Free Web NovelChapter 111: Chapter 111: Cutting the Leaves
Qin Yu squatted off to the side.
The colossal Sky-blue Great Flower towered over them, and beneath it, Bai Mo and the others bustled about. freewёbnoνel.com
They were like ants trying to dismantle and carry it away.
’This trip really is boring.’
’The beast meat is the only thing worth praising!’
The meat of the Golden Bear was quite good. It was Qin Yu’s first time tasting it, and he found the flavor rather novel.
Beside him, a wild vine sprouted a new shoot, which trembled as it reached toward Qin Yu.
Qin Yu had long since noticed that the vegetation in this area grew at an unbelievably fast rate.
He was already used to it.
He stuck out a finger. The moment the new shoot touched it, the vine immediately began to wrap around and grow up his hand.
After a good while, it had climbed onto the back of his hand.
TAP TAP! RUSTLE!
Footsteps drew near. Someone pushed through the bushes and returned—it was one of the scouts.
"Junior Brother Qin, we don’t know if that plant is poisonous. Don’t touch it randomly!"
After saying his piece, the man hurried away.
Qin Yu pursed his lips, unconcerned, and turned his gaze back to the new shoot.
But perhaps because of the man’s warning, Qin Yu suddenly felt an intense itch on his hand.
SMACK!
He snatched his hand back. The new shoot snapped and was flung to the ground.
"I followed the map for a long time. The ley lines along the way were unbroken, and I reached the destination smoothly,"
the returning disciple said.
Bai Mo joyfully took the map from his hands.
"Which senior brother devised this route? And which petal does it lead to?"
Seeing the joyful expressions of the Alchemy Cultivators, the returning disciple looked from side to side.
"Did anyone get back before me?"
"Yes," Qin Yu said, scratching his finger. He couldn’t seem to find the source of the itch as he ambled over.
"Two senior brothers made it halfway before discovering the ley lines were severed. They came back a while ago and went to roast meat with Brother Liu."
Bai Mo glanced at Qin Yu’s finger, saw nothing seriously wrong, and paid it no mind.
"Fellow Brothers, we finally have a viable path. Let’s get to work!"
The fact that two previous routes had been impassable actually made Bai Mo and the others feel more at ease.
Even the worried looks on the faces of the well-fed youths faded considerably.
Of the two routes, one had sunken ley lines halfway through that could no longer conduct spiritual properties, making it impassable.
On the other route, the terrain had shifted and severed the ley lines, and the overzealous senior brother who scouted it also discovered many more obstacles beyond that point.
The fact that two routes were impassable, with details that differed from the vein map, was significant.
It was enough to prove that the connection between the Sky-blue Great Flower and the stone of Celestial Barrier Mountain was not so miraculous as to be inseparable. fгeewebnovёl.com
"How do we transfer the plant’s essence into its petals?"
someone who hadn’t fully grasped the method asked aloud.
Bai Mo said decisively, "We will use the bridging method. With our own Spiritual Qi, we will guide the flow of its essence..."
The confused disciple nodded repeatedly.
A more experienced disciple chimed in with a timely supplement, creating a sense of sincere unity.
In just a quarter of an hour, everyone was busy at work.
They placed their hands on the petal walls, pouring their Spiritual Qi inside.
Some went even further, taking out daggers and laboriously cutting through the outer skin, then inserting their fingers to make the process easier.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Liu Tong and his group had already moved to the side, watching the plant intently to guard against any sudden movements.
At this moment, however, Bai Mo and the others felt an immense pressure.
The flow of essence was simply too much for their Spiritual Qi to bear.
After only a moment, the Spiritual Qi they had poured in was already showing signs of dissipating.
Bai Mo watched everyone’s condition closely, and to his strange relief, he realized he wasn’t the one struggling the most.
After only about a quarter of an hour, someone couldn’t hold on any longer and shouted:
"Senior Brother, make your move! We can’t hold it anymore!"
A disciple beside Liu Tong stepped forward. With a flick of his Longsword, a white light flashed and trembled, and the petal was severed at its base.
