The evening after the Martial Soul awakening

The sunset's lingering glow painted the little courtyard a warm orange, but inside, a heavy topic had left the air somewhat still.

Jiang Nannan looked at Tang Wutong's cool, peerlessly beautiful face and finally voiced the question weighing on her mind. "Wutong, what path do you intend Wulin to take? He awakened Blue Silver Grass... even if that's only its manifested form, it's still plant-type. If he follows the control path, the traits of his martial soul should make it fairly easy for him to become a powerful Control System soul master someday, shouldn't they?"

In her subconscious, Blue Silver Grass was practically synonymous with the Control System. After all, the legendary Sea God, Tang San, had followed that very path. Everyone believed that Blue Silver Grass, with its ability to entangle and bind, was born for control.

Yet Tang Wutong shook her head, a flicker of complicated emotion crossing her eyes. "Don't let that lead you astray. The Control System may be steady, but it isn't the one best suited to little Wulin."

"But..." Jiang Nannan was puzzled. "If not control, then power attack? Can Blue Silver Grass even be used for power attacks?"

"No. Support." Tang Wutong's voice was quiet, but her words rang with conviction. "And the ultimate form of support at that."

"Support?" Jiang Nannan froze.

Tang Wutong rose, walked to the window, and gazed at the last streak of evening glow fading on the horizon. Slowly, she said, "Back then, Dad's decision to follow the Control System was actually a mistake. Or rather, it was the greatest misjudgment of his life."

"A misjudgment?" Jiang Nannan, Tang Ziran, and his wife all held their breath.

"Yes." Tang Wutong turned, her eyes blazing. "When Dad awakened at Nuoding Academy, Grandmaster... that is, Yu Xiaogang, his teacher, planned his path for him. Grandmaster believed that although Blue Silver Grass seemed ordinary, its entangling nature held tremendous potential for control. In that age of scarce resources, with Grandmaster's authoritative judgment behind it, Dad naturally embarked on the Control System path."

She paused, a bitter yet relieved smile curling her lips. "Later, Dad obtained the Blue Silver Grass soul bone Grandma had left behind, and only then did he truly awaken the Blue Silver Emperor's power of origin. That was when he suddenly realized that Blue Silver Grass's true strength had never been binding or entanglement, but the endlessly renewing power of life!"

Silence filled the room.

"If, back then," Tang Wutong's voice grew low and forceful, "Dad hadn't been constrained by Grandmaster's theories, and had instead chosen the support path from the beginning, developing Blue Silver Grass's life force, healing power, and group enhancement to their utmost, his growth might have been much smoother. He wouldn't have repeatedly fallen into danger early on because he lacked attack power, either."

Jiang Nannan finally understood. So the rule that everyone revered as gospel—"Blue Silver Grass equals the Control System"—had merely been a judgment made by one teacher based on his limited understanding. And that judgment had shaped the entire Douluo Continent's definition of Blue Silver Grass!

"Blue Silver Grass is a gift from the earth, a symbol of life." Tang Wutong sat back down, tapping her fingers lightly against the table. "Entangling and binding are only ways for it to protect life, not its purpose. I'm going to help set little Wulin's path right. Since he awakened with innate full soul power, and since his bloodline is purer than Dad's, he will be the one to shatter the shackles of that belief."

"I want him to walk a path no one has ever walked before—to use Blue Silver Grass as his foundation and forge the ultimate life-based support and group enhancement."

Jiang Nannan's heart surged as she listened. She finally understood why Tang Wutong had deliberately concealed the Soft Bone Rabbit's existence, and why she wanted to redefine Blue Silver Grass. This was not merely the choice of a cultivation path, but a reversal of destiny itself.

"But, Wutong," Jiang Nannan still sounded worried, "no one has ever taken this path before. Won't it be too difficult?"

A confident smile curved Tang Wutong's lips, carrying the pride of a princess raised in the Divine Realm. "Difficult? Of course it will be. But don't forget, another bloodline flows within him. The Soft Bone Rabbit's speed and agility, combined with Blue Silver Grass's vitality and resilience—that is his true trump card."

She looked toward the inner room, her gaze turning infinitely tender. "Little Wulin, your big sister has already paved your path. How you walk it from here will be up to you."

Night deepened, and all fell silent in the little courtyard, save for the flickering candlelight inside.

Jiang Nannan looked at Tang Wutong's face, which seemed especially resolute in the candlelight, yet she still worried about Tang Wulin's future. After a moment's consideration, she spoke again. "Wutong, since you've decided to have little Wulin follow the support path, what about his first soul ring... or rather, what sort of soul spirit do you intend to give him?"

She paused, a trace of concern in her voice. "Little Wulin's martial soul is unusual, and he has innate full soul power. An ordinary soul spirit might not be able to bear his soul power, and could even limit his potential."

Hearing this, Tang Wutong gently set down her teacup and turned her gaze toward the boundless darkness outside the window, as though she could pierce layer upon layer of mist and see a peaceful, tranquil place beyond.

