Chapter 3

"Clear Sky True Body!"

Lava-like dark red patterns flared across the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Hao's hand. His seventh Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring shone, and his Soul Power erupted with a thunderous blast. A blood-red pillar of light shot straight toward the hall's vaulted roof, blotting out the daylight.

Tang Hao remained motionless as a blood-red giant dozens of yards tall appeared around him. The giant held a massive Clear Sky Hammer aloft in its right arm, ancient runes flowing in loops along the hammer.

[Host, please fight without concern. This system has blocked the energy fluctuations here from spreading outside.]

Seeing the Immortal Court's notification, Lan Changsheng nodded.

Tang Hao soon realized that, at some point, Blue Silver Grass had enveloped everything around him from top to bottom. Even though he had become a giant, he was still a beast trapped in a cage.

Tang Hao roared and brought his hammer crashing down.

The weight of the descending hammer crushed the air until it warped and tore. Thunderous tremors spread deep underground, and only a dull rumble remained between heaven and earth. Before the hammer arrived, its wind pressure had already struck.

The wind pressed Lan Changsheng's robes tight against his body, his long silver-blue hair whipping wildly.

Yet he moved toward the massive hammer of his own accord, slowly walking upward, a stalk of Blue Silver Grass supporting each step.

He loosely curled his right hand. Blue Silver Grass grew wildly within it, twining, compressing, and solidifying into a silver-blue spear whose shaft gleamed with brilliant light. The spiral spearhead at its tip spun faster and faster.

Just as the massive hammer was about to reach Lan Changsheng, he flung his right arm forward. The silver-blue spear shot skyward, passing through the falling hammer without the slightest resistance and piercing Tang Hao's Martial Soul Avatar.

The next instant, their surroundings cleared again, as though that collision had been nothing but an illusion.

The difference was that Lan Changsheng still stood on a raised platform supported by Blue Silver Grass, while Tang Hao now leaned weakly against a tree trunk.

Tang Hao had never experienced such an overwhelmingly one-sided battle. His hot blood had been stirred for the first time in ages, and the once-insufferably arrogant Clear Sky Douluo was awakening.

The first soul ring circling him blazed with dazzling light, showing faint signs of shattering. A powerful surge of Soul Power shot skyward, only to be absorbed and dissipated by the Blue Silver Cage that had already formed.

Seeing Tang Hao's actions, Lan Changsheng nodded. "My dear brother-in-law, there's no need to be so tense. We can sit down and talk now."

With that, the Blue Silver Grass beneath Lan Changsheng's feet slowly contracted, lowering him in front of Tang Hao.

Tang Hao's expression froze. Even his Ring Detonation stopped progressing as he asked in disbelief, "What did you say? Brother-in-law? What brother-in-law?"

"You heard me. Ah Yin calls me her older brother. You should call me Brother too," Lan Changsheng said casually.

Yet those words stirred towering waves in Tang Hao's heart, and his grip on the Clear Sky Hammer loosened. No wonder the Blue Silver Grass around Lan Changsheng was so affectionate toward him.

Ah Yin actually had such a powerful relative!

Still, Tang Hao spoke with a trace of doubt. "I never heard Ah Yin mention having an older brother."

"Yes, why didn't she say anything? Why didn't she come find me, Ah Yin!" At the thought, Soul Power surged around Lan Changsheng, his chest heaving unevenly.

"There's no need to doubt me. If I were lying to you, you wouldn't have survived this long." As Lan Changsheng spoke, Blue Silver Grass began twining and compressing in his right palm again.

Watching this, Tang Hao nodded in agreement.

"As for when you were being hunted, I was attempting to attain Godhood then. Ah Yin might have been afraid of affecting me. So..."

Lan Changsheng lowered his eyes, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly. "After all, Ah Yin is a strong and brave girl.

"Actually, I have no right to blame you.

"We were both at fault."

Tang Hao fell silent. He put away the Clear Sky Hammer and removed his black outer cloak. This was the first time he had stood before someone with no defenses whatsoever. "We were both at fault."

"Give me Ah Yin's seed. As the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin possesses an undying, indestructible nature. As long as Blue Silver Grass still exists on this planet, she can be revived, though her memories might be reset."

The system promptly displayed a notification.

[After passing the Divine Trial and mastering a certain amount of the God of Life's Divine Power, you can revive your younger sister without side effects.]

"But I'll find a way."

"All right." Tang Hao took a pale jade-green seed threaded with several golden lines from inside his clothes and placed it in Lan Changsheng's outstretched hand.

[Ding, mission completed. Reward: 2% mastery of the Law of Life. Current mastery: 8%.]

A warm current flowed into Lan Changsheng's body, but he had no attention to spare for it. Holding the seed, he could not stop trembling.

Golden light rich with Life Force shone from Lan Changsheng's palm, enveloping Ah Yin's seed.

A soft, greenish glow rippled outward from within the seed, its golden patterns flowing along with it. A tender shoot broke out of the seed and touched Lan Changsheng's palm, and an affectionate voice came from within.

"Brother~"

After ninety thousand years together, he had heard that form of address countless times, but this time.

"It still hurts here."

Lan Changsheng had only assumed human form, not chosen to become human. Moreover, as Blue Silver Imperial Emperor Grass, he should not have possessed an organ such as a heart.

Lan Changsheng clutched the place over his heart. An urge to cry filled his entire body, yet he could not cry.

[Excessive grief detected in the host. Prolonged grief will damage your state of mind. Do you need the system's help?]

Lan Changsheng ignored the system's words and solemnly put away Ah Yin's seed.

With a wave of his hand, he condensed a golden stalk of Blue Silver Grass and told Tang Hao, "This is my origin Life Force. Take it and find somewhere to properly heal. This origin power is enough to fully heal your injuries and even take you a step higher."

"This is too precious. I can't accept it." Tang Hao waved his hands repeatedly.

But Lan Changsheng simply tossed the origin power toward him. "Take it. Blue Silver Imperial Emperor Grass has even stronger vitality. Losing this much does me no harm at all."

This time, Tang Hao accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, thank you... Brother."

"Who was there back then?"

Looking at Lan Changsheng's blue, slightly ferocious expression, Tang Hao knew what he wanted to ask. "They were all from Spirit Hall. Their leader, Qian Xunji, was severely wounded by me. I heard he died not long after returning. The others were Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

"They're both level 95 Titled Douluos, and the two of them also have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Two Extremes Stillness Domain!

"Every target within the domain's range is brought to a standstill. Their bodies cannot move, their Soul Power stagnates, and their Soul Skills, domains, and Soul Bone Skills are all frozen! Even the flow of energy stops completely. Its effect is comparable to stopping time in a localized area!"

At this point, Tang Hao paused. "They say that neither Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts nor Titled Douluos can escape its control!"

Lan Changsheng was still wondering whether he should separate the two and defeat them one by one when a voice sounded in his mind.

[Host, there is no need to worry. You have already set foot on the path to divinity. This Martial Soul Fusion Skill has no effect on you.]

That was an unexpected delight. It would save him some trouble.

"At this time tomorrow, let's go talk to Xiao San together. He should know his own origins too."

"All right."

"Also, clean yourself up properly. When Ah Yin wakes up, she certainly won't want to see a drunkard."

"Yes!"