41: Willow mutation

Lin Yan stood at the edge of the field ridge, his fingertips gently caressing a willow tree with luxuriant branches.

This was the willow tree he had previously propagated in the spirit field.

On the trunk of the willow tree, an Azure Spirit Vine climbed upwards, lazily draped over the flexible branches of the willow.

This Azure Spirit Vine was no ordinary Azure Spirit Vine; it was the mutated Azure Spirit Sword Vine.

[spirit plant Name: Azure Spirit Sword Vine]

[growth progress: 267/10000]

[Growth Status: Absorbing sunlight and dew, experience +1]

[Drinking spirit fertilizer, experience +2]

...

After adding experience, the tip of the Azure Spirit Sword Vine rapidly grew three inches.

The small sword, carved from azure jade, also extended forward, like a spiritual snake flicking its tongue.

This was the most prominent external feature of the Azure Spirit Sword Vine.

Within the small azure jade sword, a sharp Sword Qi was nurtured, and touching it would provoke a Sword Qi counterattack.

The Azure Spirit Concealment Array, which could originally only block and isolate other living beings from passing through, now also had offensive capabilities.

This was the charm of spirit plant Formations: they could grow and were full of infinite possibilities.

Of course, it also had its difficulties, namely cultivating spirit plants.

High-tier spirit plants grow slowly, and it is normal for a Formation to take decades or even centuries to take shape.

It also required the right environment and soil for cultivating spirit plants.

However, Lin Yan had the Spirit Plant Level-Up System, so these were not problems.

As a Tier 3 Spiritual Plant, the Azure Spirit Sword Vine's growth rate was no slower than a Tier 1 Spiritual Plant in Lin Yan's care.

Perhaps due to the influence of the Tier 3 Azure Spirit Sword Vine, the willow tree carrying the sword vine also grew better than other willow trees.

After more than half a year of wild growth, the willow tree's trunk was already two zhang tall and was still growing rapidly.

Flexible willow branches hung down from the trunk, as graceful as a maiden's hair.

Luxuriant willow leaves clustered together, making the entire willow tree resemble a green canopy.

On the willow tree, many of the willow leaves had mutated.

[spirit plant Name: Azure Blade Willow Leaf]

[growth progress: 10/10]

[spirit plant Trait: Blade-like leaves are sharp, can be used for Artifact Refining, can induce maternal mutation.]

[Growth Status: None]

...

[spirit plant Name: Azure Blade Willow Leaf]

[growth progress: 10/10]

[spirit plant Trait: Blade-like leaves are sharp, can be used for Artifact Refining, can induce maternal mutation.]

[Growth Status: None]

...

This spirit plant Trait was not deceiving; as more and more Azure Blade Willow Leaves appeared, the willow tree itself began to mutate.

[Plant Name: Willow Tree]

[growth progress: 10/10]

[mutation progress: 3%]

[Growth Status: None]

...

Although the willow tree's System growth progress was full, it was still actually growing.

It just meant that the willow tree at this stage was considered mature, and the System could no longer add points to it.

"If nothing unexpected happens, this willow tree will mutate into a Azure Blade Willow."

Lin Yan was faintly expectant.

He had previously inquired about information on the Azure Blade Willow; it was not simple and involved a senior mighty figure from the Spirit Herb Hall.

"I'll find time to visit Ten Thousand Willow Peak later; perhaps I'll discover something." Lin Yan thought to himself.

After entering the Spirit Herb Hall, he had been busy and had no time to wander around.

In fact, many places in the Spirit Herb Hall were worth visiting, such as Ten Thousand Willow Peak and Qingzhu Peak.

He poured a scoop of spirit fertilizer on this willow tree and then performed the Azure Wood Technique to catalyze it for a moment.

Although the willow tree was tall, it was still just a mortal plant, and the amount of catalysis it could withstand daily was very limited.

But the effect was very significant:

[Plant Name: Willow Tree]

[growth progress: 10/10]

[mutation progress: 23%]

[Growth Status: None]

In a short while, the mutation progress increased by 20 percentage points.

