Chapter 36: The Wind Rises from the Edge of the Green Duckweed

Ye Chen noticed that the position of the purple bamboo was particularly unique, as if it formed the very heart of the entire grove.

“No wonder this stalk of purple bamboo is able to transform—it’s gathering the essence of the whole bamboo forest. It would be difficult for it not to evolve under such circumstances.”

Curiosity stirred within Ye Chen. “This seems to be a method of collecting many into one, quite similar to divine techniques.”

“No, it’s not quite right to compare it to divine techniques. Rather, it’s reminiscent of the way of totems, or perhaps it’s a rough prototype of the totem method.”

To gather the essence of a bamboo forest in such a way certainly had its flaws and was far from perfect. Yet, to enable the metamorphosis of a single spiritual bamboo, it was more than sufficient.

“This does not seem to be a naturally occurring phenomenon.”

Ye Chen felt a certain heaviness in his heart. “Could it be that someone powerful is hidden behind this bamboo grove?”

“No, the grove itself isn’t important. The real concern is whether someone truly cares about the Bamboo Tribe.”

Ye Chen sensed that he had stumbled upon only the tip of the iceberg behind the Bamboo Tribe’s secrets. Was the tribe ordinary? Certainly, it appeared so—so weak that a simple gesture could wipe them out completely.

Too fragile, yet to claim the Bamboo Tribe had nothing special about them would be equally wrong.

“Thinking about it this way, the spiritual bamboo, as a totem, must play a crucial role.”

“If the entire Bamboo Tribe is a vital node in the tapestry of fate, then the spiritual bamboo, as their totem, surely cannot be useless.”

Ye Chen murmured to himself, “And yet, I have taken the place of the spiritual bamboo. Isn’t that strange?”

“If it was truly so formidable, I wouldn’t have made it this far—I’d have been overwhelmed long ago.”

Ye Chen felt no fear; in fact, he found it somewhat amusing.

What scheme was at work here? If it could be disrupted so easily, was it all just shadowboxing with the air? Was he overthinking things?

Ye Chen dismissed these doubts and focused intently on the purple bamboo, a faint awe stirring in his heart.

A thunderous blast of divine power crashed down, like lightning striking the purple bamboo.

The purple bamboo shook its leaves desperately, its branches clattering in resistance to Ye Chen’s assault.

Yet it was of little use; the purple bamboo moved stiffly, possessing brute strength but unable to wield it effectively.

Waves of bamboo energy surged and receded, as if the entire forest was trembling.

“What is happening?” The chief’s heart skipped a beat, his voice grave. “Everyone, stay alert.”

In that instant, a dazzling divine light shot across the grove, swift as lightning. With a crackling sound, it knocked down several bamboo stalks in succession, then exploded in a blaze, igniting a sky full of flames.

Strangely, the fire did not cause an uncontrollable blaze. Instead, it danced like serpents of flame, twisting in the air and spitting fury. Amid these movements, a purple serpent, its entire body glowing with violet light, leapt from a stalk of purple bamboo.

A small lump bulged on its brow, and its cold eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Even separated by some distance, the chief felt a deep sense of unease.

“The totem is intervening!” Ya cried out. “Is the totem in trouble? Shouldn’t we go help?”

“Don’t make things worse,” the chief replied coldly. “It’s not that the totem is in trouble. Most likely, that purple serpent has its sights set on us. The totem is dealing with the threat for our sake. If we go over there, we’ll just make matters worse.”

The chief glared at Ya, then continued, “Don’t complicate things. The totem will be fine. We must know our limits.”

Ya shrank back, not daring to argue further.

“But what exactly is that purple serpent?”

A strong sense of crisis emanated from the purple serpent, and Ya felt that if he faced it directly, death would be certain.

The feeling of swelling power after his breakthrough had long faded; now, he was deeply humbled.

Even after ascending, he was still insignificant.

That was why, after the chief refused, Ya had no intention of confronting the purple serpent himself. His compliance stemmed from his lack of confidence.

The chief sighed, cast a glance at Ya, and said in a low voice, “The true marvel is the purple bamboo itself. You’re looking at the wrong thing. As for the purple serpent, it’s simply a creature that transformed after consuming the bamboo’s nectar.”

“Ordinary grass snakes can leap upward with this nourishment. The purple bamboo, having gathered the essence of the entire forest, has truly become a spiritual seed. It’s a rare sight.”

The chief’s eyes glinted with envy, though he managed to resist the temptation.

At this moment, Ye Chen and the purple serpent were locked in a fierce battle. The serpent, unsurprisingly, was difficult to kill.

The purple serpent was, in essence, the guardian beast of the purple bamboo. It would not be easily snatched away.

Spiritual treasures typically had guardians; Ye Chen would have to defeat the serpent first to claim his prize.

“If I devour the essence of the purple bamboo, perhaps I can truly break through and become the Dream Butterfly Immortal.”

Ye Chen had glimpsed only the tip of the iceberg of the Dream Butterfly Immortal’s legacy, never the whole picture.

It could be said that his successive transformations had brought him within arm’s reach of becoming the Dream Butterfly Immortal.

He could step across that threshold at any moment—or remain trapped for a lifetime.

Now, though, Ye Chen felt a faint clarity: such an opportunity would never come again.

It wasn’t that there were no other spiritual treasures besides the purple bamboo. Far from it. But destiny had its own mysterious logic. Beyond the nectar contained in the purple bamboo, which would greatly aid Ye Chen’s breakthrough, deeper reasons were at play.

“Once I seize the purple bamboo, I will have fully inherited the fate of the spiritual bamboo totem.”

Ye Chen murmured to himself, “This touches on the critical node of destiny—it’s closely linked to that intangible thing called fortune. Though I can’t see its changes, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

“There are those favored by heaven, who become the trendsetters of their era. These are not illusions—how can they be ignored?”

“The spiritual bamboo totem must play a vital role. Since I’ve replaced it, I must seize both its fortune and its fate.”

These were only Ye Chen’s speculations, and might not be true.

But it was enough to make him cautious.

The wind stirs at the edge of the green grass; all is still in its early stages. Only then can fate and fortune be transferred.

Otherwise, disaster would strike, and Ye Chen himself would be the one whose head was smashed.

Ye Chen still hoped to claim the place of the spiritual bamboo totem, but that would be nothing more than a fool’s dream if he came too late.

It was luck that he arrived early; a moment’s delay and he’d have been left with nothing.

The power of the entire Void Realm surged, the emptiness groaning under the strain.

The purple serpent was seized with terror, a fatal sense of crisis—it could neither resist nor escape.

Now, the serpent no longer hesitated; the gap was too vast. When Ye Chen unleashed his full strength, the serpent was no match.

In a flash of radiant light, it was as if a divine sun fell from the heavens—vast flames spread rapidly, forming a ring. In an instant, the purple serpent was engulfed, with no way out.

Under immense pressure, the serpent barely struggled before its body was crushed and flattened, blood spraying everywhere. Its flesh became a blur, and its head was smashed to pulp. It was a wretched sight.