Chapter 2395: Sprouting

“Hoo, hoo, hoo!”

Inside the room, the Vermilion Bird stared at the jade basin before it, puffed out its cheeks, and blew hard into the basin.

The basin was filled to the brim with water, and a single seed lay at the bottom. It was the very seed it had snatched from Qin Sang’s hands years ago, carried all the way from Qingyang Province, and it still showed no sign of sprouting.

The jade basin did not contain clear water; it emitted wafts of unusual fragrance, a blend of various medicinal scents. One could only imagine how many spiritual herbs had been consumed to refine this basin of spiritual liquid.

The seed had seemingly been soaking in the spiritual liquid for a long time, yet its outer shell remained unyielding, as if encased in iron, showing no reaction.

‘Pat, pat!’

The Vermilion Bird hopped around the jade basin, somewhat agitated, repeatedly muttering, “Why hasn’t it sprouted yet? Why hasn’t it sprouted yet?”

Just then, the room’s restriction was triggered. The Vermilion Bird didn’t even lift its head. “Come in!”

Wu Tu Xian pushed the door open. “These are freshly acquired spiritual herbs, for your divine bird highness’s inspection.”

With that, he presented a treasure box.

The treasure box opened by itself, and three balls of spiritual light flew out. Within the light were three spiritual herbs: a string of spiritual fruits resembling grapes, a plump white spiritual ginseng, and finally, several verdant leaves.

‘Hoo!’

The Vermilion Bird exhaled a puff of fire, and the flames enveloped the three spiritual herbs, immediately beginning to refine their medicinal power.

While refining the herbs, it grumbled, “Why so little? How dare you fool your divine bird highness!”

Wu Tu Xian’s face crumpled. “How could this old servant dare to fool your divine bird highness? It’s just that the spiritual herbs your highness requests are both numerous and urgent. This old servant has exhausted every method, and my meager savings are almost depleted…”

“Depleted then! At worst, I’ll make that kid, Qin… I mean, Qingfeng, replenish it for you. He has plenty of treasures! As long as you help your divine bird highness accomplish this, that Qingfeng kid will also obey me dutifully. Your divine bird highness will tell him to go east, and he wouldn’t dare go west. Do you still fear lacking benefits?”

The Vermilion Bird gnashed its teeth at the thought of Qin Sang.

Last time it sent a message, it asked Qin Sang to send some treasures for exchange, but that Qin fellow didn’t even reply.

Fortunately, it had detained Wu Tu Xian, otherwise it would have had to lower itself and go plunder personally.

Wu Tu Xian’s expression grew even more bitter. Although he didn’t know the origin of this divine bird highness or its connection to his master, his interactions over this period made him feel that this divine bird highness was always boastful and not very reliable.

He dared not hold any expectations, only hoping his master would recognize his hard work and provide some compensation.

Just then, the Vermilion Bird opened its mouth and sucked the flames back. The three spiritual herbs had been refined into three balls of spiritual liquid, all losing their original color and becoming colorless and transparent, just like the liquid in the basin.

‘Plop!’

The three balls of spiritual liquid dropped into the basin and immediately merged, making the unusual fragrance in the room even more potent.

Wu Tu Xian felt his mouth water, secretly regretting that so many spiritual herbs were being used just to sprout a single seed. If refined into pills and consumed by him, his cultivation could advance by an entire level.

Even with the addition of three more spiritual herbs, the seed in the basin remained motionless.

“Sprout! Sprout! You’ve consumed so many of your divine bird highness’s treasures. If you don’t sprout, I’ll stir-fry you and eat you!”

The Vermilion Bird lay on the edge of the basin, muttering incessantly, growing increasingly angry. Finally, it burst into curses, “Useless seed! Useless seed! Useless seed!”

Wu Tu Xian dared not even breathe loudly. This divine bird highness was temperamental and prone to lashing out at the innocent.

“Useless seed!”

“Dead seed!”

“I’ll stir-fry you right now… huh?”

The Vermilion Bird’s eyes suddenly widened, almost drilling into the basin, staring intently at the seed.

Wu Tu Xian secretly marveled, “They say you can’t make a vessel without breaking it. Does it work for seeds too?”

He saw a crack appear at one end of the seed, and a hint of green emerged from the fissure. Then the crack grew wider and a tiny sprout emerged.

After not sprouting for so long, it now grew at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, the tender sprout grew nearly half an inch, then began to differentiate, its tip unfurling into two delicate leaves.

“Hahahaha…”

The Vermilion Bird was ecstatic. It spread its wings and danced around the jade basin. “It wasn’t for nothing that your divine bird highness slept with you every day all these years! Grow quickly! Grow quickly!”

Perhaps startled by the Vermilion Bird’s laughter, the growth rate suddenly slowed after the two tender leaves emerged. Finally, before even the tips of the two leaves could surface, it stopped growing.

The Vermilion Bird’s laughter abruptly ceased, its face filled with displeasure.

