Reborn as a Blade of Grass

When Qingxi's consciousness returned, she felt a heavy weight pressing down on her, as if a mountain were crushing her, leaving her unable to move. She was surrounded by the scent of damp earth.

Where was she? She remembered sacrificing herself and dying; why did she still have consciousness?

She tried to move, attempting to circulate the spiritual power within her, but she was stunned.

She couldn't feel her extraordinary meridians, let alone her dantian or sea of consciousness.

What was happening?

Above her, a faint trace of spiritual power brushed past. Qingxi felt a surge of joy and immediately calmed her mind to practice the Chaos Art, absorbing the surrounding energy.

She didn't know where she was, but to her relief, the spiritual energy here was abundant, rivaling even Square Inch Mountain.

She swallowed the surrounding energy in large gulps, even forming a small vortex of spiritual power above her.

She didn't know how many days and nights had passed, but with a soft "pop," a tiny sprout emerged from the soil, its two tender green leaves swaying.

Qingxi slowly opened her eyes. She existed in a soul state now, and she looked at the object her soul was tethered to.

"Grass? I've turned into a blade of grass?" She was dumbfounded for a moment, but then her expression softened, a hint of tenderness rippling in her eyes. "No, not grass. It's a seedling of the Strange Flower..."

After the second journey to the West, they had overthrown the gods and Buddhas, and peace had returned to the world. However, the Heavenly Dao was shattered, the order had collapsed, and the human race was all but extinct.

She had long since merged with the Strange Flower, sacrificing herself to heaven and earth to reshape the world.

Perhaps it was due to the unique nature of the Flower of the Universe that she had been reborn.

But where was this?

The next second, Qingxi's soul retracted back into the seedling. Her soul was too weak to leave her body yet, so she could only sway her two tender leaves and look left and right.

She was in a valley filled with strange flowers and exotic rocks. Not far away, there was even a spiritual pond with both ice and fire attributes—no wonder the spiritual energy was so dense.

The plants here grew hundreds or thousands of times faster by relying on the spiritual spring; cultivating here was truly twice the result for half the effort.

She believed it wouldn't be long before she could take human form.

Fortunately, the Chaos Art only required spiritual energy to practice. She didn't know where this place was, but once she regained her physical body, she would return to Slanted Moon Three Stars Cave.

She wondered how her master was doing...

Time held no meaning in the mountains, and Qingxi remained immersed in her cultivation.

Years passed. On a drizzly day, an old man walked into the valley. He wore strange clothing, somewhat reminiscent of Western styles, with messy green hair and a pair of dark green eyes that looked as if they contained poison, sending a chill down one's spine.

Qingxi swayed her branches and leaves. She was now thirty centimeters tall, with nine leaves of nine different colors. A flower bud had emerged, and a nine-colored radiance like a rainbow surrounded her, making her stand out among all the other flowers and plants.

"Eh? What flower is this? I recall there wasn't a flower here a few years ago." The old man exclaimed in surprise and walked toward the Strange Flower.

He crouched down to carefully observe the strange flower that had suddenly appeared in his garden. Though he hadn't visited in only ten years, this new little flower looked even more extraordinary than the surrounding immortal-grade spiritual herbs.

As soon as he approached, he felt refreshed, and even the toxins that usually flared up on rainy days seemed to ease. The tiny flower bud drooped slightly, appearing somewhat listless.

Dugu Bo was shocked. He had experienced such miraculous effects just by getting close to the flower; if he were to eat it, perhaps...

A flicker of greed flashed in his dark green eyes, and he reached out toward the stem of the Strange Flower.

Qingxi had sensed his presence the moment he approached. Although she could not yet take human form, her spiritual and soul power were far beyond what anyone here could possess.

Her spiritual power had already transformed into countless tiny needles, silently surrounding the old man. If he dared to pick her, she would turn him into a hedgehog in the next second.

A sudden change occurred!

Dugu Bo only saw a green shadow slip out of his soul tool, and in the next second, a slender little green snake had crawled onto the leaves of the Strange Flower.

"Hiss—" The little green snake flicked its tongue, baring its fangs and hissing at its master, clearly threatening to strike if he took another step forward.

"Hey! You little beast..." Dugu Bo cursed. Looking at the Strange Flower protected by the Jade, he sighed. "Fine. You're usually half-dead, but you're guarding this flower so tightly. This flower must have something special about it. I'll just cultivate nearby; that should be enough."

With that, Dugu Bo sat cross-legged.

Qingxi watched the old man who had closed his eyes to cultivate. Seeing that he remained still for a long time, she finally withdrew her spiritual power.

For some reason, Dugu Bo felt his mind relax; the sense of dread he had felt moments ago suddenly vanished.

Of course, he didn't know that he had just walked through the gates of hell.

Qingxi looked at the little green snake coiled on her leaves and swayed, gently tickling it. The little snake wiggled its body, sending a wave of joyful emotion toward Qingxi.

She smiled slightly, and her flower bud opened and closed in rhythm. An interesting little snake.

She slowly closed her eyes and continued her cultivation.

She had already cultivated a dantian; once the elixir formed into an infant and the Nascent Soul stage was achieved, her soul could leave the Strange Flower and regain her human form.

Cultivating to the Nascent Soul stage within ten years was much faster than in her previous life, but since she had become the true spirit of the Strange Flower, it made sense.

Time flowed quietly, stars shifted, and the essence of the moon was absorbed by the Strange Flower through the cave above.

Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes, looking at the Strange Flower drooping under the moonlight beside him, and sighed. "Sigh, my soul power has grown a bit. Although it has an effect, it can only suppress the poison. Do I really have to eat this immortal herb to cure it completely?"

He looked at the little snake sleeping soundly on the white leaves. This snake had accompanied him for many years, but today it had shown such spirituality.

"Sigh..." Dugu Bo couldn't help but sigh again.

Qingxi had woken up the moment Dugu Bo did. She hadn't forgotten that this old man had wanted to eat her earlier.

And he still wanted to eat her now.

Qingxi grew wary. She scrutinized the old man before her, only then realizing that he was deeply poisoned.

However, such minor toxins were merely showing off before the Strange Flower. One had to know that the Strange Flower was the very first living being born in the cosmos, hailed as the 'Flower of the Universe.'

Only after the Strange Flower did the galaxy and life itself emerge in this world. It was the master of all flowers, a witness to the long river of time, and the ancestor of all plant-type life.

The little green snake slowly stirred awake, watching its master sighing heavily across from it.

"Let's go." Dugu Bo raised a hand and called out to the little green snake.

The little green snake retreated, clinging to the branches of the Strange Flower, reluctant to leave.

"What? You want to stay here?" Dugu Bo chuckled.

The little green snake nodded its tiny head as if it understood human speech.

"You little thing, I've fed you so many precious spiritual items, yet I've never seen you cling to me like this. If you don't leave now, believe it or not, I'll pull this flower out by the roots."

"Hiss, hiss..." The little green snake flicked its tongue in a panic.

"Fine, fine, just stay here for now. This Strange Flower has the effect of suppressing snake venom; I'll bring my granddaughter over in a couple of days to try cultivating here. If that doesn't work, I'll just eat it."

Upon hearing him say this, Qingxi was so incensed that she gathered her spiritual power, wishing she could stab him to death.

Good grief, he still hadn't given up on the idea of eating her.