Looking at the surprised and disbelieving gazes of his parents, Tang San said solemnly, "Dad, Mom, hear me out. I wasn't entirely sure myself at first. But through the process of resurrecting Xiao Wu, I discovered many secrets about Martial Soul cultivation — even Soul Beast cultivation. If I'm not mistaken, Dad, you must have consumed quite a few medicinal herbs during all these years here with Mom."
Tang Hao nodded. "Your mother found them for me. They have the effect of fortifying one's foundation and restoring vitality. Combined with my naturally sturdy physique — even though I lost my arm and leg — my old injuries have completely healed, and my Soul Power has recovered to the seventy-ninth rank."
Tang San said, "Back then, in order to repay the clan, you severed two of your limbs and expelled the stagnant blood from your body, returning those two Soul Bones as well. Your Soul Power was forcibly reduced by twenty ranks along with the loss of the Soul Bones. But in truth, your nine Soul Rings are still there. It's only because you no longer had the Soul Power to sustain them that the last two rings became unusable. Isn't that right?"
Tang Hao said, "That's correct. But can severed limbs really be restored?"
Tang San replied with confidence, "Why not? The right leg bone Mom bestowed upon me carries the skill Unending Flames — the spring wind blows again even after the wildfire has burned. It may not be able to bring back the dead or regrow flesh on bare bone, but it is more than sufficient to reattach severed limbs. Once my Soul Power reaches the ninetieth rank, the full potential of this bone skill can be unleashed. With my spiritual power, I can extend its effect not just to myself, but to others as well. As long as I recover those two Soul Bones that once bonded with you, I have over eighty percent confidence that I can reattach your limbs. Once your body is whole again, all you'll need is cultivation to recover. It won't take long before you return to your peak. After all, even though part of your Soul Power dissipated, the hard work of your past cultivation was never truly wasted. Once your limbs are restored and your meridians are whole, I'd say within a year at most, you'll be the Clear Sky Douluo who once struck terror into Spirit Hall's very heart."
Tang San's words undoubtedly ignited a spark of hope in Tang Hao's chest, but the brightness in his eyes quickly dimmed. He shook his head and sighed. "Little San, have you forgotten? I returned those two Soul Bones as an act of atonement. Setting aside whether the clan would ever forgive me or give me those bones back — even you yourself have yet to receive the clan's true acknowledgment."
Tang San let out a cold snort. "Dad, when you killed those Spirit Hall cultivators to save Mom, what crime was there in that? It was their greed for Mom's Soul Ring that led to that tragedy. Spirit Hall took its anger out on the clan, and the clan not only refused to stand up for you, but cowardly chose to retreat. Who was truly in the wrong here? I'm a junior and it isn't my place to critique Grandfather's decisions, but would endless retreat truly have saved our Clear Sky School from disaster? I never believed you did anything wrong. If those elders refuse to acknowledge us, then I'll fight them until they do."
For a long time, because of what had happened to his father and his own experiences at the Clear Sky School, Tang San had held no favorable impression of the clan. Otherwise, he never would have established the Tang Sect on his own. In the face of crisis, the Clear Sky School had not only failed to protect its own members, but had chosen to withdraw, pulling away from the Soul Master world entirely. That decision had led to the miserable fate of the Four Single Attribute Clans. It had led to the Clear Sky School being stripped from the ranks of the Seven Great Sects, forced to hide on a lonely mountain.
In the past, Tang San had lacked the strength to do anything but endure in silence. But now — having successfully advanced to Titled Douluo and obtained the Sea God's Trident, a true divine artifact — he had long since reached the limit of his patience. Those two Soul Bones rightfully belonged to his father. His father should have held, at minimum, the status of an elder within the clan. Whatever his father had lost, Tang San was determined to reclaim.
Watching the overwhelming aura of dominance radiating from his son, Tang Hao's expression remained as still as deep water, but the gratification in his eyes was unmistakable.
"You're looking more and more like I was back in the day. Only back then, I had nothing but impulse and lacked your intelligence. But Little San — whether it's me or you — we were both born of the Clear Sky School. Our Clear Sky Hammer is the inherited legacy of the clan. No matter what happens, we must never betray the clan. That is the bottom line. Do you understand?"
Tang San met his father's gaze with blazing eyes, a light of respect shining within them. "Dad, I understand what you mean. I never said I wanted to betray the clan. I know that's not what you'd want to see. So I'm going to go back with you — openly and rightfully — and make every member of the clan acknowledge your status. Look — what is this?"
As he spoke, Tang San brushed his palm across the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night, and a small golden hammer appeared in his hand. On each end of the hammerhead was set a black gemstone.
The moment he saw the hammer, Tang Hao's eyes blazed with sudden light. His emotions surged violently. He seized the hammer from Tang San's hand. "Little San — tell me, where did you get this?"
