Flower God

Fuzhou, Linchuan, Mount Jing.

This mountain is not high, yet it stands out as a solitary peak, like a green lotus rising from the plain. The mountain is entirely green, with lush vegetation.

The mountaintop is often shrouded in mist, and the outline of a palace can be vaguely seen in the Yunzhong. With its white walls and black tiles, it is hidden among peach and plum blossoms. This is the main altar of the Flower-Shifting Palace.

Today's Mount Jing is different from the past.

Within a radius of hundreds of miles in the Great Void, countless gazes are watching from afar.

Those gazes, some bright, some dim, some near, some far, each with its own unique aura; some were as vast as rivers, some as deep as ravines, and some as pure as pines and cypresses.

In the Great Void, every few miles a beam of light would hover silently, with two or three Purple Mansion True Person standing on the clouds or hidden in the mist, all their gazes fixed on the direction of Mount Jing.

Around Mount Jing, the ceremony was ostensibly Purple Mansion affair, but countless others were secretly watching, making it far more elaborate than the one held by those who had sought gold in Nanzhao years ago.

At this moment, Su Yao stood in the Great Void, his white robes fluttering, his gaze fixed on the clouds atop Mount Jing Mountain.

He arrived early.

After the founding ceremony, he took in several disciples and taught them for over a month. Then he traveled north, bypassed Yunmeng Marsh, and then south, entering Fuzhou territory, where he arrived in Linchuan.

The invitation from the Flower-Shifting Palace clearly stated that gold was to be sought on New Year's Day. He arrived a few days early simply to see the grandeur of the Flower-Shifting Palace's main altar.

"They've arrived."

Su Yao's gaze shifted slightly as he looked towards the southern horizon.

A wisp of Purple Qi surged from the horizon, initially like a wisp of purple smoke, then like a stream, a river, and a waterfall, and in just a few breaths it had approached Mount Jing. Within that Purple Qi, dozens of figures could be vaguely seen, all with auras above the Purple Mansion. The leader's Purple Qi was so solid that it was like the densest wisp of purple smoke when an incense burner first boils.

Purple Yang Temple in Mount Lao.

Su Yao remained expressionless, simply gazing quietly at the Purple Qi.

When the Purple Qi reached a hundred miles outside Mount Jing, it suddenly split. A very thin stream of Purple Qi separated from the main group, winding like a serpent, and sped toward the direction where Su Yao was.

In a short while, as the light faded, a figure in purple robes landed three zhang in front of Su Yao.

Zilin.

Today she wore a deep purple long dress, the hem of which was embroidered with delicate Purple Yang patterns, which was different from the plain purple she usually wore, adding a touch of solemnity.

The Purple Qi mark between his brows was brighter than usual, faintly echoing the large group of Purple Qi in the distance.

"Su Yao." She spoke, her voice not loud, but the smile in her eyes was unmistakable.

Su Yao nodded slightly, his gaze passing over her shoulder and landing on the large group of Purple Qi that was slowly approaching Jing Mount Jing:

"A lot of people came to Mount Lao."

"Hmm." Zilin turned to stand beside him, both looking towards Mount Jing. "My sister is about to ask for gold. Although there are records in the temple, she still wants to see it for herself. Several of the True Person of her generation from Purple Yang Temple have come."

She paused, then added, "My sister said that although the Flower God's Subsidiary Rank and the Flourishing Wood Attainment Rank are different, they are ultimately both of the Flourishing Wood path. Among the Five Virtues, wood and fire generate each other, and Purple Qi exists by embracing the Three Yangs. Observing the True Person seeking gold will also benefit her in seeking the Purple Qi Attainment Rank in the future."

Su Yao nodded, his gaze falling on the area where the Purple Qi was most concentrated.

There, a figure stood quietly amidst the surrounding Purple Qi. It was a woman whose face bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Zilin, but with a more composed and dignified air between her brows. Purple Qi cascaded down around her like a canopy, its depth far surpassing that of ordinary Purple Mansion.

She is Zilin's older sister, the abbess of Purple Yang Temple in Mount Lao.

