Chapter 61: A Frenzied Ascent

In the early stages, the greatest opportunity on Earth was none other than Mist Island. The fortunes found here were divided into three tiers.

The first was the Spirit of Flora—over a hundred such entities dwelled upon this island. Next was a crystalline grain known as Woodling Crystal, an object that could drive even the superhuman mad with desire. Consuming just one would elevate a Warlord’s physique to the realm of the Transcendent. The third was the immortal legacy, along with that intelligent life form.

Qin Ming was adamant about taking part in this life-and-death adventure; even when he encountered a Transcendent-level python, he hadn't called for help—all for the sake of Mist Island. Now, standing before a row of nine weeping willows, his heart beat with excitement.

The slimmest of these willows was a meter thick, rising thirty to forty meters high. The largest boasted a trunk three meters in diameter and nearly a hundred meters tall. Tens of thousands of willow branches cascaded down, dancing in the breeze. Especially the largest, whose branches glimmered with a faint golden hue.

"The willow I encountered during the rat tide is nothing compared to any one of these," Qin Ming thought. "After entering the Elite Training Camp, I did my research. That willow at most possessed the efficacy of several centuries—equivalent only to the peak of a low-level Warlord. But here, eight are millennia-old Spirits of Flora, and the largest has endured for ten thousand years!"

"The age is merely a measure of their potency. If a Spirit of Flora truly grew for ten thousand years, it would likely encompass all of Australia! A thousand-year willow spirit should be comparable to a mid-level Warlord, perhaps even the pinnacle of that tier. As for the ten-thousand-year one, it may well have reached the threshold of the Transcendent!"

"Fortunately, the primary root systems of these Spirits of Flora cannot move; otherwise…"

A "proto-Transcendent" was one whose physical attributes surpassed the limits of high-level Warlords, yet who had not fully ascended to the ranks of the true Transcendents. They were also known as Invincible Warlords.

As Qin Ming pondered this, he turned and left. The nine willows were not something he could confront head-on at present.

This island in the lake was vast, verdant with lush vegetation, flowers and grasses everywhere. There were even carnivorous plants like man-eating blossoms and bloodthirsty brambles. Qin Ming gripped his Bloodshadow Blade, wary to the utmost. Though the island seemed devoid of animals, it was far more dangerous than other places.

"Aquaspirit Flower—its effects can’t match the willow, but it’s rare nonetheless." Qin Ming did not act. Besides the willow spirits, he did not know how to consume the others. Each Spirit of Flora was unique; without the proper method, one risked poisoning oneself.

After traversing most of the island, Qin Ming discovered fifty or sixty Spirits of Flora. Even though he had expected many, seeing them with his own eyes made his heart race uncontrollably.

He harvested many as well.

"Finally, another one!" Qin Ming spotted a willow with a trunk a meter thick growing beside a pool, its branches swaying. A smile curled at his lips. A solitary willow—even one as powerful as a high-level Warlord—was not beyond his reach.

He approached cautiously, and as he entered its range, three willow branches lashed out to pierce him.

"This is what I was waiting for!"

Qin Ming’s blade moved with blinding speed—faster than an ordinary high-level Warlord could manage—shearing through the three branches in a single stroke. He estimated that each branch possessed resilience comparable to the peak of a high-level General.

In the next moment, the willow roiled. Hundreds of branches shot toward him, ripping through the air with a terrifying howl.

With a slash, Qin Ming severed five branches at once and retreated from the willow’s attack range.

Repeating this tactic—circling, whittling down the branches one by one—he finally reduced the willow to its trunk.

"Why didn’t the roots attack? I remember the one in the underground cavern did. That one had silver branches, but these are green! Even the nine I saw earlier, the king among them, its branches were pale gold! Is it a difference in species, or in how they matured?"

Qin Ming didn't know and didn't dwell on it. Though the Spirits of Flora had gained sentience, they were far less cunning than the beasts. Without root attacks, he was naturally pleased.

With a final strike, he cleaved out the willow’s heart—the true essence of the Spirit of Flora, containing a tremendous vitality and one of the most easily absorbed forms of energy for the body.

After a quick deliberation, he wielded his blade and dug a hole a hundred meters deep. He waited until he calmed, then split open the willow heart and swallowed the liquid within. Instantly, every cell in his body, starting from the mitochondria, awakened with ravenous hunger.

Qin Ming quickly seated himself and began to circulate the second level of his Mystic Dao technique, enhancing both speed and efficiency of absorption, and strengthening the resilience of his bones, organs, and skin.

This was a transformation at the genetic level.

His aura intensified, his presence swelling. Beads of black impurity seeped from every pore, even his face.

An hour later, he rose, beaming.

"My physique has definitely reached the high-level Warlord realm. Even if I haven’t reached the very peak, I’m not far off!"

Qin Ming was elated.

Such rapid progress would make anyone smile with joy.

The basic punching force for a low-level Warlord was 64,000 to 128,000 kilograms; mid-level was 128,000 to 256,000 kilograms; high-level was 256,000 to 512,000 kilograms. Before arriving, his physical strength was already at the peak of the mid-tier.

Now, he felt he could throw a punch with 400,000 kilograms of force. Using the secret of the Ninefold Thunder Blade, with its sevenfold amplification, he could unleash 2,800,000 kilograms in a single strike.

Such power would allow him to stand toe-to-toe with a newly ascended Transcendent, without falling behind.

"Spirits of Flora truly are the ultimate treasures for physical evolution!"

Qin Ming gave a violent shake; the grime on his body shattered and fell away, expelled by his Black God Battle Garb. He burst from the earth.

Now, even if a mountain pressed down upon him, he was confident he could break free. If he faced that giant python again, he would be able to take it head-on.

That was the confidence that came with strength.

Where does confidence come from? From having a solid foundation!

If one wants confidence, one must have power, strength, authority, wisdom, and more.

Qin Ming continued his search and soon found another willow, even thicker than the last—almost two meters in diameter, a formidable presence among high-level Warlords.

Using the same method, he hacked down all its branches and obtained another willow heart.

He consumed it without hesitation.

"My punching force should now be 700,000 jin!"

"The further I go, the harder it is to improve, and the less effect each Spirit of Flora has," Qin Ming mused, yet he felt no disappointment.

At this level, his punching force had firmly surpassed high-level Warlord status, stepping into the proto-Transcendent realm.

"If the python were in front of me now, I could heavily wound it with a single strike!"

With passionate resolve, Qin Ming circled back to the nine weeping willows.

The branches swayed, each a hundred meters long. The king tree, with its pale golden branches, pressed upon him with its presence.

There was pressure, certainly—but it was slight.

In a flash, Qin Ming moved like a streak of light, covering several hundred meters in an instant to stand before the mightiest willow. His Bloodshadow Blade was already unleashing the ninth form of the Ninefold Thunder Blade.

Before the tree king could react, nearly five million kilograms of force cleaved through its trunk—tough as S-grade alloy—splitting it in two.