"I can hand over the Great Sumeru Hammer."
"But this time, you're not allowed to play any more tricks."
"Otherwise, I'd rather perish together with you!"
Tang Hao clenched his fists, eyes bloodshot, teeth grinding in fury—yet still, he chose to yield.
Ye Yu once again tossed out a blank cultivation manual.
He told Tang Hao to write down the Great Sumeru Hammer cultivation method on it.
For the sake of his son, Tang San—
Tang Hao forcefully suppressed his rage and unwillingness, writing down the cultivation method for the Great Sumeru Hammer.
Then he threw the manual back to Ye Yu.
"I've written it!"
"Now give my son back to me!"
After scanning through the secret method of the Great Sumeru Hammer – RingDetonation, Ye Yu closed his eyes and simulated it in his mind.
A satisfied smile appeared on his handsome face.
This Tang Hao… didn't play any tricks.
However, before returning Tang San, Ye Yu suddenly flashed behind Tang Hao and struck a palm into his back.
In that instant, Tang Hao felt as if something inside him had been forcibly pulled out.
His dantian, along with all the Spirit Power within—
—was completely drained.
His limbs instantly withered and detached from his body.
Tang Hao fell to the ground as nothing but a human stick.
"You… what did you do to me!!"
Realizing his limbs were gone in an instant, Tang Hao's eyes turned scarlet, nearly bursting with rage as he roared.
Ye Yu only gave a faint smile.
"I merely took back what was originally mine."
"Your limbs were already broken before. Did you forget that?"
Although he had decided to release Tang Hao—
Ye Yu wasn't foolish enough to let a tiger return to the mountains.
Even if he returned Tang Hao's person—
Tang Hao's limbs and cultivation had to stay behind.
"All right, you can both leave now!"
Having successfully obtained both the Mysterious Heaven Skill and the Great Sumeru Hammer, Ye Yu happily stowed away the two manuals and recalled his Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul.
Then, transforming into a streak of lightning, he soared into the sky.
In moments, he vanished into the night.
"Father!!"
After Ye Yu withdrew his Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul, Tang San, who had been tightly bound in midair by crystal-blue tree roots like a giant python, fell heavily to the ground.
Ignoring the pain, Tang San rushed to the side of his now limb-less father.
He supported Tang Hao up.
"Father, are you all right?" Tang San asked urgently.
But upon sensing that not only was his cultivation crippled, even his limbs were gone—
Tang Hao's tiger-like eyes reddened, and he let out a sky-shaking cry of grief.
"No! Noooo!"
Meanwhile, with the complete Mysterious Heaven Skill in hand—
Ye Yu began preparations to use the Spirit Power fed back from countless Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree sub-bodies across the continent to cultivate the first set of Demon Willow Pluff meridians' pure Mysterious Heaven Skill inner power directly to the ninth level's perfection.
The Spirit Core embryo formed from the Star Luo Holy Pearl would be refined into a complete Spirit Core.
Of course, this would take some time.
After returning to the Dugu Clan Mansion—
—and staying for half a month—
Ye Yu decided it was time to head for the Endless Sea to spread Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree sub-bodies there as well, until the entire Douluo Star was covered.
At the same time, he would hunt sea spirit beasts over 100,000 years old to raise his third Martial Soul, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, to the Titled Douluo rank.
If he could also find the Sun Moon Continent in the Endless Sea, he would head to the Evil Demon Forest to hunt the Evil Emperor and the Evileye Tyrant King, striving to attach the second Martial Soul, Spirit Eye, with its ninth Spirit Ring.
But before setting off, since he had just spared Tang San, Ye Yu planned to enter the Blue Silver Domain to conclude his deal with Ah Yin and have Xiao Wu sacrifice herself to his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.
Compared to the dark night outside—
The Blue Silver Domain was a strange, wondrous place.
It now stretched as far as the eye could see, vast and boundless.
The ground was covered mostly with lush, shrub-like Blue Silver Grass whose stems and leaves had become crystalline.
There were also Undying Laurel Trees as thick as a bowl's diameter, drawing in pure moonlight.
Many towering Starlight Trees drank in radiant starlight from above.
Even the revived Fusang Tree radiated blazing golden-red brilliance—
—making the Blue Silver Domain like a world where sun, moon, and stars shared the same sky.
Upon entering the domain—
Ye Yu headed straight to the blue-silver wooden house where Ah Yin and Xiao Wu lived.
"Ah Yin, as promised, I've released Tang Hao."
"From now on, you have only one identity—"
"—the Empress of the Blue Silver Grass clan!"
He gazed at the tall, voluptuous beauty in a flowing blue-silver gown, with long hair like blue-silver silk and a face of gentle perfection.
Ah Yin's beautiful eyes were filled with complexity as she softly replied, "Ah Yin understands."
For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of release.
Trapped in this Blue Silver Domain for so long—
Facing the Blue Silver King and countless clansmen bowing in reverence—
She remembered the ancient years when she had been the Blue Silver Emperor.
Part of her wanted the Blue Silver Grass clan to thrive.
But as a human now, she still cared for her husband Tang Hao and son Tang San.
Two completely different identities had brought her endless pain.
Now, having secured Tang Hao's release—
It felt as if she had released her human identity as well.
From this day on—
She was only Ah Yin, Blue Silver Empress of the Blue Silver Grass clan.
"Xiao Wu, I spared Tang San earlier. Do you know why?" Ye Yu said lightly.
"I could have easily killed him."
"You want me to sacrifice to you, don't you?" Xiao Wu bit her lip.
Ever since Ye Yu had taken her—
—she had been prepared to sacrifice herself to him.
She knew she had no choice.
With his strength, killing Tang San was effortless.
If he didn't, it could only be because of her.
After being confined in the Blue Silver Domain for so long—
—and learning even the legendary Di Tian couldn't defeat him—
—she had given up resisting.
She no longer wished to think.
Sacrifice… so be it.
And she didn't even demand that Ye Yu promise not to harm Tang San in exchange.
She knew he would never agree.
If she tried to make that a condition—
—he'd likely kill Tang San on the spot.
'Xiao San… this is all I can do for you now.'
With mixed feelings, Xiao Wu activated her sacrifice toward Ye Yu.
In an instant, a scarlet light burst from her body, forming a blood-colored barrier that pushed away all threats—
—leaving only Xiao Wu and Ye Yu inside.
As the sacrifice began—
Xiao Wu seemed to turn into a statue of crimson crystal, floating in midair.
Streams of blood-red light continuously flowed into Ye Yu's body.
Facing the Spirit Power generated by the sacrifice—
Ye Yu activated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, channeling it through the Demon Willow Pluff meridians to absorb and refine it all.
The Mysterious Heaven Skill instantly broke through from the third level to the fifth.
Finally, when the sacrifice was nearly complete—
Only a single scarlet Spirit Ring and a pink, crystal-like left leg bone remained where Xiao Wu had floated.
The scarlet Spirit Ring shot toward the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Soul on Ye Yu's back, locking into place.
The 100,000-year Soft Bone Rabbit Left Leg Bone fell into Ye Yu's hands.