After dealing with the thousand-year soul beasts, Cheng Xiao's gaze fell upon the waterfall ahead. Now, he was absolutely certain that the Blue Silver Emperor was hidden behind it.
"Be careful," Ye Lingling reminded him, seeing through his intentions.
"Mm." Cheng Xiao nodded slightly and stepped toward the rushing cascade. From the shadows, Nash, his dragon companion, was ready to act, but Cheng Xiao raised a hand to stop him.
"It's been too long since I've stretched my limbs. I should move a little myself." A slight smirk played on his lips as he lifted his arm. Instantly, an invisible force surged outward, striking the waterfall and forcefully parting the rushing waters.
Seizing the moment before the water reformed, Cheng Xiao's figure flickered as he stepped beneath the waterfall. At that instant, an even more powerful force erupted from him. With his immense soul power, the waterfall was pushed back, surging upward instead of cascading downward.
With the water temporarily forced away, Cheng Xiao caught sight of a cave entrance hidden behind the falls. That was undoubtedly the place he had been searching for.
Rulers Authority!
Pushing his palm forward, Cheng Xiao took a deep breath. His voice was barely audible, but the skill activated nonetheless.
A massive force burst forth from his palm, akin to a storm sweeping through the area. The waterfall's flow was pushed to its highest point, giving Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling the perfect opportunity to move. With a graceful leap, Ye Lingling landed beside Cheng Xiao, and together, they stepped toward the cave's entrance.
As they approached, Cheng Xiao noticed faint chisel marks on the surrounding rock. Perhaps due to years of relentless water erosion, the markings had become somewhat blurred.
"This is it." Cheng Xiao smiled, taking Ye Lingling's hand and striding confidently into the dark cave.
The tunnel was quiet and shrouded in darkness, a faint chill coiling around them. With the waterfall just outside, this place had never seen sunlight. It was damp, cold, and unwelcoming.
The only sounds accompanying them were the faint echoes of their footsteps and the eerie whispers of the wind.
After walking for a while, both Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling suddenly halted. Before them stood a stone door, glowing faintly with a soft blue light. Beyond this door lay what Cheng Xiao had been searching for.
Surveying the door briefly, Cheng Xiao found no visible switches or mechanisms. It was clear that Tang Hao had taken precautions in ensuring its security.
"Nash, it's your turn."
Finding no alternative means to open it, Cheng Xiao summoned his shadow soldier. Emerging from the darkness, Nash stepped forward under their watchful gazes and threw a mighty punch at the door.
"Boom!"
A deafening sound echoed through the cave. Though the stone door appeared impenetrable, Nash's strike left it covered in cracks. Moments later, with a resounding crash, the door shattered into countless fragments.
"Amazing." Ye Lingling's lips parted slightly in astonishment as she stared at Nash's effortless destruction of the door.
"My lord, please enter." Nash turned to Cheng Xiao, his gaze sweeping over the rubble. With a wave of his hand, his shadow energy surged, effortlessly gathering the scattered debris and hurling it out of the cave.
Seeing this, Cheng Xiao couldn't help but sweat a little, but he still gave Nash an approving nod before stepping inside with Ye Lingling.
As they passed through the broken doorway, the space before them expanded into a vast stone chamber. It was large and empty, the walls embedded with luminous stones that provided dim yet sufficient illumination.
At the very center of the chamber lay a small mound of soil, atop which grew a slender Blue Silver Grass. This particular Blue Silver Grass was longer than the ordinary variety, its most distinctive feature being the golden patterns running across its leaves.
As Cheng Xiao approached, he smiled and crouched beside the plant, gently brushing his fingers against its leaves.
Compared to ordinary Blue Silver Grass, the Blue Silver Emperor had an undeniable majesty. Its golden veins were proof of its extraordinary nature, the true ruler of the Blue Silver Clan.
At that moment, though her consciousness was weak, Ah Yin understood one thing—this young man before her was not someone she could resist.
After her sacrifice, the essence of her existence had been condensed into this lifeform, embodying the tenacity of rebirth. That was how she had managed to survive until now.
However…
Cheng Xiao glanced at the chamber's surroundings and clicked his tongue in disbelief. Was Tang Hao being deliberate or just plain thoughtless? He had planted Ah Yin in a place devoid of sunlight, buried deep underground. By all logic, even an ordinary plant needed light and moisture to thrive. Yet, aside from a small hole in the ceiling allowing a tiny sliver of light, the entire chamber was sealed off.
Who in their right mind would plant something here?
"You can sense me, can't you?" Cheng Xiao murmured, running his fingers lightly over the Blue Silver Emperor's leaves.
As they made contact, the leaves trembled slightly. Sensing his touch, Ah Yin's form subtly grew, her golden lines pulsating like ripples on a tranquil lake.
"Cheng Xiao, is this really the hundred-thousand-year soul beast you mentioned?" Ye Lingling curiously approached, inspecting the seemingly ordinary blade of grass.
A mere plant… How could it possibly be a formidable soul beast?
"She is," Cheng Xiao confirmed with a smirk. "But thanks to a certain idiot, she ended up like this."
"Huh?" Ye Lingling was startled. It was rare for Cheng Xiao to curse. But what intrigued her more was the person responsible for this transformation. Could it be that Ah Yin became like this because of them?
As they conversed, the Blue Silver Emperor continued growing at a visible rate.
Without hesitation, Cheng Xiao channeled the last remnants of his divine soul power into the plant. Immediately, Ah Yin radiated a brilliant blue-gold glow, illuminating the entire chamber in a breathtaking light.
The Blue Silver Emperor's leaves, initially a mere foot in length, extended to two feet. However, even with the infusion of divine power, she ceased growing further.
The next moment, something strange occurred. The leaves of the Blue Silver Emperor began to move, gently wrapping around Cheng Xiao's wrist.
Then, an incredibly soft spiritual ripple spread forth. Cheng Xiao sensed her curiosity—she was wondering who he was. After all, in her limited existence, she had only ever encountered the Tang family. No one else had ever entered this space before.
"You still have some consciousness left. If you can understand me, nod with your leaves," Cheng Xiao instructed.
As expected, after he spoke, one of the Blue Silver Emperor's leaves quivered slightly before nodding downward in acknowledgment.
Ah Yin was indeed puzzled. From Cheng Xiao, she sensed two opposing forces—one representing death and darkness, the other radiating divine energy akin to the power that once hunted her.
How could one person possess such contradictory energies?
Though Cheng Xiao's darkness-based power was far stronger, filling her with instinctive fear, Ah Yin chose to respond. She believed that not all humans were evil. After all, she had willingly sacrificed herself for Tang Hao.
Perhaps, just perhaps, this young man standing before her was different.