You Cultivate, I Farm

Lu Xuan paid no heed to the wildly dancing bluish-black tendrils. With a thought, clouds condensed above the strange plant, and strands of spirit rain began to fall.

He speculated that these bluish-black plants, resembling arms and including previously mutated, highly aggressive species like Arrow Vine and Flowing Fire Wood, shared similarities with the Demon Ghost Vine, becoming a special existence that was half-plant, half-demon beast.

Therefore, by feeding them a bit of something, he could likely obtain detailed information about them.

Should that fail, he would consider using the Grandmaster-level Earth Attraction Technique to uproot and replant them.

As the spirit rain fell, the bluish-black branches, sensing no threat, allowed it to drench them.

Seeing this, Lu Xuan focused his mind on the bluish-black plants, and a piece of information emerged in his mind.

【Unknown plant species, the third-grade Thousand Tendril Hand mutated under the influence of powerful flesh and blood spirit power.】

【The Thousand Tendril Hand, a gregarious plant resembling arms, prefers to grow in spirit soil rich with the limbs, claws, and arms of demon beasts and cultivators, possessing certain aggressiveness. Mature plants are excellent materials for cultivating certain special sinister techniques.】

【Under the influence of powerful flesh and blood power, numerous Thousand Tendril Hand plants undergo unknown changes, sharing thoughts and instantly gathering to leverage the power of their kin to form formations, jointly combating foes. With sufficient numbers, they possess strength close to that of a fifth-grade entity.】

【In extremely cold spirit power environments, the plant's branches become sluggish and significantly slowed, greatly affecting their speed and flexibility.】

"Thousand Tendril Hand plants... From the description, it seems they also belong to the category of netherworld plants."

"Unexpectedly, a large number of mutated Thousand Tendril Hands gathered together, showing signs of forming a plant-based formation."

Lu Xuan mused to himself in astonishment.

"Junior Brother Lu, have you found something?"

Although unaware of why Lu Xuan had deployed a nearly harmless Spirit Rain Technique, Huo Lin'er asked softly, hopeful in her tone.

"I feel a sense of déjà vu, as if I've read about it in some tome, but I'm not quite sure. Let me think it over."

Lu Xuan spoke thoughtfully, not directly revealing the origins or solutions for the peculiar plant cluster before them.

Being able to name and use any plant encountered in the Blessed Land would be astonishing for someone proficient in botany.

After pondering for a moment, he decided to suggest a guess to Huo Lin'er and the others.

"Brother Huo, I recall reading about similar plants. Since these plants share some common traits with demon beasts or cultivators, their physiological features might also be similar."

"For example, these arm-like peculiar plants connected by protruding joints, if extreme cold spirit power were applied to these joints, could it possibly affect the plant's movements?"

"Junior Brother Lu, your idea is quite ingenious."

"It's worth a try."

Huo Lin'er and the others brightened up, seeing the feasibility in Lu Xuan's method.

Without a word, Jian Wuxia took out three white jade talismans from her storage bag.

The talismans emitted a biting cold, and countless fine ice crystals formed in Jian Wuxia's pale palms.

"Fourth-grade talismans."

Lu Xuan sensed the spiritual energy fluctuations from the white jade talismans and became solemn.

Jian Wuxia activated the three talismans, which flew out in a '品' formation at an extremely fast speed, leaving behind trails of frost.

Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky, turning a large area below into a snowy white world, causing Lu Xuan and the others in the passage to shiver involuntarily.

"To use three fourth-grade ice talismans at once, that's quite the expenditure."

Lu Xuan mused, marveling at the resources of a true disciple, forgetting his own indifference when using sword talismans.

"With all the mutated plants now in a cold environment, try attacking again."

Huo Lin'er's robe flew open to release a crimson flying sword, which transformed into a red dragon phantom in mid-air and instantly arrived in front of a bluish-black arm plant.

The surrounding bluish-black branches, sensing the peril of their kin, rushed over as fast as they could.

A "crack" sound was heard.

It was a plant that had exerted too much force, forgetting the impact of the extreme cold on itself, twisting its branches in movement and thus slowing down the formation speed.

"Junior Brother Lu's method is indeed effective!"

A hint of joy appeared on Huo Lin'er's face, who immediately communicated with the fellow disciples still in the passage.

Soon, more than ten Sky Sword Sect cultivators proficient in ice techniques or possessing high-grade ice artifacts and talismans arrived at the entrance of the passage, unleashing various extreme cold ice techniques in turn.

"Take this, my Great Rheumatism Technique!"

In Lu Xuan's eyes, the area below where the bluish-black plants grew had already become a world dressed in silver.

All plant branches visibly slowed down, struggling to aid their nearby kin, each preoccupied with their own difficulties.

In terms of individual strength, Sky Sword Sect cultivators were far superior to a mutated Thousand Tendril Hand. Without their collective strength, the plants were easily dealt with by the dozens of Sky Sword Sect cultivators.

"We owe this success to Junior Brother Lu for thinking of such an ingenious method, achieving such an unexpected effect."

After reaching the other side of the dark red passage, Huo Lin'er spoke warmly to Lu Xuan beside her.

"I merely provided a direction; it was mainly the efforts of fellow disciples who cast various powerful ice techniques and used high-grade artifacts and talismans, and those who finally cleared these mutated plants."

Lu Xuan humbly replied, mindful of his botanist identity. During the clearing, Huo Lin'er and the others had protected him, not letting him expend a bit of spiritual power.

"Junior Brother Lu, you're too modest. Without your profound knowledge in botany, it would have been difficult for us, with our experiences, to think of this method."

Wu Xie, with a stern expression, smiled and spoke, her vertical pupil showing a trace of appreciation and agreement.

"Enough talk, let's see what's inside."

Many Sky Sword Sect cultivators gradually entered the dark red passage.

Lu Xuan quietly lingered behind, a vine as thick as a finger sneaking out from his pant leg, silently entering the dark red spirit soil.

After diving deep into the spirit soil, the Demon Ghost Vine rapidly enlarged, splitting into several tentacle-like vines that rushed towards the Thousand Tendril Hand growth area at a flying speed, leaving behind trails of gray mucus.

Having learned about the special traits of the mutated Thousand Tendril Hand, how could he pass up such a rare and unusual plant species?

While unnoticed, he released the Demon Ghost Vine to scavenge through the area they had passed, hoping to unearth some mutated Thousand Tendril Hand seeds.

"Arrow Vine excels in offense, and Thousand Tendril Hand in defense; a balance of offense and defense is the true path."