After catalyzing the willow tree, Lin Yan entered the spirit field and began to catalyze the Sword Grass.

Among all the spirit plants he cultivated, the Sword Grass was undoubtedly the most valuable.

Now, the growth of these Sword Grasses had reached a critical moment.

[spirit plant Name: Sword Grass]

[growth progress: 96/1000]

[Growth Status: None]

Three of the Sword Grasses had growth progress exceeding 95 points, and their momentum was unabated, about to reach the 100-point watershed.

Another five Sword Grasses had growth progress exceeding 90 points, but their growth rate had noticeably stagnated.

[spirit plant Name: Sword Grass]

[growth progress: 91/1000]

[Growth Status: None]

...

The last two Sword Grasses, which had the worst growth, had completely stopped growing.

[spirit plant Name: Sword Grass]

[growth progress: 88/1000]

[Growth Status: None]

...

These two Sword Grasses that had stopped growing no longer absorbed nutrients, no matter how Lin Yan fertilized or catalyzed them.

The System could no longer add points to them either.

The external environment is one aspect of spirit plant growth.

But the most profound influencing factor is the spirit plant itself.

If a spirit plant itself has no potential for growth, then no matter how hard a Cultivator tries to cultivate it, it will be in vain.

Lin Yan's spirit plant System was a powerful extra boost for spirit plants, but it was not omnipotent.

The potential limit of these two Sword Grasses was too low; there was no longer any possibility of successfully cultivating them.

The five Sword Grasses whose growth rate had slowed down, however, had a chance of success; it was hard to say.

As for the three Sword Grasses with the best growth, Lin Yan was basically certain that they could be successfully cultivated.

Moreover, it wouldn't be long, just in the next few days.

...

In the following days, Lin Yan catalyzed the mutated willow tree and Sword Grass daily.

Before the Sword Grass matured, the mutated willow tree underwent its transformation first.

The night was inky black, and Lin Yan sat cross-legged under the willow tree by the field ridge.

[Plant Name: Willow Tree]

[growth progress: 10/10]

[mutation progress: 94%]

[Growth Status: None]

"It's tonight." Lin Yan smiled slightly.

The azure spiritual light of the Azure Wood Technique condensed in his palm and slowly infused into the willow branches.

Instantly, subtle ripples appeared on the surface of the willow branches, resonating with Lin Yan's spiritual power.

The Perfection-level Azure Wood Technique allowed him to control its release and absorption at will; catalyzing spirit plants was now as simple as eating and drinking for him.

The Azure Wood True Essence flowed like a trickling stream through the willow branches' meridians, stimulating their deeply hidden potential.

On the system panel, the willow tree's mutation progress continuously increased.

95%...96%...97%...

Pure spiritual power continuously delved deeper into the willow tree's core.

At a certain moment.

Fine, emerald-green patterns emerged on the surface of the willow branches. These patterns were as sharp as blades, emitting a chilling aura.

The surrounding Spiritual Qi was rapidly drawn in, forming small Spiritual Qi whirlpools that vied to surge into the willow tree's interior.

Perhaps it was because the willow tree's main body was too large, or because this mutation was too profound.

This willow tree consumed an enormous amount of Spiritual Qi.

The Spiritual Qi around the spirit field was all drawn in, forming a small spiritual power storm around the willow tree, causing its branches to sway.

"Hmm?" Lin Yan's eyes narrowed, sensing the abnormal changes occurring around him.

"If it keeps absorbing like this, there won't be enough Spiritual Qi around, and all the spirit plants in the spirit field will be affected."

With this thought, Lin Yan continued to catalyze the willow tree with one hand, while taking out ten Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch with the other.

He decisively crushed the Spirit Stones one by one, and vigorous Spiritual Qi erupted, surging towards the willow tree's trunk.

This way, the willow tree would not contend for the Spiritual Qi in the spirit field.

However, one Spirit Stone could only last for a few breaths of time.

Lin Yan couldn't bear to feel distressed, crushing Spirit Stones one after another.

There was no other way; if the Sword Grass in the spirit field were affected, the loss would be immense.