"When does the Great True Person plan to seek gold?" Su Yao asked.

Zilin shook her head:

"There's still some time left, and I should be going to the Purple Mansion Continent to seek gold."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao's gaze shifted slightly. "Purple Mansion Continent?"

"Hmm," Zilin said softly, "Purple Mansion Continent is where Lesser Yang Wood Duke attained enlightenment, and it is located in the east. All Three Yangs energies originate from the east, so it would be beneficial for Purple Qi to go there to seek the Dao."

As she spoke, she looked toward the eastern horizon, where the sun had just risen and the sunlight was still gentle, turning the clouds and mist atop Mount Jing into a pale gold.

Su Yao nodded slightly, about to speak.

At this very moment--

A clear and melodious female voice came from within Mount Jing, piercing through the clouds and reaching the ears of every observer in the Great Void.

The sound was soft, yet extremely clear, like a spring breeze on one's face:

"Today, I, Miaoyuan, and my sister Miaoqing, are here to seek gold. We thank all the fellow practitioners of the Mysterious Gate and Immortal Dao sects for coming to witness this ceremony. We hope that this gold-seeking will be of benefit to you all in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, the protective array around Mount Jing Mountain quietly dissipated.

At the mountaintop, clouds rolled out like curtains to both sides, revealing a white jade plaza.

Two figures stood side by side in the square.

The person on the left, dressed in pink, was like a peach blossom in early March, with a gentle face and an indescribable tenderness in their eyes; the person on the right, dressed in white, was like a pear blossom covered in snow in late autumn, with a cold face and an unyielding solemnity in their eyes.

One pink, one white; one soft, one cool; like peach blossoms and pear blossoms standing side by side.

"Miaoyuan, Miaoqing," Su Yao murmured the two names.

These two are the two palace masters of the Flower-Shifting Palace.

Miaoyuan is the elder sister, Miaoqing is the younger sister; both cultivate the path of Flourishing Wood. More importantly, they both become disciples of Primordial Lady of Purple Void.

Su Yao clasped his hands in a respectful salute towards Mount Jing, and said in a deep voice:

"Su Yao of Qixia Temple wishes the two True Person, Miaoyuan Miaoqing, success in their quest for gold."

As soon as he finished speaking, the many Purple Mansion True Person who were watching around Great Void also clasped their fists and spoke in unison:

Congratulations to both of you on your True Person quest for gold!

Dozens of voices, some near, some far, some high, some low, converged into a chorus of blessings that echoed over Mount Jing.

On the summit of Mount Jing, the woman in pink smiled and nodded in return to the onlookers in all directions.

Thank you all for your kind words.

She paused, turned her head to look at the woman in white beside her, and said softly:

"Little sister, shall I go first?"

The woman in white didn't speak, but nodded slightly. Then she turned around and transformed into a beam of white light, flying southwest towards Mount Jing. She landed on a small hill hundreds of miles away, sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

She will protect her sister and, after her sister's quest for gold, will embark on her own journey to seek gold.

After the woman in white left, the woman in pink— True Person Miaoyuan —slowly rose up.

She stood a hundred feet above the summit of Mount Jing, her pink robes fluttering in the wind, and the aura of Flourishing Wood around her rose like spring mist, dyeing half the sky with a very faint emerald green.

Su Yao stared at the figure in pink, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Zilin whispered, "It's about to begin."

True Person Miaoyuan slowly raised his hands, palms facing upwards, as if supporting heaven and earth.

She looked eastward, where the sun was rising and Lesser Yang light was at its peak.

She parted her lips slightly and uttered three words:

"Receive Eastern Qi"

As the words fell, a beam of extremely clear, pure, and gentle light was drawn out from the depths of the rising sun on the eastern horizon.

The light was a verdant green, like the first rays of morning light in spring shining through tender leaves, carrying the warmth and vitality of newly sprouted plants.

The light came from the east, traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, and entered the body of True Person Miaoyuan in just a few breaths.

