The Mandara Snake, seemingly sensing a reprieve, quickly slithered toward a towering piece of Blue Silver Grass, easily a meter high. It bowed its head, rubbed against a luminous leaf, and then settled its head on the earth, clearly seeking aid.
Zhu Hao remained still, his keen eyes observing the strange interaction from a safe distance. The Blue Silver Grass glowed with a faint yellow radiance—a clear sign that it was a plant-type soul beast that had cultivated for centuries, perhaps even longer!
"Rustle!"
The magnificent plant swayed, its slender vine extending like a lifeline to wrap around the injured Mandara Snake's neck. A gentle, restorative blue-silver light pulsed, brimming with vitality. Zhu Hao watched, astonished, as the fist-sized, bloody hole in the snake's neck, a wound inflicted by his own Soul Spear, closed up at a speed visible to the naked eye. The snake's life aura rapidly surged, returning it to peak condition.
"Found it! Are they allies? Should I just take them both out?"
Zhu Hao's large, beady eyes narrowed, a flash of murderous intent briefly crossing his small, furry body. He had been moments from a successful kill, only for his prey to be fully healed in the blink of an eye. Even with his inherently good-natured disposition, a spike of genuine frustration flared. However, the Blue Silver Grass's aura felt strangely benevolent, prompting him to hold his charge.
"Little guy, come closer."
A sudden, ethereal voice—gentle, mature, and profoundly intellectual—echoed directly into his consciousness. The sound was like a warm spring breeze sweeping away the cold edge of a winter night, immediately dispelling his killing intent and soothing the icy corners of his heart. It felt clarifying and refreshing, instantly banishing all of Zhu Hao's physical and mental fatigue.
"Who are you?" Zhu Hao mentally questioned.
Despite the voice's comforting nature, he didn't dare drop his guard. To transmit a voice directly into his Sea of Consciousness meant the speaker possessed immense power, far surpassing his own current level.
"If you come over, you will see me. Don't worry, I harbor no ill will toward you. I'm simply… a little curious."
The voice sounded again, but Zhu Hao was no fool. He tensed, preparing to bolt. When encountering an unknown, overwhelmingly powerful entity, the first, best option was always to run.
"You are quite alert, aren't you, little one?"
A soft peal of laughter followed, enchanting, like the scent of a secluded orchid—yet it made the hair on Zhu Hao's neck stand on end. His razor-sharp intuition screamed danger.
Without another word, Zhu Hao spun and darted away.
Snap! Snap!
The next instant, two thick, arm-sized green vines erupted from the earth with blinding speed. Even with Zhu Hao's prodigious agility, he couldn't react fast enough. He was instantly lassoed by the tough, tenacious vines and violently yanked back toward the core of the Blue Silver Grass.
"Who are you?! What do you want? Release your Lord Pig at once!" Zhu Hao roared, struggling fiercely.
But the vines were not only incredibly strong but also impossibly tough; breaking them was far beyond his strength. With a quick thought, Zhu Hao considered a desperate measure: using his supernatural abilities to shrink his size and slip free.
He instantly retracted his divine power and shrunk his massive bear form to a fraction of its size. The result was instantaneous and disastrous—the vines tightened like steel cables, binding him even more securely.
"I'm done for! Grandpa Pig is going to be ground up into fertilizer!"
"Woo woo! Lord Pig hasn't even married a few beautiful wives yet!"
He hung his head, a portrait of humorous despair.
In reality, his resistance had been largely symbolic. He didn't use his full strength because he still sensed no genuine malice from the speaker. It was not yet the time for a fight to the death. He would wait, assess the situation, and only then commit to a final, all-out struggle.
"Hahaha, what an amusing little one."
A light, musical chuckle sounded close to his ear. The binding vines suddenly dissolved, and a delicate leaf, like a miniature hand, gently pinched his little, fat face.
