Chapter 18: I am willing

The rainbow mist toad had a conflicted expression for a second before it sighed then steeled its resolve for what it was to say next.

"There's zero chance of me getting out of this predicament alive. Even if I tried to risk blowing myself up with you, I have a feeling I'd barely have any chance to move before you killed me. I can see out of the other of my compatriots, I am the only one you have confronted personally instead of letting the leaf do it. That must mean I must have some value that is higher than the rest of them to warrant you to act personally..."

Bolin paused to gauge the reaction of Feng Xin to see if his assumption was right.

Feng Xin only calmly smiled and didn't say anything.

Bolin took it as an admission he was right.

"How about we make a deal then? I submit myself to you or even the organization you're a part of. In exchange you let me live. I am willing to sign any type of soul contract despite how unfavorable the terms may be to me. I just want to be able to keep my life," Bolin softly pleaded.

Feng Xin had expected this to happen once Bolin requested to communicate with him. He faintly sighed before he replied.

"Well, you are right on one thing. You are far more valuable than the rest. However, I think I should clarify one thing, your value is not in your capabilities or power level but in your anatomy. Pardon me for being blunt but you're a walking alchemy ingredient. Whether you live or die, your value doesn't change, it's the same either way." Feng Xin said calmly.

He was callous in his reply to the rainbow mist toad because were he to be any weaker he doubted if he would have been afforded time to even communicate with them.

"Is there really no way to assure my life?" Bolin asked with a pleading look on its face which was a rather scary look for a toad to have. It even made Feng Xin flinch.

"Are you sure that's what you want? Living might be a crueler fate for you than accepting a quick death. Where I am taking you, they may cut you up, heal you, and cut you up again. You will be living each day in constant agony and pain. Life may be worse on you alive than you think," Feng Xin asked as he was secretly gauging Bolin.

Bolin was lost in thought after that response before gripping his fists tightly with his eyes filled with firm resolve.

"I AM WILLING!!" replied Bolin as he gritted through his teeth. He was willing to endure anything as long as he lived. As long as he was alive there would always be hope.

Feng Xin stared at Bolin for a long while waiting to see if he will change his mind. Once he saw his unwavering gaze he gently muttered,

"Fine."

Feng Xin removed another object from his storage ring. It was a jar made of green bamboo with brown papyrus reeds. There was a parchment that seemed to be made of old goat skin attached to the lid. The parchment was filled with black ancient-looking scribbling.

Feng Xin opened the lid of the jar. All the rainbow mist was completely swallowed by the jar within seconds.

"Get in." Feng Xin as he pointed toward the green bamboo jar.

Bolin had a look of hesitation on his face. That small jar gave him a dangerous vibe. He felt his soul being sealed just from staring at a tiny portion of the scribbling on the parchment.

This reaction didn't escape Feng Xin's eyes who faintly smiled.

"Don't worry you won't die when you step into the jar. This jar is called the soul anchoring hibernation jar. Once in the jar, you will be placed in a temporary stasis. Think of it as being in a death cultivation state. Where your senses to the outside world are completely cut off.

Due to your value, I can't risk openly walking with you. I can't store you directly in the storage ring because living things can't be stored in there. But it can be done through indirect means, one of which is through this jar that isolates everything inside of it from the outside world even in an alternate space such as the storage ring.

Once we are at the Order, I'll release you, and don't worry being stored in there will not leave any detrimental effects. It may even be of benefit to you. You'll be able to meditate with no distractions," Feng Xin calmly explained.

Bolin was still fearful but he gritted his teeth and nodded before he made his way to the jar. Just as he was about to get entirely in, he heard Feng Xin say,

"Things may not end up grim as I had earlier depicted. Who knows how things may turn up for you at the Order? You may end up with the same luck as the Mirage Dragonfly and not end up as some alchemy material but there are no assurances. I'll surrender you to my boss then he will decide what happens next."

"Thanks." Bolin politely replied with some life in his response as he completely entered the jar. Feng Xin closed the lid before the talisman glowed with an earth-red light and the scribbling spread from the parchment wrapping the whole jar before disappearing completely.

Once the glow disappeared, Feng Xin stored the jar in his storage ring before he turned his gaze to the remaining creature, the green-flowered babirusa. The creature whose size was like a small mountain was now crawling on the ground with painful grunts escaping its large mouth.

The green-flowered babirusa was a behemoth made of grey skin hide with four bronze tusks in its large snout. Each of the tusks was longer and wider than Feng Xin's sword. It had a large green flower located at the top of its head. The flower was in the shape of a sunflower. A faint yellow glow could be seen emitting from it. The glow flowed around the babirusa's body. Everywhere it passed by, the wounds would faintly heal and close up, though the effects it was having seemed minimal due to the severity and number of wounds on its body. Some were too deep for the glow to have any substantial effect.

