Chapter Twenty-One: Obtaining the Spirit Artifact, The Green Shadow Descends

Wen Shuo watched from not far away, observing Qing Lan with keen interest. Hearing this, Zhu Ning turned her gaze to Qing Lan and let out a cold snort, a flash of malice crossing her face. "You? You think you have the right to compete with me for this treasure?"

Qing Lan paid her no mind.

Nearby, Zhu Yue watched Qing Lan with a cold, guarded expression. She did not want any complications to arise. Instinctively, she wanted to suppress Qing Lan to prevent any trouble, but her gaze suddenly caught the man standing behind Qing Lan.

The man stood at a short distance, his eyes as sharp as blades, watching her in silence.

Zhu Yue felt a jolt of alarm. After a moment of hesitation, she decided against taking action.

The little girl, seeing that Qing Lan was about to leave, felt a surge of anxiety and reluctance.

"Stay with the big brother," Qing Lan said gently. "You will be safe."

Only then did the little girl loosen her grip on Qing Lan’s skirt.

***

Qing Lan stepped forward. She did not rush, letting her thoughts swirl in her mind as she quietly sensed the flow of spiritual energy in the air, contemplating the reasons for the failures of those before her.

She understood clearly that the key to this test lay in balancing the sharpness of the arrow with the stability of the bow. Having observed the characteristics of both, she knew that precise control over wood-element spiritual energy was the deciding factor.

Having never possessed a spiritual weapon of her own, she had long relied on using falling leaves as blades and thorns as swords. These experiences had granted her an intuitive grasp of fine-tuned wood-element manipulation.

Streams of green light flickered from her fingertips, dancing like spirit serpents. Before long, she had harmonized the sharpness of the arrow to perfection—a task she found far from difficult.

Watching how quickly Qing Lan tempered the arrow, Wen Shuo was stunned, then let out a self-deprecating laugh. "My own cultivation is still lacking..."

Zhu Ning glared at her coldly. Seeing Qing Lan achieve what she had done, she remained dismissive. "What’s so impressive about that? The bowstring is the difficult part. You’ll surely fail there."

Qing Lan focused on the task at hand, ignoring her completely.

She began to temper the bow itself, and the process... remained smooth.

She had fully inherited the wood-element affinity she had cultivated within the Mu family. The fusion between the bow and the string became increasingly harmonious. Soon, their auras grew nearly identical, and the icy-blue arrow gradually shifted toward the deep green hue of the bow.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper, who truly understood the implications, felt his heart surge with waves of emotion. He could not help but exclaim in excitement, "Could it be that this spiritual weapon will actually be forged today!"

Hearing this, Zhu Ning’s face darkened even further. As she watched the colors of the bow and arrow in Qing Lan’s hands unify, about to merge into one, a flash of cruelty crossed her eyes. She suddenly unleashed a sharp burst of spiritual energy, aiming directly at Qing Lan in an attempt to disrupt the final step!

However, Wen Shuo quickly sensed her malice and intervened instantly to block her.

"Bang!"

Two forces of spiritual energy collided and neutralized each other. Wen Shuo’s tone was filled with warning: "You have overstepped."

Zhu Ning’s expression shifted, though she did not truly care for his warning—this was the Zhu family’s territory, and he could do little about it. She prepared to strike again, but a sudden chill rose from her spine, as if a powerful killing intent had locked onto her, leaving her frozen in place.

***

Qing Lan ignored the commotion, her eyes fixed solely on the bow and arrow nearing completion. She quickly finished the final step, pouring in her spiritual energy to fuse them entirely. The weapon took its perfect form.

She gently lifted the spiritual weapon. The bow’s luster was exquisite, its deep green color reminiscent of an ancient forest, while the arrow was exceptionally sharp, and the string was pulled tight with perfect stability.

She looked up slightly to see Zhu Ning’s livid face, then caught the approving gaze of Wen Shuo. She paused, offering a slight nod in return.

Having witnessed that there are always stronger people beyond one’s own horizon, Wen Shuo left, satisfied.

Seeing Zhu Ning lose face in front of the crowd, the surrounding air filled with ripples of mockery.

A dignified voice cut through the ridicule: "Enough."

Zhu Yue, a high-level cultivator of the Zhu family, stepped forward. She scanned everyone present with a cold gaze before preparing to take Zhu Ning away. Zhu Ning still looked unwilling.

"Stop making a scene! Haven't you embarrassed us enough for one day?"

Before leaving, Zhu Yue cast a cold, chilling glance at Qing Lan.

***

The sun set behind the mountains, and twilight deepened.

"The 'Green Shadow Fall' is a spiritual weapon that integrates both offense and defense. Without sufficiently precise control of spiritual energy, using it will only result in self-injury."

"You are indeed qualified to possess this weapon," the shopkeeper said, his voice tinged with regret, yet filled with genuine recognition.

"Once you drop your blood upon it, you will be its new master."

Qing Lan smiled faintly and tucked the Green Shadow Fall away.

She took the little girl from Yue Dong’s side and brought her to the shopkeeper, her words earnest. "I have one more request."

The shopkeeper looked surprised. "You want me to ensure her safety?"

Qing Lan said solemnly, "Exactly. The path ahead of us is fraught with danger; it is truly not suitable to bring her along."

The shopkeeper’s expression was complex. "If only all these noble families cherished the lives of commoners as you do."

Qing Lan remained calm and said nothing.

"I will protect her. Now that the Green Bow and Heart Arrow are forged, even the Zhu family will not be able to move against me so easily. You may rest assured."

***

Qing Lan bowed. "Many thanks, Senior."

The girl was still anxious, her eyes filled with reluctance as she refused to let go of Qing Lan’s hand.

Qing Lan bent down, wrapped the girl in a soft embrace, and whispered, "We will meet again. In the future, remember to stay away from bad people."

"It is getting late; we should be on our way," Yue Dong said, walking to her side.

The two departed. The girl held the shopkeeper’s hand, her gaze stubbornly following Qing Lan’s retreating back until the figure vanished.

Her eyes were clear as crystal, yet deep within them, sparks flickered. If one looked closely, three golden light runes were constantly rotating, appearing somewhat terrifying.

She murmured, "Big Sister, will we really meet again..."

***

Qing Lan and Yue Dong left Red Cloud City, heading toward the teleportation array in Red Peak City to the southwest.

"Has the Green Shadow Fall been blood-bound yet?" Yue Dong asked.

Qing Lan nodded and produced the whip.

Yue Dong took it, touched it lightly, and asked curiously, "How does it feel?"

"It’s a bit vague," Qing Lan replied. "I’ll only know for sure once I’m in battle."

"It’s my first time being this close to a spiritual weapon, too," Yue Dong remarked.

Qing Lan raised an eyebrow and teased, "Why is that so difficult?"

With a sweep of her hands, she produced a shield and an arrow quiver from her storage.

"Take them and play," she said with a grand flourish.

Yue Dong took them and inspected them, unable to help but laugh. "It seems all of Mu Feng’s prized treasures have fallen into your hands."

***

Just as they were talking, a strange, ominous aura quietly closed in on them.

Yue Dong frowned slightly, quickly stowing away the two spiritual weapons, and immediately pulled Qing Lan to her side.

"Boom!"