“Ahem…” Yun Ning approached. He had initially intended to help clear the battlefield. However, he quickly realized there was no room for him to intervene, leaving him to stand awkwardly by himself. Thus, he simply gave up and walked closer.Huang Xiu tilted her head slightly, sparing Yun Ning a quick glance, then, with what she considered a cool and dashing expression, continued to control the mutated plants. ‘Many hands make light work,’ she thought, correcting herself, ‘No, many *plants* make light work.’ Indeed, in short order, the plant debris was almost entirely cleared.
“My ability truly is convenient,” she mused. Huang Xiu secretly nodded, wondering if she could apply this method to her future dorm room cleaning. Yet, at the mere thought of drawing blood, she shivered, instantly abandoning the idea. She decided a little extra effort was preferable to enduring pain just to be lazy.
“Alright, that’s it! You all worked hard just now; go back and get some well-deserved rest!” Huang Xiu clapped her hands.
The Sophora Tree Giant stepped over the railing, strode back to its tree pit, and then settled down with a thud. All the other mutated plants returned to their original positions from before their transformation. Only Huang Xiaoxian, the mutated cactus, had nowhere to go, sitting pitifully at Huang Xiu’s feet, gazing up at her.
“Sen Luo – Release!” Huang Xiu clasped her hands together. Her internal power core ceased its rotation, and the shimmering white patterns slowly faded. The Sophora Tree Giant’s body began to de-differentiate; its strong legs plunged into the soil, reverting to roots, and its hands transformed into lush branches. In an instant, the towering giant returned to its mundane form, once again becoming a verdant, leafy Sophora tree. The other mutated plants also reverted to their original states.
“I’ll leave this Void Energy with you all. Make sure to use it well and keep growing!” Huang Xiu smiled faintly, waving a hand towards the Sophora tree. Upon canceling the Sen Luo mutation, she could have reclaimed the unspent Void Energy from these plants. However, she chose not to. While she would recover that Void Energy within a few hours of rest, for the plants, it could be life-saving in a critical moment. The Sophora tree’s leaves rustled gently, as if stirred by a breeze, yet also seeming to nod in response.
“So, it’s a promise then,” the girl murmured softly. Just as she finished speaking and was about to turn and leave, Huang Xiaoxian scurried over on its tiny legs. It dared not approach too closely, fearing another kick, and so stood timidly to the side, seemingly weeping and sniffling.
“Master… you can’t abandon me!”—if that green liquid could indeed be considered tears or snot.
“Why haven’t you reverted?” Huang Xiu was also taken aback. Unlike before, she had clearly canceled her ability this time, so why hadn’t it changed back? Could it be… ‘Is it because it was the first plant I ever mutated?’ she wondered. Huang Xiu then recalled how Huang Xiaoxian had hidden alone in the campus for two or three days previously. She closed her eyes slightly, attempting to control the mutated cactus, Huang Xiaoxian, through the mental link they shared.
“Ma… Master,” Huang Xiaoxian continued to cry. Seeing Huang Xiu didn’t respond but merely closed her eyes, it was genuinely terrified this time.
“I, I won’t touch you carelessly again,” it choked out, sounding like a small, abandoned creature. But suddenly, the green tears on its face stopped, replaced by a forced, unnatural grin.
“Eh?” Huang Xiaoxian froze. Its… its body was suddenly out of control! *Splish!* It performed a backflip, and upon landing, green connective tissue suddenly secreted, causing its form to swell several zhang (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately 3.33 meters or 11 feet) in size. Yet, a second later, its body rapidly shrank, returning to its original state. Watching Huang Xiaoxian lie on the ground, utterly dejected, Huang Xiu contemplatively stroked her smooth chin. ‘Still controllable, so it’s fine then,’ she thought. While one shouldn’t harbor malicious intent, it’s crucial to remain vigilant, especially when dealing with creatures created by supernatural abilities. One could never be too careful. After all, countless movies and anime had depicted villains being overthrown by their own creations.
“Alright, come with me!” Huang Xiu said, looking at Huang Xiaoxian with a hint of reluctance to part. She felt an innate affinity for these mutated plants. Seeing Huang Xiaoxian gaze at her in disbelief, the girl, still breathing heavily, bent down exasperatedly and gently nudged it with her finger.
“Go on, what are you waiting for?” Mutating so many plants in one go, and then consecutively unleashing two Sen Luo Tree Spears, had taken a considerable toll on her.
“Really?” Huang Xiaoxian no longer dared to cause trouble, quickly scrambling up and following closely behind her.
****
After the Mercedes on the ramp restarted its engine, drove off, and vanished at the end of the road, its taillights no longer visible. Suddenly, three vans appeared from the distance. *Screech!* With a stylish tail-whip drift, the vans screeched to a halt. Then, their doors were pulled open from the inside, and a continuous stream of people poured out. Among them, some wore traffic police uniforms, some wore casual clothes, and some were even clad in pajamas. Their attire was a testament to their spontaneous nature.
“Quick, quick, quick!” exclaimed the person in the traffic police uniform, immediately beginning to move the unconscious individuals lying on the ground into the vehicles. Time was precious and couldn’t be wasted, as their window for road closure was limited. Gazing at the ravaged national highway, the man in pajamas marveled at the destructive power of Huang Xiu and her companion. He shook his head, clicking his tongue in wonder. “To be so formidable at just the Silver Rank,” he muttered, “I reckon they could take on several of us once they reach the Gold Rank.” Truly worthy of Tiandu University’s elite. He mused inwardly, yet his hands never ceased their work. In less than a minute, all the people had been loaded into the vans. The vans started their engines, turned around, and departed, leaving behind only the wreckage of the three severely damaged luxury cars. The wreckage, along with the damaged road and railings, would be handled by others later.
****
By the time Huang Xiu and her group arrived in Yanghai, it was almost noon. It was April, and the scorching sun was beginning to assert its full power. The entire city resembled a massive prism. Bright, clear sunlight painted halos on the towering skyscrapers, stinging people’s eyes. Huang Xiu stepped out of the car, surveying the hotel before them. Doorpersons, clad in red uniforms and small red caps, stood on either side of the gold-framed glass doors, smiling at their arrival. The grand lobby within was vast, with a soaring vaulted ceiling, adorned with stalactite-like artificial rock formations and vintage crystal chandeliers hanging from above. Beneath the crystal chandeliers, a small fountain gushed, its waters home to graceful goldfish.
The girl pointed towards the grand entrance, asking timidly, “Are we staying here?” Such opulent decor, coupled with this bustling location… the hotel’s prices were likely astronomical. In the past, she wouldn’t have dared even glance at such a place.
“Did you want to go stay somewhere else by yourself?” Professor Yuan glanced at Huang Xiu, then casually tossed the car keys to a doorperson. The doorperson caught the keys, then jogged to the driver’s seat to park the car.
“Well, not exactly… hey, wait!” Before Huang Xiu could finish her sentence, Professor Yuan nudged her shoulder, making her stumble forward. “Come on,” he urged, “the school’s covering it all. Tiandu has plenty of money; just use it!”
“Where’d they go?” Yun Ning, who had just retrieved the luggage from the trunk, looked up to find everyone gone, a dark vein throbbing on his forehead in exasperation. ‘Those two… they didn’t even wait for me!’ he thought, aggrieved.