"Has nature been damaged that badly now? Why do you think I'm the Child of Nature?"
Tang Wulin asked in confusion. They had seen plenty of scenery along the way. Although Soul Tools had begun to develop, cities still occupied only a small portion of the land, while vast stretches beyond them remained in nature's embrace.
"Because of the power within you-that noble life force. I don't know why, but I just feel that you should be the Child of Nature. No other living being deserves that title, not even the Golden Tree at Shrek Academy."
Hearing this, Tang Wulin more or less understood her reasoning.
His body had once been cleansed by Life Divine Power. Although that power had also stirred the Golden Dragon King's seal, the cleansing had left his body with quite a few benefits.
It was Life Divine Power, after all, naturally a cut above the powers found on the continent.
"You smell so nice."
Youyou trembled again, as though she were twitching her nose to sniff the aura coming from Tang Wulin.
"Something's wrong. What a savage power! Little human, what exactly are you?"
Youyou recoiled in an instant, her voice filled with panic. She had just taken a deep sniff, only to catch an aura capable of destroying everything within Tang Wulin.
"Senior Youyou, my name is Tang Wulin. I'm just an ordinary human."
Tang Wulin blinked as he spoke.
He merely had a little more power inside him than most.
"Tang Wulin? Your surname is Tang? It seems you really are his descendant."
Perhaps Tang Wulin's sincerity had moved her, for Youyou leaned closer again, her voice brimming with delight.
"Is he doing well? It's been so long, yet he hasn't even come to see us. Honestly, honestly!"
Even the enormous pink flower began shaking violently. Youyou sounded surprised and delighted at first, before a deep sense of grievance welled up in her voice.
It seemed that being left here by that man had truly been unbearable for her, to the point that she had developed into a chatterbox.
"He's doing very well. It's just that he can't come to the continent whenever he likes right now. There's nothing he can do about that."
Tang Wulin thought back to what his father had told him about his circumstances during this period, then answered with certainty.
"Oh, so that's how it is. Then I can't blame him."
Youyou sounded dejected at first, but soon perked up again.
"Since you're his descendant, according to his instructions, you need to pass a trial before you can get that book, you know?"
The enormous pink flower swayed gently as Youyou spoke with considerable excitement.
Nothing had changed here for ten thousand years. Anything that broke the routine was entertaining to her.
"A book? What book?"
Tang Wulin looked utterly confused.
The blame for this lay with Tang San. In that era, Huo Yuhao had already taken the book, and it had hardly been put to use anyway. It was merely a simple contingency. Tang San had forgotten all about it and only remembered to tell Tang Wulin to go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for immortal herbs.
"You don't know about that book? Could you not be his descendant after all? But I'm quite fond of you, little Wulin. Then you'll just have to prove you're his descendant by passing the trial."
Youyou sounded a little glum. She had intended to give him everything, but with this complication, she did not dare lightly defy that man's orders.
"There's no need for that."
Niu Tian finally spoke. He did not use his strength to force her to comply. After all, she was presumably following Tang San's orders. What if he caused trouble?
He merely placed his hand on Wang Dong'er's head, and a peculiar stream of Soul Power flowed from him into her body.
A golden trident mark emerged on Wang Dong's smooth forehead, growing from faint to vivid and radiating brilliant golden light.
That golden light was boundless, noble, and majestic, as though a god in the heavens had cast his gaze down upon them.
"That mark... it seems you really are his children!"
Having confirmed their identities, Youyou's voice regained its liveliness.
"I never imagined he could have so many children. I remember him complaining before that gods..."
Youyou muttered softly, but seemed to recall something and immediately stopped herself.
"Since that's the case, I'll hand this book over to you. I've kept it safe for ten thousand years."
The stamens at the center of the aromatic silk beauty pulsed gently, and an antique-looking book made of some unknown material emerged from within.
In truth, Tang San had instructed her to put them through a trial, but little Wulin was so young and smelled so lovely. Besides, the two were his own son and daughter, so Youyou could not be bothered to test them anymore. The so-called trial was nothing more than a reward anyway.
If all else fails, I'll just say that brawny man took it by force. What could we do if we couldn't beat him?
The more Youyou thought along those lines, the more justified she felt.
Tang Wulin accepted the book. Everyone was curious about what had been written in a book left behind ten thousand years ago, but in the end, only Wang Dong leaned over. The sister and brother bent their heads together, opened the book, and began to read.
"Greetings, fated reader. I am Tang San, founder of the Tang Sect."
After finishing the book, Tang Wulin and Wang Dong exchanged a look, their expressions somewhat odd. They had never expected it to contain the Tang Sect's lost "Medicine Chapter" and "Poison Chapter." Had those been passed down back then, perhaps the Tang Sect would still have had a few cats, big and small, left in its ranks, instead of having a little girl as its sect leader now.
Still, both knew the main reason for the Tang Sect's decline: a whole group of people had blindly pursued Blue Silver Grass. They did not dwell on the matter any further.
"Thank you, Senior Youyou."
Tang Wulin bowed again. He could not even imagine what it would feel like to remain alone in one place for ten thousand years. A promise passed down across ten millennia sounded so romantic, yet so sad.
But both parties to that promise were still alive ten thousand years later. At that thought, Tang Wulin scratched his head. Why did something about that feel a little off?
"Little Wulin, you can choose some suitable immortal herbs, but you mustn't take too many."
Youyou's lively voice rang out again. Originally, she had not particularly wanted to give any to the others. Giving some to his two children was one thing, but after Niu Tian glared at her, she did not dare say anything more.
"Senior Youyou, you've been here for so long. Do you know of any immortal herbs that would suit me?"
Tang Wulin abruptly raised his head, joy spreading across his face as he asked respectfully. Hadn't they traveled ten thousand miles to get here precisely for the immortal herbs?
"Something suitable for little Wulin? Let me think."
The aromatic silk beauty swayed again, seemingly deep in thought.
"I sensed that savage power within you. Whatever else may happen, powerful Spiritual Power and a strong body are the keys to withstanding it."
"Jiaojiao, Bingbing, come out, both of you."
Youyou called for the two immortal herbs to emerge. At the same time, a beam of purple light shot from her stamens, crossed a hundred meters, and landed in a patch of vegetation. When the purple light withdrew, a thoroughly unremarkable-looking medicinal herb had appeared at its tip.
"Since you're his son, you should follow the path he once took."
"Autumn Water Dewdrops bathe violet eyes; profound ice and blazing fire temper a golden body."
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