"Oh, this old guy, he's really quick to react."
Han Li glanced at the Blue Silver King, who was still transmitting messages. Their conversation had only briefly mentioned Tang San, but even so, the Blue Silver King had made this decisive decision without hesitation.
There was no doubt that it had no trust in Tang Hao, the male protagonist of the previous Blue Silver Emperor incident, and treated him completely as an enemy.
Perhaps in the eyes of this old Blue Silver retainer, their Emperor was deceived? So you're a supporter of conspiracy theories too? Or maybe because it displayed characteristics of a male soul beast? Is that why it was so clear-headed? Han Li thought somewhat whimsically.
But in any case, he was pleased with the outcome.
With the Blue Silver King's command spreading far and wide, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Spirit would be completely crippled, making it impossible for him to awaken its bloodline.
Even using Blue Silver Grass for mimicry training in the future would likely meet with resistance. Of course, when his level increased, he might forcibly harness the power of ordinary Blue Silver Grass.
After all, even without an awakening, the bloodline level still holds significance for soul beasts. Not to mention, the martial soul can evolve as cultivation increases, even if Tang San's martial soul has almost been ruined.
But even so, the greatest advantage of the Blue Silver Grass martial soul compared to another plant-type martial soul would be lost, reducing it to the bottom tier among soul masters of the same level.
That derogatory nickname, Trash Martial Soul, was now firmly cemented, and Han Li couldn't help but be amused.
Meanwhile, the Blue Silver King, although unsure why Han Li's attitude seemed to have softened, considered it a good thing for itself and the Blue Silver Grass race.
"Not bad, I'm satisfied with how you've handled things."
Han Li nodded slightly and continued, "After I leave here, I will use some methods to completely hide the Blue Silver Forest. No one will be able to find this place again."
His words made the Blue Silver King's body tremble. Unlike other soul beasts, their race had unique methods of detection and communication.
The same words had once been passed down through the race from the core of the Star Dou Forest. Later, the terrifying soul beasts seen by its race had indeed disappeared without a trace, and no matter how much it searched, it couldn't find any sign of them.
Now, hearing the same words from Han Li, the Blue Silver King didn't know if the methods were the same, but the fact that he dared to say them meant they were beyond its imagination.
"Thank you, esteemed human warrior."
This time, there was a genuine tone of gratitude in the Blue Silver King's voice.
"Consider this interest, so let's get started."
Han Li flipped his hand to return the Blue Silver Emperor to his wristband, and the Blue Silver King nodded in understanding.
From start to finish, neither of them mentioned how to deal with the former Emperor, Ah Yin.
While the Blue Silver King was still using its last moments to nostalgically look around at everything, Han Li turned to Ye Lingling.
"How about the torso bone?"
For a moment, Ye Lingling was confused by his question, not fully understanding.
Once she grasped what Han Li meant, she nodded quickly, her eyes shining even brighter as she looked at him.
Indeed, fate had led her to her savior, and she firmly believed that Han Li would bring change to this world.
Of course, after spending time with him, Ye Lingling no longer expressed such thoughts openly, but no one could stop what she felt in her heart.
Han Li, meanwhile, sensed the faith emanating from Ye Lingling toward him, feeling secretly pleased yet also somewhat helpless. (Ye Lingling's feelings are becoming similar to Shadow Graden's faith to Shadow.. xD)
Having a follower was nice, but it made him feel guilty when interacting with Ye Lingling, like a big bad wolf deceiving an innocent lamb.
Never mind, I'll think about this later, Han Li pushed aside his inappropriate thoughts and turned his attention back to the Blue Silver King.
"She needs a torso bone; I know you can make it happen."
After some thought, Han Li continued, "Her Martial Soul is also a top-tier life-type martial soul, Nine-Hearted Begonia. You don't need to worry about her Soul skills. As for the Soul Bone skills, focus on fully concentrating your Blue Silver Domain."
As if remembering something, Han Li looked at the Blue Silver King seriously and said, "I know you can draw upon the power of all your clansmen here. As for the Soul Ring, I'm not demanding it."
"But the SoulBone, if you can push it to a hundred thousand years, I promise that within a century, I will restore you to your current state, and during that time, the energy concentration of the Blue Silver Forest will increase by at least three times."
As he spoke, Han Li extended his right palm, as if manipulating something, and suddenly a strong wind arose within the Blue Silver Forest.
When the wind died down, the Blue Silver King was stunned. The energy concentration in the homeland it had lived in for over eighty thousand years had more than doubled.
Moreover, through its spiritual power, it could sense that the ambient energy in the world was slowly converging toward this place.
Could a soul master achieve this? And with his extremely unusual Soul Ring configuration, could he be the next Angel God or Sea God?
The Blue Silver King's heart was shaken. If it had a heart, it believed its heartbeat would be racing. Perhaps this wasn't a disaster for the Blue Silver Grass clan, but an opportunity.
"I will follow your will."
The Blue Silver King didn't hesitate long before making its decision, though it hesitated slightly as it said, "My lord, I will do my utmost, but I cannot guarantee that the Soul Bone will reach a hundred thousand years."
