623: The Spirit Ruins Passage, the First Appearance of the Boundary Gate

Outside the Xuanhuang Holy Temple, on the Xuanhuang Jade Platform, runes were densely packed like stars. Martial Dao Immortal Qi and spatial power from the Heaven and Earth converged here, forming layers of faint golden ripples. Huang Xiaolong held the Jade Slip containing the coordinates left by Huang Tians remnant soul. A wisp of the war immortal nascent soul's golden-red Qi condensed at his fingertip, gently touching the Jade Slip. The Jade Slip instantly lit up, resonating strongly with the altar runes. The Lingxu Realm coordinates on the Jade Slip transformed into a green light, merging into the formation eyes at the center of the altar.

Su Linger stood beside him, holding the Lingxu Realm teleportation talisman left by Qing Heer in her palm. The vegetation runes on the talisman's surface were already slightly warm due to the resonance of the Spirit Root Fragment. She had just refined the Lingxu Realm Origin Spirit Liquid, and her Peak Golden Core spiritual power was imbued with a rich vegetation Origin Qi. At this moment, she formed a hand seal, injecting all her spiritual power into the teleportation talisman, and softly chanted the Lingxu Realm's spirit-guiding incantation: "With spirit as guide, with root as covenant, Realm Gate open, Lingxu arrive!"

The teleportation talisman transformed into a Emerald Green Radiance (emerald green stream of light), shooting directly into the altar's formation eyes. The moment it collided with the green light, a world-shaking hum suddenly resonated. The spatial ripples at the center of the altar instantly exploded, and a ten-foot-wide light gate formed out of thin air. Unique Lingxu Realm vegetation spiritual light encircled both sides of the light gate. The Spiritual Qi drifting from behind the gate was warm and mellow, completely different from the Martial Dao Immortal Qi of the Xuanhuang Great World. It was the purest essence of vegetation Origin Power, causing Su Linger's Spirit Root Fragment at her waist to instantly heat up and Huang Xiaolong's war immortal nascent soul in his Dantian to tremble slightly due to the pull of the dual realm imprint in his brow.

This was the Realm Gate connecting the Xuanhuang Great World and the Lingxu Realm. The other end of the gate was Qinglan Valley in the Lingxu Realm—Qing Heer's cultivation place back then.

"Let's go!" Huang Xiaolong said in a deep voice, embracing Su Linger's waist. The two leaped into the Realm Gate.

Amidst the flowing light and shadows, the Qi around them suddenly changed. When they landed again, their eyes were met with Spiritual Plants covering mountains and plains. The sky was obscured by the branches and leaves of towering ancient trees. Sunlight filtered through the leaf gaps, casting dappled light spots onto the exotic flowers and plants everywhere. Underfoot was a bluestone path covered with spiritual moss. Ancient trees beside them were entwined with colorful spiritual vines, adorned with crystal-clear spiritual fruits. The Vegetation Spiritual Qi in the air was so dense it materialized into spiritual mist. Taking a breath, one would feel their Meridians smooth and spiritual power surging.

This was the Lingxu Realm, a world where Spiritual Plants reigned supreme, and vegetation possessed spirits.

As soon as Su Linger landed, the Spirit Root Fragment at her waist automatically floated out, suspending above her head and showering down an ethereal white spiritual light. A peculiar scene instantly unfolded: the surrounding Spiritual Plants, as if possessing sentience, swayed their branches and leaves, bending towards the two. The originally chaotic spiritual grass automatically parted to both sides, revealing a winding Spiritual Plant path ahead. Spiritual flowers along the path bloomed in succession, emitting a faint spiritual light that guided their direction.

This was the natural resonance of the Lingxu Realm's Spiritual Plants with the Origin Spiritual Root Qi. Only those possessing the Spirit Root Legacy of Qing Heer's lineage could enjoy such courtesy.