The green flowered babirusa had its whole body covered in deep lacerations with some areas being completely purple due to the frost from the glass-like leaves. It was crawled up on the ground and lay on one of its sides. This was because two of its legs had been severed. Both its left foreleg and left hind leg were smoothly sliced off at the knees. From the smoothness and similarity of the cuts, it seemed to have been done at the same time with the same object.

The green flowered babirusa kept trying to force itself up but it could barely support its tremendous weight with just its two legs and it also had grievous wounds on large parts of its body too which further strained it.

"What tremendous vitality. Even after all those wounds it still has the strength to keep struggling." Feng Xin couldn't help but admire the spirit beast as he slowly made his way over.

The babirusa stared at Feng Xin with rage erupting from its eyes as it made even louder growls that seemed to echo for miles and miles around the swamp. The growl didn't stop but seemed to be getting louder and heavier. The green flower on its head started growing larger as it continued to growl. The glow produced by the flower started changing from yellow to green with the color getting darker. However, the glow this time wasn't directed at the injuries covering the babirusa but toward all the vegetation around it. The moment that glow touched any plant, said plant would dry up and wither with the green glow getting richer and richer and the green flower growing larger and larger. Before the flower looked like a normal-sized sunflower however as other plants were drained of their vitality by the glow, the flower grew to the size of a small shrub.

"That's an interesting ability you have there. You are trying to suck the vitality of the other plants to strengthen yourself and rapidly heal your injuries. That's quite a lifesaving ability. Too bad it's too late." Said Feng Xin as he used shadow void steps and gently landed where the green flowered babirusa was.

Before the babirusa could register what was happening, it felt its view rotate sideways in the air. As the view lowered it saw its huge body that was now headless. The head rolled on the floor wide-eyed.

"Wouldn't it be foolish of me to let you use your trump card that easily especially after that loud yell you made?" Feng Xin said as he sheathed his sword which didn't have a blood stain on it at all despite decapitating the large head of the green flower babirusa. It was still pristinely white.

"Look at this size. It is even bigger up close. I can't wait to have some pork fried rice, and pork chops. This meat is likely to be rich, especially with the effect of that flower on its head. I wonder if it can be eaten too. Let me store it first, I'll have plenty of time later to properly carve it up.

As for that green flash viper..." Feng Xin paused as he stared deep into the woods of the swamp with an amused expression.

"It's a rather quick-witted one to be able to escape. It is the only one that didn't even try to fight back and dashed away. With such battle astuteness, the green fog swamp sect will have to be careful. But with the injury to its eye, it won't be making moves any time soon," Feng Xin silently muttered as he started storing the corpses of the green flowered babirusa together with its head, the rapid snapper cottonmouth, and the iron shot frog, before making his way to the corroding heron that was nailed to a tree drawing its last breaths.

"Can this thing even be eaten? I'll ask Yang Qing to try it with me. He is the only one I know with the same poison resistance I do. But how do we even cook this thing? I doubt the chefs will even guide me on it."

Feng Xin silently pondered with his hands on his chin as he stared at the heron that was slouched over.

He produced sword qi from his finger that penetrated the head of the corroding heron before swiftly storing it. He then made his way to the ice-beaked egret and placed his right palm on the massive block of ice. The block started dissolving into white mist before the ice-beaked egret fell to the ground. Feng Xin stored it soon after before he made his way to the last living creature, the mirage dragonfly.

Once he arrived where the mirage dragonfly was, he placed his palm on the conical ice and the same thing that happened with the iced beak egret repeated itself. The encasing ice turned to mist inclusive of the leaf shards before the mirage dragonfly fell to the ground too weak to even flap its wings.

Feng Xin squatted down and placed his palms on the mirage dragonfly. His palms seemed to be draining the white mist from the mirage dragonfly. Some of its wings started fluttering as it slowly started regaining its strength.

Spirit beasts were famed for their strength and vitality. The mirage dragonfly soon gained enough strength to stand up as it stared at Feng Xin with its large compound eyes. Feng Xin seemed like an ant compared to the 20-meter-tall mirage dragonfly. However, the mirage dragonfly docilely lowered its eyed with fear in its eyes. Its body was trembling, which could either be because it was almost frozen solid a few seconds ago, or because of deep fear. 

"You heard what I said before, will you come with me?" Feng Xin gently asked as he rose.

The mirage dragonfly nodded so fast that it even surprised Feng Xin at how fast its response was. It didn't even hesitate as it started nodding its head repetitively with so much force that Feng Xin worried it would snap off.

"Okay okay, no need to be so extreme. I'm currently heading to the west side of this swamp. I'm in a hurry so I hope you can keep up." Feng Xin told the mirage dragonfly as he rapidly continued his journey toward the Green Fog Swamp Sect.

He had considered riding the mirage dragonfly there, but looking at its haggard appearance, he decided against it. He'd better rely on himself or they'd end up late.

Feng Xin rushed ahead leaving the disoriented mirage dragonfly behind. Only when Feng Xin almost left its line of sight did it forcefully regain its bearing and hurry after him.