62: Green Blade Willow Advanced

At this moment, the evolution of the Azure Blade Willow was nearing its end.

The trunk, originally the thickness of a bowl, had become much sturdier, and fine, dense patterns emerged on the bark, each line seemingly containing the trajectory of a sword edge.

Sword-shaped phantoms seemed to flow along the edges of the leaves, as if every leaf were a miniature spiritual sword!

Even more astonishingly, standing beneath the tree, Lin Yan could clearly feel that his nascent Sword Intent was being nourished by the dao-rhyme of this willow tree!

His previously vague insights into the Dao of the sword became clear, and the circulation of spiritual energy within his body grew increasingly smooth, as if an invisible river of the Dao of the sword were slowly flowing through his Meridians.

At this moment, with just a thought, he could comprehend the complete Sword Intent.

But his intuition told him that doing so would be very dangerous.

The Divine Sense of a Qi Refining Cultivator is too weak to bear the complete Sword Intent.

"Thank you... Fairy." Lin Yan bowed deeply to the Azure Blade Willow, his heart filled with reverence.

This Azure Blade Willow must have condensed the sword dao-rhyme left behind by the Azure Blade Fairy, achieving a profound transformation.

Beneath the Azure Blade Willow had now become a natural Dao-comprehension ground for the sword!

From now on, any Cultivator who Cultivates sword techniques here will be able to utilize the spiritual rhyme of this willow tree to greatly improve their Comprehension Ability in the sword Dao!

Lin Yan subconsciously glanced at the system panel of the Azure Blade Willow and was stunned:

【spirit plant Name: Azure Blade Willow】

【growth progress: 397 / 10000000】

【spirit plant Trait: Greatly improves a Cultivator's Comprehension Ability in the sword Dao】

【Growth Status: Absorbing sword dao-rhyme, experience + 300】

...

"One... ten... hundred... thousand... ten thousand... ten million!"

The growth progress limit has reached ten million!

Lin Yan made a quick calculation; according to the System's algorithm, once this Azure Blade Willow matured, it would be a Tier 6 spirit plant!

Moreover, this was no ordinary spirit plant.

It was a special spirit plant possessing sword dao-rhyme.

As he learned more about the path of spirit plants, Lin Yan gained a certain understanding of the classification of spirit plants.

The spirit plants he had encountered so far could be divided into two main categories.

The first were ordinary spirit plants born of nature, such as Spirit Rice, Spirit Potato, and Azure Spirit Vine.

The second were special spirit plants cultivated by Cultivators, such as Sword Grass and Azure Blade Willow.

These types of spirit plants were not bred by heaven and earth naturally.

Compared to ordinary spirit plants, they were more like a vessel, nurturing or bearing the spiritual rhyme that a Cultivator desired.

Both Sword Grass and Azure Blade Willow possessed sword dao-rhyme.

Lin Yan found it hard to imagine how profound the sword dao-rhyme absorbed by the Azure Blade Willow was, to have raised its grade from Tier 2 to Tier 6 in one go.

One must know that Tier 6 corresponds to powerful Cultivators of the Great Ability level.

It was certain that the level of this spiritual rhyme was extremely high.

The look in Lin Yan's eyes as he gazed at the Azure Blade Willow became complex.

"An innocent man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime!" Lin Yan sighed in a low voice.

This was truly a hot potato of a treasure.

...

Meanwhile, in the endless space beyond.

The scorching sun hung high, yellow sand filled the sky, and withered vegetation lay on the cracked earth like dying skeletons.

The land was deathly silent.

A crowd of refugees dragged their weak steps, struggling forward on the dried-up riverbed.

Children cried out for water, while the elderly curled up in the shade, their lips cracked and their eyes unfocused.

The air was filled with an aura of despair.

Amidst this crowd, there was a small, thin girl, raggedly dressed and barefoot, moving with unsteady steps as she followed the refugeeTeam.

Her hair was withered, yellow, and matted, her face covered in dust, yet only in those eyes remained a trace of clarity that did not belong to this world.

Her name was Xiao He; at least, that was what the refugees called her.

Xiao He walked unsteadily, her vision blacking out in waves.

Her throat was cracked and burning like fire, her stomach was empty, and it felt as if even the pain of hunger had become numb.

She stumbled and nearly fell, but was steadied by a bony hand.

"Xiao He, hold on a little longer... there might be a water source ahead..."

An equally weak middle-aged woman forced a smile at her.

But Xiao He knew these were just words of comfort.

Moreover, even if there were a water source ahead, she would not be able to make it there.

Her vision gradually went black, and her consciousness began to blur, just at the moment she was about to collapse.

"Hum...!"

A cool, azure light suddenly shone from her chest!

The light was like a cold, clear spring, rushing violently into her Sea of Consciousness, instantly dispersing the darkness of unconsciousness!

Countless memories, like a celestial river pouring backward, flooded into her mind frantically.

She saw herself flying on a sword in the air, her sleeves fluttering, pointing her sword at the firmament, radiating ten thousand zhang of spiritual light!

She saw herself slash out with a sword, causing spiritual springs to gush forth and vegetation to grow!

She saw herself in a bloody battle against a great enemy, exhausting all her dao-rhyme and vitality!

...

"I... I am... the Azure Blade Fairy?!"

She opened her eyes abruptly, the gray Death Qi in her eyes replaced by a trace of azure spiritual light!

In an instant, the weak spiritual energy within her body vibrated slightly, as if a sleeping spiritual spring had been awakened!

A faint humming sound arose.

From her chest, a trace of azure light faintly flickered, and a spiritual rhyme was reviving!

The thin Spiritual Qi in the surroundings poured into her body rapidly, strengthening the cyan spiritual energy in her Meridians.

She glanced at the miserable crowd around her.

She raised her hand, and azure spiritual light surged from within her body.

The spiritual energy, like a clear stream, surged toward a willow tree on the riverbed that was on the verge of withering.

In an instant, the willow tree burst with vitality, its withered branches quickly showing a lush green color, and leaves rapidly sprouted and unfurled!

Subsequently, drops of cool dew condensed on the willow leaves.

The refugees stared blankly at this scene, as if they had witnessed a miracle.

Xiao He plucked a willow leaf with dew on it and handed it to the middle-aged woman nearby: "Aunt Yun, drink this drop of dew."

The woman tremblingly reached out to take the willow leaf and put it into her mouth.

The dew directly turned into a wisp of cool mist, drilling into her body and injecting a trace of vitality into her exhausted frame.

"Fairy... Fairy...?" Someone knelt down tremblingly.

The refugees were saved.

...

The next day, at the Mountain Gate square of the Spirit Herb Hall.

The Sword Testing Tournament, which had been ongoing for over ten days, finally reached its most exciting moment.

The square was packed with people, and everyone was looking forward to the final competition.

The match had not yet begun.

Suddenly, figures flew from the back mountain like streaks of light, landing on the podium.

"Look, that is our Grand Elder Ji Mingxiao!"

"The one holding the medicine hoe is Second Elder Zhao Shuli."

"Over there is Elder Sun..."

...

The powerful auras of the Elders and their figures soaring through the sky sparked enthusiastic discussions among the Disciples.

Finally, a white-haired figure arrived by flying through the air and landed on the seat in the center of the podium.

"Look quickly, Hall Master Bai He has also arrived."

"Hall Master's white hair is so handsome, so dashing!"

"Superficial! Hall Master is a Tier 5 Nascent Soul great Cultivator!"

...

The arrival of Bai He ignited the entire crowd.

In the outside world, Qi Refining Cultivators would never see such powerful experts in their entire lives.

"I announce, today's sword competition, begin now!"