Chapter Nine: Divine Power of the Spirit Marsh, Withered Wood Blossoms Anew

“What did you say?”

The white fox almost thought she had misheard and couldn’t help but turn around to ask. Yet the words of the young Daoist before her seemed to carry a persuasive magic, simple and filled with confidence. It struck her as absurd, yet she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope—what if? What if it were true?

The white fox halted, her beautiful eyes blinking as she fixed her gaze on the young Daoist, as if trying to see through his heart. Yet Lin You’s eyes were deep as autumn waters, cold as a mountain pool, shimmering with starlight, and for a moment the white fox was entranced. In those eyes, she glimpsed a hint of detachment from the mundane, a sense of loneliness—he seemed not a mere youth, but a banished immortal gazing down upon the world from the clouds.

She could not help but fall into a daze.

“I said, I might be able to save her. But the prerequisite is that she still has some roots remaining,” Lin You repeated.

This time the white fox understood, and hesitantly asked, “How can you prove it?”

“There’s no need for proof. It all depends on whether you believe or not,” Lin You shook his head. Though the white fox had played tricks earlier, the story she told seemed genuine, for it was told with true feeling. So Lin You decided to give her a chance, to see what she would choose. Destiny, or the lack thereof, all hangs on a single thought.

A complex light flashed in the white fox’s eyes, as if she were making a decision. When she looked again into Lin You’s clear, unblemished gaze, she finally made up her mind.

“Bai Yi begs the Master to save Mei Niang’s life! Whatever commands you give, Bai Yi will carry them out, even at the cost of her life!”

She knelt before Lin You, bowing repeatedly. Lin You bent down and lifted her up, refusing to let her continue her obeisance.

He nodded with a smile: “You were sent here under orders, which was a cause of evil, but your kind thoughts remained and you harmed no one. Thus even evil causes can bear good fruit! Such is the wondrous law of fate.”

With that, he helped her to her feet.

Bai Yi stood and retrieved a broken branch with plum buds from her bosom. Most of the buds had already withered; only one or two remained on the branch. She gazed at the remnant of her friend, gently caressing it, her eyes full of sorrow. “In truth, Mei Niang had a premonition and condensed her Dream Magic into this branch, entrusting it to me. My ability to perform illusions owes much to this legacy from Mei Niang.”

Lin You took the plum branch, immediately sensing a faint trace of vitality within it, though it was as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.

Bai Yi looked at Lin You with anxious hope, afraid he might shake his head and sigh in regret. Over the years, she had traveled across mountains and rivers, searching for rare herbs to prolong the branch’s life, but all her efforts had been in vain—the plum blossoms continued to wither.

Her reason for coming to the Red Pine Dao Palace was because someone told her there was a secret method for cultivating spiritual herbs here, which stirred her hope. Now, seeing a chance for a turning point, how could she keep calm?

She was not the only one curious; all the Dao Palace disciples gathered in the hall were staring intently at Lin You. They wanted to see what talents the young man, taken in by Master Song He as his last disciple, truly possessed.

Under everyone’s gaze, Lin You held the plum branch between his fingers and slowly closed his eyes.

In his sea of consciousness, the little jade tree quivered. One of the three pristine white buds on its branches suddenly fell, transforming into a stream of light that entered the purple jade leaf below, which glowed faintly.

A mysterious rhythm spread throughout the space.

Divine power—Spiritual Grace!

As Lin You activated his power, he entered a wondrous state, as if he had become the Green Emperor, sovereign of all plants, master of life and growth.

All the vegetation on Red Pine Mountain swayed in unison. Countless spirits of grass and wood gathered like stars in the air, then surged into the hall where Lin You stood.

Everyone in the hall saw Lin You’s demeanor change after closing his eyes—he seemed a deity walking among mortals, transcendent and untouchable.

They were still marveling when star-like sparks flooded into the hall, gathering at Lin You’s fingertips, making him appear even more sacred.

The withered branch in his hand, under the influence of these sparks, began to turn green. At the broken end, white roots emerged, absorbing the plant essence Lin You held.

At this moment, Lin You seemed, in the eyes of all, like the god of spring, holding a plum blossom as he descended into the mortal world.

The Daoists’ gazes grew feverish. Wasn’t their lifelong pursuit to attain immortality? Now, a miracle—dead wood revived—was happening before their eyes, leaving them awestruck.

“Yu… Yu Chen junior brother? Is this the immortal path that Master Song He has sought all his life?” Elder Yu Jing’s voice trembled, his face flushed with excitement, unable to accept what he was seeing.

He had met many with strange powers, but never anyone like Lin You, who could restore dead wood with a mere gesture.

This was the work of creation itself, not a power mortals should possess.

Compared to such immortal abilities, all other arts and martial skills were as different as heaven and earth.

The star-like essence in the hall was quickly absorbed by the plum branch in Lin You’s hand. In an instant, the branch grew into a plum tree as thick as a child’s arm, its green shoots adorned with several pure white buds.

“Mei Niang!”

The white fox wept with joy, wanting to step forward and take the tree, but afraid to harm it.

Lin You shook his head. “Just now, I awakened her vitality with the essence of plants, but her life force is still weak and her spirit has not returned. To truly revive her will take a long time.”

Though the Spiritual Grace power was greatly enhanced by the Red Pine Dao Palace, awakening her vitality directly, restoring her fully would require the nourishment of an entire earth vein.

The Dao Palace now, anchored by the little jade tree, produced slightly more spiritual energy, but most was needed to sustain Master Song’s life, leaving little to spare for the white plum.

They could only wait for Lin You to establish a new Dao site, and see if its earth vein might save the white plum.

The white fox listened and knelt again, expressing her gratitude: “Thank you, Master, for your kindness! In the future, whatever you command, Bai Yi will carry out without hesitation!”

Lin You smiled: “Such is fate. I came to this world to form bonds with all beings, and they will help fulfill my immortal destiny.”

Bai Yi nodded, half understanding, half mystified.

Lin You then turned to Elder Yu Jing and bowed apologetically. “Just now, I was focused on saving the white plum and could not answer. Please forgive me, brother.”

Elder Yu Jing waved his hands repeatedly. “With your divine talent, junior brother, you leave me in awe! There’s no need to talk of forgiveness or blame.”

He fixed his gaze on Lin You and asked eagerly, “Could you enlighten us, junior brother? Is there truly immortality in this world? Was what you performed just now the legendary immortal technique?”

After he spoke, the Daoists behind him also stared at Lin You, afraid to miss a single word.

Lin You smiled, pointing at the white plum in his hand. “The Dao is like the root, techniques like the leaves. What I performed just now was merely one leaf on the branch, still far from true immortal power.”

The crowd wanted to ask more, but Lin You raised his hand to stop them, and looked toward the outside of the hall.

In the quiet night, only the soft rustling of the pine ancestor’s needles could be heard.

The pine leaves moved with no wind—this was the pine ancestor’s warning!

Lin You’s thoughts stirred, and the entire Red Pine Dao Palace appeared in his mind.

At the foot of the mountain, trouble was approaching.