Ancient Evergreen Vine

[As though to verify what you had said, something strange happened the moment your Martial Soul appeared.]

[Your Martial Soul seemed to be drawn by some invisible force, reaching toward Ah Yin beyond your control. Its blades unfurled, gently touching her leaves, and then-]

[They entwined tightly.]

[Your Martial Soul and her true body remained entwined like that, impossible to tell apart.]

[You looked down at the two intertwined stalks of Blue Silver Grass with a peculiar expression.]

[Ah Yin fell silent as well.]

[Only after a long while did she speak again.]

["I don't remember very clearly," she said, her voice carrying a cautious bewilderment. "I only remember that my name is Ah Yin. I was once a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Later, with the Heavenly Tribulation approaching, I chose to take human form so I could survive."]

["As for why I ended up in that cave... or why I only have a few thousand years of cultivation left... I don't remember any of it."]

[At that moment, you were genuinely somewhat surprised.]

Su Yi: Was this... amnesia?

[Your first reaction was-wariness.]

[You thought she might be playing dumb, preparing to stab you in the back.]

[You decided to hold your position for now and keep observing.]

[Ah Yin seemed not to notice your little suspicions and continued, "But I can feel that my soul seems to have suffered a devastating injury, losing some very important things."]

[After a pause, her voice grew softer still, carrying the purity and frankness unique to plants.]

["I think I might have encountered a life-or-death crisis after taking human form, leaving me no choice but to preserve this sliver of life through 'Seed-Retaining Rebirth.'"]

["Seed-Retaining Rebirth?" you asked, somewhat puzzled. "What's that?"]

[Ah Yin was very simplehearted and explained directly, "My true body is the Blue Silver Emperor. Unlike other Soul Beasts, we are called a 'Miracle Among Mortals.' We awaken the innate gift of 'Everlasting Life,' possessing a nearly undying nature-"]

["Even if our true body dies, as long as a single origin seed remains in the world, we can take root again, sprout, and cultivate our way back."]

[As you listened to her explanation, some of the wariness in your heart dissipated, and you shelved the thought of taking action for now.]

[After all, before meeting that lunatic Little Scumbag, Ah Yin had always been a gentle, good Soul Beast.]

[Even if she recovered her memories someday, considering the care you had given her, she would have no reason to harm you.]

[Over the next half month, you neither continued cultivating nor went to the Soul Beast Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring. Every day, you simply observed Ah Yin closely, paying attention to her every move.]

[You provided her with Immortal Herb Essence every day, and each day she shared a sliver of her origin power with you, guiding your Martial Soul Evolution.]

[After half a month of observation and testing, you believed her account completely-she had indeed lost the portion of her memories from after taking human form.]

[You sighed and tossed the Blue Silver Emperor Usage Guide straight into the fire.]

[Afterward, you began formally asking her for guidance on cultivating Blue Silver Grass. After all, no one in this world understood Blue Silver Grass better than she did.]

[Ah Yin thought for a moment, then suggested that you develop toward the life attribute.]

["The true strength of Blue Silver Grass lies in its powerful vitality," she said softly, her tone faintly proud. "We may look frail, but we possess the strongest environmental adaptability in the entire plant kingdom."]

["From the Far North Ice Plains to the southern swamps, from mountain peaks to deep valleys and secluded ravines, wherever there is soil, we can grow."]

["Use powerful vitality to compensate for insufficient toughness, combining assault, control, and support." She paused, her blades swaying gently in the breeze, an indescribable certainty within her gentleness. "The true strength of Blue Silver Grass has never been entangling or binding, but its powerful, endlessly renewing vitality."]

[Her views coincided with yours.]

[You accepted her advice.]

[Then Ah Yin asked you to take her along when you hunted for a Soul Ring.]

[You considered it. The Blue Silver Emperor's Blue Silver Domain could communicate with plants for hundreds of li around, so having her there would indeed let you achieve twice the results with half the effort when hunting Soul Beasts.]

[Besides, she retained all her memories as a Soul Beast and knew the habits of every species like the back of her hand. She was practically a living Soul Beast encyclopedia.]

[Of course, most importantly-you had already grown accustomed to her company.]

[You fetched a shovel and carefully transplanted her back into the flowerpot, along with the soil around her roots. Then you took her to the nearby Soul Beast Forest.]

["Put me down," she said through telepathy.]

[You did as she asked and set her in a clearing in the forest.]

[Ah Yin's vines gave off a faint blue glow, and a strange fluctuation spread from her true body.]

