"You're really ruthless..."
Snow Empress watched as Su Wen strolled leisurely through the valley, shook her head helplessly, but then stepped out of her Pokéball, choosing to accompany him.
"Directly raiding the lair."
"And to confirm a suspicion of mine," Su Wen mused.
"What is it?" Snow Empress seemed quite interested, perhaps because she was enjoying a rare quiet moment wandering with Su Wen in this serene, secluded valley. She blinked her eyes expectantly.
"A thousand years ago, Tang Hao, wracked with guilt, hid Ah Yin in a secret cave. But he spent his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol at Holy Soul Village, relying on Tang San to take care of his daily meals like some drunkard. So, what was his true feeling toward Ah Yin? Was it love… or just guilt?"
"What do you mean?!" Snow Empress froze, her beautiful face growing cold. Clearly, she had some inkling of Su Wen's implication.
"To judge a matter, don't listen to what they say. Watch what they do, and… what they get." Su Wen said quietly.
"Tang Hao was desperate to save his wife, hunted all the way by Spirit Hall, but in the end, he gained a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and became the youngest titled Douluo on the continent. For years after, his fame shook the land."
"A reputation for deep devotion? Somewhat suspicious, isn't it?"
Su Wen sighed softly.
"Actually, I met Ah Yin once back in the day," Snow Empress said coolly, her tone hard to read. "Her talent was no less than Ice Empress's, but unfortunately, she sacrificed herself for a human. I could only sigh about it back in the Extreme North, but I never thought…"
In these ten thousand years, Tang Hao had built himself quite the reputation—father of Tang San, a man of deep affection, and formidable strength.
"If he really was a greedy, despicable human, I would never let him off," Snow Empress's tone turned icy.
Her mood seemed to infect the entire valley. Though it was springtime, pure white snowflakes suddenly began to fall, settling on the two of them.
"Big Eye!" Su Wen called softly.
"Got it!"
At his call, a dense, black-red aura condensed in midair into a giant eye, which slowly opened, eerily surveying the entire valley.
Countless soul beasts shivered in fear.
The next second, Big Eye's voice rang out: "Found it!"
In the blink of an eye, the group—one human, two beasts—slipped into a narrow, cramped cave. The deeper they went, the colder Snow Empress's face became, until, at the very end of the cave, she spat out word: "Beast."
"Tsk tsk tsk…" Big Eye fanned the flames from the side, shaking its massive eyeball.
The cave was dark and damp, a hostile environment for any plant that needed sunlight. At the end sat a small stone platform, upon which grew a withered, yellow Blue Silver Grass. Light from a tiny hole above dimly illuminated the plant.
"Judging by the angle, it probably only gets sunlight at noon," Su Wen clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head.
This was barely keeping it alive, but it seemed someone was also afraid it might recover its strength…
Looks like there really was something fishy about what happened back then.
Su Wen gently stroked Ah Yin, who, though reverted to an ordinary Blue Silver Grass, seemed to retain a trace of spiritual awareness. The withered vine wrapped itself around Su Wen's finger, as if trying to communicate.
Such was the benefit of his special spirit traits.
The true "Beast Charmer" in the eyes of soul beasts.
"This age… it's not even ten years yet…" Snow Empress gritted her teeth angrily.
"Now, since Ah Yin's sacrifice, it's only been a little over ten years. Yet her cultivation hasn't even caught up to her own age. Tang Hao… that beast!"
"Don't resist. I'll take you out of here," Su Wen said gently.
A yellow Pokéball appeared in his palm.
He tossed it towards Ah Yin, and a beam of light shot out, illuminating the entire cave.
Buzz…
"It worked!"
Su Wen smiled slightly.
…
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
In a tavern in the imperial capital of Heaven Dou Empire, a man lay sprawled on the table, dead drunk. Suddenly, he jerked awake, terror and panic in his eyes. "No, the formation I set up was approached without my knowledge?! Why did I only find out after something happened to Ah Yin? Ah Yin, my Ah Yin!!!"
As for how much of that shout was earnest concern and how much was feigned worry, only he knew.
"Is this guy crazy?"
People around him shot strange looks, but the man was panting like a bull, his eyes gradually turning blood-red. "Touch Ah Yin, and I'll kill you!!"
He soared up, smashing through the tavern's roof, and shot away as a streak of light.
The whole tavern fell silent.
"Did you hear what he just said?"
"Seemed like… Ah Yin?!"
"..."
…
"First skill: Blue Silver Bind?!" Su Wen's mouth twitched.
Why did he draw this skill?
But seeing the [Yellow Grade] label after it, he could only sigh. This skill was hopelessly limited—even if it evolved to the Blue Grade in the future, how strong could it really be?
Blue Silver Grass's strength lay in healing and recovery. As a support control skill, it wasn't weak, but…
Forget it, I'll just treat it as a control skill to cultivate for now.
"Next stage: Blue Silver Emperor?"
"Level twenty-nine—about nine hundred years." Su Wen nodded in satisfaction. The once frail, yellow Blue Silver Grass instantly grew vigorous, its vitality surging.
"Go rest in the Lake of Life for now."
…