Watching as the aura of that peculiar plant bearing the white-jade fruit grew increasingly feeble, the purple vine tightened like a death-dealing noose, while the rabbit spirit's mournful cries seemed to weep blood. Xiao Qi was frantic with anxiety, yet utterly helpless. All his attempts appeared pale and powerless before that strange vine; his low cultivation had at this moment become an insurmountable chasm.
Just as he was nearly ready to give up, unable to bear seeing the plant wither and the rabbit spirit fall into despair, the jade pendant at his chest, without warning, once again grew scalding hot! This time, it was not the soul-searing agony like when it transmitted memory fragments, but a purer, more concentrated heat, as though some power within the pendant had been stirred, awakened, urgently seeking an outlet for release! At the same moment, that faint current within him originating from the Xu family bloodline—previously stirred in the Poison Miasma Forest—began accelerating uncontrollably of its own accord, faintly resonating with the pendant's searing heat.
It was that purple vine! It was the chilling, sinister, erosive aura it emanated that had stimulated the jade pendant! This thought flashed through Xiao Qi's mind like lightning. A sudden inspiration struck him; almost instinctively, he stretched his hand once more toward the entangled plant. But this time, his target was not the vine, but instead he pressed directly and gently against the withering, pale-purple main stem with its silver patterns, his palm positioned exactly where the jade pendant pressed against his chest.
The instant his hand made contact with the plant's main stem—*Hum!* An extremely faint, almost soul-deep hum resonated. Xiao Qi felt the searing heat from the jade pendant at his chest instantly peak, then a cool, water-like, yet awe-inspiringly majestic stream of faint energy surged from the pendant, passed through his body, and flowed slowly out through the palm pressed against the plant's stem! The energy manifested as an exceedingly thin, barely visible milky-white glimmer, flowing like moonlight, gently covering the area where the plant was entangled.
A miracle occurred! The originally extremely tough, deep-purple vine—which even feeble fire-attribute spiritual power could not affect—upon contact with this milky-white glimmer, reacted as if ice and snow meeting a blazing sun, emitting a soft *hiss* as it rapidly turned charred black, withered, and shrank before his eyes! The constricting force instantly slackened; the parts that had bitten into the stem directly turned to dust! In merely two or three breaths, the deadly purple vine completely detached from the plant, falling to the ground as a small pool of pitch-black ash, devoid of any remaining vitality.
And that milky-white glimmer, after dispelling the vine, did not immediately fade. Instead, like sweet dew, it continued to permeate the severely battered plant. The black marks left by the vine on the plant's main stem gradually lightened within the faint light; the blurred silver patterns became distinct once more. The white-jade fruit at the top, originally dull and covered in cracks, saw those cracks visibly heal and vanish, becoming smooth, lustrous, and white again, even emitting a richer, more refreshingly delightful fragrance than before! The plant that had been at death's door now seemed like parched land receiving sweet rain; every leaf unfurled, radiating vibrant life anew. The pale-purple main stem seemed to stand more upright; the silver patterns flowed with a mysterious luster under the faint light's illumination.
The milky-white glimmer finally slowly dissipated, and the jade pendant returned to its usual warmth, no longer hot. Xiao Qi withdrew his hand, staring blankly at this resurrected, even more extraordinary plant before him, then looked down at his own palm, as though everything that had just happened was merely a dream. Had he...had he truly done it? Using that power within the jade pendant to dispel the bizarre vine and revive this plant? That cool, majestic force...was that the "dormant power" Master had spoken of? The true form of the Xu family's "Purification Source"? It actually had such potent suppressing effects on that kind of yin-demonic plant!
"Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp!" The rabbit spirit's joyous cries snapped him out of his daze. He saw it excitedly hopping and circling around the rejuvenated plant, its ruby-like eyes filled with incredulous elation and gratitude. It ran to Xiao Qi's feet, affectionately rubbing against his pant leg, then stood upright on its hind legs, bringing its front paws together and repeatedly bowing like a human, expressing the most sincere thanks.
Seeing the rabbit spirit like this, Xiao Qi's heart also swelled with an indescribable sense of accomplishment and joy. Not only had he saved this plant so crucial to the rabbit spirit, but he had also, for the first time, truly and actively (albeit instinctively) guided and utilized that mysterious power within the jade pendant! He looked again at the plant; the white-jade fruit radiated alluring luster and fragrance. Though he did not recognize it, he knew it was no ordinary item. He felt not the slightest covetousness, only happiness for the rabbit spirit.
"Alright, it's alright now." Xiao Qi crouched down, gently stroking the rabbit spirit's fluffy head, smiling as he spoke. The rabbit spirit closed its eyes contentedly, nuzzled his palm, then turned and carefully stood guard beside the plant, as if protecting the world's most precious treasure.
Xiao Qi stood up, surveying this abandoned herb garden. The evening glow filtered through the sparse trees, illuminating the crumbling stone walls and lush weeds, and also shining upon that revitalized extraordinary plant. This experience of straying into the abandoned herb garden had unexpectedly allowed him to verify another application of the jade pendant's "purification" power, and had also elevated the trust between him and the rabbit spirit to new heights. He faintly sensed that this abandoned herb garden, and this peculiar plant, likely held untold stories. And his ability to wield the purification power must be kept strictly secret; otherwise, it would surely invite calamitous disaster.
Carrying a heart full of awe and harvest, Xiao Qi cast one last glance at the unharmed plant and the rabbit spirit guarding beside it, then turned and quietly left this forgotten corner along the path he had come. The jade pendant at his chest rested peacefully against his skin, as though the faint light that had purified the evil had never appeared at all.