"This is..."
Tang San watched from the side, dumbstruck.
He could clearly feel his elder brother's aura suddenly becoming sacred and welcoming, stirring an urge to submit in the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul within him.
Had his elder brother not still been right before his eyes, Tang San would have thought a powerful Plant-type Soul Beast stood before him.
A moment later, Tang Tianlin opened his eyes and said gravely, "San, stand before the Dragon-Patterned Vine. It wants to sacrifice itself to you."
"Sacrifice itself?!"
Tang San's pupils contracted, and he froze on the spot.
A Soul Beast voluntarily sacrificing itself meant giving up its life and transferring all the power it had accumulated over its lifetime to a Soul Master.
The Soul Master receiving the sacrifice could not only absorb the Soul Beast's power perfectly, but also obtain the Soul Skill best suited to his own needs.
Something that existed only in legends had actually happened to him?
"Stop standing there. Hurry over," Tang Tianlin urged.
As the Child of Nature, persuading a Plant-type Soul Beast less than a thousand years old to sacrifice itself took no more than a few words.
Seeing this, Tang San hesitated no longer. He quickly walked over to the Dragon-Patterned Vine, sat cross-legged before it, and circulated his power to regulate his breathing.
Sensing his approach, the Dragon-Patterned Vine's silvery-white markings suddenly lit up.
Then a point of emerald light slowly rose from the vine's core and settled gently between Tang San's brows.
Hum!
Tang San felt a gentle, nourishing surge of life energy flood his limbs and every part of his body.
His Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul released itself beyond his control, greedily absorbing the life essence contained within that point of emerald light.
Six hours later, the deep yellow Soul Ring beneath Tang San's feet had completely stabilized, radiating a soft glow.
Tang Tianlin also keenly noticed that the Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hand had undergone some changes.
The formerly slender blades had grown a measure thicker, and several pale golden markings had appeared along their veins, lending them a faint air of nobility.
Tang Tianlin guessed that the Dragon-Patterned Vine's sacrifice must have awakened the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline within Tang San.
He estimated that with another two or three sacrifices, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass could fully transform into a Blue Silver King.
[Ding! Detected that a sect genius has awakened his imperial bloodline through the host's efforts, raising his potential ceiling. Rewards: Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Bone Flower, Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Ganoderma]
Hm?
Hearing the system notification, a flicker of delight crossed Tang Tianlin's eyes.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Bone Flower and Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Ganoderma were precisely the materials he needed to break the Golden Dragon King's next seal.
With that, he needed only a single Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Essence Fruit to break through the Golden Dragon King's fifth and sixth seals.
When that happened, not only would his physique and blood energy improve, but he could also further increase the age of his third Soul Ring.
I wonder whether Tang Hao can help me gather the last of the materials.
"Big Brother, I did it!"
While Tang Tianlin was pondering, Tang San's excited voice rang out.
Tang Tianlin turned to look and saw that Tang San had already risen, his face filled with irrepressible excitement.
With the awakening of his Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, Tang San's skin had grown a little fairer, his features had softened considerably, and his black hair showed faint signs of turning blue.
Noticing his elder brother's gaze, Tang San immediately said excitedly, "Big Brother, my Blue Silver Grass seems to have... gained another ability!"
"Oh?" Tang Tianlin raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."
Tang San opened his right hand, and Blue Silver Grass appeared.
As he channeled his Soul Power, the blades suddenly straightened, and an extremely faint golden halo emerged over their formerly emerald surfaces.
"After I received the Dragon-Patterned Vine's sacrifice, besides obtaining a Soul Skill, my Blue Silver Grass also gained an ability similar to devouring."
As Tang San spoke, his gaze swept toward a large tree nearby, and he waved his hand.
Several strands of Blue Silver Grass shot out from beneath his feet, tightly entwining the tree in an instant.
The entwined tree rapidly yellowed, withered, and shriveled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Wisps of pale green vitality flowed back along the entwining Blue Silver Grass, feeding into Tang San's palm.
