章節 73: Chapter 73: The Soul-Nurturing Wood

After Yuan Qing and Xu Juan escorted the trapped disciples of Tianxuan Sect and Dixuan Sect out of the secret realm, Lin Xiao closed the exit and then turned back to approach the nearly transparent and almost dissipating figure of Venerable Pantu.

Lin Xiao looked at him with a calm expression.

Venerable Pantu, half-lying on the ground, remained still, his eyes closed as if waiting for the moment he would completely disappear.

Lin Xiao sighed softly and said to him, "You gambled and won. I'll help you break the seal now, and what I promised you before still stands."

Upon hearing this, Venerable Pantu remained motionless with his eyes closed, but a barely perceptible sense of relief crossed his half-white, half-black face.

Using the Heart of the Secret Realm, Lin Xiao effortlessly removed the seal that had been binding Venerable Pantu.

The reason Lin Xiao decided to go back on his earlier decision and break the seal was due to Venerable Pantu's actions, where he almost sacrificed his soul to save others. Although Lin Xiao knew that Venerable Pantu, a Nascent Soul cultivator, might have done this with ulterior motives, hoping to earn Lin Xiao's favor and get his seal removed, it at least showed that Pantu knew where Lin Xiao's bottom line was and was willing to back down when needed.

Moreover, the Lingxian Sect could benefit from a knowledgeable local cultivator like Venerable Pantu, so Lin Xiao decided to honor his previous promise.

Another reason for Lin Xiao's change of heart was a discovery he made on his way back with Yuan Qing and Xu Juan. Since their pace was slower, Lin Xiao had some free time and decided to check the rewards from the mission.

The mission had granted him three items: 100 spirit stones, one piece of Soul-Nurturing Wood, and one Myriad Worlds Bucket.

While he wasn't sure about the use of the Myriad Worlds Bucket yet, he knew the value of the Soul-Nurturing Wood. Although he had never seen one before, the name was familiar, and it became clear why the system had given it to him—likely to help Venerable Pantu, the only soul he had encountered so far.

Lin Xiao used the identification function to confirm its properties.

[Soul-Nurturing Wood (High-Grade)]: A superior material for nourishing souls. Each piece lasts a very long time. When not in use, it can be stored in a place rich in yin energy for preservation. Once a soul is absorbed into the Soul-Nurturing Wood, it cannot separate from it without a physical body.

Seeing the severely weakened Venerable Pantu on the ground, Lin Xiao wasted no time and took out the Soul-Nurturing Wood from his storage. He placed the large, half-meter-long, arm-thick piece of wood beside Venerable Pantu.

The Soul-Nurturing Wood was smooth and glossy, almost like a piece of polished black jade. As soon as it was placed beside Venerable Pantu, it seemed to pull him in, and within moments, Venerable Pantu's soul fused with the wood. His once faint and nearly dissipating form quickly became more solid.

Feeling the revitalizing effects, Venerable Pantu breathed a sigh of relief. He examined the Soul-Nurturing Wood connected to his lower half and said, "Young one, I didn't expect you to have such a large piece of Soul-Nurturing Wood."

He had overestimated the strength of his soul earlier when trying to save others, nearly causing his soul to scatter. He thought this part of his soul was doomed to perish in the secret realm, but the discovery of this high-quality Soul-Nurturing Wood made him feel that his fate might not be sealed after all. He began to believe that Lin Xiao might indeed be a key figure in helping him overcome his current predicament.

Sun Yigao, amazed by the sight, squatted down to carefully examine the mysterious piece of wood. It looked like a piece of black jade, and when he touched it, it felt warm and smooth.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao studied Venerable Pantu's current form. Now, Venerable Pantu could completely retract his soul into the Soul-Nurturing Wood. If he wanted, he could extend parts of his body from the wood, but at least one-third of his soul would always need to remain inside.

For instance, if he extended his upper body, his legs would stay inside the wood. Conversely, if he wanted to walk, he would have to retract his upper body into the wood.

Lin Xiao imagined the scene and thought, Well, this looks a bit strange.

After bringing Venerable Pantu out of the secret realm, Lin Xiao realized he couldn't let him roam freely in the village—he would probably scare everyone.

Currently, Venerable Pantu was demonstrating exactly what Lin Xiao had imagined. His legs extended from one side of the wood while his head emerged from the other, and then he stood up.

Sun Yigao and Lin Xiao saw what looked like a large "6" symbol, with all its parts connected.

Sun Yigao couldn't help but marvel, "The world of cultivation truly broadens one's horizons."

Lin Xiao stifled a laugh and began preparing for their departure.

First, the medicinal field in Spirit Heart Valley, which Venerable Pantu had carefully tended for decades, had to be collected. After all, Venerable Pantu had said he would give this field to Sun Yigao if he became his disciple. Though Sun Yigao hadn't taken him as a master, Lin Xiao had promised to help Pantu find his soul and body, so taking the field wasn't unreasonable, right?

Lin Xiao assigned the task of collecting the medicinal field to Sun Yigao and Venerable Pantu, even providing them with shovels. He instructed them to dig up the soil along with the plants, as he intended to take the entire field with him.

Although Lin Xiao now controlled the Heart of the Secret Realm, the realm only opened for two months each year. If the field were left inside, it would be inconvenient to harvest and tend to the herbs. Therefore, he decided to take it all with him.

Hearing this, Venerable Pantu was astonished. "Do you have a high-grade storage artifact?"

Ordinary storage bags wouldn't be able to hold such a large field!

Venerable Pantu recalled that when he was at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, he had only used low-capacity storage bags. He couldn't help but marvel at how this young cultivator not only had an impressive cultivation level but also possessed many valuable items.

Lin Xiao, unaware of Pantu's thoughts, simply nodded when he heard the term "high-grade storage artifact." After all, his massive private storage space likely qualified as such.