World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 656: Ancient Spirit-Stabilizing Tea

Thunder rolled in waves, and lightning coiled like dragons across the sky. As the dark clouds above grew heavier and denser, countless bolts of lightning transformed into azure dragons, qilin, and ferocious beasts of the Ancient Era, crashing down upon the tree and the vine below.

The vine refused to be reduced to ash. It fought back relentlessly, creating writhing tendrils that lashed upward in an attempt to contend with the might of the heavenly tribulation.

They were no more than condensed primal qi. The moment they touched the heavenly lightning, they shattered inch by inch. Even so, they managed to block nearly half of the descending lightning.

The rest broke through, striking the two plants. However, a layer of spiritual power formed a barrier around the vine's branches and leaves, allowing it to weather the storm.

More strangely, strands of gray and green aura swirled and intertwined beyond the barrier. They diverted a portion of the descending lightning, weakening the overall force of the heavenly tribulation.

Death and life auras mingled around the vine. How could the two opposing forces coexist?

Though puzzled, Wang Sheng had no intention of investigating the mystery right now. He had formed the tribulation clouds using his immortal power, but its might had already surpassed the limits of what he could consciously produce.

Throughout the inner array, streams of pure primal qi surged toward the cloud, but instead of thinning, the cloud thickened further. Faint booms echoed through the sky, as though celestial soldiers were beating war drums while overseeing the battle from above.

Wang Sheng no longer had to do anything. A tribulation of this magnitude was not something the vine could endure.

Across the inner array, the remaining two-thirds of the herb spirits watched in fear as he stood beneath the tribulation cloud with sword in hand. After such a display, the resistance Wang Sheng would face in persuading the herbs with "virtue" would be greatly reduced.

Heavenly lightning poured down in torrents. The emerald vine counterattacked in a frenzy.

The vine possessed accumulated cultivation, but there were no living beings nearby that it could draw death aura or soul power from. With no living souls for it to confuse and control, it could not unleash the true power of its divine ability.

The lightning grew fiercer. The layer of spiritual power around the vine faltered, and the thick green glow below gradually thinned.

"Why struggle any longer?"

Wang Sheng shook his head slightly. A lotus made out of Pure Yang flames bloomed in his palm, and he tossed it down.

He had just aptly named it the Pure Yang Flame Lotus. Although he had long known that comprehending the Great Dao of Pure Yang had granted him a form of true fire, he had never paid it much attention. As a swordsman, he rarely required fire to harm an enemy.

When the true fire emerged on its own earlier to protect him and burn away the sinister light that the vine had released, he had carefully examined its nature and came up with the name. Born from the Great Dao of Pure Yang, it could burn evil, temper the mind and spirit, and counter all filth and corruption. Moreover, it possessed formidable power and could also enhance his Pure Yang Sword Intent.

Wang Sheng even regarded it as an extension of the sword intent, compensating for his Pure Yang sword techniques' relative lack of force compared to his Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent and Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent.

The lotus descended with the lightning, burning the incoming tendrils to ashes before they could even close the gap to several dozen meters. The vine fell into disarray. It desperately manifested more green tendrils to intercept the lotus, but the lotus remained unwavering. Not a single tendril could touch it. Ash drifted through the air like falling snow.

With most of its focus drawn to the Pure Yang Flame Lotus, the vine left itself exposed. More than a hundred bolts of lightning struck at once, smashing into the tea tree and shattering the spiritual power barrier around the vine in a single moment.

Lightning exploded in blinding brilliance.

The part of the vine around the tea tree convulsed violently as the attack shattered leaves bearing human faces. An eerie wail rang out in all directions, unsettling Wang Sheng.

Amid that wail, the Pure Yang Flame Lotus fell straight down and bloomed. Pure Yang fire engulfed a third of the vine, consuming its branches and leaves at a visible pace. The vine let out a shrill scream in response, while the tea tree it clung to remained unscathed.

Rumble!

Within the tribulation cloud overhead, the strongest wave of lightning began to gather, and a sphere of crackling electricity rapidly took shape. A vortex also formed at the center of the cloud.

At that moment, the tea tree seemingly awakened from slumber. An astonishing surge of life aura burst forth from it, and its dozen slender branches began to swell rapidly. Clusters of tender shoots also sprouted from them. In the blink of an eye, it grew twenty or thirty meters tall. Its dense canopy spread wide, concealing the vine beneath it.

Wang Sheng frowned deeply. What is happening?

He was utterly baffled. The tea tree should have been the victim, drained and exploited by the vine. Why would it suddenly grow stronger and shield the evil parasite?

The heavenly tribulation paid no heed to such matters. The lightning sphere crashed down, illuminating the narrow world once more.

The tea tree's branches bent and intertwined, forming a massive wooden canopy in an attempt to withstand the bolt. A green flash then burst forth. Like a serpent hundreds of meters long, the vine slipped through the gaps and hurtled straight toward the descending lightning sphere.

What on earth is going on?

Emotions of helplessness and despair emanated from the enormous tea tree, mixed with pain and a longing for release. It seemed to be calling the vine back. Nevertheless, the vine flew faster and faster, as if racing toward the lightning to embrace destruction.

In that instant, Wang Sheng realized that the spiritual power that had protected the vine earlier had come from the tea tree. By relying on the tea tree's spiritual power and the death aura it emitted, the vine had endured the entire lightning tribulation nearly intact.

Trees and creeping vines were both spirits without true consciousness. One was even parasitic, feeding on the other's flesh and vitality. Yet at that moment, they clung to each other with deep attachment, guarding one another as if bound by fate.

