"Emerald Ghost King Vine?"
Lin Xia repeated the name softly. It sounded extraordinary.
"That's right!"
A flash of excitement crossed Yue Hongsheng's eyes.
"This plant-type Spirit Beast is extremely special. It isn't born solely by absorbing life energy."
"They grow on special 'Life Nodes' formed by ten-thousand-year-old ancient trees in the core of the Emerald Forest, using the immense vitality of those ancient trees as their foundation!"
"However, their nature isn't one of protection or symbiosis—it's domineering extraction and transformation!"
"In order to occupy these precious Life Nodes and fend off the countless predators in the forest, the Emerald Ghost King Vine evolved an extremely tyrannical toxin over long ages—Life Poison!"
"Life Poison?"
Lin Xia's pupils contracted slightly. The term itself was filled with contradiction and temptation.
"Yes—Life Poison!"
Yue Hongsheng emphasized the words.
"This is an incredibly bizarre and powerful toxin. Its purpose isn't to destroy life. On the contrary, it's a potent essence formed by mixing, tempering, and compressing the vast life force plundered during extreme extraction, together with the destruction of a lifeform's defensive mechanisms!"
"It possesses terrifying corrosiveness and nerve-paralyzing effects, yet at its core lies incredibly pure, highly condensed life energy that has been forcibly transformed!"
"Once poisoned, one's vitality is madly drained, bodily functions are eroded and dismantled by the toxin—but at the same time, the plundered life essence can be forcibly absorbed by a strong will or a compatible Spirit, becoming a tempering at the boundary between life and death!"
"This contradictory yet unified nature is the perfect embodiment of 'Life and Poison as One'!"
Yue Hongsheng looked at Bulbasaur, then at Lin Xia, his eyes full of anticipation.
"The Emerald Ghost King Vine itself represents the origin traits of this Spirit Beast lineage—rooted in immense vitality, yet giving birth to domineering life plunderers, creating a deadly toxin infused with the essence of extreme life force!"
"They are the miraculous product of conflict and fusion between 'Life' and 'Poison' in an extreme environment!"
"In my judgment, this Spirit Beast's characteristics are almost perfectly compatible with Bulbasaur's 'Life–Poison Integration' essence!"
"The life force contained within its spirit ring would be the best nourishment for Bulbasaur's Life Seed, and the spirit ring's innate ability would be ninety-nine percent tied to its tyrannical Life Poison!"
"This is the optimal choice to unleash the upper limit of Bulbasaur's poison talent while simultaneously solidifying and elevating its life foundation!"
"Going to the Sunset Forest to hunt purely poison-attribute Spirit Beasts? No! They can't provide this level of fusion and sublimation at the fundamental level of life!"
Lin Xia's heart began to race.
The Emerald Ghost King Vine described by Yue Hongsheng was practically a tailor-made first spirit ring for Bulbasaur!
Immense vitality, unique toxin—perfectly aligned with the concept of 'Life and Poison as One'!
"Senior! When do we set out?"
Lin Xia's voice carried unconcealed excitement.
Yue Hongsheng smiled faintly, with the composure of an old hunter.
"It's deep in the Emerald Forest, near the 'Eternal Domain.' But don't rush. The Emerald Ghost King Vine is powerful, and its age is equally important. We must find one with just the right years."
As he spoke, a sharp gleam flashed in Yue Hongsheng's eyes.
"I'll have people make preparations immediately. Tomorrow morning, we'll assemble a team of reliable guards and head deep into the Emerald Forest!"
Guards?
Lin Xia was slightly surprised. Yue Hongsheng was already a Spirit Saint—was it really necessary to bring guards just to hunt a first spirit ring?
Still, since he was relying on Yue Hongsheng, Lin Xia didn't question it. Carrying his excitement about obtaining his first spirit skill, he left the courtyard with Bulbasaur.
The next morning, at daybreak.
Outside the main gate of the Plant Academy, Lin Xia—carrying a simple pack and holding Bulbasaur—saw Yue Hongsheng already waiting.
He wasn't alone.
Beside him stood four guards in the academy's dark-green uniform.
Their posture was upright, their auras steady, their eyes sharp yet restrained. Every one of them radiated competence and decisiveness.
Though their spirit power wasn't as vast or deep as Yue Hongsheng's, it was condensed and solid—clearly elite experts.
They stood in formation, subtly protecting Yue Hongsheng and Lin Xia at the center.
Lin Xia's heart stirred.
Just for a first spirit ring, even one from deep within the Emerald Forest, this level of protection seemed excessive.
"Everyone's here. Let's go."
Yue Hongsheng wasted no words. With a wave of his hand, he set off first.
The four guards followed silently, like loyal shadows.
Lin Xia took a deep breath, suppressed the doubts in his heart, and followed closely, holding Bulbasaur as it curiously looked around.
After several days of travel, they plunged into the boundless green ocean of the Emerald Forest.
The moment they entered, it felt completely different from the orderly outer forest maintained by the Plant Academy.
A primitive, surging aura of life instantly enveloped Lin Xia.
The air was thick with plant fragrance, damp soil, and a unique scent released under sunlight—blended with countless vegetal aromas, refreshing to the soul.
Sunlight filtered through layers of massive, overlapping leaves, breaking into countless mottled beams that poured down, creating a dreamlike forest scene shrouded in faint green mist.
Ancient trees towered skyward, their canopies blotting out the sun.
Some trunks were so thick they dwarfed any building Lin Xia had ever seen at Nuoding Academy.
Gnarled, dragon-like roots sprawled across the ground like giant pythons before diving back into the soil.
Damp moss blanketed every boulder and fallen log, forming a soft carpet beneath their feet.
Overhead, enormous vines intertwined like serpentine bridges in the canopy.
Exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed everywhere, their colors dazzling—some releasing strange fragrances, others glowing faintly.
"Dana! Dana~!"
Bulbasaur clearly loved this environment. The seed on its back stretched slightly, glowing comfortably beneath the dappled sunlight as it instinctively breathed in the rich life aura.
Lin Xia himself felt the spirit power within him become far more active.
Yet the deeper they went, the more apparent the hidden danger beneath the beauty became.
The forest floor was uneven; beneath thick layers of decaying leaves lurked sinkholes and poisonous swamps.
Some flowers that looked harmless exuded hallucinogenic scents.
Venomous snakes, scorpions, and insects blended perfectly into the foliage, nearly impossible to detect.
Massive carnivorous plants opened thorn-filled traps, waiting silently for prey.
The air grew heavier with complex odors—territorial markers left by powerful Spirit Beasts, tinged with blood.
In some areas, pale purple or pink mist drifted through the forest. Lin Xia keenly sensed Bulbasaur's appetite noticeably increase toward those mists.
The four guards remained on high alert, taking turns to lead.
They were clearly well acquainted with the Emerald Forest, always avoiding dangerous terrain and Spirit Beast lairs in advance.
At times, a mere release of aura or subtle spirit power fluctuation was enough to scare away hidden threats lurking in the darkness.