As the audience looked on excitedly, Jiao Xiuyuan opened the wooden box.

A translucent sheet of paper, thin as a cicada's wing, rose slowly into the air, radiating a warm white light.

"The True Tianling Flower!" a cultivator in the crowd cried out, unable to help himself.

Others were struck speechless by its beauty and rose to their feet where they stood.

Strangely, though the True Tianling Flower was clearly sealed within a flat plane, no one perceived anything amiss.

A real flower seemed to bloom slowly before them, breathtakingly beautiful. They could even catch the faint fragrance drifting from its petals.

Seeing the crowd fall into captivated silence, Jiao Xiuyuan smiled to himself and raised a finger toward the transparent paper hovering in the air.

Countless rays of light burst from it at once, projecting the flower, originally no larger than a palm, into the space above the audience.

Magnified tens of thousands of times, it lost none of its spiritual essence. If anything, every vein and curve of every petal was rendered in even greater clarity than before.

While the minds of all present lay utterly ensnared, Jiao Xiuyuan discreetly crushed a small round bead between his fingers.

Thin white smoke, carrying a mysterious and profound aura, drifted slowly through the venue.

Even as a puppet body, Jiao Xiuyuan gave it a wide berth and quietly laid down a barrier to keep the mist from touching him.

He recalled the instructions given to him by the Dao Unity cultivator who called himself Liu San, a name so transparently an alias it was practically an insult to intelligence.[1]

"Ah, this is a pill I painstakingly refined to aid cultivators in their practice. Once aerosolized and absorbed, it produces an effect equivalent to comprehending the Dao..."

Jiao Xiuyuan watched the cultivators in the hall slip one by one into a state of blissful intoxication and muttered to himself, "He swore it's been improved, and absolutely non-addictive. Still, best to steer clear of this cursed stuff."

The True Tianling Flower bloomed in full glory, its petals casting their wondrous light across the faces of every cultivator gathered in the Blossom Grotto-Heaven.

Each viewing session lasted only three hours, with no second chance. Nearly every eye in the hall stayed fixed on the projection overhead.

Only one person stared blankly at the ice-sealed paper in the display area, lost in thought.

No mistake. Frostdrop Dew, Form-Capturing Seal, Thousand-Hued Silk...

This is exactly my Florilegium preservation method. But I have never revealed that technique to a single soul.

Zhao Chong's eyes were wide with disbelief. How... could there truly be another person in this world who arrived at the very same idea as me?

Having now seen the True Tianling Flower with his own eyes, Zhao Chong found the long-cherished wish in his heart fulfilled. Breakthroughs and epiphanies held little appeal for him now. What consumed him instead was a deep and growing curiosity about the flower's master, whoever they were. The person had yet to show themselves.

Time flowed on slowly as everyone remained lost in trance.

As the three-hour limit approached, no one had shown any sign of a breakthrough or epiphany.

This is the debut. I can't let it fail.

Just as Jiao Xiuyuan was about to activate his pre-arranged measures, a sudden fluctuation stopped him cold.

This guy? Good, now I don't have to waste effort on more advertising!

Recognizing the cultivator breaking through, Jiao Xiuyuan's heart leaped with joy.

He appeared beside the man in a flash, sealing off the fluctuation so as not to disturb the others.

The first to break through was none other than Sun Qi.

When the vision of Tianling Province appeared above him, he felt suddenly transported back to that brutal battlefield.

Yet unlike the present-day Tianling Flower, with its aura of blood and gore, no murderous intent stirred in his heart.

Instead, the beauty of heaven and earth, soft and unhurried as flowing water, worked its way into the wounds the war had left on his spirit, healing them gently.

Time itself seemed to reverse. The blood, the corpses, the cracked earth all vanished. His perspective lifted and soared over the skies of Tianling Province, carried back to the age before the great war. Sun Qi watched it all, rapt and utterly still.

In that moment, he forgot the weight of his elders' expectations and disappointments, the taunts and mockery of his peers, the consuming hunger to break through.

His mind held nothing but the beauty of heaven and earth, and its boundless spirit.

All his violent anger dissolved. Everything fell into place, naturally, effortlessly, like water finding its course.

