Half an hour later, the four of them looked at the enormous willow tree lying toppled on the ground. A dim wooden core was wrapped in its broken trunk and branches, with golden liquid flowing inside it.
Xue Xi merely touched it out of curiosity. Her cultivation didn't depend much on treasures of nature, so she didn't take part in dividing it up among the three men.
Remembering the coconut Spirit of Vegetation she'd seen while browsing the War God Palace, she had discussed things with the others in advance: any fruit-type Spirits of Vegetation would go to her, and the value of anything beyond that could simply be deducted from their meal expenses.
Luo Feng and Hong readily agreed, and Thor said he had no objections either. With their current strength, Spirits of Vegetation were hardly useful to them anymore. They might as well treat it as topping up a membership card for the Cat Ear Restaurant, making it more convenient to eat there in the future.
With their arrangements settled, they continued their exploration. Xue Xi was amazed by the variety of species on the island. Flowers, grasses, trees, vines, medicinal plants—there was no end to them.
Xue Xi also got her wish and collected plenty of fruit-type Spirits of Vegetation: coconuts, apples, strawberries, watermelons, and many more. Somehow, the island had gathered fruits that could be found all over the world.
She didn't eat any on the spot, because she didn't want to drain the island's resources. She planned to take them back and find a way to grow them, so she could keep eating Spirits of Vegetation that were just like spirit fruits from the world of cultivation. The thought alone made her life seem blissful.
The others had also made a great haul. Their trip to Mist Island had been immensely profitable, so Hong summoned an aircraft through his wristband and prepared to head back.
Just then, a black-purple vine suddenly burst out of the ground and wrapped itself around the aircraft, leaving it unable to move.
"Is this the Mo Yun Vine? How is that possible!" Hong, who had been calm until now, wore an incredulous expression. Then a hint of delight appeared on his face, and he turned to instruct the others. "This is a Special Lifeform from the universe, and it's extremely dangerous. Stand back. I'll subdue it!"
Then his entire body seemed to grow weightless, and he floated into the air. Seeing this, Xue Xi hurriedly left the island with Luo Feng. Thor, meanwhile, stayed where he was, ready to provide support at any moment. He had read about the Mo Yun Vine's fearsome reputation in the ancient civilization's records, and watched the enormous black-purple vines encircling the entire island with some concern.
Xue Xi knew all too well that in the original story, the Mo Yun Vine had even injured council members of the HR Alliance. In the end, only Hong had been able to subdue it.
The Mo Yun Vine, a black-purple whip stretching for several kilometers, lashed toward Hong—but stopped dead in his hands, hanging motionless in midair. After carefully counting its vines, Hong couldn't help smiling with satisfaction. "Sixteen vines. That's right! The color, the pattern, the number, its strength and size—this has to be the legendary Mo Yun Vine! I never imagined Earth would have such a treasure. It looks like fortune has finally smiled on me, Hong. Hahaha!"
After laughing a few times, Hong unleashed his Domain. A massive black sphere that swallowed all light enveloped the entire island and the Mo Yun Vine coiled across it. Under the pressure of the Domain, Xue Xi felt that her peak apprentice-level strength had become as insignificant as an ant.
Luo Feng beside her was also astonished. It was his first time seeing a Domain, and he couldn't help feeling envious. So this is the Domain Realm after the artistic conception stage? It feels incredibly powerful. Looks like I'll have to eat more Cat Ear Noodles from now on. I'll definitely have a Domain of my own someday!
Xue Xi had no idea that Luo Feng had simply assumed the Domain Realm came after the movement technique's artistic conception stage. She, too, was struck by the Domain's power and began to dream of the Domain she might have when she reached the Planetary Realm.
She wondered whether the system's rewards included a Domain. If they didn't, she would have to comprehend one herself. But she knew nothing about laws or anything like that. It might be a little tricky.
While the two of them imagined the future, Hong had already won the fight. Following the instructions in the records, he severely wounded the Mo Yun Vine, found its main body, and forced it to recognize him as its master by pressing his blood into it.
Xue Xi and Luo Feng watched as the black sphere of the Domain contracted, then disappeared into Hong's palm. A small purple-black vine coiled around his other arm. Thor flew over from the island, and the smile on Hong's face made it clear that he was in an exceptionally good mood.
"Everyone, I've subdued the Mo Yun Vine. Let's head back."
Thor hurriedly stopped Hong. "Come on, Brother Hong! Let us see what the Mo Yun Vine can do. It'd be a chance to witness just how powerful lifeforms from beyond Earth are."
Xue Xi and Luo Feng also looked at Hong like a pair of curious children. Hong nodded helplessly. "All right. The Mo Yun Vine has two uses. It can transform into armor to protect its wearer, or it can attack on its own."
As he spoke, it first transformed into armor, black-purple with golden patterns. He signaled for Thor to attack with all his strength. But the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, which could even cut through the Black God Suit, managed only to leave a shallow mark on the Cloud-Pattern Battle Armor—and in the blink of an eye, the mark healed on its own. The three of them clicked their tongues in amazement. Its defensive power was truly absurd.
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