Chapter 44: Subduing the Monster Bugs, Digging up the Spirit Tree

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Subduing the Monster Bugs, Digging up the Spirit Tree

Spirit Trees were different from Spirit Beasts and Spirit Medicines. Setting aside their various other effects, the simple ability to gather Spiritual Qi and accelerate cultivation speed was enough to make their value skyrocket.

A first-rank, high-grade Spirit Tree, even if its fruits and leaves were useless, would sell for at least three thousand Spirit Stones.

Even at that price, they were nearly impossible to find, a testament to their rarity.

’A Spirit Tree...’

Li Changsheng’s gaze fell upon the strange bug coiled around the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

The black-and-red glow on the strange bug’s body was clearly an innate Magic. As long as it was active, the proboscises of the Red-winged Blood Bamboo couldn’t pierce through, making it difficult to harm the creature.

To kill it, he had to break through that innate Magic.

After a moment’s hesitation, Li Changsheng vaulted to the ground. He patted Xiaohua’s steel-like hide and pointed toward the small tree. "Xiaohua, ram it!"

’With Xiaohua’s hide, which has been enhanced several times, the strange bug surely can’t hurt it. As long as we break that black-and-red glow on its body, the Red-winged Blood Bamboo can swarm in and take it down.’

’As for whether the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree will be damaged... well, as long as it doesn’t die, it’ll be fine.’

’Besides, I can’t take down this bug easily right now. It’s better to act now than risk the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree being discovered later.’

SNORT, SNORT...

Having grown accustomed to Li Changsheng’s commands over the past two days, Xiaohua let out two snorts, dug its hooves into the ground, and charged straight for the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree.

In just a few steps, Xiaohua was upon the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree.

The strange bug was prepared. Just as Xiaohua was about to make impact, the black-and-red light on its body flared out an inch. It coiled and sprang like a snake, lunging for Xiaohua’s exposed eyes.

Startled by the move, Xiaohua instinctively tilted its head but maintained its charge and slammed forward.

SCREEECH...

Because Xiaohua had flinched, the bug’s fangs clamped down on the steel-like hide of Xiaohua’s face. Sparks flew with a cringe-inducing screech of grinding metal.

The next moment, an immense force surged from Xiaohua.

SQUEAL! The strange bug shrieked as it was sent flying backward. It snapped several branches of the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree before crashing hard into the Spirit Field. The black-and-red glow around its body flickered for an instant, then shattered and dissipated into motes of light.

Xiaohua scraped past one side of the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree, instantly snapping off nearly half its branches and causing a trickle of jade-green sap to flow out.

Seeing the strange bug hit the ground, Li Changsheng, who had been watching from the side, was not about to let this golden opportunity slip by. With a mere thought, the swarm of Red-winged Blood Bamboo shot toward the strange bug like a volley of arrows, their proboscises pointed like arrowheads, and plunged viciously into the creature.

Without the protection of the black-and-red light, their vicious proboscises broke through its defenses, plunging deep into its flesh and injecting a potent blood toxin.

SQUEAL SQUEAL...

The strange bug shrieked and thrashed, but the Red-winged Blood Bamboo were relentless. Not only did they not retreat, but they also pumped all of their stored blood toxin into its body.

The toxin’s flesh-melting, bone-dissolving effects became apparent; it was as if the bug’s very flesh was being carved away and its blood drained.

The intense pain drove the strange bug into a frenzy. As it thrashed about, it opened its maw and began biting at its own body.

In just a moment, several Red-winged Blood Bamboo were crushed in its jaws.

But the potent blood toxin was also steadily corroding its body, causing its movements to become more and more sluggish.

Soon, it couldn’t even lift its head and was clearly on the verge of death.

With another thought from Li Changsheng, the Red-winged Blood Bamboo withdrew their proboscises and flew into the air, where they began to circle.

Just then, Xiaohua finished turning around. Its small eyes were shot with blood as it trotted straight for the strange bug.

"No, no, no! Xiaohua, stop!!!"

Seeing its state, Li Changsheng yelled in alarm. Raising his Golden Tortoise Shield, he rushed forward and blocked Xiaohua’s path.

SNORT, SNORT...

