[Year of the Tiger, March 3, when spring is warm and flowers bloom] 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

After absorbing the Stone Dragon Vine, I felt my Divine Thought becoming more solid. Before, it was like mist, dispersing at a touch, now it’s like water flowing, able to wrap around other existences, better and more intricately perceiving everything.

Human Cultivators cultivate Spiritual Energy into a Golden Core, continuously compressing and condensing the Spiritual Energy until it becomes viscous, ultimately forming a solid Golden Core.

Demon Cultivators form a God Elixir with their Divine Soul, where the Divine Thought is equivalent to Spiritual Energy; the end result is the same, the only difference is the cultivation process.

The Grass and Wood Demon Clan mainly relies on absorbing Sun and Moon Essence, especially Moonlight.

Moonlight is most abundant during the full moon each month, thus the Grass and Wood Demon Clan’s cultivation is naturally more difficult and time-consuming than that of humans, but fortunately, grass and wood are long-lived.

Unless faced with great calamity, grass and wood are essentially immortal beings; even if they wither, as long as the seed continues, their Divine Thought and Spiritual Wisdom can reincarnate into the newborn seed.

The feeling I just had from plundering the Vine Demon makes me think I can take on all these little grass and wood demons, including the entire Ten Thousand Wood Forest, plundering and absorbing them all, estimating that my Divine Soul could directly reach the Divine Elixir Realm, or even beyond.

As soon as this thought arose, I received an intent from the Divine Tree.

The elder advised me to abide by the rules of nature. Alas, I fear retribution from heaven if I do this, and if I provoke a powerful Great Demon, it wouldn’t be worth it.

I still find it awkward, not quite accustomed to a Demon Body, always feeling like I’m manipulating a Magic Treasure rather than controlling my own body.

Today, after communicating with the old dead tree, I learned that the way for the Grass and Wood Demon Clan to earn the qualifications for the Divine Sacrifice ceremony is to enter Insect Valley, which is mixed with various Strange Insects; apart from successful cultivation, or the ability of a Great Demon to coexist with insects.

Little Grass and Wood Demons below the Divine Elixir Realm are almost impossible to survive long within, ninety-nine percent of Little Grass and Wood Demons entering can only survive for three days at most.

Anyone able to survive for nine days in Insect Valley without dying and still below the Divine Elixir Realm qualifies for the Divine Sacrifice ceremony.

Recently, most of the Little Grass and Wood Demons have started to accumulate power, preparing for a journey to Insect Valley.

I asked the old dead tree for the direction to Insect Valley, preparing to separate a segment of my main vine to explore.

...

[Year of the Tiger, March 15]

My separated vine almost couldn’t return, barely reaching the entrance of Insect Valley when I encountered a swarm of black-haired insects, nearly devouring my entire vine.

The black-haired insects carry toxins that made my Divine Thought difficult to concentrate, but fortunately, I myself am toxic too, and my poison is stronger, killing them before they could kill me.

Poison really is a good thing, I need to absorb more poisonous plants.

I long for my former iron-like body, I wonder if Little Bai Grass and White Vine can undergo Body Refining now.

These days, my main body is rooted under the tree, absorbing Sun and Moon Essence according to the normal manner of the Grass and Wood Demon Clan; although the progress is slow, it has changed my mindset.

In the past, my daily cultivation tasks were fully packed, never a moment’s slack, always feeling time was precious, not to be wasted on meaningless things.

Now, I find myself engrossed in listening to a group of Little Grass Demons evaluating the excrement and urine of various demons with great interest, listening all afternoon, even feeling the urge to experience it.

No, no, I mustn’t fall into depravity!

I should focus on observing, attempting is out of the question.

Besides, the Moonlight in the Demon Realm seems different, it has a feeling of Primordial Essence, perhaps this is why the flora and fauna in the Demon Realm more easily give birth to Spiritual Wisdom and transform into demons?

...

[Year of the Tiger, April 6]

The forest is quite interesting.

Today I observed the Honey Juice Grass, resembling a caterpillar, covered in soft thorns secreting a red sweet liquid, attracting nearby insects.

The sweet liquid is very adhesive, making it difficult for young insects to escape.

But Honey Juice Grass does not have the capability to directly devour these insects, so they all have companion insects called assassin bugs.

The legs of assassin bugs have wax, preventing them from getting stuck, and their head’s sharp pin can easily pierce insect bodies and draw out their fluids, after which the assassin bug defecates on the Honey Juice Grass.

These grass and wood are always eager to consume feces, suddenly reminded of my childhood on the mountain, enjoying chewing on sweet grasses; wasn’t that... uh...

Before refining Elixirs in the future, must thoroughly clean all Spiritual Medicines.

The Honey Juice Grass, upon Demon Transformation, its innate Demon Art correlates with its habits, capable of spraying extremely sticky syrup to hinder opponents’ movements, and the syrup can quickly attract insect swarms nearby.

Whenever Honey Juice Grass transforms into a demon, its companion assassin bug upgrades to a Spiritual Insect, its head’s sharp pin can penetrate defenses, absorbs opponents’ Essence Blood, and feeds back to the Honey Juice Grass Demon.