The Senluo Seed

Qin Gou glared at the toothless old guard, his voice sharp. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you, old man?”

The old guard, completely unfazed, smirked as he pointed at Gu Feiyan. “If you don’t want to prove it, fine. Everyone else can enter, but she stays out. I suspect she’s the demonic woman Gu Feiyan.”

“Ridiculous! You’re abusing your authority!” Qin Gou shouted, his face filled with righteous indignation, though internally he was chanting, ‘Stay steady, old man.’

“What evidence do you have to slander someone’s innocence? Young man, you shouldn’t speak so carelessly,” the old guard said with mock disdain. “I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself, and instead of being grateful, you accuse me of abuse? How pitiful.”

“Fine! You’ve got guts, old man. Today, I’ll play along!” Qin Gou threw his folding fan aside, grabbed Gu Feiyan’s slender frame, and planted a quick kiss on her pale cheek.

Throughout the ordeal, Gu Feiyan didn’t resist, but her face turned a deep shade of red, the blush spreading down her swan-like neck.

“Happy now?” Qin Gou growled.

The old guard, secretly delighted at having forced this arrogant young master to comply, nodded slightly. But then he frowned. “Why is this little maid keeping her eyes closed?”

“She’s blind,” Qin Gou said smugly. “I took pity on her—can’t lift, can’t carry, can’t see—and made her my concubine. What can I say? I’m a gentleman. Don’t you think so?”

“Bah,” the old guard scoffed, rolling his eyes. “First time I’ve seen someone so shamelessly praise themselves. If you’re going in, hurry up. Just looking at you irritates me.”

“Fine! Just you wait, old man. If I don’t have my father deal with you, I’m not the heir of Little Qin’s Money House!” Qin Gou shouted as Hu Le drove the carriage forward.

“Your father? Ha! He has no say in Falling Wood City. Better call your mother instead!” the old guard laughed heartily.

***

Inside the City.

“Senior Sister Liu, thank you for earlier,” Qin Gou said gratefully, though his tone carried a hint of embarrassment.

Liu Ying blushed, shaking her head. “It’s nothing. I did it for the sect and for Senior Sister Gu. Don’t read too much into it, Junior Brother Qin.”

“Of course,” Qin Gou said with a knowing smile before turning to face his greater challenge—Gu Feiyan.

“About earlier, that was just—”

“Enough,” Gu Feiyan interrupted, opening her now-clear, bright eyes. “I already said, personal matters are to be set aside for now. You don’t need to explain, and you don’t need to feel embarrassed. I’ll just pretend I was licked by a dog.”

“Fine… Wait, your eyesight’s back?” Qin Gou asked.

“Just now,” Gu Feiyan replied coolly, turning her head to hide the faint blush lingering in her eyes.

***

Inside the Secluded Room.

Gu Feiyan, Liu Ying, and the Hu brothers stood guard outside, their expressions tense as they watched for any signs of trouble.

Inside, Qin Gou sat cross-legged, focusing his thoughts. “Invest 1,000 merit points into the Green Emperor Scroll,” he commanded.

—

Ding. Investment successful. Host now has 50 merit points remaining.

—

Qin Gou felt an invisible barrier within him shatter. His aura surged visibly, climbing rapidly until he reached the Hidden Artifact Realm.

Outside, Gu Feiyan and the others sensed the change in his energy and couldn’t hide their astonishment.

“That was fast!” one of them murmured.

Before Qin Gou, the small green water droplet spun rapidly, its vibrant glow gradually fading to reveal its true form.

Time passed like a flowing river. After three hours of meditation, Qin Gou finally opened his eyes.

—

Ding. Congratulations, Host, on successfully evolving your life-bound spiritual tool: Senluo Seed.

—

Qin Gou couldn’t help but smile as he gazed at the intricate green seed in his palm. Every life-bound spiritual tool had a name that naturally resonated with its owner, as if the tool itself were speaking.

“Analyze the primary abilities of the Senluo Seed,” Qin Gou said calmly.

—

Life-Bound Spiritual Tool: Senluo Seed (Yellow Rank, Growth Potential)
– Effect 1: ‘Three Hundred Million Hymns’: Perfectly replicates any plant of Yellow Rank or below, mimicking its form, characteristics, and effects flawlessly.
– Effect 2: ‘Adaptive Form’: Allows the size and shape of replicated plants to be altered freely, provided sufficient spiritual energy is available.
– Effect 3: ‘Peach and Plum’: Summons two duplicates of the Senluo Seed capable of using Effects 1 and 2. However, the duplicates cannot move once separated from the host.

—

Qin Gou’s eyes gleamed as he experimented with the Senluo Seed. In his palm, the seed transformed rapidly: first into an orchid, then a tea plant, then a blade of grass.

It became a “Zombie Grass,” capable of controlling insects when small but able to invade a cultivator’s brain when enlarged.

It became a “Dragon Saliva Herb,” which summoned serpents when small but unleashed a plague of pythons when enhanced.

It became a “Lover’s Smile,” emitting a natural mist of desire.

It became a “Snow Heart Flower,” which normally produced a few drops of healing liquid but now grew large enough to bathe in.

It became a “Living Death Vine,” whose strength could entangle even Hidden Artifact Realm cultivators.

Finally, Qin Gou stared at a small purple mushroom in silence. The “Ghost Cry Mushroom” emitted a colorless, odorless toxic mist. With enough spiritual energy, it could grow larger than a city gate and transform an entire city into a graveyard.

Can any other Hidden Artifact Realm cultivator do this? Qin Gou thought smugly.

While he didn’t know how his Senluo Seed compared to the sect’s founder’s legendary Heavenly Demon Seed, Qin Gou was more than satisfied.

***

“Little Yan, Liu Ying, Big Hu, Second Hu, come in for tea,” Qin Gou called.

Gu Feiyan pushed open the door, her expression tense. “Qin Gou, I heard a lot of noise from inside earlier but didn’t dare interrupt. Are you alright?”

In response, Qin Gou held up a vibrant green tea plant growing from his palm. Plucking a few leaves, he brewed a cup and smiled warmly. “The breakthrough went perfectly. I’ve never felt better.”