When he woke from his daze, he found that the Heavenly Tribulation bottleneck that had plagued him for years, nearly driving him to despair, had vanished silently and without a trace. He only needed to find a suitable grotto-heaven and devour it to step directly into the Nascent Soul realm. For the Sun family, that was hardly a difficult matter.

Before this, a sudden breakthrough might have shaken his spirit and brought him to tears of joy. But now he felt neither joy nor sorrow. He did not leave the Blossom Grotto-Heaven early. Still sitting quietly, he ignored the occasional glances from those around him and kept his focus on the True Tianling Flower above his head.

Only when the host, Jiao Xiuyuan, put the flower back into its wooden box and announced the end of the first appreciation session did Sun Qi come back to himself.

Exclamations of excitement, regret, and praise erupted in succession.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao, name your price! How exactly does one go about purchasing this True Tianling Flower?"

Having witnessed its marvels firsthand, some among the cultivators present could no longer contain themselves and pressed him with impatient questions.

Their voices drew immediate echoes from the crowd.

Faced with the clamor, Jiao Xiuyuan simply smiled. "How many times must I say it? The flower's owner has made his position perfectly clear: not for sale, not for sale, and not for sale still."

He spread his hands. "I would gladly broker such a deal, but if the other party is so decided, there is little I can do."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

A portly, middle-aged cultivator rose to his feet, fixing Jiao Xiuyuan with a look of unconcealed pride. "I refuse to believe there is anything in this world that cannot be bought at the right price. One million contribution points. What do you say? Name a higher figure if that falls short."

Before Jiao Xiuyuan could respond, a voice from somewhere in the hall cut in with a sneer. "Why, isn't that Fellow Daoist Zhu Yuhua of Tianshu Province? I've always heard you were a man of generous character. And yet your opening offer is just a million contribution points? Who exactly are you trying to lowball?"

"Ha. With that bit of change, you hope to acquire the True Tianling Flower? I'd say one of those replica paintings would suit you far better."

Zhu Yuhua's face tightened. He glanced toward the speakers, all figures of some standing. A million contribution points was, in truth, no great sum to any of them.

He swallowed what had been on the tip of his tongue. Stung by the loss of face, he was on the verge of raising his bid.

But Jiao Xiuyuan stepped smoothly forward, slipping into the role of mediator. "Now, now, everyone..." He raised his voice just enough to draw the room's attention back to him.

"The owner of the Tianling Flower is the epitome of untamed grace, with the finest appearance and bearing this old Jiao has ever had the privilege of meeting. It is only natural that no sum of money could move him to part with the only True Tianling Flower in the world.

"And yet," Jiao Xiuyuan continued, his tone shifting, "he also knows well that to keep such a treasure locked away, admired by only a scant few, would be an insult to it. With a little persuasion from yours truly, we arrived at something of a compromise."

He paused, letting the silence settle, then announced: "Though it is not for sale, this True Tianling Flower can be rented.

"Any Fellow Daoist who wishes to hear more details is welcome to stay."

***

For rent only. The master of this Tianling Flower certainly knows how to do business. Sun Qi let out a quiet, sardonic laugh.

Watching the tide of cultivators surge toward Jiao Xiuyuan, Sun Qi knew he had no means to lease the Tianling Flower. He shook his head and slipped quietly out of the Blossom Grotto-Heaven.

The first person he looked for after leaving was his uncle, Sun Liancheng. After all, it was Sun Liancheng's gift of the Blossom Missive that had made the breakthrough possible in the first place.

He waited only a short while in his uncle's cave dwelling before Sun Liancheng arrived in haste.

"Excellent... excellent..." Sun Liancheng looked him over from head to toe, visibly more excited about the breakthrough than Sun Qi himself.

"After all these years, the prodigy of our Sun family has finally returned," he exclaimed, sighing repeatedly.

Sun Qi let out a short, mirthless laugh. "Prodigy...

"Born at Foundation Establishment, Golden Core by a full moon. In those days, perhaps I deserved to be called that. But I am two hundred and thirteen years old now."

He shook his head slightly. "What kind of prodigy is that? Uncle, please, don't call me that anymore. Others have long since reached Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation, and here I still am, lingering at the Golden Core realm. If word got out, I'd be a laughingstock."

