When Tang San saw the vacant eyes of the Soft Bone Rabbit that Xiao Wu had become, he knew she had not recovered. Without the light of intelligence in those eyes, without her consciousness, she was not his Xiao Wu. Overcome by extreme grief, his body chose self-preservation, and his utterly drained mind sank into unconsciousness.
Even in his stupor, Tang San found no peace. All manner of phantoms kept appearing in his dreams — he dreamed of his father, his mother, dreamed of Xiao Wu drifting ever further away. His entire body felt as though it were trapped in a scorching furnace, yet he could not break free from the torment no matter how he struggled.
He did not know how long had passed before consciousness gradually returned. Tang San felt something soft and furry pressing against his cheek, and he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a patch of white. Soft, translucent white fur was pressed tightly against his face. As his mind cleared, Tang San raised a trembling hand and touched that downy coat. Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
"Xiao Wu..."
Pressed against his cheek — wasn't that the very rabbit Xiao Wu had become?
The rabbit blinked its large eyes at Tang San, still as vacant and devoid of spirit as before. Though the life force it now possessed was no less than that of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, it bore none of the aura one would expect of such a creature.
"Why? Why did this happen?" Tang San stared blankly as he cradled the rabbit in his hands. Strangely, the little creature — brimming with vitality — did not resist at all, as though being close to Tang San was something deeply comforting.
"Because she gave everything she had to you." A deep, resonant voice rang out. Tang San turned sharply and saw that the speaker was the Titan Giant Ape, as imposing and immovable as a mountain.
Only then did Tang San realize that at some point he had returned to the shore of the small lake at the heart of the forest. The Sky Blue Bull Python was gone; only the Titan Giant Ape sat nearby.
He sprang to his feet — and suddenly discovered his body was not entirely under his own control. He shot nearly seven or eight meters into the air before his formidable control kicked in, allowing him to steady himself and descend carefully back to the ground.
His heart had been entirely consumed by Xiao Wu's fate. He had never once taken the time to experience the effects of the sixth Soul Ring she had bestowed upon him. A hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring — that was the most precious thing in the entire world of Soul Masters. Naturally, it had not merely brought him back from death. Under the power of Xiao Wu's Soul Ring, Tang San's overall strength had undergone another qualitative leap.
If he had a choice, Tang San would sooner die than possess this kind of power. But had he been given a choice? He had not.
At the time, the reason he had chosen to take his own life was not only to give Xiao Wu the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone so she could escape, but also because he feared she would do what his mother had done for his father — sacrifice herself to save him. That was why, after hurling Xiao Wu to safety, he had turned his suicide into a lightning-fast act she could not possibly intercept.
But mortals could not outwit the heavens. Just as that Human-Faced Demon Spider had appeared at the worst possible moment, Xiao Wu — watching his body suffer a devastating blow — had forcibly broken through her sealed acupoints and reached him in the nick of time, paying an even greater price.
"Crying won't help. If you're really a man, then bring her back to life." The Titan Giant Ape Er Ming's deep voice echoed in Tang San's ears once more.
Tang San's entire body shuddered. He widened his eyes and stared at Er Ming, his voice trembling: "You — you know a way to bring Xiao Wu back?"
Er Ming looked at him coldly. "It's not that I have a way. It's that you do. Xiao Wu died for you, and only you can bring her back. Do you know why she ended up like this? Even with such an enormous infusion of life force, there was no sign of her consciousness returning."
Tang San shook his head blankly, but his eyes were filled with a desperate plea. He knew that the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Blue Bull Python were Soul Beasts of the same rank as Xiao Wu — they understood the condition of a Soul Beast at that level better than anyone. A flame of hope kindled in his heart as Tang San gazed expectantly at the mountainous ape before him.
Er Ming sighed, with an oddly human expression. "To save you, Xiao Wu performed the most aggressive form of Sacrifice. But that aggression was directed solely at herself. She sacrificed her life for you — and she also sacrificed her soul. Only that way could she pull you back from the brink of death and allow you to absorb her Soul Ring and Soul Bone without any conflict."
"Sacrifice?" Tang San's heart trembled more violently with each word. He could imagine it all too clearly — when Xiao Wu had made that decision, she had not hesitated for even a moment.
