Staring at the outline of an inconspicuous town crawling across the distant plains, the Grand Elder frowned, suspicion written on his face. He turned, looking at Chen Yi beside him with resolve, but his tone held a hint of anxiety.
"So… as you said, where is this 'opportunity'?"
The small city ahead exuded barely a wisp of soul power, as fragile as candlelight in the wind. The strongest presence was only at the Soul Ancestor level—utterly insignificant on the Douluo Continent. What sort of 'opportunity' could possibly be hidden in a place like this, worthy of Chen Yi's attention?
Chen Yi met the elder's sharp gaze without flinching. His face unchanged, his heart steady, he answered decisively,
"Yes, Grand Elder. After sacrificing the Thunder Hell Prison Vine that day, I vaguely sensed a hundred-thousand-year plant-type soul beast training somewhere far away, and that it chose its sacrifice with strong vitality and imperial aura."
He paused, then wove together the words he'd long prepared.
"Through the mysterious guidance between plant-type soul beasts, the lifetime memories, and the emperor's aura, I've pinpointed the area with the strongest residual aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."
Thunder Hell Prison Vine was a peak plant beast, but how could it sense things so far away, or so accurately? And the sacrifice of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was such a secret—how could it be "detected" so easily? But the Grand Elder, seeing the clarity and calm in Chen Yi's eyes, and considering he might have inherited the legacy of the Thunder God, decided not to press further, giving Chen Yi the benefit of the doubt.
Chen Yi, seeing the elder no longer digging, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, he had no perfect excuse for knowing the secret of this nameless, distant town. But he could wait no longer—having just broken through to Soul Ancestor, getting his fifth ring would trigger his second awakening, and this soul bone would have a huge impact.
Fortunately, the excuse, while cliché, was enough.
The Grand Elder cast his gaze toward Nuoding City, his spiritual sense sweeping invisibly across the city, ensuring there were no notable soul power fluctuations, then lost all interest.
"The strongest here is just a Soul Ancestor. In my eyes, it's like an anthill. Is this just to humor Chen Yi, or does he truly have a special discovery?"
"Then, where exactly is this place you mentioned?" the Grand Elder asked blandly.
Chen Yi took out a simple map, pointing to a marked spot.
"According to the direction I sensed, it should be near a village called 'Saint Soul Village'."
The Grand Elder glanced at the rough map but said little. In the next instant, the air around him shimmered, and he soared into the sky. Seeing this, Chen Yi unfurled his Frost-Ending Heavenly Wings and followed.
Both flew much faster than ordinary soul masters. The farmland, forests, and rivers below flashed by in an instant. Soon, a small village nestled among mountains and rivers appeared in sight.
The two landed quietly near the village. The Grand Elder glanced at the weathered wooden sign at the entrance, where three characters read 'Saint Soul Village'. Next to it stood a mottled stone monument, seemingly chronicling the village's history.
Seeing the words "a soul saint once lived here," a rare look of surprise flickered across the Grand Elder's face.
"Oh? Such a remote place had a Soul Saint? Not bad."
For ordinary people or low-level soul masters, a Soul Saint was already a formidable existence. But to the Grand Elder, it was merely "not bad."
He turned to Chen Yi,
"Which direction, specifically?"
Chen Yi recalled the original's description of a waterfall cave, quickly surveying the area. His gaze stopped on a mountain from which the faint sound of water could be heard.
He pointed firmly.
"In that mountain."
The Grand Elder didn't hesitate. The pair set off again, their figures flickering rapidly into the mountain's depths. The further in they went, the richer the ambient water vapor became, and the sound of water grew clearer.
Noticing Chen Yi's focused gaze on every stream and waterfall, the Grand Elder's heart stirred.
"What are you looking for… in the water?"
Chen Yi nodded. He didn't bother to hide it; with the Grand Elder's insight, he would've noticed anyway.
"Yes, according to the guidance, the aura's source is related to water."
The Grand Elder nodded thoughtfully and fell silent.
Soon, they stopped in a relatively open valley surrounded by waterfalls.
