ã€ŠHui Lin: Speechlessly Cultivatingã€‹


 01: Meng Pos suprisingly lewd body

    -- Chapter 1

    Hui Lin stood before what appeared to be a Goddess. Holding his chin and posing arrogantly, he began to gaze at her lewdly.

    Though he wasn¡¯t too aware of the situation he was in, that wasn¡¯t going to stop him from instinctively sexually harassing her.

    "So, you''re Lady Meng Po, huh? Younger than I expected."

    Meng Po sighed innerly as she remained unfazed. She looked at Hui as if he were a roach, a look Hui remembered fondly from his years in university while he was alive.

    "You have several options from within your caste: An orphaned street urchin, a crippled vagrant.."

    Hui''s prided facial skin thickness came in handy as he interrupted with a shit-eating grin, "I''d like to be the son of an Immortal Emperor."

    "Rejected."

    "Useless second generation playboy of a prestigious sect."

    "Rejected."

    "Inheritor to a sage."

    "Rejected."

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    --- Several minutes later.

    "Please be serious."

    "A once in a thousand years cultivator!"

    As Hui prepared to be rejected and continue rattling off selections that even he would be been too embarrassed to ask for if anyone from his previous life was around, the Goddess'' visage lit up for a brief moment with what appeared to be a smile.

    "Accepted, prepare for reincarnation."

    Hui was shocked, but that turned into smugness as he applauded himself for his haggling skills honed from years frequenting the asian markets.

    As a white light gradually consumed him, a daunting thought appeared in Hui''s mind. He interrupted Meng Po who was preparing her tea. "Wait, cultivator as in immortal cultivation, right?"

    Meng Po visibly sweat as she hastily sped up the transfer process.

    Hui''s expression sank. "What the f-"

    Then he was reborn.

 02: Beansprouts pride

    -- Chapter 2

    ''uck!''

    After Hui had verbally shamed Meng Po''s ancestors several generations back, he recovered and attempted to get his bearing.

    Though he was in a predicament, all hope was not yet lost.  If his "cultivation" talent were applied more liberally, an army of evil spirit beasts and a harem would not be impossible.

    As Hui ignored his surroundings and fantasized of his imminent love-life with jadelike beauties with their twin peaks and curling buttocks, he sensed danger nearby.

    Hui attempted to move into cover and a spot to better survey the surroundings.

    This was when he realized that he had neglected a crucial point since his reincarnation.

    He had retained his memories.

    ''Haha! I''ve become a main character! Serves you right Meng Po, when I become an immortal, I''ll $@!% and &#$@...''

    Hui quickly recovered the second time, and continued laughing to himself as he moved. This was when he realized, he had neglected a far more crucial point.

    ''I''m not moving?.. Holy shit, I''m a plant!''

    Before Hui could come to terms with his suspiciously beansprout-like body, the source of danger came into his "view".

    What seemed to be, at least in Hui''s "eyes", a hulking monstrosity, though it was suspiciously like the previous world''s fluffy bunny, hopped towards him.

    Hui felt remorseful as he thought of seeing Meng Po again is such a pathetically short time.

    ''Even I have some pride...''

    Hui gazed manically at the beast before him.

    ''Nobody''s ever taken Hui Lin without a fight! Despite the size discrepancy, I will not be resigned to death!'' Beneath his exterior, Hui helplessly whispered to himself, "Why did it have to be a bunny?"

    If anyone were in the forest at the moment they''d be faced with what might be an odd sight, if they cared to notice something at that level.

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    A cute bunny appeared entranced with a beansprout that was furiously swaying from side to side, as if wondering to itself whether such a thing were edible.

    ''Why isn''t it eating me?''

    As time went on, though Hui was sure he was imagining it, he felt blood rush towards his face.

    Suddenly, when he felt his embarrassment hit a peak, the tip of the beansprout broke open and several leaves sprouted. Before Hui could engross in the feeling of bliss that came from sprouting, a glutinous glint flashed in the bunny''s eyes as it bit towards Hui.

    In his panic, Hui swayed as furious as he''d ever done, which frankly wasn''t that much.

    To the shock of all participants involved, and the dismay of the bunny, Hui''s movement seemed to arouse some sort of latent skill from his seedling bloodline.

    One of the newly grown leaves shimmered with a silver edge, and easily accomplished the impossible physical act of splitting the bunny in two.

    Before Hui could react, he felt a pang of hunger, and the mutant leaf reflexively extended hundred fold lengthwise and penetrated the bunny''s corpse.

    A strand of energy flowed into Hui, circulating within his stem and leaves, and overwhelming his senses. The sublime energy nourished Hui¡¯s body, resulting in several inches of growth, before dissipating.

    Several minutes later, the flow cut off, and the leaf retracted.

    Hui swayed there softly in the wind as he ruminated over the events of his second life.

    ''H-How can I build a harem as a plant?''

    And so, Hui''s first day as a plant ended amidst dreams of nymphs and faeries.

 03: Resignation to a trees mediocrity

    -- Chapter 3

    As dawn rose above the clouds, light fell between the crevices of the canopy landing on what appeared to be an average sapling.

    This particular sapling however, responded in a way none other could have.

    ¡®What?! Close the blinds damn it!¡¯

    As it grumbled to itself, and performed a motion as if it were attempting to relieve an itch, the sapling gradually came to its senses.

    ¡®Ah, right. I¡¯m a plant now.¡¯

    Hui Lin swayed above the forest floor basking in the warmth of sunlight as he pondered over the path to take in his new life.

    Before he could come resolve himself to a goal, he gave up and decided to adapt to the changes first.

    Hui began to familiarize himself with movement of his newly developed ¡°limbs¡±, the leaves that had sprouted at a convenient time.

    To Hui¡¯s dismay, movement beyond simple swaying seemed to be beyond his grasp let alone the recreation of the skill that had saved him.

    ''I don''t believe I can''t conquer this little sapling''s body!''

    Hui started to put his willpower to the test in overcoming conventional biology and perhaps physics.

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    Several hours later the sapling drooped downwards, almost as if it were depressed.

    The pores of his body breathed furiously, and Hui felt his energy drained.

    If he could cry, Hui was sure he''d have dehydrated himself to death by now.

    ''Can I really not move?''

    As Hui resigned himself to a life of mediocrity, standing amongst the other trees doing tree things, a residue of energy emerged from within the recesses of his body.

    To Hui''s surprise and joy, the energy rejuvenated his weary body and seemed to further strengthen it before exhausting itself.

    Hui discovered that though the improvement was minute, he had greater control over his "appendages".

    For the first time since his rebirth, he could feel his roots as they greedily swallowed nutrients from the soil.

    Elated and hopeful, Hui shook and swayed furiously as he spewed gibberish.

    ¡®Haha! You can¡¯t trump the stump!¡±

    Hui¡¯s confidence towards his second life overflowed as he fell asleep exhausted.

 04: Bane of woodland critters

    -- Chapter 4

    A sapling residing on the floor of the forest shadowboxed as it were conditioning for a fight rather than simply a plant.

    For several days, Hui had spent his time ¡°practicing¡± which involved the sapling equivalent of crossfit. Though he had not yet figured out the activation of his skill, Hui was content in his development. After the nourishment of the mysterious energy, Hui was gradually able to contort his body in any manner.

    The energy automatically circulated within him as Hui finished another bout of exercise.

    ¡®Soon I¡¯ll be able to leave this spot and search for treasured herbs and plants.¡¯

    As Hui indulged in his cannibalistic dreams, the energy tapered off before finally dissipating.

    ¡®Hm, that¡¯s odd. Has the energy from the bunny run out?¡¯

    ¡®I suppose it¡¯s time to move from this spot and search for more prey.¡¯

    The sapling released a fiendish aura as it pulled its roots from the ground and began moving as it were a spider.

    --

    A youth slipped away from the supervision of its parents into the freedom of the forest as it searched for the delicacies nearby that might have been missed by its peers.

    Though it had heard of the disappearance of one of the children recently, it scoffed at the danger. It wasn¡¯t foolish, and its sense of danger was finely honed. It felt confident in itself as it wandered away from the safety of the burrow.

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    As it turned a corner, its eyes glistened with fervor as it spotted what appeared to be a sapling.

    Perhaps it was its imagination, but it felt as if the sapling were beckoning to it, swaying seductively in the breeze, almost welcoming itself to partake of its succulent leaves.

    As the youth approached the sapling and leaned forward, it sensed an ominous feeling.

    Before it could react, a split second of pain was felt before everything went dark.

    --

    Hui untangled his body from the bunny and retracted the leaves and roots he had pierced into its fur.

    Though Hui had not yet successfully activated the skill he aptly named ¡°Silver Leaf¡±, he was capable of fatally injuring small animals especially when attacks were unexpected.