At his words, Xiaohua halted. The bloodshot look in its eyes faded, and its steel-like hide collapsed back into dark fur.

Li Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. He patted Xiaohua’s head, then walked over to the strange bug, stopping a meter away. He broke off a weed and poked the creature with it.

The strange bug’s body twitched slightly, then fell still.

Seeing it wasn’t dead yet, Li Changsheng broke off another weed. He slid it under the strange bug’s body and, with a few deft movements, tied the creature up securely before storing it in his Spirit Beast Bag.

He planned to see if he could tame it. If he succeeded, he would have another fighter on his side.

After that was done, Li Changsheng walked over to the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree. He looked at its pitiful state with a pained expression.

’This is all Spirit Stones!’

He turned and strode out of the patch of weeds. A moment later, he returned carrying a battered hoe.

THUMP...

Li Changsheng channeled his Spiritual Power into the hoe and began to dig.

The Snake Saliva Spirit Tree’s main root was less than a meter deep. The root ball was about the size of a basketball, with a dense network of fine rootlets extending outward from its surface.

Li Changsheng severed all the rootlets and, with a strong tug, pulled the entire tree out—roots, trunk, and all.

"Let’s go, Xiaohua."

Li Changsheng took out a piece of cloth, scooped some soil from the Spirit Field to wrap around the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree’s roots, and then mounted Xiaohua’s back, tree in tow.

Xiaohua grunted and ambled back the way they had come.

Behind them, the swarm of Red-winged Blood Bamboo followed, dragging the broken branches of the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree in small groups.

As they left the Spirit Field, Li Changsheng carefully scanned their surroundings.

Seeing that the path was clear, he urged Xiaohua to hurry toward the wooden house.

Back in the small courtyard, Li Changsheng dismounted, tossed the hoe aside, and carried the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree into his wooden house, making a beeline for a large vat in the corner.

He had already decided on the way back to plant the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree on the second floor.

Firstly, it would be less likely to be discovered. Secondly, he wanted to benefit from the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree’s effect of gathering Spiritual Qi.

Li Changsheng placed the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree into the large vat, leaving only a few small branches poking out.

’Later, I’ll get a lid for it. As long as it’s closed, no one will ever know there’s a Spirit Tree growing inside.’

Li Changsheng nodded in satisfaction. He hoisted the vat, carried it up to the second floor, and placed it in a corner.

Looking at its battered branches, he thought for a moment, then took out five Spirit Stones and buried them in the soil.

"Phew... All done."

Li Changsheng dusted off his hands and walked back down the stairs.

In the main room on the first floor, a small pile of Snake Saliva Spirit Tree branches lay on the ground. A swarm of Red-winged Blood Bamboo flew around it, circling agitatedly.

"Hm?"

Seeing this, Li Changsheng’s expression shifted, and he focused his gaze.

[Target: Slave Insect]

[Race: Red-winged Blood Bamboo]

[Ungraded: 83%]

[Talent: Blood Devour.]

[Status: Healthy.]

Compared to before, the Red-winged Blood Bamboo’s cultivation progress had increased by 8% after devouring so many poisonous insects.

Li Changsheng stared at the [Ungraded: 83%] line, and in the next instant, a new piece of information surfaced in his mind.

[Cultivation Requirements: 1. Devour flesh rich in Spiritual Qi. The higher the Spiritual Qi content, the better the effect (Daily). 2. Devour one hundred drops of Snake Saliva Spirit Tree Juice. High probability of causing an unknown mutation.]

Li Changsheng frowned. "An unknown mutation?"

’Mutation implies a loss of control, and there’s no telling whether the change would be for the better or worse.’

After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to test it on a small scale. With a flicker of his will, twenty Red-winged Blood Bamboo flew out from the swarm. They landed on the broken branches on the floor and began to drink the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree Juice.

Li Changsheng’s eyes were fixed on the twenty Red-winged Blood Bamboo, observing their changes.

Time passed slowly.

The Red-winged Blood Bamboo that had drunk the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree Juice gradually grew agitated. Their once-hard proboscises began to soften and collapse.

Their bodies also began to swell rapidly as if being inflated, and in a few moments, each one had grown to the size of a duck’s egg.