Essence

Only when Sen Lijiu approached the peony did he realize that she had been blooming within ice crystals all along, like a crystalline flower.

"She's really beautiful," Sen Lijiu murmured.

"Yes, she was the most beautiful flower back then."

Sen Lijiu reached out, wanting to touch the peony encased in ice crystals.

Just as his hand was about to touch a petal, a powerful force hurled him back.

Sen Lijiu frowned despite himself. This force was astonishingly strong.

He steadied himself and tried to approach again, but the force repelled him every time.

"It looks like obtaining the peony's essence won't be easy," Sen Lijiu muttered to himself.

He circled the peony several times, examining her carefully.

Suddenly, he noticed a tiny crack at the peony's roots.

"Could this be the way through..."

Sen Lijiu wondered inwardly, a flicker of doubt and anticipation in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and focused all his attention, drawing on the surging magic within his body and channeling it steadily into his fingertips.

As the magic gathered, Sen Lijiu's fingertips began to emit a faint yet dazzling light, as though a brilliant star were being born.

He carefully controlled the flow of magic, forming a tiny vortex at his fingertips, then slowly reached toward the narrow crack before him.

The instant his fingertips touched the crack, Sen Lijiu distinctly felt an invisible resistance. But rather than retreat, he gritted his teeth and poured in even more magic.

Gradually, the resistance seemed to yield to his unrelenting will and began to slowly dissipate.

An essence shimmering with mysterious light drifted down, landing neatly in Sen Lijiu's outstretched hand. Jun Yi was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. "It looks like she's accepted you."

Sen Lijiu smiled faintly and softly called, "Magnolia..." His voice seemed to carry a special magic as it echoed through the air.

At his call, the essence in his hand suddenly burst into dazzling light.

The light gradually faded, finally taking the form of an Elf King dressed in magnificent robes, her beauty beyond compare.

Her appearance was like something out of a dream, inspiring endless wonder.

The Elf King radiated nobility and elegance, her beautiful face reflecting wisdom and maturity.

Her gaze met Sen Lijiu's, seemingly conveying a message. Something stirred in his heart, and he understood her intent.

At that moment, a wondrous connection formed between them, as though each could understand the other's thoughts.

The emergence of this essence and the Elf King would also provide further help with Sen Lijiu's plans.

The Peony Flower Elf King's appearance allowed Sen Lijiu to sense the wishes of the surrounding flowers. They, too, wanted to emerge and leave with him.

Sen Lijiu paused, then looked at Magnolia. She nodded.

At that, Sen Lijiu hesitated no longer. A magic circle appeared beneath his feet, enveloping the entire garden like the bright moon in the night sky.

Countless points of starlight seemed to answer a summons, gathering around him and transforming into essences that hovered at his side like stars twinkling in the night sky.

Once the magic circle was complete, Sen Lijiu looked at the essences. After much deliberation, he decided to let them enter the Origin Realm.

And so Mujiu discovered that the Origin Realm, where he had been alone since Nine Nether left, had suddenly gained a host of new companions.