    He had gotten into a routine of brutally murdering helpless animals to extract their essence for practice purposes followed by cultivating vigorously till it was absorbed.

    Hui found himself enjoying the simplicity of this second life, save the borderline psychopathic bits.

    Time passed as Hui traversed the area of the forest he was born in, growing day by day.

 05: Tenderizing spare ribs

    -- Chapter 5:

    A cacophony of beastial calls and the rustle of leaves in the wind sounded throughout the wide expanse of forest and mountains. Trees that have seen milleniums towered above to the heavens, shielding the behemoths that slumbered beneath from the brilliant rays of dawn.

    In this wilderness, an oddity flit among the trees.

    Hui Lin extended his conveniently deformable roots and branches and crawled up the side of a tree, perching himself on top, as he took in the view before him.

    One month had passed since he entered this world.

    Hui felt this world was far more beautiful than the one he had left, though he had to admit he hadn¡¯t seen much of it from within the confines of his bedroom.

    As Hui indulged in the breathtaking scenery, he heard a commotion in the distance. Curiosity overpowering his sense of caution, Hui shot forward and swung among the trees, rapidly heading towards the direction of the noise.

    As he approached, he discovered the source.

    What appeared to be a massive boar, far larger than anything Hui had encountered thus far, came barreling through the woods, ruining anything that dared exist in its path. The beast reached a height of almost 2 meters, with a length of over 3 meters. It possessed hulking muscles and a set of terrifyingly sharp tusks. Its lungs were like billows as every breath it took shook the air around.

    Hui froze, both awed by the ferocity of the creature before him and deeply grieved he would never taste spare ribs again.

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    Then he noticed the trail of putrid liquid following the boar, and followed it to the meter long gash along the boar¡¯s abdomen where its inner organs were almost leaking out.

    ¡®It¡¯s severely injured!¡¯

    An attempt at a malicious and greedy smile was made by the sapling as it begun to move.

    The boar''s steps slowed down as the wound took its toll. It collapsed onto its sides and continually took deep breaths, hoping to recover its injuries before any predators discovered it.

    As it attempted to rest, it was alarmed by a sudden jolt of sharp pain on its heels as if it were whipped. It quickly got up and fled in a random direction, failing to notice a shadow following it above.

    Several minutes later, when the boar was sure it had left behind its mysterious pursuer, it settled down to rest.

    Not seconds later, it was whipped again, only harder this time. In a panic, the boar began to flee again. This process continued as the boar fled from what was evidently a sadist. It was practically in tears from the abuse. What cruel and unusual being had it offended to be harassed this much? It couldn''t even fight back as it was far too weak from blood loss.

    Soon it collapsed for the final time and died resentfully.

    Hui gleefully landed on the corpse and went to work absorbing its essence.

 06: Meng Pos favoritism

    -- Chapter 6:

    Hui sat atop the corpse of the unjustly wronged beast. He extended his branches, attempting to pierce its hide and begin harvesting his ill-gotten gains.

    As the branch contacted the coarse skin, it was unexpectedly hindered.

    ¡®Hm? This boar¡¯s skin is harder than stone!¡¯

    Mildly shocked, Hui moved several meters backwards and prepared to break through with a charged strike. Though he knew there were cavities that allowed easier access to the innards, Hui¡¯s sense of curiosity was piqued.

    ¡®Hah!¡¯

    With a mental exclamation, Hui propelled forwards while entwining several of his branches together to form a crude lance. The previously tranquil essence within his body surged wildly along with Hui¡¯s determination.

    A sound of a collision on rock could be heard as Hui¡¯s makeshift spear slammed against the wall of flesh.

    The skin held for a split second then gave way before the spearpoint driven by essence.

    Hui sharply intook breath. Even with the pleasantly surprising surge of energy, his charge was barely able to prick the beast¡¯s skin.

    Accomplishing penetration, Hui quickly went to work draining what he could from the corpse. The process of exhausting the beast to death took a fair amount of time, and was sure to attract any predators like the one that had fatally wounded it.

    ¡®What strength would it take to tear a meter long gash?¡¯

    Hui was not confident in competing with whatever would come. He branched out the strands of his roots towards the boar¡¯s orifices, and violently clawed into its body, attempting to derive its essence from multiple spots.

    Though Hui prepared for a larger current of energy, he discovered he had sorely underestimated the beast. He felt the channels within his branches aching from overcapacity as the boar¡¯s energy rushed into his body, circulating wildly throughout before dissipating into the individual cells.

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    Hui clenched his branches, forcefully suppressing the aching. Though he had not yet come to understand the world he had reincarnated into, he was vaguely aware that this was far different than where he had come from. The creatures of this world possessed essences, reservoirs of energy that allowed the molding of the physical body, granted unrestricted strength, and possibly irrational abilities. Thus far he had usurped the essences of many small animals, but none came remotely close to this massive boar.

    Boundless avarice dulled his pain as the energy continually coursed into Hui¡¯s almost insignificant body. Miraculously, though every moment felt like a torturous eternity, the sapling¡¯s body was able to hold. Hui truly felt the mystery of this second body. He doubted that an average plant could possibly contain the volume of energy he¡¯s absorbed so far, but he still hasn¡¯t felt his limit.

    Hui shamelessly attributed the uniqueness of his second life to Meng Po''s lustful attraction to him.

    The sapling¡¯s cells endlessly derived the energy flowing in for storage.

    When Hui felt his willpower collapsing, the flow faded out.

    Feeling the onset of an unconscious stupor, Hui ignored the protests of his body and darted off in a random direction. After finding shelter beneath a nondescript tree, he fell into a comatose state.

    --

    Several kilometers away, a figure appeared over the boar¡¯s dead body.

    ¡°Peculiar, I sense its essence has been extracted yet the evil spirit beast crystal remains. Perhaps there is a creature or spiritual art I¡¯ve not read of?¡±

    After a moment of ponder, the shadow shook its head and disappeared in a flash.

 07: Delusional resolve

    Chapter 7 --

    A sapling sat beneath a towering oak with its roots and branches positioned suspiciously as if it were in meditation. The air around it fluctuated with every breath it took, which followed a gradually increasing rhythm.

    Hui¡¯s mind had delved into his body, as he forced the circulation of energy along an uncontrolled path. This was a process he had become familiar with over time. Following rigorous and exhaustive training, energy would flow within his body further nourishing its growth and capabilities, enhancing strength and flexibility.

    Upon awakening, he had been elated to discover the wounds of his meridians were gone. In fact, though it was barely noticeable, there seemed to be an improvement in size and resilience.

    Refreshed, Hui went about his daily ritual with a renewed fervor, going so far as to poorly emulate the martial artists of his previous generation.

    After reaching his physical limit, Hui was pleasantly surprised with the thickness of the energy released. He hastily sped up the circulation of energy, basking in the warmth in his stem and branches as they were progressively refined.

    The flow of energy from within the billions of cells seemed inexhaustible, and Hui soon began to be discomforted by the heat he felt. Hui¡¯s sapling body reddened and the air around began to steam. His recovered energy channels strained under the load of the rapidly moving current.

    Though Hui was experiencing excruciating pain, he continued to consciously increase the speed of circulation. Recently he had felt that his improvements from devouring the essences of the lesser beasts had dwindled to almost an insignificant amount compared to his earlier advances. Now he believed that it was because he had met some sort of bottleneck. If it weren¡¯t for his fortuitous encounter with the second level beast, he would have had to wander deeper into the forest soon anyways. Currently, the overwhelming energy seemed to have a drastic effect on his body, increasing all qualities by leaps and bounds.

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    Clenching his imaginary teeth, Hui muttered to himself, ¡°Hold out! If I can break through, I¡¯ll be one step closer to my dream!¡±

    Only Hui knew that he had to lock his perverse pursuits at the back of his mind to prevent distracting himself, all the while raging dementedly as if he were a main character overcoming destiny to keep focused. Towards the end, he began to spew gibberish.

    ¡®Wait for me, Meng! I swear I¡¯ll come find you again!¡¯

    When Hui was practically in tears over both the pain and an imagined romantic tragedy for himself, a thundering resounded through his body. The energy within his body violently surged, then rippled beyond the channel walls. Along its path the energy hidden in the recesses of the cells resonated. When the entirety of Hui¡¯s body was encompassed by the ripple, a vortex seemed to form at its center, which was at the core of his body. The innumerable pockets of energy spun towards the core, consolidating into a single solid mass.

 08: Otherworldly champions sneeze

    Chapter 8 --

    Hui stood up and observed the changes in his sapling body. A layer of filth covered him, though Hui softly convinced himself it was the impurities expelled from his body.

    Before the breakthrough, Hui was at a height of a meager meter. Now he stood tall at a meter and a half. Patting the twenty meter oak beside him, Hui sighed to himself wondering when he¡¯d possess such magnificent height, and girth. All of his branches and roots had developed a fair amount as well.

