Shí Jīngxián didn’t have time to think deeply about this question, because not long after, he discovered the core of the Lièchǐguǒ. 

Although most branches were numerous, intelligent plants also had their own independent “brains.” Their central nervous systems were mostly located in the most tender core areas, surrounded by layers of protection, rarely exposed. 

So when faced with intelligent plants, ability users rarely managed to directly harm the root—most of them didn’t even know where the core of most intelligent plants was located. 

However, guided by his awakened abilities, Shí Jīngxián quickly found the brain of the Lièchǐguǒ. But he didn’t expect that after touching the core area of the Lièchǐguǒ, he could clearly sense its emotions. 

—Anxiety, pain, and on the brink of death. Coupled with the unusually sparse protection around the core area of the Lièchǐguǒ… 

“The Lièchǐguǒ’s division this time doesn’t seem to be natural growth,” he said in a low voice, looking at a pile of seemingly ordinary vines not far away. 

“What is it?” Lán Luòhǎi asked. 

“It seems to be entangled by the Zhàn sī liú… That’s why it’s trying to break off its tail to survive,” Shí Jīngxián gestured for him to look at the restless vines. “It noticed our approach but didn’t attack. Moreover, the vines in this core area are fewer than those near the Zhàn sī liú.” 

“If we interrupt the division, can we get rid of it?” 

“We can, but the Lièchǐguǒ will struggle violently before it dies. And once the Lièchǐguǒ dies, we’ll have to face the successfully devouring Zhàn sī liú. This thing not only eats plants but also ability users.” 

As Shí Jīngxián spoke, a bold idea began to form in his mind. 

“Why don’t we… help the Lièchǐguǒ?” 

The Lièchǐguǒ is a vine plant made up of countless brown vines, each producing many large red spherical fruits. The core of the Lièchǐguǒ is also a vine, but this vine is purple, much smaller in diameter and length than the other branches. 

After splitting up to act, using high-level concealment potions and defensive crystals, Shí Jīngxián quickly approached the core of the Lièchǐguǒ alone. That purple vine was wrapped in countless other vines, like it was hidden inside a large bamboo ball. 

Standing in front of the vine ball that was as tall as three people, Shí Jīngxián took a deep breath. Even though he had concealed his presence, facing so many slowly crawling thick vines and hundreds of fruit the size of human heads with jagged teeth, it was impossible to say he felt no pressure. 

The defensive shield had already been activated, so he simply closed his eyes and raised his hand to slowly transfer the energy that had just awakened within him to the core of the Lièchǐguǒ. 

This process was similar to handling materials when making potions, and Shí Jīngxián was quite skilled at it. But the problem was, what lay before him was not a malleable raw material, but a highly intelligent creature with strong attack power. 

Shí Jīngxián quickly felt the pressure coming from the shield. Realizing that the Lièchǐguǒ could not ignore the imminent threat right in front of it, he didn’t even need to open his eyes to know that the shield had already been entangled by the vines. 

But Shí Jīngxián didn’t stop; he continued to pour energy into it without reservation. 

The division of intelligent plants required energy to be split, and under the disturbance of the Zhàn sī liú, the Lièchǐguǒ’s division was both awkward and difficult. Shí Jīngxián’s goal was to help it with energy guidance, allowing the division to be completed more quickly. 

However, in its critical moment, the Lièchǐguǒ could no longer distinguish between friend and foe; it was merely instinctively expelling outsiders. 

The transparent shield grew thinner and thinner until a vine pierced through it, unceremoniously drilling in through the gap and biting into Shí Jīngxián’s right leg. 

“…Mmm!” 

Shí Jīngxián let out a muffled grunt but tightened his energy guidance once again. 

Just as the shield, riddled with holes, was about to completely dissipate, the aggressive Lièchǐguǒ suddenly stopped its restlessness. 

Shí Jīngxián’s heart stirred. He didn’t stop his movements; instead, he took the opportunity to increase his efforts, causing the Lièchǐguǒ to completely quiet down. 

The thick vines slowly retreated, leaving only a light purple flexible vine in front of Shí Jīngxián, with a tiny fruit hanging from its tip. 

Soon, he heard Lán Luòhǎi’s voice not far away. 

“Xuān rán!” 

Shí Jīngxián wanted to respond, but his voice came out weak. He simply waited until Lán Luòhǎi arrived before asking, “Thanks to Your Highness’s help… has the Zhàn sī liú been removed?” 

Lán Luòhǎi frowned, but his gaze fell on Shí Jīngxián’s leg. 

“You’re injured?” 

“The Lièchǐguǒ’s vines corrode the shield,” Shí Jīngxián said, “Next time, we can improve.” 

