Eternal Heavenly Emperor

The scene was at a stalemate.

In terms of strength, Chu Hao was still on the weaker side. However, the Grey Vine had suffered significant setbacks from him and dared not attack easily.

"Little Gray, let me handle this!" the girl Xiaocao said softly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The sky filled with vines quickly retracted, clearing the scene to leave only Chu Hao and the girl in white standing opposite each other.

Though losing a formidable opponent would usually be a cause for joy, the fact that this girl, aware of Chu Hao's abilities, had made the Grey Vine withdraw indicated she was confident in her own strength.

Chu Hao remembered hearing that even Warriors and War Generals would fall unconscious upon exposure to her concoctions. He dared not be careless, holding his breath, knowing that with his current skills, he could maintain it for several hours without a problem.

Wait a minute!

Chu Hao's consciousness became hazy, his vision splitting into multiple images of the girl, separating and merging repeatedly.

Damn, he was already affected.

This thought had barely crossed his mind when he fell to the ground with a thud, losing consciousness.

Seeing this, despair spread across the faces of Zhuo Yunshan and the others.

It was over; even their last hope had fallen. Moreover, they hadn't even seen how the girl attacked; without any visible movement, Chu Hao had collapsed.

Xiaocao looked at them and said, "I will judge your crimes!"

...

Chu Hao didn't know how much time had passed before he finally woke up, feeling a headache as if his head were about to explode.

It felt similar to a hangover; unbearably uncomfortable.

After a while, he mustered some spirit and immediately noticed that his Star Force was lively and active again, quite the opposite of its previously sluggish state.

Wait, why was he thinking like this?

Medicine Valley, the girl, the Grey Vine!

Fortunately, he hadn't lost any memory.

Chu Hao instantly stood up, finding himself in a small wooden cabin with minimal furniture—a bed and a tiny cabinet. He pushed open the door, and a steep mountain wall immediately greeted his eyes.

Was he still in Medicine Valley?

But if so, why were his memories intact and his Star Force fully restored?

Feeling confused, he looked around and saw another wooden cabin nearby, slightly larger than his own, with its door closed. Curiously, he walked over and knocked gently.

"Come in, the door's not locked." A calm female voice responded from inside. It was clearly Xiaocao's.

Chu Hao gently pushed the door open and walked in, seeing what looked like an herbal shop with dried herbs everywhere. Xiaocao was seated, grinding the herbs.

"Why didn't you erase my memory?" Chu Hao asked.

"I believe you aren't the type to spread things around. Secondly, I know your secret too." The girl looked up at him briefly, her face as serene as still water.

Chu Hao felt a chill. Did she extract all his secrets after he took that Life Pill? Looking at her, he asked, "You've restored my cultivation—aren't you afraid I might harm you to silence you?"

"Can you even get within ten feet of me?" Xiaocao responded.

Chu Hao didn't buy it. Activating his Star Force, he approached her.

Xiaocao remained calm, fully engrossed in grinding herbs.

Ten steps, nine steps, eight steps... just one step away, Chu Hao stepped forward and suddenly blacked out, collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness once again.

Damn it!

This was his last thought before passing out, plain and straightforward.

He didn't know how long had passed when he woke up again, still inside the herb shop, but Xiaocao was nowhere to be seen.

He stepped out and quickly found Xiaocao watering the Spirit Grass with a kettle. Strangely, the grass seemed to express gratitude as the water poured down.

At that moment, the girl appeared so pure and otherworldly, like a fairy, intimately connected with plants and exuding a rare beauty.

Every time she finished watering, she would lightly touch the Spirit Grass, and Chu Hao noticed a green glow at her fingertips. This action made the grass sway even more joyfully.

Chu Hao walked over and coughed lightly.

"The Ten Insect Powder poison in your body, I have already neutralized it," the girl said without turning around.

What!

Chu Hao was momentarily speechless, having regarded her as an enemy, yet she silently removed the significant threat from his body. After a pause, he asked, "How did you know which ten poisons were used?"

There were hundreds of poisons that could be used to create Ten Insect Powder, and altering even one would change the antidote into a lethal toxin.

