The Grand Elder's sharp gaze fell again on the trembling Blue Silver Emperor. His initial shock faded, replaced by careful consideration. In his view, though this Blue Silver Emperor once had a remarkable bloodline, it had now lost all cultivation, reverting to its plant form. Even so, its origin as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast made it as valuable as some top-tier natural treasures, perhaps with miraculous effects on nourishment and longevity.
But for Chen Yi's so-called "opportunity," it seemed a little lacking. After all, the Body Sect now had abundant resources, and treasures like this were not unique.
Sensing the elder's thoughts, Chen Yi gently shook his head.
"Grand Elder, the grass itself isn't the true opportunity. The real chance… is the hundred-thousand-year soul bone that must have been produced when she fell!"
"Soul bone?!" The Grand Elder's gaze sharpened, realization dawning.
"Yes! Back then, for Tang Hao to wield the Great Sumeru's power, he must have had a complete set of soul bones. So, after his wife sacrificed herself as a Blue Silver Emperor soul beast, where did the incredibly rare hundred-thousand-year soul bone go?"
His eyes gleamed with anticipation, and all hesitation vanished. His powerful spirit power instantly became a high-precision radar, scanning every corner of the cave, especially deep into the soil where the Blue Silver Emperor's roots spread.
"There it is!" The Grand Elder called out, thrusting his sword-like right hand at a seemingly ordinary rock wall.
Buzz— The wall shimmered, and a dark lead box slowly floated into the air, landing softly in his hands.
Casting a heated glance at Chen Yi, the Grand Elder opened the box without hesitation. Instantly, a gentle blue-gold light filled the cave, illuminating it magnificently. Inside, nestled in soft velvet, lay a soul bone—not humanoid, but more beautiful and smooth, completely blue-gold and translucent, as if liquid life energy flowed within. It radiated unmatched vitality and the faint, commanding presence of a soul beast emperor.
It was a complete, hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone!
Seeing this, the Grand Elder was overjoyed, carefully sensing the immense, pure life energy within, then nodded repeatedly at Chen Yi.
"Excellent! Excellent! What a hundred-thousand-year soul bone! Its aura is pure, its energy majestic—an extremely rare life attribute! Xiao Yi, you're missing a right leg bone, and this one is perfect for you. Its vast energy will greatly aid your second martial soul awakening!"
Chen Yi was equally excited. He knew the soul bone's true value—beyond its age, it held a godly skill: Wildfire Cannot Destroy the Grass, It Grows Again With the Spring Wind. It was a universal healing and recovery skill, one of Douluo Continent's most valuable soul bones! [TL: This skill has very long name. lol]
But as the two intruders seized the soul bone from its home, the trembling Blue Silver Emperor trembled even harder. Still, she stretched her delicate, gold-veined stems and leaves toward Chen Yi's pant leg, as if making a wordless plea.
Her stems and leaves were soft, her strength nearly gone. It was a humble, silent prayer, gently tugging as if begging these two powerful humans not to abandon her.
Chen Yi looked down at the faintly clinging leaves and sighed inwardly. Regardless of race or status, the Blue Silver Emperor's fate was tragic—having sacrificed everything for her beloved, her cultivation was destroyed, reduced to a fragile grass. In this hidden cave, dark and damp, never seeing sunlight, only the roar of waterfalls for company, she lay year after year. Blue Silver grass loved light, but here she wasted away in darkness—a slow, living death. Perhaps Tang Hao only meant to keep her safe, but such was not her nature.
The Grand Elder looked at the Blue Silver Emperor's spiritual display with indifference, though a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He had thought that, after such a fall, any wisdom would have been lost. To still show such clear, pleading emotion was far beyond his expectations.
Chen Yi's heart was moved, but his position was firm. Soul masters and soul beasts were two opposing yet intertwined worlds. He could not give up this chance.
He gently shook off the clinging leaves with a burst of soul power, making sure not to injure them. Wordlessly, he sat cross-legged, holding the glowing right leg bone.
Taking a deep breath, he activated his majestic soul power, beginning the fusion with the hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
As the soul bone was absorbed, the life energy of the same origin was quickly drawn into Chen Yi, and the Blue Silver Emperor's last faint hope was completely shattered. Her once upright leaves wilted completely, losing all color and vitality, lying limp on the soil—only endless death and despair remaining.
In the cave, only the soul power fluctuations from Chen Yi's absorption and the unceasing roar of the waterfall remained.
The sun rose. The moon set. Time flowed quietly in the tranquil cultivation.
After a day and a half, the swirling blue-gold light around Chen Yi finally converged and merged into his body. He slowly opened his eyes, now shining with a new radiance, his breathing obviously stronger and more condensed than before.
The Grand Elder, having guarded him throughout, smiled in satisfaction, sensing the fluctuation of Chen Yi's soul power.
"Not bad! This hundred-thousand-year soul bone is of extremely high quality, and the energy it contains is enormous. It directly raised your soul power by almost four ranks—an astonishing effect!"
Chen Yi carefully checked himself. After accepting the Thunder Hell Prison Vine's sacrifice, his soul power had soared from level 40 to 43, and after further consolidation, to level 44. Now, with the absorption of the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, his soul power had reached the peak of level 47, just a step away from 48.
Still, amid the joy, Chen Yi felt a faint sense of powerlessness. At first, he'd estimated a top-tier soul bone could raise his soul power by five or six ranks, maybe even directly to Soul King. But now, he realized he'd underestimated the immense energy needed for the ultimate thunder.
"But…" Chen Yi quickly adjusted his mood, smiling wryly to himself.
"To reach such a high rank in less than ten years—this speed is enough to scare people to death. What more could I want? As long as the foundation is solid, that's all that matters."
With this thought, his minor sense of loss vanished. His gaze fell again on the corner of the cave. The Blue Silver Emperor, having lost her soul bone and all her vitality, still trembled weakly in the soil, pitiful and fragile.
...
Bonus chapter at 100 PS