Spirit of Vegetation

The day after returning to Bright Moon Residential District, Lin Yun didn't go out.

The 10.4 billion had arrived, and he had reached Two-Star Rank in contribution points. Any other Warrior would probably have rushed to Limit Home to go on a shopping spree. But Lin Yun's mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about the plant he had brought back from the bottom of West Lake: six emerald-green leaves and a red fruit, all crystal clear and glowing faintly.

What exactly was it?

Lin Yun sat cross-legged on his bed, took the sealed box out of his Space Ring, opened it, and examined the plant closely once more. Moonlight spilled through a gap in the curtains and fell on it. The six leaves glowed more distinctly in the darkness, and the red fruit at their center pulsed faintly like a heart.

"The Heaven-Swallowing Python fought with its life to protect it. That means it's worth far more than 12 billion," Lin Yun murmured. "But I need to find out exactly what it is."

He carefully put the sealed box away, turned on the smart computer beside his bed, and logged into Limit Home.

After entering the Warrior Forum, Lin Yun typed a few keywords into the search bar: "plant," "glow," and "monster guarding." A flood of results came up, but most were irrelevant. He tried "emerald," "six leaves," and "red fruit" too, but still found nothing useful.

Lin Yun frowned and tried a different approach. He searched the forum's archives for posts about Spirits of Vegetation. Spirits of Vegetation was the collective term Warriors used for rare plants that could enhance their abilities and heal injuries. Warriors occasionally discovered them in the deep forests of the Wilderness Area, and every single one was priceless.

He went through page after page and read dozens of posts. Most were rumors based on hearsay and photos of uncertain authenticity. Some claimed to show a Spirit of Vegetation, only for it to turn out to be an ordinary glowing mushroom. Others made extravagant claims but didn't even include a clear photo.

Just as Lin Yun was about to give up, one post caught his eye.

It was titled "An Encounter in a Deep Pool in Sichuan," and had been posted three years ago. The poster was a Warrior called "Mountain Eagle." Judging by the certification mark beside the ID, he was a High-Level War God.

Lin Yun opened the post.

"Last autumn, our team was exploring an uncleared ruin in the mountains of Sichuan. The area was remote and crawling with monsters. It took us three days to find a deep pool. The water was emerald green and bottomless, and strange plants grew all around it. In a cave beside the pool, we found a plant we'd never seen before."

The post included several photos. They weren't very clear, but the plant's general shape was visible: emerald green and crystal clear, with six rounded leaves arranged in a circle at the top. The leaves were as thin as cicada wings, and green light could be seen flowing through their veins.

Lin Yun's heart suddenly began to race.

He kept reading.

"A High-Level Lord Rank mutated lizard was guarding the plant. It took a great deal of effort to kill it. The plant itself was small, only about the size of a palm, with six leaves and no fruit. We didn't know what it was, so we brought it back to the base and sent it to the dojo's research center."

"When the results came back, everyone was stunned."

"The leaves of this plant could actually enhance a Warrior's Spiritual Force!"

"The research center said that the leaves contained an extremely rare active substance that could act directly on a Warrior's Spiritual Sea and strengthen their Spiritual Force. Its roots and stem were highly active as well, making them tremendously effective at healing injuries. Whether internal or external, even genetic damage could be repaired quickly."

"According to the research center, this plant was an exceptionally rare type of Spirit of Vegetation. They gave it the provisional name 'Green Spirit.' Someone posted a question about it on the Warrior Forum, but no one has found another one since."

"The dojo later put out a request to search for this plant, offering a huge reward. But as far as I know, no one has discovered another. And even if someone did, they'd probably use it in secret. After all, no amount of money can buy a Spirit of Vegetation that increases Spiritual Force."

At the end of the post, Mountain Eagle lamented, "It's a shame the Green Spirit we found hadn't borne fruit. The research center said that if this plant ever produced fruit, it would be more than ten times as effective as its leaves. But they searched the archives for a long time and couldn't find a single record of Green Spirit fruit. Maybe no one had ever seen one bear fruit before us."

Lin Yun stared at the screen for a long time without saying a word.

Green Spirit. A Spirit of Vegetation that could increase Spiritual Force. Six emerald-green leaves arranged in a circle—that was exactly like the plant he had found at the bottom of West Lake.

The only difference was that his had a fruit.

"That's it." Lin Yun leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. "Either the Green Spirit Mountain Eagle found hadn't borne fruit yet, or the mutated lizard had already eaten it. And mine... I happened to find it just as it was bearing fruit."