    Besides physical size, Hui felt an explosive power residing in his body, almost as if he were a coiled panther seeking prey rather than a harmless young tree.

    Hui casually whipped at a nearby boulder with his branch.

    ¡°Crack!¡±

    The boulder split neatly where it was struck, almost a meter deep in. Hui sharply breathed in as he saw the devastating effects. Before he had been hard pressed to pierce the boar¡¯s hide, which had equivalent durability to stone, even with the concentration of energy.

    ¡®With this, I should be able to hold my own against something of the boar¡¯s strength, even at its prime.¡¯

    Chuckling to himself over his terrifying martial prowess, Hui began to stretch exaggeratedly as if preparing for a sprint. Previously, his top speed on ground was still within the realms of a mortal¡¯s capabilities from his previous world. Before he exhausted himself, he could have represented his country in the olympics.

    Breathing deeply, Hui dashed forwards with all his might. An afterimage could be seen where he had stood, as he appeared ten meters away. The wind formed from his rapid movement spread outwards, rustling the grass around.

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    ¡®Haha! I could beat Bolt with my eyes closed and my roots tied behind my back!¡¯

    Meanwhile, Hui also noticed that he had improved in another area, one which he was unaware could be improved as the previous exhaustion training had no noticeable effect.

    His senses were keener. Since his rebirth, Hui had adapted well to his surroundings. This was partially because he had maintained both his memories and the five senses he were familiar with. Though the sapling mortal body did not possess all of the requisite parts, he found that he could still experience the feelings through some unidentifiable sense.

    Everything within a certain range was crystal clear visually to Hui, decreasing in clarity along with distance. Previously, he had about the same sight as when he was human. Now, it had increased nearly fivefold, along with sense of hearing.

    Hui was ecstatic. He had managed to survive on his own without any background or assistance thus far, which was a miracle. He had taken things in stride as his personality warrants, but he knew full well the threat presented by the unknown forest and the world beyond it. With every improvement in his capability, it was another card in his hand to be able to live this second life well.

 09: Saplings masculinity

    -- Chapter 9:

    At the center of Hui¡¯s body, a miniature star slowly revolved. It was almost a perfectly round silver egg and the surface was barren.

    Hui¡¯s consciousness sank towards his core and observed it.

    ¡®What is the purpose of this thing?¡¯

    Hui assumed that the visibility of the core meant that the previously hidden energy was now fully manipulable. Before, he had only managed to unconsciously activate energy during peak moments of concentration. However, regardless of any attempts Hui made, the core remained tranquil.

    Sighing softly to himself, Hui exited introspection. It was moments like these that he sorely wished he was human. Though he¡¯d miss out on convenient qualities of this sapling body, he¡¯d gain much needed insight on this world, ¡­ along with other vital human functions.

    Thinking of his impotence, Hui¡¯s sapling body drooped pitifully.

    ¡®Forget it! Who says a plant can¡¯t $#!^ anyways?! If so, I will go against my destiny, for all my plant brothers!¡¯

    Feeling inspired and slightly bitter, Hui darted off into the woods in search of an adversary to test his progress, and to vent his frustrations.

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    Small creatures for kilometers around lowered their heads in trepidation as they felt a familiar chill in the air from the perverted and diabolical plant that appeared recently. To their elation, Hui barely spared a glance for them as he passed overhead.

    Hui headed towards the general direction of where the boar had initially came from. For the past month, he had only wandered around the spot where he had come into this world. From sightseeing above the treetops, Hui knew that he was in what could be considered the outskirts of the forest, which spanned as far as he could sense in all directions.

    The higher level beast had come from what was deeper in, judging by the increasing height of trees, and the eeriness of animal cries that echoes from within.

    Hui¡¯s senses opened up as he heightened his guard. He had personally seen the devastation the boar caused, and knew underestimating the wilderness would lead to imminent death.

 10: Gluttonous Raider

    -- Chapter 10:

    Hui took shelter beneath the shade of an older cousin. His gaze focused at a nest perched a hundred meters above. Licking his figurative lips, Hui calmly waited.

    He had traveled deeper in for the greater part of the morning, searching for suitable prey. Hui had lost interest in anything with less substance than his last meal. Following his craving, Hui moved about until he heard a piercing cry.

    ¡°Chirp!¡±

    A bird-like creature with a wingspan of over five meters soared towards the depths of the forest with what appeared to be a python lying limp in its grasp.

    Originally, Hui wasn¡¯t keen on battling a flying type, however a thought appeared unprompted in his mind.

    ¡®Scrambled eggs.¡¯

    Hui stopped in-situ before heading towards the direction of the bird with renewed vigor. His efforts paid off as he spotted the bird lowering itself onto a roost.

    Patiently positioning himself in bird¡¯s blind spot beneath the nest, Hui sat down and rested in preparation.

    Several hours later, the bird left, flying off in search of new prey.

    When it was only a speck in the distance, Hui excitedly climbed above, ready to partake in his prize. Flipping himself over the edge of the nest, Hui landed amongst a dozen meter high eggs.

    ¡®Success! If only I had soy sauce as well!¡¯

    Applauding his ingenuity in discovering this carton of eggs, Hui¡¯s branches pierced the coarse yellowish-white shells, meeting little resistance before reaching the energy rich yolk.

    A current of energy flowed into Hui and followed his meridians towards the silver core. The colorless energy spread over the surface, forming a murky ocean over the star.

    Hui indulged in the taste of the energy as he continually extracted it, moving on to the next when an embryo had been deprived of its supply. When Hui¡¯s branches greedily reached towards the 7th egg, an angry shriek resounded from the distance.

    A sunspot appeared on the horizon and rapidly grew. In a panic, Hui held onto the two nearest eggs and fled.

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    To Hui¡¯s dismay, the outraged mother passed by the nest without stopping and chased after him. Hui¡¯s complexion changed and he redoubled his efforts, weaving amongst obstacles hoping to throw off pursuit. The bird seemed as if were locked onto Hui, closing the gap gradually.

    When it flew to within several meters, Hui complained secretly to himself as if he were suffering from an injustice, and threw one of his eggs toward the bird.

    The bird silently cursed Hui¡¯s shamelessness as it hurriedly came to a halt and softly caught her unborn spawn. As it hovered debating over whether to follow the villainous sapling or return to the nest, the second egg enlarged in its vision. Surprised and joyful, the bird extended her second talon and carefully caught the egg.

    Before she could cry in delight, a shadow darted out from behind the egg towards her exposed breast. The bird reflexively moved to tear the offender apart with her talons, only to helplessly realize her claws were blocked.

    As Hui dashed forwards with his branches entwined helically into a spear, he fell into a mysterious state where the surroundings seemed dulled and he only saw his target. Within his body, the surface of the core surged turbulently, and energy streamed towards the spearhead. Hui felt an intense heat radiate from the point as it shone with a glaring silver light.

    ¡®Silver leaf!¡¯

    Roaring, Hui¡¯s thorn ruptured the bird¡¯s inadequate defenses and tore unrestricted through its body, exiting from the back.

    ¡°Chirp!!¡±

    The bird released an earsplitting cry before the intelligence in the its eyes faded and it died.

    Hui pulled his bloodied branches from the bird¡¯s carcass as he breathed deeply. The ocean of his core seemed depleted from the use of the skill, though it appeared to be replenishing itself with every revolution of the core.

    ¡®Haha! I¡¯ve finally activated the skill!¡¯

    He sat before the corpse, his body shivering from both exertion and excitement.

 11: Wings like clouds filling the sky

    -- Chapter 11:

    The sun stood at its peak, masking the forest in a comfortable warmth.

    Hui had his branches folded behind his ¡°head¡± as he laid peacefully beside the bird¡¯s carcass. He was still in mild disbelief over the sheer might of ¡®Silver Leaf¡¯. He stretched out a branch and picked up one of the inch-thick feathers that had fallen loose and tapped it, eliciting a metallic clang. The feathers seemed to be harder than steel, but they had torn apart as easily as paper before the mesmerizing silver energy. Hui held up one his branches before where he imagined his face to be and tightened it.

    ¡®I must master this skill!¡¯

    Brimming with determination, Hui set out for his second life¡¯s first taste of chicken. As he fashioned his branches into makeshift dining utensils, he thought back to the peculiar state he had been in earlier.

    At that time, It was as if nothing mattered besides the life and death of his enemy. In his past life Hui had never experienced that sort of confrontation nor the bloodlust that he had felt in that state. Truthfully, the only battles he had been interested in doing were the not safe for children type. Puzzled, Hui murmured to himself, ¡®Have I discovered another facet of my personality? Perhaps I¡¯m destined to become Asura?¡¯

    As Hui¡¯s ego reached a level invincible under the heavens, the tall grass nearby rustled. Before he could react, a figure leaped forwards and slammed into him.

