Chapter 86: The Heart of Wood Speaks

After waiting for quite some time without hearing the other speak again, Xunmu felt a little puzzled. Wasn’t this human female cultivator searching for the Heart of Wood? Why had she asked only one question and then stopped? If she just conversed with it a little longer, perhaps it would reveal the answer.

Perhaps seeing Ji Yao’s face clouded, and given Xunmu’s simple nature without much guile, it no longer waited for her to speak, but instead took the initiative to send a message.

“Hey, are you alright?”

It didn’t understand—how could someone who had seemed perfectly fine just moments ago suddenly look so grim and ashen?

“Yes, thank you! I’m fine.” Ji Yao thought that perhaps some senior who entered before her had inadvertently discovered and taken it away first. After all, this treasure was of the highest grade—a natural longevity elixir. Absorbing it could replenish one’s lifespan with no side effects, and any cultivator lucky enough to obtain it certainly wouldn’t broadcast their fortune.

The Heart of Wood, in essence, was the heart of a plant spirit. Yet, since the number of plant spirits was so rare and almost impossible to encounter, the current cultivation world hadn’t heard of such beings for ages.

Perhaps a few still existed, quite possibly hiding away in secluded paradises, unknown to the outside world. For once they appeared, humans or even certain demon beasts would hunt them for their hearts, and in time, plant spirits ceased to appear altogether.

And no normal plant spirit would foolishly offer up its own heart for another’s longevity. But the Heart of Wood within this secret realm was ownerless—the original spirit had perished unexpectedly, leaving behind its heart. As for why Mu Tianheng, who discovered it, hadn’t taken it away, that remained a mystery.

In any case, her luck hadn’t prevailed. Ji Yao smiled helplessly as she spoke.

Even so, the Heart of Wood could only alleviate her condition; in the end, she would have to find the true source of wood to cure herself completely. Ji Yao walked to a patch of shadow beneath the trees, away from moonlight, sat cross-legged, and propped her face on her hand in a daze.

For now, it seemed safe with the plant spirit absorbing moonlight here—she could rest assured for a while, and consider how best to plan her time in the secret realm.

Seeing Ji Yao’s actions, clearly no longer intending to speak, Xunmu felt it ought to say something more.

“Are you not planning to search for the Heart of Wood anymore?”

Lost in thought, Ji Yao barely reacted, answering lazily, “Not anymore. Didn’t you say it’s not here? Where else could I look?”

Xunmu’s two leaves shuddered. “That’s not right. I never said that. I only said it’s not here, but I didn’t say it’s not still here.”

Hm? That sounded ambiguous. Had she misunderstood from the beginning? If the Heart of Wood wasn’t gone, hadn’t been taken by someone else, and was still here…

Could it be hidden away by this little fellow? As pure wood-attribute energy, other wood spirits could absorb it as well.

But Xunmu was still so small, not fully grown, and likely hadn’t reached the stage of forming a heart. Even if it absorbed the energy now, it wouldn’t be optimal—the influx of such vast power would be like forcing a seedling to grow too quickly.

Even for humans, those in the Qi Refining stage who take pills meant for the Golden Core stage risk their meridians and foundations, if not outright exploding from the energy.

Ji Yao only hoped that, even if Xunmu had absorbed some, there might still be remnants left. She only needed a little to suppress the poison—not much at all.

“So, are you saying it’s with you?”

Ji Yao perked up instantly, her gaze burning as she stared at Xunmu’s two leaves, as if she might pounce and grab them the next moment.

Xunmu’s body trembled, though not tall, and it deliberately shifted the conversation.

“Do you know what the Heart of Wood is?”

Ji Yao had asked Situjing about this before, so she nodded, “It’s the heart of a wood-attribute spirit, the essence of its being.”

That’s why Ji Yao had misunderstood.

Xunmu’s voice grew suddenly serious. “If you know this, why insist on taking it? Do you mean to kill me?”

Though it said so, Xunmu sensed no murderous intent from the female cultivator. If she meant harm, she would have caught it as soon as it revealed its identity. Even now, with everything clear, she showed no sign of aggression.

Ji Yao was nearly amused by its childish words and couldn’t help joking, “Kill you? To burn your two leaves as kindling? You haven’t even grown a heart yet, have you?”

Sure enough, Xunmu’s leaves drooped after Ji Yao’s words—it might count as a plant spirit, but it hadn’t yet grown a heart.

Seeing Xunmu so dispirited, Ji Yao stopped teasing it. “Besides, since I found this place, I know the Heart of Wood here is ownerless, left behind after a plant spirit perished.”

“If it were a mature plant spirit, I wouldn’t dare come at all! I only need a bit of its energy to suppress the poison—not to take it away.”

Even if a mature plant spirit bore no malice, Ji Yao at her modest Qi Refining stage wouldn’t be able to catch it, let alone see it.

Xunmu fell silent for a long while, seemingly lost in thought.

Ji Yao, meanwhile, felt no urgency. Now that the Heart of Wood’s whereabouts were known, other problems could be solved in due course.

As the moon began to tilt in the sky, Xunmu finally sent another message.

“Can you come with me somewhere?”

At last, there was room for negotiation. Ji Yao replied, “What do you need me to do?”

“Come over, and touch my leaf.”

Ji Yao approached and did as told. The moment her finger brushed against it, a dizzying whirl overwhelmed her senses. The earthy scent was so thick it seemed she’d choke on soil if she opened her mouth.

The plant spirit’s earth escape technique was truly not for humans—nothing like using an earth escape talisman.

Once the vertigo passed, Ji Yao found herself in a world of shimmering green. The air sparkled with pure wood-attribute spiritual energy; in front, a green pool was a lake of condensed liquid wood energy.

Sadly, she lacked a wood spiritual root and couldn’t appreciate the beauty here.

If Ling Ru were present, she’d be overjoyed—this place was perfect for her.

Ji Yao glanced at the diminutive Xunmu beside her, only to see it, in the blink of an eye, appear atop a distant, withered tree stump.

“Do you see the stump beneath me? It was once a small branch of my original body.”

This time, the voice was not transmitted but rang directly through the green space.

Following its words, Ji Yao looked.

The stump was enormous, as wide as the biggest round table. Yet the wood was utterly dead—even in this world full of wood energy, there was not a trace of vitality.

Xunmu’s voice carried deep sorrow, stirring empathy in the listener.

“Do you know? I am Xunmu, yet I am not Xunmu.”

Ji Yao gazed silently at the dead stump. She could sense Xunmu’s aura matched that of the stump, yet there was something more as well.

“The Heart of Wood you seek is me, but not just me. Xunmu gave me intelligence; the Heart of Wood gave me life.”

So—the Heart of Wood had mutated, merging with Xunmu to become a talking sapling?

Ji Yao was bewildered once again. The cultivation world could play tricks like this?

Was this some kind of clone, then?