She had already figured it out. The reason her spiritual energy had previously run out of control when she used it to nurture spiritual plants was that the serpent-patterned seal inside her body exerted a special effect on them, causing them to turn demonic.
It wasn't enough that the serpent-patterned seal suppressed her entire cultivation; now it even wanted to affect her wood spiritual root. How could Song Yao tolerate this?
After several attempts, she discovered that as long as she didn't try to erase the seal, it wouldn't cause any backlash.
And as long as she carefully controlled the speed and amount of spiritual energy flowing through the seal, she could conversely utilize the serpent-patterned seal to nurture plants, or even control them.
This made her wonder: could the person who left this seal also possess a wood-attribute spiritual root?
And very likely, just like her, a God-grade spiritual root.
There shouldn't be many people in this world with a God-grade wood spiritual root.
Perhaps she could find an opportunity to investigate.
It took Sixth Elder and the other cultivators a long time to recover from their shock. They quickly stepped forward to take a closer look.
Not only had all those dying ordinary spiritual plants completely recovered, growing even more vigorously than before, but even the rare Condensing Fragrance Orchids at the very edge of the ridge—which had shown no signs of improvement despite being nurtured for several years and had nearly had their roots severed during the move—were now faintly sprouting tiny flower buds between their leaves. It looked as though they would bloom in just a few days.
“Heavens! How did she do that?”
“I thought they couldn't be saved!”
“Seventh Senior Sister, what kind of spell is this? Can you teach me?”
“Seventh Senior Sister didn't even use a spell, okay? This is the effect of pure spiritual energy...”
The shock was simply too great. In an instant, Song Yao was surrounded by people, their eyes filled with admiration and wonder. They chimed in one after another, even wanting to ask her to take a look at several other dying ancient trees in the back.
Sixth Elder also had questions to ask, but when she looked up and saw that the young girl's already pale face was now completely devoid of color, clearly having consumed a lot of her vitality, she was startled. She immediately intervened, “Alright, alright, your Seventh Senior Sister has just returned from outside. All of you, go back to work. Don't bother her.”
Only then did the cultivator disciples reluctantly disperse. Song Yao smiled and said, “How about that, Sixth Elder? Pretty impressive, right?”
The kid really liked to show off.
Sixth Elder's eyes softened at her expression, and she couldn't help but chuckle. “Impressive, of course you're impressive. Our Little Wood didn't even need anyone to teach her, and she's already become a top medicine cultivator.”
As she spoke, she took Song Yao's slightly cool hand and led her toward the courtyard. “Going to attend a wedding ceremony only to end up trapped on Black Cloud Mountain, you must have suffered a lot, right? Those people won't find the entrance to the secret realm anytime soon. You don't need to worry about the matters outside. Go back and rest first.”
Though she said this, Song Yao could see a heavy gloom weighing on her brow.
Outside, Fuguang Platform was in a state of crisis, their fellow elders were subdued, and the disciples were humiliated. Yet, they—a few pill and medicine cultivators—were hiding here to guard the secret realm's meager resources, calling it a backup plan while waiting for an opportunity. It was indeed an agonizing ordeal.
Song Yao was led by her to an empty room in the corner. “You can only stay here for now. The blankets are all laid out. Have a good rest, and don't think too much.”
Song Yao walked around the room, then thought of something and poked her head back out. “What about those injured people who were poisoned by the dark poison?”
Sixth Elder had already walked a few steps away, but she paused at the question. “They are right next door.”
Her face immediately grew even more sorrowful. “Their condition has gotten even worse now. We're just keeping them alive with pills. This is truly...”
When it rains, it pours.
Afraid of making Song Yao worry, Sixth Elder stopped herself mid-sentence and changed the subject. “I've been busy all day and haven't checked on them yet. It's fine, I'll go take a look. You should rest.”
However, Song Yao rummaged through her spatial pouch and handed her a white porcelain bottle. She was slightly startled. “This is?”
“Qi-Replenishing Pills.”
Song Yao added, “They can cure dark poison.”
Sixth Elder: “...”
Qi-Replenishing Pills...
Can cure dark poison?
She had previously heard that the Qi-Replenishing Pills this child refined had extraordinary effects, being able to replenish spiritual energy, heal injuries, and even detoxify. But to even cure dark poison... wasn't that a bit off?
Wasn't that the Wen family's unique skill?
How did she do it?
Even if she had stayed on Black Cloud Mountain and spent some time with Tangtang, and even with Tangtang's help, it shouldn't have been possible to integrate the effect of curing dark poison into a single pill, right?
Creating one's own pills, especially with such effects—no matter how extraordinarily talented a child was, it was highly unlikely they could achieve this.
Sixth Elder took the pills half-believingly and asked, “Are the side effects still there?”
Song Yao nodded. “Yes.”
Sixth Elder: “...Alright.”
She gathered some disciples and entered the room where the injured were placed, binding them all tightly. Only after making absolutely sure nothing could go wrong did she feed them the medicine.
Even if it couldn't completely cure the poison, delaying the onset of the dark poison should still be possible.
After half an hour of extremely chaotic side effects, the room finally quieted down.
Sixth Elder had been guarding them the entire time. Seeing that the time was about right, she immediately stepped forward to inspect, reaching out to check the pulse of Patriarch Ming, who was closest to the door, and then pulling aside his collar.
—The veins that had previously bulged and sprawled like a black spiderweb had now completely receded, leaving only a few faint gray marks.
She checked several other people in succession, and every single one was the same.
Their faces, which had previously looked as though they were covered in a layer of dead ash, now gradually showed some signs of life. The grayish-blue tint turned into a normal pale complexion, and a very faint flush of color even appeared on their cheeks.
Everyone's breathing was deep and stable. Although they had not yet woken up, they no longer looked as perilously close to death as before.
The disciples guarding nearby stared with wide eyes, whispering in shock, “Elder... the dark poison was actually suppressed?”
Sixth Elder: “...”
She looked in the direction of Song Yao's room, then at the remaining pills in her hand, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Just what kind of little monster had Nine Saints Hall taken in? She had mastered sword techniques without a teacher, had never attended a single complete class on pill or medicine cultivation, yet she could turn around and save so many plants, and even refine pills of this grade.
She would have to test her spiritual roots again some other day.
She was definitely not as simple as having a Heaven-grade third-tier wood spiritual root.
And her comprehension was also far too high...
After thinking it over, Sixth Elder pulled a disciple over and said, “Isn't Twelfth Elder still unconscious? Tell those medical cultivators to stop wasting their time and take this Qi-Replenishing Pill for Twelfth Elder to consume.”
“Yes.”
-
Back in her room, Song Yao really did just peacefully shut out the world and sleep for a while.
Perhaps because the environment was unfamiliar, she didn't sleep very soundly and had several chaotic dreams.
In her final dream, Nine Saints Hall was in complete chaos. A great fire raged through the mountains, and tens of thousands of disciples on the eighteen peaks struggled in agony within the sea of flames.
The Black Bird, half its body charred, flew toward her carrying a half-dead Zhu Zhao, its eyes filled with resentment.
Only then did she realize she was standing on the opposing side, holding a blood-stained blade. Opposite her was Xie Zhou, who had fallen to the ground and couldn't get up, and her master, who was clutching his chest and gasping for breath.
Her master said, “Yao'ao, is this what you wanted? Do you want everyone to die?”
For some reason, she couldn't speak. Her chest felt tight and she was short of breath when the sound of a blade cutting through the air came from behind her.
Turning around, Jiang Jin thrust his sword toward her: “Today, I will clean out the sect on behalf of Nine Saints Hall!!”
Rate on N.U.
