The next morning, Chu Li finished his cultivation and went to the Moonlight Orchid parterre. The Nightmare Flower was empty, without a trace.
It was like a beautiful firework that turned to ashes after its brilliance. This was the Nightmare Flower.
Chu Li suddenly noticed a faint trace of life underground. He activated the Omniscient Mirror and shone it on the ground. A seed was lying quietly a meter deep.
This seed was the same as the one Xiao Qi gave him. So this was how the Nightmare Flower's seed came about!
It bloomed, bore fruit, and grew seeds. This was normal, but the Nightmare Flower's seed was like this. It was no wonder it was so rare that it became extinct.
Chu Li's mind raced. He knew that the truth could not be contained. He did not have the right to keep it for himself, so he asked Lee Yue to send him to the Jade Guardian Island.
The Jade Guardian Island was ten times bigger than the East Garden. The trees were lush, and the pavilions were lined up neatly. It was a place of luxury and luxury.
Before reaching the Jade Guardian Island, Chu Li stood at the bow of the boat. He could feel a turbulent force waiting for him, ready to pounce on him at any time.
He activated the Omniscient Mirror. There were twelve different forces in the willow forest. Any one of them could kill him in an instant.
"This is Lady Xiao's Jade Guardian Island. Be careful when you get there. Don't wander around." Lee Yue shook his head. "Be careful!"
He looked at the Jade Guardian Island as if it was a monster.
Chu Li smiled and nodded.
The boat docked and a middle-aged man emerged from the forest. He looked at Chu Li with sharp eyes, as if he could see through Chu Li.
Chu Li fist saluted and reported his identity, requesting to see Chief Su.
The middle-aged man nodded and did not say a word. He stood still.
Chu Li waited quietly, knowing that someone had already gone to pass the message.
After a while, Su Ru appeared in an apricot gown. She was like a willow in the wind, blending in with the surrounding willow branches.
"Chu Li?" Su Ru waved her hand, gesturing for Chu Li to skip the formalities. She looked at him in surprise. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Chu Li nodded but did not say a word.
"Follow me." Su Ru understood that he wanted to speak to her in private. Her steps were light and fast. Chu Li strode after her and soon they arrived at a pagoda.
A plank road extended out of the Jade Guardian Island, leading to the small pavilion on the lake. It was an octagonal red pillar with hanging eaves and flying horns. It hung alone on the lake, secluded and remote.
Suru sat on the garden stool and gestured for Chu Li to sit down and talk. "Speak."
Chu Li sat down. "Chief, I still have one more seed of the Nightmare Flower."
"Isn't he dead?" Su Ru frowned.
The Nightmare Flower was the most lethal to women. No woman could resist the temptation of eternal youth.
Previously, he did not care much about the seed of the Nightmare Flower and threw it in a corner. Seeing Chu Li's extraordinary ability to plant flowers, he took it out and tried it out. He did not think that he would actually grow it.
Seeing the two Nightmare Flowers, she hated herself for being careless. If she had kept them well, the seeds might not have died.
Chu Li told her about his speculation.
"Does that mean that the Nightmare Flower will always have seeds?"
"It's possible. I have to take the risk." Chu Li pondered. "How did you get those two seeds?"
"Miss has always kept it." Su Ru said, "It was left behind by the Madam. It was originally thrown in a corner, but … no one knows how she got it."
"I have a theory. The Nightmare Flower's disappearance might have something to do with its characteristics. The seeds that it bears are probably fake and will not germinate. The one left in the root is the real seed, but it's too risky to test it."
"What's wrong with that? Next time I plant it, I'll just leave one flower."
"It's not that simple. It's possible that once it bears fruit, it won't become a real seed." Chu Li shook his head. "Wouldn't it be a waste?"
Su Ru frowned and nodded. Chu Li's thoughts were very thorough.
Chu Li said, "I'm also worried that the seed has a lifespan. It might disappear after two or three blossoms."
Su Ru stared at him. "What do you think?"
