...

[Year of the Tiger, May 4th]

"A gentleman is like an orchid"?

This phrase is now derogatory in my book!

After staying in the Ten Thousand Wood Forest for over two months, I discovered that among the Grass and Wood Demon Clan, the Orchid clan is the largest.

Orchids come in many varieties; they can grow on rocks or trees, in decaying matter, and on the ground.

The appearance of orchids is diverse, with different colors, shapes, and scents that can attract bees and butterflies from all directions.

In the Ten Thousand Wood Forest, if a flower wants to pollinate, it must first use its nutrients to make some nectar to reward the hard-working insects.

But orchids, they mimic the stamens of other flowers, tricking those insects into coming to their flowers.

The insects search hard only to find no nectar, but end up carrying orchid pollen on their bodies and then fly to another orchid, completing the pollination process.

Very clever, but isn’t this way too dishonest!

Besides relying on their showy flowers, orchids have other tactics that are simply without limits, making their blossoms resemble female insects to attract the males seeking to reproduce.

The male insects come eagerly and leave heartbroken, covered in orchid pollen, only to be attracted to the next flower, thinking it’s a real female insect, and thus complete pollination, only to find another false female.

A misplaced sincere affection!

The master of getting something for nothing!

The Orchid Herb Clan really are masters of deception, and considering the rules where demon arts relate to the inherent nature of plants, orchids are very promising as demons.

Using their abilities against the insects in Insect Valley seems like a good choice.

Tian Nanxing belongs to the Orchid Herb Clan, and I’m starting to worry about my contract with him.

After asking around about Tian Nanxing in the Ten Thousand Wood Forest, his reputation is truly bad, but the overall reputation of the Orchid Herb Clan is poor, especially as the Insect Clan despises them.

This is in direct contrast to the Human Clan’s impression of orchids, which is understandable; to insects, orchids are just freeloaders, making them work without any reward.

...

[Year of the Tiger, May 20th]

Today, I had the good fortune to encounter a Fire Grain undergoing transformation, and other grass demons said that the Fire Grain is a descendant of the Mythic-Grade Immortal Herb Nine-Grain Wheat.

After transforming, the Fire Grain appears as a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, with red hair and a red dress, orange-red eyes, and hair tips resembling wheat ears, swaying with a hint of fiery aura.

I’m actually quite puzzled why demons must transform into human shapes?

The Fire Grain hadn’t yet reached the Divine Elixir Realm, and even its cultivation seemed weaker than my current demon body.

Could it be that transformation in the Demon Clan is not about cultivation level, but some kind of insight?

The Fire Grain has a companion Red Jade Snake, which left the Ten Thousand Wood Forest with her after transforming.

Here, for a little grass demon to have a demon beast companion is something enviable, proving one’s great value, and with the protection and feeding from a demon beast, one can better survive and cultivate.

Mentioning companion beasts, those grass and wood flower demons go mad, saying they would be willing to be gnawed daily in Lord Luling’s garden.

So even the Demon Clan has mindless worship.

Some demon beasts once wanted to become my companion beast, I poisoned two or three and chased away five or six, other grass demons couldn’t understand.

Of course, they couldn’t understand, I really can’t accept a demon beast pooping on my head.

Absorbing moonlight tonight, I’ve been pondering the Fire Grain’s transformation, reflecting on what I’ve observed and researched these past times, I’ve realized something.

On the White Vine, there emerges a silvery white halo, resembling moonlight, and suddenly I realize a question.

I seem to have never explored what kind of spirit plant this White Vine really is?

It’s not ordinary, as I can easily integrate the toxins from poisonous plants through it, and it merged well during the grafting of the Undying Vine, not quite following the rules in Tian Nanxing’s Grafting Technique.

Is the White Vine special, or is it because the Cloud Mushroom Grass once incorporated the original essence qi of the Green Lotus?

Next time, I must ask the Divine Tree.

...

[Year of the Tiger, June 6th]

Tian Nanxing visited me today; each clan has begun selecting demons for the Divine Sacrifice ceremony.

The Moonlight Flowing Cup is expected to appear in mid-September, so at the beginning of August, little grass demons from all over the Ten Thousand Wood Forest must enter Insect Valley for a nine-day trial; he said I must try harder.

He said Xie Jingshan is doing well and asked if I’ve decided on what spirit plant to graft.

I asked Tian Nanxing for a section of his main body.

Tian Nanxing is transformed from a Sword Orchid, not just the ornamental Sword Orchids of the Mortal World, but one that genuinely nurtures sword qi.

After years of researching spirit plant grafting techniques, his main body must be very powerful.

I’m not foolish, so of course I ask for the best.

Tian Nanxing was somewhat surprised, but he didn’t refuse in the end, saying I have a good eye.

After helping me graft the Sword Orchid onto the White Vine, he even left me two little demon arts from the Orchid Herb Clan, telling me to start practicing once I’ve fully fused with the Sword Orchid.

After Tian Nanxing left, there were indeed grasses badmouthing me as a ’little bastard.’

Let them be, my time is indeed limited, so I’ll cut myself into three sections and begin learning with all my might.

...

[Year of the Tiger, July 15th]

Thanks to the method of precisely controlling spiritual energy, learning little demon arts is going smoothly, and now my strength is comparable to an early-stage Golden Core demon clan.

As long as I don’t encounter a nemesis specialized against me, I can stand undefeated.

This time, starting from scratch to learn little demon arts plus starting as a grass, I’ve deepened my understanding of the natural world and started to grasp the natural cycle as described by the Divine Tree.

In nature, one cannot solely plunder; everything must leave a margin, as everything has its meaning, and one cannot be completely annihilated, or it will eventually harm oneself.

Mutual exchange is the way to longevity; if you plunder from heaven and earth, you must also give back, yet nothing I have is worth heaven and earth’s favor.

If heaven won’t let me plunder, then let lightning strike me, and I can temper my body simultaneously... uh... I mean, when I have the ability later, I’ll definitely repay heaven and earth by doing good deeds and planting more trees.

Several months of personal realization have made my divine soul and demon body integrate more perfectly, and I’m gradually getting used to being a piece of grass, with less rejection in my heart.

Especially when using demon arts, the demon body is more efficient than the human body.

[Year of the Tiger, August 1st]

Returning to Insect Valley once more, and seeing the white deer that I whipped with two vine tendrils.

They actually told me it’s the examiner for this selection round?!

Does it mean I don’t need to take the test?