He looked down at the emerald-green plant in the sealed box, his gaze settling on the red fruit. The leaves increased Spiritual Force, and the fruit was more than ten times as effective. What did that mean?

It meant the Green Spirit was worth far more than he'd imagined. The Heaven-Swallowing Python had risked its life to protect it for good reason.

"I'll try a leaf first." Lin Yun made up his mind.

He didn't know whether consuming Green Spirit came with any risks, but Mountain Eagle's post hadn't mentioned side effects. Besides, his Spiritual Force had already reached Intermediate War God, and his physical fitness had reached High-Level War General. He could withstand far more than an ordinary Warrior. One leaf should be fine.

Lin Yun carefully plucked a leaf from the plant.

The moment it came free, a few drops of emerald-green sap seeped from the broken stem, and a fresh, herbal fragrance filled the air. It was invigorating; one breath was enough to lift his spirits.

He put the leaf in his mouth.

It melted instantly, turning into a warm liquid that slid down his throat and into his body. A cool, soothing sensation spread from deep within him, like a clear spring flowing through his meridians and washing every corner of his body.

The feeling was hard to describe. It wasn't painful or stimulating, but a deep comfort that welled up from his soul. It was as if he were soaking in a hot spring, every pore opening and every nerve relaxing.

Lin Yun felt his soul tremble.

Then the mysterious energy rushed straight into his Consciousness Sea.

His Spiritual Force—the sharp, blade-like power he had accumulated through meditation and cultivation—began to change under the energy's nourishment. His Spiritual Force had once been like a naked blade: sharp and powerful, but too much hardness made it brittle. Now, the mysterious energy wrapped around it like a soft film of water, making it more flexible and more balanced.

Yin and yang in harmony, strength and gentleness in balance.

Lin Yun's Spiritual Force surged. It climbed from the middle stage of Intermediate War God to the late stage... then kept rising until it reached the peak of Intermediate War God before finally stopping.

At the same time, the benefits of his Spiritual Force fed back into his body. Genetic Origin Energy surged through him, nourishing every cell. His physical fitness rose in tandem, climbing from the early stage of High-Level War General all the way to its peak before gradually slowing.

Lin Yun opened his eyes, and a glint flashed in them.

He raised his hand. A throwing knife flew out of its sheath and circled around his fingertips. It was more than twice as fast as before, yet much easier to control. It was as if the knife had become part of his body. He didn't need to consciously guide it; a single thought was enough to make it obey his will.

"Peak Intermediate War God," Lin Yun murmured. "And my physical fitness has reached peak High-Level War General."

He silently sensed the changes in his Spiritual Force. He hadn't broken through to High-Level War God, but the qualitative change was more important than the increase in quantity. His Spiritual Force was no longer simply fierce and forceful; strength and gentleness now worked together, and he could control it with ease. He could unleash its full power in an instant or compress it to the utmost for more precise control. And it recovered more than twice as fast after being depleted.

"One leaf has this kind of effect..." Lin Yun looked at the five leaves and the red fruit that remained. His heart beat a little faster.

Without hesitation, he plucked another leaf and put it in his mouth.

The same cool sensation, the same shudder of his soul, the same rush of energy.

His Spiritual Force broke through from peak Intermediate War God to the early stage of High-Level War God, then continued to climb until it reached the middle of the early stage. His physical fitness finally broke through from peak High-Level War General to Primary War God!

The third leaf. His Spiritual Force broke through to the middle stage of High-Level War God, and his physical fitness reached the middle stage of Primary War God!

The fourth leaf. His Spiritual Force reached the peak of the middle stage of High-Level War God, but his physical fitness remained at the middle stage of Primary War God. The effect was gradually fading! Without hesitation, Lin Yun continued and took the fifth leaf!

The fifth leaf. His Spiritual Force finally broke through to the late stage of High-Level War God, and his physical fitness reached the late stage of Primary War God.

The sixth leaf. His Spiritual Force climbed to the peak of the late stage of High-Level War God, just one step away from the War God peak. His physical fitness also reached the peak of Primary War God. Clearly, the Green Spirit's effect on physical fitness wasn't as pronounced as its effect on Spiritual Force!

All six leaves were gone. His Spiritual Force had risen from Intermediate War God to the late stage of High-Level War God, only one step away from the War God peak. On Earth, a Spiritual Master at the War God peak had another title: "Invincible War God"!