Xiaocao glanced at him wordlessly, her eyes filled with contempt, as if to say, did he think Ten Insect Powder could stump her?

Scratching his head, Chu Hao said, "Thank you!" He couldn't deny this goodwill.

Xiaocao nodded slightly, continuing to water the plants.

Following her, Chu Hao asked after a while, "What about my companions?"

"Six became fertilizer; three had their memories erased and were set free," Xiaocao answered casually.

"Which three were released?" Chu Hao asked.

"Two women and someone named Mi Zerui."

The two women were undoubtedly Zhuo Yunshan and Miao Yujun, as there were only two females among them. What surprised Chu Hao was that Mi Zerui also survived, someone he thought likely had innocent blood on his hands given his arrogance.

He couldn't help but remark, "Your intention to eliminate evil is commendable, but your methods might be a bit too cruel."

"Why?" Xiaocao put down the kettle and looked at him with confusion. "When people die, their inner power soon returns to nature, with only their bones retaining a bit of essence, which plants hardly absorb."

"But using live humans as fertilizer, don't you think it's inhumane?" Chu Hao frowned.

"What's inhumane about it? Isn't it better to put these scum to good use?" Xiaocao still seemed clueless.

This girl's mindset was either uniquely formed due to a lack of normal life experiences or something else. Chu Hao felt utterly at a loss for words.

"Can you tell me your story?" His curiosity about her background was piqued.

Xiaocao nodded, watering as she spoke, "I could communicate with plants since I was little. Villagers called me a monster, and no one ever played with me. When I was six, my parents fell ill and died, along with many others in the village that year. People blamed me and drove me out."

Chu Hao sighed inwardly. No wonder her views were so different from ordinary people, having suffered such a childhood.

"Later I understood it was indeed my doing," Xiaocao said unemotionally, sounding far older than her twenty years. "My body naturally emits a fragrance that accelerates plant growth but acts as a poison to humans."

"Upon realizing this, I despised myself for being a monster. Gradually, I learned to control this aura, making myself seem normal."

"Then, at ten, a kind family took me in, and I had a brief period of happiness. But it didn't last, as bandits attacked and killed the kind family."

"They were about to kill me when my emotional turmoil released a vast amount of toxins, killing them all."

"From that point, I no longer hated my abilities."

"It was destiny. I shall rid the world of all evil."

The girl spoke these words calmly, leaving Chu Hao feeling both heartbroken and inexplicably irritable.

However, it also answered some questions. The centuries-old Spirit Grass and the rapid growth of the Grey Vine to a Five Meridian Martial Sect level within two years were all due to her, as she could accelerate plant growth remarkably.

Chu Hao remained silent for a while before asking, "Can I leave now?"

"Of course." Xiaocao responded without hesitation. Pausing, she added, "If you aim to join the Fledgling Dragon List, you might want to stay another month. I can elevate your cultivation to Five Meridians, but it will be very tough."

Five Meridians!

Chu Hao was startled. He was at Three Meridians currently—even opening a Reverse Meridian took two months. Achieving two meridians in one month seemed impossible.

"Why are you helping me?" Chu Hao asked.

"Why not?" Xiaocao's clear eyes were like a pure spring, devoid of complexity.

Chu Hao understood; her outlook differed from others. She didn't expect anything in return. If she liked you and believed you weren't evil, she would help purely out of goodwill.

He nodded and said, "Thank you!"

The girl nodded back nonchalantly, as if aiding Chu Hao's advancement meant little to her.

"Oh right!" Chu Hao clapped his hands. "Can you cultivate Dragon Tooth Rice too?"

"Let me see," Xiaocao finally showed interest.

Chu Hao handed her a grain of Dragon Tooth Rice.

"So, this is Dragon Tooth Rice," she said, curiously caressing it.

"Didn't you check before?" Chu Hao figured she had scrutinized everything during his unconsciousness, yet she hadn't touched his belongings.

Xiaocao shook her head, keeping her eyes on the rice. After a while, she said, "This seed's life force is too weak. Even I might not be able to nurture it."