And Little Iron Hammer, who had always feared neither heaven nor earth,
who would declare, "Never look down on a girl just because she's poor!" at the drop of a hat,
fell uncharacteristically silent now.
[Little Iron Hammer (deep in thought)] [This aura...] [It's very faint, but there's no hiding the nobility of that level of life.] [Hmph, looks like that idiot Tang Tian's background isn't so simple.] [Fine, I'll be merciful today and stay out of trouble. You can have some privacy.] [I just don't want to argue at a time like this. It's not because I'm moved! Hmph!]
Tang Tian paid no attention to the two little ones' thoughts.
He slowly walked over to the mound of earth and sat down cross-legged.
His movements were so gentle, as though he feared disturbing something.
The Blue Silver Emperor with fine golden markings seemed to sense something.
Her leaves began to tremble softly.
A silent call echoed through the air.
"This is my child!"
Then a long, slender leaf reached toward him.
It rested on Tang Tian's palm with the utmost gentleness.
It rubbed against his skin softly.
A deep, undissolvable longing and love
flowed along the leaf into Tang Tian's heart.
At that moment, Tang Tian's eyes reddened slightly.
He held the leaf and called softly,
"Mom, I've come to see you."
In that silent stone chamber,
Tang Tian was like a child who had suffered grievances outside and finally returned home.
He began rambling about everything that had happened since his earliest memories.
He had only awakened his memories of his previous life at six.
During the six years before that,
he had merely been an ordinary child longing for a father's and mother's love.
Countless times, he had envied the other children in the village.
Even if they were poor, they came home to hot meals and their parents' nagging.
A drunkard for a dad, no mom, and only one reliable younger brother.
That was a missing piece of his life.
Without Old Jack's support, who knew whether he could even have grown up safely and awakened his martial souls!
"Mom, you have no idea how unreliable the old man is."
"All he does is drink all day and sleep when he's drunk. The house is a pigsty."
"Little San and I couldn't even get a hot meal growing up. If Grandpa Jack hadn't helped us out, we would've starved long ago."
"He's just given up on himself. He doesn't act like a father at all."
At that, Ah Yin's leaves trembled even harder.
She gently stroked Tang Tian's cheek.
The emotions she conveyed were filled with endless guilt and heartache.
"I'm sorry..."
"Mommy didn't take good care of you..."
"You've suffered so much..."
Tang Tian sensed Ah Yin's self-reproach.
He quickly changed tack and reassured her,
"But don't worry. Little San and I have grown up."
"That boy Little San really has promise. He awakened twin martial souls."
"The Clear Sky Hammer in his left hand, Blue Silver Grass in his right, and innate full soul power, too."
Hearing about her younger son's talent,
Ah Yin's emotions settled somewhat, with a mother's gratification.
But then she conveyed a question with even greater concern: what about you?
Then Tang Tian paused, his voice growing somewhat low.
"As for me..."
"I only had innate level six soul power, and I awakened Blue Silver Grass and a little iron hammer."
"The old man's eyes are cold whenever he looks at me. He probably thinks I'm a lost cause and only wants to train Little San."
Ah Yin's leaf suddenly tightened.
It wrapped firmly around Tang Tian's finger.
She was not disappointed the way Tang Hao had been.
Instead, even stronger tenderness surged toward him like a tide.
What did it matter if his talent was poor?
He was her child!
He was her eldest son, who had remained optimistic and grown up strong despite his father's neglect!
She was even a little angry-angry at Tang Hao's favoritism!
Angry that she could not protect this seemingly strong yet sensitive child.
Feeling his mother's unreserved love,
Tang Tian smiled.
His smile was radiant and confident.
"Don't worry. I'm not that easy to knock down."
Soul power surged through him.
He released the fluctuations of his imminent breakthrough without holding anything back.
"Even though I started late, my soul power is already at level nine."
"I'll break through to level ten and become a Soul Master soon!"
"I cultivate even faster than Little San with his innate full soul power!"
"I'll prove to that old man who the real genius is!"
Tang Tian stood up and patted his chest.
Confidence shone in his eyes.
I'm an expert at gal games!
A god in the gaming world!
"Although I only awakened ordinary Blue Silver Grass, and my innate soul power wasn't high."
"My Blue Silver Grass is one of a kind on the entire continent."
With a thought, faint blue light gathered.
Little Blue, who had been secretly watching from the Sea of Consciousness all along, was summoned out.
"Come out, Little Blue."
Little Blue, who had been eavesdropping in the Sea of Consciousness all along, was forcibly summoned out.
Tang Tian held the somewhat cowering little blade of grass in his palm.
He solemnly introduced her to Ah Yin.
"Mom, this is Little Blue."
"She's my martial soul, and also my most important partner."
"We're extremely compatible. You could even say our hearts and minds are connected."
"During cultivation, she can freely control changes to her form."
"She's even awakened rare healing and mimicry abilities."
"Back at the academy, I relied on her to create a Blue Silver Grass Mimicry Training Ground."
"Even Little San, with his innate full soul power, doesn't cultivate as fast as I do."
Little Blue, who had been abruptly dragged out,
went stiff from leaf to root.
From Tang Tian's monologue just now, she had understood everything.
The Blue Silver Emperor before her was Tang Tian's mother.
And that meant Tang Tian carried the Blue Silver Grass bloodline.
That made Little Blue very excited!
No wonder her master felt so close and compatible with her!
But Tang Tian's move to have her meet his parent caught her completely off guard!
If she had feet,
she would probably have already scratched out a three-bedroom apartment with her toes.
[Little Blue the Blue Silver Grass (ultimate social death)] [???!!!] [M-Master! What are you doing?!] [Waaah! Did I polish my leaves today?] [You didn't give me any time to prepare, and you've brought me straight to meet your parent?!] [Is this the legendary... meeting the mother?!] [That nasty old man Tang Hao doesn't count. He treats Master badly anyway, so I'm not afraid of him.] [But this lady here...]
Little Blue sensed her surroundings shakily.
She saw the Blue Silver Emperor with golden markings before her.
That was absolute suppression from the very source of her bloodline.
It was the imposing might of the emperor among grasses!
[S-Such a powerful presence...] [Is this Master's mother?] [She's so noble. I'm just an ordinary blade of grass. Will I embarrass Master?] [Will she dislike me? Waaah, my legs have gone weak...] [If only I could crawl into a crack in the ground...]
Just as Little Blue's thoughts ran wild and she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground,
Tang Tian added,
"Little Blue is truly wonderful. Without her, I wouldn't have made it this far."
Hearing that praise,
Little Blue's two leaves trembled softly with emotion.
[Master... am I really that wonderful in your heart?]
Seemingly sensing Little Blue's nervousness and Tang Tian's affection,
Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, withdrew her imperial pressure.
Instead, she extended a long, slender vine.
She rested it on Little Blue's trembling leaves with the utmost tenderness.
A pure life force
slowly flowed into Little Blue through the point of contact.
That was the Blue Silver Emperor's acknowledgment and blessing.
It was also a mother's blessing for her son's partner.
"Don't be afraid, child."
"Thank you for always staying by Little Tian's side."
At that moment,
Little Blue felt as though all of spring had embraced her.
Before you continue