Tang San said, "Great-Grandfather gave it to me. He not only bestowed this token of authority, but also the power it carries. I reported everything that happened back then in full detail to him. Great-Grandfather did not blame you — even he said you did nothing wrong. So how could you possibly be in the wrong?"
"Grandfather... he truly doesn't blame me?" Tang Hao's voice trembled. That even this iron-willed man could be so shaken emotionally spoke volumes for how deeply the clan lived in his heart.
Tang San nodded firmly. "Dad, this is what Great-Grandfather said with his own words."
Tang Hao gripped the small golden hammer tightly. An unprecedented radiance ignited in his eyes. He threw his head back and roared at the sky — a roar so powerful that even Tang San was forced back a single step by the shockwave of sound. It was as if that roar had expelled every last trace of resentment from Tang Hao's heart. Tang San had read the situation perfectly. In Tang Hao's heart, Ah Yin had always come first. But having been raised by the clan and honored with the title of Clear Sky since youth, his loyalty to the clan had never wavered. The previous school master had been his father, and no matter how wrong his father might have been, Tang Hao had never once defied him. And now, the strongest member of the Clear Sky School — his own grandfather — had confirmed that what he had done was not wrong. For Tang Hao, this acknowledgment meant more even than recovering his strength.
Once, his spirit had been utterly crushed. But now, hearing Tang San's words, the fire of hope reignited within him. It was as though he could once again see the glory he had once represented as the Clear Sky School.
Tang San said, "Dad, once I help Mom regain her human form, we'll return to the Clear Sky School. We'll take back everything that should be yours."
Tang Hao returned to his senses and solemnly placed the golden hammer back into Tang San's hand. "This is the authority Great-Grandfather gave you. You must keep it safe. Little San — are you truly confident you can restore your mother? There must not be the slightest risk."
Tang San said, "Rest assured, Dad. While I don't have absolute certainty, my methods will only benefit Mom. Even if she can't recover immediately, it will greatly shorten the time needed for her restoration."
"Little San." Ah Yin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between father and son, finally spoke.
Her illusory form shimmered, and her exquisitely beautiful face was suffused with a mother's gentleness. "You may help me restore my form, but Mom has one condition. When you do this, you must not allow any harm to come to yourself. Otherwise, I would rather remain like this forever. Over these past years, your father has stayed by my side and told me everything about you from childhood to now. You are such a thoughtful, good child. Do you know — whether it's your father or I, we both feel we have deeply wronged you. We brought you into this world but failed to fulfill our responsibilities as parents. You never even had a happy childhood. Mom has already failed you so much — if you were to harm yourself in order to restore my form, I could never forgive myself."
"No, Mom, please don't say that." Tang San dropped to his knees before his mother. "Yes, when I was little, I watched the other children in the village all had their mothers, and I envied them with all my heart. I longed for your love. But the fact that you weren't with Dad and me — that was never your fault. Parents never owe their children anything, no matter what time or circumstance. Bringing me into this world is the greatest, most immeasurable gift of all — a debt I could never repay in a lifetime. Without you, I wouldn't exist. My very life was given by you. How could there be any notion of owing? Mom, please don't worry. Helping you recover will never cause me harm. I still need to properly care for you and Dad. I have Xiao Wu to look after as well. How could I not treasure my own body? Our family will finally be able to live happily together, and I want that to last forever."
Listening to Tang San's words, Ah Yin felt as though she wanted to weep, but in her current state she could not produce a single tear. Tang Hao pulled Tang San up from the ground. "Don't say things like that. It only makes your mother and me feel worse."
Tang San nodded and looked up at his mother. "Then let's begin now. Mom, all you need to do is open your heart and body, and absorb the energy I pass to you along with all the surrounding energy that flows in."
As he spoke, a blue-gold light blazed to life. Tang San released his Blue Silver Emperor, and simultaneously activated his Blue Silver Domain.
The blood-red seventh Soul Ring flared — or more precisely, it was the second most powerful of the four Soul Rings that Tang San now possessed. Blue-gold light spread across his entire body as he entered his Blue Silver True Body state. In an instant, under the effect of the True Body, the Blue Silver Domain expanded geometrically, rapidly extending outward. It enveloped the bodies of his parents and Xiao Wu, covered the entire basin of the Yin-Yang Mountain Valley, then soared over the cliff walls and spread into the surrounding Sunset Forest.
On his forehead, the Sea God's Trident mark shone with brilliant light as his vast spiritual power merged completely into the Blue Silver Domain. One by one, blue-gold strands of Blue Silver Emperor flowed from within Tang San, silently wrapping around the blades of grass that formed Ah Yin's body. Every broad leaf was tightly encircled by a strand of his Blue Silver Emperor.
Tang San's body lifted into the air, hovering directly above his mother. The strands of Blue Silver Emperor connected them like bridges, linking mother and son.