Er Ming spoke gravely. "Your strength was far insufficient to absorb a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, so Xiao Wu had no choice but to use the Sacrifice, binding her soul to the Soul Ring and Soul Bone. In that way, it was as though she had voluntarily given you the power she had transformed into — there was no need for you to forcibly absorb or merge it. It integrated into your body naturally, a complete selfless offering on her part. And precisely because of that, things are now complicated. What you hold in your arms is nothing but the shell Xiao Wu left behind — her original physical body. Though you did manage to restore her body through that flower's power, without her soul and without her hundred-thousand-year cultivation, it is still impossible for her to come back to life."
"Then what do we do? How can I save her?" Tang San asked urgently. From the meaning in Er Ming's words, he could faintly sense that though it would be difficult, there was still a way.
The Titan Giant Ape Er Ming said, "If that flower had not restored the life force of Xiao Wu's original body, there would be no chance at all. But as things stand, you still have an opportunity. If you can meet certain conditions, you can bring Xiao Wu back — and even increase her cultivation enormously."
"What exactly do I have to do? Even if I have to climb mountains of blades or wade through seas of fire, I will do it."
Er Ming looked at Tang San and nodded. A glimmer of appreciation and approval flickered in his amber eyes. He thought to himself: Xiao Wu, oh Xiao Wu — you truly chose the right man. He is indeed worthy of your sacrifice.
If the spiritual imprint Xiao Wu had left behind in Da Ming and Er Ming had not shown them what Tang San had done before — and had they not witnessed Xiao Wu's sacrifice for Tang San with their own eyes — the two brothers would have killed him long ago. They would never have stood here exchanging words with him. Their hostility toward humans ran deep.
But through this exchange, as Er Ming sensed the depth of Tang San's feelings for Xiao Wu, his impression of the young man improved considerably. At the very least, he would no longer blame him for Xiao Wu's Sacrifice.
"You were unconscious for three days. During those three days, my brother and I thought it over carefully. There is only one way to save Xiao Wu, and it requires three conditions to be met. First, you must find three types of herbs."
"Which three?" Tang San pressed impatiently.
The Titan Giant Ape said, "The first is the Sacred Spirit Grass, used to awaken the soul — and it must have been growing for at least ten thousand years. The second is an ultimate treasure capable of reshaping the body and restoring human form: the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King. The third is a treasure that will help Xiao Wu's soul and body merge as one — a core from an ancient spirit beast."
With each herb the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming named, Tang San's expression grew more somber. He had obtained a considerable number of rare and precious medicinal herbs from the Yin-Yang Spring of Ice and Fire. Though most of the immortal-grade herbs had already been used, the remaining ones were still priceless treasures.
But the three items Er Ming described were all on the level of those immortal-grade herbs. The Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King, for instance, was in a class of its own. A Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King was not difficult to obtain — Tang San's Myriad Treasure Pouch actually contained one at this very moment — but a Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King was an entirely different matter.
Ginseng Kings were graded in ranks, with each rank representing ten thousand years. A Nine-Grade Ginseng King meant one that had grown to nearly a hundred thousand years. If it truly reached the hundred-thousand-year mark, it would be able to ascend and depart from this world entirely. Finding such a ginseng was no easy task.
At nearly a hundred thousand years of cultivation, it would unquestionably rank among the super Soul Beasts of this world. Even if Tang San could locate one, he might not be its match.
As for the Ten-Thousand-Year Sacred Spirit Grass, Tang San had never even heard of it. The ancient spirit beast core, however — he actually had a lead on that one.
Reading the grave expression on Tang San's face, the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming said, "We know these three items are exceedingly difficult to find. The Sacred Spirit Grass — my brother and I can help you with that one. Though it is rare even in the vast Star Dou Great Forest, it can still be found. The other two, however, are up to you. As far as I know, the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King constantly changes its dwelling. My brother and I once encountered one, and given its current cultivation, it is most likely in the north. You could search the great forests up north. As for the ancient spirit beast core, that will depend entirely on your own efforts."
With one hand cradling Xiao Wu, Tang San ran his other hand along the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night and drew out a small, golden-red bead.
"Brother Ape, what about this core?" As he spoke, he held the golden-red bead up in his palm.
