Chapter 169: Return, Daring Fellow Disciples

The Earth Spirit Root had grown two branches from its initial pair of leaves. The leaves on these branches clustered together, resembling small, stunted bushes.

The Thousand Silk Pupils had grown to five inches tall. The ghastly white eyeball at its center, protected by dozens, even hundreds, of crimson root-like threads, had grown a size larger. A faint, vein-like pattern had appeared around the pupil.

Li Changsheng stepped forward to inspect them one by one.

The growth progress for all three Spirit Plants was at about thirty-five percent, with little difference between them.

After finishing his inspection, Li Changsheng turned and walked over to the High-grade Spirit Field. As soon as he reached the edge, his gaze fell upon Xiaohai in the center.

He noticed that the root-filaments on its body were visibly lusher and more numerous. His heart skipped a beat as he stared intently.

[Target: Senluo Flower/Xiaohai]

[Race: Senluo Flower Demon/Mutated Black Blood Moth]

[Mid-Demon Realm: 2%]

[Innate Magic: Senluo/Food Spirit]

[Status: Healthy, Symbiotic]

When he saw its cultivation had reached the Mid-Demon Realm, he was stunned. “It advanced already?” he murmured in disbelief.

‘Was there no bottleneck at all?’

By any count, it had been barely two months since Xiaohai had become a demon insect.

“This Flower Demon…”

This made Li Changsheng even more hesitant to approach. He was both intimidated and thrilled.

Regardless of the Senluo Flower Demon, Xiaohai was his contracted demon insect. The higher its cultivation, the safer he would be.

Li Changsheng watched for a moment longer before turning to inspect two other Spirit Plants: the Cold Flame Flower and the Narcissus Spring.

Compared to the Jade Ganoderma Fruit and other Spirit Plants, their changes were minor. Because the Narcissus Spring wasn’t nurturing any Spiritual Object, its growth progress was only around seven or eight percent. The Cold Flame Flower, irrigated by a cold spring, was at about eleven percent.

After inspecting each one, Li Changsheng irrigated them with life-giving spiritual energy, glanced at Xiaohai one last time, and turned to head for the edge of the mountain.

Eight days had passed since the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree had begun its advancement. He could feel the connection in his mind growing heavier, the pressure almost matching what he felt when Xiaohai broke through. Still, he wouldn’t be at ease until he saw it with his own eyes.

Just then, two uninvited guests arrived on the beach.

One of them appeared to be in his forties, with touches of gray at his temples. He was dressed in a cloud-white robe embroidered with gold.

“Elder Bai, are there really that many serpent beasts?”

Bai Shui was starting to regret opening his mouth. “But that’s Steward Li’s project,” he said, a headache coming on. “I don’t know what he’s trying to do, but…”

Yan Shaoyuan waved him off. “I’m just catching a hundred or so serpent beasts. It’s no big deal.” After a pause, he smiled. “Besides, I’m doing this to cultivate my Water Spirit Flower. If Steward Li gets upset, worst-case scenario, I’ll just give him the special cultivation method I developed as compensation.” A hint of smugness crept into his voice.

Hearing this, Bai Shui hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said no more.

Ever since he had advanced to the Pulse Condensation Realm, his duty had been to watch over the sect’s Spirit Plant Masters, so he considered himself quite knowledgeable about them.

Methods for accelerating the growth of Spirit Plants were the product of years, even decades, of research by Spirit Plant Masters. Such techniques were rarely shared or sold.

The sect itself had collected very few such methods.

Therefore, in Bai Shui’s eyes, Yan Shaoyuan’s offer was practically a free gift to Li Changsheng—a massive bargain for him.

The two of them arrived at a sandy patch on the side of the mountain.

Yan Shaoyuan looked at the enormous, tangled mass of snakes in the distance. Instead of disgust, a flicker of excitement crossed his face.

“There must be at least ten thousand serpent beasts here!”

Overjoyed, Yan Shaoyuan silently calculated how many his Spirit Field required. He turned to Bai Shui and clasped his hands in respect. “I’ll have to trouble you, Elder Bai. Please capture five hundred… no, let’s make it a thousand.”

Bai Shui smiled and nodded.

‘After I help Yan Shaoyuan get the serpent beasts, I’ll give Li Changsheng a friendly warning. An easy way to earn a favor.’

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Bai Shui began to act. He circulated his Spiritual Power to mask his scent, then leaped into the air above the massive ball of snakes. Forming his hand into a claw, he channeled the immense Spiritual Power within him and swiped down at the mass below.

HUMMM…

A crushing Spiritual Pressure descended, and the writhing ball of snakes froze instantly. The next moment, a glowing white hand several meters wide, formed entirely of Spiritual Power, shot down and grabbed at the mass.

The hand of Spiritual Power landed on the ball of snakes.

Feeling a slight resistance, Bai Shui roared in his mind, ‘Rise!’

BOOM…

Nearly a thousand serpent beasts were violently ripped out by the hand of Spiritual Power. Dozens of intertwined snakes were torn apart in the process, spraying blood everywhere.

As the mass of beasts was lifted, a gap appeared in the ball of snakes. A plume of pink smoke billowed out from the opening, rising into the air before vanishing completely.

‘Is that the tree?’

As Bai Shui slowly descended, he caught sight of what lay exposed inside the ball of snakes. He froze for a second, and then his heart sank.

After landing and stowing the serpent beasts in his Spirit Beast Bag, his gaze returned to the ball of snakes. He sensed a demonic aura within it, one that was now rapidly fading. The corner of his eye began to twitch uncontrollably.

‘This is bad…’

He finally understood what Li Changsheng was doing. He was clearly using some unknown method to help that Spirit Tree advance into the Demon Realm—and it had been on the verge of success.

‘But now I’ve ruined everything…’

Bai Shui stared at the Spirit Beast Bag in his hand, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Yan Shaoyuan strode over, pointing at the slowly scattering ball of snakes. “Elder Bai,” he said with a smile, “look, the ball is breaking up. Could I trouble you to grab some more?”

At his words, Bai Shui’s mouth twitched. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly looked up toward the mountainside.

A young man with an absolutely furious expression was riding a massive black pig, charging down the slope toward them.

“We’re in trouble…” Bai Shui muttered, looking down at the Spirit Beast Bag in his hand.

Yan Shaoyuan saw Li Changsheng too, but he just shook his head and sighed. “Looks like I won’t be able to hold on to my cultivation method for the Water Spirit Flower after all.”