Lin Qing was the student Gu Yi was most confident in, even more so than Zhu Zhuqing. Lin Qing adhered to Gu Yi's teachings and had none of the typical noble tendencies. Despite becoming a spirit master, her character had remained unchanged.
"Very good. I won't lie to you. This time, I'm here for your martial spirit."
It was better to resolve the Blue Silver King's matter sooner rather than later. Unlike Tang San, Lin Qing did not possess the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline that could be activated to gain the top-tier Blue Silver Emperor martial spirit. However, over the years, Lin Qing had been cultivating the Chacaomu Jue(Plant Art) that Gu Yi had taught her, making her Blue Silver Grass martial soul much stronger and more resilient than the ordinary Blue Silver Grass.
Additionally, her first spirit ring wasn't some basic entanglement ability but came from a spirit beast that enhanced life and toughness. Mastery over her martial spirit would naturally allow her to perform entanglement.
"That's great, Master," Lin Qing exclaimed excitedly, hugging Gu Yi again.
Zhu Zhuqing watched with a bit of envy, wishing she could be just as free and relaxed around Gu Yi.
"Alright, let's go," Gu Yi said, knowing that the Blue Silver King's location was quite far, and it was better to leave early with these two in tow.
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively moved closer to Gu Yi.
"Yay! Master, you're finally going to take me flying," Lin Qing cheered, having longed to fly for a while now.
Holding one in each hand, Gu Yi took off, flying towards the location Tang Hao had mentioned. Lin Qing was visibly excited, as it was her first time in the sky.
"Don't move around. If you fall, don't blame me," Gu Yi warned, feeling a bit helpless towards his pupil's carefree attitude.
Lin Qing quickly clung to Gu Yi's left arm, afraid of falling. Seeing her settle down, Gu Yi smiled and continued towards their destination.
Five days later, they arrived. Even by flying, it took five days to get there. Although they hadn't entered the forest yet, Gu Yi could feel the area brimming with life. The Blue Silver Grass, a common plant on the continent, was particularly abundant here. Soon, he located their target.
"Let's go in," he said, choosing to walk rather than fly.
"Master, what are we here for?" Lin Qing asked, confused. Even if they were here to obtain a spirit ring, shouldn't they have gone to the Star Dou Forest? Despite the abundance of Blue Silver Grass, it didn't seem useful for her spirit ring.
"Stay behind me and don't wander off," Gu Yi instructed. High-level plant-type spirit beasts could be more troublesome than other spirit beasts, especially the Blue Silver King, a ruler among Blue Silver Grass, second only to the Blue Silver Emperor.
Zhu Zhuqing was seeing Gu Yi this cautious for the first time and wondered what was inside the forest. Her questions were soon answered when they encountered a peculiar plant. Countless vines extended from surrounding trees, forming a plant with a face in the middle. The aura it exuded made her shudder—it was definitely a ten-thousand-year spirit beast.
"Humans, leave this place. You do not belong here," the Blue Silver King spoke, ignoring the two women behind Gu Yi, sensing they posed no threat. However, the man before it was different, exuding a powerful aura that surpassed its own. Nevertheless, this was its territory, and it believed it wouldn't lose even to a stronger opponent.
"Blue Silver King, with your cultivation, you must have sensed the aura of the girl beside me. I need you to condense a spirit ring for her. If you do, we'll leave immediately," Gu Yi proposed.
"Impossible. She only has a common Blue Silver Grass martial spirit. We will not give our hard-earned cultivation to her. Stop dreaming," the Blue Silver King retorted, its aura rising and directing all surrounding Blue Silver Grass towards Gu Yi's group.
"You're courting death," Gu Yi replied, releasing a powerful aura and activating his Evil Domain. Instantly, all Blue Silver Grass in the area was suppressed, including the Blue Silver King itself. Domain suppression made a significant difference in battle, making it almost impossible for those without a domain to compete.
"Give, or die," Gu Yi threatened, his killing intent barely contained. The surrounding Blue Silver Grass trembled under the pressure.
The Blue Silver King hesitated. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just that this girl's martial spirit is too weak to withstand the offering from all the Blue Silver Grass," it explained.
"That's not your concern. Just do as I say," Gu Yi insisted, maintaining the Evil Domain. If Lin Qing had only the basic Blue Silver Grass martial soul, she indeed wouldn't be able to bear it. However, Lin Qing had been cultivating the Chacaomu Jue, which was perfect for absorbing the essence of plants to enhance her martial spirit. This time, Gu Yi aimed to transform her Blue Silver Grass, elevating it to at least a high-level martial spirit, if not the top tier.
"Since it's your demand, I hope you will spare these weaker Blue Silver Grass," the Blue Silver King conceded.
Suddenly, all the Blue Silver Grass in the area emitted blue light, enveloping Lin Qing in a sea of blue. "Qing'er, circulate the Chacaomu Jue and absorb the essence of these Blue Silver Grass to enhance your martial spirit," Gu Yi instructed.
Lin Qing nodded, earnestly absorbing the essence. This process was smooth, given the shared origin with her martial spirit.
"How beautiful!" Zhu Zhuqing exclaimed, unable to contain her awe at the sight.
Indeed, no girl could resist something so beautiful. Gu Yi kept a vigilant eye on the Blue Silver King to prevent any trickery. Thankfully, it did not cause any trouble.
As the process concluded, Lin Qing emerged with a new purple spirit ring. She had also undergone a transformation—her hair turned blue, her features became more refined, and her physique improved slightly, though her appearance remained mostly unchanged. After all, Lin Qing had merely enhanced her martial spirit, not awakening any latent beast bloodline.
(End of Chapter)