The areas invaded by the Barbaric Soil are numerous, just as Qingxi had said — they were like grass seeds buried in the thick soil, needing only a sprinkle of rain and dew to immediately break through the earth and grow in an extremely wild and frenzied manner. Overnight, they could make an ancient city disappear, including the people residing within, who would also transform into Barbaric Yin Soldiers.
Wu Hen had encountered Ghost Face Vine People in Stonecutter Town, which were Barbaric Yin Soldiers — spirits of people erased by Earth Erosion, congealed into grudges. If not dealt with properly, these Barbaric Yin Soldiers might turn into a Barbaric Yin Army, rampaging and slaughtering the living where they dwell.
The Holy Sect, a cultivator sect, also enjoyed the offerings of the populace. Regardless of the internal deceits and schemes, they still needed to uphold certain responsibilities. Purifying the Wilderness and liberating Yin Soldiers was also one of the duties of the Holy Sect.
The Bright Venerable position currently held by Mingxi primarily dealt with these matters. In the eyes of those who had severely suffered from Earth Erosion, Mingxi and Wu Hen were indeed like gods descending from the heavens, helping them to manage the extremely harsh geographical environment and pacify evil spirits.
"There is a Black Grass City Domain to the south, which has already fallen into a Wilderness Jungle. If things go as expected, it's hoarding a large number of Barbaric Yin Soldiers. When the time comes, junior brother might need to lend a hand in eradicating these Barbaric Yin Soldiers," Qingxi said.
"No problem, it's a good chance to loosen up the muscles." Wu Hen nodded. After all, his daily routine consisted of collecting Primordial Power for Little Yi, battling monsters, and leveling up — no-brainer tasks that just take some time, a way to relieve stress and boredom.
"By the way, when you went to see Wei Gu, I encountered a foreigner. He planted a very strange sapling next to the temple, and this sapling actually absorbed the Earth Evil Root," Qingxi mentioned the previous side story.
"It must be quite difficult to refine the Earth Evil Root. That little sapling is indeed miraculous. Let me have a look," said Wu Hen.
The Earth Evil Root was the origin of the growth of Barbaric Soil. Typically, it had to be taken to the Pill Furnace in the Cloud Holy Country and refined for several years to completely eliminate its barbaric strength. It was like a waste container with nuclear radiation — it couldn't just be discarded, and storing it would consume a lot of energy. Therefore, members of the Holy Sect in Tongtian City couldn't handle it, and only individuals of the Bright Venerable level were capable of dealing with it.
However, the small sapling obtained by Qingxi seemed even more special than the ancient ancestors' Pill Furnace of the Holy Sect. It directly absorbed the Earth Evil Root as if it were organic fertilizer, which both surprised and worried Qingxi.
Why did that Alien plant such a sapling on the Holy Sect's territory? Did he have an ulterior motive?
"Here, it was just a small sapling when I got it, but now it has grown to the height of a person." Qingxi waved her sleeve, releasing the special sapling.
Wu Hen felt unusually familiar upon seeing the small sapling!
After taking a closer look at the life pod buds and the luminescent energy circling on the trunk, Wu Hen couldn't help but exhale a breath, saying, "Isn't this an interstellar link receiver — a portable networking device for the whole universe!"
"What's a star link?" Qingxi asked, looking puzzled and somewhat not understanding their Alien terminology.
"Ahem, I have seen this thing before. Senior sister, give it to me, it will be of great use," Wu Hen asked for it directly.
Without much thought, Qingxi handed it over to Wu Hen, not even asking in detail.
"If you want it to grow quickly, junior brother, you'll have to put in the effort to follow me to more cities that have been afflicted by Earth Erosion," Qingxi said.
"That's easy to say."
"We're tired today, let's not return above the clouds — let's rest."
"Junior Brother, are you planning to sleep in the same room as me?" Qingxi turned her head to look at Wu Hen, who had already stepped into her boudoir, and asked with an arch of her delicate eyebrows.
"Oh, I got carried away talking and ended up in Sister's room by accident. You should get some rest early." Wu Hen scratched his head in embarrassment.
Qingxi merely sat on the edge of the bed, smiling as she watched her little junior brother leave.
He has a thief's desire but not a thief's courage.
Having returned to his own room, Wu Hen immediately began to study the small tree that was as tall as a person.
"Soul Nesting Wood!" Bai Ze recognized this special Divine Wood at a glance. Having perched on Wu Hen's head the entire day, it was finally time to start its non-stop chatter of the day.
"You actually know about this."
"Of course, it's said that it's Nuwa's hair that entered the soil and grew into this special Divine Wood. Although I don't know how many generations this Soul Nesting Wood has evolved, this thing is indeed highly related to your Nuwa God End lineage," explained Bai Ze.
"After it grows, it will bear Soul Flower Cabins. When we lie inside the soul flowers, no matter where we are, we can have our souls return to the Divine Realm. It's like surfing the internet in space; even if we're at the edge of the universe, as long as there's a signal, we can log on to our Earth's Divine Realm network. After all, with our current exploration of consciousness, we've determined that we are digital lifeforms, so having the Soul Nesting Wood design is quite reasonable," Wu Hen said.
"What a mess, you're just interpreting it through the lens of your own culture. Some gods who wander in the Cosmic Primordial don't need physical bodies anymore; their souls are like the Spiritual Factors of heaven and earth, ethereal and non-existent, yet omnipresent. They can perceive everything on the land and predict the changes in the sky. The rules of the motion of all things are like fixed scrolls of paintings in their eyes. Sometimes they can also incarnate in countless forms, living and multiplying as creatures. Your existence couldn't possibly be virtual digital... You need to seek your own answers," retorted Bai Ze, sounding quite annoyed.
"Oh, oh, in the end, our understanding is still too shallow. We'll only find the truth when we reach the Human Holy Realm, right? And just like the infinite cells in my body, they form a thinking 'me,' but that doesn't mean they don't exist," Wu Hen said.
"Something like that. Anyway, this Soul Nesting Wood is very sacred and precious. Just think, there were only so many strands of Nuwa's hair, scattered across this vast otherworldly space. Finding one plant is like receiving a Divine Miracle," Bai Ze said.
"That's the idea, but let me first check this plant for viruses." Wu Hen activated his Spiritual Sense.
With Fourth Rank Spiritual Vision, it was crystal clear whether the Soul Nesting Wood harbored any Insect Eyes.
Clearly, this was a quite pure Soul Nesting Wood, so there was no need to worry about catching any viruses while surfing the web through it.
"How did Qingxi obtain the Soul Nesting Wood, and where did it come from?" Bai Ze asked.
"That's what puzzles me as well. She snatched it from a Foreigner, but how could a Foreigner possess the Divine Wood of Nuwa's people?"
"Uh... The foreigner she mentioned, could it be someone from your hometown? After all, she is one of the upper echelons of the Holy Sect."
As soon as Wu Hen heard this, he was suddenly enlightened.
The person that Qingxi injured was most likely a compatriot.