Chu Li shook his head. "If I get another seed, I can test it. There's only one, I don't dare to do anything."
Su Ru smiled. "You could have kept this seed for yourself."
Chu Li was an expert. He knew the value of this seed, and no one else knew about it. He could have taken it for himself, but he did not.
Based on his understanding, Chu Li was an extremely intelligent person. It was difficult for an intelligent person to be selfless.
Chu Li smiled. "Compared to this seed, I care more about Lady Xiao's favor … Besides, how do I know that this isn't a test from Lady Xiao?"
He was also testing to see if Xiao Qi was worth serving.
"You're a smart person!" Su Ru smiled. "Follow me!"
She turned around and left the gazebo. She passed through the forest and several pavilions before arriving at a tall building. It was a bronze building that looked like a library. The words "Stargazing Tower" were written on it.
It had three floors and was a hundred meters tall. Standing at the bottom of the tower made one feel inexplicably small.
When the two of them passed by, maids would occasionally float by. They were light and silent. Their Light-body Technique was extraordinary, and their cultivation level was higher than rank eight Protectors.
Su Ru brought him directly to the top of the Stargazing Tower.
The top of the tower was spacious. Standing on it, the vast lake and the small islands were all in front of them.
There was a small tea table, two embroidered stools, a tea set, and five exquisite plates of snacks and fruits. There was nothing else.
Xiao Qi was dressed in white and was practicing her swordsmanship. The light from her sword was as clear as water. Even from ten meters away, Chu Li could feel the chill and goosebumps all over his body.
"Lady Xiao." Su Ru came closer and called out softly.
Xiao Qi kept her sword and tossed it to Su Ru. She then looked at Chu Li.
Chu Li fist saluted.
Su Ru took the long sword and sheathed it. She hung it on the wall and said, "Chu Li found the Nightmare Flower and left a seed. He determined that it can bloom. Let him speak."
Xiao Qi's clear eyes fell on Chu Li's face.
Chu Li told her about his previous speculation and worries.
Xiao Qi frowned and pondered. After a while, she looked up and said, "Let that seed bloom first. I'll look for it. If it can grow ten flowers, I'll promote you to rank six!"
"… Thank you, Lady Xiao!" Chu Li fist saluted.
He was currently rank eight. If he were to work hard, he would be promoted to rank seven in ten years. After thirty years, he would be promoted to rank six. Rank six would jump to the middle level. It was only one rank away from rank seven, but the difference was huge.
Xiao Qi said, "I'll get the seed as soon as possible."
Chu Li nodded. He looked hesitant.
"Just say it!" Xiao Qi said.
Chu Li said, "Lady Xiao, are you planning to build the herb garden in the East Garden?"
"Yes, that's the plan. What do you think?"
"I think it's better to build it here."
"Worried about safety?"
Chu Li nodded. "There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. When that time comes …"
Rare spirit herbs could drive people to take risks. When that time comes, the East Garden would be the first to bear the brunt. Both his and Li Yue's lives would be in danger.
"Let me think about it." Xiao Qi nodded. The pros and cons of this matter needed to be weighed carefully.
Chu Li fist saluted and left.
—
For the next month, he almost never left the house. He stayed in the Moonlight Orchid parterre, cultivating the Moonlight Orchids and watching the Nightmare Flower.
The Nightmare Flower sprouted and grew again.
He tried to plant the Deity's Beard. He planted a few seeds and understood its habits. Just as he expected, it devoured spiritual energy like a monster.
If these seeds were to be planted, the land would be wasted. It would take at least five years for the land to recover. He did not want the East Garden to be a barren land.
He focused all his energy on the Nightmare Flower. He connected his senses with it day and night. He became the Nightmare Flower, feeling the bloom and death of life. He had a deeper understanding of the Life and Death Scripture.
The moonlight was like water. Chu Li sat alone in the Moonlight Orchid parterre.
