The sky went from dark to light, then dark again.
The ox cart swayed along for a full day and night.
The driver came from a nearby village and usually picked up odd jobs like this.
When he first heard Su Ling wanted to come to this forest in the middle of nowhere, he had refused adamantly.
For one thing, he did not know the way. For another, he was worried about a child going into the wilderness alone.
Su Ling had immediately offered him five Silver Soul Coins. The old man had grinned from ear to ear and agreed on the spot, then talked nonstop the whole way, afraid of displeasing his generous customer.
Five Silver Soul Coins were more than a month's income for him.
"Little one, what are you going to the Northwest Forest for? That place is uncanny. Not only does nobody live there, even Soul Beasts are scarce. I hear plenty of people who went in never came back out."
Hearing this, Su Ling was delighted. Judging by the old man's description, this was definitely the right place.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Su Ling answered casually, "To find some medicinal herbs."
The old driver did not ask any more questions, merely muttering that children these days were really bold.
The ox cart stopped at the forest entrance. He could not accompany Su Ling any farther. Aside from the strangeness of these woods, if they encountered a Soul Beast like a tiger or leopard, the old ox that had been with him for decades would meet its end.
He still wanted his son to raise the old ox until it was a hundred years old, then sell it to someone as a Soul Ring.
Su Ling noticed something different at a glance.
Blue Silver Grass.
The Blue Silver Grass here grew unusually thick.
It was so lush that it bordered on bizarre. Some of the Blue Silver Grass was even taller than Su Ling.
For now, however, it was all Blue Silver Grass in its most ordinary form, no different from the weeds found everywhere along the roadside. Thus, nobody had paid this place any particular attention, assuming the environment here simply suited its growth.
Little did they know that in a cave deep within this dense forest grew the emperor of the Blue Silver Grass Clan.
The Blue Silver Emperor.
The Blue Silver Emperor was also the purpose of Su Ling's journey.
Su Ling jumped off the cart, paid the agreed five Silver Soul Coins, and told Old Zhou to come back in two days for the same price of five Silver Soul Coins before heading into the forest alone.
The farther in Su Ling went, the more Blue Silver Grass there was.
At the same time, Su Ling could feel Soul Beasts watching.
"System, can you mark the Blue Silver Emperor's exact location for me?"
System: Folks watching on your screens, should I help Su Ling mark the Blue Silver Emperor's exact location?
"What is this supposed to be?"
Bibi Dong, who was watching the livestream, froze. This system even asked for their opinions?
System: Tip one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins to help Su Ling mark the Blue Silver Emperor's location.
"Why should I spend money to help someone else get stronger?"
"Too bad I don't have a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. If I did, I'd definitely help Su Ling."
"Gold Soul Coins... what are those?"
More and more people voiced their confusion before the livestream screens.
A hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was certainly no small sum. It was not something an ordinary person could produce.
Su Ling called for the system several times without getting a response and could only search slowly alone. There were only two small hills nearby, so searching would not be too difficult.
System: The tipper will receive one chance to issue a quest! Ning Rongrong tipped the system one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.
"Holy crap."
Ning Rongrong had never expected that tipping would expose her identity.
Still, it did not really matter. Issuing a quest would inevitably expose the issuer anyway; it was only a matter of time.
"I hate rich people."
Quite a few people behind the livestream screens nearly ground their back teeth to pieces. As expected of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess, she could produce a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins just like that.
Many of those women could not necessarily scrape together a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins in cash even if they emptied their entire fortunes.
There were even powerful figures who did not know what Gold Soul Coins were.
Ding! The system has received sponsorship from a kind benefactor and marked the Blue Silver Emperor's location for the host. The target is 317 zhang from the host, inside a limestone cave halfway up the mountain. Three layers of barriers placed by Tang Hao have been detected around the perimeter. Breaking through requires Soul Douluo strength and will alert Tang Hao.
"No matter."
Never mind a Soul Douluo barrier; Su Ling could break even a God King's barrier with one hand.
The corner of Su Ling's mouth twitched.
Don't laugh, don't laugh. What if someone's watching me and the system gets exposed?
Kill them without mercy, of course.