    ¡®Shit!¡¯

    Hui was knocked backwards several meters. Though he was caught off guard, he had managed to shield himself with his pliable branches, dampening a majority of the force. Hui steadied himself and prepared for the follow up.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    Beyond Hui¡¯s expectations, the shadow ignored him and seized his bird instead, bounding off into the forest. When Hui recovered from the initial shock, the thief was almost out of sight.

    A blood vessel throbbed violently on the sapling¡¯s forehead as it realized it had been deceived.

    ¡®Bastard! You dare eat without paying?!¡¯

    Hui shrugged off his exhaustion and rapidly pursued his meal. Though it was only a glimpse, Hui had seen the identity of the shadow: a wolf cub.

    From the moment of contact earlier, Hui believed that he was more than capable of handling the mutt despite his current consumption. As he closed the distance between them, Hui was surprised by cub¡¯s speed. Compared to the strength it had displayed, its agility was far greater. However, it was weighed down by the bulk of the bird and Hui gradually caught up.

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    The duo burst out of forest into a circular clearing. When he reached his branch forwards to snare the cub and mercilessly beat it, his sense of danger flared and he reflexively stopped and retreated.

    A blur passed by where he had stood and tore a meter long opening on the ground.

    Hui¡¯s complexion darkened as he slowly moved backwards towards the forest.

    The cub had dropped its burden and was sitting relaxed while yipping proudly. In front of it was a pack of fully grown wolves, larger than the ones Hui had seen in his previous life, and with far more aggressive eyes.

    Hui retreated, hoping that the mischievous hellspawn¡¯s pack saw no benefit in a meatless sapling. When he was almost to the line of trees, a hideously scarred wolf signaled and the pack shot towards him.

    Silently cursing the beast that could have been a war veteran, Hui turned around and fled. As Hui was hunted down for the second time today, he could only sob to himself at the lack of a movement technique.

    Fleeing with a pack of wolves biting at his heels, Hui daydreamed of soaring among the skies with a legendary Kunpeng step as he raided sects and kidnapped beauties.

    Hui aimlessly barreled through the woods, trying futilely to shake off his trackers. Regretting till his intestines were blue for his recklessness in following the "lone" cub, Hui suffered countless injuries as he ran only managing to stay barely ahead, and alive, because of his maneuverability.

    Battered and bruised till he was almost wood pulp, Hui arrived above a waterfall.

    Looking back helplessly at gleaming fangs and razor claws, Hui flung himself from the cliff into the roaring torrent, sighing at fickleness of karma as he plummeted.

    --

    A silhouette strolled along alone in the wilderness with slow steps forward. Each step taken was perfectly even, and seemed to skip over space, covering a great distance. It paused in front of a tree, before walking forwards and appearing above a disorderly nest. Finding familiarity in the scene of energy depletion, it softly exclaimed, ¡°This feeling, have I crossed its path again?¡±

    A ray of moonlight fell between the leaves landing on the figure, revealing a youthful girl with her face covered by a veil. Her limpid eyes shone with curiosity as she thought to herself for a moment before disappearing.

 12: Sexually deviant practicioners

    -- Chapter 12:

    A youth stumbled through the forest in a flurry, trailing blood from a wound on his thigh. He appeared to be 13 or 14, as evident from the traces of immaturity that had yet to fade from his face. Currently, his startlingly beautiful face was covered in anger and grief.

    Close behind, a group of older youths followed effortlessly while taunting him.

    ¡°Qin Yu, if you¡¯re really a man, don¡¯t run. We promise to fight fairly! Ha!¡±

    One of them, who appeared to be in his earlier twenties struck out blindingly fast with his thin sword, cutting a length of cloth off Qin Yu¡¯s now tattered white robe. With a lascivious grin, he caught the strip and brought it to his face, inhaling the fragrant aroma that lingered.

    Qin Yu was almost shamed to tears. He regretted being willful and leaving the sect¡¯s training expedition on his own, thinking himself infallible and his peers unable to keep up with him. Unfortunately, shortly after he wandered off in search of novelty, he was ambushed by a rival sect¡¯s practitioners who sought his possessions.

    Generally, no one would be foolish enough to affront Qin Yu or seek his excessive wealth, but this was the infinite wilderness. Even if Qin Yu managed to return in one piece, the elders who doted on him wouldn¡¯t have been able to air their grievances because of a junior¡¯s minor scuffle.

    Another youth sneered, ¡°With your defensive treasures we can¡¯t kill you, but we can still put you in bedrest for a couple months, so be a little darling and hand over your Celestial Transmutation Dan!¡±

    Qin Yu¡¯s expression sank as he didn¡¯t fail to realize the insinuations of the last remark. ¡®Have I been betrayed?¡¯ Bitterly ignoring the derogatory calls, he continued running forwards. Though he knew it was futile, he refused to surrender before the end.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.As they reached a river, the youth with the perverse trend across his face seemed to run out of patience.

    ¡°Don¡¯t refuse a toast and be forced to drink as forfeit!¡±

    Darting forwards, he instantly appeared before Qin Yu.

    Qin Yu halted and resigned to fight to the death. Conjuring up a finely decorated sword, he channeled the remnants of his qi and with a series of mystical hand signs, sent the blade flying forwards.

    The youth¡¯s aura surged with malevolent airs as he casually deflected the sword. He sneered with disdain and unbridled envy, ¡°Has your brain been addled by excessive praise? So what if you¡¯re far more talented than we are? What can an undeveloped talent do in the face of overwhelming might!¡±

    As he spoke, he turned his body and stretched out his darkness shrouded arm and caught the sword that had flown back, snorting in derision at the weak attempt of a trick. Dark energy trembled violently and with slight effort, the sword crumbled to pieces in his grasp.

    Qin Yu recoiled, and blood dripped from the corner of his lip as he felt his connection with the flying sword break. Sighing silently to himself of his lack of practice, he prepared to activate the protection talisman his sister had delivered him.

    When his hand was clenching, a shadow abruptly fell from above and landed bewilderedly on the affronting youth.

 13: Cruel twist of fate

    -- Chapter 13:

    Hui was depressed. He had flung himself off a towering waterfall to escape the bothersome mutts, imagining an enjoyable and more importantly, near painless, descent, by virtue of his lightweight plant body. Everything was progressing according to plan and Hui was comfortably relishing in the once in a two-lifetime scenery when to his dismay, he landed painfully on some moronic creature that happened to be dallying beneath.

    ¡®Shit, that hurt! I¡¯m too old for this.¡¯

    Hui slowly picked himself out of the water and made an exaggerated motion of stretching his back. When he came to and noticed his surroundings, he froze.

    ¡®Oh? Have I disturbed something? Sorry to intrude, carry on then.¡¯

    Qin Yu and his pursuers stood there by the river¡¯s edge, stupefied by the unusual change in events. In this tranquil scene, a bloody mess of a person floated to the surface, having been devastated by the falling sapling.

    ¡°T-That beast killed Young Master!¡±

    A shriek shattered this peace as one of the poor bastard¡¯s followers cried in anger, drawing out his weapon.

    ¡°We can¡¯t return to the sect without its h-head-body!¡±

    Hui didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He was delighted to finally meet humans within this world, and furthermore, to learn that they spoke a slightly accented version of his language which was still intelligible, a marvelous coincidence which Hui again attributed to his seduction of Meng Po. However, he seemed to have been suddenly thrust into some sort of cliche xianxia situation.

    Taking a glance around, even without knowing the full context, he was able to make a conjecture as to the scenario.

    The group of youths dressed in coarse black robes in the back had the appearances of two-bit henchman of some minor antagonist. And the younger girl in front, who was out of breath and disheveled, was almost certainly some prestigious sect¡¯s young talent who had wandered off on her own and incurred the lust of the villainous young master.

    Hui examined the damsel in distress closely before figuratively licking his lips in appreciation.

    She had a pair of doe eyes, free from any malice, and rosebud lips with pristine and silky milk-white skin. Her figure was undeveloped, but was beginning to show the makings of a fatally alluring women. As Hui continued expressing his admiration, his eyes were drawn to her neck.

    ¡®Hm? A slight bump... Adam¡¯s apple?¡±

    Hui¡¯s complexion sank. He glared at the youth staring curiously at him, who had failed to be embarrassed as Hui¡¯s staring was through unobservable senses.

    ¡®Cheh, I can¡¯t believe I almost fell for a pretty boy.¡¯

    Hui grumbled in disgust as he turned and walked away. If he had a mouth, he would have rinsed it to remove the foul taste.

