Early the next morning, Chen Mo packed his things and prepared to head back to Holy Soul Village.
Dugu Yan saw him all the way to the valley entrance, her eyes red.
"Brother Chen Mo, do you really have to leave?" Dugu Yan asked softly.
"Yes."
Chen Mo ruffled Dugu Yan's hair and said:
"I'm going to Nuoding City to take care of something, but don't worry. I'll come back to see you every so often."
"Really?" Dugu Yan raised her head, her eyes shining.
"Of course."
Chen Mo smiled. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Dugu Yan broke into a smile through her tears and nodded vigorously.
"Then you have to come back soon!"
"All right."
Chen Mo exchanged a few more words with Dugu Bo.
Looking at the unusual gold-patterned Blue Silver Grass cradled in Chen Mo's arms, Dugu Bo said thoughtfully:
"Brat, although I don't know why you insist on taking it with you, carrying it around throughout your journey will be far too inconvenient. I'll give you the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse."
"This treasure purse contains a space of its own, making it ideal for nurturing spirit plants."
Chen Mo's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly thanked him:
"Then I'll accept rather than stand on ceremony. Thank you, Senior!"
Dugu Bo took the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse from inside his robe and handed it over.
Chen Mo accepted it and transplanted the Blue Silver Emperor inside.
Only then did Chen Mo activate the Blue Silver Emperor Leg Bone's flight ability and rise into the air.
However, he was only a level forty-six Soul Ancestor now, not yet a Titled Douluo.
Moreover, whenever he came across crowded areas, he had to land and walk to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After all, although everyone in Hua Country could fly, they simply had different ways of taking off.
But on the Douluo Continent, word of a six-year-old child who could fly would be far too shocking.
And so he flew, stopped, then stopped and flew again.
It took a full three or four days before Chen Mo finally reached Holy Soul Village.
During those three or four days, he took the Blue Silver Emperor out of the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse every day and used the Divine Tree of Creation's life force to promote her growth.
The Blue Silver Emperor had now recovered to an age of over five thousand years and was a genuine five-thousand-year Soul Beast.
Not only that, but Chen Mo also cut his fingertip every day and fed her a drop of blood.
The Blue Silver Emperor was an emperor among plant-type Soul Beasts to begin with. Nourished by both life force and blood, she grew increasingly lush, her leaves thick and plump, golden light flowing through their veins.
At five thousand years of age, she already possessed intelligence.
As more and more of her intelligence returned, the Blue Silver Emperor grew clingy.
She often took advantage of moments when Chen Mo wasn't paying attention to extend a few new shoots straight out of the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and wind them around his waist, swaying gently from time to time as though acting spoiled with him.
Sometimes, when Chen Mo stopped for a drink during his journey, the Blue Silver Grass around his waist would stretch out her leaves and rub against his cheeks, tickling him.
Chen Mo couldn't help laughing as he scolded her. "You little thing, you're getting more mischievous by the day."
Because he had been watering her with his blood all along, the Blue Silver Emperor felt an inexplicable closeness to Chen Mo. His presence had already been imprinted on her consciousness.
Chen Mo could sense that the Blue Silver Emperor's consciousness was growing clearer and clearer.
Ah Yin would be able to awaken soon.
Only after reaching Holy Soul Village did Chen Mo discover that Tang San wasn't in the village at all.
Only then did Chen Mo remember that, in the original story, Notting Junior Academy only had a break once a term, so Tang San should still be attending the Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy rather than being on vacation.
Chen Mo shook his head helplessly. He had made the trip for nothing.
But that was fine. He could simply go straight to Nuoding City to find him.
Chen Mo turned and headed toward Nuoding City.
After walking for about two hours, the gates of the Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy came into view.
Chen Mo straightened his clothes and prepared to enter.
Then the gatekeeper stopped him.
"Stop!" The gatekeeper looked Chen Mo up and down, his brow furrowing. "Who are you? What are you here for?"
Chen Mo lowered his head and looked at his clothes.
Good grief, they really were ragged.
This body of his had grown up in Holy Soul Village, and his clothes hadn't been much to begin with.
Later, he had schemed against Tang Hao at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and hunted several Soul Rings. His clothes had long since become tattered.
Although he had money-there were plenty of Gold Soul Coins in Tang Hao's Storage Soul Tool-he had never thought of buying clothes.
After all, there was nowhere to buy clothes in a place like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
As a result, the gatekeeper had now mistaken him for a beggar.
Chen Mo had no words.
Of course, he wouldn't prepare to kill the gatekeeper outright the way Tang San had in the original story.
There was no need, and it wasn't worth it.
He merely intended to release his Soul Power to prove that he wasn't an ordinary person.
Just as Chen Mo was about to release his Soul Power, a figure came running over from the distance.
It was a little boy about a meter tall, with dark skin, wearing clothes washed pale and carrying a small bundle on his back.
Chen Mo recognized him as Tang San at a glance.
Tang San had just returned from outside when he spotted someone standing at the academy gates from afar.
The person was around 1.6 meters tall. Although he wore ragged clothes, his face bore a confident smile, and his bearing was composed. One look was enough to tell that he was no ordinary person.
Tang San froze for a moment.
Why did that figure look so familiar?
He quickened his pace and ran over. After taking a closer look, his eyes instantly widened.
"B-Brother?!" Tang San stared at Chen Mo in disbelief. "You're Brother Chen Mo?!"
Chen Mo smiled when he saw Tang San.
"Xiao San, long time no see."
Tang San stared at Chen Mo, completely dumbfounded.
The boy before him was around 1.6 meters tall, with a straight, upright frame, handsome features, and a composed bearing.
If not for the lingering familiarity of that face, Tang San would hardly have recognized him as his sworn elder brother.
Then he looked at himself: around a meter tall, thin and small, with dark skin. Standing before Chen Mo, he looked like a little brat.
Tang San opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn't know what to say.
Should he ask where he had been for the past month and more? Why he had grown so much taller? Why he had come back alone?
The words reached his lips, only to be swallowed back down.
When the gatekeeper saw that Tang San knew Chen Mo, his attitude immediately changed. Clearly, the events of the original story had still taken place.
"So you're student Tang San's elder brother! A misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding."
The gatekeeper smiled apologetically. "Please come in, please come in."
Chen Mo smiled and didn't stoop to arguing with the gatekeeper.
"Xiao San, let's go." Chen Mo patted Tang San's shoulder. "Take me inside and show me your school."
"O-Okay." Tang San finally came to his senses and hurriedly nodded.
The two walked into the academy side by side.
Along the way, Tang San would sneak a glance at Chen Mo from time to time.
He kept feeling that his sworn elder brother was different now from how he had been a month ago.
Although Chen Mo had been very smart before, he had always been quiet and reserved, unlike now, when his whole bearing radiated confidence.