Chapter 227: The Spirit-Infused Pine
Chapter 227: The Spirit-Infused Pine
The Spirit Seed was elongated and pale yellow, encased in a thick layer of resin-like substance that effectively isolated it from the outside world.
"The vitality is faint, but it's undoubtedly authentic."
A black sword qi shot out from Lu Chen's dantian, thin as a cicada's wing. Under his spiritual sense control, it gradually scraped away the resin covering the Spirit Seed.
He then performed the Earth-Drawing Technique, and a slender crack appeared in the ground, swallowing the elongated Spirit Seed.
As his consciousness focused on the Spirit Seed in the shallow layer of Spirit Soil, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Spirit-Infused Pine, a Fourth-Grade Spirit Plant. Requires a Spirit Herbalist to input their spiritual sense to communicate and nurture the plant. The mature pine cones can enhance a cultivator's spiritual sense.
Due to its prolonged inability to be nurtured, the Spirit Seed secreted resinous spirit objects, isolating itself from the outside world to slow the loss of vitality within.
"A Fourth-Grade Spirit Seed!"
"It can enhance a cultivator's spiritual sense. What a find!"
Lu Chen exclaimed in surprise.
Among the spirit plants he currently cultivated, only a handful were of the fourth grade: the Mystical Insect Vine, the Earthfire Heart Lotus, and the Hundred-Eyed Bizarre Tree in the small courtyard of Jianmen Town. As for the Saint Infant Fruit, it was actually just a branch plant of the main stock, a scheme set up by a cultivator.
Moreover, this Spirit-Infused Pine, once mature, could enhance one's spiritual sense—an extremely rare and high-grade spirit plant.
Lu Chen carefully dug out the Spirit-Infused Pine seed, and the pale green giant web continued to delve deeper into the Spirit Soil.
With the acquisition of the dormant Fourth-Grade Spirit-Infused Pine seed, he felt invigorated and tirelessly continued his search throughout the herb garden.
"Digging and digging in this tiny herb garden..."
"Hey, I found another one!"
Soon after, another Spirit-Infused Pine seed, encased in resin like amber, was unearthed by Lu Chen.
In total, four Spirit Seeds were dug up from the herb garden, and before he knew it, Lu Chen had ventured deeper and deeper toward the center of the garden.
"I've consumed quite a bit of Primordial Green Qi. Before leaving this blessed land, I should pay a visit to the ancient forest and greet an old acquaintance."
Perhaps due to the Spirit-Infused Pine seeds being limited to a specific area, Lu Chen searched for a long time but couldn't find any new seeds.
"Those aberrant Ghost Vines that underwent demonic transformation must have all retreated back to the central area of the herb garden."
He glanced toward the depths of the garden. On his way here, apart from the initial batch he encountered, he hadn't come across a single aberrant Ghost Vine.
Even the ordinary vines seemed to have disappeared, as if they had all been taken away by their demonic companions.
"When things go against the norm, there's bound to be a demon at play. Should I venture into the center of the herb garden to take a look?"
Lu Chen fell into deep thought.
Given his usual cautious nature, he would typically keep his distance. However, this time felt different.
After all, this herb garden was left behind by an ancient cultivator, making it the most likely place to find Spirit Seeds and young spirit plants within the blessed land. He had already discovered four Fourth-Grade Spirit-Infused Pine seeds in the relatively peripheral area of the garden, so the central region might hold even greater opportunities.
Additionally, the greatest advantage of those aberrant Ghost Vines that had undergone demonic transformation was their ability to disguise themselves as normal spirit plants and launch sudden attacks when cultivators approached for harvesting.
But this strategy was completely ineffective against Lu Chen. With just a simple Spiritual Rain Technique, he could easily discern whether a Ghost Vine had undergone demonic transformation or not.
Lu Chen made up his mind. On his thin, dark golden Invisible Cloak, countless nearly transparent threads emerged and enveloped him.
After a few breaths, Lu Chen's figure seemed to be wiped away as he disappeared from sight.
In his field of vision, the world was veiled in a layer of special substance, blurry and indistinct.
Now in stealth mode, his movements slowed considerably as he cautiously approached the center of the herb garden.
As he ventured deeper, Lu Chen noticed an increasing number of demon beast skeletons in the garden, some so ancient that they crumbled to dust under his gentle footsteps.
"It's a pity that these are just useless bones. If there were any residual spiritual energy left, I could have used them to nourish the Thornbone."
Lu Chen murmured to himself, concealed within his dark golden cloak.
"What's that?"
Upon reaching the center of the garden, Lu Chen was astonished by the sight before him.
Hundreds of aberrant Ghost Vines had gathered, their greenish-black vines writhing wildly under the dusky sky, resembling a procession of ghosts.
At the very heart of this eerie congregation was an extraordinarily massive and sinister-looking vine.
While regular aberrant Ghost Vines were about the height of a human, this one towered at a height of fifty zhang, its vines as thick as an adult's arm, twisting and tangling upwards.
At its apex was a flower bud the size of a wooden basin, pulsating and expanding as if breathing.
Seemingly sensing Lu Chen's gaze, the massive aberrant Ghost Vine's vines began to quietly shift.
"Not good."
Sensing the disturbance underground through his spiritual sense, Lu Chen instantly retracted the threads of the Invisible Cloak that had enveloped his body, then leaped high into the air.
Just as he left the ground, countless tendrils burst forth, turning the spot where he had been standing into a mess of holes.
Missing its target, the hundreds of aberrant Ghost Vines continued to attack Lu Chen relentlessly in mid-air.
Looking down, he saw nothing but a sea of writhing greenish-black vines with no safe landing spot.
Lu Chen activated the Cloud Soaring Art, changing direction in mid-air, and landed in an area with relatively fewer aberrant Ghost Vines.
As soon as he touched the ground, countless tendrils rushed towards him like frenzied snakes.
Purple electric sword energy flashed, and arcs of electricity jumped across the surfaces of the closest vines, sizzling loudly.
However, there were just too many aberrant Ghost Vines, and soon, they found an opportunity to strike. Tendril-like vines wrapped tightly around Lu Chen, and their deep black thorns pierced viciously at his skin.
Fortunately, due to his previous consumption of several drops of Golden Marrow Jade Liquid and the Jade-Scaled Fruit, as well as his cultivation of the Lapis Lazuli Bone-Refining Art and the Great Void Dragon Transformation, his physical body was now far stronger than that of an average Qi Refinement cultivator at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Not a single thorn was able to penetrate his skin.
Lu Chen coldly huffed, and the Xunyue Sword Pellet in his dantian began to spin rapidly, sending out a hurricane of black sword energy from his body.
The fierce wind swept through, and sword intent filled the air as the surrounding vines were sliced into segments by countless Xunyue sword beams, creating a vacant area around him.
However, the remaining aberrant Ghost Vines remained fearless and relentless, like mantises trying to stop a chariot. The greenish-black vines attacked Lu Chen from all directions.
Lu Chen brandished the Purple Electric Sword, his skin glowing like white jade, surrounded by black sword energy. Wherever he moved, vine fragments fell like rain.
(End of Chapter)
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