Upon entering the ancient forest, Tang San leapt forward swiftly, guided by a strong spiritual pull. The Blue Silver Grass on the ground swayed rhythmically as if dancing joyfully in his honor.
Though the forest wasn't large, its towering, dense trees blocked most sunlight, indicating its great age—a place of enduring natural vitality perfect for Blue Silver Grass.
Tang San felt curious and eager to uncover the truth behind the spiritual call.
Charging onward without hindrance for about an hour, he arrived where the spiritual energy became especially strong.
"Your Majesty, I am here," came the excited, yet anxious voice.
He spotted a massive plant: a cluster of thick, intertwined blue vines nearly ten meters high, each vine as thick as a human waist. At the center of the tuft, a face-like pattern appeared, smiling benignly toward him.
This was an overwhelming presence releasing tremendous spiritual waves, joyfully reverberating around Tang San.
The spiritual call ended here.
Though Tang San had seen plant-type soul beasts before, none was as powerful as this.
"Are you the one calling me?" he asked, gaze fixed.
The face-shaped center of the vine moved, uttering clearly in human speech:
"Yes, great King. I call you."
Tang San was astonished; he had never heard of a plant soul beast capable of speech. Yet here it was, undeniable.
"Who are you? Why call me King?"
The vine smiled: "Because your bloodline flows nobler than mine. If I am the king of Blue Silver Grass, then you are the emperor of Blue Silver Grass."
Tang San was greatly surprised. The "weak" Blue Silver Grass wasn't so simple—time turns even the ordinary into extraordinary.
Before he could reply, the Blue Silver King continued:
"To reach your bloodline takes another fifteen thousand years of cultivation. Meeting you and sensing your aura gives me hope to ascend. Thank you, my King."
Tang San shook his head:
"I'm not your king. My mother is. Though I carry the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, I am human."
"No," the Blue Silver King insisted, "Though human-bodied, your pure bloodline grants you the right to rule all Blue Silver Grass. Since the former emperor's passing, only you can unify them. Haven't you felt their calls?"
Tang San asked why he said his mother was gone.
"Impossible," the Blue Silver King said firmly. "She passed about twelve years ago. That's certain."
Tang San recalled his mother's sacrifice—her returning as a seed was akin to death.
After telling the story, the Blue Silver King finally realized:
"Indeed! The late emperor meant for you to succeed as the new Blue Silver Emperor!"
Tang San was puzzled at first—what did being the Blue Silver Emperor entail?
The Blue Silver King explained:
"The Blue Silver Emperor is a title passed down continuously. Only when one emperor dies does the next rise—like a human dynasty. Many heirs, but one ruler. Although your mother didn't truly die, she abdicated, leaving the throne vacant for you."
Understanding this, Tang San realized the Blue Silver Emperor was not automatic with bloodline; it was a status requiring recognition.
And with the title come great benefits—not trivial, thus their expedition here.
Feeling eager, Tang San asked what awaited him after awakening.
The Blue Silver King shifted tone:
"Great King, before the awakening, I must confirm one thing: will you always protect your subjects?"
Without hesitation, Tang San firmly nodded: "I will."
Since his mother brought him here, he trusted her and desired the power the title conferred.
(End of Chapter 126)