"Little San, dig her out first and temporarily put her in the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Purse. We'll settle her properly once we get to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."
As he spoke, Lin Mu handed the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Purse to Tang San. Ordinary storage soul tools couldn't hold living things, but this specific purse, originally given by Dugu Bo, was designed to preserve living herbs.
Tang San didn't question this arrangement at all and immediately took the purse.
Then, he took a few steps forward and slowly knelt before the Blue Silver Grass, his eyelids half-closed, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Seemingly sensing the connection between their bloodlines, the blades of Ah Yin swayed gently on their own, even without a breeze in the cave.
Seeing this, Tang San felt even more heartache. He gently stroked the thin leaves and whispered, "Mother... this dark and damp place isn't suitable for your growth. I'll take you away from here."
With that, Tang San took out a small knife from his storage soul tool and carefully began to dig into the soil around the roots, ensuring not to damage even a single root hair.
Meanwhile, Lin Mu had already begun exploring the cave's interior.
In his view, Tang Hao would never carry the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg soul bone with him at all times given his unstable condition; it must have been placed somewhere safe in this cave to accompany Ah Yin.
Therefore, Lin Mu felt along the damp stone wall while using his spiritual power to probe, trying to find some hidden mechanism.
Before long, Lin Mu found a slight protrusion in the rock that could be pressed. He decisively pushed it.
"Ding."
A dark object fell from a hidden compartment in the ceiling. Lin Mu, with quick reflexes, immediately used his soul power to catch it before it hit the ground.
It was a long, black lead box, covered in dust, clearly having been there for a long time.
Needless to say, what was inside was definitely the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone.
This soul bone possessed two skills: Flight and Wildfire Cannot Destroy the Grass, It Grows Again With the Spring Wind. The second skill granted immense regeneration, like spring breeze reviving grass.
However, both skills were support-type or utility skills, almost useless to Lin Mu's combat style, but perfectly suited for Tang San.
Lin Mu didn't open the box but instead walked to Tang San's side with it.
At this moment, Tang San had already transplanted Ah Yin into a potted plant and placed it safely in his Ruyi Hundred Treasure Purse.
Seeing Lin Mu approach, Tang San's gaze fell on the box in Lin Mu's hand, and he immediately asked curiously, "Master, what are you holding?"
"This... is considered your mother's legacy to you. A hundred-thousand-year right leg soul bone."
As he spoke, Lin Mu directly handed the box to Tang San, without a trace of reluctance or greed in his eyes.
"A hundred-thousand-year soul bone?!"
Tang San was shocked. The value of a hundred-thousand-year soul bone was second only to a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, a treasure that countless Soul Masters dreamed of but never saw. Now it was placed right in front of him; it would be a lie to say his heart didn't race.
After a moment, he suppressed his excitement, looked up at Lin Mu, and asked, "Master, since this is a soul bone left by my mother, why didn't my father absorb it?"
"That's not hard to explain. Your father, Tang Hao, was, after all, a peerless genius of the Clear Sky Sect. As the number one sect in the world, the Clear Sky Sect must possess many inherited soul bones. Perhaps your father just happened to absorb a right leg bone before this tragedy occurred."
Lin Mu explained first, then changed the subject, urging, "This soul bone perfectly matches your Blue Silver Grass martial soul and will greatly benefit you. You should absorb it quickly."
Hearing this, Tang San's eyes gleamed with fervor, but then he hesitated.
"Master, I've been able to cultivate to my current level thanks entirely to your guidance. This hundred-thousand-year soul bone will also be useful to you. Why don't you absorb it?"
Tang San didn't rush to open the box. Instead, he pushed it back into Lin Mu's hands.
In his heart, his master was already his most important family member. He had accumulated too much debt of gratitude toward Lin Mu, a debt he felt he could never repay in his lifetime.
Compared to that bond, a hundred-thousand-year soul bone seemed insignificant.