Wang Sheng himself did not know why his resolve suddenly wavered. By the time he regained his senses, he had already swung his right hand.

Right in front of him, intricate and orderly meridian patterns appeared. Spiritless flicked upward from below, its blade gleaming as sword radiance flared. The lightning sphere was instantly cleaved in two.

The sword radiance skimmed along the vine before it slashed downward and crashed into the crown of the tea tree, cutting away a cluster of withered branches. The severed lightning sphere detonated into countless arcs of lightning that scattered in all directions, creating a spectacular sight.

Seizing the moment, the vine lunged toward Wang Sheng once more. He lightly tapped the air with Spiritless, and Pure Yang Flame Lotuses drifted down, trapping the vine in midair.

Coldly, Wang Sheng said, "I spared your life, yet you still dare to strike me? Do you really think I cannot kill you?"

Dozens of flaming lotuses shone brilliantly. The vine twisted into a tangled mass, with Pure Yang flames burning half of its branches and leaves. It trembled violently and let out shrill, ghostly wails, yet it refused to yield.

Yaoyun telepathically urged, "Kill it. That thing is far too wicked."

Wang Sheng nodded, finding his earlier hesitation faintly ridiculous. "Mm."

Just as he was about to strike, the tea tree's canopy below rapidly withered, returning to its original form. From within, a faint phantasm drifted out, bowing repeatedly toward Wang Sheng.

It was an elderly woman, stooped and leaning on a cane. She had clearly exhausted too much spiritual power earlier. The phantasm she formed now was extremely dim, as if a light breeze could scatter her entirely.

She flew into the air, but the Pure Yang Flame Lotuses stopped her. Weakly, she called out, "Esteemed Immortal, please spare my child's life... She has never committed evil, and we have lived together here for over a hundred thousand years... Why must you strike us down like this?"

Wang Sheng said calmly, "What are you?"

"I am a Spirit-Stabilizing Tea Tree."

Wang Sheng pointed his sword finger at the vine, now burned to a third of its length. "And this?"

The old woman smiled bitterly. "She's a Ghost Heart Vine, but she truly is my child. There's a story to all this. Please allow me to explain everything. I am willing to persuade her to submit and swear a heavy oath to never commit wicked deeds."

Wang Sheng extended a finger downward. The lotus blossoms dissolved into streams of Pure Yang Immortal Power that flowed back to him.

"Speak."

The old woman hurried to the vine's side, which shimmered green as it transformed into a slender young girl dressed in emerald-green robes.

Most of her clothes and long hair had been scorched. Trembling softly, she rushed into the old woman's arms and, with wide eyes, fearfully gazed at Wang Sheng.

The old woman sighed. Fortunately, her condition had somewhat improved. Weakly, she asked, "Esteemed Immortal, how much do you know about this place?"

Wang Sheng did not answer.

"Since arriving here, you have gathered many medicinal herbs, which tells me you probably weren't the one who arranged this land," the old woman said, a trace of helplessness in her eyes. "I have lived for over five hundred thousand years. I was originally planted by my former master and later sealed here.

"More than a hundred thousand years ago, I felt so lonely that I condensed my essence to nurture a young sapling to keep me company. However, I did not notice the arrangements that my former master had made. A strand of the sapling's roots connected to the roots of the divine tree deep underground, allowing a trace of death aura to taint her.

"I was utterly powerless against that death aura. I exhausted every means to protect my child, yet all I could do was watch, day after day, as she slowly turned into a Ghost Heart Vine."

Wang Sheng frowned, but he did not interrupt.

A Spirit-Stabilizing Tea Tree was a type of artificial spiritual root. One that had grown for half a million years was a rare treasure. He could not deny that he was tempted.

The primary effect of Spirit-Stabilizing Tea was to stabilize the primordial spirit, helping cultivators steady their cultivation realm and purify their Dao Heart. In Earth's cultivation world, its value was immeasurable.

However, transforming from a Spirit-Stabilizing Tea Tree into a Ghost Heart Vine was far too drastic, almost unbelievable. Ghost Heart Vines also confused and bewitched the mind, while Spirit-Stabilizing Teas aided clarity and purity. Their effects were complete opposites.

Judging by the old woman's condition, she did not seem to be bewitched.

Listening to her long account made Wang Sheng feel the hardships that she had endured. She had allowed the vine to absorb her own vitality for nourishment, forcibly severed the child's connection to the death aura underground, and continued to raise her as her offspring to this day.

Tears brimmed in the old woman's eyes as she pleaded, "Esteemed Immortal, please spare my child. This broken body of mine still holds a trace of vitality. I am willing to serve you tea and labor in gratitude. My child also suffered because of that death aura. She never wished to become such a wicked creature."

Wang Sheng pondered in silence. Afterward, he answered, "Whether she can live depends on her own fate."

"What do you mean, Esteemed Immortal?"

"Yaoyun, try the Fiend-Controlling Incantation."

"Mm," Yaoyun responded.

Lines of incantations appeared in Wang Sheng's mind. He formed the hand signs with practiced ease, then calmly instructed, "Tell her not to resist. Let's see whether this technique can control her. If it cannot, I wouldn't dare keep such a dangerous being by my side either."

The old woman smiled mournfully and sighed. "So be it. Thank you for your mercy, Esteemed Immortal!"

She then whispered a few words into the girl's ear.

The girl frowned deeply, then nodded. A wisp of gray qi drifted from her forehead, transforming into a three-chi-long gray vine. It hovered quietly in the air like a spirit serpent, waiting in stillness.

This, perhaps, was the Ghost Heart Vine's true form.