Chapter 14: Mutated Spiritual Life and Dual Attribute Plant Soul Beast
"Then this is it." Tang Chuan nodded, took money from his pouch and paid the bill.
Afterward, he tied the iron spear to his back and quickly walked out of the market, a cautious glint in his eyes, muttering to himself:
"Although I absorbed the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, my spirit power has surged, and my physical quality and speed are no longer inferior to ordinary people, the attack power of the Blue Silver Grass is clearly insufficient at this moment."
"Entering the outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest, it's inevitable to encounter century-old, or even thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts. Relying solely on the Blue Silver Grass Spirit for attack and defense would be somewhat risky."
"With a weapon in hand, at least I'll have more confidence at critical moments."
The reason Tang Chuan dared to venture into the outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest alone was:
Firstly, the target Spirit Beast for his trip was a plant-type Spirit Beast, which is inherently not good at attacking. With precise strikes, there would be no direct combat whatsoever.
Secondly, although he does not yet possess Spirit Abilities, the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone has already granted him a flying skill. If danger truly arises, he can completely choose to fly away and escape.
Ten-plus minutes later.
Tang Chuan stepped into the outer area of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Everywhere he looked were lush green trees, ancient trees reaching to the sky, and dense shade obscuring the sun.
Sunlight was filtered layer by layer through the branches and leaves, leaving only dappled light and shadow scattered through the forest. The ground was damp, moss grew in clumps, and a mix of tree sap, soil, and decaying leaves wafted towards him.
Clutching the iron spear in his hand, Tang Chuan slowly pushed aside the thorny bushes crisscrossing in front of him.
"The plants here really… are much wilder than the small woods in Saint Spirit Village," he muttered softly as he walked.
Immediately after, wherever Tang Chuan's iron spear pointed, the thorns parted, and the mud and grass fell flat.
Tang Chuan was very clear that the area he was currently in was not a dangerous zone. The truly terrifying ones were the ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.
And his target this time was merely a century-old plant-type Spirit Beast.
"I remember the book said that the Illusionary Hidden Flower lives in damp places year-round, especially favoring growth in several swampy areas on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest."
"Its flower buds have a special humus scent that attracts small beasts to approach… using this method to hunt." As he recalled this in his mind, Tang Chuan took out the map he carried with him and compared it to the terrain.
"Hmm, if I follow this direction, pass through the black fir forest ahead, and then go about three to five li further… I should reach the wild swamp marked on the map."
Half an hour later.
Tang Chuan slowly stepped into a gray-green swampy area. The soil here was soft and slippery, every step accompanied by gurgling suction sounds, making it as uncomfortable as stepping on decaying flesh.
Scanning his surroundings, he saw various forms of vines swaying in the muddy water.
"It seems I haven't seen any trace of the Illusionary Hidden Flower…" Tang Chuan frowned slightly.
"However, this shouldn't be a challenge for me."
As his words fell, he slowly opened his right hand. In his palm, a blue-gold Blue Silver Grass quietly appeared. Guided by his spirit power, the Blue Silver Grass snaked out like a Spirit snake, burrowing into the muddy ground at his feet.
Buzz—
Instantly, his Blue Silver Grass resonated subtly with the wild Blue Silver Grass growing naturally on the surrounding surface.
In that instant, the perspectives of all Blue Silver Grass within a one-kilometer radius were reflected in Tang Chuan's Spiritual force perception, as if he suddenly possessed countless eyes.
Behind bushes, under vine thickets, by puddles…
Countless detailed outlines converged in his mind, forming a three-dimensional holographic scene.
"Found it!" A gleam flashed in Tang Chuan's eyes, and he smiled.
In the vision of his Spiritual force, several seemingly ordinary vines showed a breathing frequency completely different from the surrounding similar plants.
Although the Illusionary Hidden Flower perfectly simulated the wild flowers and bushes around it, the photosynthetic frequency of each root system, and even its faint spirit power fluctuations, were different from the normal state of other plants.
"These disguises are too good… If I couldn't establish a connection with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass, anyone else, even a Spirit Master several Ranks higher than me, probably wouldn't be able to detect it at all!" Tang Chuan took a deep breath, his gaze instantly sharpening.
The next second, Tang Chuan held the iron spear horizontally and moved like a leopard beside the swamp. As he gradually approached the area he had locked onto, he suddenly swung the iron spear, sweeping it out horizontally!
"Whoosh—!"
The iron spear cut through the air, bringing with it a strong wind, stirring up a large amount of decaying leaves and muddy water.
The next moment, an anomaly occurred.
The large patch of withered grass and vines that had been quietly lying in the muddy water instantly moved like surging waves. Clusters of tendrils and leaves unfurled, revealing their true forms.
It was an entire patch of Illusionary Hidden Flowers!
Upon being attacked, they instantly activated their Spirit Beast instincts, revealing their ferocious true forms beneath the disguise. The petals actually had sharp teeth marks, and the root stems writhed like tentacles, emitting an eerie, faint glow as they swiftly encircled Tang Chuan!
"Trying to hunt me?!"
With a cold snort, Tang Chuan shifted his feet, shook the long spear in his hand, and swept it out again, shattering the roots and tearing the petals of the Illusionary Hidden Flowers closest to him.
However, he did not linger in battle. Instead, his gaze was fixed on a special individual in the very center of the Illusionary Hidden Flower cluster. This giant Illusionary Hidden Flower did not move; at this moment, it seemed to be enthroned and quietly standing, as if being surrounded by other Illusionary Hidden Flowers like an emperor.
Unlike the forms of the other Illusionary Hidden Flowers, the petals of this giant Illusionary Hidden Flower actually displayed blue and white intertwined patterns, rather than the normal purple. On its leaves, extremely fine blue-gold veins extended, making it appear gentle yet majestic.
"This Illusionary Hidden Flower… seems to be a mutated individual?"
Seeing this, Tang Chuan's eyes narrowed, his heart trembled, and he said with a slight surprise.
The moment his Spiritual force extended, he actually sensed an extremely familiar life force. If he hadn't already absorbed the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone and was also a Transmigrator, with Spiritual force stronger than ordinary people, he would never have been able to detect it.
"Besides Spiritual force fluctuations… there's also a rich life force?"
Immediately after, a piece of plant mutation information he had read in the library quickly surfaced in Tang Chuan's mind: "In very rare cases, during the pollination process, if individual plant Spirit Beasts come into contact with pollen from higher-Rank plant Spirit Beasts, it can trigger Spirit Beast evolution or mutation. Extremely rare cases can even lead to the derivation of dual attributes."
Gazing at the mutated individual quietly standing in the center of the Illusionary Hidden Flower cluster, Tang Chuan's vigilance was fully heightened. He then slowly took a deep breath, and the Blue Silver Grass Spirit bloomed from his palm. Lush green vines coiled around his arm, emitting a faint blue-gold luster.
At the same time, he activated the Spiritual force within him, quietly releasing it like an invisible net, slowly enveloping the Illusionary Hidden Flower before him.
"Let me see what your true origins are."
The moment his Spiritual force penetrated, he immediately noticed that the Spiritual structure of this Illusionary Hidden Flower was completely different from the ordinary individuals around it—it was a clearly layered, actively conscious Spiritual structure!
Just as Tang Chuan's Spiritual force delved deeper.
"Hmm?"
His pupils suddenly constricted. He felt his Blue Silver Grass Spirit within him suddenly pulsate on its own. Immediately after, a faint, familiar life aura slowly emanated from within the Illusionary Hidden Flower.
That aura actually carried fluctuations extremely similar to his own Blue Silver Grass Bloodline!
"This is…"
[end of the chapter]