The moment the Spiritual Plant path fully formed, a crisp 'pat' sound echoed at their feet. A completely emerald green Jade Slip, carved with vegetation runes, fell from the core of a spiritual orchid and rolled to Su Linger's front. The Jade Slip clearly bore the seven characters "Lingxu Realm Entry Art." Huang Xiaolong's Divine Thought swept over it, instantly knowing that it recorded the Heaven and Earth rules of the Lingxu Realm, the distribution of Spiritual Plants, and the habits of Spirit Essences. More importantly, it contained methods for Cultivators to quickly adapt to Vegetation Spiritual Qi, making it an essential Legacy for those newly entering the Lingxu Realm.

"The Spiritual Plants of the Lingxu Realm are so sentient that even the introductory Legacy can manifest automatically." Su Linger picked up the Jade Slip, her eyes filled with joy. She gently stroked a spiritual vine beside her, and the vine obediently wrapped around her fingertip, conveying an intimate vegetation aura.

Huang Xiaolong put the "Lingxu Realm Entry Art" into his Storage Pouch, his war immortal nascent soul constantly maintaining a state of vigilance. Although the Lingxu Realm appeared peaceful, it harbored countless high-grade Spirit Essences. These Spirit Essences were formed by Spiritual Plants absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and held strong hostility towards unfamiliar outsiders, especially the high-grade Spirit Essences guarding a territory, which were incredibly powerful.

The two walked several miles along the Spiritual Plant path when a violent tremor suddenly erupted from the dense forest ahead. Several cracks appeared in the ground, and countless spiritual vines, as thick as bowls, burst out from the fissures, like several ferocious giant pythons, lashing fiercely towards the two with whistling gusts of wind. The vine tips gleamed with a cold light imbued with spiritual poison, and a sixth-grade Spirit Essence's pressure swept over them like a mountain, causing the surrounding low-grade Spiritual Plants to tremble.

"Outsiders, how dare you trespass into my Qinglan Valley's territory!" A hoarse roar came from deep within the dense forest, and a humanoid Spirit Essence, condensed from a thousand-year-old ancient tree, slowly walked out. It was three zhang tall, its body composed of hard sandalwood trunks, its limbs were thick thousand-year-old spiritual vines, its head bore emerald green parasol tree branches and leaves, and its eyes were two crimson spiritual crystals. It was the Guardian Spirit Essence of Qinglan Valley—the Wood Spirit King.

The Wood Spirit King was a sixth-grade Spirit Essence, equivalent to a human Cultivator at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. It could control all vegetation in Qinglan Valley. Its trunk was as hard as profound iron, its spiritual vines could split mountains and shatter rocks with a single strike, and it could release vegetation miasma containing spiritual poison. It was Qinglan Valley's most powerful Guardian.

"This is Senior Qing Heer's cultivation place. We are her Legacy descendants and did not enter with malicious intent." Su Linger quickly spoke, hoping to defuse the hostility with the aura of the Spirit Root Fragment. However, the Wood Spirit King was blinded by anger at the invasion of its territory and refused to listen to any explanation.

"Stop your sophistry! All outsiders are enemies of Qinglan Valley!" The Wood Spirit King roared, waving its hands. Hundreds of spiritual vines attacked simultaneously, completely blocking their retreat. Countless low-grade wood spirits also surged from deep within the dense forest, forming an impenetrable vegetation defense line.

A cold light flashed in Huang Xiaolong's eyes, and he no longer held back. He activated the War Immortal Dao Unification Art. The war immortal nascent soul in his Dantian suddenly opened its eyes. Scarlet-gold Battle Qi and ethereal white Immortal Qi intertwined around his body, forming a two-colored light shield that blocked the spiritual vine's attack. The dual realm imprint flickered between the Nascent Soul's eyebrows, drawing upon the Lingxu Realm's Vegetation Spiritual Qi and the Xuanhuang Great World's Martial Dao Immortal Qi. The two forces merged at his fist, transforming into a brilliant fist light.