"Hmph, a gentleman may be killed, but he cannot be humil—oh…"
Zhu Hao raised his head in simulated fury, only to have the anger melt away. Before his eyes was an exquisitely beautiful, breathtaking face. Elegant, graceful, and profoundly serene, she resembled a solitary orchid in a hidden valley—soft, yet utterly divine. Her beautiful eyes, bright as an autumn pond, gazed at him with an intense, curious interest.
"How… beautiful!"
A wave of sincere admiration washed over Zhu Hao. Though he only saw her face, it was enough to convey a sense of stunning, otherworldly beauty.
"Had your fill of looking?"
The woman's dark eyebrows arched slightly. Her melodious voice now held a playful hint of mock-anger, or perhaps feigned resentment. A beautiful, azure-silver leaf reached out and firmly pinched Zhu Hao's chubby cheek.
"Ow! Fairy Sister, what is the meaning of this? Though Lord Pig is handsome, charming, and irresistible, he is not one to be trifled with casually!" Zhu Hao yelped in pain, clutching his little paws to his chest as he stared up at her with a wary, aggrieved expression.
He could now see his captor in full. It was a massive, azure Blue Silver Grass, with a faint, magnificent starlight shimmering across its entire form. The stunning face was condensed right in its center. If his guess was correct, this was the legendary Blue Silver Emperor. Even if she wasn't, she was at least a Blue Silver King with tens of thousands of years of cultivation—a being he absolutely could not defeat.
However…
The aura surrounding her held no malicious intent, and the Blue Silver Grass species was not known for being a carnivorous soul beast that hunted others.
It shouldn't be dangerous, he concluded.
"Little guy, you are indeed both unique and exceedingly naughty." The Blue Silver Emperor extended an azure branch and gently rubbed Zhu Hao's head. Her beautiful eyes were alight with genuine interest. "I sense that you are not quite a soul beast, but something far closer to a human… and an interesting one at that."
Zhu Hao's heart skipped a beat. Had she seen through his true identity?
Impossible. Stay calm. Don't panic.
"Of course! Lord Pig is one of a kind in all the world!" Zhu Hao declared, planting his two short legs on a leaf of the Blue Silver Grass, one little paw pointing to the heavens, the other to the ground, puffing out his chest with mock pride. As for the 'human' observation, he chose to completely ignore it.
"Indeed. I know every soul beast in this Star Dou Great Forest, no matter their strength or weakness, yet I have never encountered anything quite like you. You must be a unique mutation, or perhaps… simply one of a kind." The Blue Silver Emperor nodded gently.
As the Emperor of the Blue Silver Grass, a plant that covered the entire continent, she possessed one hundred thousand years of cultivation. Every Blue Silver Grass was an extension of her sight and hearing. She had witnessed countless soul beasts, but Zhu Hao was truly unprecedented.
"Phew."
Seeing that the Blue Silver Emperor did not press the issue of his human-like qualities, Zhu Hao inwardly sighed with relief. It seemed she had merely made a passing comment without uncovering his secret.
"Sister Fairy, your voice is so lovely, and you are so impossibly beautiful. What is your name? And what business brings Lord Pig here?" Zhu Hao asked, batting his big, innocent eyes and layering on the flattery with a pure, guileless expression.
"Everyone calls me the Blue Silver Emperor. You may call me Blue Silver, or Ah Yin," she replied, a calm smile blooming on her face like hundreds of flowers—a sight of peerless, captivating beauty. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with mischievous amusement as she looked at Zhu Hao.
Though she knew the flattery was intentional, Ah Yin was still undeniably pleased. After all, there wasn't a woman alive who didn't enjoy being praised for her beauty. She rubbed Zhu Hao's little head again with a shimmering, crystal-laced blue stem. While she didn't believe his feigned innocence, she found Zhu Hao to be fascinating and exceptionally entertaining. Being around him was surprisingly comfortable.
"Sister Yin, are you a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast?" Zhu Hao asked, though he was already certain of the answer.
