Tang Hao's eyes snapped open in his cliffside dwelling.
After two years of cultivation within the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, his injuries had healed far faster than he'd anticipated.
He was certain that he would soon be fully recovered.
When that day came, A'yin would be resurrected.
He would protect her, ensuring her safety and giving her the happy life she deserved.
"He's already broken through to level 20."
Tang Hao ceased his cultivation and approached the cliff's edge. Looking down and sensing the area, he discovered that his adopted son, Tang Yin, had already surpassed level 20.
He was somewhat surprised.
At just eight years old, Tang Yin had reached level 20 soul power.
His adopted son's talent was truly astonishing.
Still, it didn't matter.
After all, Tang Yin was merely a support-type soul master, posing no future threat to him.
Moreover, if things continued this way, Tang Yin could even support his biological son, Tang San, in the future.
A win-win situation.
"It's time to take him to hunt for his second soul ring."
Over the past two years, Tang Hao had witnessed Tang Yin's tireless efforts firsthand.
As the tool to resurrect his wife, A'yin, Tang Yin had performed admirably—exceptionally well, in fact.
Tang Hao's figure flashed, and he instantly descended to the bottom of the valley.
Tang Yin, who had been meditating near the Blue Silver Emperor A'yin, sensed Tang Hao's approach through the Blue Silver Grass on the cliffside as soon as he left their cliffside dwelling.
Seeing him descend now, Tang Yin swiftly emerged from his meditative state, rose, and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Adoptive Father."
Throughout the past two years, Tang Yin had maintained this unwavering reverence toward Tang Hao.
Whether in his formal address, respectful bows, or daily interactions, he executed every gesture with meticulous precision.
This meticulousness served to emphasize his deep respect for his adoptive father.
When the time came to kill him, Tang Yin's strike would be all the more ruthless.
Tang Hao nodded in acknowledgment and approached the Blue Silver Emperor A'yin, his expression softening. "How is she progressing?" he asked.
"Adoptive Mother is recovering even faster than I anticipated," Tang Yin replied. "Based on my calculations, her resurrection will occur sooner than expected."
"Without you, Adoptive Father would have no idea when he might see your adoptive mother again," Tang Hao said, patting Tang Yin's shoulder with genuine gratitude. "When she returns, I will be sure to thank you properly."
"You're too kind, Adoptive Father. This is all I should be doing. By the way, I've already broken through to level 20. What do you think?" Tang Yin hinted meaningfully.
"Don't worry. I'll go prepare your second soul ring right away. As for you, stay here and keep your adoptive mother company," Tang Hao said, patting Tang Yin's shoulder lightly before leaving the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye.
With his strength, finding a suitable Soul Beast for Tang Yin would be a trivial task. He would return soon.
Tang Yin watched Tang Hao's retreating figure, his expression darkening.
Tang Hao hadn't even asked for his opinion before rushing off to hunt a Soul Beast for him. *What a thoughtful adoptive father!*
*It seems I can't advance too quickly after absorbing my second Soul Skill. My third Soul Skill is crucial for the future, and I can't let Tang Hao handle that again.*
Given Tang Yin's talent, the amplification from his first Soul Skill, and the enhancement provided by the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, reaching level 30 within four years, before his twelfth birthday, would be no problem—perhaps even sooner.
But now, he abandoned that plan.
He needed to prepare to keep Tang Hao here.
***
Having left the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, Tang Hao emerged from the poisonous mist and immediately began searching the Sunset Forest.
Since he was helping his adopted son find a Second Soul Skill, it couldn't be mediocre. After all, it was crucial to his progress in resurrecting A'yin.
For a support-type Soul Beast, the more potent its abilities, the better.
"Any support-type Soul Beast will do. The specific species doesn't matter."
Though Tang Hao was a formidable warrior and had studied Soul Beasts in his youth, his knowledge was primarily focused on those suitable for the Clear Sky Hammer. He lacked in-depth research on other species.
He hadn't been searching long when a Soul Beast appeared nearby.
It was a butterfly with wings spanning over two meters.
This butterfly was unique, its massive wings adorned with cloud-like patterns etched with peculiar patterns.
The moment Tang Hao saw it, he recognized it as a Cloud-Patterned Butterfly.
However, lacking specialized knowledge of Soul Beasts, he failed to notice the faint green patterns interwoven within the cloud patterns on its wings.
Moreover, this creature wasn't a true Cloud-Patterned Butterfly.
It was a mutated variant: the Green Pattern Butterfly.
Despite the mere one-character difference in their names, their abilities were worlds apart.
Such mutated Soul Beasts were generally unknown to ordinary soul masters, except for specialists like Yu Xiaogang who dedicated their lives to studying Soul Beasts.
Tang Hao was clearly unaware of this as well.
Seeing that the Cloud-Patterned Butterfly was approximately seven hundred years old and a support-type Soul Beast, he deemed it perfect for his adopted son's Second Soul Skill and captured it.
With a mere release of his aura, he stunned the creature and carried it away.
Moments later, he returned to the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang, tossing the Soul Beast before Tang Yin.
"This Cloud-Patterned Butterfly is about seven hundred years old. It's perfect for your Second Soul Ring. Begin absorbing it now."
"Yes," Tang Yin replied without hesitation.