He plucked two flowers and carefully placed them in a jade box. His spirit was still connected to the Nightmare Flower. He felt its death. After death, there was still a trace of life. There was life in death, and there was death in life. The cycle of life and death.
Suddenly, the words of the Life and Death Scripture flashed in his mind. The Life and Death Tree appeared in the void of his mind. The Life and Death Tree became clearer and more majestic.
"Boom!" His vision went black. His spirit leaped into the Life and Death Tree. The vastness and vastness drowned his spirit. He turned into the Life and Death Tree.
Endless years and scenes flashed in front of his eyes. The world was destroyed. Humans were like ants in a flood. They struggled in vain. They screamed in pain and kowtowed piously. But they could not stop the destruction. After a long time, the world opened up again. Plants grew. The world was destroyed again. It opened up again and was destroyed again.
Countless times of life and death. In these countless times of life and death, the most tenacious were not humans, but the plants. They absorbed the essence of the world and grew tenaciously. They sprouted in spring and bloomed in summer. They bore fruit in autumn and hid in winter. They used the earth to protect themselves and absorb energy.
It felt like a long time, but also like a moment. Chu Li slowly woke up.
He did not know when his spirit returned to his body. His connection with this world was deeper. He moved his mind and the entire East Garden was covered by the Omniscient Mirror.
The moon hung in the night sky. Based on the position of the moon, he estimated that about an hour had passed.
In a flash, the world had changed.
The Omniscient Mirror could see inside and outside. He first observed himself. His spiritual energy had increased by two times. The Omniscient Mirror could see three miles away.
He could connect with the flowers and plants a hundred meters away. Through the earth, spiritual energy was connected. The spiritual energy became as dense as water. It was different from the misty spiritual energy he absorbed before.
He suddenly understood that the spiritual energy of plants could be innate and acquired. Previously, he could touch the acquired spiritual energy. Now, he could control the innate spiritual energy. After it entered his body, his meridians swelled.
He activated the Minute Pulse Cleansing Technique. He smiled. His smile grew wider and wider.
His meridians shone with a white light. Not only was his foundation completed, but he had also completed the opening of his meridians. He had leaped past the first level!
His body was strengthened by an invisible force. His muscles, bones, meridians, every part of his body became unusually strong. His body was filled with endless power. He wanted to look up to the sky and roar.
After observing for a while, he slowly calmed down. The vitality of the Nightmare Flower seed was weak. He used his spiritual energy to nourish it and restore its vitality.
The effect of his spiritual energy was getting stronger. After a while, the seed was full of vitality. It began to germinate and continue the next round of growth.
— —
The next morning, Su Ru arrived at the Moonlight Orchid parterre. She was as beautiful as ever.
When Chu Li saw her beautiful face, he felt a sense of familiarity. It was like meeting an old friend. Last night, he had experienced a few reincarnations. His state of mind had aged a lot.
Meeting Su Ru again was like returning to the world. It felt like a lifetime ago.
Su Ru took out a small jade box from her sleeve and handed it to him. "Chu Li, these are two seeds. You can try your idea."
Chu Li took it with both hands and passed the big jade box to her.
Su Ru asked, "Have you planted the Deity's Beard?"
Chu Li nodded and told her his concerns.
Su Ru opened her eyes and smiled. "Yes, Gu Litong hasn't planted it yet!"
Chu Li raised his eyebrows.
Su Ru said, "The Deity's Beard is a magical item for horses. It's not a big deal to waste a few pieces of land!"
"It's too strong. It's not suitable to eat too much of it," Chu Li said.
Su Ru smiled. "The Deity's Beard can't be eaten too much. Half a pound is enough. It can improve a horse's bone structure."
"If Lady Xiao wants to plant it," Chu Li said, "it's best to plant it outside the Public House."
Su Ru frowned. "I'll ask Lady Xiao. You should plant the Nightmare Flower first. There are already four of them. If you plant six more, it'll be rank six."
"No problem!"
"He didn't plant it. You don't have to admit defeat. It's a draw." Su Ru smiled.
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