"This is the Flourishing Wood Technique, a divine Divine Ability that ' Receive Eastern Qi,'" Zilin whispered to Su Yao. "Using oneself as a vessel, one receives the life-giving Qi from the East, nourishing the roots of the Flourishing Wood. This method aligns with the Wood Virtue and resonates with the Three Yangs of the East, representing the most orthodox beginning of the Flourishing Wood path."

Su Yao nodded, his gaze falling on the spot where the emerald light had entered the body of True Person Miaoyuan.

The moment the light entered her body, the aura of the Flourishing Wood around True Person Miaoyuan suddenly surged, and emerald light poured out from her body like a tide, enveloping her in a dense green.

But the emerald light did not scatter; instead, it wrapped around her like vines, layer upon layer, one layer enveloping another.

True Person Miaoyuan spoke again, his voice clear and melodious like a nightingale's song:

"Nurture the Azure Embryo."

As soon as she finished speaking, the emerald light suddenly contracted, like a fetus curled up in its mother's womb, enveloping her entire body in a tiny emerald cocoon.

The cocoon of light hung in mid-air, its surface faintly revealing countless flowing patterns of grass and trees, like tree roots coiling and vines spreading.

"The Flourishing Wood Body Divine Ability,' ' Nurture the Azure Embryo.'" Zilin's voice held a hint of seriousness. "Using the body as the embryo, nurture the foundation with the energy of Flourishing Wood. Once this Divine Ability is mastered, the energy of Flourishing Wood can generate and sustain itself, no longer needing to be sought externally."

Su Yao's eyes flickered slightly.

He recalled Su Yao's own "Raise Wood to Reach the Heavens," which also used his own body as a vessel, condensing the energy of Jia Wood into a pillar supporting the sky.

However, Miaoyuan's "Nurture the Azure Embryo" is "using the body as the embryo", which is more inclined to nurture and generate rather than to defend and protect.

Although both belong to the Wood Virtue, their approaches are completely different.

Within the emerald cocoon of light, the voice of True Person Miaoyuan rang out for the third time. This time, her voice carried an inexplicable solemnity:

"" Govern Spring and Longevity ""

As soon as he finished speaking, the emerald cocoon suddenly exploded, transforming into a sky full of emerald light.

Amidst the verdant light, countless illusory images of plants and trees simultaneously appeared: new buds breaking through the soil, tender leaves unfurling, flowers beginning to bloom, and large fruits hanging from the branches.

Spring brings forth life, summer fosters growth, autumn brings harvest, and winter brings rest; the cycle of the four seasons unfolds around her, ultimately culminating in a warm and inviting springtime scene.

Amidst the springtime atmosphere, a faint, extremely fine emerald thread could be seen extending from the body of True Person Miaoyuan, passing through the illusory shadows of countless plants and trees, and disappearing into the depths of heaven and earth.

"The Flourishing Wood Divine Ability, the Govern Spring and Longevity." Zilin's voice lowered, "The 'Si' means 'master.' The Govern Spring and Longevity uses the energy of Flourishing Wood to govern the growth of all things and the circulation of lifespan. This Divine Ability is the core of the Flourishing Wood Dao."

Su Yao remained silent.

As he gazed at the emerald green thread, he suddenly recalled the records about Flourishing Wood in the Qixia Temple Temple's scriptures.

Flourishing Wood is the embodiment of wood, in charge of the withering and flourishing of plants, the growth of all things, and the cycle of lifespan.

During the reign of the Heavenly Sovereign, all plants and trees in the world possessed spirits, Flourishing Wood Attainment Rank was the "master" of all the spirits of the plants and trees in the world.

After the Heavenly Sovereign passed away, the Flourishing Wood Attainment Rank remained vacant.

The "Govern Spring and Longevity" Divine Ability is the way that cultivator Flourishing Wood uses to touch and control "lifespan".

True Person Miaoyuan did not stop.

After the emerald silk thread disappeared into the sky and earth, the spring-like aura around her suddenly vanished, transforming into an extremely thin twig that stretched out from between her brows and slowly reached towards the eastern horizon.