He drew his dagger and swiftly killed the butterfly. Then, he sat cross-legged before the corpse, drawing the yellow soul ring from the body into himself to begin absorption.
Tang Hao nodded in satisfaction, pleased with his adopted son's obedience and decisive actions.
Instead of observing Tang Yin's absorption process, he approached A'yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, gently stroking the leaves of the Blue Silver Grass with surprising tenderness.
Tang Yin encountered no difficulties absorbing his Second Soul Ring.
He had heard of Cloud-Patterned Butterflies before—ordinary Soul Beasts whose Soul Skills involved flapping their patterned wings to release special scents for control, along with some offensive capabilities. They were particularly effective for support-type soul masters.
Inwardly, he resigned himself to the fact that his Second Soul Skill would likely be utterly useless.
But after the absorption was complete, Tang Yin froze.
*Is this a Cloud-Patterned Butterfly?*
*This Soul Skill is... absolutely lethal.*
*Would Tang Hao really be kind enough to find such a perfect Soul Beast for me?*
*Impossible. He's definitely not that kind.*
*Then there's only one explanation: Tang Hao misidentified the Soul Beast. Perhaps it mutated, and given his limited knowledge of Soul Beasts, he didn't recognize it.*
The moment Tang Yin opened his eyes, he carefully examined the Cloud-Patterned Butterfly's corpse.
Sure enough, based on the description of his Second Soul Skill, he noticed something peculiar.
The cloud patterns on its wings contained faint green veins, so subtle they were almost imperceptible.
Without close scrutiny, these green veins would easily go unnoticed.
"What's wrong?" Tang Hao, who had been muttering to A'yin nearby, saw his adopted son staring intently at the Soul Beast's corpse and immediately asked, assuming something had happened.
"Nothing, nothing at all," Tang Yin replied, shaking his head.
There was no need to tell Tang Hao about this.
His Second Soul Skill was a poison called Green Poison—a mental toxin.
It could be administered through the air, by contact, or by planting Green Poison seeds directly into a person's body.
Once this poison is planted, it acts directly on the brain.
There are two ways the poison manifests:
1. Short-term effects: causing dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms, making it an excellent tool for control.
2. Long-term effects: the Green Poison initially shows no symptoms, but its effects grow stronger over time.
This poison is a mental toxin with an extremely long incubation period. It's virtually undetectable under normal circumstances because it's unique—it appears to be a poison, but it isn't quite one.
It's similar to the drugs from his previous life.
Once planted, prolonged exposure leads to mental derangement and the development of peculiar cravings.
Tang Yin glanced at his adoptive father, Tang Hao, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
This poison was practically tailor-made for Tang Hao—and, ironically, Tang Hao had prepared it for himself. Perfect.
The following days were filled with activity for Tang Yin.
He spent his time either cultivating, strengthening his physique, or nurturing the Blue Silver Emperor A'yin.
He also focused on cultivating the Ice-Fire Immortal Grass. By having these two Immortal Herbs cultivate and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, he could then release their ice and fire energies to temper his body.
He was now like the master of both the Octagonal Profound Ice Grass and the Blazing Fire Apricot Beauty.
Though he hadn't consumed either Immortal Herb, the constant flow of ice and fire energy they provided for his training was no different from ingesting them—in fact, it was even more potent.
Whenever he had spare time, Tang Yin would condense the Green Poison from his Second Soul Skill into seeds and attach them to the Blue Silver Emperor A'yin's main body, planting the poison within Tang Hao.
Every time Tang Hao visited A'yin, his face softened with tenderness, his guard completely down. He never noticed the poison clinging to the Blue Silver Grass he caressed, unaware that it had been planted by his own adopted son.
Thus, the Green Poison gradually infiltrated Tang Hao's mind. Over time, it would inevitably take its toll.
Meanwhile, Tang Yin secretly contacted Dugu Bo to prepare for their plan.
And so, more than four years passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was a pivotal day for Tang Hao, Tang Yin, and Dugu Bo.
At the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, Tang Yin, now having shed his childish appearance, stood beside the Icefire Spring, his arms outstretched in blissful anticipation.
After years of being tempered by ice and fire energy and residing in the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, a treasure trove of natural power, Tang Yin's appearance had transcended mere handsomeness.
His eyes, one blue and one red, radiated a sinister charm. Within them seemed to dwell a terrifying, ultimate ice-fire energy.
Upon closer inspection, the Blazing Fire Apricot Beauty and Octagonal Profound Ice Grass, the two Immortal Herbs that had grown beside the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, had vanished without a trace.
"Ah, that feels good."
"Six years have passed. It's time to begin."
Tang Yin glanced toward the dwelling on the cliff face, a sinister smile playing on his lips. With a flick of his wrists, green soul power materialized in his hands.
Meanwhile, outside the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, Dugu Bo was communicating with a Blue Silver Grass. This particular strand was clearly under Tang Yin's control.
"Is it starting?"
"This is actually quite exciting."
Dugu Bo gazed at the Icefire Yin-Yang Eye, shrouded in poisonous mist, with a sense of anticipation. Over the years, he had communicated with Tang Yin through these controlled plants, and the young man had completely won him over.
In the dwelling on the cliff, Tang Hao slowly opened his eyes. Today was the day his wife, A'yin, would be resurrected. Overwhelmed with emotion, he hesitated to step outside, fearing it might all be an illusion.