Sun Liancheng would not hear it. "Why should our Sun family concern itself with what others think? Qi'er, you were held at the Golden Core realm for over two hundred years, and now you have broken free at last. With such deep accumulation finally bearing fruit, your future prospects are boundless.

"Besides..." A strange expression crossed Sun Liancheng's face. "You cannot be blamed for how difficult your breakthrough was.

"You alone bear the entire bottleneck of our clan. And on top of that, carrying the Qiankun One Qi as your congenital Curio means you face double the severity of the Heavenly Tribulation.

"To have overcome the Golden Core Tribulation within your lifetime is already a tremendous fortune. How many of our ancestors exhausted their lifespans and perished without even reaching Foundation Establishment?"

He patted Sun Qi on the shoulder, his expression warm with quiet pride. "The future is worth looking forward to."

Sun Qi's face remained unmoved.

"The next bottleneck in the Reverse Derivation Qiankun Record is at the late-stage Spirit Transformation realm, am I right?" Sun Liancheng asked.

Sun Qi nodded softly.

"Rest assured. Whether it's the grotto-heaven or Heavenly Marrow, the clan will prepare all the necessary resources for you. Just focus on your cultivation."

After a long silence, Sun Liancheng's tone turned grave. "Qi'er, the entire clan's burden rests on your shoulders alone. You cannot speak of the toll it has taken on your cultivation. You can only bear it in silence. Do you ever feel wronged by that? Resentful?"

Sun Qi's expression did not change. "It is simply my mission. Countless ancestors made the same sacrifice in silence before me, and it is precisely because of them that our Sun family stands as strong as it does today. How could I harbor resentment?"

Sun Liancheng narrowed his eyes, studying Sun Qi, as though trying to read what lay beneath the words.

After a long moment, he was on the verge of speaking when something made him pause. "A guest has arrived."

"Then I shall take my leave." Sun Qi cupped his hands and turned to go.

"No need. Stay." Sun Liancheng called him back. "It is nothing of great importance."

"Ha ha ha! Old Sun, we've struck it rich this time!" The voice arrived before the man did.

At the sound of Jiao Xiuyuan's voice, Sun Qi went still and said nothing.

Moments later, Jiao Xiuyuan strode in, radiating self-satisfaction.

"The number of cultivators who have come from afar is greater than you could possibly imagine, haha—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze landing on Sun Qi, standing quietly in the corner of the room. Something unreadable flickered through his eyes.

"Heh, Fellow Daoist Jiao, speak freely. Sun Qi is no outsider." Sun Liancheng waved his hand dismissively.

Jiao Xiuyuan opened his mouth, but in the end simply gave a light laugh and said nothing more. "Old Sun, you misunderstand. Of course I know the relationship between you two. But when I signed the contract, I agreed to keep it secret."

His voice died away, and only his lips moved, forming silent words. As Sun Liancheng listened, his expression shifted between shock and delight.

After a few more exchanges, Jiao Xiuyuan withdrew a Mini Tianxuan Mirror from his robes.

The transaction was completed on the spot, and he departed in haste.

"Unexpected. Someone is actually willing to offer a Dao Unity-level Audience Jade Token just for the first rental of that True Tianling Flower...

"It seems our Sun family still lags far behind the true powers of the Myriad Immortals Alliance." Sun Liancheng sighed softly. "Our generation has a heavy burden to carry."

Sun Qi was taken aback. "Weren't you supposed to keep it a secret?"

"What does the contract Jiao Xiuyuan signed have to do with me?" Sun Liancheng dismissed the concern.

"Still, this Tianling Flower's owner is an interesting one. A cultivator who slumbered since ancient times, emerging from the White Mist, seeking my help to establish an identity within the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

"Sun Qi, what do you think?" After a moment of pondering, Sun Liancheng turned to face him.

Sun Qi considered for a moment before replying, "His intentions are sinister. He might be a spy for the Five Elders Council."

Sun Liancheng laughed heartily and shook his head. "Sun Qi, you're still too young. This Tianling Flower's owner went through all this trouble just for a single chance to meet the Derivation Jade and seek a Dao Unity technique suited to his path. If he were truly a spy, would he waste such a rare opportunity on something like that?