Lin Yun sat cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed, feeling the surging power within him. His Spiritual Force was like a vast ocean, churning in the depths of his consciousness. His physical fitness had also undergone a qualitative leap, and he could feel explosive power in every cell.

A Spiritual Master at the peak of the late stage of High-Level War God. A Warrior at the peak of Primary War God.

In all of Jiangnan Base City, this strength already put him among the very best. There were only a little over 3,500 War God-level powerhouses on Earth, and High-Level War Gods were exceptionally rare. And he was only fifteen, yet he had already joined their ranks.

More importantly, the Green Spirit had brought about a qualitative change in his Spiritual Force. It was no longer purely fierce; strength and gentleness now complemented each other, yin and yang blending as one. This change greatly increased his combat power. He could perform delicate manipulations that had once been beyond him, recover faster after using up his Spiritual Force, and last longer in battle.

"If I run into that Heaven-Swallowing Python again..." Lin Yun opened his eyes, a confident gleam in them. "I won't need a Soul Attack. My Spiritual Force alone will be enough to deal with it."

The throwing knives flew around the room. Nine knives streaked through the air like silver streamers, weaving a dense, impenetrable net. Each knife's trajectory was precise to the millimeter, and they moved too fast for the eye to follow. Yet they never collided or even interfered with one another.

Before consuming the Green Spirit, he hadn't been able to control them like this.

Lin Yun recalled the knives and turned his gaze to the last red fruit in the sealed box.

The six leaves were gone, leaving the fruit alone in the center of the box. It seemed even brighter than before, its surface a deeper red, like a ripe cherry or a spark of fire frozen in time.

The leaves had been astonishingly effective, and the fruit was more than ten times as potent. What did that mean?

It meant that if he ate the fruit, his Spiritual Force might break through directly to the War God peak, or even reach Beyond War God-level. His physical fitness would soar as well, possibly reaching peak High-Level War God or even the War God peak.

But Lin Yun didn't rush to eat it.

He didn't know how potent the fruit was. The energy from the leaves had already taken him a whole night to absorb, and the fruit contained more than ten times as much. If he ate it recklessly, his body and mind might not be able to withstand it. Besides, his Spiritual Force had just gone through six consecutive breakthroughs; he needed time to consolidate and adjust to the changes.

"No rush." Lin Yun carefully put the sealed box into his Space Ring. "I'll consider the fruit after I've fully absorbed the leaves."

He switched his consciousness to the Coiling Dragon World.

In the grove behind Ernst Academy, his other body sat cross-legged on a bluestone. Moonlight fell across his shoulders as the surrounding magical elements flowed quietly.

Lin Yun opened his eyes and sensed the changes in this body.

The increase in his mental strength had carried over. In the Swallowed Star World, his Spiritual Force had soared from Primary War God to the peak of the late stage of High-Level War God. In the Coiling Dragon World, his mental strength had naturally broken through the bottleneck at Level 8 and reached the late stage of Level 9 Mage.

Level 9 Mage.

He was only one step away from the Saint Realm.

But mental strength was only the foundation for a mage; accumulating magical power was just as important. His mental strength was now at Level 9 Mage, but his magical power was still at the peak of Level 8. He needed time to refine and build it up.

His Warrior cultivation had also successfully broken through from Level 6 Warrior to the peak of Level 7 Warrior, thanks to the Small Cauldron's feedback!

"I need to focus on refining my magical power now," Lin Yun murmured. "I'll try to reach Level 9 before the end of the year."

Two worlds, two bodies, growing in tandem. The Green Spirit's six leaves had made his strength soar in the Swallowed Star World, and had also helped his mental strength break through its bottleneck in the Coiling Dragon World. The advantage of Dual World Resonance had been proven once again.

Lin Yun stood and walked to the window, then pushed it open.

The morning sun streamed in, warm against his face. The villas of Bright Moon Residential District were laid out neatly in the morning light, and dewdrops on the lawns sparkled. In the distance, the pointed roof of Limit Hall glinted in the sunlight.

A new day had begun.

10.4 billion in funds had arrived, he had earned Two-Star Rank contribution points, he had mastered the second level of Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, his Spiritual Force had reached the peak of the late stage of High-Level War God, his Warrior cultivation had reached the peak of Primary War God, and his mental strength in the Coiling Dragon World had advanced to Level 9.

This trip to the Wilderness Area had brought him far more than he'd expected.