    Before Hui could enter the woods, he was sphered by the leaderless thugs.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for offending the Limitless Demon Mountain! If you kneel down and beg for forgiveness, we¡¯ll give you an easy death!¡±

    Hui stopped and stared back at the one who had spoken. Though he had casually addressed the situation, and even took the time to admire a man, he knew he was in a precarious spot. He had fallen several hundred meters after already having been severely injured, and was at perhaps several percent of his prime capability. However, oddly enough, his usually reliable sense of danger had yet to flare with warning.

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    ¡®Perhaps, these are weaklings?¡¯

    As Hui thought to himself, and noticed the shuddering of the youth¡¯s legs, he confirmed his theory. If he were a spineless follower, and his boss had gotten crushed by a tree, he¡¯d be trembling with fear as well.

    Hui tightened his roots and branches and prepared to resolve this standoff.

    Qin Yu stood unmoving on the riverbank. He had thought himself well-read, having poured through the many resources available in his master¡¯s library, but he had never seen anything like the sapling savior. In this world, there were beasts, spirits, and inanimate creatures, but as far as Qin Yu knew, no one had encountered something like this undeveloped tree, which appeared to be far more human than its exterior would suggest.

    Earlier, though Qin Yu thought he was imagining it, he felt as if every asset of his body was being meticulously judged, which almost flushed Qin Yu¡¯s cheeks with a blush before he forcefully calmed himself.

    Qin Yu was giddy with excitement, rejoicing that he had strayed from the group, otherwise he would never have met such a fascinating creature. He looked forward to boasting before his fellow apprentices of this adventure.

    As Qin Yu daydreamed, Hui quickly dispatched the other youths, who were hardly functional with their limbs weighed down by fear. Truthfully, Hui was disappointed by the effortless victory. He had imagined an epic battle to the death between well-matched opponents for his first encounter with humans. That or an intrusion into an unsuspecting young maiden bathing in the river would have been ideal.

    As Hui sighed to himself and prepared to find shelter to recover from his injuries, a soft voice called out from behind.

    ¡°Wait! Savior, how can I repay you?¡±

    Hui turned around to Qin Yu¡¯s clutching his hands as if in prayer, looking appreciatively at him with blurred eyes, as if he were a fawning schoolgirl. Hui¡¯s stomach trembled as he fought the urge to hurl his breakfast. Waving his branch at him, he quickly darted off.

    Qin Yu was in a panick. He hadn¡¯t expected that his savior would flee without staying to converse. He rummaged through his space ring hoping for some trinket to take as a reward, eventually settling on a jade vial.

    ¡°Savior, please accept this meager reward for your troubles!¡±

    Hui reflexively caught the nondescript vial and begrudgingly nodded backwards.

    ¡®Hmph! At least he isn¡¯t stingy!¡¯

    Qin Yu¡¯s face lit up with a smile as he saw Hui accept his gift. Cupping his hands by his mouth, he called out.

    ¡°My name is Qin Yu! If you ever visit the Immortal Sword Sect, I¡¯ll show you around!¡±

    Hui sneered to himself, ¡®$#^&, your father doesn¡¯t swing that way!¡¯, then vanished in the distant forest.

 14: Saplings of Manhattan

    -- Chapter 14:

    Hui opened his eyes and breathed out. A day and a night had passed.

    Though he regretted not being able to partake of the turkey feast, he was content with his most recent meditation¡¯s advancements. Entering the war state followed by a series of life-threatening events seemed to have consolidated his foundation, which had become unsteady from rapid breakthroughs. His injuries had also healed for the most part leaving only light scarring, through the consumption of a large portion of the energy from the eggs residing on the surface of his core.

    ¡®At least now I know humans exist in this world.¡¯

    Thinking back on his first encounter with humanity, Hui sighed to himself of the tragedy.

    ¡®His skin was so tender, and his lips..¡¯

    Hui awoke with a shudder and fought off nausea. Brushing the unpleasant memories aside, he held up the vial Qin Yu had passed to him. It appeared to be finely crafted from high quality jade, at least as identified by Hui, who had never truly handled jade before. Removing the stopper, he poured out the contents within. A pitch black pill fell into his grasp.

    ¡®I-Is this a rumored Immortal Dan?!¡¯

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    Hui held the pill up and examined it under the sunlight as if it were a counterfeit bill. After a closer look, Hui disappointedly lowered his hand.

    ¡®Che, I knew the he was stingy. Who throws a jade bottle containing an Immortal Dan like a baseball? I can¡¯t even feel a hint of energy from it.¡¯

    Hui rolled the mediocre pill around in his twigs, wondering how to go about swallowing it. Finally, he decided to forcefully absorb what little medicinal essence the pill had, and hoped he hadn¡¯t been shafted by an ungrateful brat.

    When Hui carelessly attempted to absorb the pill, it turned into a scarce amount of liquid and flowed in his veins directly to his core, where it fell into the ocean of energy soundlessly, and without a ripple.

    Hui helplessly smiled. He had low expectations but this was still surprisingly underwhelming.

    ¡®Perhaps he thought an impoverished plant such as myself would be content with such a trinket?¡¯ As Hui was feeling indignant for his species, a peculiar sensation arose from his core.

    Before he could delve into his body to explore the sudden change, he promptly lost consciousness.

 15: Saplings underworld reservation

    -- Chapter 15:

    A middle-aged man stood with his arms crossed behind him. He wore an extravagantly tailored black robe embroidered with golden motifs of entwined dragons and phoenixes. He had a handsome face, with fiercely slanting eyebrows, and a forehead which radiated pestilential airs. His pale lips seemed to be at a perpetual curl and his eyes gleamed with a cunning and deep intelligence.

    Behind him several meters away knelt five battered youths. They trembled as they felt tension from the man¡¯s silence. His killing intent suffocated them, and gave them the impression that their lives hung on a fine thread.

    With a magnetic voice he spoke, ¡°Repeat what you said.¡±

    The nominal leader of the youths was practically in tears as he replied, forcing every ounce of willpower he retained into suppressing stutters, an impropriety he knew would sever that thread.

    ¡°Sir, Young Master was leading us to meet the Son of God when he received a message from a contact in the Immortal Sword Sect. Their next generation Son of God Qin Yu was alone nearby, and he had in his possession a Celestial Transmutation Dan. We intercepted him and attempted to retrieve the Dan, but.. ¡°

    Here, he trailed off, hesitating as to what to say.

    ¡°Continue.¡±

    The youth¡¯s eyes watered as he unquestioningly obeyed, ¡°We had driven Qin Yu to the brink, when we were ambushed by a ... sapling.¡±

    ¡°So I had not misheard.¡±

    In the pause that followed, the youths clenched their teeth and strained against the palpable pressure.

    ¡°My nephew, my foolish and PRECIOUS nephew, lies wasted in bed, because of a sapling?!¡±

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    Energy had surged turbulently during the middle-aged man¡¯s roar before pacifying once he composed himself. One of the youth¡¯s spirit had broken while the energy was in disorder, with the others left pale and violently shivering.

    The elder barely spared a glance for the corpse, flicking a finger and instantly burning it to ashes, which were scattered by the winds.

    ¡°I trust that you have not completely failed me?¡±

    The leading youth shuddered as he desperately grasped the last strands of hope, ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± Frantically clawing open his robe, he clutched a thin package. Moving forwards while on his knees, he reverently held the package aloft and unwrapped it, revealing a section of a branch.

    The elder nodded slightly in satisfaction, ¡°Good.¡±

    When the youths behind him collapsed in situ with breaths of relief, he spoke again, contemptuously, ¡°Advance, and save a spot for the sapling in hell.¡±

    Spiritlessness and resent flashed in the eyes of these youths before they too became ashes in the wind.

    Several meters behind him, the air shimmered and a figure sheathed in shadow appeared, before doing obeisance on one knee.

    ¡°Master, shall I send for its capture?¡±

    The elder seemed to consider before replying, ¡°No, send a message to the Son of God. Consider it his test.¡±

    The shadow retrieved the fallen package, bowed further, then withdrew.

    The elder stood unfazed, not having moved a step the entire process. Staring off profoundly into the distance, he spoke, ¡°Sentience in a sapling? Can it be, that time approaches?¡±

 16: Too lovable for xianxia

    -- Chapter 16:

    Hui awoke with dawn. He had dreamed of his mother, her comforting arms and the smell of her hair. Although he desperately wanted to remain with her, gradual consciousness told him he was in a precarious world. Hui felt a pang of homesickness for the first time as he tore himself away. Shrugging off his faint regret, Hui opened his eyes.

    What greeted his senses was a far wider domain than the one he remembered. His vision encompassed everything within a hundred meter scope. He could bring a view to focus enough to see an ant at ten meters. With concentration, Hui could hear the movement of the ant as it scurried about.

    Hui laid amongst the grass, speechlessly staring at the empty nondescript jade bottle still cast aside nearby. Reaching one of his branches forward to clutch it, Hui came to a startling realization.