"Besides, the Derivation Jade is housed at the Enforcer Hall headquarters of the Myriad Immortals Alliance, guarded by the Dao Teacher's True Intent. Which spy would dare stir up trouble there? That would be nothing but a fool's errand."

Sun Qi remained silent.

How could he, an insignificant Golden Core cultivator, possibly know of such matters? His uncle Sun Liancheng was simply using this reminder for another purpose: even if Sun Qi broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, he would still be nothing compared to the Sun family as a whole. He was to obediently cultivate the Reverse Derivation Qiankun Record, bear the clan's bottleneck, and never harbor any stray thoughts.

Hmph.

Hiding those fleeting, dangerous thoughts deep within the most secluded corner of his heart, Sun Qi dared not betray the slightest change in expression.

Sun Liancheng seemed quite satisfied with his reaction.

His conduct earned him the right to reside within the City Lord's manor from that day forward.

Seven days later, Sun Qi encountered the mysterious and legendary owner of the Tianling Flower, Xu Bai, within the estate.

Sun Qi had always prided himself on his mental fortitude. Yet the moment he laid eyes on the man, he found himself stunned, if only for an instant.

Only then did he understand that Jiao Xiuyuan's words, "The owner of the Tianling Flower is the epitome of untamed grace, unmatched in the world," had been no empty flattery.

Xu Bai's purpose here seemed to be securing a position within the Immortal Alliance.

For Sun Liancheng, a man who held the reins of power over an entire province, this was a trifle.

Within the span of half a day, Sun Liancheng bypassed every layer of scrutiny and completed Xu Bai's initiation into the Alliance.

Xu Bai verified his identity on the spot with a Mini Tianxuan Mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

He lavished praise upon Sun Liancheng's "absolute authority," then folded his fan with a crisp snap and departed with an effortless, graceful stride.

Sun Qi's gaze followed his silhouette until it vanished entirely.

"There is indeed a touch of the Heavenly Dao's favor upon him..." Sun Liancheng mused, his voice low. "Pity. He has strayed onto the wrong path." He let out a cold snort, delivering the judgment with clear disdain.

Sun Qi froze at the words, his mind racing. He wondered what mistake he had made recently to provoke his uncle's displeasure.

A moment passed before Sun Qi realized his uncle wasn't speaking of him.

He was referring to Xu Bai, who had just left.

"Strayed onto the wrong path? Uncle, what do you mean by that?" Sun Qi asked, confusion plain on his face.

"In the ancient cultivation world, those favored by the will of heaven were the prize every major sect fought over. Born seeds of the Dao," Sun Liancheng said, his eyes flashing with a hint of contempt. "But now...

"Following the Heavenly Venerable's new methodology is truly an act of defying heaven. The more blessings one receives from heaven and earth, the more difficult it becomes to rebel against its principles later on.

"When the time comes to sacrifice the soul of heaven and earth, you will face the backlash of heaven and earth's will, multiplied tenfold. No matter how great your talent, you will almost certainly be trapped at the Spirit Transformation realm.

"Just look at your congenital Curio, the Qiankun One Qi. A half Curio of Heaven can be considered a gift from heaven and earth. On your path of cultivation, have you ever felt heaven and earth's malice toward you? As your cultivation advances, that malice will grow ever more pronounced.

"How lavishly did heaven and earth favor you? Yet in the end, you still choose to practice the new methodology and turn your blade against it.

"It would be a wonder if it did not resent you."

Deliberately ignoring the subtle mockery threaded through his uncle's words, Sun Qi nodded slowly, sinking into deep thought.

Yet neither he nor Sun Liancheng, a Dao Unity cultivator, realized that every word of their conversation, from beginning to end, had been overheard.

All of it was observed by Li Fan, watching Sun Qi through Formless Killing Mechanism.

1. People who want to hide their identity often use names like 张三 (Zhāng Sān — "Zhang Three"), 李四 (Lǐ Sì — "Li Four"), or 王五 (Wáng Wǔ — "Wang Five"). These are the Chinese equivalent of "John Doe," basically placeholder names with a surname and a number.

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