Cultivating with Symbiosis Panel

"..."

Li Ye stared blankly at the bamboo sword that had turned into a Golden Core magical treasure, circling around him like a child seeing a relative.

It restrained its sharpness, only showing its smooth bamboo surface to Li Ye, buzzing as if longing for Li Ye's touch.

"Ah."

"Why is it you and your fool of an owner again?"

He was about to reach out to touch the bamboo sword when the spiritual long sword suddenly swung out a snow-like sword light to the side.

What?

Li Ye quickly looked in that direction.

The ground unexpectedly had a figure rising from it, and the unstoppable sword qi vanished like a mud dragon into the sea upon contact.

The figure said nothing.

More strands of green silk suddenly wrapped around Li Ye like a giant net from underfoot, trapping the bamboo sword as well, with large strands pulling the net toward the sky like spiritual snakes.

Speedily, almost instantly reaching a space portal shattered by countless grains of rice.

"What do you want to do!"

Li Ye used all his mana but couldn't break through the seemingly soft yet exceptionally tough strands, trying to remain calm as he looked down.

The figure surrounded by green silk also looked up at Li Ye and spoke softly:

"It's time to send you away."

"Don't worry, these grains are ours."

"I will distribute them fairly to everyone who should have them."

Her voice carried undisguised malice.

But in the next second—

"Hmm?"

The voice contained a hint of confusion and surprise because she saw Li Ye take out a main trunk of Jianmu, throwing it through the gaps in the net of strands.

The vibrant, still alive Jianmu trunk was like a spear, slicing through a flash of light, directly piercing the village entrance Li Ye had carefully altered.

Light was forming at the spot where Jianmu landed.

"You..."

The Guardian Envoy was just about to erase the unrooted Jianmu.

Suddenly, a sword qi mixed with bloodstains appeared in her eyes—from the sky, carrying an unstoppable rising killing intent, along with a hint of... Qi fortune's golden glow and rage.

"Bullying my brother, huh!"

"My sword has never been unfavorable!"

The voice was fast, and the sword qi was faster.

As nothing but an avatar, she couldn't resist this sword qi at all.

Before realizing what happened, her body was split from head to toe, and the wooden puppet body turned to ashes under the sword qi's attack.

Thanks to this, Li Ye's Jianmu trunk successfully took root, surrounded by floating rice grains, suspended like tiny suns.

Far away in Other Shore City, the Guardian Envoy's true form was also affected by the sword qi; she looked at the Heavenly Dome portal closing, then at the distant Jianmu.

A smile formed at her mouth's corner that no living person could reach, almost tearing to her eyes, revealing the traces of decaying wood gears and mechanisms operating beneath the beautiful appearance.

"Hahaha!"

The joyous yet mad laughter swept through the entire Grotto Heaven, the Bitter River rippled, and a pure white sheen emerged beneath its gray surface.

The strands wriggled like spiritual snakes but couldn't approach the village protected by Jianmu's trunk.

...

Outside.

On a seemingly ordinary grassland, Li Ye tolerated the pain of Jianmu having a trunk broken, his face showing a playful smile:

"Thank you, Senior Wei."

—Wei Qingye, who was already a Golden Core True Man but lay on the ground without any dignity due to exhaustion, jumped up upon hearing "Senior."

"What did you call me? Senior???"

He felt somewhat upset and even a bit anxious internally.

After reaching Golden Core, some former disciples who called him 'brother' now respectfully address him as 'senior brother' upon meeting him, their eyes showing a sense of alienation which pained him.

If Li Ye became distant like this, he'd feel even worse.

But upon seeing Li Ye's triumphant smile at the corner of his mouth, he instantly understood everything.

"You rascal."

Wei Qingye pointed at Li Ye, then plopped down on the grass again, laughing: "You still have time to tease me, your senior; it seems your injuries aren't too serious!"

"Not too bad."

"Thanks for earlier, Brother Wei. That sword move was truly like an Immortal!"

Li Ye was generous in his praise.

But honestly, his situation wasn't good; Jianmu was closely linked to his spiritual power.

The branch he broke earlier was still slowly recovering, and now another main trunk was broken.

Poor Jianmu—or rather himself—is under the radiant light of the Xiguang Bell and Sun and Moon Ring.

It might take a long time to recover.

He knew he was being somewhat reckless this time, but he couldn't allow that person to touch the rice he worked hard with the villagers to cultivate.

Even if recovering takes a long time, he had to fight for it.

Also, fortunately, Wei Qingye's sword qi; without it, Jianmu wouldn't have rooted.

"No need to thank me."

Wei Qingye picked up the sword which loyally stayed by his side after the fight and used it as a cane to stand up, then extended his hand to Li Ye:

"You must have something particularly important to do here; we can catch up later. Let me take you to the sect first."

"There's a True Man from the Four Seasons Sect over there."

"Fine."

Li Ye indeed had many things to report, borrowing Wei Qingye's hand to stand up, retrieving the Bamboo Wood Ant that hadn't appeared for a long time and casting some magic.

The bamboo house then slowly rose, carried by white clouds, flying towards the distant Celestial Vein Sword Mountain pointed out by Wei Qingye.