"A sword pointed to the heavens"—an offensive posture.

With a flicker of thought from Yang Qi, the "Grass and Trees Are Soldiers" Divine Ability seed in his Dantian, already connected to his consciousness, pulsed with a turquoise light.

The next moment, within a hundred-meter radius, the countless plants that had just been "pointing to the heavens" began to transform.

Vast numbers of leaves—the needles of pines, the broad, palmate leaves of deciduous trees, the tiny leaves of shrubs, and even the long, tough blades of grass—all seemed to gain lives and wills of their own. In an instant, they tore themselves free from their branches and stems!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Tens of thousands of leaves and blades of grass shot toward the sky with Yang Qi as their epicenter, like a green downpour in reverse or ten thousand arrows fired at once.

The sharp, dense sound of them tearing through the air merged into one, creating a terrifying roar.

These once-gentle parts of plants now flew as if shot from powerful bows and crossbows, imbued with a heart-stopping piercing power!

The green "arrow rain" shot nearly a hundred meters into the air before its momentum was finally spent. Having lost the invisible force controlling them, the leaves turned back into weightless foliage. They scattered in the air, drifting down slowly like a flurry of green snow.

But before the drifting leaves could touch the ground—

Yang Qi’s will shifted once more!

The surrounding plants that still stood tall, their leaves intact, immediately began to move.

The dense grass, like a living green carpet, rapidly converged and piled up around Yang Qi.

The branches of nearby shrubs, the lower boughs of trees, and the tough vines clinging to rocks and trunks—all of them shot out, extended, and intertwined like agile serpents!

Moving swiftly, they wound and wove through the air, joining the converging grass. In an instant, they formed an airtight, hemispherical "shield" of living greenery above and around Yang Qi.

At the same time, the leaves still drifting down from the sky were pulled by an invisible force, affixing themselves to the shield’s inner and outer walls and making the sphere even thicker and more impenetrable.

A "fortress" with a radius of about three meters, constructed entirely from plants, branches, and leaves, had taken shape, securely protecting Yang Qi inside.

Plants as a shield—a defensive posture!

Inside the sphere, Yang Qi felt the resilience and vitality coming from the surrounding plants, and a realization dawned on him.

The defense formed by this Divine Ability was no mere pile of plants. It was a fusion of Divine Power and the life force of the plants themselves, strong enough to withstand ordinary blades and even some low-level Magic.

Upon its initial mastery, the "Grass and Trees Are Soldiers" Divine Ability had already revealed multiple variations for both offense and defense.

In high spirits, Yang Qi began to experiment, testing other possible variations one by one.

With another thought, the sphere dispersed, and the plants returned to their original states.

He then tried manipulating vines to lash and entangle like flexible whips.

He made patches of grass grow wildly, turning them into tripwire-like traps.

He made tree branches jab out like spears from every angle.

He even tried condensing a mass of leaves into a "green cloud" that could temporarily float, capable of providing cover or even support...

For a while, the once-peaceful valley became extraordinarily "lively."

The plants, like sentient soldiers, shifted formations according to Yang Qi’s will, displaying postures that were by turns fierce, cunning, or stalwart. The entire scene had a strange, fantastical quality.

Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard had long since retreated to the valley’s edge, staring dumbfounded at the "frenzied dance of plants" that was constantly transforming the area.

Although their intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary animals and they had witnessed many of Yang Qi’s wondrous abilities, the scene before them was still beyond their comprehension.

Woof~

Master is so amazing!

Leopard whimpered in amazement, its eyes filled with shock and adoration.

Woof woof~

Master has always been amazing.

Bai Wan wagged its tail. Though just as shocked, its trust in its master quickly turned the feeling to pride.

Rrrrmph~

You two, keep it down. Don’t disturb Master.

Hu Zi warned in a low growl, though the tip of its own tail couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Ruff~

Right, right, Brother Hu is right.

Leopard and Bai Wan quickly shut their mouths, but their eyes remained fixed on the center of the valley, not blinking for an instant.

"Meow meow~"

You three, stop gawking.

Go stand guard further out. Don’t let any other Two-legged Beasts or large animals get close.

Xiaojiu meowed sternly.

Upon hearing this, Hu Zi, Leopard, and Bai Wan immediately remembered their duty. Their excitement and curiosity were instantly replaced by a sense of responsibility.

Woof woof~

Understood!

Woof~

Mission accepted!

RUFF!

Don’t worry, Sister Jiu!

The three police dogs barked once in response, then immediately turned and split up. They sprinted toward the various entrances of the valley, disappearing into the woods to carry out their guard duty.

...

In the center of the valley, Yang Qi finally stopped after trying every variation of the "Grass and Trees Are Soldiers" Divine Ability he could imagine.

He calmed his mind and dispersed the Divine Ability.

The agitated plants all around immediately grew calm. However, the aftermath remained. Piles of shed leaves, vines stretched and snapped back into place, and patches of grass flattened by the "rehearsal"—all of it served as silent testimony to what had just occurred.

Yang Qi sat down cross-legged, quietly reflecting on the experience of wielding his Divine Ability.

’How can I use my Magical Power and Divine Sense to control the plants with greater precision and efficiency?’

’How do the different types and conditions of the plants affect the power of the Divine Ability?’