[Wherever the fluctuation passed, the Blue Silver Grass throughout the surrounding forest swayed, bowing slightly toward Ah Yin like subjects answering their sovereign's summons.]

[-Blue Silver Domain.]

[Ah Yin visibly wilted, her leaves drooping and her golden markings dimming, as though all her Soul Power had been drained at once.]

[Your brows drew together slightly, but you did not interrupt.]

[A moment later, tiny specks of light streamed in from every direction, sinking into her leaves.]

[Ah Yin trembled gently, as though she had taken a sip of warm soup and caught her breath.]

["Found it," she said, her voice carrying a hint of weariness and lightness. "To the northeast, three li away, there's a valley. An Ancient Evergreen Vine grows there. It's around eight hundred years old."]

["An Ancient Evergreen Vine?" You thought back. "I've read about that kind of Soul Beast. Its vitality and regenerative abilities are both extremely strong. It would be quite suitable for my First Soul Ring."]

["Yes." Ah Yin's leaves nodded gently. "The Ancient Evergreen Vine has an exceptionally developed root system. Aside from a main vine hiding its origin core, it usually has dozens of identical secondary vines."]

["Ordinary Soul Masters don't understand its secrets and think cutting off a few vines at random will damage its origin. Little do they know that it can regenerate in an instant, making it impossible for them to kill it completely."]

["The most troublesome part is its Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell Tactic-once it senses mortal danger, it transfers its origin core into any one of its secondary vines, which then swiftly burrows underground with its origin."]

["Even if you cut down every vine it leaves behind, as long as that section of secondary vine carrying the core remains, it can recover completely within a few months."]

[You listened quietly to the end, unconsciously rubbing your fingers together.]

["So... to hunt it down, we either have to crush every inch of its vines with overwhelming strength, or pinpoint its main vine among all the others, then-strike straight at the core in one blow?"]

["Right." She paused, her tone growing more solemn. "But with our current strength, the former is almost impossible."]

[You gave a bitter laugh. "Then we can only gamble on the latter."]

["We don't have to gamble, either." Ah Yin's voice grew lighter. "It has another major weakness."]

["Oh? That wasn't mentioned in the books."]

[Ah Yin explained, "The Ancient Evergreen Vine has no resistance to pure life energy. Once it discovers such energy, it instinctively pursues and devours it."]

[Your eyes flickered slightly. "And then?"]

["When it absorbs life energy, the entire plant briefly stiffens. Its core becomes pinned in place, unable to move between vines for a short time."]

[She paused, then continued, "Besides, I can roughly sense the location of its core through its Soul Power fluctuations."]

[Your expression shifted, and you tapped your right fist against your left palm. "Got it. Fishing."]

["Right," Ah Yin said softly, a blade quietly winding around your wrist. "Use Immortal Herb Essence as bait and lure it onto the hook."]

[You discussed the plan further, then took her to that valley.]

[The Ancient Evergreen Vine sprawled across a rock face, dozens of thick vines intertwining like pythons, covering an entire half of the cliff.]

[Its vines were as thick as an adult's thigh, their dark green surfaces covered in fine cracks.]

[You did not approach rashly. Instead, you took out a bottle of diluted Immortal Herb Essence solution and slowly poured it onto the center of the valley floor.]

[A rich herbal fragrance drifted in every direction.]

[The Ancient Evergreen Vine on the rock face was instantly drawn to it. Its thick vines snaked along, descending the cliff and slowly approaching the source of the fragrance.]

["It's coming," Ah Yin said softly.]

[Blue light rippled from her leaves as the Blue Silver Domain spread silently.]

[The Soul Power resonance of the surrounding plants was completely suppressed. The valley fell silent, cutting off every trace of aura that might startle the prey.]

[The Ancient Evergreen Vine noticed nothing. One vine had already reached the source of the fragrance, its fine roots plunging into the soil like tentacles, greedily absorbing the Immortal Herb Essence solution.]

[Its surface visibly grew plumper, and a faint emerald glow shone through its cracks.]

["Now!"]

[Blue light rose from Ah Yin's leaves, and the aura of an emperor suddenly burst forth.]

[The Ancient Evergreen Vine abruptly stiffened, as though pinned in place by an invisible pressure. Dozens of vines froze in midair, unable to move.]

[You sprang into action at once. Blue Silver Grass grew wildly at your feet, and five vines burst from the soil, precisely wrapping around five of its vines.]

[At the same time, Ah Yin's vines reached out from the other side and entangled several others.]

