Chapter 133: [DD]: 133
Feeling the tranquility and beauty of the forest, the group calmed down after some playful banter, immersing themselves in the serene atmosphere.
After walking for nearly an hour, the sky had completely darkened, and they, surrounded by a pale blue ocean, finally saw the end of the path illuminated by light.
Rounding two ancient trees that required several people to encircle, the group came upon a peculiar plant.
Slender vines climbed upwards, intertwining until they reached about ten meters into the air. It appeared as if countless vines had merged to form this unique plant. Each vine was as thick as a human waist, with a diameter exceeding one foot.
The entire plant was a clear blue, its surface shimmering with a special crystalline glow. Around it, the Blue Silver Grass grew especially lush.
At that moment, the plant was gently swaying, and at the center of the intertwined vines, there was a mark resembling a human face, looking like that of an elderly man.
The eyes of the face were fixated on the Blue Silver Grass swaying in Han Li's left hand, showing an unusually intense emotion.
"The Emperor, it's the Emperor!"
Crystal-clear blue liquid, resembling tears, slid from its eyes. Even without using spiritual power, everyone could feel its deep sorrow.
"There's no need to doubt. She is your Emperor, but she is now the Blue Silver Emperor after her sacrifice."
Han Li slightly released his domain, allowing the aura of the Blue Silver Emperor to disperse, so the plant could fully confirm it.
"Human, thank you for bringing the Emperor back here."
The Blue Silver King's phantom flickered, and it even bowed to Han Li.
"No need for thanks. I never said I would bring the Blue Silver Emperor back for free."
"And also, drop that act you've learned from human soul masters over the years. We are humans, you are a soul beast. As long as the issue of soul rings remains unsolved, we are natural enemies."
Han Li's voice turned cold as his domain expanded slightly, even pressing up against the plant's body.
Along the way, Han Li hadn't hidden the group's conversations, so he was well aware that this old creature knew their purpose.
Yet now, it was playing games with him. None of them had the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline, so there was no room for negotiation.
Faced with Han Li's domain right in its face, the Blue Silver King's body trembled slightly, unable to maintain the facade of a kind elder any longer.
It continuously gathered soul power to shield itself, trying to block the alternating extreme cold and heat. Either one was lethal to it.
"Please retract your domain. My people can barely hold on."
The Blue Silver King was terrified, but it still forced itself to suppress its instinctual fear as it spoke, though its tone now carried a hint of pleading.
From its earlier observations, it knew this man was not to be trifled with, but it hadn't expected him to act without hesitation, completely indifferent to words.
This was entirely different from the humans it had observed before.
But the nearby Blue Silver Grass was now on the verge of death, and it couldn't bear to watch them perish.
Compared to Ah Yin, it was more like a leader of their race, Han Li thought to himself. However, he did not immediately retract his domain. Instead, he controlled it to lessen its intensity, giving the dying Blue Silver Grass a chance to catch their breath.
Noticing Han Li's actions, the Blue Silver King immediately channeled its life energy towards the affected Blue Silver Grass, healing their injuries.
But with Han Li still, in front of it, with an aura of death, it could only stabilize their condition before turning back to him, now much more compliant.
"You may state your demands."
It spoke honestly, no longer daring to play any tricks, openly laying out its bottom line.
It had no choice. After experiencing Han Li's domain firsthand, and without even being fully immersed in it, it was certain that this human could destroy the Blue Silver Forest with just the expansion of his domain.
This forest was the hard-won haven of their race. It could not allow it to be destroyed under its watch. If it were damaged, the Blue Silver Grass would have no future.
"She needs a suitable soul ring."
Han Li pointed to Ye Lingling beside him, showing no intention of being polite.
The Blue Silver King breathed a sigh of relief at these words.
"No problem."
It could sense the rich life force within the woman before it, but at the same time, her life force, though exceptionally pure, was still relatively weak. Sacrificing one of its kind to save the entire race was still within its tolerance.
Besides, it could preserve its kin's seeds, and with enough time, they could regenerate. This was a unique trait of their species.
Seeing how quickly the Blue Silver King agreed, Han Li shook his head.
"I think you misunderstand. The soul ring I'm talking about isn't from the ordinary Blue Silver Grass but from you."
"I want you to make the sacrifice—an 80,000-year soul ring, understand?"
As Han Li's voice fell, the entire forest fell silent, even the surrounding Blue Silver Grass stopped swaying.
"She can't handle it."
The Blue Silver King tried to resist.
"I said sacrifice. Do I need to explain what that means?"
Under the Blue Silver King's horrified gaze, seven blood-red soul rings appeared above Han Li's head. The overwhelming pressure and soul power crashed against the Blue Silver King's body, causing its juices to splatter. Despite its healing abilities, it struggled to recover.
"That's impossible!"
The Blue Silver King muttered as it stared at the soul rings above his head.