    ¡®My branch is.. I¡¯ve shrunk!¡¯

    Shocked out of his reverie, Hui closely examined his transformed mortal body. Previously, though he had retained none of the physical charm of his previous life, he could still have been considered a handsome sapling or ungrown tree, with fierce branches.

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    Now, after taking the mysterious Dan, he had been shrunken and remolded to a more child-friendly image, with softer angles and an assortment of colorful flowers amongst his leaves.

    Hui grieved. Even if the Dan proved extremely advantageous to his strength, and therefore his survival, he would still have avoided it if he had known the price.

    So what if it provided power? This form lost too much face!

    Hui imagined himself crusading against rivals at the head of an army, all the while being fawned over by children. When he pictured an elderly granny lifting a watering can over his head, a blood vessel almost burst. Hui flung one of his undeveloped stub of a branch at the ground.

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    An earsplitting sound resounded throughout the forest. As the dust comforted down, Hui crawled distressingly from the several meter deep hole. He retracted his branch, which had extended involuntarily and pierced several meters into the ground.

    ¡°I-I take that back..¡±

 17: Disturbing the dead

    -- Chapter 17:

    Hui stood above a boulder under the moonlight.

    He calmed himself and attempted to reenter the war state, recalling the unparalleled focus he had felt when he gave up defense and threw himself into an absolute strike.

    Hui¡¯s surroundings seemed to blur away, fading into obscurity. Before him, a shadow came into being. Along with Hui¡¯s focus, it gradually became clearer, forming a massive fiery red bird clad in pronounced feathers and possessing black talons which gleamed aweinspiringly. The bird hovered a meter in front of Hui, with its wings outstretched, tips cutting through the air. It looked down at him with piercing eyes that contained no substance behind them, no life.

    As Hui¡¯s aura became like a sword loose in its sheath, the bird¡¯s imposing manner climbed towards its peak. When it had matched the levels it had when it was living, its hazy eyes brightened, then burned with vitality.

    ¡®Xiao!¡¯

    An exquisite shrill call broke the silence.

    Hui¡¯s mind trembled slightly before he composed himself, his bloodlust towering as if he were fully unsheathed sword.

    The bird flapped its wings, launching itself impossibly swiftly at Hui with its talons arching forwards in anticipation of severing his insignificant body.

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    Hui¡¯s branches instinctively moved themselves following a long familiar arrangement. Coiling around each other in a spiral towards a point, he formed a lance. Impaling forwards between the approaching talons, he aimed at its body.

    When they were about to tear into each other, blinding silver light flashed along Hui¡¯s branches. The sapling seemed to grin triumphantly. Immediately, he revolved his lance.

    ¡®Clink!¡¯

    Silver energy spread out along with the whirl, colliding against the two talons passing by its side.

    The talons were deflected, scraping past Hui¡¯s body leaving only flesh wounds. His branches flew unimpeded, using the remnants of silver to tear the bird¡¯s defenses before impaling themselves through its body. The last sparks of silver disseminated within its entrails, rupturing anything in its path.

    ¡®Chirp!¡¯

    The bird gave a final dying cry before collapsing, returning to nothingness.

    Hui retracted his limbs as his aura vanished along with the murkiness that dulled the scene.

    He remained standing above the boulder, not having moved a step.

 18: Lionheart

    -- Chapter 18:

    A young wolf strutted arrogantly along the forest, snarling in disdain at the weaker creatures that crossed its path. The pack it belonged to were the overlords of the area, and even on its own, its intelligence and agility set it apart from the lesser creatures.

    It snickered to itself as it recalled its mark from earlier this week. Though it was a shame the peculiar creature that would have made an amusing toy was able to escape, it had managed to secure a substantial meal for the pack, raising its status among its peers. The cub¡¯s eyes gleamed with immature lust as it thought of some of the quicker developing females of its generation. Forsaking adventure, it turned around to return home to its beauties.

    As it turned, its paw caught on a root sending it tripping face first into the soil.

    ¡°Peh!¡±

    Disgruntledly spitting out dirt, the pup looked around in embarrassment before continuing on its return. Carefully picking its way through, it walked forward. As it kept an eye on the ground, it failed to notice something in its way and bumped into it headfirst.

    ¡°Grr!¡±

    The embarrassed pup lashed out in retaliation with a quick claw, before stopping when he noticed the obstacle. It looked to be a flowering sapling with bark akin to white jade, and leaves that reflected the sunlight along its edges.

    The wolf¡¯s eyes sparkled with enamoration as it circle the strikingly attractive plant. It applauded itself on its timely restraint, otherwise it would have surely regretted it. Though it was not particularly interested in the beauty of nature, it saw before it a gift that would steal the hearts of many of his pursuits. When it was lost in its innocent fantasies, suddenly, it was pounded in the center of the head.

    ¡°Hum!¡±

    Whining, the cub knelt with its paws covering its head. It was panic-stricken. It hadn¡¯t felt anything come within range, nor had its senses warned of any danger. Had its elders stumbled upon this place and seen him in a foolish daze unguarded and administered punishment?

    Hastily standing up and preparing to ingratiate itself to the elder, it opened its eyes to an unexpected scene.

    The sapling stood in front, a branch having deviated from its original position. The pup was confused. Had it imagined the hit? It walked around the sapling, examining it for any changes. Besides a slight swaying in the wind, it hardly did much. The pup looked around again, thinking it was perhaps a test by his elder. Finding nothing, he turned back to the plant.

    A thin branch approached its snout.

    ¡°Thwack!¡±

    The cub fell back down to the ground. Tears clouded its eyes as its face stung in sharp pain.

    There was something oddly familiar about this scene. A realization came to it then. Though this sapling looked completely different, and far more lovable, it had the same smell to it.

    Cursing in regret, the pup resisted the urge to cry again. Knowing it was in a predicament, it channeled what little ferocity it could, and mimicking the body language its elders had taught, it growled at its assailant.

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    The cub¡¯s eyes watered further in shame. It continued with calling, mildly hoping that the sapling was awed by his bestial roar but more that its elders would hear its unique cry and swoop in with a timely save.

    The pup¡¯s hackles rose. Snarling as viciously as it could, it stepped forwarding threateningly. When it came within a meter or the sapling, its legs almost gave way in fear. It immediately turned tail and fled, praying it had won some time.

    The sapling was taken aback by this display.

    ¡®Were wolves always this cowardly?¡¯

    Hui was wandering through the forest searching for prey to test the extent of his abilities when he came across a familiar wolf. Feeling up to his old tricks, he approached undetected to tease it. Truthfully, Hui didn¡¯t have anything against the wolf pack that had nearly cornered him several days ago. He had been reckless then, and if it were against stronger beasts, his life wouldn¡¯t be guaranteed. Despite his recognition of the the danger of this world, he had fallen into a routine where nothing truly posed a threat. The encounter with the wolves was a much needed wakeup call, and since Hui didn¡¯t particularly care for the taste of dog meat, he wasn¡¯t too keen on seeking them out.

    However, since he had come across them coincidentally, he wasn¡¯t one to let debts go unpaid.

    Hui smiled fiendishly to himself as he took off in the direction the pup had ran.

    The pup ran, forcing its little legs faster than it had ever gone. The surroundings flit by as it crossed tens of kilometers. When it saw its den and the sunbathing elders in the distance, it almost cried.

    ¡°Yip!¡±

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    Yipping gleefully, it burst forwards. As it called out, the outliers of the pack twitched their ears, lifting their heads to see the source of the familiar chatter, before darting up in a panic and howling. The pack quickly gathered and stared wearily at the pup¡¯s position.

    The cub was delighted. It continued calling, all the while thinking of his payback as he led his pack to chase down the stupid sapling. It snarled in impatience as it thought of chewing the plant till it cried and begged for forgiveness. Suddenly, it awoke from its absent-mindedness.

    It sped up the motion of its legs, kicking furiously. The distance between it and the pack seemed to have remained the same. Bewildered, the pup followed the gaze of its pack members and turned to look behind it.

    A sapling stood in its sight, holding it by the scruff.

    The color drained from the pup¡¯s face, and regardless of who would see, it helplessly emptied its bladder.

    ¡°Hum!¡±

    The pup whimpered as it hung by its neck, tears pouring unrestrained.

    ¡°Howl!¡±

    The wolf with more scar than face leapt forwards and howled, staring fixedly at Hui with recognition flashing through its eyes. The other wolves followed and sphered Hui.

    Hui stood unfazed, awkwardly holding the weeping pup. He closely examined the wolves as they made aggressive gestures around him. As if offended by his indifference, the wolves leapt at him.

    ¡®Hm, I wasn¡¯t paying too much attention before, but these wolves are surprisingly slow, at least compared to me now.¡¯

    Hui easily dodged the leader¡¯s bite, reciprocating with a whip across its head.

