Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Feng Yao lightly touched the cliff face with his toes, his figure floating down like a falling leaf. Xiao Wu's snow-white fur fluttered in the wind, her ruby-like eyes reflecting the increasingly magnificent spectacle—the Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire was emitting red and blue mist, and the immortal herbs growing around the spring were faintly visible in the mist, emitting heart-pounding energy fluctuations.

"Squeak!" Xiao Wu's nose twitched slightly, and she suddenly broke free from Feng Yao's embrace. Her lithe figure drew a beautiful arc in the air, her three-lobed mouth splitting open in an excited smile, and she was about to pounce on an unknown celestial herb.

In that split second, a slender hand reached out from the air and precisely pinched the pair of erect rabbit ears. Xiao Wu felt dizzy, and the next second she was facing Feng Yao's handsome face, which had a half-smile on it.

Feng Yao gently pinched Xiao Wu's snow-white ear with his slender fingers, while the tip of his other hand lightly touched the tip of her pink nose, rippling out a circle of subtle soul power: "I knew you, Sister Xiao Wu, would be such a gluttonous little thing." His eyes gleamed with blue-gold light as he scanned the rising ice and fire mist around him.

Feng Yao waved his sleeves lightly, setting up an invisible energy barrier around them: "The ice and fire power here is very strong, so you can't run around." He suddenly stopped speaking, his fingertips subtly tracing Xiao Wu's trembling back.

A flicker of panic crossed Xiao Wu's red eyes, and her ears drooped involuntarily. Feng Yao's lips curved slightly, and he gently pulled her back into his arms: "Be a good girl, you'll have something good to eat in a bit."

Passing through the misty fog, Feng Yao, carrying Xiao Wu, arrived at the core of the spring where the Blue Silver Emperor resided. Countless Blue Silver Grasses intertwined here, creating a dazzling scene, and the life-giving light flowing on the vines illuminated the entire surroundings as if in a dream.

Sensing Feng Yao's arrival, the elegant figure at the center of the throne trembled slightly. The Blue Silver Emperor stretched out its crystal-clear vines, like a maiden extending her slender hand, gently entwining them around Feng Yao's wrist. The gentle touch of the leaves conveyed its joy at the flourishing of its people.

Just then, Xiao Wu in Feng Yao's arms suddenly tensed up. The Blue Silver Emperor's vines abruptly stopped in mid-air, as they sensed the extraordinary bloodline within each other.

In an instant, both auras froze.

Xiao Wu's ruby-like pupils contracted sharply, and she trembled involuntarily in Feng Yao's arms: "This aura... it's like Third Brother's." She looked up at Feng Yao's profile, her long ears twitching uneasily, "Could it be that she also..."

The crystalline vines of the Blue Silver Emperor suddenly dimmed, and the life aura on its leaves receded like a tide. She clearly sensed that this soul beast before her had not only lost its soul ring, but what pained her even more was that the missing aura was perfectly manifested on Feng Yao's body.

The surrounding blue-silver grass sea simultaneously slumped, emitting a mournful rustling sound. The blue-silver emperor vines on Feng Yao's wrist slowly loosened, as if he had aged a thousand years in an instant. An indescribable sorrow filled the air, even the mist in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well seemed to freeze.

Feng Yao's gaze narrowed slightly, but he did not offer any explanation. His slender fingers gently stroked Xiao Wu's back, a deep, dark light flashing in his eyes.

Putting aside the fact that he didn't kill Xiao Wu, even if he did, it would be perfectly understandable. He is not a god, and even though he is very powerful as a human, he cannot change the course of nature.

Even if Xiao Wu really died at his hands, so what? This is just the unchanging law of survival between Soul Masters and Soul Beasts. The law of the jungle is the most primitive way of survival in this world.

The mist from the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire swirled around him, reflecting on his handsome face, which betrayed no emotion. The rustling of the withering leaves of the Blue Silver Emperor mingled with Xiao Wu's breathing.

Feng Yao lightly touched Xiao Wu's pink nose with his fingertip, creating a ripple of soul power: "Sister Xiao Wu, just wait here obediently." As he turned around, his clothes fluttered, drawing an elegant arc in the mist where ice and fire intertwined.

Besides visiting Dugu Yan, the more important purpose of this visit to the herb garden was to find a suitable immortal herb for Ning Rongrong. Having promised the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he naturally had to fulfill his promise; Feng Yao was never one to show favoritism. Feng Yao's eyes flickered slightly, and his soul power perception quietly covered the entire herb garden.

Xiao Wu nestled obediently beside the Blue Silver Emperor, her ruby-like eyes shimmering with longing. That familiar and warm aura involuntarily reminded her of a certain figure in the Star Dou Great Forest. Seeing Feng Yao depart, she cautiously moved a few steps closer, curling up in the halo cast by the Blue Silver Emperor.

