Xie Wujiu Trapped

Xie Wujiu raised his hand to grasp the longsword at his waist and slowly unsheathed it.

The moment the blade cleared its scabbard, a clear, crisp sword hum echoed through the dense forest.

The surrounding grass and leaves trembled slightly. The originally tranquil Ancient Vine Array seemed to sense the sword Qi as several vines hanging on the outer perimeter swayed gently.

Selecting the junction where two ancient vines met, Xie Wujiu slashed down with his sword.

However, once the sword light dissipated, the vine had merely suffered a minor scrape on its outer bark. Pale green sap had barely oozed out before a blue-green glow flushed around the wound, restoring it completely in just a few breaths.

Frowning slightly, Xie Wujiu swung his sword once more.

This time, the previously quiet Ancient Vine Array suddenly moved.

Dozens of vines sprang up from the ground, blocking the way ahead like a rapidly closing giant net. The sword Qi sliced through the outermost vines, but it was continuously weakened layer by layer by the remaining ancient vines until it finally dissipated.

In the next moment, countless vines gushed out from the ground, tree trunks, and foliage, whipping toward Xie Wujiu.

Xie Wujiu took a step back, sweeping his longsword horizontally in a swift strike.

Rays of sword light lit up the dense forest as a vast number of vines snapped one after another.

Perched up in the tree, Yun Heng narrowed her eyes slightly.

Xie Wujiu’s swordsmanship was indeed formidable.

His sword techniques seemed simple, yet every strike landed with extreme precision. A faint layer of sword intent shrouded his body at all times, appearing not as something condensed through a cultivation technique, but as a force naturally born from his very bone and flesh.

A natural sword bone.

Yun Heng quickly realized the reason.

Born with a natural sword bone, Xie Wujiu not only comprehended sword techniques at a pace far surpassing ordinary people, but his control over sword intent and sword Qi was also unmatched by regular sword cultivators.

As long as a longsword was in his hand, his spiritual energy would naturally convert into sword Qi.

Facing the vines attacking from all directions, Xie Wujiu closed his eyes and spread his divine sense outward.

Dozens of ancient vines pressed down from above.

The next instant, he snapped his eyes open and slashed upward with his sword.

A silver-white arc of sword Qi soared into the sky, instantly severing all the vines above and leaving several deep sword scars on the surrounding ancient trees.

Without stopping, Xie Wujiu lightly tapped his toes against the ground and charged directly into the Ancient Vine Array.

These vines regenerated far too quickly; staying on the periphery to fight a war of attrition was pointless. To break the array, he had to find the core hidden within it.

Yet the moment he stepped into the Ancient Vine Array, every severed gap closed up simultaneously.

The vines rapidly intertwined, turning the entire area into a massive cage.

Xie Wujiu soon discovered that after entering the array, not only did the vines become even tougher, but they were also continuously suppressing his sword Qi.

The sword Qi he unleashed grew weaker and weaker, and even the speed at which his internal spiritual energy converted into sword Qi was affected.

This array seemed capable of adapting based on his attacks.

The stronger his sword Qi, the heavier the suppression he faced.

Hundreds of ancient vines surged forth once more from every direction, while a few vines hidden underground burst through the soil, entangling Xie Wujiu’s ankles.

Xie Wujiu immediately swung his sword downward, but even more vines attacked from behind, rapidly binding his wrists and longsword.

Sword intent erupted around his body, shredding the outermost ancient vines, yet he failed to break free.

Vine after vine coiled around him, binding his limbs and waist, pulling him deeper into the array. Xie Wujiu, along with the longsword in his hand, was firmly bound in the center of the Ancient Vine Array.

He could clearly feel the spiritual energy inside his body being slowly drained away by the vines.

And the harder he struggled, the tighter the vines wrapped around him shrank.

Sitting up in the tree, Yun Heng watched the entire clash between Xie Wujiu and the Ancient Vine Array from start to finish.

As Xie Wujiu was ensnared by countless vines and thoroughly trapped in the center of the Ancient Vine Array, her expression gradually turned solemn.

This Ancient Vine Array was indeed difficult to handle.

Xie Wujiu possessed a natural sword bone, and his cultivation had reached the peak Nascent Soul realm. Even so, he had still failed to break the Ancient Vine Array before him.

Yun Heng frowned slightly and began recalling every detail of Xie Wujiu’s battle just now.

Yun Heng’s gaze landed on the array, where the vines severed by sword Qi had reconnected, leaving hardly any scars on their surface.

The Ancient Vine Array seemed to exert a powerful suppression over sword Qi—was that the reason for Xie Wujiu’s defeat?

Yun Heng stared at the slowly flowing blue-green patterns on the surface of the ancient vines, and a sudden thought crossed her mind.

This array wasn't defending against sword Qi—it was absorbing sword Qi and spiritual energy!

After Xie Wujiu’s sword Qi struck the vines, part of it did inflict damage, but the remaining power was absorbed by the vines, flowing along those blue-green patterns throughout the entire array.

The Ancient Vine Array then used the absorbed power to repair severed vines and reinforce itself.

Understanding dawned upon Yun Heng.

So that's how it is.

Now aware of the Ancient Vine Array's unique nature, she immediately dismissed any thought of drawing her sword to charge inside.

She likewise cultivated a sword art; her Tianheng Sword Art was no less powerful than the techniques Xie Wujiu possessed, and her internal spiritual energy was far denser than that of ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Yun Heng gently tapped her fingers against the tree trunk beside her, deep in thought.

If a sword couldn't be used, what method should be employed to break the array?

She stared at the Ancient Vine Array for a moment, suddenly recalling the plot from the original book.

In the original book, after Su Mingyuan arrived here, she obtained the Qingming Spirit Seed. Relying on that very Qingming Spirit Seed, she successfully controlled the vines in the Ancient Vine Array and rescued Xie Wujiu.

According to the description in the original book, the Qingming Spirit Seed should be right near this Ancient Vine Array.

Yun Heng rested her hand against the tree trunk, preparing to stand up from the branch to search the surrounding area carefully.

However, the moment her palm touched the ancient tree beneath her, her movements came to a sudden halt.

Something seemed off about this tree.

Yun Heng looked down at the thick branch beneath her. She had been staying in this ancient tree for a long time.

She had initially chosen this place simply because the tree possessed thick foliage and a trunk sturdy enough to conceal her figure while offering a good view of the situation inside the Ancient Vine Array.

Looking closely now, however, she discovered a very peculiar detail.

Vines grew everywhere near the Ancient Vine Array—not only covering the ground, but also coiling around every tree in the vicinity.

Yet on the tree where Yun Heng sat, there was not a single vine.

Yun Heng’s eyes flickered.

Could there be something on this ancient tree that countered the vines?

Yun Heng channeled spiritual energy to her eyes and inspected the bark. She discovered extremely faint blue-green patterns hidden between the grooves of the bark, their color remarkably close to the moss growing on the tree.

Without inspecting it carefully, it would be almost impossible to notice.

A touch of doubt rose in Yun Heng’s mind.

She was certain that when she first climbed this tree, those blue-green patterns were definitely not on the bark. When had they appeared?

Yun Heng followed the blue-green patterns upward. The markings on the bark connected with one another, spreading from the lower trunk all the way up. The closer to the treetop, the clearer the blue-green patterns became, until finally, every single line converged on a tree crotch near Yun Heng.

At the center of the tree crotch grew an inconspicuous burl. It was only the size of a palm, and its color was almost identical to the surrounding bark.