Earth Mother Goddess

The sky was faintly bright, but the forest remained dim, shrouded in mist, with dewdrops clinging to leaves. Being tightly bound by vines was far from pleasant.

Su Qing’s abdomen was constricted, her limbs bound without a sliver of space. Under such tight control, escape seemed impossible.

The Vine Demon clearly went easier on Hong Ying and Moon. Su Qing felt squeezed thin, while Moon’s fluffy fur barely looked ruffled—perhaps because it was solid.
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Moon’s tone suggested it wasn’t truly afraid of the Vine Demon. It muttered, “Since when was it forbidden for humans to come to the back mountain?”

“It’s just you hating humans,” it continued, growing defiant. “Let me and my friend go! We didn’t provoke you—can’t you turn a blind eye?”

“Your friend?”

Countless green vines surged from the forest, writhing like a tide of snakes, chillingly eerie.

In a breath, they coalesced into a pale green-skinned maiden, barefoot, with vine-woven hair and cold, cat-like eyes.

This was the Vine Demon’s human form.

Though she appeared eighteen or nineteen, plant spirits took ages to form—she was nearly a thousand years old.

“What friend? Humans are no good!” she sneered. “You protect her today, she’ll eat you tomorrow!”

“She wouldn’t!” Moon bared its teeth angrily. “She saved me!”

“Fool! That’s because she wants more from you!”

Ignoring Moon, the Vine Demon glided to Su Qing, moving not on feet but via vines.

Su Qing saw the forest crawling with countless vines, subtly shifting at her command. For a moment, Su Qing felt like prey in a spider’s web.

Up close, she noticed the Vine Demon didn’t breathe.

A true plant construct. Unlike Jiang Xiaocao, another plant spirit, who seemed more human.

When Xiaocao first joined Sword Sect, his constant smiling was unnerving, but over years, he’d learned natural smiles and anger, approaching true human form.

Meeting the Vine Demon’s still gaze, Su Qing tried, “I mean no harm. If I’ve offended you in the back mountain, I can leave now.”

The Vine Demon was unmoved.

To her, humans were liars. Her eyes gleamed with naked killing intent. “Too late. If Moon didn’t call you friend, I might’ve spared you. Now, you die!”

Before her words faded, the vines tightened like steel, crushing Su Qing. Only her body cultivator’s iron-like resilience kept her from snapping in two.

Moon turned to wind, breaking free, bounding off a tree trunk to pounce at the Vine Demon’s back, using its Nether Wolf stealth skill for a sneak attack.

“Hmph!” The Vine Demon turned, waving her left hand. Vines overhead parted, letting dawn’s light pour in, exposing Moon’s form.

A python-thick vine lashed from the air, slamming Moon to the ground.

Silver fur scattered. Moon tumbled, sprang up, crouched with bent forelegs, eyes blazing with battle intent.

It growled, fur bristling, “Again!”

As it drew her attention, Hong Ying leaped from its vines, pouncing onto Su Qing. Its iron teeth tore through her bindings in seconds, freeing her.

Su Qing grabbed it, retreating.

This Vine Demon wasn’t playing—she meant to kill.

Su Qing summoned Man Qing Sword from her storage bracelet.

Against a superior opponent, there was no room for hesitation—go all out from the start.

“Hong Ying, boost me.”

The bunny’s eyes flashed red, and Su Qing’s spiritual energy surged, her cultivation jumping from Foundation Establishment Layer One to Three.

Her hand gripped the sword hilt, Man Qing Sword responding with blazing light, mirroring her battle intent.

Since its upgrade, it hadn’t faced a real foe—now was its chance.

Su Qing eyed a gap in the Vine Demon’s defense, kicked off, and charged, sword raised.

Plant cultivators’ strength was endless regeneration. Destroy her human form, and they’d buy time to escape.

Purple qi surged, unstoppable gold spirit energy coating the sword, aimed at the Vine Demon’s core.

Moon leaped from the other side, claws gleaming, dozens of wind blades forming, both attacking together.

The Vine Demon didn’t blink.

Forest vines came alive, sprouting eyes, strangling toward Su Qing.

Slash, chop, thrust—Su Qing stayed composed. After three strikes, Man Qing Sword stored a minor heavy strike. She held it, slicing incoming vines.

The human-height heavy sword was a tamed beast in her hands, its fangs aimed only at enemies, striking precisely. Vines fell in pieces at her feet.

