As Xu Taiping saw it, the only thing within this great willow capable of taking human form was Lady Jade Mother's strand of divine intent inside the earth fruit.
"Lady... Jade Mother?!"
Old Daoist Huang realized it then too, his face instantly filling with horror.
Ping'an, however, looked doubtful.
"Could the earth fruit have become a spirit?"
Just as their expressions filled with both wonder and confusion, the little girl suddenly raised her plump, lotus-root-like arm and gently closed her hand.
"Boom...!"
While Xu Taiping and the others were still looking bewildered, an ear-splitting qi explosion rang out. The six treasures formed from the willow's six main branches suddenly shot through the air toward the little girl, then slammed heavily into the ground with a series of thuds, surrounding her.
Then every treasure began to tremble and hum with excitement.
The scene looked-
As though those six mighty treasures were kneeling before the little girl in submission.
The little girl took two steps forward, then reached out and gently patted the upright wooden box directly before her.
"Click!"
With a crisp sound of opening mechanisms, the wooden box abruptly unfolded layer by layer.
At this sight, understanding dawned on Old Daoist Huang's face.
"This is a Sword-Nurturing Sword Case!"
"Clang, clang, clang...!"
As he spoke, amid sword cries mingled with the ringing clash of metal and stone, the eight hundred flying swords that had been circling above Mount Buzhou like a flock of birds suddenly poured down like a waterfall.
"Boom!!"
In the blink of an eye, all eight hundred immortal swords were drawn into the sword case.
"Thud!"
Then the sword case closed again, becoming an ordinary-looking long wooden box.
"Whoosh!"
At the same time, a pearl that had been hovering behind the little girl suddenly shot toward her