"Wait here," the elder instructed, slowly closing his eyes.
In an instant, his immense spiritual power quietly expanded, blanketing the surrounding area and probing every nook and cranny. Chen Yi stood by, holding his breath. He knew the Grand Elder, the continent's top expert, was using spirit power to carpet-search for a hidden cave.
The process didn't last long. After the time it took to burn an incense stick, the Grand Elder's eyes suddenly opened, a flash of clarity within.
He looked at Chen Yi, nodding in approval.
"Southeast, about three miles away, there's a waterfall. Behind it, a hidden cave."
Chen Yi's eyes lit up, nodding quickly.
"Yes! That's it!"
Without delay, the two moved and quickly reached the indicated waterfall. Silver water cascaded from a hundred-meter cliff, crashing into a deep pool with a deafening roar, spraying mist that caught the sun in a beautiful rainbow. The waterfall was so dense it completely concealed the rock wall behind. Without the elder's spirit power, it would've been impossible to spot the hidden world beyond.
The two exchanged a glance, nodded silently, and raised their soul power to form a thin shield as they passed through the powerful water curtain.
Beyond the water curtain was another world—a deep, damp cave, its entrance entwined with unfamiliar vines, providing good cover. The cave was dim, but a refreshing aura lingered.
Chen Yi's eyes soon fixed on the open space in the center of the cave, where a strange, 'blue-silver grass' grew quietly. Unlike ordinary blue-silver grass, its leaves were thick, translucent, and veined with faint golden threads, as if containing mysterious power. This seemingly ordinary grass exuded a unique elegance and nobility.
Sensing the arrival of strangers, the blue-silver grass moved of its own accord, its leaves curling and trembling slightly, as if expressing fear and unease.
Chen Yi stepped forward, crouched, and gently touched the cool, gold-veined leaf with his finger, a surprised smile on his face.
At that moment, the Grand Elder's voice sounded behind him, tinged with astonishment.
"This blue-silver grass… but it's different. Its condensed life aura far surpasses ordinary plants, and there's even a hint of… spirituality?"
Chen Yi turned, a meaningful curve on his lips as he spoke quietly.
"Grand Elder, of course it's different… before losing its cultivation, it was a hundred-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Emperor!"
"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast?!" The Grand Elder's pupils shrank, shock finally breaking through his composure. He stared at the trembling blue-silver grass, his tone incredulous.
"This grass… was actually a hundred-thousand-year soul beast? How could a blue-silver grass soul beast cultivate for a hundred thousand years?"
Chen Yi smiled at the elder's disbelief.
"The world is vast, Grand Elder. If there are miracles, why can't there be miracles of life? Wasn't our Body Sect's martial soul once regarded as the epitome of 'useless' martial souls?"
The Grand Elder was briefly stunned, then slowly nodded, his astonishment giving way to deep contemplation.
"That's true. Innate bias clouds the eyes. If our martial souls can rise, why can't blue-silver grass produce an emperor?"
Chen Yi then dropped another bombshell, pointing at the grass, his tone calm but shocking.
"Besides, Grand Elder, do you know the other identity of this blue-silver grass? She was once the wife of Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao."
"Tang Hao's wife?!" The Grand Elder's shock reached its peak. He stared at the grass, as if thunder exploded in his mind. For years, the soul master world had wondered about this mystery, but now, the answer was clear.
"I see… I see! That's why Qian Xunji personally led the siege against Tang Hao! Even ignoring the Clear Sky Sect's past ties to Spirit Hall, or Tang Hao being the young master of Clear Sky Sect…"
He'd always had doubts about this matter. When Tang Chen swept the continent, relations between Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall were cordial—Tang Chen even served briefly as a Spirit Hall elder. For Qian Xunji to kill Tang Hao, it seemed rash and out of character.
But a hundred-thousand-year soul beast… and the allure of a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone was enough to make even a pope lose their mind.
The Grand Elder took a deep breath, calming his heart. He looked back at Chen Yi, his tone solemn.
"So, this 'opportunity' you spoke of… it refers to this Blue Silver Emperor?"
…
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