After nine strikes, three heavy strikes were ready. Su Qing targeted a knotted vine cluster, gripped the sword with both hands, and unleashed three booming heavy strikes, tearing a gap in the vine barrier.

Not stopping, she released a second major heavy strike. Man Qing Sword vibrated, air burning red-white from the purple qi explosion. Riding the force, Su Qing reached the Vine Demon.

Her dantian’s energy resonated with the sword, unleashing a sharp gold-stone sword qi.

Facing the close-range strike, the Vine Demon snorted, stomping. Hundreds of vines erupted, wrapping the sword qi.

Explosions rang inside, teeth-grinding, but no qi leaked out.

Su Qing’s heart sank. The Vine Demon hadn’t revealed her aura, but Su Qing guessed Golden Core or higher. Now, fighting, she was like a cat toying with a mouse—out of their league.

Could she call for help or invoke the sect leader’s name?

His name worked in human realms, but here, it’d likely earn a beating.

In the delay, Moon’s claws and wind blades reached the Vine Demon, nearly piercing her. But her human form dissolved into vines, reappearing elsewhere. Her hand clenched, a fist-thick vine whipped at Moon.

“Watch out!”

Su Qing tackled Moon, dodging the vine, rolling three times to stop.

“Can’t beat her, can’t escape—what now?”

Such spineless words were whispered.

The Vine Demon, stronger and on her turf, was a quagmire—the longer they stayed, the worse it got.

Moon raised its head to howl, calling its mother and the wolf pack for rescue.

But the Vine Demon knew it too well—they’d studied under the Earth Mother. Who didn’t know who?

As Moon’s neck tilted, ten vine whips lashed down.

Su Qing hugged it, rolling away. The whips missed but left deep furrows, scattering Moon’s fur.

For the first time, Su Qing and Moon were beaten to rolling on the ground. The Vine Demon held back, or they’d be half-dead.

Still, it sobered their eyes and polished their words.

This Vine Demon was like Tian Ning—ruthless, action-first. Su Qing finally felt the pain of facing Tian Ning.

“Does she have no weakness?”

“Weakness? Let me think—ugh, my brain’s failing!” Moon racked its mind, eyes widening. “I got it! Mom said plant cultivators can’t cry!”
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Plant cultivators were hard to form but gained long lives.

With high talent, their path should be smooth, but heaven played tricks, forcing plant spirits to feel emotions—the full spectrum, not just love, but all connections.

Lacking empathy, they lacked the heart for the Great Dao.

Tears were rarest—plants had no hearts, thus no tears.

If a plant cultivator cried, it meant they’d gained a heart, their Dao complete.

“Sounds like a good thing,” Su Qing said, dodging behind trees, using them to block attacks. Her body cultivator’s resilience took the hits, though painful—she called it tempering.

A delicate array, talisman, or pill cultivator—Sword Sect’s famed shut-ins—would’ve been shattered.

“Good?” Moon yelped, dodging vines. “Gaining a heart turns them mortal. Cultivation’s wiped out, starting over. Though they’d progress fast after, tears mean total loss!”

Plant cultivation had two phases: early dominance via talent but no heart, no Dao peak; or gaining a heart, losing cultivation, restarting as mortal but with potential to soar.

Tears were a weakness.

But what did that help? They plotted loudly, knowing it was impossible.

As they spoke, the Vine Demon grabbed Hong Ying, who’d been buffing them. The bunny squeaked, fur puffing double in fear.

With it caught, Su Qing’s boost vanished, her body faltering midair, vines closing in.

She gritted her teeth, pinched a hand seal, tapped Man Qing Sword. “Go—!”

Purple qi exploded at the hilt, propelling the sword like an arrow, slicing air and vines, pinning the Vine Demon to a tree.

She released Hong Ying, who dug back to Su Qing and Moon.

Su Qing’s cultivation surged back to Foundation Establishment Layer Three.

Plant cultivators’ terror was their near-invincibility—unless their core was destroyed instantly, they’d regenerate endlessly, heaven’s favored.

The Vine Demon expressionlessly pulled at Man Qing Sword in her chest. Too forceful, she summoned hundreds of vines to wrench it out.

Su Qing pinched a seal, focusing, willing the sword back.

“Think you can leave?”

Vines tugged the sword’s other end, wrestling Su Qing. The sword, like a trapped beast, was stuck, immovable.

The Vine Demon’s face grew puzzled, looking at Moon. “Why don’t you listen? That’s why humans trick you, kill you, and you never return to the back mountain.”

