An exquisite flower vine, as clear and lustrous as if crafted from crystal, slowly erged from Luo Xiu's wrist.
As light flowed around it, a graceful silhouette appeared under the moonlight.
Long, soft hair scented with the faint fragrance of laurel danced in the night breeze, her short skirt swaying along with it.
Luo Xiu stared at the beauty before him, montarily dumbfounded. Even though he saw her every day, he never grew tired of the sight.
Seeing Luo Xiu's stupor, Hua Muyan couldn't help but giggle, her confidence in her charms growing. She decided to find a chance to try what Wei Qingkuang had suggested… feeding Luo Xiu seafood.
"Master, please step back," she said.
Luo Xiu snapped back to his senses and quickly took a few steps back.
…
After absorbing the Laurel Spirit Wood that Luo Xiu had obtained from a Purple Gold Box, Hua Muyan's cultivation strength and her Construct Wood Power had both taken a qualitative leap.
With a light wave of her delicate hand, the Construct Wood Power shimred brightly under the moonlight. It resembled a transparent ribbon coated in crystalline dust, a beauty straight out of a dream.
Moreover, when Hua Muyan used her demonic power, the laurel fragrance emanating from her grew even richer, intoxicating the mind and soul.
Watching her stunning figure from behind, Luo Xiu's mind began to wander. This little Flower Demon… she's beco just as bewitching as that vixen, making it impossible for to keep my composure.
CRACK!
As Luo Xiu's thoughts drifted, a crisp sound suddenly rang out.
Looking up, he saw that Hua Muyan had torn a crack in the invisible barrier above the waterfall with her Construct Wood Power.
"Master, it's ready."
Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu leaped forward, swept her up by her slender waist, and flew into the crack.
A short while later, when they flew through the opening and officially entered the Evergreen Forest, the first thing they felt was the incredibly dense spiritual energy of the heavens and earth.
"Master, the spiritual energy here is so rich! It's almost comparable to the blessed lands of the Shanhai Territory!" Hua Muyan couldn't help but exclaim.
Luo Xiu, still holding her waist, landed slowly, their feet touching the grass.
The nightti grass was covered in shimring dewdrops and emitted a misty vapor that resembled a celestial fog. Because the spiritual energy was so abundant, every plant and rock here possessed a spirit of its own. The ground was littered with stones that had gradually crystallized over many years of infusion.
These crystallized stones and soil were expensive and typically used by the wealthy to craft jewelry or collectibles.
Luo Xiu surveyed his surroundings before quietly releasing his Divine Sense. It instantly enveloped the entire Evergreen Forest and, without preamble, locked onto the Lotus Stele.
"Let's go, Yan'er. Business first."
However, Hua Muyan suddenly pointed in another direction. "Master, I want to take a look over there. How about… we act separately?"
Luo Xiu was naturally worried about letting Hua Muyan go off alone. Even though she now had the strength of a Profound Emperor, he still felt uneasy. Just monts before, when he had released his Divine Sense, he had detected several powerful presences within the forbidden land—all of them ancient plant-type Demon Beasts that had lived for tens of thousands of years.
"Actually, I'm not in a hurry. I'll go with you to the place you want to see first."
"Mhm, thank you, Master." Hua Muyan nodded gently, fully aware that he was worried about her.
"Say 'thank you' again and you'll get a spanking."
At this, Hua Muyan pouted. "You just love to bully ," she grumbled.
Luo Xiu laughed heartily, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and flew with her in the direction she had pointed.
…
Hua Muyan didn't know what was happening. Ever since she had officially entered the Evergreen Forest, her heart had been throbbing strangely, and she could feel a faint, familiar presence calling to her from a distance.
They traveled in silence.
Before long, Luo Xiu landed gently with her in his arms. Looking at the vast garden before them, he asked, "Is this the place?"
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze, noticing crystalline tears sliding from the corners of Hua Muyan's eyes.
