Within the forbidden grounds shrouded in seven-colored radiance, the little girl's voice was gentle yet carried a weight that pierced the ages. Every word stirred towering waves in Lin Chen's heart.
She had waited a hundred thousand years...
Those few words held so much unknown history, so much waiting.
Lin Chen stood rooted to the spot, staring at the little girl in a green dress who looked no older than five or six. As he sensed the aura of life within her, born of the same source as his martial soul, his taut nerves quietly relaxed. He felt no wariness, only a deep sense of kinship.
Su Qingyuan and Yue Huaxi stood close beside Lin Chen, equally shaken as they watched the little girl. They could clearly sense the world-destroying power hidden within her seemingly fragile body. Her oppressive aura stood above all soul beasts—even a Titled Douluo would have bowed before her and pledged allegiance.
"Who are you?" Lin Chen suppressed the storm raging in his heart and asked in a low voice, a barely perceptible tremor in his words.
The little girl lightly hopped down from the Seven-Colored Immortal Herb, her bare feet touching the ground carpeted with spirit herbs. With each step, tiny emerald shoots sprouted beneath her. She walked up to Lin Chen and tilted her young face toward him, her eyes shimmering with the tenderness and weathered wisdom of ten thousand years.
"I have no name. The soul beasts of this world call me the Life Lord, and I am also the core origin of the Star Dou Great Forest," the little girl said softly, her voice as pure as a heavenly melody. "And you are the successor I have chosen, the sole heir to the ancient life blue silver emperor grass."
The Life Lord!
Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply. Shock consumed him.
He had already guessed that the little girl was no ordinary being, but he had never imagined she was the legendary Soul Beast Co-Ruler, the life origin of the Star Dou Forest! Such a being had long transcended the bounds of ordinary soul beasts. She was a supreme existence born alongside heaven and earth—even Spirit Hall Pope Bibi Dong might not be worthy of standing beside her.
"Ancient life blue silver emperor grass? What is that? Isn't my martial soul just ordinary blue silver grass?" Lin Chen hurriedly asked. All his questions came pouring out at once.
From his unusual martial soul awakening to the fusion of life force and iceheart power, then his ability to command Star Dou's soul beasts and stir a resonance in the forbidden grounds, his martial soul had always been shrouded in mystery. Now, the truth would finally be revealed.
The Life Lord gently raised her hand. Seven-colored life light flowed around her fingertips, and hazy images of ancient times appeared in the air. A secret buried for a million years slowly unfolded.
"All blue silver grass in this world originated from the ancient life blue silver emperor grass. The emperor grass was formed from the life origin of heaven and earth. It governed all vitality in the world, could heal all things and command all living beings. It was the foremost martial soul of ancient times, and the shared source of life for soul beasts and soul masters alike."
"In ancient times, Spirit Hall's ancestors coveted the emperor grass's power. They joined forces with the Dark Forces to unleash a calamity, seeking to seize its origin and rule both the soul master and soul beast worlds. To protect the vitality of heaven and earth, the blue silver emperor grass shattered its own origin into countless fragments. They scattered across the world, becoming ordinary blue silver grass and hiding between heaven and earth. Only a sliver of its core origin remained, concealed within the Star Dou Forbidden Zone, waiting for its successor to awaken."
"And you, Lin Chen, are the sole successor born from the blue silver emperor grass fragments after a million years of gestation. Your life blue silver grass is no ordinary martial soul. It is the embryonic awakening of the emperor grass's origin—the new generation of life blue silver emperor grass!"
Every word exploded in Lin Chen's mind like thunder.
He finally understood why his martial soul was different, why he could control life force and command Star Dou's soul beasts. From the very beginning, he had borne the ancient emperor grass's legacy and the mission of opposing Spirit Hall's dark schemes!
"Then what connection does the Ice Heart Grass have to my martial soul?" Lin Chen drew a deep breath and continued.
"The Ice Heart Grass is the immortal herb that grew alongside the emperor grass. Utterly cold and pure, it can suppress all evil thoughts and dark soul power, specifically countering Spirit Hall's corrupt martial souls," the Life Lord explained gently. "When the emperor grass shattered, the Ice Heart Grass perished with it, becoming a spirit seed hidden in Spirit Grass Valley. It waited to encounter the emperor grass's successor. Only by merging the two can the life blue silver emperor grass awaken fully and regain its ancient divine might."
"Your obtaining the Ice Heart Grass in Spirit Grass Valley was no coincidence. It was the guidance of the emperor grass's origin, a fate ordained for you. Life and iceheart must merge, vitality and extreme cold must coexist. Only then is the power of the life blue silver emperor grass complete—the only power capable of opposing Spirit Hall's ultimate strength."
The truth stood revealed. Every mystery had been unraveled.
Lin Chen lowered his gaze to the life blue silver grass martial soul appearing in his palm. Faint light flowed through the icy patterns on its leaves, and clarity dawned in his heart.
His birth, his opportunities, his struggle to the death with Spirit Hall—all of it had been destined from the beginning.
