On the smooth stone wall, there was a hidden protrusion. With a light press, a crisp mechanical sound rang out.
"Bang!"
A seemingly ordinary black box dropped in front of Chu Chen.
The moment he opened it, a surge of blue-gold light burst forth. Just a single breath of its aura was enough to wash away most of his fatigue.
"What a fine hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone."
Chu Chen quickly closed the box, and the aura instantly disappeared—more precisely, it was completely concealed.
"It seems this box can mask aura. Not bad."
Chuckling, Chu Chen stored the box away. Then, without hesitation, he dug up the Blue Silver Emperor along with the surrounding soil.
Naturally, he wouldn't foolishly attempt to absorb the Spirit Bone here. Although there was no strict spirit power requirement for absorbing a Spirit Bone, the process could take several hours. If Tang Hao returned during that time…
…and sensed the aura released during the absorption process, it would all be over.
Thus, Chu Chen placed the Blue Silver Emperor into the box and prepared to leave.
Before departing, he gently buried a single chrysanthemum petal in the soil, leaving one corner exposed, placing it exactly where the Blue Silver Emperor had once grown.
"In moments of extreme anger and despair, people tend to believe what they see rather than think things through."
"I wonder which unlucky person Tang Hao will suspect when he sees this chrysanthemum petal…"
Smiling faintly, Chu Chen vanished from the area.
---
A short while later, Chu Chen returned to Dihun Village. From a distance, he could still hear the rhythmic clanging of iron from the blacksmith shop.
"If this father and son knew that the child's mother is gone…"
Chu Chen didn't enter the village immediately. At such a close distance, he couldn't guarantee that Tang Hao wouldn't notice even the slightest trace of his aura.
He had to remain cautious.
About half an hour later, Tang Hao and Tang San finally emerged from the blacksmith shop. Clearly, the forging work was complete.
After Village Chief Tig paid them, the two prepared to leave.
At that moment, Chu Chen returned carrying a birdcage, casually greeting the village chief as he walked by.
Tang San glanced at Chu Chen, his gaze carrying a hint of disdain.
Evidently, Tang Hao hadn't noticed anything unusual. He led Tang San away until they disappeared from Chu Chen's sight.
"The Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, plus a Blue Silver Emperor reborn after sacrifice… I wonder what kind of evolution it will trigger in my Blue Silver Grass."
As night approached, Chu Chen returned to Village Chief Tig's home. After dinner, he quietly slipped out under the cover of darkness, traveling several miles to find a secluded location.
There was a cave there—perfect for what he intended to do.
"Right now, I haven't obtained my first spirit ring, and my spirit power has reached a bottleneck… After absorbing this Spirit Bone, I wonder what level my spirit power will reach."
Even after reaching a bottleneck, a Spirit Master could continue cultivating, allowing their spirit power to grow slowly.
And now, Chu Chen was about to absorb this Spirit Bone.
The accumulated spirit power would likely be fully released the moment he obtained his first spirit ring—perhaps even allowing him to break through to the next bottleneck in one go.
"Let's begin. Whether my Blue Silver Grass bloodline can be stimulated… depends on this moment!"
Chu Chen took the Blue Silver Emperor out of the box.
Seemingly influenced by the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, the golden patterns on its leaves shone even more brilliantly than before.
"What a pity. She sacrificed herself to that trash Tang Hao, yet in the end… not only did her son grow up poorly, but she herself was planted in such a dark place."
Thinking this, Chu Chen didn't hesitate—he directly bit into the Blue Silver Emperor and swallowed it.
"Fragrant and crunchy. What's not to like?"
"Absorbing bloodline power—this is the simplest and most direct method!"
The moment he consumed it, a trace of bloodline power surged through his entire body. His Blue Silver Grass Spirit emerged instinctively.
As if drawn by the Blue Silver Emperor's aura, the Blue Silver Grass in his hand bloomed with a deep blue radiance.
Taking advantage of the moment, Chu Chen pressed the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone directly against his lower leg!
The blue-gold light erupted violently. If not for the cave, the glow would have illuminated the entire night sky.
"Boom!"
The light enveloped his body. A burning sensation spread from his lower leg as a vast surge of energy flooded into him.
The impact of the Spirit Bone fully activated the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline power he had just consumed, fusing it into his very being.
"Such immense vitality…"
Chu Chen marveled.
Under the influence of this overwhelming life force, nearby plants instantly sprouted fresh shoots and grew vibrant leaves.
A warm current circulated through his body, merging with his blood, then with every inch of flesh.
The Spirit Bone continuously tempered his meridians, clearing previously blocked pathways.
Even weaker meridians were strengthened under the constant flow of energy.
At the same time, the natural patterns on his Blue Silver Grass began to change.
Golden textures slowly formed.
The Blue Silver Grass itself underwent a complete transformation—golden patterns appeared, and it became sturdier, fuller, and brimming with vitality.
"Boom!"
This process lasted for several hours.
Only at dawn did the overwhelming vitality gradually subside.
Chu Chen opened his eyes, sensing his completely transformed body. His heart surged with excitement.
After consuming the Blue Silver Emperor and enduring the impact of the Spirit Bone, he had, by sheer fortune, perfectly fused with the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
"Now that I possess the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, I have a clear target for my first spirit ring…"
That's right—his target was the Blue Silver King!
With the purity of his current bloodline, originating directly from Ah Yin, it far surpassed Tang San's inherited version.
When the Blue Silver King saw him, it would undoubtedly choose to sacrifice itself.
As an Innate Spirit Ring, its age would be determined by his body's endurance. Moreover, since it would be a sacrifice, there would be no risk of the ring being too powerful to absorb.
The only concern was encountering powerful Spirit Beasts along the way.
"However, now that I can fly, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I just need to avoid stronger Spirit Beasts."
Blue-gold light gathered at his legs. In the next moment, his body slowly rose into the air.
As expected, the abilities of this Spirit Bone included flight and the effect of "wildfire cannot destroy it; it grows again with the spring breeze."
"Great. The Blue Silver Grass has evolved—such rich vitality, and these golden patterns…"
"With just the Blue Silver King left, it can fully evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor. For now, this counts as an initial evolution!"
Chu Chen was in an excellent mood.
As for whether a certain Tang Big Hammer was in a good mood…
That, he wouldn't know.