Bai Mo quickly cut off his Spiritual Qi, pulled his hand back, and helped that senior brother lift the severed half of the petal.
The others also gathered around.
A fresh, fragrant aroma wafted from the cut surface, and all who smelled it felt their spirits instantly lift.
Much of their recent fatigue vanished in an instant.
"What potent medicine!"
the senior brother’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed in admiration.
Bai Mo, however, was examining the thick flesh of the petal. Seeing the juices flowing within, he marveled inwardly.
’If I were to use this for Alchemy, I could surely create a grand pill capable of resurrecting the dead!’
Liu Tong and his men were already prepared. They wrapped the cut end with several large sheets of sandalwood-scented paper before storing it away safely.
"Junior Brothers, rest for a moment. We will continue shortly."
"Now that we know this method works, please put your best effort into it!"
Liu Tong announced in a clear voice.
Watching from the side, Qin Yu also felt a sense of wonder.
He had also smelled that fresh fragrance just now; it was truly brimming with endless life force.
Even the itchiness on his hand had subsided significantly.
From the cut on the Sky-blue Great Flower’s stalk, fresh green juices were still gathering and dripping out.
Bai Mo and the others, with quick eyes and hands, took out pill bottles and placed them underneath.
The disciples who didn’t manage to grab a spot felt it was a pity, but they couldn’t say much and just had to wait for the next one.
Seeing this, Liu Tong and his group pretended not to notice.
After all, people came all this way; they deserved a little something for their troubles. It wasn’t a big deal.
Seeing Bai Mo and the others sit down in meditation to recover, content with their gains, one of the senior disciples on watch could only pull Qin Yu away.
"Junior Brother Qin, consider your hand the price for your carelessness. Just endure it!"
Qin Yu was incensed. He could only sit to the side, sulking.
He watched as Bai Mo’s group recovered and then turned their attention to the next petal.
The scouts who had gone out returned, received new routes, and set out once more.
Bai Mo worked for a whole afternoon, cutting down a total of six petals.
From the dripping juices at the cuts alone, they had already collected five full pill bottles.
Bai Mo carefully tucked them into his robes.
’These are all priceless medicinal treasures!’
However, all their hard work had clearly not damaged the Sky-blue Great Flower’s foundation; its flourishing vitality had not diminished in the slightest.
Thinking of this, Bai Mo couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.
’No wonder Brother Shui had to gather so many people for this task.’
For a single Cultivator, this would be an absolutely massive undertaking.
But while Bai Mo and his group were busy, two more teams of Cultivators arrived and joined the effort without a word.
The help from these ten-plus people immediately relieved their previously strained manpower.
The sun began its descent, and the heat of the day started to steam up from the ground.
Looking at the now-wilting plant, Bai Mo finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
The petals near the ground had been cut down one by one, leaving the area completely clear.
This exposed its bare main stalk.
The faces of the Alchemy Cultivators showed even greater exhaustion.
After outputting Spiritual Qi for so long, many of them were completely drained and sat dejectedly to the side.
Perhaps because of the Sky-blue Great Flower’s mystical nature, there was no vegetation cover directly above this spot.
A large patch of sunlight fell directly upon the Sky-blue Great Flower.
Bai Mo shifted his position, moving to a spot with his back to the sun, enveloped in the shadow cast by the flower’s body.
Although the heat rising from the ground was unbearable, at least he had some shade.
Listening to the Cultivators nearby softly discussing tonight’s late-night meal, Bai Mo knew he would sleep well tonight.
Letting out a breath, Bai Mo turned his head.
He was just about to review the techniques he used today and ponder their subtleties when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the shadow on the ground.
His pupils contracted violently!
Bai Mo froze on the spot, his mind reeling as a chill spread throughout his entire body.
On top of the plant’s original shadow-silhouette, an irregular shape had appeared at its peak, and it was slowly shifting.
In a daze, Bai Mo thought he saw something perched on top, spying on everyone below.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, but he was unaware of it. Bai Mo slowly turned his head and called out softly.
"Brother Liu..."