"Nannan," Tang Wutong said softly, with a warmth that was almost imperceptible, "I intend to take Wulin back to the countryside in a little while."

"Back to the countryside?" Jiang Nannan blinked.

"Yes." Tang Wutong nodded, her eyes softening completely. "To that remote little village. I want to take little Wulin to see Grandpa and Grandma."

"You mean... Clear Sky Douluo and Senior Ah Yin?" Jiang Nannan understood at once, realization flashing in her eyes.

"That's right." A faint smile curved Tang Wutong's lips. "Grandpa and Grandma have lived in seclusion in that little village all these years, far from worldly strife, guarding that patch of unspoiled land. Little Wulin has been born for so long, yet they still haven't met this grandson of theirs. As his great-grandparents, they have the right to meet their own flesh and blood, and they're qualified to vet his first soul spirit."

More importantly, Tang Wutong had another, deeper intention that she had left unspoken.

That little village was the true birthplace of the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, and the place where Grandma Ah Yin had taken human form. Every blade of grass and every tree there held the Blue Silver Emperor's purest aura of life. For Tang Wulin, who had just awakened and urgently needed guidance, nowhere could be better suited to absorbing his first soul ring. Perhaps, on that very land, little Wulin would forge an inseparable bond with the soul beasts there.

"You're right." Jiang Nannan nodded in wholehearted agreement, a longing expression appearing on her face. "It's time to go back for a visit. Senior Ah Yin will be overjoyed to see little Wulin. She, especially, has the kindest heart. She'll surely find the best opportunity for him."

She could almost see that heartwarming scene already: in the little courtyard carpeted with Blue Silver Grass, Ah Yin would hold the hand of the exquisite, doll-like Tang Wulin and lovingly tell him stories about flowers and plants. Tang Hao would stand nearby, silent, but with eyes surely full of affection.

"As for the soul spirit..." Tang Wutong rose, walked to the window, and gazed at the stars twinkling in the night sky. "I think that place may give us the best answer."

Jiang Nannan walked over and gently patted her shoulder. "Then it's settled. Once some time has passed and little Wulin is a bit older, you can set out. Stay safe on the road."

Inside, the candlelight flickered, illuminating two young faces. In the inner room, Tang Wulin rolled over and mumbled in his sleep, as though he, too, had met those distant yet dear "Grandpa and Grandma" in his dreams.

Moonlight spilled down, gilding the promise made that night with a gentle silver glow.

In the stillness of the deep night, Tang Wulin felt his consciousness grow hazy in his sleep, as though he had passed through a thin film of water and drifted weightlessly into a strange space.

It was a vast, boundless sea of consciousness, its rolling waves shimmering with a faint golden glow. At its center stood a magnificent, ancient hall.

The entire hall was a mysterious dark gold. Its doors stood slightly ajar, revealing a dim glow within. Though Tang Wulin was young, he felt no fear here in his own spiritual world. Curious, he began walking toward the hall, one step at a time.

He pushed open the heavy doors, and the sight before him made his eyes widen.

The hall's interior was immensely spacious. Countless strange runes were carved into the walls on either side, radiating a pressure that made his heart tremble. At the far end of the hall stood two enormous statues, one on the left and one on the right.

The statue on the left depicted an extraordinarily beautiful woman. Her figure was graceful, emerald vines wound around her body, and her face was gentle and compassionate. It seemed that a single glance at her was enough to feel vibrant life.

The statue on the right depicted a man clad in purple robes. His face was stern, and a Destruction Aura that made the heart tremble swirled around him. His eyes were half-closed, yet he seemed ready to open them at any moment and bring down heavenly punishment.

Tang Wulin shrank back a little, instinctively feeling that the uncle on the right looked terribly fierce, while the auntie on the left looked much more approachable.

Directly before the two statues, an intricate, mysterious Hexagram Array was inscribed on the floor. At its center, a cluster of gentle green light seemed to pulse faintly.

"Where am I?" Tang Wulin murmured, curiosity drawing him toward the green light.

He stepped carefully onto the Magic Array. The instant his foot touched its center—

Hum!

The dormant Magic Array suddenly lit up. Gentle emerald light soared upward, instantly dispelling the gloom within the hall. Rather than dazzling, the light felt as warm as spring sunshine.

Then a translucent figure slowly began to take shape within the light.

It was the phantom of a woman with a graceful figure. Her long green hair cascaded like a waterfall, her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes were so tender they seemed ready to drip with water. She wore an emerald gown and radiated a faint glow, like an immortal maiden from the highest heavens.

Tang Wulin tilted his head back and stared at the pretty auntie who had suddenly appeared, feeling a little dazed.

The woman's phantom looked down at Tang Wulin, her eyes filled with fondness and affection. She bent slightly, her voice as clear and pleasant as a spring:

"Little Wulin, this is our first meeting."

She reached out and gently touched the tip of Tang Wulin's nose with a translucent finger. The touch was cool, carrying an aura that put his heart at ease.

"Hello, little one."

Her smile bloomed like a flower as she said gently, "You can call me... Aunt Green."