Wu Tu Xian’s eyes nearly popped out. What kind of seed was this? The water in the basin appeared full, yet its medicinal power was almost entirely absorbed. This was a whole basin of spiritual liquid refined from rare treasures, and it only allowed two tender leaves to grow!

The Vermilion Bird circled the jade basin three times, carefully examining the unknown spiritual plant, muttering something under its breath. Suddenly, it blew a breath.

Ripples spread across the water, and the two tender leaves stirred, then suddenly leaned in the same direction, but not the direction the Vermilion Bird had blown.

“Hmm?”

The tender leaves quickly straightened. The Vermilion Bird gazed south, scratched its little head with a wing, its face full of confusion, unable to understand why the leaves would lean in that direction.

“You, out!”

The Vermilion Bird was unceremonious, shooing Wu Tu Xian away. “You don’t need to look for those spiritual herbs anymore. Just guard the door; you’re not allowed to go anywhere else!”

“This old servant obeys,” Wu Tu Xian bowed and retreated, but was suddenly called back by the Vermilion Bird.

“Don’t tell anyone about this, not even that Qingfeng kid!”

“This…”

Wu Tu Xian hesitated. Bound by the restriction, he dared not conceal any secrets from Qin Sang.

“You’re a loyal old servant. It’s not to harm him; your divine bird highness is waiting to give him a grand surprise!” The Vermilion Bird’s eyes gleamed, a wicked smile playing on its lips, as if anticipating something.

***

In the Ink-Wash Landscape.

Three factions, following the direction of the vibrations, raced upstream along the Ink River, vying for precedence.

The tremors grew increasingly violent. Even Qin Sang and Mo Yan, hidden inside the Ink Phoenix’s belly, could clearly feel the unusual vibrations. Rushing over immediately was the correct decision; this was an unmistakable sign, impossible to miss.

“I’m afraid a fierce battle is unavoidable next. What is your current cultivation, fellow Daoist?” Qin Sang asked.

They intended to challenge the powerful with their limited strength, to seize an opportunity right from under ten top experts. They had to go all out, and Mo Yan’s unstable cultivation was the biggest variable.

“Mid-stage Void Refinement,” Mo Yan replied. “However, when it comes to combat, I can temporarily elevate my cultivation to its peak and maintain it for a period.”

Qin Sang suddenly understood, not surprised in the least. Mo Yan wouldn’t have revealed all her secrets back then; she had indeed held something back.

As they drew closer to the source of the tremors, battle fluctuations suddenly emanated from ahead.

“It’s not them…”

The Ink Phoenix pursued closely. Qin Sang and Mo Yan discovered that it wasn’t the Five Immortals and the Plague Lord fighting; instead, the Five Immortals had encountered other enemies.

An Ink Beast!

The Ink Phoenix’s vision rapidly expanded, and they vaguely saw the Five Immortals besieging a dragon above the Ink River!

Evidently, this was also an Ink Dragon. Its horns and scales were just like a true dragon’s, majestic and formidable, and its eyes were blank.

“Can fellow Daoist ‘dot the eyes on the dragon’ again?”

Qin Sang asked. If there were dragons and phoenixes here, there must be other divine beasts. If Mo Yan collected them all and commanded a beast army, what would they have to fear?

“It should be possible, but I can only control one. Subduing this Ink Phoenix has already pushed me to my limit,” Mo Yan shattered Qin Sang’s fantasy.

As they spoke, the Ink Dragon was already at its last gasp, annihilated by the combined efforts of the Five Immortals, its body transforming into a rain of ink.

This delay narrowed the distance between the three factions by another increment.

Finally, approaching the source of the vibrations, Mo Yan carefully steered the Ink Phoenix closer, seeing that all ten experts from both sides were suspended in mid-air.

One group was on the left side of the Ink River, the other on the right, wary of each other but none stepping forward.

Ahead lay a towering mountain, a sheer cliff face blocking their path.

‘Whoosh, whoosh…’

A black waterfall cascaded down the mountain, like a black silk ribbon descending from the sky, transforming into the Ink River on the ground.

Visually, this sheer cliff did not depict individual rocks; like a true ink-wash painting, it used only a few strokes to outline undulations, occasionally adorned with a few ancient pines. Over ninety percent of it was blank space, yet it conveyed the cliff’s immense height and perilous steepness.

To one side of the waterfall, there was a large blank area, too empty, appearing somewhat abrupt.

“If this mountain were my creation, there should be a stone carving there,” Mo Yan pointed to the blank space.

“You mean ink traces?”

Qin Sang thought of the scattered brushstrokes. Could they have flown down from here?

Mo Yan nodded, gazing at the cliff face. This mountain was the source of the tremors. Due to the excessive blank space on the cliff, it was hard to see clearly, but clues could be discerned from the splashing water of the waterfall.

It was as if a suppressed power was about to break through the mountain!

‘Splash, splash!’

‘Thump! Thump!’

The mountain shook incessantly.

Just then, a torrent suddenly shot out from the waterfall. The demons focused their eyes and saw that it was a strangely shaped fierce beast.

It resembled a tiger, with two wings on its ribs, and an exceptionally ferocious appearance.