The tender branches were extremely soft and resilient, like newly sprouted willow twigs, swaying gently in the wind.

With each shake, a faint wisp of blue aura is drawn from the eastern horizon and falls into the tender branches.

"Sunward Branch," Zilin said softly, "Divine Ability Flourishing Wood Technique, facing the sun, means growing towards the Three Yangs, using the branches of the Flourishing Wood to welcome the light of the Three Yangs and transform it into its own vitality. This method is similar in principle to the Purple Qi embracing the Three Yangs to grow."

Su Yao nodded slightly.

He recalled Zilin's Purple Qi Dao, which was based on embracing the Three Yangs.

Miaoyuan's "Sunward Branch" is about welcoming the Three Yangs with the branches of Flourishing Wood. Although they come from different paths, they lead to the same goal, each with its own merits.

The tender branch swayed for a moment, then slowly returned to its brow.

True Person Miaoyuan opened his eyes, and those eyes were now filled with lush greenery, like the rings of an ancient tree or the distant silhouette of a spring mountain.

She looked down at her palm, then slowly clenched her fist.

"The Guard the Flowering Signal."

The moment those three words were uttered, all the illusory images of grass and trees in the world trembled simultaneously. The new buds, tender leaves, abundant flowers, and abundant fruits all transformed into specks of emerald light, surging into the body of True Person Miaoyuan like rivers flowing into the sea.

With each ray of emerald light entering her body, the aura of the Flourishing Wood around her intensified. In the end, she became like a towering Jianmu, its roots reaching deep into the netherworld and its crown reaching the Three Yangs.

"The power of the Flourishing Wood Fate Divine Ability, ' Guard the Flowering Signal.'" Zilin's voice held a hint of admiration. "The 'flower's message' is the message of a flower's bloom. With the destiny of the Flourishing Wood, it guards the message of all things' blooming. If the flower has its message, spring will surely arrive; if the Flourishing Wood has its message, then all the plants and trees in the world will have their place."

Su Yao's gaze narrowed slightly.

All five Divine Ability were now fully manifested.

Receive Eastern Qi, Nurture the Azure Embryo, Govern Spring and Longevity, Sunward Branch, and Guard the Flowering Signal, the five Divine Ability stand like five pillars, surrounding the True Person Miaoyuan.

Each Divine Ability exudes a distinct Daoist charm, yet they subtly complement and resonate with each other.

The five Divine Ability began to rotate.

At first, it was extremely slow; the five rays of light flowed gently, like five streams merging into the same lake.

Then it grew faster and faster, the five rays of light gradually merging, permeating, and intertwining, finally condensing into a chaotic emerald ball of light, hovering in front of True Person Miaoyuan's brow.

Golden Nature.

That is the Golden Nature of Flourishing Wood Daoyi.

Within the cluster of light, a tiny seed could be vaguely seen, slowly taking shape.

The seeds are entirely emerald green, with countless patterns of grass and trees flowing across their surface. Each pattern represents a True Intention of Flourishing Wood, and each True Intention tells the mystery of the growth and development of all things.

Zilin gazed at the seed and spoke softly:

"It is the Heavenly Heart Resonance Method of Seeking Gold."

Su Yao nodded first, then shook his head.

He gazed at the emerald seed and the five Divine Ability surrounding it, his eyes gradually growing deep.

"It is the Heavenly Heart Resonance Method of Seeking Gold," he said slowly. "But it is the Five Virtues Resonance the Five Emperors, not the Yin-Yang Purity and Turbidity of Supreme Purity, nor the Primordial Qi of Jade Pure One, nor the My Heart Is the Heavenly Heart Highest Clarity."

Upon hearing this, Zilin's eyes flickered slightly. "You mean...?"

Su Yao did not answer immediately.

He gazed at the emerald seed and the faint phantom images of the Five Emperors emerging around it: the Azure Emperor of the East, the Red Emperor of the South, the Yellow Emperor of the Center, the White Emperor of the West, and the Black Emperor of the North. Although the five phantom images were extremely faint and distant, their aura was undeniable.