"No matter, I'll handle it."
Han Li casually waved his hand, glancing at the cluster of fortune above his head and at Ye Lingling, who was now temporarily connected to him. He didn't see this as a major issue.
"You just need to do your best; leave the rest to me."
"Yes."
The Blue Silver King's eyes faintly glowed as it lowered its head, showing even more respect. Han Li paid no attention to the Blue Silver King's behavior. To him, this was a no-cost transaction—after all, they would all eventually become his subjects, so he was simply exercising his rights a bit early.
He nodded at Ye Lingling, who took a few steps forward to stand before the Blue Silver King, while the others smoothly made space for her. They were familiar with the process of a sacrifice.
The Blue Silver King hesitated no longer. After one last affectionate look around, a blood-red pillar of light, tinged with pale blue, descended on Ye Lingling.
Not only that, as the blood-red pillar rose, pale blue light spots began to drift up from the entire Blue Silver Forest, converging towards Ye Lingling.
What was surprising, though, was that despite the commotion, if someone or some soul beast were outside the forest at this moment, they would find it peaceful, with no signs of anything unusual.
The Blue Silver King, even more sensitive in its sacrificial state, noticed this change and became even more dedicated to the task.
"So, how does it feel, seeing a sacrifice for the first time?"
...
Nearby, Han Li and the others were completely at ease, as if they weren't worried about anything going wrong. Han Li even asked Zhu Zhuqing, who was witnessing such a scene for the first time, how she felt.
"It's pretty overwhelming."
Although she had heard about this situation from others, seeing it in person was a different experience, and Zhu Zhuqing expressed her genuine feelings.
"Get ready. Tomorrow it's your turn. After you get used to it, you'll become numb."
Han Li said with a smile, while also keeping an eye on Ye Lingling.
"Thanks."
A barely audible thank you slipped from Zhu Zhuqing's lips, but the sound was drowned out by the wind caused by the surging energy.
Meanwhile, the Blue Silver King had reached the most critical moment.
The energy from the Soul Ring, under its control, did not cause any harm to Ye Lingling. It made the absorption process even smoother than when she absorbed her previous three Soul Rings.
However, when it attempted to condense a Soul Bone and increase its age using similar energy, it encountered significant obstacles.
The problem was that after the sacrifice, it struggled to control the massive amount of energy.
"Alright, that's enough. Sever your connection with the Soul Bone and focus on forming your Life Seed. Leave the rest to me."
Just as the Blue Silver King was at a loss and about to give up, Han Li's voice rang in its ears, giving it a sense of relief.
Without hesitation, the Blue Silver King severed its connection with the Soul Bone. Its aura weakened significantly, but thanks to the abundant life energy here, it did not suffer any further harm.
Then, just as it transformed back into Blue Silver Grass, it saw the unfinished Spiritoul Bone turn into a stream of light and fly into Han Li's hand.
Immediately afterward, its vision darkened, and it fell into a deep sleep.
Outside, Han Li was not as relaxed as he appeared. In an instant, he activated all his abilities, focusing all his energy on the Soul Bone in his hand.
He carefully manipulated the rules, preventing the energy in his hand from going out of control, and found the incomplete gaps in the rules. He then channeled external life energy and soul power into the Soul Bone.
As the connection between the SoulBone and its original owner was severed, the rules of the world quickly completed the pattern on the Soul Bone.
Finally, just before the gaps were fully closed, Han Li managed to inject about two-thirds of the life energy into the bone, though the overflow of energy knocked him backward.
"Xiao Li!"
Several voices called out in unison, rushing to where Han Li had been thrown.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Before they could reach him, they saw Han Li getting up, full of joy, tightly holding a Soul Bone that shimmered with blue-gold light.
"One hundred thousand years."
Han Li excitedly showed it to them, proudly displaying his achievement. Having completed this on his own, he naturally felt more satisfied than before.
Seeing him so energetic and after a quick check to confirm he was unhurt, they could only look at him with a mix of helplessness and relief.
"Don't take such risks again in the future."
Han Li smiled at their concerned expressions. "Don't worry, I won't."
He then turned his gaze to the Soul Bone in his hand.
"It's a pity I didn't have time to fully perfect it, but its quality is still high, and its completeness is excellent. It's at least on par with my right leg bone, though its enhancement might be a bit weaker."
The hierarchy of bloodlines among soul beasts was still strict. Although Han Li managed to avoid some gaps in the rules and successfully elevated the bone to a hundred thousand years, it ultimately couldn't cross that final threshold.
But still, a hundred thousand-year Soul Bone—what more could you ask for? It was already a treasure beyond the reach of most people.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingling had nearly finished absorbing the Soul Ring. The fluctuations of soul power around her gradually calmed, and a black Soul Ring with a reddish hue appeared in the position of her fourth ring.
PS: Let's see how Tang San proves the Grandmaster's statement: "There are no trash martial souls, only trash Soul Masters." Or will he switch to his superior martial soul: Clear Sky Hammer?
PS2: I added new story: Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King