"Interesting."
Tang Tianlin nodded slightly. "Here, try wrapping it around me. Let me see how tough your Blue Silver Grass is."
Hearing this, Tang San turned his wrist, and several strands of Blue Silver Grass shot forth like spirit snakes leaving their holes, instantly coiling around Tang Tianlin's arm.
Tang Tianlin briefly tested them, then casually tore all the Blue Silver Grass apart.
"Not bad. With its current toughness, your Blue Silver Grass should rival some hemp ropes, and there's also the stickiness and suction on its surface."
"Unless you encounter a strength-type Soul Master, anyone at your level will have to expend considerable effort to deal with your Blue Silver Grass."
It had to be said that the Dragon-Patterned Vine had done a great deal for Tang San, already giving his Blue Silver Grass a basic capacity for combat.
With this characteristic alone, Tang San could even contend with Soul Masters at rank eighteen or nineteen.
Hearing his elder brother's praise, Tang San felt a surge of delight. "Big Brother, don't forget that I still have my first Soul Skill."
"Try using it on me," Tang Tianlin said succinctly.
"All right!"
Tang San's gaze sharpened slightly, and the deep yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.
"First Soul Skill: Dragon Silver Enhancement!"
As his words fell, Tang San flipped his right palm upward, and Blue Silver Grass emerged in response.
This time, the pale golden markings on its blades seemed to come alive, forming a layer of fine, silvery dragon-scale patterns over their surfaces.
"Big Brother, watch out!"
Tang San gave a low shout and flicked his wrist.
Swish!
Three strands of Blue Silver Grass sliced through the air at once, instantly wrapping around Tang Tianlin's right arm.
Tang Tianlin could clearly feel that this time, the Blue Silver Grass was more than several times tougher than before.
What surprised him even more was the faint suction seeping from the blades, seemingly attempting to absorb the Soul Power within him.
"Big Brother, my first Soul Skill not only strengthens the hardness of my Blue Silver Grass, but also enhances its devouring ability!"
"It can devour not only the life of plants, but also the Soul Power of anyone it entwines."
Tang San's tone carried a measure of pride.
In his view, this Soul Skill brought the Blue Silver Grass's tenacity and ceaseless vitality to their utmost limits.
"It's a very good Soul Skill, and it will have great potential in the future too."
With those words, a layer of pale golden blood energy rose over Tang Tianlin's body, instantly crushing all the Blue Silver Grass into dust.
Generally speaking, once a Soul Master reached the Soul Saint realm, their first and second Soul Skills became largely dispensable.
But Tang San's enhancement ability would remain a useful tool even in the later stages.
"It's all thanks to you, Big Brother!"
Tang San looked respectful, his admiration for his elder brother deepening further.
Without his elder brother, he absolutely could not have endured a seven-hundred-and-fifty-year-old first Soul Ring, much less received the Dragon-Patterned Vine's sacrifice.
All I can say is, I'll never be able to repay Big Brother's kindness!
"All right, enough flattery."
Tang Tianlin looked up at the gradually darkening sky. "We need to hurry out of here before nightfall."
"After all, the forest at night is the Soul Beasts' true home ground."
"Understood."
Just as the two were about to leave, a series of clashes suddenly sounded nearby, as though someone were engaged in Soul Fighting.
Moreover, the sounds were drawing nearer from afar, steadily approaching their location.
Tang Tianlin frowned slightly, grabbed Tang San by the back of his collar, and kicked off the ground.
Bang!
A shallow crater instantly formed in the ground as Tang Tianlin leaped into the air with Tang San, landing steadily on a tree trunk seven or eight meters above the ground.
Once he had steadied himself, Tang Tianlin looked toward the source of the sounds, his gaze sharpening slightly.
He saw a woman in palace attire desperately running their way, tightly holding the hand of a short-haired girl.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Head of the Ye Family, stop your futile resistance. You won't escape!"
Before you continue