Before Lán Luòhǎi could respond, a sharp, screeching sound suddenly came from a distance. 

Shí Jīngxián jumped in surprise. “What is that?” 

“I cut through the core of the Zhàn sī liú,” Lán Luòhǎi stepped forward to support Shí Jīngxián, saying, “It should have been eaten by the Lièchǐguǒ.” 

Sure enough, the purple vine not far away had noticeably regained some vitality, happily waving around, even the tiny fruit at its tip was shaking along. 

Lán Luòhǎi turned to look at it with an unfriendly expression. 

The purple vine immediately froze in place. 

“Did the Lièchǐguǒ bite you?” Lán Luòhǎi stared at the purple vine and asked. 

“Yeah. But it’s nothing serious; I’ve successfully calmed it down.” Shí Jīngxián sighed in relief. With Lán Luòhǎi’s support, he bent down to check his right leg. Although the wound looked a bit frightening, the situation wasn’t serious. 

“I remember that the seeds of the Lièchǐguǒ contain detoxifying properties,” he said. “I was able to sense its emotions just now; it no longer harbors malice towards us. I want to see if I can communicate with it to take some seeds back.” 

His newly awakened abilities gave Shí Jīngxián a deeper understanding of plants. Even without the ordinary methods, he should be able to succeed. 

But Shí Jīngxián didn’t expect that as soon as he finished speaking, a large, plump fruit appeared in front of him, swaying unsteadily. 

Lán Luòhǎi’s eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to strike. 

Shí Jīngxián hurriedly stopped him, “Don’t! Be careful not to anger it.” 

That Lièchǐguǒ showed no signs of fear; it opened its jagged cracks and turned itself upside down, causing a bunch of tiny, shiny particles the size of fingernails to fall out. 

Shí Jīngxián’s eyes lit up. 

“Seeds!” 

The Lièchǐguǒ originally intended to deliver the seeds into Shí Jīngxián’s arms, but since Lán Luòhǎi had raised the shield again, all the seeds fell onto the ground in front of the two. 

Lán Luòhǎi shot a cold glance at the Lièchǐguǒ and turned to Shí Jīngxián, saying, “I’ll help you sit down; I’ll collect the seeds.” 

After he helped Shí Jīngxián sit by a tree, he went to pick up the scattered seeds. When Lán Luòhǎi turned back, he found Shí Jīngxián already sitting in a pile of Lièchǐguǒ seeds. 

Lán Luòhǎi: “…” 

Shí Jīngxián pondered, “Don’t you think it has a good impression of me?” 

Lán Luòhǎi: “…” 

He began to reconsider the feasibility of cutting down a Lièchǐguǒ. 

But Shí Jīngxián was seriously contemplating this issue. 

“The Lièchǐguǒ had always harbored hostility towards us, but after I calmed it down, its attitude changed significantly.” 

“Of course, this is also related to the Zhàn sī liú being removed, but I think the key should still be the calming process.” 

As Shí Jīngxián spoke, a red-brown Lièchǐguǒ poured a handful of seeds into the pocket of his protective robe. 

After finishing, the Lièchǐguǒ rubbed against his arm. 

Lán Luòhǎi glanced at that Lièchǐguǒ. 

“Let’s try and see.” 

Saying this, Lán Luòhǎi also reached out to a Lièchǐguǒ beside him. 

Just as his fingers were about to touch it, the originally quiet Lièchǐguǒ suddenly opened its jagged teeth and unceremoniously bit at Lán Luòhǎi. 

The contrast in treatment was so stark. 

Lán Luòhǎi expressionlessly flicked his hand, directly sending it flying along with the fruit and vine. 

Shí Jīngxián hurriedly calmed down the other startled Lièchǐguǒ. He thought for a moment, “So, it really does have a good impression of me.” 

“Then can I…” Shí Jīngxián asked, “advise it to withdraw from this area?” 

Lán Luòhǎi looked down on the Lièchǐguǒ that was wagging its tail and waiting to be petted. But for the sake of this mission, he reluctantly said, “It’s worth a try.” 

Under the influence of the ordinary methods, Shí Jīngxián originally thought he would need to communicate with the Lièchǐguǒ through complex emotional expressions. But unexpectedly, just as he finished this sentence, the purple vine began to move on its own. 

As if hearing a silent command, countless thick Lièchǐguǒ vines gathered from all directions, quickly blocking the forest in front of them, leaving only one direction behind Shí Jīngxián to escape. 

The massive pile of Lièchǐguǒ vines stacked together, and the slender purple vine poked its head out from the mountain of vines, swaying towards Shí Jīngxián. 

Lán Luòhǎi connected the communicator, and after listening for a few sentences, he turned to Shí Jīngxián. 