"War Immortal Fusion, Break!"

Huang Xiaolong let out a low roar, and the fist light whistled out, carrying world-destroying power, smashing fiercely into the spiritual vines coming at him. Those spiritual vines, as hard as profound iron, snapped inch by inch like rotten wood under the fist light. The remaining momentum of the fist light continued unabated, heading straight for the Wood Spirit King's chest.

The Wood Spirit King was greatly alarmed and quickly condensed all its Vegetation Spiritual Qi, forming a thick wooden shield in front of itself. But how powerful was that War Immortal fist light? The shield instantly shattered, and the fist light smashed fiercely into the Wood Spirit King's trunk, emitting a dull thud.

"Bang!"

A huge dent appeared in the Wood Spirit King's sandalwood trunk. A trace of horror flashed in its crimson spiritual crystal eyes, and the surrounding Vegetation Spiritual Qi violently fluctuated. It never expected that this outsider possessed such formidable battle power, and that fist light, fused with two forces, could easily break through its defense.

Huang Xiaolong pressed his advantage, his figure transforming into a phantom, appearing behind the Wood Spirit King. He placed his palm on the branches and leaves on its head, injecting all the power of his war immortal nascent soul. The Wood Spirit King let out a mournful roar, its surrounding spiritual vines twisting frantically, but it could not break free. Finally, under the crushing power of the war immortal, the Wood Spirit King's trunk shattered with a crash, leaving only a cluster of Spirit Essence remnant soul, containing pure Vegetation Spiritual Qi, struggling in mid-air.

The moment the Wood Spirit King was defeated, two crisp 'pat' sounds echoed consecutively. A dark green Jade Slip, carved with "Spirit Essence Annihilation Art," fell from the fragments of the Wood Spirit King's trunk. It recorded how to apply annihilation methods against Spirit Essences of different ranks and how to break their vegetation Divine Abilities. Another tender green Jade Slip emerged from the scattered remnants of spiritual vines, carved with "Spiritual Plant Essence Application," detailing how to extract the essence of Spirit Essences and Spiritual Plants to nourish cultivation and refine Spiritual Plant Medicinal Pills.

At the same time, a large amount of Spiritual Plant essence that overflowed when the Wood Spirit King disintegrated was condensed by Huang Xiaolong with war immortal power into a cluster of emerald green spiritual liquid and collected into a jade bottle—this was the essence of a sixth-grade Spirit Essence, which would greatly benefit Su Linger's Spiritual Plant cultivation.

"Wait! Don't harm its remnant soul!" Su Linger's voice came in time. She looked at the struggling remnant soul of the Wood Spirit King in mid-air, her eyes filled with reluctance. This Wood Spirit King was merely acting on its instinct to guard its territory, not an Extra-Domain Evil Spirit. It would be a pity to destroy it just like that.

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaolong withdrew his power, allowing the remnant soul to float in mid-air. Su Linger stepped forward, forming hand seals and activating the "Lingxu Realm Entry Art" she had just comprehended. She then drew upon the vegetation Origin Qi of the Spirit Root Fragment, softly chanting the Lingxu Realm's pacification incantation. A wisp of ethereal white spiritual light emanated from her fingertips, enveloping the Wood Spirit King's remnant soul. The originally restless remnant soul gradually calmed down, eventually transforming into a completely emerald green bead, carved with wood spirit patterns, landing in Su Linger's palm.

This was a wood spirit pearl, containing the Wood Spirit King's vegetation Origin Power. It could promote the growth of all Spiritual Plants and resonate with the Lingxu Realm's Spiritual Plants, making it a supreme treasure for Spiritual Plant Cultivators.

The moment the wood spirit pearl formed, another crisp 'pat' sound echoed. A Jade Slip carved with "Spirit Essence Pacification Art" fell beside the spiritual pearl. It detailed how to pacify Spirit Essence remnant souls, refine them into spiritual pearls, and retain their Origin Power for one's own use.

