An Alien Flower Bud

Winter gave way to spring, and New York's ice and snow gradually melted away. Tender green buds sprouted from the trees lining the streets.

Lin Hai's life remained regular and fulfilling. Even his cultivation progressed a little faster as all things revived and grew.

On weekday mornings, he entered Midtown High School on time and attended classes with Peter, Gwen, and Harry. Gwen's biology notes were always neat and detailed, Peter's physics experiments were always full of accidents, and Harry occasionally brought technological gadgets from the Osborn Group, making class a little less dull.

After school in the afternoon, Lin Hai went to Master Chen's clinic to help out. He filled prescriptions, brewed herbal decoctions, sorted medicinal ingredients, and occasionally dealt with a few foreign patients fascinated by traditional Chinese medicine.

In the greenhouse behind the medicinal plant shop, rows of specially made pots held the combat plants he had painstakingly cultivated—the leaves of Azure-Edge Leaf gleamed with a metallic sheen along their edges, the shells of Ironwall Fruit were as hard as walnuts, and Heartbind Vine's tendrils twitched slightly even when there was no wind.

Every day, he nourished them with the Life Energy within his body while also trying new plant-modification experiments.

Once all the day's work was done, it was time for cultivation. Besides his daily Tai Chi practice, Lin Hai constantly tried to expand the range of his perception of plants and practiced finer control over his energy.

Lin Hai sat cross-legged in the backyard of the medicinal plant shop, his hands resting lightly on the trunk of a young tree as thick as an egg. He closed his eyes and sensed the flow of life within the plant. His consciousness seemed to merge with it, and he could even "see" the paths its roots took as they spread through the soil.

"Still not enough..." he muttered.

Hashirama Senju's Deep Forest Emergence could instantly turn barren land into a forest, while he could only make a sapling grow into a small tree as thick as an egg in a short period of time. Energy efficiency, control precision, and explosive speed—every aspect needed improvement.

But Lin Hai was not in a hurry. This was painstaking work to begin with, and he could only improve through gradual cultivation. As long as he kept making progress, there was no problem.

However, those peaceful days were soon shattered.

One Saturday afternoon, Lin Hai and Harry were analyzing a set of the latest experimental data in Harry's laboratory. Suddenly, the lab door slid open, and Norman Osborn walked in with steady strides.

"Harry, and young Lin." Norman's voice was low and magnetic. Lin Hai put down the instrument in his hand and gave a slight nod. "Mr. Osborn."

Norman did not waste words and went straight to the point. "You used your special ability to stimulate Red Moon's energy back then, so I have been trying every possible method to replicate what you did. Unfortunately, my team and I still have not been able to reproduce that phenomenon."

He stepped closer, his tone carrying a trace of suppressed urgency. "I want to make a deal with you." He had seen a clue in these high-energy plants that might lead to a cure for the Osborn family's hereditary illness.

"A deal?" Lin Hai raised a brow, curious.

"Yes, a deal. Frankly, if I could discover anything useful from those high-energy plants on my own, I would not have come to you. But for your sake and Harry's, I am willing to make a deal."

"I still have several high-energy plants. Like Red Moon, all of them came from a deep forest in Missouri." Norman took a map of Missouri from the inner pocket of his suit, with a set of coordinates marked on it.

"If you are willing to research them together with the Osborn Group, then regardless of the outcome, I will give you this map and arrange for you and Harry to travel there. Will you agree?"

Lin Hai fell silent after hearing Norman's words.

Norman Osborn did not exactly have a good reputation. Of course, the reputation of any president of a major corporation was unlikely to be spotless. Before becoming Iron Man, Tony Stark had been no better, and neither had his father, Howard Stark, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders and the founder of Stark Industries.

Lin Hai understood that completely. More importantly, Norman Osborn currently possessed resources that he needed. If he could use this opportunity to explore more high-energy plants, his abilities would certainly advance further.

And after advancing further, Lin Hai would have more opportunities and greater confidence in curing Norman and Harry's hereditary illness. It would benefit everyone.

"Fine." He finally agreed. "But I need complete independent exploration authority, along with copies of all research data."

A slight smile appeared on Norman's lips. "Of course. Other than you, no one can stimulate these high-energy plants. I am very glad you accepted my proposal. You also do not need to worry about school. In the name of the Osborn Group, I will submit two applications for extracurricular scientific research practice to Midtown High School—one for you and one for Harry."

Norman Osborn immediately began preparing the necessary personnel and equipment. Lin Hai also needed to explain the situation to his other two friends and his master.

A week later, an Osborn Group private jet landed at a private airport in Missouri. Lin Hai, Harry, and a team of researchers and security personnel drove toward the target location.

Soon, the group arrived near the location marked on the map Norman had given Lin Hai.

"The magnetic field here is abnormally strong." One of the accompanying scientists frowned at the readings on his instrument.

Lin Hai did not respond. His attention had already been completely drawn to a certain energy fluctuation deep in the forest.

"Over there." He pointed in a direction, his tone certain. Everyone followed him deeper into the jungle and eventually stopped before a lush patch of woodland.

