Old Man of Hundred Plants

Lore & Background

His legacy survives primarily through fragmented records and the few rare Gu worms attributed to his creation. These artifacts are said to possess unique properties that blend healing and toxicity, embodying the dual nature of plants themselves. While direct accounts of his life are scarce due to the passage of eons, his influence on later Plant Path cultivators, including those who walked alongside Medicine Immortal, suggests he laid foundational theories regarding the interaction between spiritual energy and botanical matter.

In Their Own Story

The mist clung low over the valley floor, thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming nightshade. The Old Man knelt in the mud, his gnarled fingers tracing the veins of a leaf that pulsed with faint green light. He did not speak to the wind or the birds; he listened to the roots beneath him, feeling their slow hunger. A single drop of dew fell from the tip of a stem into his palm, shimmering like liquid emerald poison. 'Life is but a vessel,' he murmured, closing his hand around it, 'and death is merely the soil for what comes next.'

Reader's Guide

The Old Man of Hundred Plants cultivated along the Plant Path, focusing on the manipulation of natural growth and decay. His personality reflected the cold pragmatism common to ancient experts; plants were tools to be used, not beings to be cherished. He viewed every herb as a potential weapon or resource, devoid of sentimental value. In terms of major plot arcs, his presence is felt more through history than direct action. He does not feature prominently in the main timeline but serves as a benchmark for Plant Path knowledge during the Spring Autumn Period and earlier eras. His theories likely influenced the development of medicinal Gu that Fang Yuan encounters later in his journey. Relationships to other characters are largely theoretical or historical. He is considered a predecessor figure, potentially inspiring Medicine Immortal’s own research into life and death through plants. There is no recorded enmity with major Demon Lords, as he operated before the consolidation of power by the Seven Great Paths.

Did You Know?

• His name suggests expertise in over one hundred distinct varieties of medicinal or poisonous flora.
• Some researchers believe his techniques influenced the creation of early healing Gu worms used by sects.
• He represents an era when Plant Path cultivators operated more independently than in later organized sects.