"You only have the right to say yes or no. Now, answer me. Yes, and the Blue Silver Forest remains intact. No, and you, your Emperor, and your people will all disappear."
Han Li watched it with cold eyes, letting the killing intent within him spread in all directions without restraint. The intense blood-red glow at that moment even suppressed the blue around them. Not only the Blue Silver King but even Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling behind Han Li were seeing him in this state for the first time. They were shocked, and their minds became incredibly clear.
Facing Han Li directly, the Blue Silver King's spiritual communication became fragmented: "Fine... I... agree to the sacrifice."
As soon as it finished transmitting this message, the cold and overwhelming killing intent vanished, and a gentle smile returned to Han Li's face.
"Good, your choice has saved the entire Blue Silver Grass race."
Han Li nodded in satisfaction, not surprised by its sensible decision. Then he continued, "As a reward for making the right choice, I will allow you to leave behind your seed and give you a chance to become the Blue Silver Emperor."
A chance to become the Emperor? The Blue Silver King was stunned and glanced at the Blue Silver Emperor in Han Li's left hand. The Emperor was still alive; how could it possibly become the Emperor?
"No, the Emperor is the Emperor, even if she is now weak."
To Han Li's surprise, the Blue Silver King refused with unusual decisiveness.
"Even though she has abandoned your clan?"
Han Li's expression turned playful; things were getting interesting.
"Abandoned our clan?"
The Blue Silver King showed an expression of disbelief.
"Oh, that might not be the right word. More accurately, she has forgotten your clan."
Han Li feigned a look of sudden realization, as if pleased with his more precise wording.
"What do you mean by that?"
The Blue Silver King's face changed, and Han Li could see a pale expression even through its blue glow.
"Your Emperor transformed to interact with humans and reach a higher realm while also trying to find a way out for your race, right?"
Han Li's smile grew more amusing.
"Yes."
The Blue Silver King nodded blankly.
Soul beasts cannot become gods; this is something all high-level soul beasts are aware of. Given the limited resources of the Blue Silver Grass race, it is extremely difficult to survive the tribulations that occur every hundred thousand years.
That is why the Blue Silver Emperor chose to transform, to seize a slim chance for survival. At worst, she would rapidly grow and protect the Blue Silver Grass race, which is the responsibility of the ruler of a race.
"Then do you know that your Emperor, after transforming, fell in love with a human? Oh, she even had a child and chose to sacrifice herself willingly to protect her husband and son."
"Everything I just said can be sworn upon with my Martial Soul. How about that? Want me to prove it?"
As Han Li spoke, his smile remained unhidden, and he playfully flicked the leaves of the Blue Silver Grass in his hand.
The Blue Silver King fell silent. It had already agreed to sacrifice itself to the man before it, so he had no reason to deceive it. Moreover, he even mentioned swearing upon his Martial Soul, clearly confident in his claim.
"Respected human warrior, before I make the sacrifice, I would like to know what happened to the Emperor after she left. May I?"
The Blue Silver King adopted a very humble attitude. It was willing to give its life to the Blue Silver Grass race, but it did not want to die in ignorance. If it were true, as the human said...
"Of course, no problem."
Han Li smiled broadly; he was very happy to tell stories, especially when the story had nothing to do with him.
Han Li then narrated the story vividly, ensuring he told it from the most objective perspective, with no attempt to disparage Tang Hao.
When the story ended, the Blue Silver King was silent for a long time, and the entire Blue Silver Forest fell deathly quiet as if no living beings existed.
"Oh, would you like to awaken your Emperor and hear her guidance in person?"
Han Li casually handed the Blue Silver Emperor in his hand to the Blue Silver King, showing his knack for delivering the final blow.
"No need."
The Blue Silver King stared at the Blue Silver Emperor with golden patterns in Han Li's hand for a long time before refusing.
There was no point.
It was about to make the sacrifice, and if it used the race's resources to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor, the high-level Blue Silver Grass would lose much of its vitality, and the ordinary members of the race would lose their protection. Moreover, it was inclined to believe that what Han Li said was true.
"I hope you will keep your promise. As for the Emperor, if I can awaken again, I will consider it."
As a loyal servant, it still ensured that the Blue Silver Emperor would maintain enough dignity.
The Blue Silver King's spiritual waves quickly spread throughout the entire forest: "My people, I will be leaving you for a while. Protect our homeland well."
"As a King, I am unworthy, having failed to protect everyone. But we have lost our Emperor, and there will be no Emperor until I return unless you grow strong enough to become the Emperor."
"If you sense the Emperor's bloodline, it means that someone shamefully stole it. No matter who it is, they are our enemy. Remember, remember."
"Hideaway, do not respond, do not respond."
Its words spread rapidly from the Blue Silver Forest across the continent, using the unique communication methods of the Blue Silver Grass race.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone