Li Si stood before the massive tree that called itself the Blue Silver King.
Blue Silver Grass, by nature, was typically no larger than a thumb. A tree-sized Blue Silver King was a sight to behold, but for Li Si, it was nothing particularly exciting.
After a moment of lamentation, the Blue Silver King spoke:
"Your Highness, I assume you've come to awaken your bloodline?"
"Yes."
If not for awakening the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline, what was he doing in the Blue Silver Forest? Admiring the scenery?
"I can sense the dragon bloodline within you. It's unimaginably powerful. Even so, are you willing to protect the Blue Silver Clan?"
The question gave Li Si pause.
In his worldview, the idea of protecting the Blue Silver Clan didn't hold much weight.
He wasn't the Tang San from the original story, who agreed to everything without a second thought. Even in the canon, Tang San hadn't truly protected the Blue Silver Clan after becoming a god—he hadn't even taken care of his own subordinates, let alone the Blue Silver Clan.
After some thought, Li Si replied:
"Once I become a god, I will elevate you to the Blue Silver Emperor of Douluo Continent. You will protect the Blue Silver Clan."
The Blue Silver King: "..."
It wanted to protest but found itself speechless. This "prince" seemed to be shirking responsibility entirely!
"Even if you ascend, the Empress—your mother—she..."
"I'll take my mother with me."
The Blue Silver King fell silent. While it had longed to become the Blue Silver Emperor, it had never truly believed it could. After all, there could only be one Blue Silver Emperor on the Douluo Continent.
However, Li Si was a special case—a human with the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline. Once his bloodline was awakened, there would indeed be two Blue Silver Emperors in existence.
If Li Si could truly ascend and take the former Blue Silver Emperor with him, then it might finally have a chance to claim the title for itself.
"I won't lie to you," Li Si continued. "The responsibility of protecting the entire Blue Silver Clan is too much for me. If this means you won't help me awaken my bloodline, then so be it. Pretend I was never here."
Turning to leave, Li Si counted silently in his mind.
One... two...
"Your Highness, wait!"
Li Si stopped, his expression calm as he turned back toward the Blue Silver King.
"Your Highness, you're still young. We can understand that you're not ready for such a heavy burden."
"If one day you truly ascend to godhood..."
"Rest assured. I'll keep my word. Once I become a god, I'll entrust the Blue Silver Clan to you!"
Before the Blue Silver King could finish, Li Si interrupted, his tone resolute.
For once, he wasn't bluffing. Grandiose plans and divine responsibilities meant nothing to him. The Blue Silver Clan's fate wasn't his problem.
Not far away, Xiao Wu watched with wide eyes, marveling at the massive Blue Silver King.
"What does it taste like?" she muttered, swallowing her saliva.
The Blue Silver King trembled involuntarily, sensing a predatory gaze locked onto it. It was the unmistakable stare of a natural enemy.
But it dismissed the thought. In the Blue Silver Forest, it was the most powerful entity, with the other Blue Silver Grass serving as its eyes and ears. It couldn't detect any threats nearby.
"Must've been my imagination..."
Shaking off the unsettling feeling, the Blue Silver King prepared to assist Li Si in his second awakening, to unlock his Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
"Your Highness, are you ready?"
"Ready. Begin."
Time passed, and after nearly a full day and night, Li Si opened his eyes again.
The experience had been like returning to the embrace of nature—calm, yet strangely cold.
Li Si noticed something odd.
Calmly, he retrieved clothes from his storage soul tool and dressed himself, confirming that the earlier sensation wasn't just in his head.
Extending his right hand, a Blue Silver Emperor plant with golden veins appeared, its vibrant aura unmistakable.
As he summoned it, six soul rings rose slowly from his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, red.
The Blue Silver King wanted to explain that his sixth soul ring was a life-bound soul ring, one that would grow stronger with him over time.
However, upon seeing the 6th ring, it fell silent.
A hundred-thousand-year ring.
Li Si's life-bound soul ring was already at the hundred-thousand-year level. What room was there for growth?
If Li Si truly became a god, this soul ring might even evolve into a divine ring.
"Oh, great Emperor!"
"You astonish me beyond words. Your life-bound soul ring is already at a hundred-thousand years upon awakening!"
"You are the pride of the Blue Silver Empress and the pride of our Blue Silver Clan!"
"Can you feel your people rejoicing for you? They celebrate the birth of a new Emperor..."
As the Blue Silver King droned on like a zealous preacher, Li Si could indeed sense the faint voices of the surrounding Blue Silver Grass.
Though they lacked intelligence, their instincts celebrated the awakening of a new Blue Silver Emperor.
After a brief conversation with the Blue Silver King, Li Si left the Blue Silver Forest with Xiao Wu.
The reverence and adoration of the Blue Silver Grass had made him uneasy. It was better to leave sooner rather than later.
"Li Si, you've become so handsome! And you smell really nice too!" Xiao Wu exclaimed, blinking up at him with admiration.
Li Si turned to glance at her excited expression, then sighed.
"When was I not handsome?"
"You weren't handsome before!"
Li Si gritted his teeth and shook his head.
You could be a little less blunt!
Before, his appearance had resembled Tang Hao—rugged and unremarkable. But now, his features were those of a refined and elegant young man.
Even Tang Hao himself might not recognize him without an introduction.
"Li Si, shouldn't you go back to the Sunset Forest and inform your uncle?"
"Go back? For what? He doesn't want to see me for at least thirty years!"
"Your relationship is... complicated." Xiao Wu sighed.
"Oh, right! Li Si, what's your sixth soul skill? Let me try it!"
Xiao Wu's curiosity about his hundred-thousand-year soul ring had her practically bouncing with excitement.
Li Si hesitated.
In the original story, Tang San's life-bound soul ring had granted him the Blue Silver Overlord Spear, which later evolved into the Blue Silver Tyrant Emperor Spear, shifting his Martial Soul from control-type to power-attack-type.
But for Li Si, things were different.
Thanks to Lin Fan, his Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul had been locked into a food-type path.
Despite being a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, its sole skill was an incredibly potent support ability...
(Chapter End)