"The Five Virtues Resonance is a method left behind by the Five Emperors," Su Yao said slowly. "It uses the Five Virtues as the warp, Heaven and Earth as the weft, and one's own Golden Nature as the guide to resonate with the Five Virtues' original source in Heaven and Earth. This method is extremely ancient, dating back to before the Five Emperors attained enlightenment. As for the Heavenly Heart Resonance, it is a method of the Highest Clarity lineage, taking one's own heart as the Heavenly Heart and one's own nature as the Heavenly Nature. True Person Miaoyuan combined the Five Virtues Resonance and the Heavenly Heart Resonance into one, which is based on the Five Emperors' method and supplemented by the Highest Clarity method."

Upon hearing this, Zilin's gaze darkened. "So..."

"So, in the end, she is following the path of the Divine Dao." Su Yao gazed at the pink-clad figure, his voice not loud. "If True Person succeeds, she will be a true God-King in the real sense, not just a false God-King like many of the current Divine Core."

Zilin nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Not far away, a cold laugh came from the Great Void.

The laughter was extremely soft, yet remarkably clear, carrying a hint of undisguised sarcasm.

Su Yao glanced to the side and saw a figure in a gray robe standing with his hands behind his back several miles away. His face was thin and his lips curled into a cold smile as he looked toward Mount Jing.

That was a Purple Mansion True Person, whose aura was around the level of the Four Divine Abilities. His face was unfamiliar, and Su Yao did not recognize him.

"Such audacity, utterly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, is truly courting death." The gray-robed man muttered in a low voice, but among the many Purple Mansion cultivators present, who couldn't hear him?

Su Yao understood.

This Purple Mansion True Person probably has a grudge against True Person Miaoyuan.

He didn't reply, but simply turned his gaze back to Mount Jing.

At this moment, the strange phenomenon intensified.

The emerald seed suddenly exploded, transforming into a sky full of emerald light, and the figure of True Person Miaoyuan reappeared from within the emerald light.

But she was completely different from before. The aura of the Flourishing Wood around her was so rich that it almost solidified, like a layer of emerald green robe draped over her body, and every breath resonated with heaven and earth.

The five beams of emerald light, formed from the five Divine Ability, all disappeared between her lips and teeth.

She swallowed slightly.

As the emerald light entered her abdomen, her body trembled suddenly, and the aura of the Flourishing Wood around her surged out like a volcanic eruption, dyeing half the sky a deep emerald green.

Those extraordinary phenomena of Flourishing Wood —new buds, tender leaves, abundant flowers, and abundant fruits—appeared once again. But this time, they were no longer just phantoms; instead, they transformed into countless strands of green silk, like billions of emerald threads, converging from all directions of heaven and earth and disappearing into the body of True Person Miaoyuan.

The strange phenomena grew stronger and stronger, and the emerald light became more and more intense. In the end, the entire Mount Jing was shrouded in lush greenery, and even the original bluestone color of the mountain was permeated by the emerald light.

Then, suddenly—

All the strange phenomena came to an abrupt end.

The world suddenly fell silent.

The boundless emerald light, the boundless black hair, and the countless illusory shadows of grass and trees all condensed into a single point and fell into the body of True Person Miaoyuan.

She hovered silently in mid-air, her pink dress and face unchanged, but her entire being exuded an indescribable aura.

That was the aura of "position".

The "position" that resonates with heaven and earth and aligns with the Great Dao.

For a long, long time.

True Person Miaoyuan slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes, though still verdant, now held an indescribable emptiness, like a cloudless sky or a bottomless ancient well.

She... no, it was Him.

He slightly parted his lips, his voice not loud, yet like the resounding tones of a great bell, emanating from Mount Jing, piercing the Great Void, and echoing throughout the world:

"I, Miaoyuan, today at Mount Jing in Linchuan Fuzhou, have attained the Flowering Signal Subsidiary Rank, which is—"

He paused, and then his body suddenly shone with a burst of emerald light, echoing the Flourishing Wood Attainment Rank between heaven and earth.

