollute things.
The Blue Silver King, sensing Tang San's emotions, did not continue to pay attention to him.
Although it sensed a trace of the 'King's bloodline' from this black-skinned human, this black-skinned human was now completely a rebellious king.
Leaving aside how much of the 'King's bloodline' remained, such evil and extremely poisonous Blue Silver Grass was absolutely not of the 'Blue Silver Emperor' lineage.
If not for the powerfully aura-ed human beside this black-skinned one, it would have strangled this person without fail.
After a long time, Tang San did not receive a response from that voice and grew increasingly agitated.
"Dad, a voice spoke once and then ignored me," Tang San said. He didn't mention the part about being judged as evil; not only was he embarrassed, but he also believed himself to be a gentleman—the 'ice-clean jade-pure' Tang San as described by Xiao Wu. How could he be evil?
"What does that mean? Looking down on my, Tang Hao's, son? Or does it despise your level for being too low?" Tang Hao said discontentedly.
"Dad... can the 'Blue Silver Emperor' really be awakened here?" Tang San asked doubtfully.
"Little San, follow me. Since it won't do its job, we'll go directly to find it!" Tang Hao grabbed Tang San's shoulder and flew toward the ancient forest ahead.
"It?"
Could it be that voice?
Tang Hao flew with Tang San for more than ten minutes before arriving at the very center of the 'Blue Silver Forest.'
Tang San looked closely and saw an ancient tree that would take several people to encircle. The ancient tree was formed by dozens of vines, each a foot thick.
These vines were entirely the clear blue color of his 'Blue Silver Grass' when he first awakened it, their skin shimmering with a special crystal luster. Around it, the Blue Silver Grass grew exceptionally lush.
At the center where the vines converged, there was actually a mark resembling a human face.
Tang San couldn't make out an expression on that mark, but he faintly sensed a hint of disgust coming from it.
Could this towering tree have emotions? Tang Hao's voice confirmed Tang San's guess.
"Awaken the Blue Silver Emperor for my son, Tang San," Tang Hao commanded.
The Blue Silver King, sensing Tang Hao's specific strength, dared not speak to Tang San in that manner again and could only say:
"To awaken the Blue Silver Emperor, one must possess the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline. He is a human; how can he awaken the Blue Silver Emperor?"
"He has the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor in him. He is the son of your Emperor." Tang Hao revealed Tang San's origin.
The Blue Silver King looked at Tang San with extremely skeptical eyes. Although it didn't believe Tang Hao's words, who asked him to be a Titled Douluo?
It had no choice but to hold its nose and accept it.
"I can help you open the Blue Silver Emperor Awakening Ritual, but I'm saying this in advance: I do not guarantee he can awaken the Blue Silver Emperor," the Blue Silver King said helplessly.
"Fine, just prepare the awakening ritual. Don't let me discover you pulling any tricks, or I will absolutely not spare you!"
Tang Hao's Super Douluo-level pressure instantly crushed toward the Blue Silver King. The Blue Silver King was pressed into silence and could only shake its massive branches to indicate agreement.
At this moment, the domineering Tang Hao became the tallest figure in Tang San's heart.
His father was the Clear Sky Douluo!!
Looking at the 'shivering' Blue Silver King, Tang San thought smugly in his heart:
Didn't you look down on me before?
Now, facing my father, why do you look like this?
After finishing his gloating, Tang San sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes tightly, and waited for the Blue Silver King to start the awakening ritual.
Coerced, the Blue Silver King helplessly squeezed out a drop of blue tear from the face-like mark.
This Blue Silver tear drifted straight toward Tang San. A massive aura surged up—not the aura of the Blue Silver King, but the aura of the entire vast 'Blue Silver Forest.'
Every single blade of Blue Silver Grass emitted a tiny blue point of light, and in the 'Blue Silver Forest,' there were countless roots of such grass.
Countless Blue Silver Grass blades emitted countless blue light points, converging to form a blue ocean.
At this moment, Tang San was immersed in an ocean of Blue Silver Grass.
He began to instinctively absorb this Blue Silver soul power. In an instant, the massive Blue Silver soul power surged entirely into Tang San's 'Blue Silver Grass - Man-Faced Demon Spider.'
As the blue light points flooded into Tang San's Martial Soul, Tang San sensed something was wrong.
This feeling?
It instantly reminded Tang San of the battle with the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy in Soto City five years ago.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Tang San howled in agony; his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was ignited once again.
These 'Blue Silver Soul Powers' were like molten iron dripping into butter; Tang San felt his Martial Soul was being burned through.
Tang San's poison-attribute Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, upon absorbing the endless life-attribute Blue Silver soul power, suffered a direct backlash.
If Tang San had only absorbed a little bit, it would have been fine, as this wasn't 'Ultimate Life' soul power.
But this was the 'Blue Silver Emperor' Awakening Ritual, a ritual for the fundamental change of the Martial Soul.
How could the extremely poisonous 'Blue Silver Grass - Man-Faced Demon Spider' possibly reverse-evolve into the 'Blue Silver Emperor'?
One must know that Tang San's second, third, and fourth spirit rings, as well as a spirit bone on his body, were all related to spiders. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was now a Spider Martial Soul.
Watching the agonizingly howling Tang San, Tang Hao turned pale with fright. "Little San!!!"
(End of Chapter)