Thousand Jin Strength

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the calibrated alarm clock beside him, its hand steadily pointing to exactly five in the afternoon.

From attempting the breakthrough at dawn, to briefly passing out from the impact of Soul Power midway through, to stabilizing his realm now, this breakthrough across the Tenth-Rank threshold had taken a full eight hours.

His Soul Power had successfully broken through to Level 11, yet the corners of his tightly drawn lips showed no sign of rising.

This entire "breakthrough" had remained within the range of his vigilance. He had never entered the state of complete self-forgetfulness Soul Masters experienced when absorbing Soul Rings.

Because there had been no need at all!

As early as when his Soul Power reached Tenth-Rank, Blue Silver Grass's perception range had expanded to ten meters, completely covering this Dark Room that could barely fit one person.

Thus, when his Soul Power fluctuated violently at the critical point of breakthrough, he clearly "saw" a thin figure pacing outside the door for a quarter of an hour—it was Tang San.

Lin Xuan's brows twisted into a knot. Had he not used Broken Stones and Wood to brace the door beforehand, he truly did not dare imagine whether the other party might have launched a sneak attack while he was weakened during his breakthrough.

The feeling of someone watching him like a tiger stalking prey irritated him even more than sluggish Soul Power.

The instant the Soul Ring "merged" into his body and his Soul Power entered Level 11, Blue Silver Perception suddenly expanded outward. Within fifty meters, every movement of grass and trees, every gust of wind and insect chirp, flooded clearly into his mind.

Immediately afterward, a burly figure appeared without warning beneath the Old Scholar Tree at the edge of his perception. His ragged straw raincoat was stained with mud, and empty Wine Jars littered the ground around him.

"Tang Hao?"

Lin Xuan's heart suddenly clenched, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. It felt like a rookie fresh out of the beginner's village turning around and running into a max-level World BOSS.

He instinctively held his breath and carefully "observed" through the faint vibrations of the Blue Silver Grass. The man had his back to the hut, his rough fingers rubbing the edge of a Wine Jar, seemingly completely unaware of the Soul Power fluctuations here.

Only after confirming that Tang Hao's attention was entirely on the Wine Jar did Lin Xuan slowly exhale and raise a hand to pat his forehead.

"Idiot. Of all places, why did I choose somewhere right under his nose?" Judging by the piled-up Wine Jars, Tang Hao had clearly been here for more than a day or two.

Lin Xuan had previously guessed that even if this Titled Douluo was keeping watch on Xiao Wu, he should have chosen somewhere within Nuoding City. No matter how he thought about it, Tang Hao should not have been holed up in the remote Back Mountain drinking alone, yet he had not expected him to be so socially anxious.

An even more unsettling possibility surfaced: could Tang Hao be watching him?

But how could that be possible? Coming here had only been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and the Wine Jars beside Tang Hao could not have piled up to this extent without ten days to half a month.

Either possibility made Lin Xuan's face turn dark.

Just thinking that every move he had made for the past half month might have fallen under the eyes of the Clear Sky Douluo made his entire body itch as if swarmed by ants, yet there was nothing he could do. With his current strength, he was not even comparable to one of Tang Hao's fingers.

Fortunately, he had been prepared. Ever since realizing that this world was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, he had always left himself some leeway and never displayed anything that surpassed the knowledge of this era before others.

"Isn't it just surveillance?" Lin Xuan took a deep breath to calm himself.

"In my previous life, there were Surveillance Cameras all over the streets and GPS on phones. Those were much worse than this."

Even so, his fingertips unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothes.

In a few more months, once his physical age reached nine and a half, he would be able to activate Tang Wulin's other Trump Card as well—Old Tang, deep within his consciousness.

That was the life-saving backup Tang San had left for his descendants. He had three chances to act, and at his strongest, he could even temporarily suppress the Abyss Demon Lord.

"It would indeed be a shame to waste it, but that's still better than living under someone else's surveillance for the rest of my life."

A fierce glint flashed through Lin Xuan's eyes. He had had enough of living in constant fear. Once he obtained Old Tang's cheat, he would use one of those precious opportunities to deal with Tang Hao first.

Suppressing his surging thoughts, he finally turned his attention back to the changes in himself.

His Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul floated quietly by his side. The serpentine, winding quality it had originally displayed under the influence of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline had vanished, returning it to the pure shape of grass blades, though they were now even more crystalline than before.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the wooden window and fell upon the blades, refracting a faint glazed luster. Their veins were as clear as exquisite ice carvings, utterly unlike an ordinary Martial Soul.

"Little Golden Scales," Lin Xuan called softly.

A golden Shadow shot out of the Blue Silver Grass with a whoosh, nimbly coiling around his arm before finally stopping on his shoulder.

