Strange Plants and Enlightenment

Zhou Xuan listened to Zhou Ye's trembling description and, contrary to expectations, became interested.

He now possessed a powerful soul and keen perception, and his understanding of this world had long since transcended the scope of an ordinary servant.

All things have spirits, and even plants can become demons; this was no shocking secret in the Cultivation World.

However, the fact that plants could be artificially induced to develop aggression in such a short time—the implications behind that were quite interesting.

"What are you afraid of?"

Zhou Xuan looked at Zhou Ye's pale, terrified face and spoke calmly.

"With me here, lead the way."

His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable power.

This confidence did not come from nothing; it stemmed from his Ninth Layer of Body Forging physique and a powerful soul that far exceeded his physical strength.

Zhou Ye looked at Zhou Xuan's calm eyes, and for some reason, the fear that had been etched into his bones was greatly soothed.

He gritted his teeth and nodded firmly: "Alright! Brother Xuan, you must be careful!"

Under Zhou Ye's guidance, the two walked one after the other toward a deeper, more remote corner of the Miscellaneous Affairs Department.

Though called Trash Mountain, this place was more like a vast, continuous valley; the waste dumped by the Sect over millions of years had completely altered the landscape.

The further they went, the heavier the scent of decay and chaos hung in the air, and the surroundings became increasingly desolate.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zhou Ye stopped and pointed toward a massive crater ahead, his voice tight: "Brother Xuan, it's right there."

Zhou Xuan looked in the direction he pointed.

It was a deep pit about the size of half a basketball court, with over a dozen large sacks piled messily at the bottom.

The sacks were open, revealing grains as clear as jade inside—this was the very Spirit-Infused Mutant Rice.

And surrounding these sacks was a bizarre sight.

In an area about a dozen yards across, many strange-looking plants were growing.

Some had flowers like blood-thirsty maws, pulsing as they opened and closed.

Others looked like twisted ground spikes, pitch-black in color.

And there were others, the green vines Zhou Ye had mentioned, coiled on the ground like venomous snakes.

The spiritual energy in this area was far more chaotic than elsewhere, filled with a violent and ominous aura.

Zhou Xuan could even use his keen perception to detect a primitive emotion emanating from these plants, something akin to hunger and irritability.

"Brother Xuan, let's just take a look from here, don't get too close."

Zhou Ye hid behind Zhou Xuan, poking his head out to nervously advise him.

Zhou Xuan, however, acted as if he hadn't heard him; a playful curve touched his lips as he walked straight toward the area of strange plants.

He wanted to see exactly what these failed experiments were capable of.

Zhou Ye's heart jumped into his throat as he watched Zhou Xuan's feet step onto the edge of the area.

At that very instant, a sudden change occurred!

Whoosh!

A green afterimage erupted from the ground without warning, like a long-dormant viper launching a lethal strike!

It was a vine as thick as a grown man's arm, moving with astonishing speed and a sharp whistle that tore through the air, lashing fiercely toward Zhou Xuan's face!

"Brother Xuan, watch out!" Zhou Ye was terrified out of his wits and let out a shrill scream.

However, facing this lightning-fast ambush, there was not a trace of panic on Zhou Xuan's face.

The moment the vine was about to strike his body, he tilted slightly and his right hand shot out.

Moving after the attack but arriving first, he grabbed the fiercely lashing green vine and held it in a death grip!

Bang!

With a muffled thud, the immense force contained in the vine caused Zhou Xuan's feet to sink slightly into the ground.

What incredible strength!

Zhou Xuan felt a slight shock in his heart.

This force was likely no less than that of an ordinary cultivator at the Seventh or Eighth Layer of Body Forging.

What surprised him even more was that the moment he gripped the vine, a sharp, stinging pain radiated from his palm.

He looked down and saw that the surface of the vine was covered in dense, ink-green thorns as sharp as steel needles!

These thorns were incredibly sharp and were currently struggling desperately to pierce his skin.

One had to remember that he was at the Ninth Layer of Body Forging; his skin, flesh, tendons, and bones had long been tempered to be incredibly tough, making it difficult for ordinary blades to leave a mark.

Yet, the thorns on this vine actually made him feel a clear pain, and there were even signs that they were about to pierce through!

"This is interesting."

Far from letting go, the interest in Zhou Xuan's eyes grew even more intense.

The vine he grabbed seemed to possess intelligence, twisting and struggling frantically, while its other end remained firmly rooted in the soil, attempting to drag Zhou Xuan toward it.

"You want to test your strength against me?"

Zhou Xuan sneered, the muscles in his arm bulging violently.

Ever since his soul had grown stronger, his control over his own power had reached an entirely new realm.

A massive force, far exceeding that of the vine, erupted from his arm!

"Get out here!"

He let out a low shout, yanking his arm back while gripping the vine!

"Boom!"

The ground emitted a muffled thud as soil flew into the air.

The main body of the vine, along with its tangled, complex root system, was forcibly ripped out of the ground by Zhou Xuan!

Only then did Zhou Xuan see the full appearance of this thing.

This was no mere vine; it was practically a living monster!

Its main trunk was about three or four meters long, entirely emerald green and covered in barbs.

The roots pulled from the ground looked like countless twisted, knotted claws, still clawing futilely at the air.

One could even see some white bones wrapped within it, though it was unclear what animal they belonged to.

At the tip of the vine, a palm-sized flower bud resembling a Venus flytrap was opening and closing toward Zhou Xuan, emitting a hissing, threatening sound.

"Brother Xuan."

Behind him, Zhou Ye's legs had already gone weak, and he was stuttering as he spoke.

"What kind of monster is this!"

Zhou Xuan ignored him, instead observing the struggling living creature in his hand with great interest while his thoughts stirred.

"System, scan it."

[Ding! Spirit-mutated plant detected—Bloodthirsty Thorn (juvenile)!]

[Item Description: Based on an ordinary thorn, it was incorrectly infused with chaotic spiritual energy, leading to a malignant mutation. It has developed a trace of chaotic, bloodthirsty primitive intelligence and will actively attack any living creature that approaches.]

[Traits: Rapid growth, high aggression, tenacious vitality.]

[Flaws: Disordered foundation, low intelligence, short lifespan (estimated remaining life: three months), no growth potential, cannot improve through normal cultivation.]

Zhou Xuan looked at the system description and understood.

Similar things were recorded in the classics of the Cultivation World.

In some Ancient Battlefield sites or Forbidden Land areas where spiritual energy remained in a chaotic and violent state for long periods, such aggressive mutated plants were occasionally spawned.

Legend has it that in the ancient era, there was even a lineage of powerful beings among the Demon Race whose true forms were plants; for instance, the Green Lotus Emperor, who once shook an entire era, had a true form that was a Chaos Green Lotus.

However, the Bloodthirsty Thorn was fundamentally different from such true plant-based demons.

It was like a deformed creation; although it possessed power and a trace of primitive consciousness, its foundation was broken, dooming it to a short life with no future.

To a Sect, this thing had no value other than being a danger, and its only fate was to be destroyed.

Zhou Xuan was just about to crush it when his gaze inadvertently swept across the bottom of the system panel.

Then, he froze completely.

He saw that below the item description, there was actually a line of small text emitting a faint golden light.

[Special mutant detected, meets the conditions for Enlightenment, capable of secondary directional mutation!]

[Do you wish to consume 100 Gold Touch Value to perform Enlightenment on the Bloodthirsty Thorn?]