“This… seems to be the ancient exotic beast, Qiongqi,” Mo Yan said in surprise.

Qiongqi existed only in legends among the demon race. It was said that Qiongqi was an ancient great fiend, responsible for countless killings, with even dragons and phoenixes as its food. However, it was uncertain whether those records were true; many demon cultivators suspected they were mere fabrications, and even if a Qiongqi clan once existed, it should have gone extinct long ago.

This monstrous beast looked extremely similar to the legendary Qiongqi. Perhaps it only possessed a Qiongqi bloodline, but this was an ink-wash world, where ordinary logic did not apply.

This Qiongqi, as if sprung from a painting, let out a roar and pounced on the Three Elders closest to it.

The Five Immortals hesitated, choosing to observe.

The Plague Lord, however, said, “Don’t kill it yet…”

The Three Elders’ figures intertwined, forming a three-talented formation that perfectly encircled Qiongqi. The green vine on the brocade-robed elder’s arm sprang up, instantly transforming into a vine net. The Three Elders each held an end, covering Qiongqi.

Qiongqi’s sharp claws were like knives; several cold gleams flashed, and the green vines snapped one after another. But the vine net repaired itself even faster. With the Three Elders working together, capturing Qiongqi was not difficult.

Gu Po and the Plague Lord flew over, attempting to investigate something from Qiongqi’s body. Suddenly, a splash sounded, and another torrent shot out.

“Jiuying? Xiangliu?”

Mo Yan looked at the dark, nine-headed fierce serpent, unable to discern its true nature for a moment, but without a doubt, it was an ancient exotic beast.

The nine-headed fierce serpent targeted the Five Immortals, but before it could act, the Five Immortals proactively met it.

Both sides each faced an ancient exotic beast. While they had numerical superiority and the ancient beasts couldn’t cause much trouble, they felt an ominous premonition.

Soon, their premonition came true.

‘Splash!’

Another ancient exotic beast rushed out of the waterfall.

Then came the fourth, the fifth…

Ink beasts emerged one after another, and without exception, they were all incredibly rare ancient beasts. It was as if a seal had been broken, and the ink beasts suppressed here were breaking free.

Even more terrifying was that they were incapable of communication. Once they fixated on an opponent, they would fight to the death.

Unsure how many more ink beasts would appear, the Five Immortals and the Plague Lord dared not consider capturing them alive. In fact, they hadn’t found anything on Qiongqi. They now struck without mercy.

Only Qin Sang and Mo Yan were the most relaxed. Hidden within the Ink Phoenix, concealed at the bottom of the river, no ink beasts came to bother them.

As they watched the battle, they observed the cliff. They found the tremors to be continuous; the mountain was like a pulsating heart, each beat more violent than the last. At this rate, there would always be a limit, and then the truth would surface.

The Five Immortals and the five demons were also waiting for that moment. Therefore, neither side used the ink beasts to attack the other, maintaining a temporary truce.

***

Reed Marsh.

The hole created by the Demon Saint’s subordinates and their demon soldiers was still expanding, having already swallowed half of the reed marsh.

Though they didn’t know what lay below, the demon cultivators still rushed to jump down, vying for the lead.

Below, however, was pitch black. The demons could only smell the foul stench of mud, causing nausea.

It seemed endless, bottomless. They didn’t feel like they were passing through any restrictions or formations. Just as the demons all began to feel uneasy, a sharp-eyed one spotted a faint light in the depths of the darkness.

“What is that?”

Exclamations arose one after another. Immediately, streaks of light shot forth, demonstrating speeds that other demon cultivators could only dream of.

These were undoubtedly top experts, and to the surprise of the demons, some of their own companions were among them. Having spent so much time together, they hadn’t known their companions’ true cultivation levels!

These various unusual signs made the demons increasingly uneasy.

Suddenly, a stream of light shot out from the depths of the darkness.

No, not just one. Hundreds, even thousands of streams of light erupted almost simultaneously. At the same time, the demons heard panicked shouts.

“It’s those demon soldiers!”

After the great formation was activated, the demon soldiers had disappeared along with the Demon Saint’s subordinates. Now they were being thrown out again.

It seemed Chiyun Mountain and Yuehun Mossland had not been so utterly ruthless as to kill all the demon soldiers.

These demon soldiers were merely ‘array artifacts’ used for the formation. They might not know the full truth, but they had certainly seen something. Thinking this, the demons scrambled to fly toward the demon soldiers, the fastest already arriving above the streams of light.

A strong wind swept by, and several streams of light dispersed. Dozens of figures tumbled out of them, falling in a heap before a blue-robed youth.

“Speak! What did you encounter down there? And what did Chiyun Mountain and Yuehun Mossland do?”

The blue-robed youth’s somber gaze swept over the demon soldiers. The demon soldiers shivered involuntarily, immediately sobered up, their faces showing fear. They quickly prostrated themselves and reported to the youth in a flurry of voices.

“Begone!”

Having extracted useful information, the blue-robed youth’s expression subtly changed. After a moment of thought, he moved against the light, deeper into the darkness.