“The main team has sent word; the nearby Lièchǐguǒ have all disappeared.” 

The purple vine happily bent in a circle. 

Shí Jīngxián was surprised; he didn’t expect intelligent plants to understand human language so completely. 

He hesitated for a moment and said to the purple vine, “Thank you.” 

The purple vine shook its small fruit, pointing its vine tip towards the direction of Shí Jīngxián’s right leg. 

Shí Jīngxián understood and said, “Is it about my leg injury? I will take good care of it.” 

Only then was the purple vine satisfied. It waved at Shí Jīngxián, and then, like a small mountain, the thick vines began to move back. 

That direction was away from the core country’s territory. 

After the Lièchǐguǒ left, Shí Jīngxián, having bandaged his wound, walked with Lán Luòhǎi towards the main force, carrying a storage ring full of seeds. 

He tried using his healing abilities on his leg injury and found that he could only expel the toxins but couldn’t heal the wound. However, with a decent physique as a pharmacist, after detoxifying, the flesh wound was just a minor issue. 

Recalling the process of guiding the Lièchǐguǒ, Shí Jīngxián suddenly felt that what Jì Xuān rán had awakened was not a healing ability, but rather a… ability to influence plants. 

This question truly caught him off guard, to the point that Shí Jīngxián pondered it all the way until he heard the system’s prompt sound, bringing him back to reality. 

【Ding—Task repair progress, 50%】 

Shí Jīngxián looked up and saw a crowd of grateful and admiring people not far ahead. After hearing Lán Luòhǎi’s brief explanation and witnessing the retreat of the vines, the way they looked at Shí Jīngxián and Lán Luòhǎi was as if they were gazing at deities. 

Lán Luòhǎi didn’t mention the interaction between Shí Jīngxián and the Lièchǐguǒ; he only said they had resolved the Lièchǐguǒ’s division and successfully expelled it. The team, originally disheartened by the truth about Yuán Xiāo, had now truly found the heroes to thank and admire. 

If it weren’t for Lán Luòhǎi’s usual indifference, coupled with Shí Jīngxián’s leg injury, the excited crowd would have probably lifted the two of them and thrown them into the sky. 

After regrouping, the group set off back to the royal city. With the threat of plants gone, the vehicles moved smoothly, quickly leaving the original Lièchǐguǒ grove. 

Many people in the team had been bitten and poisoned by the Lièchǐguǒ. But since the seeds of the Lièchǐguǒ couldn’t be directly absorbed by ability users, and Shí Jīngxián was also injured, it was impossible for him to treat and detoxify everyone. So as soon as he got into the vehicle, he contacted Dè Sī, asking them to prepare detoxification materials, planning to use the seeds to make detoxification potions to treat the injured from this trip. 

In addition, on the way back, Shí Jīngxián kept thinking about another person—Yuán Xiāo. 

Shí Jīngxián wasn’t surprised by Yuán Xiāo’s escape; after all, this marshal was an eighth-tier ability user and one of the protagonists of the S-level mission. 

Moreover, directly letting Yuán Xiāo die would be too easy for him; keeping this person around could extract a bit more progress. 

However, Shí Jīngxián clearly remembered the things Yuán Xiāo had done. Even if he couldn’t control Jì Xuān rán now, he would definitely look for other pharmacists to make sacrifices. 

“About Yuán Xiāo…” Shí Jīngxián couldn’t help but ask, “Does Your Highness have any plans?” 

Lán Luòhǎi had already sent back the wanted notice for him to the core country, but with Yuán Xiāo’s strength and his identity as an A-country citizen, if he wanted to hide, it would be very difficult to find him. 

To Shí Jīngxián’s surprise, Lán Luòhǎi seemed very confident. 

“I know how to draw him out.” 

Shí Jīngxián asked, “Does Your Highness have a way?” 

Lán Luòhǎi gestured for him to look ahead. 

The return journey was smoother than the outbound one. Just over an hour later, they had arrived outside the royal city. The city gates were wide open, and people who had heard the news of victory were already waiting nearby. The crowd surged, countless people craning their necks, waiting for the heroes to return. 

When they were several hundred meters away from the city gate, everyone got off the dusty vehicles that had traveled through the jungle and lined up again. The leading generals and high-level ability users brought their warhorses, preparing to mount and advance. 

And beside Lán Luòhǎi’s vehicle at the front of the line, a snow-white steed was led over by the guards. 

On its back was a double saddle made of crystal. 

The guard stepped forward and opened the door of the vehicle where Lán Luòhǎi was. 

The man turned his head, his deep blue eyes sincere and expectant. 

He softly asked, “Is it okay, Xuān rán?”