The Blue Silver Emperor's crystalline leaves silently unfurled, forming a verdant barrier around it. The outermost leaves subtly shifted, blocking out the chill seeping from the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire. The life energy flowing through the veins of the leaves rippled gently, creating a warm aura around Xiao Wu—the most tender comfort from a mother to another child who had lost a loved one.

Feng Yao held the ancient and simple Bagua plate in his palm. The hexagrams slowly lit up under the stimulation of his soul power. He strolled in the misty air, his robes brushing against the swaying immortal artifacts, bringing up tiny specks of light.

"The Qiluo Tulip, its hexagram belongs to the Zhen Wood element," he recalled, lightly tapping the Bagua compass with his fingertips. "Like spring thunder breaking through the earth, it is most suitable to help a weapon spirit like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda break through its shackles."

The mist from the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire parted at his feet, revealing an ancient herb garden covered with Blue Silver Grass. Although he had taken many immortal herbs with him back then, the mysteries nurtured by this world were far beyond his knowledge—some of the strange plants entwined with chaotic energy were even names he couldn't name.

Feng Yao's Bagua compass traced mysterious paths in the mist, and he gradually discovered that the distribution of these celestial plants secretly conformed to the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Celestial plants such as the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum and the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower were located near the blazing Yang Spring, while the Narcissus Jade Skin and the Longing for Autumn Water Dew were more inclined to the extreme Yin Spring. Celestial plants such as the Fiery Apricot and the Eight-Cornered Mysterious Ice Grass only grew in the center of the Yang Spring and the Yin Spring.

Both the eight-petaled fairy orchid and the Qiluo tulip are celestial plants that grow at the boundary between ice and fire.

Feng Yao paused at the site where the Qiluo tulips had been harvested years ago, discovering that the remaining roots had sprouted new buds, their tender green leaves still glistening with dew. The pointer of the Bagua compass trembled slightly here, indicating this special location—precisely at the equilibrium point where ice and fire meet. Not far away, the roots of the eight-petaled fairy orchid lay nearby, its growth location even more inclined towards the Yin Spring than the Qiluo tulips. "The immortal medicinal herbs growing in this area have relatively balanced, not extreme, power. Using this as a benchmark," Feng Yao condensed a wisp of blue-gold soul power at his fingertips, outlining a three-dimensional energy map in the air, "...searching for those with similar energy fluctuations, not far away."

Feng Yao's gaze pierced through the misty red fog and locked onto the peculiar immortal plant—its jet-black branches were like those forged from black iron, yet at its tip grew a dazzling golden fruit, the surface of which was covered with fine patterns, as if sealing some ancient power.

He activated the Innate Eight Trigrams Plate, and the Xun trigram suddenly emitted a bluish-green light. "Xun wood," Feng Yao said thoughtfully, his fingertips lightly tracing the runes that appeared on the trigram. "Its nature is penetrating, its quality is gentle, like a spring breeze and rain nourishing all things silently."

In stark contrast to the earth-shattering power of the Qiluo Tulip, this celestial plant exudes an aura more like a gentle stream. Feng Yao can sense the mild energy contained within it, like a wise sage patiently guiding one's mind, rather than a drastic cure.

“If the Ruoqiluo tulip is a thunderclap from a clear sky,” Feng Yao stared at the golden fruit, his eyes gleaming with silver light. “This is perhaps the gentle rain that nourishes all things silently.” He carefully approached and found that the air around the fruit was subtly distorted. The fruit seemed to reflect the stars in the sky, as if it were absorbing the power of the stars.

Feng Yao gathered a wisp of soul power at his fingertips and carefully enveloped the golden fruit. The moment the fruit detached from the branch, the entire black branch of the immortal plant turned into starlight and dissipated into the air, leaving only the golden fruit floating in his palm, radiating a gentle pulse.

"Let's give it a try for now," Feng Yao murmured to himself, his gaze sweeping over the newly sprouted tulip not far away. For a Soul Saint with such a long lifespan, a dozen years was but a fleeting moment. Moreover, Ning Rongrong was not yet twenty; she could easily wait for the next ripening season.

Feng Yao understood and took out a cold jade box from his soul tool. Just as he was about to seal the immortal item, he caught a glimpse of the familiar ninth-grade purple fungus growing in a crevice not far away—the precious item that Yu Xiaogang used to break through the level 30 bottleneck in the original novel.

"Feeding this to the rabbits," Feng Yao said with a slight smile, the image of Xiao Wu's longing ruby ​​eyes appearing before him. "It is indeed a bit of a waste; this thing should be about the same level as the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng."

Feng Yao put away the immortal item, his fingertips brushing against the rock wall at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye, feeling the surging primordial energy within. Here, even the most ordinary weeds would transform into spiritual beings over the years—let alone those already extraordinary plants, which would surely become immortal items in time.

