Chapter 21: Thunderous Hell Vine
"Thunderous Hell Vine? Our Body Sect has such a spirit beast?" Du Qianjue was astonished.
The Thunderous Hell Vine can naturally summon heavenly thunder to cultivate itself, possessing an extremely aggressive attribute of pure thunder. However, the Thunderous Hell Vine is extremely volatile and not favored by the heavens. Once it surpasses fifty thousand years of cultivation, it usually self-destructs shortly after.
"Yes, our Body Sect's hidden ground has one. It's the reason we established our sect there," Du Bushi explained. "With its heavenly thunder aiding us, our sect members can greatly develop their body's potential and achieve secondary awakening faster."
"I had planned to have you train there after acquiring your spirit rings, but it seems you've already completed your body's secondary awakening on your own," Du Bushi added, his eyes showing a hint of surprise.
If he hadn't seen the silver light on Du Qianjue's martial spirit during the spirit ring absorption, he wouldn't have known that this kid had silently completed his awakening.
"Just keeping a secret..." Du Qianjue chuckled.
"Keeping what secret? What do you have to hide from me? Am I going to harm you?" Du Bushi laughed and scolded.
Du Qianjue could only laugh awkwardly.
"But will it agree to sacrifice itself for me?" Du Qianjue asked, puzzled.
The age wasn't a problem since the Skydream Iceworm still had eight seals. They could break one to easily boost the Thunderous Hell Vine's spirit ring to a hundred thousand years. The Thunderous Hell Vine's attributes were too perfect to ignore its age limitation.
"Don't worry, it will agree," Du Bushi replied nonchalantly. "A few hundred years ago, it stopped cultivating because continuing would have meant certain death. To stave off boredom, it agreed to help our sect members develop their martial spirits, enjoying itself by zapping our disciples with thunder. By letting it live on and promising to revive it when you become a god, we repay its assistance to our sect over the years."
Du Qianjue pondered. So this vine was a bit of a masochist?
"Snowy, let's return together. Bring that snow lotus to suppress your beast aura. After I absorb the Thunderous Hell Vine's spirit ring, I'll take you to find the Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow," Du Qianjue said, holding the Snow Empress's hand gently.
The Snow Empress nodded, waving her hand to shrink the snow lotus to the size of a fingernail, then weaving an ice crystal bracelet from snow elements to string it up and wear on her left hand.
Her jade-like wrist looked even more beautiful adorned with the ice crystal bracelet, like a masterpiece of the heavens.
Du Qianjue stared blankly at the Snow Empress's delicate hand, his mind repeating a single thought: "Wow, jade-like!"
He shook his head vigorously, clearing away any inappropriate thoughts. After all, he was only ten years old; no inappropriate thoughts allowed.
Soon, the Snow Empress and Du Bushi took Du Qianjue into the air, leaving the Extreme North.
With two Limit Douluos traveling, their speed was astonishing.
In less than a day, they arrived back at the Body Sect.
Under Du Bushi's lead, Du Qianjue and the Snow Empress reached the cliff where the Thunderous Hell Vine resided.
"Old Vine, I've got something you might be interested in," Du Bushi called out with a smile.
A Thunderous Hell Vine with a cultivation of ten thousand years could rival an ordinary hundred-thousand-year spirit beast. For example, it could easily overpower a Soft Bone Rabbit. With fifty thousand years of cultivation, it couldn't transform like a normal hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, but its strength was comparable. It could speak, of course.
The Thunderous Hell Vine didn't speak; it just summoned a thunderbolt to strike Du Bushi, its vines dancing.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sister! Sister!!!" The vine's heroic voice was full of anger.
"Uh, isn't it the same..." Du Bushi said awkwardly.
"Of course not! If you keep calling me Brother Vine, I'll bully your sect juniors even more!"
"Alright, Sister Vine, Sister Vine..." Du Bushi reluctantly complied. He had been zapped countless times by the vine as a child, leading to a playful rivalry.
"Alright, what's the matter?" The Thunderous Hell Vine asked, bored.
Plant spirit beasts had this drawback; their place of growth was usually the best for them, and moving wasn't convenient. Leaving didn't guarantee a better habitat. So, the Thunderous Hell Vine had been rooted in this cliff for tens of thousands of years, bored to death. If it weren't for the Body Sect members interacting with it, it would have risked self-destruction to push past fifty thousand years.
This wasn't uncommon. Most Thunderous Hell Vines throughout history perished trying to break past this threshold, with only a few falling to other creatures.
"Sister Vine, do you want to live on and achieve immortality?" Du Bushi asked.
"What do you mean?" The Thunderous Hell Vine's vines paused, its tone confused.
"Qianjue, you explain," Du Bushi said, stepping aside to reveal Du Qianjue and the Snow Empress.
Du Qianjue then detailed their plan for godhood, introducing the Skydream Iceworm, the Ice Empress, and other spirit beasts who had sacrificed themselves, even showcasing the Snow Empress's impending seventy-thousand-year breakthrough and stating she was his partner.
Unbelievable! The Thunderous Hell Vine, having lived for tens of thousands of years, had never encountered something this fascinating.
"Can I really retain my consciousness?" The Thunderous Hell Vine asked eagerly.
For it, immortality was secondary to the desire for a more interesting life. Following Du Qianjue would surely bring more excitement.
"Of course, we are living proof," the Skydream Iceworm confirmed.
"Alright, little Qianjue, get ready. Sister Vine will sacrifice herself for you!" Without hesitation, the Thunderous Hell Vine ignited a deep purple flame, with small electric arcs flickering within.
Du Qianjue nodded, sitting cross-legged with his body spirit activated. One million-year spirit ring and two hundred-thousand-year spirit rings rose from his feet, revolving around his body.
A thunderclap resounded as the Thunderous Hell Vine's essence surged into Du Qianjue, and a pitch-black spirit ring appeared above his head, gradually settling onto him.
At the same time, in his spiritual sea, one of the Skydream Iceworm's seals shattered, its essence enhancing the Thunderous Hell Vine's spirit ring to ten thousand years.
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