"Thank you both for showing mercy." A gentle female voice came from the end of the Spiritual Plant path. A young woman in a green Spiritual Plant dress slowly approached. Her features were delicate, and she was surrounded by a vegetation aura identical to Su Linger's Origin. In her hand, she held a long sword woven from spiritual vines. She was Qing Lan, a descendant of Qing Heer.

Qing Lan had long sensed the aura of the Spirit Root Fragment and hurried over, just in time to witness Huang Xiaolong defeating the Wood Spirit King and Su Linger pacifying its remnant soul. She walked up to the two and bowed to Su Linger: "Qing Lan greets the Spirit Root Legacy holder. My ancestor, Qing Heer, left a will stating that if anyone possessing a Spirit Root Fragment enters the Lingxu Realm, I am to guide them to the Spiritual Plant Holy Land and present them with the 'Lingxu Realm Spiritual Plant Compendium'."

With that, Qing Lan took out a yellowed ancient book from her Storage Pouch and handed it to Su Linger. That ancient book was precisely the "Lingxu Realm Spiritual Plant Compendium," which recorded the characteristics, cultivation methods, and wondrous uses of all Spiritual Plants in the Lingxu Realm. It was the culmination of Qing Heer's life's work.

Su Linger took the ancient book, her heart filled with joy, and quickly returned the present (courtesy): "Thank you, Miss Qing Lan, and thank you for Senior Qing Heer's Legacy."

Huang Xiaolong looked at Qing Lan and directly asked: "Miss Qing Lan, Huang Tians remnant soul guided us into the Lingxu Realm, stating that there is a complete Spirit Root Legacy here. May I ask where this Legacy is located?"

Qing Lan's expression slightly darkened upon hearing this, and a hint of regret flashed in her eyes: "The complete Spirit Root Legacy was originally in the Spirit Root Hall of the Lingxu Realm, but now the Lingxu Realm has suffered a great calamity, and even the reincarnation silent grass that guards the realm has begun to wither."

She paused, then continued: "That reincarnation silent grass controls the Reincarnation Vitality of the Lingxu Realm and was originally evergreen for ten thousand years, but in recent years, it has gradually withered, and wisps of black Qi are entwined around its leaves. My ancestor's remnant soul once manifested, stating that the black Qi is the residual evil qi of Extra-Domain Evil Spirits, and only the huaxia dragon vein Power can nourish the reincarnation silent grass and resolve this crisis."

reincarnation silent grass withering! Evil spirit evil qi! huaxia dragon vein Power!

Huang Xiaolong and Su Linger exchanged glances, a hint of understanding flashing in their eyes. The Spirit Root Legacy mentioned by Huang Tians remnant soul must be closely related to the reincarnation silent grass, and resolving this crisis was their mission for this trip.

Huang Xiaolong raised his hand and pressed it on the dual realm imprint between his eyebrows, saying in a deep voice: "I can activate the huaxia dragon vein Power. Miss Qing Lan, take us to see that reincarnation silent grass."

A hint of surprise flashed in Qing Lan's eyes, and she quickly nodded: "Please follow me, both of you. The reincarnation silent grass is in Silent Solitude Valley. Currently, Tree Spirit Elder is leading Spiritual Plant Cultivators to painstakingly maintain it, just waiting for the fated person who can activate the Dragon Vein Power to arrive."

With that, Qing Lan led the way, with Huang Xiaolong and Su Linger following closely behind. The wood spirit pearl hung on Su Linger's shoulder, emitting a faint vegetation spiritual light. Wherever they passed, the Spiritual Plants swayed in greeting.

The Spiritual Plant path of Qinglan Valley wound forward, leading to the mist-shrouded Silent Solitude Valley. There, not only was the withered reincarnation silent grass, but also the crisis of the Lingxu Realm, and the secret of the complete Spirit Root Legacy. An operation to nourish Spiritual Plants with Dragon Vein Power and purge evil qi was about to begin.