"So dark!"
Glancing into the cave, Yang Yunhai quickly took off his bundle and reached inside, pulling out a fire starter.
He removed the waterproof cap and gave it a gentle blow. A small flame immediately rose up.
"Just in case, I can't afford to delay!" Taking a deep breath to calm his excitement, he strode forward by the light of the flame.
Soon, he reached the inner chamber. With a quick glance around, he wasted no time and walked straight to the stone wall on the far side.
Summoning his martial soul, several vines extended swiftly upward toward the stone wall, quickly touching the box placed in a recess. Controlling the vines, he wrapped around the box and lowered it down.
The box was quite heavy, at least two hundred jin,but still within his capacity.
Catching it with his hands, Yang Yunhai crouched down and opened his bundle, placing the box on top.
In the original story, Tang San passed out for three days after absorbing the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone. How much more difficult would it be for him? Absorbing it inside the cave for too long would be unwise. If Tang Hao came by during that time, he'd likely be slapped to death on the spot.
While pondering, he picked up a bamboo tube beside the bundle and walked to the center of the stone chamber.
Without hesitation, he crouched down and carefully dug out the still-small Blue Silver Emperor, roots and all. Then he opened the bottom of the bamboo tube,which was only a third full,and filled it with some soil. He placed the entire plant with its roots inside.
He then capped the bamboo tube with the perforated top half and slung it across his chest.
Hurrying back to the bundle, he cushioned the lead box with clothing and tied the bundle securely. To be extra safe, he used vines from his martial soul to wrap it tightly.
"I should at least leave something for Tang Hao."
Stroking his chin, he quickly picked up a rock and went to the dry stone wall to the side. There, he carefully carved a message:
"Tang Hao, I've taken the soul bone for my own use. As for that Blue Silver Grass, I assume it's the Blue Silver Emperor who sacrificed herself for you? Too bad she's too weak now,I don't have time to wait, and she's of no use to me."
"So, I decided to toss her into the pool outside. Whether you can find her again or not when you return,I have no idea."
"Don't worry, I won't reveal that you were here, or anything about your son's whereabouts. After all, I don't want anyone knowing I absorbed the 100,000-year soul bone your wife left behind."
"As for who I am... heh, you guess!"
"This soul bone will be my compensation for the injury you once gave me. I've been ordered to track you for years. Now, I've finally gotten something in return. As for the grudge between us, once I become a Titled Douluo, I'll find you myself to settle it."
"Get angry, Tang Hao! Haha,the more injured you are, the better my chances."
"And honestly, I've been eyeing your soul bones for a long time."
Signed: A former admirer, now just passing through. Thanks to His Majesty the Clear Sky for the generous gift!
"I really am a little villain," he muttered, tossing the rock aside and quickly heading out.
At the cave entrance, he tied the bundle, long box, and bamboo tube across his chest with vines. Then, with a flick of his arms, two vines latched onto crevices in the stone gate. Facing the entrance, he leaned back and swung downward with the current.
The water flow was swift, but not too strong for the thick vines. As long as his body didn't stay in the torrent too long, it was manageable. The descent went smoothly.
Soon, with a hard swing, his feet landed by the pool.
He quickly set the bundle and bamboo tube on the ground and looked up at the waterfall, muttering, "I'll have to deal with those marks left by the barbs."
After thinking for a moment, he summoned his martial soul, jumped several times to reach the waterfall, and climbed back up.
Using the barbs from a distance, he deepened and widened the fine marks to make them look like they were made by an animal's claws.
It might not be very convincing, but at least Tang Hao wouldn't immediately think they were left by vine spikes,and certainly wouldn't suspect him. After all, his age and strength were obvious, especially with the message he left in the cave. He knew about Ah Yin's sacrifice and Tang Hao's injuries, making him appear to be a participant,or at least someone who knew about the past events.
So, he'd seem like a high-level soul master from the Spirit Hall, probably at least Soul Sage level. It would all make perfect sense.
"That should do it." With a nod, he quickly jumped down, grabbed the bundle and bamboo tube, and left.
Of course, he didn't go back the same way. Instead, he ran upstream.
To him, leaving the mountain range to find a place to absorb the bone wasn't ideal. Carrying such a treasure while wandering around,who knows what unexpected things might happen?
Inside the mountains, however, the most dangerous place was also the safest.
The outer perimeter was half a day's journey away,dozens of miles. Even a Titled Douluo couldn't see that far with the naked eye. Plus, the outer regions were full of perilous stone peaks. There had to be plenty of caves where he could hide without being discovered.
Most importantly, based on the message he left in the cave, even if Tang Hao came and found it, his first thought would be that someone from Spirit Hall was behind it. He'd definitely follow the river downstream looking for the Blue Silver Emperor's body, not blindly search the mountains or confront Spirit Hall.
That's exactly why he wrote about throwing her into the pool.
Thinking this, he picked up speed.
Looking down at the bamboo tube hanging from his chest, his thoughts shifted. "The Blue Silver Emperor's soul is strong, but the body is still too weak. Even if her consciousness awakens, she can't resist or escape. But if she's swallowed into someone's stomach, that might be a problem."
With that, he looked up. The sky was overcast with thick clouds, there should be plenty of rain. The surrounding peaks were shrouded in mist.
"Hopefully there'll be thunder and rain in the next few days," he muttered.
As time passed, just before nightfall, Yang Yunhai finally found a cave with a narrow entrance, perfect for hiding.
After a quick cleanup, he opened the bundle and took out the lead box. A cool, soothing aura spread out.
"Pretty beautiful," he muttered as he looked at the crystal-clear blue-gold right leg bone.
He immediately sat cross-legged and pressed the soul bone to his right leg.
Buzz! A faint humming sound echoed. A wave of cold rushed through his body, making Yang Yunhai shiver.
Soon, the chill spread from his leg as the soul bone silently dissolved in his hand.
"So comfortable." He sighed and shifted his focus inward.
In his inner view, strands of blue energy flowed from his right leg into his meridians, wrapping them immediately. Then, guided by his soul power, the energy spread quickly throughout his body.
Within a few breaths, all his meridians turned pale blue. A gentle swelling sensation followed. Yang Yunhai could clearly feel his meridians strengthening,becoming tougher and expanding rapidly inside.
But no matter how much they expanded, they always remained full.
"No wonder it's a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!" Yang Yunhai was amazed, but also thrilled.
After all, this soul bone was his now.
As time passed, the soothing sensation spread throughout his body, and Yang Yunhai's mind gradually relaxed.
Eventually, his consciousness faded, and he collapsed to the ground.
Only the faint sound of breathing and the soft blue glow shimmering on his body remained in the cave.
Elsewhere, inside the nearby bamboo tube, a single blue leaf brushed against the vent hole, trembling back and forth.
But no matter how hard it tried,it just couldn't get out.
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