"There is something ahead with immense Life Energy." Lin Hai continued sensing the surroundings.

As the group continued forward, they discovered an open patch of ground covered in dead leaves. At its center lay a massive, translucent flower bud buried in the earth, its surface radiating faint blue energy.

A ring of blue-green leaves grew around the base of the flower bud. The slender leaves, shaped like willow leaves, encircled it. The outermost layer of the bud was covered by a white, gauze-like substance that swayed with the wind.

Beneath that veil-like white layer was a flesh-red, grille-like structure resembling a protective barrier, tightly enclosing the inner bud. The inner bud itself was translucent, occasionally releasing a faint blue glow from within.

"What is that..." Harry and the accompanying personnel all stared at the sight before them in shock.

Lin Hai did not answer. His entire mind was drawn to the flower bud. In his perception, the energy it emitted was ancient and profound, far surpassing Red Moon and even every plant he had ever seen.

"It is not an Earth species," Lin Hai murmured, and a guess formed in his heart.

Missouri, a flower bud filled with immense energy and an ancient aura, the shape of the bud—putting all this information together made him think of someone. Or rather, a god.

The scientists quickly set up their instruments and began scanning and analyzing it. Lin Hai, meanwhile, slowly stepped forward and reached toward the flower bud's surface.

"Lin, be careful!" Harry warned.

Lin Hai nodded, but he did not retreat. The Life Energy within his body slowly spread out and came into contact with the energy inside the flower bud.

The instant the two streams of energy touched, his consciousness was pulled into a vast cosmic vision.

Lin Hai "saw" a man.

He stood amid the stars, handsome and imposing, his eyes as brilliant as two suns. His body was made of pure energy, with an endless river of stars behind him.

Lin Hai's thoughts exploded in an instant! He had confirmed it. This man was the father of Star-Lord, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy—the living planet that called itself a "Celestial"!

As a massive living planet with self-awareness, Ego had survived in the universe for millions of years. He possessed the ability to parasitize other planets and achieve limitless expansion, perhaps even becoming a living universe.

At some point in the Marvel Universe, Ego awakened and wanted to create a new world. To do so, he traveled throughout the universe in search of intelligent races to inspire him.

However, he discovered that he could not accomplish this plan alone. He needed a descendant to help him complete this grand blueprint. Thus, he began his Cosmic Seeding Plan.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ego appeared in human form and revealed that he was the father of Star-Lord, Peter Quill. Years earlier, he had come to Earth and planted a seed capable of devouring planets in a deep forest in Missouri.

It was during that time that Ego met Star-Lord's mother, impregnated her, and eventually she gave birth to Star-Lord. After discovering that Star-Lord possessed the potential to become a god, he tried to use Star-Lord's power to fulfill his plan.

However, the Guardians of the Galaxy saw through his scheme and successfully killed Ego. In the end, Ego's remains formed an asteroid belt, marking his end in the Marvel Universe.

As Lin Hai recalled this information, his heart sank.

Ego's seed being buried on Earth was absolutely not a good thing. In the movie, Ego's goal had been to devour all life in the universe and assimilate everything into a part of himself.

Although he had ultimately been stopped by the Guardians of the Galaxy, this seed had indeed been detonated. The mysterious substance that surged from it had swallowed half of a nearby town, and it was hard to say whether it had caused any other negative effects.

So Lin Hai increased his energy output, wanting to see whether he could do more. Ego had made it very clear when speaking with Star-Lord: he alone was not enough to activate all the seeds he had scattered throughout the universe. He needed a descendant with the same power to help him accomplish it.

Moreover, Lin Hai's current strength was still very limited. Even if he wanted to cause serious consequences, it was impossible. Thus, a bold and crazy idea arose within him—absorb the power inside this flower bud.

That was right. He would absorb its power and use it to strengthen himself. Once that thought appeared in his mind, it began growing uncontrollably.

But not now.

Without any other preparations, blindly absorbing the energy might lead to an uncontrollable accident. Lin Hai could not allow himself to be ended by such an accident while he was still growing.

So he severed his connection with the flower bud's energy.

Lin Hai's consciousness abruptly returned to reality. He staggered back several steps, fine sweat beading on his forehead. Though everything had seemed to happen in an instant, nearly half an hour had actually passed. The Life Energy within him was still abundant, but his physical strength had been completely drained.

"Lin! Are you all right?" Harry hurriedly supported him.

Lin Hai took a deep breath and barely steadied himself. "I'm fine. The energy impact was just a little strong."

He looked at the flower bud, countless thoughts swirling in his mind. Ego's seed being buried here meant that Earth had long been targeted by this Celestial. Even with The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj, as a safeguard, nothing in this world was absolute.

Would his arrival cause other changes? Had The Ancient One failed to foresee all this? Even if she had anticipated it, would his involvement cause this flower bud to burst open ahead of time and harm innocent people in the nearby town? None of it was certain.

As a Huaxia man steeped in traditional Huaxia moral values and possessing a strong moral bottom line, Lin Hai did not want too many innocent people to suffer because of his actions.

So he would wait until he had made every preparation possible before making deeper contact with that flower bud.