Though the bead was tiny, it pulsed with vibrant energy fluctuations. What was most remarkable was that none of this lively energy leaked outward — it was contained entirely within. Each time the bead pulsed, it flashed briefly, then quickly reabsorbed its own glow.
"This is..." Er Ming stared in surprise at the bead in Tang San's hand, his amber eyes wide with disbelief.
He had considered the ancient spirit beast core the most difficult item to find. After all, he knew the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King existed, but whether any ancient spirit beasts still survived was something he could not confirm. Yet from the aura emanating from this bead, it was clearly a core — and the bloodline essence hidden within its energy was not something any Soul Beast on the current continent could possess.
"It's the core of a Ten-Headed Blazing Sun Serpent. I killed it while passing through the Hell Road in the City of Slaughter. Will it do?" Tang San asked with hope.
Er Ming nodded. "It will do perfectly. This core indeed belongs to an ancient spirit beast. That means of the three items we need, the only one still missing is the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King."
Tang San said with a nod, "I will find it. No matter what, I will bring it back."
Er Ming said with a bitter smile, "Remember — it must be a living specimen. The moment a Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King loses its life force, it becomes useless."
"A living specimen?" Tang San stared at Er Ming, dumbfounded.
Er Ming explained, "The Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King is so potent that you don't need the entire plant — a few of its root hairs will suffice. But it must be alive. So you will need to bring the Ginseng King here in person. However, there's no rush for this right now, because you still have other conditions to fulfill."
Three supreme treasures — and that was merely the first condition. Tang San had steeled himself for this to some degree. No matter how difficult the path, he would not retreat for Xiao Wu's sake.
Er Ming continued, "The second condition is for you to raise your cultivation to the rank of Titled Douluo. You should know that your Titled Douluo are equivalent to our hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts. Only at that level will you have the power to revive Xiao Wu."
Only at rank ninety and above was one a Titled Douluo. Tang San was currently at rank sixty. Many Soul Masters spent their entire lives without ever climbing to the highest title in their world. But Tang San was confident that his aptitude was more than sufficient. It was simply that the wait would be rather long.
Er Ming went on, "The third condition is really the final step. Once you possess the strength of a Titled Douluo and have gathered all three items, you can return here. My brother and I will help you revive Xiao Wu. But during the revival, you will have to pay a great price. That is the third condition."
"Xiao Wu died in order to sacrifice her abilities to you. To revive her, you must return everything she gave you — both her Soul Ring and her Soul Bone. Moreover, there is an even more demanding requirement. You must bestow all nine of your Titled Douluo Soul Rings upon Xiao Wu. Only then can you awaken her own cultivation using a power equivalent to a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. When she merges with your nine Soul Rings and your Soul Bones return to her body, the combined effect of the three great treasures will restore Xiao Wu to normal — and her strength will increase enormously, returning to what a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast should possess. At that point, she will truly become a human being."
As Er Ming spoke these words, he carefully observed Tang San's expression. Though he had grown somewhat appreciative of the young man, his deep-seated distrust of humans compelled him to watch closely.
He did catch changes in Tang San's expression — but what surprised him was that Tang San looked relieved.
Tang San gazed down at the small, furry body in his arms and murmured softly, "Don't worry, Xiao Wu. I will definitely bring you back. I will train with everything I have and reach the Titled Douluo rank as quickly as possible. I'll capture the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King. And then we'll be together again."
"Hey. Did you hear what I said about the third condition?" Er Ming could not help asking.
Tang San looked up at him. "I heard you. Give all my Soul Rings to Xiao Wu and return her Soul Bone. Right?"
Er Ming said, astonished, "Do you have any idea what that will mean for you? That is equivalent to transferring your own Martial Soul to Xiao Wu. You will lose your Martial Soul and every last Soul Ring. Years of cultivation — gone in an instant."
Tang San looked at Er Ming, his gaze clear and utterly free of guile. "Is that important?" he asked.
Er Ming froze. "Not important? You are a Soul Master." For a Soul Master — especially one who had reached the Titled Douluo rank — what did it mean to lose one's Martial Soul and all of one's Soul Rings? And on top of that, to surrender one's Soul Bones. Years of painstaking cultivation, destroyed without a trace.