"Oh? Are you afraid?" Ah Yin challenged, her eyes twinkling.
"No fear at all! Sister Yin is so beautiful and kind; she would never hurt Lord Pig. What is there for Lord Pig to fear?" Zhu Hao looked at Ah Yin with his most adorable, wide-eyed gaze, doubling down on the praise.
"Do you think that will stop me from killing you?" Ah Yin's pretty face turned momentarily serious, giving the impression that she might consume him in the next second.
"Sister Yin, you are far too beautiful and elegant, and Lord Pig is far too cute! How could you bear to do such a thing?" Zhu Hao leaped up, using his two little paws to hug Ah Yin's beautiful face, displaying a theatrical level of cuteness and coyness.
"Come down!" Ah Yin was momentarily stunned. No soul beast had ever dared to hug her face before. Yet, instead of anger, she felt only amusement. She stretched out a stem and leaf, wrapped it gently around Zhu Hao's neck, and lifted him into the air, scolding him with mock irritation. "You are far too smooth-tongued! You're more cunning than any human!"
"A-a-ah, I can't breathe!" Zhu Hao's four short legs flailed wildly in the air. He dramatically stuck out his tongue and tilted his neck. "Gasp… Lord Pig is dead!"
"Puff!"
Ah Yin burst into laughter, and it was as if the world around them had lost its color, leaving only her brilliant, captivating smile.
As the Blue Silver Emperor, the entire forest was her sensory network. Since discovering Zhu Hao, she had been observing him—watching him battle other soul beasts and fight off the Soul Hunter teams. She knew he was not as harmless as he appeared. She simply hadn't expected him to have such a theatrical, humorous side. Furthermore, his mannerisms and speech were uncannily human-like. What soul beast, after all, practices barbecuing?
Now, having reached the one-hundred-thousand-year mark, she was rapidly approaching a crucial choice: transform into human form to continue cultivating, or face death. Transformation required interaction with humans, which was why she had been subtly monitoring every human entering the Star Dou Great Forest. Zhu Hao's sheer strangeness naturally sparked her intense curiosity, leading to this very audience.
Snap!
Ah Yin loosened the stems that had held Zhu Hao's neck. He tumbled, but instead of hitting the ground, he landed gently in a large, intricate net she had woven from vines.
"Ouch! Lord Pig's neck is broken, and his ribs are shattered! Listen, I'm telling you, you're in serious trouble. Unless you keep me company today, Lord Pig is absolutely not leaving!" Zhu Hao flipped over, lying on his back with his four short legs pointing to the sky, rolling around on the vine net in a perfect imitation of a demanding toddler.
Having established a rapport, Zhu Hao realized Ah Yin was surprisingly easygoing. His initial fear had completely dissipated.
"Puff!"
Watching him perform his tantrum, Ah Yin couldn't help but smile again. A beautiful vine, shimmering with light, poked Zhu Hao's round belly like a gentle finger. "And what do you want me to compensate you with?" she asked playfully.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to take advantage of me? You must take responsibility!" Zhu Hao kicked his legs in the air and shouted.
Buzz!
The blue vines on Ah Yin's body instantly lit up, and a torrent of rich, vibrant blue light, full of overwhelming life energy, enveloped Zhu Hao like a miniature river.
"Mmm! So comfortable!"
Zhu Hao cried out in genuine pleasure. He felt a profound warmth, as if he were bathing in an ocean of pure life, his entire body and soul filling with surging vitality.
Energy +3
Energy +3
Energy +3
...
"Wow, wow, wow! So much energy! Lord Pig is going to be rich!" Zhu Hao stared at the stream of text flashing across his vision, his eyes glittering with excitement and a bright, furry smile spreading across his fat face.
He had initially only hoped to coax some spiritual herbs from Ah Yin—being the Blue Silver Emperor, such resources were trivial to her. He hadn't expected this infinitely greater benefit!
"Mmmmm!"
"Keep it coming!"
"I want more!"