This Little Grass Snake had originally been nothing more than a Ten-Year Soul Spirit. Now, it had grown to around ten centimeters long, its scales glinting with a metallic sheen. A Golden Scale the size of a diamond chip had appeared at its Eyebrow Center, and its eyes had become much more lively.

Sensing Lin Xuan's gaze, Little Golden Scales gently rubbed its cool head against his cheek, flicking its forked tongue and letting out faint hisses as if acting spoiled.

Lin Xuan was amused enough for the corners of his lips to rise, and more than half the gloom in his heart dissipated. He had always been fond of snakes in his previous life, but his family had opposed keeping one. He had never expected that after transmigrating, half of that wish would come true.

He reached out and scratched Little Golden Scales beneath the chin, and the little fellow immediately curled up in comfort.

His gaze moved downward and fell on the white Soul Ring around his feet. The Soul Ring slowly rotated, emitting a gentle glow as information about the Soul Skill within it clearly entered his mind—Entangle.

Unlike ordinary Blue Silver Grass's Entangle, his Blue Silver Grass could transform into vines and extend in any direction. Supported by Level 11 Soul Power, it could reach as far as fifty-five meters.

At the same time, he finally understood the source of Blue Silver Perception. Wherever Blue Silver Grass spread, his perception could cover. It was practically an innate scouting tool.

Lin Xuan casually summoned a Blue Silver Vine. Unlike the bowl-thick vine Tang San had in his memories, his vine was only as thick as an index finger, yet it felt heavy in his hand, like a solid short whip.

"I wonder if it can reach Tang Wulin's level."

He recalled Mang Tian's evaluation of Blue Silver Grass in Douluo Dalu 3, drew a deep breath, and fiercely exerted force with both hands gripping the vine's ends.

More than a thousand jin of force surged into it in an instant. The originally flexible branch immediately stretched taut, producing a faint hum.

That was right. Unlike Tang Wulin, who had broken through yet knew nothing about it like an oblivious fool, Lin Xuan had sensed the changes in his body the instant he broke through.

Breaking through Thousand Jin Strength gave one an entirely different feeling.

Tang Wulin was simply too innocent to notice it.

Just as the vine was about to reach its limit, Lin Xuan clearly saw a layer of pale blue radiance burst from within it. Faint golden web-like patterns flowed through the glow, as though it had been plated with an invisible suit of armor.

At the same time, the Soul Power in his body abruptly dropped by nearly one-tenth.

"Just as I thought." Delight flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. Tang Wulin truly was a Child of Destiny. Absorbing just one Ten-Year Soul Ring had simultaneously brought a strength Amplification, Soul Spirit evolution, and reinforcement of his Martial Soul's traits.

His Blue Silver Grass had now nearly reached the point where it could not be destroyed as long as his Soul Power was not exhausted. How was that any different from having an innate Invincible Golden Body?

Tang Wulin's cultivation speed might have been slow, but every step he took was exceptionally solid. The confidence to challenge opponents above his level came precisely from such inconspicuous details.

And now, these advantages had become the foundation that allowed Lin Xuan to gain a foothold in this world. He rotated his wrist, clearly feeling power brimming within him.

When he had moved the stones blocking the door earlier, he had become even more certain. Compared to before, it was now simply far too easy.

He moved the Broken Stones and Wood blocking the entrance away one by one, and the wooden door creaked open. Lin Xuan did not look back. He deliberately put on the excited appearance of someone who had just succeeded in breaking through, running lightly toward the academy. He skipped and hopped like a child who had received candy, perfectly concealing the tension in his heart.

Only after his figure vanished at the end of the Mountain Path did Tang Hao beneath the Old Scholar Tree slowly raise his head. A trace of surprise flashed through his cloudy eyes before they returned to indifference.

"Cultivating a Blue Silver Grass Soul Beast yourself to use as a Soul Ring?"

He picked up the last unfinished Wine Jar, tipped his head back for a drink, and muttered softly to himself.

"The idea isn't bad. Though it's A Bit Lacking when it comes to improving Combat Power, it can barely replenish some Blue Silver Grass origin and let him go a little farther."

He did indeed appreciate Lin Xuan's talent for blacksmithing, but that was all.

If it had been some other Martial Soul, he might have paid closer attention or even stepped in to give him a warning. But Blue Silver Grass?

Tang Hao smiled disdainfully.

Once Tang San awakened his Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline in the future, what waves could Lin Xuan possibly stir up with the same Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?

By then, he would naturally submit obediently.

Liquor flowed down the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the back of his callused hand. Tang Hao lowered his head again, returning his attention to the Wine Jar, as if everything that had just happened was merely wind rustling the grass and not worth mentioning.