Before conducting any tests, Tang Wu had recklessly experimented on his own body.
He didn't know whether it was because of his extraordinary talent or sheer dumb luck.
In any case...
He really had gained Blue Silver Grass's vitality.
Even if his body took a heavy beating, it could recover rapidly.
At the same time, Tang Wu had inherited another of Blue Silver Grass's strengths.
When he activated this ability, it lowered other people's awareness of him, greatly reducing his presence.
But everything came at a price. To gain such a powerful ability, he was bound to have a shortcoming somewhere.
The way of Heaven takes from those who have too much and gives to those who do not have enough.
The moment Blue Silver Secret Body activated, all the Soul Power around Tang Wu was drained in an instant.
And, just like Ryoko's enormous stomach, it had a ravenous thirst for Soul Power.
The problem was...
At that moment, Tang Wu was like a university student checking his WeChat balance at the end of the month: even if it wasn't zero, there was barely anything left.
So where was he supposed to get the Soul Power to fuel Blue Silver Secret Body's enormous consumption?
The answer was simple.
Since Tang Wu had no Soul Power, he would use his vitality instead.
As his vitality was drained away, Tang Wu's already somewhat thin body began to shrivel.
At this rate, in less than five minutes, his own Martial Soul would suck him dry.
He was about to get himself killed.
At the last moment, Tang Wu sent a pig-slaughtering cry for help toward the blacksmith shop:
"Bro, save me! Your cutest little brother is about to kick the bucket!"
"Old man, save me!"
"What happened? Don't be afraid, Xiao Wu. Your brother's coming!"
At first, Tang San was confused. Xiao Wu had been perfectly fine in the courtyard, so why was he suddenly screaming like that?
But then he turned around.
The sight of Tang Wu's miserable state made his heart clench. Desperate to save him, he dropped the hammer in his hand.
In an instant, Tang San dashed out of the blacksmith shop at top speed.
But someone else was even faster.
"You little brat, you're only a Soul Scholar who hasn't even broken through to Soul Master yet, and you're already trying to study this kind of ability? Aren't you afraid you'll get yourself killed?"
Tang Hao scolded him fiercely, but his movements were incredibly gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting Tang Wu in his arms.
Pure, potent Soul Power flowed slowly from his broad palm into Tang Wu's body.
With that Soul Power sustaining him, color gradually returned to Tang Wu's face, and he was no longer as pale as before.
His shriveled body returned to its original state, too.
"Heh, who could've seen that coming?"
Tang Wu gave a chuckle. There wasn't a trace of regret on his face.
His original idea had just been to imitate the plant-transformation ability of the Forest-Forest Fruit from the anime One Piece in his previous life.
Who would've thought he'd succeed on his first try?
And the cost was so high. If Tang Hao hadn't been there, he probably would've been totally screwed.
Tang San looked at Tang Hao in surprise and asked:
"Dad, are you a Soul Master too?"
Tang Hao had just moved faster than Tang San could with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
And although Tang San couldn't see clearly with his current level of Purple Demon Eye, he was absolutely certain of one thing.
His father was definitely no ordinary blacksmith.
"More or less."
Tang Hao brushed off Tang San's question.
Then he looked at Tang Wu, his younger son, who had been restless since childhood.
"Xiao Wu, until your Soul Power gets stronger, you're not allowed to use this ability again."
"Xiao San, you're his older brother. Keep an eye on him..."
"Okay, Dad. I'll keep an eye on Xiao Wu." Tang San nodded solemnly, too.
Tang Wu's reckless stunt today had been more terrifying than all his previous ones put together.
He was genuinely shaken.
He was afraid Tang Wu might get himself killed right in front of him if he wasn't careful.
"I object! You're trampling on my freedom!"
"Objection overruled ×2."
Tang Hao and Tang San said in unison.
Ignoring Tang Wu's fussing, they dragged him straight to the house and made him get some rest.
He had drained all his Soul Power at once. Even with Tang Hao replenishing it, he was bound to feel weak for half a day.
That night, the brothers squeezed together on one bed.
Unable to hold back his curiosity about what had happened at noon, Tang San nudged Tang Wu.
"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, how did you manage it? How did you think of materializing your Martial Soul and gaining its vitality?"
"Is something like that really possible?" It was no wonder Tang San was so surprised.
Back in the Tang Sect, skills that transformed someone into another species and granted them the corresponding abilities existed only in legend.
Tang Wu hadn't fallen asleep at all. Hearing Tang San's curiosity, he answered:
"Actually, it's not that complicated."
"This morning, didn't Master Su Yuntao say that a Martial Soul is the manifestation of a person's soul?"
"After awakening my Martial Soul, I started wondering: since mine is a Blue Silver Seed, what are its abilities and strengths?"
Tang Wu had never systematically studied the cultivation knowledge of Douluo Continent.
But he couldn't exactly say that he already knew all this from his previous life, so he'd brought up Su Yuntao instead.
With a little gentle prompting, Tang Wu explained the mysteries of Martial Souls to Tang San, starting with the basics and working his way up.
That way, his foolish older brother wouldn't be fooled by a few words from Gangzi.
"The most important thing is figuring out how to make the most of a Martial Soul's strengths while making up for its weaknesses as much as possible."
"From what I've observed, Blue Silver Grass is a frail plant, but it can be found everywhere and survive in any environment. Its powerful vitality is one of its defining traits."
"Once you've found its strongest characteristic, it can't hurt to develop in that direction."
"To understand that at such a young age... As expected of her son. He really is exceptionally clever."
In the neighboring room, Tang Hao listened to Tang Wu's well-reasoned explanation and nodded.
He wasn't eavesdropping on purpose, but a Titled Douluo had extraordinarily sharp hearing. The room was only five meters away, and the sound had carried over on its own.
After hearing Tang Wu's explanation, Tang San stared at him, dumbfounded.
He looked at his own little brother in disbelief.
His stunned gaze made it seem as if this were the first time he'd ever met Tang Wu.
Could this be... the legendary cultivation genius?
While others were still struggling to find their path, Xiao Wu already knew which way to go—and had even created an ability of his own.
Tang San's feelings were complicated. He had thought Tang Wu was a younger brother who needed him to take care of everything.
With him as the older brother, no one would ever be allowed to hurt his little brother.
But the truth was, Tang Wu's talent was every bit as good as his own—perhaps even better.
Still...
Tang San felt shocked, pleased, and even envious, but he felt no jealousy at all.
Because this was his beloved little brother.
His family!
"Then tell me, Xiao Wu. Which direction should my Blue Silver Grass develop in?"
"That's easy..."
Tang Wu's lips curled at Tang San's question, and he wore the same smile as Snake.
Tang Wu: Stand back. I'm about to show off!
"In my view, the essence of Blue Silver Grass is its powerful vitality and unparalleled adaptability."
"The former is its floor, the root of Blue Silver Grass's ability to flourish across this land."
"The latter, on the other hand, represents its ceiling. Being highly adaptable means it can achieve success no matter which direction it develops in."