At that moment, everyone present clearly felt that an extremely ancient and primordial aura was slowly opening its eyes in the world.

"Mu Derong, Mu Huaxin, Miao Yuan, Qun Fang Yu De Shen Jun!"

The Miaoyuan and profound sound emanated from Mount Jing, piercing through the Great Void and spreading throughout the world.

From this day forward, all plants and trees in the world will have a home; all flowers and their blooms will have a master!

"All plants and trees under heaven, whether celestial or mortal, belong to my order of Flourishing Wood. They are born in spring, grow in summer, are harvested in autumn, and stored in winter, each according to its time and keeping its promise. All flowers in the world, whether in the mountains, fields, or gardens, follow the time of my floral promise, never deviating from the season or disrupting the order."

"The Way of the Flourishing Wood governs the nourishment of all things and the circulation of lifespan. Now that I have ascended to the throne, the Flourishing Wood energy of heaven and earth is now under its master. All living beings under heaven, whether immortals or mortals, will have their lifespans nourished and protected. Plants and trees, being spirits, can all cultivate themselves through this Way; all mortal beings, those who depend on plants and trees for survival, will receive the shade of the Flourishing Wood, their lifespans extended, and their illnesses reduced."

"As the Flower God, I govern the order of floral omens and manage the virtues of all flowers. All flowers, gardens, and herbs under heaven fall under my jurisdiction, nurtured by the virtues of all flowers. In spring, a hundred flowers bloom; in summer, grasses flourish; in autumn, fruits abound; and in winter, roots remain evergreen—this is all due to the virtues of my Flourishing Wood and the faith of the Flower God."

"From this day forward, all plants and trees in the world will have their owners, all flowers will bloom in their seasons, and all living beings will have their lifespans. The shade of Flourishing Wood will extend to all living beings; the virtue of fragrant flowers will continue forever!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a phantom image of thousands of flowers blooming simultaneously flashed by, and emerald light rained down like rain, falling into the mountains, rivers, grass, and trees.

When the emerald light touched the grass and trees, they sprouted new buds at a speed visible to the naked eye; when it touched ordinary people, they felt a lightness all over their bodies, as if they had shed some of the weight of time.

This is all Heaven and Earth's response to this newly ascended divine ruler.

At this moment, everyone present, regardless of whether they had any prior interaction with this deity, bowed respectfully and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Greetings to the Divine Lord of Virtue Nurtured by All Flowers!"

The sound rose like a tide from Mount Jing and spread in all directions.

Su Yao also bowed respectfully, his voice not loud, but extremely clear:

"Su Yao of Qixia Temple congratulates the Ascension of the Divine Lord of Virtue Nurtured by All Flowers."

After the ceremony, he straightened up and looked at Mount Jing.

The True Person Miaoyuan —no, the Divine Lord of Virtue Nurtured by All Flowers —hovered quietly above Mount Jing, his emerald light slowly receding, finally settling into a pure pink robe.

He looked down at his palm, then looked up at the eastern horizon.

There, the sun had risen high in the sky, its brilliant light illuminating the heavens and the earth.

On a small hill hundreds of miles away, the woman in white, Miaoqing, slowly stood up, opened her eyes, and bowed in a distant gesture toward her sister.

Then she turned around and faced east.

Her quest for gold has only just begun.

There is a word cloud:

The Mount Jing are verdant, a hundred flowers bloom in celebration, and Purple Qi rises from the east, filling the landscape with spring.

Receive Eastern Qi, Nurture the Azure Embryo, keeping the promise of Govern Spring and Longevity and flowers.

The five Divine Ability converge into one nature, and countless strands of black hair enter the lips and throat.

All the strange phenomena of heaven and earth were gathered, Divine Lord of Virtue Nurtured by All Flowers emerged from among the myriad flowers.

All living beings bowed in unison to offer their congratulations, and thousands of mountains and valleys bowed their heads in unison.

From then on, the Flourishing Wood had a master, and all the plants and trees in the world returned to their place.

Do not say that no one walks the Divine Dao; the legacy of the Five Emperors is now being fulfilled.