Ah Yin gasped softly. "Little San — has your Blue Silver Domain reached the peak realm?"
Tang San nodded gently from above. "Mom, focus on absorbing the energy I'm sending you."
The Blue Silver Domain suddenly transformed. The blue-gold hue shifted entirely into a vast, pure blue. In that single instant, the entire Sunset Forest shrouded by the domain had become a boundless ocean of blue.
Within the forest, every blade of Blue Silver Grass swayed gently to a special rhythm. Faint threads of golden light radiated from within each blade, merging into the blue world before converging toward the center of the forest — toward the Yin-Yang Mountain Valley. More precisely, toward Tang San, the emperor of this blue-silver world.
The Blue Silver Domain's ultimate evolution skill — All Rivers Run Into the Sea — activated.
With his advancement to the Titled Douluo realm, Tang San's Blue Silver Domain had evolved once more. If the Martial Soul True Body was the foundation upon which a domain could display its true power, then the strength of a Titled Douluo was the essential element required to manifest the domain's highest realm.
Dense blue light flowed gently through the Blue Silver Emperor strands connecting Tang San to Ah Yin, pouring into her body. After Tang San's gathering and purification, this energy had become the most refined Blue Silver Emperor energy possible. Their shared bloodline ensured that the energy transfer between mother and son encountered no resistance whatsoever.
The effect of All Rivers Run Into the Sea: wherever Blue Silver Grass grows, the domain can convert the life force of all Blue Silver Grass into any form of energy the Blue Silver Emperor requires, replenishing the emperor's reserves. As long as Blue Silver Grass exists, the Blue Silver Emperor's energy will never run dry. This conversion can manifest as life force, Soul Power, or spiritual power. This ultimate domain effect made the Blue Silver Emperor virtually invincible when fighting an opponent of equal rank within a forest.
And at this moment, Tang San was using precisely this ability — converting the energy of every blade of Blue Silver Grass in the entire Sunset Forest into the purest Blue Silver Emperor energy, then using his own body as a conduit to channel it into his mother, strengthening her cultivation.
This method could only be used between the two of them as mother and son, and only with Tang San as the guiding force — unless the day came when Ah Yin's strength surpassed his, at which point the roles would reverse.
Throughout the Sunset Forest, every Soul Beast trembled uneasily in its lair. The vast waves of energy were so overwhelming that none dared make the slightest move. This enormous energy, spanning the entire forest, had for the first time elevated the lowest of creatures — the Blue Silver Grass — into the master of the great forest. At the Blue Silver Emperor's call, they released their life force without reservation.
Bathed in the blue radiance, Ah Yin's body expanded rapidly at a geometric rate. Every blade of grass became as translucent as blue sapphire, the golden veins upon them growing ever thicker and more pronounced. She could clearly feel her cultivation increasing at a speed she had never experienced before.
Ah Yin had once cultivated to the hundred-thousand-year level, so she naturally knew how to handle energy that resonated perfectly with her own. She could process it all without difficulty — yet a seed of unease lingered in her heart.
She understood the power of All Rivers Run Into the Sea perfectly. Before she had chosen to cultivate in human form, she had once possessed this very domain ability herself. She never wished to see her subjects' life force drained to the point of death for the sake of her own resurrection. But with Tang San in control, she could only accept passively. And more than anything, she did not want to hurt her son's heart.
As if reading his mother's thoughts, everything Tang San did next put her completely at ease.
With a wave of his right hand, the dark trident planted in the ground flew into Tang San's grasp. The Sea God's Light once again became the bridge connecting him to this golden trident. A blinding golden radiance shot skyward, and the sacred aura of the Sea God's power spread outward alongside the Blue Silver Domain. That immense life force — the power to revitalize all things — surged like a boundless ocean to every corner of the Blue Silver Domain, enveloping the entire Sunset Forest. The Blue Silver Grass, which had been gradually losing vitality due to the life force it had expended, now blazed with renewed vigor under the divine Sea God's power bestowed by the golden trident. And in this moment, Tang San's Blue Silver Domain had turned entirely gold. To be precise, what he was now channeling should be called the Sea God's Blue Silver Domain.
Perhaps such a domain held no practical value in combat, but for absorbing energy through Blue Silver Grass, its benefits were enormous.
The Sea God's Light alone was enough to cause Ah Yin's cultivation to surge rapidly — how much more so when the Blue Silver Emperor energy was being channeled through this method of energy transfer. This was Tang San's trump card in helping his mother recover. It was precisely because of the Sea God's Golden Trident that he did not need to worry about All Rivers Run Into the Sea harming the Blue Silver Grass here. And it was the Sea God's divine power that gave him even greater confidence in restoring his mother to human form.
Feeling the effect of the Sea God's Light upon all the Blue Silver Grass, Ah Yin finally set her heart at rest, focusing entirely on absorbing the pure energy her son was sending her.