"Master…" You You couldn't help but whisper, her voice hesitant and worried as she watched Xie Zhaolin's expression tighten.
"The commotion you caused this time… it was massive. Nine layers of Purple Heaven Divine Thunder… if news of this spreads, countless greedy eyes and trouble will follow. And the aura of the Rebirth Flower, even though it's temporarily suppressed by the Golden Core, hasn't been completely eliminated…"
Xie Zhaolin's eyes narrowed slightly, and she gave a small nod. She naturally understood You You's worry.
"No matter," she said lightly, her gaze sharp as it swept over the ruined valley around them, "We'll handle whatever comes. There's a way to counter everything. Now that the core is formed, we have the confidence to deal with many things. The priority is stabilizing our cultivation and leaving this dangerous place."
"Yes, Master!" You You answered quickly, saying no more, though the unease in her heart only deepened.
Xie Zhaolin didn't linger. In the blink of an eye, her figure shimmered into a barely-there shadow and swiftly left the scarred valley.
The valley fell silent again, the scorched earth occasionally crackling under the wind.
Time passed slowly.
After roughly the length of an incense stick, under the pile of charred soil where Xie Zhaolin had previously sat meditating and enduring the last layer of thunder, the earth trembled ever so slightly.
A tiny green sprout, almost imperceptible, carefully pushed aside the top layer of scorched soil and peeked out.
Amid the dead, desolate surroundings, the sprout felt utterly out of place, exuding an incredibly pure, faint vitality.
It swayed slightly, as if testing the air, a sense of relief radiating from it. Clearly, it had hidden deep underground, using some innate talent or divine power to avoid the direct destructive force of the heavenly thunder, only daring to emerge once the terrifying human and even more terrifying thunder had completely left.
But just as the little sprout relaxed, ready to stretch and figure out how to escape this cursed place—
A cold voice rang out without warning from above:
"So… you've been hiding under my feet all along."
The sprout froze instantly!
Every movement stopped, even the sway ceased. Trembling, it lifted a leaf, only to see a returning figure standing calmly before it, looking down with serene, unreadable eyes, a faint, half-smile curving on her lips.
If not Xie Zhaolin, who else could it be?
She hadn't gone far. Or perhaps she had sensed something unusual, pretending to leave and waiting for it to reveal itself.
"No wonder something felt off… there was still a trace of life nearby, hiding close all this time," Xie Zhaolin said, her tone calm, yet every word carried an unmistakable danger.
The sprout immediately realized the danger. It froze, disguising itself as an ordinary, innocent grass shoot just breaking through the soil, gently swaying with an imaginary breeze, trying to blend in.
No more spiritual fluctuations, just the simplest swaying of a tender sprout in the wind, seemingly a lucky survivor of the thunderstorm-ravaged earth. But it ignored one fatal flaw—on this soil, completely purified by heavenly thunder, how could a sprout possibly grow out of nothing?
Its act was laughably poor.
Xie Zhaolin chuckled coldly and exposed it outright:
"Bewitching Beast Yam."
The sprout shuddered violently, its disguise shattered. It realized it had been completely seen through!
Instinctively, it wanted to retreat into the earth, but in its current frail state, with barely any remaining essence, it was impossible to escape a Golden Core cultivator's gaze!
It was over.
A chill ran through it.
It had barely survived the thunder, only to fall into the hands of this calamity-star!
Just as Xie Zhaolin reached out, ready to capture the cunning plant to see if she could refine or interrogate it, the sprout did something unexpected. Instead of resisting, it cautiously pressed against her fingertip, almost in a gesture of submission.
Immediately, pure, concentrated plant spiritual energy flowed from the contact point into Xie Zhaolin's body, nourishing her newly stabilized form and even subtly enhancing her Golden Core cultivation.
At the same time, the sprout glimmered faintly. A complex, arcane soul-based contract symbol flashed above it and quickly sank into Xie Zhaolin's sea of consciousness.
In that moment, Xie Zhaolin clearly felt a firm master-servant contract establish between her and the sprout.
The Bewitching Beast Yam…
It handed over its core essence, soul power, and future control entirely to Xie Zhaolin. From now on, it was her servant, and she was its master. Life and death were now at her will.
Xie Zhaolin paused briefly, then a knowing, playful glint crossed her eyes. She could sense clearly that this contract was entirely voluntary, a submission born out of the sprout's own will, with no coercion.
This cunning, powerful plant, having endured the destructive force of heavenly thunder and confronted an absolute power gap, had chosen this path to survive.
"Smart enough to know the times," Xie Zhaolin murmured, withdrawing her hand, her tone unreadable as she looked at the little sprout swaying submissively on her fingertip.
With this contract, it could no longer pose any threat; it had become her possession.
The sprout, sensing her subtle relaxation, swayed more energetically, conveying a clearer, humble submission. It was relieved, grateful for its quick thinking and decisiveness.
Yes! It had voluntarily formed a master-servant contract, offering its essence, to save its life!
It knew humans well.
Valuable things weren't destroyed lightly—they were used.
Though weak now, it was a Golden Core Bewitching Demon Plant. Rather than being captured and facing refining, interrogation, or destruction, it had chosen to surrender, show its worth, and secure a chance to live. Looking at it now… its gamble had paid off.
This human cultivator clearly was rational and pragmatic. She accepted its offering and, for now… didn't intend to destroy it.
But the sprout knew this wasn't enough. It hadn't forgotten how this seemingly calm woman had dragged it through the heavenly thunder, fierce and resolute, a display that still sent shivers down its essence.
A calamity-star like this wouldn't trust mere submission alone.
It had to prove its value further to ensure survival.