"Yan'er, why are you crying?" He reached out to wipe the tears away with his thumb, his heart aching for her.
"I… I'm fine." Hua Muyan shook her head and hurried toward the garden ahead.
Luo Xiu stood still, simply watching her back as he quietly extended his Divine Sense to observe their surroundings.
This vast garden was planted with only one type of flower. It was a flowering vine identical to Hua Muyan's true form, which bore fruit rich in dicinal potency upon maturing. But Luo Xiu had no idea what kind of dicine it was.
To the left of the garden, within a glowing forest, stood rows of oddly shaped huts that at first glance resembled a small village. Luo Xiu's Divine Sense could detect that the huts were inhabited by young boys and girls who looked to be only four or five years old.
He soon realized these children weren't human, but Ginseng Dolls ford from thousand-year-old ginseng—a type of Heaven and Earth Treasure.
Even late at night, so of these children were still shuttling busily through the garden, panting from exhaustion and incessantly wiping sweat with their grimy little hands. It was a pitiable sight. In the huts, so Ginseng Dolls were fast asleep, while others were sneakily eating wild fruits.
Behind the huts, Luo Xiu found several rows of wooden racks with slaughtered and air-dried Ginseng Dolls hung upon them…
At that mont, Hua Muyan had reached the cluster of huts. She seed to have known these Ginseng Dolls for a long ti and was quite familiar with them. The Ginseng Dolls bounced and jumped around her happily, communicating with her in a special language.
…
Much later, Hua Muyan returned to Luo Xiu's side.
Seeing her terrible mood, Luo Xiu gently embraced her. "Yan'er, what's wrong?"
Hua Muyan asked through a sob, "Master, could you promise one thing?"
Luo Xiu looked at her tenderly. "Haven't I told you? You don't need to ask things like that. Just tell what you want to do."
Gripping his hand tightly, she spoke with a tearful voice, "These Ginseng Dolls are so pitiful. Can you please take them all to the Land of Lawlessness?"
Luo Xiu said, "As the mistress of the Land of Lawlessness, you can decide such matters yourself. But I don't know if they're willing to go."
Hua Muyan sighed, a hint of resentnt in her eyes. "These Ginseng Dolls are being raised as Spiritual dicine by Luo Hao," she said slowly. "Whenever people from the Imperial Palace have a need, they can snatch them up for alchemy or just eat them directly… And when they aren't needed, they're forced to tend to this garden."
"Master, do you know? This garden… it's actually where I was born."
Luo Xiu lowered his gaze. "What exactly is this flower? They don't look like Construct Wood saplings, either."
Hua Muyan replied, "I just heard from the dolls that this is the Nightmare Flower. It was originally a very common Spirit Plant with little dicinal value. Its fruit is sweet and delicious, but it can make people faint and have hallucinations."
"The reason it was cultivated on such a large scale is that Luo Hao once grafted it with tender shoots of the Construct Wood, thereby creating a new variety called 'Timber Tendril'."
After a pause, Hua Muyan added, "I also just found out that my true form is actually the Timber Tendril. It's a combination of the Construct Wood and the Nightmare Flower, not purely the Construct Wood."
Luo Xiu's face showed his sudden realization. "I see."
Hua Muyan continued, "Originally, I was just one unremarkable plant among countless Timber Tendrils. That little boy—the Ginseng Doll—was assigned to care for . He talked to and watered every day… until Chu Yiguan ca here on Luo Hao's orders. He forcefully dug up and killed the Ginseng Doll who took care of …"
Luo Xiu listened quietly, gently wiping away her tears. He had already heard this story from her a long ti ago.
"AH—!"
Just then, a piercing scream suddenly ca from the direction of the huts.
Luo Xiu's expression sharpened. He quickly released Hua Muyan and strode over.
Through his Divine Sense, he discovered a treant that had appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the Ginseng Dolls and stuffing them into its mouth.
…
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