Chapter 7: The Fiery Conflagration in the Bloodthirsty Vine Forest

Yu Yan gave Yun Duo’er a gentle, affectionate smile.

Today marked the opening of the Bloodthirsty Vine’s domain, but its first visitor was none other than Yu Yan, a reaper cloaked in blood. The vines had not yet had a chance to absorb the blood of humans or any other creatures. Severed ends dripped no crimson, only lifeless sap, for the nourishment had yet to be claimed.

Compared to their terrifying presence in her past life, these Bloodthirsty Vines were but a pale shadow.

A parent’s love is to plan far ahead for their child.

Yu Yan had no intention of raising Yun Duo’er in a sterile, untouched world. The coming of the replica worlds was irreversible.

Of course, she could have left Yun Duo’er outside the domain, storming in alone to clear the dangers herself. But sooner or later, Yun Duo’er would have to face the cruelty of these worlds on her own. When that moment arrived, Yu Yan might not be able to protect her. What would Yun Duo’er do then?

She must teach Yun Duo’er to fight in these worlds, to defend herself with her own strength!

And at this very moment, the Bloodthirsty Vine domain was the perfect training ground for a novice.

As she scavenged, a gleaming, translucent, emerald-green, amber-like object caught her eye. Nestled within was a miniature Bloodthirsty Vine, stretching its delicate, verdant body. A flicker of delight swept through Yu Yan’s gaze.

It was a Bloodthirsty Vine Spirit—a rare drop, with a probability of one in a thousand.

In theory, if you killed a thousand Bloodthirsty Vines, you might obtain one Spirit. In practice, the odds reset each time: every kill offered a one-in-a-thousand chance. If luck was poor, you could slaughter tens of thousands without ever seeing one. But if fortune smiled, perhaps the very first would yield the prize.

Bloodthirsty Vine Spirits were usually of the Fifth Mystic Rank, with a rare few powerful enough to reach Sixth Mystic Rank. This particular Spirit was pale in color, likely because it had never drunk blood nor grown strong, and possessed only Fourth Mystic Rank—the lowest among Spirits.

Yu Yan was not one to disdain such fortune; she cherished it as a treasure and tucked it away.

When she finished collecting the remains, she had amassed three Bloodthirsty Vine Spirits in total.

Alas, all were Fourth Mystic Rank, not even reaching the average for such Spirits.

Yu Yan hesitated. In truth, having obtained the Spirits, her mission was more than accomplished. In her past life, she’d never been so lucky—she had slain thousands of Bloodthirsty Vines and never even glimpsed a Spirit. Her luck then had been abysmal.

Her perseverance then was fueled solely by the agony of losing her daughter.

In the end, the Bloodthirsty Vine forest, also weakened by the adaptation period and able to unleash only a tenth of its power, trembled before her. A clever young vine, unable to withstand the terror of death, yielded and recognized Yu Yan as its master.

This was the origin of Little Qing in her previous life.

With Little Qing’s aid, Yu Yan had survived three harsh years in the cruel replica worlds.

Yet, for all its cleverness, Little Qing was Fifth Mystic Rank at best, merely a support vine. It could not help Yu Yan cultivate, so her power grew slowly. Little Qing, limited by its master’s strength, even degenerated to Third Yellow Rank at one point.

A little more, and it would have fallen to Second Rank, becoming a mere mundane creature.

Mundane creatures—those without self-awareness or spiritual essence.

This was the crucial difference between ordinary enhancers and those bonded with Spirits or Blood Crystals. Ordinary enhancers grew slowly, and even with powerful companions, those companions were capped by their master’s limitations. Some, overwhelmed by their master’s weakness, would see their own power dragged down.

The three Bloodthirsty Vine Spirits she now possessed were lower in rank than Little Qing had been.

Yet their potential, their utility, far surpassed Little Qing’s.

Yu Yan hesitated because once a Spirit is absorbed and refined, one cannot become bonded with any other Spirit or Blood Crystal. She herself was already bonded with the Spatial Phantom Lotus, so it did not matter. But if Yun Duo’er absorbed a Bloodthirsty Vine Spirit, she would be forever tied to that path.

The growth cap for a Bloodthirsty Vine Spirit was Sixth Mystic Rank.

Even if Yu Yan worked tirelessly to collect more Spirits for Yun Duo’er, her daughter’s limit would always be Sixth Mystic Rank.

If Yu Yan had not been reborn, it would be a stroke of luck for Yun Duo’er to obtain even one Spirit. She would not dare hope for more. But now, Yu Yan had returned.

Her own Spirit was the Spatial Phantom Lotus, of the highest Heavenly Twelfth Rank.

There was no reason her daughter should be confined to the Mystic Ranks, unable to even reach the Earthly threshold!

Finally, gritting her teeth, Yu Yan decided to set the Bloodthirsty Vine forest ablaze.

She wanted to secure a support vine for herself and one for Yun Duo’er. As for Yun Duo’er’s main Spirit… that could wait. There was still more than a day left in the adaptation period. Who knew? Perhaps fortune would favor her, and she would obtain a higher-ranked Spirit.

Clinging to this hope, Yu Yan fetched a few of Yun Duo’er’s childhood clothes.

She bundled them up and tied them to a Bloodthirsty Vine corpse, then took out a bottle of “Water of Life” vodka, pouring half of it over the bundle.

Who could say why she’d bought it in the first place—perhaps an impulse to test her bartending skills. She’d ordered a pile of odd liquors online—96% proof vodka, 35-50% proof brandy, and more, accumulating quite a collection.

In the end, they’d all sat gathering dust in a cupboard alongside her unused bartending tools.

Yu Yan had thought she’d never have use for them again, yet now they proved their worth.

The lighter sparked with a crisp snap. Yu Yan thought she saw the distant Bloodthirsty Vine forest shudder—perhaps a trick of her mind. She paid it no heed and tossed the flaming bundle into the heart of the vines.

With a roar, a patch of Bloodthirsty Vines went up in a blazing inferno.

Unsatisfied, Yu Yan began pulling out more clothes—after all, children outgrow their clothes so quickly. Each year meant new garments, the old ones left behind. When packing, Yu Yan had stuffed entire wardrobes into her portable space.

Now, piles of Yun Duo’er’s old clothes filled her storage.

If only she had more “Water of Life”—she’d bought only two bottles—she would have created eighty or a hundred fireballs without trouble!

The Bloodthirsty Vine forest seemed to grumble in mute protest: “Is this really necessary? Is it fair to bully us while we’re so defenseless? Why not come back in two days when we’re at full strength?”

Yu Yan only grinned mischievously—now was precisely the right time to bully them.

The vengeance of a past life, repaid in this one—a fair trade indeed!

“Mom, Mom, this is so much fun! I want to play too! Give me some clothes and liquor!” Yun Duo’er, eager to join in, had already grabbed an uncollected vine corpse from the ground. Yu Yan did not object, handing over the remaining half bottle of “Water of Life.”

Laughter rang out, bright and carefree.

Yun Duo’er’s joyous peals echoed above the burning forest.

Yu Yan felt as if the heavy clouds weighing on her heart had suddenly dispersed. From the moment Yun Duo’er perished in the Bloodthirsty Vine forest in her past life, to this day, when they had burned away a portion of it together—even though the forest was vast, a B-rank domain sprawling far and wide—the change was momentous.

With just six or seven fireballs, it was impossible to burn the entire forest.

Yet the transformation, the rolling smoke, and the surging flames convinced Yu Yan: she could keep Yun Duo’er safe as she grew up. More than that, she would see her daughter grow up happy, free of fear, and untouched by trauma.