    Thinking for a moment, Hui fixed on the pup.

    ¡®Could this little thing¡¯s speed be unique?¡¯

    As he compared the pup¡¯s speed when it had stolen his bird to what the current wolves were displaying. They were darting about him in some makeshift group formation, attempting to swipe him with their claws. Hui casually dodged within a hair¡¯s length of each attack, maneuvering the pup into harm¡¯s way as a shield to further tease it. After several near misses, the pup had already shrunk into a ball, shivering like a wet cat. Eventually, even Hui started feeling guilty.

    ¡®Well, time to end this.¡¯

    The air in Hui¡¯s surroundings seemed to constrict as he took a step into the war state. He wanted to see its effects in actual battle. He unleashed his imposing manner, suffocating the wolves with his pressure.

    To his surprise, the previously threatening wolves fell still, whimpering as if accepting their loss. Even the leader bowed its head slightly, deterred by Hui¡¯s aura. They seemed to sense Hui¡¯s lack of killing intent, accepting whatever punishment he saw fit.

    ¡®I guess the wolves aren¡¯t a match.¡¯

    Hui shook his head, slightly disappointed. As he was preparing to toss down the cub and leave, the leader howled before dashing back to the cave. It appeared a moment later with something in its jaws. Carefully walking towards Hui, it dropped what it held before its teeth.

    Hui picked up what appeared to be an irregularly shaped reddish crystal. He sensed a familiarity from it, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. As he was in thought, the pup unfurled in his grip, turning and staring gluttonously at the crystal.

    ¡®Hm? Is this perhaps the energy source for the bird it stole?¡¯

    Hui rotated the crystal in his twigs. There was no response when he attempted to absorb from it.

    Noting the existence of such a thing for future reference, Hui nodded to the leader. He tossed the pup down and made to walk off.

    Freed at last, the pup ecstatically ran towards its pack. As it approached, the leader turned and snarled at it. Confused, the pup continued running. The leader¡¯s tail whipped and sent the pup tumbling back towards Hui.

    ¡°Hum!¡±

    The pup cried loudly. It knew what its leader meant, and it was pleading for it to overturn its decision. As he watched the pack walk off, some turning back for a last glance, the pup sat down and wept.

    Hui watched all of this as a passerby, though he felt a tinge of guilt.

    The pup recovered slowly, then scampered up to Hui, not daring to look at him.

    Hui speechlessly looked at the perverted beast trailing him.

    ¡®Hm? Why is it following me? Could it be a masochist?¡¯

    Hui gently nudged it with his roots, hinting for it to return. Regardless of how he pushed, the pup continued following him.

    Hui sighed, looking back at the wolf cave. He saw the leader sitting proudly on an overhang. It seemed to catch his gaze, and nodded at him as if coming to an agreement. Understanding came to Hui as he nodded in return.

    Picking up the pup, he vanished into the distance.

 19: Reptiles instant gratification

    -- Chapter 19:

    Residents of the wilderness outskirts for tens of kilometers around trembled within the relative safety of their burrows. Even first level beasts shied away from this area, which had become the territory of a fearsome new creature. Though it possessed an adorable exterior, it was rumored to be ruthless to all living beings, and even towards itself. After it devoured anything that could settle its endlessly voracious appetite, it would follow with what could only be self-mutilation as it wore its body apart in excessively cruel practice, day by day.

    --

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    The flood dragon roared, shaking the air around for hundreds of meters. Its territorial nature had flared when it sensed an intruder creep into its mountain valley. Bloodlust tinted its yellow eyes a shade of violet-red. It uncoiled from its perch in the lake and shook loose its powerful muscles. Surfacing from the lake it slept in, it half-crawled and half-slithered towards the entrance where it had sense the intruder.

    As it charged, the ground gave in to his weight, and tore before his meter long claws. The faint remnants of dragon blood within its body surged violently as it prepared for battle. The flood dragon sneered to itself. Evidently, its period of inactivity had made the beasts of the forest overcome their fear. Saliva trailed from its lip as it thought of gorging on the prey who had so graciously handed itself over..

    When it caught a glance of its prey, it recoiled slightly, underwhelmed by what it saw. A wolf pup stared back at it, quaking so much that it was taking all its willpower to even stand.

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    The flood dragon was speechless. Such a tiny morsel of food wasn¡¯t even worth the effort. It preyed almost exclusively on first level beasts, more for the evil spirit crystal than anything else. Giving the terrified pup a once over, the flood dragon doubted it had any amount of essence worth swallowing. As it prepared to conveniently swipe at the pup with its tail, the reptile¡¯s eyes flashed cunningly. Its tail swung around past the wolf and slammed into the trees, devastating the woods. It coiled its powerful muscles, preparing for the follow-up.

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    When the dust cleared, the flood dragon was bewildered. There was nothing in sights. Even the trembling pup had vanished.

    It had sensed a wrongness with the situation, expecting the pup to be a trap by an elder wolf. Why else would an insignificant creature wander into its territory? Something as timid as the pup would have strayed kilometers away as soon as it felt the higher beast¡¯s markings.

    A cold gaze swept the surroundings. The flood dragon sneered inwardly. As if a cheap trick could fool a creature such as itself.

    It crawled over to where the wolf had last been, sniffing around hoping to catch a trail.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    It stopped abruptly, taking another glance at an unusually attractive sapling. The dragon almost forgot its purpose as it caught wind of the fragrance emitting from plant. It brought its head closer, greedily breathing in the aroma. As it indulged itself, it was delighted by its improbable luck. Though it knew this secluded valley it had wrestled away from the previous resident was special in some inexplicable way, it hadn¡¯t expected that a world treasure would be bred so soon.

    The beast debated whether it should hoard the plant and raise it till maturity. Eventually, it decided on devouring it immediately. After all, a sapling in the hand was better than two efficacious medicines in the bush. It licked its lip in anticipation. Perhaps it could break through the final bottleneck and achieve its next evolution. The snake¡¯s eyes glinted menacingly as it planned its oppression over further territories. Opening its jaws, it bit towards the sapling.

    --

 20: Deception

    -- Chapter 20:

    Hui cursed at the glorified lizard.

    After coaxing the wolf pup with an evil spirit crystal, it led him to the valley. He had connived an ingenious plan to make use of his deceptive exterior to catch the beast off guard. When the lizard came within range and it seemed as if everything were going according to plan, it abruptly lashed out, attacking the surroundings. The poor tree next to Hui had been mangled into smithereens. Hui watched as the pup turned traitor, fleeing as soon as it could. Hui was awed by the lizard¡¯s ferocity as well, however he was too invested, and continued playing along.

    To Hui¡¯s delight, the prey seemed to be entranced with the allure of his new form.

    ¡®Hmph! As if a brainless beast could trump this young master¡¯s scheme!¡¯

    When the beast¡¯s gaping maw approached Hui, he smiled sadistically and leapt forwards. Silver specks of light floated from his body as he fell into the flood dragon¡¯s mouth.

    --

    The flood dragon closed its jaws in contentment, awaiting the vigorous flow of essence as it absorbed the plant¡¯s efficacy. Following its hopes and expectations, it felt a sharp pain in its mouth. Cheering to itself, it prepared for the influx of turbulent energy. The pain it felt signified that this plant¡¯s value was far greater than anything it had consumed previously. As the passages where energy flowed from its mouth were battered, the beast¡¯s excitement reached a peak.

    Such potent energy!

    Part of the flood dragon¡¯s mind mused of what it could accomplish with the effects of the plant¡¯s intense energy. Breaking through to become a second level evil spirit beast was imminent. Perhaps it would awaken the dormant and weak dragon blood in its veins. Then it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon¡¯s gate, and soar!

    --

    Hui stabbed away at the reptile¡¯s gums. Seeing his energy imbued branches barely tear through, he was surprised at the resilience. Evidently, the reptile¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t its weakness. Undeterred, Hui continued slashing away, dealing as much damage as he could before he was spit out.

    To Hui¡¯s pleasant surprise, the reptile seemed not to realize its predicament despite the pool of blood forming in its mouth from the assortment of wounds. Hui chuckled at the dull wits of the beast while continuing his storm of attacks.

    --

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.As blood poured from between its lips, the flood dragon¡¯s mood was darkening. The unexpectedly turbulent energy was unresponsive, staying in the region of his mouth rather than be absorbed towards his core. It refused to believe it had made a wrong assumption, redoubling its efforts in absorbing the energy, which seemed to be doing nothing but damaging more of its meridians.

    After several minutes, the flood dragon lost all feeling in its mouth. Its eyes were fully red and it trembled in anger. By now, it had already come to terms with the facts. It knew that plant had not been any treasured medicine. More likely than not, it was a saboteur''s poison!