[The Ancient Evergreen Vine jolted awake. Dozens of thick vines jerked back wildly like rolling pythons, trying to pull its roots from the soil and flee.]

[But it was too late.]

[You gritted your teeth, pouring Soul Power into the Blue Silver Grass like a surging tide, making it constrict tightly. The vines were pulled taut, creaking under the unbearable strain, yet they never snapped.]

["Its core is in the third segment of the third vine on the right. Hurry!" Ah Yin's voice rang in your mind with a hint of urgency.]

[Your gaze sharpened. You lunged forward, stepped onto a vine Ah Yin sent over at just the right moment, and leaped high. Drawing a Fine Steel Longsword from your Storage Soul Tool with your right hand, you aimed at the origin core and hacked down.]

[The emerald light scattered, and the vines drooped. That section of main vine twitched a few times before going completely limp.]

[A moment later, a yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse.]

[You sat cross-legged on the ground, focused your mind and steadied your breathing, then drew the Soul Ring into your body and began absorbing it.]

[Ah Yin came to your side, gathering the Immortal Herb Essence remaining on the ground. The golden markings on her leaves glimmered, and her blades naturally unfurled. Fine Blue Silver vines quietly extended in every direction, weaving a circle of azure barriers around you to guard you.]

[The instant the Soul Ring entered your body, a tremendous surge of vitality rushed through your meridians, washing through every limb and bone.]

[The Ancient Evergreen Vine's Soul Power carried the warmth and gentleness unique to plants, yet lacked none of their wild force.]

[You gritted your teeth and used your will to guide that power toward your Martial Soul.]

[The Blue Silver Grass trembled violently inside you, then began changing little by little. Its leaves grew broader, its roots and stems thicker, and its color slowly shifted from pale blue to deep blue.]

[More importantly, you could clearly feel that your Martial Soul's toughness had improved enormously.]

[You opened your eyes to a field of azure barriers.]

[You closed your eyes and sensed your condition. The feeling of abundant vitality was unmistakable. The Ancient Evergreen Vine's Soul Ring truly suited Blue Silver Grass.]

[Your Soul Power Level reached twenty, but your accumulated Soul Power went far beyond that.]

[This Soul Ring granted you your First Soul Skill-]

[Life Enhancement: vitality unending, growing stronger through a hundred setbacks. Blue Silver Grass's toughness increased dramatically. After damage, its broken ends could rapidly sprout and grow anew, and the regenerated vines were even tougher.]

[As for Blue Silver Entanglement, the first skill from the original story, when you awakened your Martial Soul, your powerful mental control had already allowed you to control five vines simultaneously to bind five different objects.]

[With only the slightest effort, you had reached heights Tang San could not even glimpse through your dust.]

[The azure barriers gradually dispersed.]

[You stood and stretched your limbs, only then noticing the movement nearby.]

[At that moment, Ah Yin was quietly "squatting" several zhang away. A blade had crept out of her flowerpot and was carefully brushing back and forth over a small pile of freshly turned earth.]

[The surface of the soil held a glistening dampness, and a small section of buried green vine was faintly visible.]

[As she brushed the soil, she murmured, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I really didn't mean to... I'm sorry..."]

[Her voice grew quieter and quieter, and her blade moved more and more gently, like a child apologizing to her rag doll.]

[You stood a few paces away, watching the scene with a complicated look in your eyes.]

[After a period of silence, you finally spoke. "What are you doing?"]

[Ah Yin's blade abruptly froze, like a student caught red-handed passing notes in class.]

[Her leaves slowly turned toward you and swayed guiltily. "You... you're awake..."]

["Mm."]

[You took a few steps closer, coming to her side, and looked down at the carefully tended little mound.]

["What's this?"]

[Ah Yin's blades drooped.]

["This is the Ancient Evergreen Vine's true body. I used the Blue Silver Domain's Everlasting Life to try to form a new seed for it, then planted it here..."]

[Her voice grew quieter and quieter.]

[You fell silent for a while, then took the Immortal Herb Essence solution from your Storage Soul Tool and dripped two drops onto the little mound.]

[The crystalline droplets seeped into the soil, stirring a faint spiritual glow.]

["Let's hope it sprouts again!"]

[A breeze swept through the treetops, swirling up a few fallen leaves.]

[Ah Yin did not speak. After a long while, she suddenly called to you. "Su Yi."]

[You turned your head slightly and gave a soft "Mm."]

[She said nothing more. A single blade simply reached over quietly and nuzzled the back of your hand.]