Seeing Tang San push the box back, Lin Mu was taken aback at first, then smiled with relief and pushed the box back to Tang San. "This is your mother's bone. How can I absorb it? Besides... I already have a right leg bone."
"Master, you already have a right leg bone?"
Tang San's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He had originally wanted to repay his master's kindness, but he had unintentionally created an awkward misunderstanding.
Thinking about it carefully, his master's eighth soul ring was a hundred-thousand-year ring, so he must have obtained a matching soul bone. He hadn't expected it to be a right leg bone specifically.
There was nothing he could do; Lin Mu had only used the Scarlet King's right leg bone in two specific situations. Tang San wasn't present during either the sparring session with the Bone Douluo or the battle at the Supreme Pontiff's Palace, so he wasn't aware of Lin Mu's full configuration.
"Alright, focus on absorbing the soul bone. I'll protect you."
With that, Lin Mu casually found a spot near the entrance to sit cross-legged, intending to guard Tang San.
"Yes, Master."
Seeing that his master couldn't absorb the soul bone even if he wanted to, Tang San didn't refuse anymore. His eyes hardened with resolve, and he knelt down, slowly opening the lead box in his hands.
"Hum!"
With a resonant hum, a powerful life force rushed out, seemingly freezing the surrounding space with vitality. The life energy contained within even surpassed that of a ten-thousand-year Emerald Swan.
Inside the box lay a complete right leg bone, its entire body a crystal-clear blue-gold, as if containing starlight.
The mere aura it emitted made Tang San feel exceptionally close to it, giving him an unprecedented warmth in his soul.
"Mother..."
Tang San's eyes welled with tears. Although he had never met his mother, the feeling of being connected by blood made him feel as if he were rushing into her warm embrace.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, lifted the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone from the box, and pressed it against his right leg.
*Buzz~~*
A slight buzzing sound rang out as the bone transformed into countless streams of blue-gold energy, merging seamlessly into his leg.
The absorption of the soul bone proceeded without any rejection. Even though there were slight cracking sounds as his meridians expanded, there was no pain whatsoever. Instead, it gently opened up his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, cleansing his body.
Clearly, the dormant Blue Silver Emperor bloodline within Tang San had played its role, perfectly resonating with the bone.
After confirming that everything was proceeding smoothly, Lin Mu slowly closed his eyes and gradually entered a state of cultivation.
Absorbing a soul bone of this caliber would take a considerable amount of time, and he couldn't waste it.
Time passed quietly, and three days went by in the blink of an eye.
In fact, absorbing a soul bone usually doesn't require that long, but Tang San was an orphan in his previous life and had never experienced maternal love. He was completely lost in the comforting aura of his mother, unwilling to wake up too soon.
During this time, Lin Mu left the cave several times, mainly to hunt in the nearby forest.
Although he had brought some dry rations in his storage tool, eating only hard tack for three days was quite torturous.
That morning, Lin Mu was roasting meat outside the waterfall.
Tang San, inside the cave, finally opened his eyes. Apart from his right leg feeling cool and powerful, the rest of his body felt uncomfortable; his skin was covered with a thin layer of gray paste, impurities expelled during the process.
"Where's Master?"
Tang San looked around but didn't see Lin Mu. Just as he was panicking, a rich, meaty aroma wafted in from outside the water curtain.
Smelling this mouthwatering aroma, Tang San smiled knowingly.
Without a doubt, it must be his master roasting meat; only meat roasted by Lin Mu would smell so good.
Immediately, he stood up abruptly and walked out of the cave, using the impact of the waterfall to quickly wash away the impurities on his body before landing on the bank.
"Hey, Tang San! Catch!"
After Tang San finished showering, Lin Mu smirked and tossed him a skewer of grilled meat.
Tang San caught it with lightning speed and stuffed it into his mouth. Although he didn't know exactly how much time had passed, he felt his stomach was completely empty.