    Spitting out furiously, the flood dragon prepared to seek for whoever had planned it. When it turned its head, it tensed up, its sense of danger flaring.

    A blinding silver light forced the beast¡¯s eyes shut. Before it could completely close its eyelids, it felt excruciating pain. The piercing ache from its left eye sent adrenaline coursing through its veins. The anger that clouded its judgement cleared and it entered battle condition.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    It reflexively swiped before its eye, finding nothing. The pain exacerbated as the thorn dug deeper. The flood dragon¡¯s remaining eye flashed with resolve. It lowered its left eyelid, restraining the enemy, as it clawed its face, tearing through where its eye had been.

    ¡®Che!¡¯

    Hui spun his branches while retracting them then dodged the incoming razor sharp claws. The lizard¡¯s claws tore into its face, splashing blood.

    Hui retreated several meters. The lizard paused as well, and they stared at each other.

    Hui had to admit, the flood dragon was incredibly majestic. Even with half its face in a mess, it appeared unfazed, glaring emotionlessly at him. Its thick scales shone a violet hue in the sunlight, and its neck arched like a python on a body disorderly jutting with barbed spurs. Currently, its powerful forelegs clamped deeply against the ground, with muscles coiled as if in preparation to pounce. On its streamlined head with savage horns, an intelligent single eye examined Hui. Only a hint of surprise flashed before it resumed its impassivity. Its lips curled in anticipation of the kill, only seeking to avenge itself.

    Hui stretched his body, smiling to himself.

    ¡®I hope you don¡¯t disappoint me!¡¯

 21: Battle through the heavens

    -- Chapter 21:

    A massive creature resembling a cross between a dragon and snake towered ten meters high. It charged, angling its body and slamming against an insignificant speck.

    The sapling that took the full brunt of the impact rebounded far off into the valley.

    Several seconds later, a shadow darted out from the trees and leapt, soaring towards the monstrous beast¡¯s flank.

    The beast seemed to be expecting this retaliation. It tilted its body sharply and the previously stationary tail instantly accelerated, agilely whipping forwards.

    The figure in midair shone with a silver glow as it stretched out a limb and effortlessly attached itself the tail, following along it without breaking stride.

    The flood dragon sneered. It rapidly vibrated the muscles of its tail, loosening Hui¡¯s tenuous grip on its sleek scales.

    Hui¡¯s complexion sank as he felt himself slipping. He had fought to a standstill with this beast for the greater part of the morning, barely dealing some minor injuries past its virtually impenetrable scales. The flood dragon was truly a worthy adversary. It was perhaps at the peak of the first level.

    As his body was mildly disoriented from the vibration, the cunning reptile strained its lower back and forced the momentum of its tail towards the sky.

    The vigorous energy contained in the flood dragon¡¯s limbs and muscles transferred to its tail, batting Hui into the sky several kilometers.

    Hui¡¯s breath stopped as he took in the surroundings. This was the first time he had truly seen the world he had reincarnated into. Though he was eyeless, his senses gave him perception not unlike vision. It faded along with distance, with almost nothing that could be distinctly made out after several kilometers. Even during the few occasions Hui had attempted to understand the world above hundred meter high treetops, he was only able to identify a subset of the wilderness, a wide expanse of forest and mountains.

    Now, as Hui thought to himself in the brief moment he hung motionless, he finally understood the scope of this world. Previously, Hui had a vague idea as to its vastness. His speed had long outpaced even the most competent athletes, overcoming even the more common transportation in his previous life. Yet, he had never came close to what might be called the end of the forest. In his months alive, he had traveled along what he had believed to be a border region, filled with only lesser beasts whose essence had not consolidated into anything meaningful, and the first level evil spirit beasts, that had a crystal which served as the fountainhead for their energy, a mysterious construct that was fundamental to this world¡¯s lives.

    Hui could feel a trace of the energy in the air he breathed. It entered his pores in millions of insignificant specks and slowly congregated above his core, gradually nourishing his ocean. Thus far, he had neglected this trace, because it was incomparable to what he received through swallowing lives. Hui had assumed that proportion of energy was consistent throughout the world¡¯s atmosphere, and that more powerful creatures progressed through devouring the resources from others, much like how he did.

    Now, he knew he was sorely mistaken. He saw before him a vastness that overwhelmed his senses. In the past, he had drudged through lessons in schools from a young age, desensitizing himself to certain things as a result of overexposure to information. One of those, evidently, was scale. He had been taught of the existence of planets that dwarfed his own. Even the sun of his galaxy was incomparably large relatively, but that in the grand scheme of the universe was also a mere insignificant dot. However, to truly feel it was entirely different.

    Hui related his experience to what astronauts must have felt. He himself was kilometers above in the air, though there seemed to be no end in sight, as he was nowhere near space. Hui felt as he were a frog in the well, glancing at the sky. The region he had called home was a drop in the ocean of wilderness. Towards one side, the forest grew sparser before ending. He saw a regularity that signified pastures and fields, and civilization. On the other, trees competed for sunlight, towering higher and higher. At the edge of his vision, he saw a sheer precipice that seemed as if it were the world¡¯s end.

    Looking into the depths, Hui saw impossibilities. He could almost feel the density of energy that was no doubt circulating the air. It seemed that it was lightest where the humans were, building in thickness towards the endless mountain, resulting in greater living beings.

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    Hui¡¯s sapling blood throbbed in anticipation. A previously nonexistent longing was born and he felt compelled to charge recklessly into the depths to ease this yearning.

    Hui calmed his unusual excitation. All that was for the future. At the moment, he had more pressing matters.

    As Hui fell back down, he concentrated fully on his opponent. He felt the surroundings dull. Even the unforgettable sights lost color.

    A flash of inspiration lit Hui¡¯s mind. His branches and roots extended, binding themselves together familiarly into a spear angling downwards. Silver energy trailed his body as he forced himself along the direction of his ascent.

    Hui focused his gaze on the flood dragon waiting calmly below in anticipation of his uncontrolled plummet, and the effortless meal that would come afterwards.

    Killing intent rose from Hui as he fell. Even from the distance, the flood dragon fought off a discomforting shiver.

    As he fell, Hui poured all the energy he could muster into reinforcing his branches. Then he spun himself.

    As the beast calmly searched in the sky for its prey, it somewhat regretted its decision. Perhaps against an average beast the fall would instantly kill it, but would that work against a plant? Well, regardless, it believed that the sapling would be severely wounded and easy pickings.

    The flood dragon scanned with its single eye, rotating its head around furiously. After the battle had temporarily been brought to a close, fury had clouded its judgement again. It desperately wanted to catch the sapling, tearing it apart in retaliation for the wounds that would take months to properly heal. It hoped the tiny body contained a worthwhile amount of essence as compensation.

    After a small wait, it thought it caught the sight of something flashing silver in the sky, though it immediately vanished in the skylight.

    It remained confused and anxious as a several meter long silver spear broke the heavens and pierced its skull, exiting through its entire body.

    ¡°BANG!¡±

    The earth seemed to ripple, and the waves of the nearby surged. A cloud of dust covered the valley, along with the metallic smell of blood.

    Hui freed himself from the depths of the hole and climbed out the dust, the energy in his body depleted and his branches aching. He cheered at the convenience of this new body, as his mind hadn¡¯t become disoriented even with the spinning.

    Chuckling to himself, he went to work making use of the flood dragon¡¯s essence.

    --

    Hui tossed the flood dragon¡¯s bulky crystal to the shameless pup who had crawled back at some point after the fight. It bit down and swallowed the core whole as it had done many times. Content, it then sat down and closed its eyes.

    A month had passed since Hui had taken the pill. He had eased into familiarity with his new body. Outside of his senses, his stats had not multiplied by much. The truly astounding effect of the pill was in two areas.

    His body was far more malleable than before. He could extend any of branches up to five meters. This on top of the already flexible nature of his body made him unbelievably versatile within the forest.

    Secondly, he found his vitality had increased dramatically. That, along with the traces of the pill¡¯s efficacy that seemed to remain in his body, allowed him to practice almost masochistically. The more he pushed the limit of his body, the stronger it would be after refinement. No lasting injuries could remain after a single meditation. Lately he had taken to sparring with first level beasts while weighed down by several thousand kilogram boulders. Impatient for a fiercer adversary, he had sought out the flood dragon.

    Hui sat atop the peak of a tree and looked towards the wilderness depths, and the strange sights he could barely make out of behemoths that walked over mountains and flying abominations.

    The sea of his core had been nourished by the constant flow of the essences of his kills. However, lately, regardless of his efforts, growth had stagnated. Even the flood dragon¡¯s vigorous energy had barely improved the capacity.

    Driven by the sights he had seen kilometers above, Hui whispered to himself, ¡°Is it time to hunt second level beasts?¡±