These dandelion filaments were some kind of wondrous existence, exceedingly dangerous. The moment a warrior touched one, it would burrow into flesh and blood, devouring the essence of their blood and muscle within moments, leaving behind nothing but desiccated bones.
But the True Golden Crow Fire was far too domineering for such things. The filaments stood no chance against it.
Of the three groups of cultivators, some had perished and others had fled. Before long, only Yang Kai remained in the valley.
He strode forward, stepping into that world of dandelions. The flower heads unraveled and the filaments began to dance once more.
Flames roared around Yang Kai's body, burning a path through the air. He soon arrived before the great spirit herb. He leaned in and took a deep breath. The fragrance was delightful, and his spirits lifted immediately.
"What a treasure!" Yang Kai praised without reserve. Though he had no idea what specific effects this spirit herb possessed, there was no denying it was among the rarest and finest spiritual medicines he had ever laid eyes on.
He reached out toward the cluster of grape-like berries, preparing to pluck them.
Just then, an abrupt change erupted. A series of soft hissing sounds cut through the air as root tendrils suddenly shot up from underground, wrapping around Yang Kai with startling speed and yanking him downward with tremendous force.
With a thunderous crash, Yang Kai vanished entirely, dragged straight into the depths of the earth.
Three heartbeats later, Yang Kai burst out of the ground, seething with fury!
He had let his guard down for just an instant, and a spirit herb had actually ambushed him. Those root tendrils that had ensnared him moments ago clearly belonged to this vine. The roots had been powerful, but they couldn't suppress his explosive strength, and he had broken free almost immediately.
He gritted his teeth and let out a cold laugh. "I didn't want to wipe you out completely, but you've pushed too far!"
He reached for the vine.
His original plan had been to simply take the cluster of grape-like berries, since the herb's essence was concentrated in that cluster. Having learned his lesson, he changed his mind and decided to uproot the entire vine instead.
But before he could lay a hand on it, the vine suddenly shuddered. Root tendrils ripped free from the ground, and new branches sprouted from its stems. In an instant, it was as though the vine had grown arms and legs, and then it bolted into the distance at full speed.
Yang Kai was stunned.
He stood there, blankly watching the spirit herb flee, frozen on the spot.
This spirit herb had gained sentience!
Yang Kai was both shocked and delighted. When the vine had first ambushed him, he had suspected something extraordinary about this herb. Now it seemed his instincts were correct. This spiritual medicine had been living in the Land of No Elders for who knew how many years, drawing on the essence of heaven and earth. It had finally developed spiritual intelligence and an instinctive awareness, capable of seeking fortune and avoiding calamity. The moment it sensed danger, it chose to flee on its own.
A spirit herb of this caliber would surely possess extraordinary medicinal properties. Across the entire Three Thousand Worlds, there were probably only a handful like it.
Overjoyed, he flickered forward and appeared directly in front of the vine. He smiled faintly. "Before my eyes, where do you think you can run? Surrender peacefully."
His great palm descended, locking down the space around it.
The vine lashed out with its branches, slicing through the spatial constraint and wrapping around Yang Kai's limbs. One of its arm-like sprouts formed a fist at its tip and slammed it straight into Yang Kai's face.
Yang Kai was caught off guard again. In his shock, the vine's punch landed squarely on his nose, and golden stars exploded across his vision.
Seizing the opportunity, the vine broke free once more and continued to flee for its life.
Yang Kai clutched his nose as tears streamed down his face. Humiliation and rage surging through him, he summoned the Azure Dragon Spear and hurled it viciously forward. The spear tore through the air like a dragon dancing across the sky, embedding itself precisely in the vine's path. Dragon might radiated outward, and heaven and earth trembled.
The vine froze in its tracks, trembling violently.
Yang Kai's breathing was heavy as he advanced from behind, step by step, rubbing his nose as he walked.
With a plop, the vine's roots went soft and it collapsed to the ground, transforming into a half-foot-tall little figure complete with hands, feet, and a face with seven orifices. Perched atop its head sat a cluster of grape-like berries.
Watching Yang Kai approach, it plucked a single grape — deep purple verging on red — from its own head, held it out with both hands, and spoke in human tongue: "Great master, spare this lowly one's life! I offer one berry and beg for mercy — please grant me a path to live!"
Yang Kai stopped rubbing his nose. He stared, stunned. "You... you can take human form?"
This spirit herb had truly gained sentience. It had already transformed into a humanoid shape, looking like a tiny old man. Who knew how many ages it had lived.
All things under heaven possessed spiritual essence. Given the right opportunity, any being could develop intelligence. It wasn't limited to creatures of flesh and blood — jade spirits within stone, and rare strains among spiritual herbs could achieve this as well. Without a physical body of flesh and blood, such existence was extraordinarily difficult to cultivate, often requiring an immense span of time to accumulate. This spirit herb before him had developed intelligence, taken human form, and could even speak. It must have possessed tens of thousands of years of cultivation.
A spirit herb of this caliber could be called a Holy Medicine!
The half-foot-tall old man looked up, flashing an obsequious grin. Then, without warning, he thrust out a leg and swept Yang Kai's legs out from under him, toppling him to the ground. Cackling, he bolted away. "You may be clever as a ghost, but you'll still drink Grandpa Pu's bathwater!"