That old bastard Tang Hao would probably leap up in outrage if he found out.
Ning Rongrong rested her chin on her little hands, still considering what quest to issue.
Su Ling had already arrived before the barriers Tang Hao had erected.
Su Ling crouched, pressed a palm to the ground, and circulated the meager Soul Power within. Although the Martial Soul's weight could be changed at will, controlling it to attack still consumed Soul Power.
Soon, the first barrier shattered like glass.
The second and third layers were both crushed by Su Ling's Primordial Stone like rotten wood before a storm.
At that moment, Tang Hao was still asleep.
Tang San's awakening of Twin Martial Souls had made him so happy that he had drunk three bottles of aged liquor in a row.
The three barriers had taken Su Ling less than the time it took an incense stick to burn.
Ding! The host has entered the core area. The cave entrance is thirty zhang ahead.
Su Ling opened both eyes, stood up, and brushed the dirt off both knees.
Su Ling now stood before a small limestone cave, its narrow passage overgrown with Blue Silver Grass.
Su Ling parted the grass and squeezed in sideways.
The cave was not large, with an area roughly twice that of Su Ling's room.
There was a crack in the ceiling, through which a slanting shaft of daylight fell directly upon the center of the cave.
Of course, that was under ideal conditions. By now, weeds had blocked the crack.
Ah Yin, growing in the middle of the cave, was also half-dead. Had it not been for the golden patterns on her leaves, Su Ling really could not have distinguished her from ordinary Blue Silver Grass.
The Blue Silver Emperor's stalk was much thicker than those of other Blue Silver Grass, its color a deep, dark blue with a faint golden sheen.
The entire plant was short, barely reaching Su Ling's knees, yet that tremendous vitality made Su Ling's Martial Soul tremble wildly within.
Su Ling had a feeling that the Blue Silver Emperor was absolutely the most suitable Soul Beast right now.
After all, without plants, Su Ling's planet would be nothing but a barren world.
"Isn't that the Blue Silver Emperor?!"
Bibi Dong remembered this Soul Beast. Since the Blue Silver Emperor was there, Tang Hao was there too!
Bibi Dong thought of that child with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power. She remembered that the child was named Tang San.
Could Tang Hao also be in Holy Soul Village?
Ding! Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor detected. Current cultivation: eight hundred years. Attributes: plant/life/mental. Absorb?
Su Ling took a deep breath.
Do you even need to ask? Why the hell would I come all this way if I wasn't going to absorb her? To fertilize Tang San's mom?
Now.
Before Su Ling could begin, the system's voice rang out again.
Today's quest has been issued: absorb the Blue Silver Emperor as your First Soul Ring. Rewards: Blue Silver Life Pill ×1, "increases lifespan by ten years"; Soul Power Level +1.
This delighted Su Ling even more. The system had not issued a quest yesterday, which had been a little frightening. Su Ling had thought the old ox-cart driver had discovered the system.
This quest had come at just the right time. The Blue Silver Life Pill could also be given to Old Jack.
It would be bad if Old Jack croaked before Su Ling had grown strong.
Although Old Jack was not wealthy either, there had never been any shortage of eggs, milk, and such.
When Old Jack had first picked Su Ling up as a little child, Holy Soul Village had no milk-producing animals like dairy cows or goats. Old Jack had run to a town dozens of li away every day to buy milk.
This had made Su Ling a full head taller than Tang San, who was the same age.
Su Ling raised the right hand, and that dull gray stone sphere appeared in the palm.
"Ah Yin, if I call your name, do you dare answer?"
Ah Yin: ???
Expressing confusion counts as answering too!
Although Ah Yin possessed little awareness at the moment, she was still a bit smarter than Blue Silver Grass.
In an instant, the Blue Silver Emperor was absorbed into Su Ling's Martial Soul.
The formerly black sphere instantly turned blue.
It had gained not only Blue Silver Grass, but mountains and lakes as well.
Other plants also appeared on the planet, though Blue Silver Grass still predominated.
The host's Martial Soul has completed its automatic evolution. Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin's current cultivation: one hundred thousand years.
Suddenly, a blue figure appeared before Su Ling.
"Master!"
Before you continue