“I’m not dumb! I have eyes. You’re the wooden brain who can’t tell good from bad!” Moon howled. “If you didn’t trap us, I’d be eating barbecue now!”

Hong Ying squeaked, “Vine Sister, she’s not bad. Let us go.”

The more they defended Su Qing, the colder the Vine Demon’s gaze.

Su Qing wanted to argue, but the Vine Demon’s deep bias made words sound like lies—she wouldn’t believe.

“Exactly!” Moon added. “Su Qing’s tight with Xiaocao. Even if you don’t trust us, trust Xiaocao’s judgment!”

Mentioning Xiaocao fueled her rage. Her knuckles cracked.

Moon covered its mouth, realizing it misspoke.

It, a beast, mingling with humans already angered her. Adding Xiaocao? She might eat Su Qing.

Moon didn’t dare delay, howling for its mother and the wolf pack.

But the Vine Demon ignored it, focused on wrestling Man Qing Sword. Despite her superior cultivation, it was Su Qing’s cherished life-bound sword, not easily taken.

The harder she failed, the angrier she got, summoning all vines to crush it.

If Man Qing Sword broke, Su Qing would be gravely injured.

Su Qing poured out all her divine sense and spiritual energy. Hong Ying withdrew Moon’s buff, fully boosting Su Qing. Her aura soared to Foundation Establishment Mid Stage.

Her focus peaked, divine sense covering every inch of Man Qing Sword, feeling its tremors and fury.

Her spiritual energy was drained from dodging and striking.

The white jade in her dantian glowed, endlessly supplying energy to her limbs, holding the stalemate. Moon gaped.

The Vine Demon’s green eyes blazed. She bit her tongue, spitting dark green blood onto the vines.

With her lifeblood’s boost, the balance broke. Vines engulfed Man Qing Sword, pulling with immense force. But Su Qing sensed a faint pulse from the sword.

Weak, but real.

Sword and heart aligned, the *Gale* sword technique surfaced. She shouted, “Sword, come!”

One became two, two three, three birthed myriad.

Man Qing Sword sprouted countless shadowy blades, shredding vines into grass threads.

*Gale Slashes Tough Grass*.

Not stopping, Su Qing felt the sword’s unprecedented excitement. Her brow furrowed—she sensed a move could work.

“Split Sword!”

The heavy sword boiled, silver metal flowing. In a breath, it split into two medium swords, then five light swords.

“Go—!”

Su Qing waved, five silver swords targeting the Vine Demon’s five vital points, probing for weakness.

“I’m your whetstone now?”

But on her turf, she had no weakness.

Her roots reached hundreds of meters underground. Unless burned entirely, she’d regenerate. Even then, her clones and seeds across the mountains ensured immortality.

Her undying nature, though less than Xiaocao’s, was a cultivator’s dream.

But sensing a familiar aura in the split swords, she trembled, instinctively letting one pierce her chest. A warm tear fell onto the hilt.

A red plum blossom bloomed in the tear, vivid in her eyes.

The tear fell, and vines within a hundred li retracted, baring naked trees.

Dawn broke, sunlight warming the forest, dust floating in the air.
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Moon, mid-pounce, froze and fell, rolling up, shocked. “She cried! Why’d she cry?”

It hadn’t cried since three, yet this thousand-year-old Vine Demon wept.

Its mother called it immature—this was true immaturity!

Su Qing’s emotions swirled. “Maybe she knew a plum blossom once.”

Her thoughts drifted to Xiaocao’s joy at seeing a plum branch sword at Artifact School, recognizing its true form.

The sword tomb’s plum blossom was likely a back mountain plant cultivator, lingering there for unknown reasons. The Vine Demon’s tales of deceived plants likely referred to her.

Her tears meant lost cultivation, starting anew. They were safe—no more vine lashings.

As Su Qing thought, the ground trembled.

Vibrant life force erupted, waking dormant seeds. Sprouts burst forth, bare trees sprouted green, new leaves grew. Wildflowers wove a colorful tapestry, gentle breezes carried birdsong and floral scents. A clear stream bubbled up, waves splashing transparent droplets.

Forest animals, unafraid, flocked here. Moon and Hong Ying’s faces lit with excitement. “It’s the Earth Mother! She’s here!”

Strangely, Su Qing felt no resistance or caution, only warmth like spring, life force soaking her, fostering attachment to this unseen Earth Mother.

The Vine Demon, slumped on the ground, was lifted by a breeze.

A gentle, broad voice came with the wind: “My little A’Luo, why do you weep?”
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