He finally plucked the ninth-grade purple Ganoderma lucidum. The purple-gold patterns flowing across its surface shone even brighter the moment it was removed from the soil. "It'll only be a few years," Feng Yao murmured, watching the spiritual liquid seeping from the root condense into beads in the air. "Consider it a treat for Sister Xiao Wu."

Back in the core area where the Blue Silver Emperor resided, Xiao Wu's previously curled-up body suddenly straightened, her ruby-like eyes fixed intently on the purple-tinged immortal mushroom in Feng Yao's hand. Even the Blue Silver Emperor's vines unconsciously stretched out a few leaves in that direction.

"Here you go." Feng Yao casually tossed it, and the ninth-grade purple mushroom drew a graceful arc in the air. Xiao Wu pushed off with her hind legs, her snow-white figure nimbly flipping in the air, precisely catching the mushroom. "Enough for you to digest for a month or two."

Xiao Wu tightly clung to the Nine-Rank Purple Ganoderma with her snow-white paws, her ruby-like eyes glancing warily at Feng Yao before eagerly devouring it. As she chewed, the spiritual energy contained within the Ganoderma transformed into wisps of purple-gold mist that spilled from the corners of her mouth, appearing exceptionally dreamlike under the reflection of the Blue Silver Emperor vines, swaying gently as if protecting this gluttonous little creature.

Blue Silver Emperor sensed the wind before her; its leaves trembled silently, conveying complex emotions. She had seen too many Soul Masters who regarded Soul Beasts as walking Soul Rings and Soul Bones, even Tang Hao back then was no exception. But this young man before her was completely different.

Feng Yao stood quietly to the side, watching the light gradually emanating from Xiao Wu's body. His eyes held no hypocritical pity, but rather a deeper understanding—a profound comprehension of the cycle of life. Perhaps in his eyes, soul beasts were indeed usable resources, but more importantly, they were an essential part of the ecosystem that needed to be maintained.

As the last wisp of purple agarwood energy was absorbed, Xiao Wu's body involuntarily curled into a ball, and moonlight-like patterns began to flow through her soft fur. The Blue Silver Emperor timely extended its vines, weaving a cradle radiating life, gently lifting the sleeping Xiao Wu.

Feng Yao bent down and gently lifted the curled-up Xiao Wu, undigested purplish-gold specks of light still dancing among her snow-white fur. He looked up at the Blue Silver Emperor, noticing the latter's reluctance, and a playful smile curved his lips: "Let's go. If Sister Xiao Wu stays here..." He lightly tapped Xiao Wu's swollen belly with his fingertip, "I'm afraid all the immortal treasures in this garden will suffer."

The vines of the Blue Silver Emperor intertwined in the air, forming elegant arcs. The most crystalline leaf at the very top gently drooped down, brushing against Xiao Wu's ear like a mother caressing her child. The blue-gold light spots flowing on the leaf blended with the spiritual energy of the Purple Ganoderma, helping Xiao Wu to better absorb the medicinal power.

Feng Yao lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body leaping up as lightly as a feather. Little Wu, nestled in his arms, unconsciously nuzzled against his chest in her sleep, a satisfied smile still playing on her lips. The Blue Silver Grass Sea parted automatically, creating a path, bathed in the gentle glow of the setting sun, watching the figures of the man and the rabbit disappear into the twilight atop the cliff.

When Feng Yao carried the sleeping Xiao Wu back to the wooden house, the afterglow of the setting sun was gilding Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan with a golden edge. The aura of soul power flowing around the two women had subsided, but Feng Yao keenly sensed that their auras had become even deeper.

The internal energy of the Xuan Tian Gong circulated silently through their meridians, while Feng Yao's spiritual power swept over the two women's bodies like flowing water. In his "vision," their meridian networks, like rivers nourished by spring rain, had widened by nearly 30%. The medicinal power lurking deep within their cells continued to strengthen every inch of their muscles.

"Just as I thought." A silver glint flashed in Feng Yao's eyes. In his years of observation, whether it was the power of immortal-grade medicine, the energy of soul rings, or the awakening of the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline, they were all essentially reshaping the soul master's physical origin. Those external enhancements in soul power and evolutions of martial souls were merely manifestations of the inner transformation.

This realization reminded him of the genetic theory he had learned in his previous life—the essence of Soul Master cultivation might be a rewriting of the code of life. Why do mutated Martial Souls be born from the same bloodline? Why do the same Soul Rings produce mutated Soul Skills depending on the absorber? These phenomena all point to one conclusion: the so-called Martial Soul is nothing more than a special expression hidden deep within the genetic chain.

Feng Yao gently stroked Xiao Wu's soft fur, sensing the unique life fluctuations of a 100,000-year-old soul beast after its transformation. In this world, genes are no longer abstract spiral structures, but life totems that can be materialized through soul power. (End of Chapter)