Spirit Hall had hunted him from the outset not because he had slain a Soul Emperor or defeated the Golden Generation, but because of an order passed down by its ancestors—kill every successor of the life blue silver emperor grass and eradicate the threat forever!
"Spirit Hall has spent these years expanding, hunting high-level soul beasts, and cultivating corrupt soul masters, all to recover the emperor grass fragments lost in ancient times. They intend to refine the life origin completely, attain supreme dark power, and rule the entire soul master world." The Life Lord's tone grew grave, and anger flickered in her seven-colored eyes. "Their scheme has been brewing for a million years. Now, only the final step remains, and you are the only one who can stop them."
Lin Chen clenched his fists. White and green soul power surged around him, and his gaze became utterly resolute.
So that was it. Everything made sense now.
Spirit Hall's ambition, the repeated assassination attempts, the undercurrents churning through the soul master world—all had their roots in the ancient struggle over the emperor grass. As the successor of the life blue silver emperor grass, he was destined to settle things with Spirit Hall once and for all!
"What must I do to awaken the emperor grass's power fully and stop Spirit Hall?" Lin Chen asked in a low voice. Now, he was acting not merely for himself, but for the soul master world, the countless soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest, and the safety of those beside him.
The Life Lord smiled faintly and gently pressed her hand against Lin Chen's brow.
A gentle yet boundless torrent of seven-colored life force flowed through his brow into his body, merging completely with his life blue silver grass martial soul.
In an instant, dazzling light blazed around Lin Chen. Emerald green, icy white, and seven-colored radiance intertwined as his martial soul grew wildly in the air. Its leaves shone ever brighter, its icy patterns grew ever clearer, and a terrifying pressure far beyond anything before erupted from his body.
His soul power surged like floodwaters bursting through a dam—rank thirty-four, rank thirty-five, rank thirty-six... In mere moments, he broke straight through to become a rank thirty-eight Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder!
At the same time, ancient soul skills, memories of the Emperor Grass Inheritance, and methods for commanding soul beasts poured into Lin Chen's mind. His control over life force and iceheart power broke through to an entirely new realm. His domain power ascended once more, giving birth to a new strength.
"I have infused the emperor grass's remaining origin into your body to help you advance and inherit its ancient secret arts," the Life Lord said softly, withdrawing her little hand. "But to awaken its divine might fully, you must gather the nine emperor grass fragments scattered across the world. Each fragment lies within a supreme hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Only after gathering them all can you complete your final transformation here in the Star Dou Forbidden Zone."
"Moreover, Spirit Hall already holds two emperor grass fragments. You must be careful. They will never let this rest, and their pursuit will only grow more frenzied."
Lin Chen closed his eyes, absorbing the surging power and inherited memories within him. When he opened them again, divine light of three colors flowed through his eyes. His bearing had changed utterly, combining a young man's sharpness with a successor's composure. His oppressive aura was restrained, yet others still dared not look directly at him.
"Thank you, Life Lord. I will not fail this legacy. I will shatter Spirit Hall's scheme and protect the vitality of heaven and earth." Lin Chen bowed, his tone solemn beyond measure.
"There is no need for such courtesy. This is your mission, and also your opportunity." The Life Lord shook her head gently and waved a hand. Seven-colored radiance gathered into an emerald jade pendant and landed in Lin Chen's hand. "This is the Life Emperor Pendant. With it, you can command Star Dou's countless soul beasts, and the gates of the forbidden grounds will always stand open to you. If you encounter danger in the future, crush the pendant, and I will appear to help you."
Lin Chen gripped the pendant tightly, warmth welling in his heart.
Just then, the sounds of clashing soul power suddenly rang out beyond the forbidden grounds. The furious shouts of two Soul Douluo experts pierced the radiance and reached them inside.
"Spirit Hall scum! You dare trespass on the Star Dou Forbidden Zone? You're courting death!"
"Not good! Spirit Hall's pursuers are here!" Su Qingyuan's expression changed, and soul power instantly surged around her.
Lin Chen's gaze abruptly turned cold, and killing intent erupted around him.
He had not expected Spirit Hall to move so quickly, pursuing him all the way to the Star Dou Forbidden Zone.
Fine, then. Old grudges and new debts—today, I'll collect the first payment!
"Qingyuan, Yue Huaxi, let's go!"
Taking both women by the hand, Lin Chen turned and headed out of the forbidden grounds. Three-colored soul power flowed around him. The new strength he had gained through the legacy was finally about to face its first true battle.
Outside the forbidden grounds, dozens of Spirit Hall soul masters had gathered to block the way. At their head stood a Soul Douluo elder, black energy swirling around him. His sinister gaze remained fixed on the entrance.
"Lin Chen, surrender the life blue silver emperor grass's origin, and I'll spare your life!"
Lin Chen strode out of the forbidden grounds, standing tall, his eyes icy as he faced Spirit Hall's forces. His voice was detached, yet carried supreme authority.
"You want the emperor grass's origin? Let's see whether you live long enough to take it!"
The first battle after his legacy awakened had begun!
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