Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2868  Trying The Sutra

As the new growth settled back into stillness, Lin Muʼs senses stretched outward instinctively. The wind carried more than the scent of soil now—it brought whispers of pain.

A sharp thread of anguish fluttered at the edge of his perception.

Someone or something was nearby.

Without hesitation, Lin Mu turned and leapt down the slope.

WHOOSH

Then he flew, not towards the temple, but to the forest outside it.

Lin Mu stepped into the forest, guided by the faint trail of blood smeared across a patch of broken leaves.

The cries heʼd heard earlier had quieted, but the unease in the air lingered like a mist. Birds had fled, insects hushed. Even the wind seemed cautious.

He crouched beside a bush, gently parting the foliage—and found it.

A young Ironhide Boar, no larger than a calf, lay collapsed near a moss-covered tree. Its side was gouged open, the wound festering with lingering traces of corrosive Qi. A spirit beast, yet barely in the Dao Treading realm.

Its breath came in sharp gasps, each one wet with pain.

Lin Mu knelt beside the creature.

He placed a hand on its brow, which flinched weakly at his touch. ”Easy now,” he said softly, his tone calm, grounding. ”Iʼm not here to hurt you.”

He looked at the wound, assessing its state.

His other hand hovered over the wound.

”Itʼs poison.” Little Shrubby spoke. ”A strong one.” He added.

”Yeah.” Lin Mu muttered.

The forest had no lack of beasts, both venomous and not. It wasnʼt unusual to see such events happening from time to time.

The Healing Heart Sutra awakened within him.

A green glow bloomed from his chest and flowed into his arms, trailing like creeping vines. The sutraʼs chant echoed faintly in his soul.

”Embrace the Heart of Nature and bask in its benevolence…”

”Cleanse your heart and purify all that taints the worlds…”

”Behold, the Healing Heart Sutra.”

The forest responded.

Wildflowers sprouted at his feet. Mushrooms opened like sleepy eyes. Branches overhead trembled as if greeting an old friend.

But even as Lin Mu sent his Qi forth, he felt the toll immediately.

The beastʼs wound was not fresh—it had festered under malevolent poison. And the Healing Heart Sutra did not simply cover injuries; it drew out corruption, purged it utterly, and rebuilt life from the root.

His Qi streamed out in torrents.

The green light intensified, wrapping around the boarʼs body. The wound writhed as black Qi hissed and evaporated into the air. A foul vapor curled off its hide, dissipating harmlessly.

RIPPLE

The sutra worked swiftly—but not painlessly.

Sweat rolled down Lin Muʼs brow. His meridians trembled under the pressure. He felt his core draining—not just Qi, but spirit essence to fuel the sutraʼs purifying force.

He grit his teeth. ”So this is the cost…”

The deeper the wound, the heavier the toll.

Healing something minor might only take a breath. But to purge something this corrupted? It was like drawing clean water from a poisoned well with bare hands.

A few more moments and—

SHHAA

The wound closed. Smooth flesh reformed, sealed by pure Wood Qi. The boarʼs breathing stabilized, its eyes fluttering open with a low grunt of confusion.

It blinked up at Lin Mu, dazed, then snorted softly and curled beside him, as if to sleep.

Lin Mu fell back with a groan, hand on his chest.

”I need to be more careful…” he muttered, voice hoarse. ”The sutra doesnʼt know restraint.”

Around him, the forest bloomed.

Green vines crept along the ground, weaving in patterns of sacred harmony. Birds returned to the branches. A pair of glowing butterflies flitted past, trailing sparks of gentle light.

The Healing Heart Sutra had not only cleansed the beast—it had healed the forest itself.

But Lin Mu, while victorious, felt hollowed. The cost had been great.

Still… he smiled faintly.

”Looks like I still cannot control the sutra properly.” Lin Mu realized. ”It flows out uncontrollably, affecting everything around me.” he muttered.

If Lin Mu could only target a single location, the drain would probably be less, but as of now it seemed to affect a lot of area. He didnʼt know if this was the default state of the sutra, or perhaps because he had just obtained it.

ʼIt quickly reached the Third Stage of Internal Resonance, so I thought Iʼd be able to control it well, but it seems like rapid growth has its flaws too.ʼ He thought to himself.

Unlike the other sutras that Lin Mu had learned step by step, he had obtained the Healing Heart Sutra in bulk. With other sutras, Lin Mu could pick out target, if he wanted, he could only affect one person and no one would know.

But Lin Mu couldnʼt seem to limit it to a small range, the sutra seemed to do what it wished. It was almost as if it had a will of its own, an eagerness, a desire to heal everything around it. in a way it was more complex and difficult to use than the other sutras.

Even the Burning Heart Sutra of the Demon Path and the Murdering Heart Sutra of the Devil Path werenʼt this troublesome. Sure, the Murdering Heart Sutra could make him lose control and he could even let Lin Mo take hold of him, but it was still with his consent.

But the Healing Heart Sutra seemed to be an area-of-effect skill. At least for now. Lin Mu wondered if he had obtained the power, but not the skill needed to use it. After all, he had a long time to practice the other sutras, but this one was still new and Lin Mu was but just a novice with it.

In a way, it had a burden.

”But if I am to carry this burden… then I will do so properly.”

Somewhere deep in the earth, beneath root and stone, the Green Petal Urim Lotus stirred in silent approval.

ʼTo think Iʼd see a human child that managed to learn the Litany Of The Verdant Forests. I was blessed to come across him.ʼ