Before the eyes of the gathered multitude, Jiao Xiuyuan opened the wooden box.
A transparent "sheet of paper," thin as a cicada's wing and radiating a gentle white glow, drifted slowly into the air.
"The True Tianling Flower!" a cultivator among the crowd cried out in astonishment.
Others were so stunned by the Tianling Flower's beauty that they leaped to their feet on the spot.
Strangely enough, though the True Tianling Flower was sealed within a two-dimensional sheet, onlookers could perceive nothing amiss. It was as if an actual flower were blooming before them, breathtaking in its splendor. Faint fragrance even seemed to waft from its petals.
Seeing the entire crowd struck dumb by the Tianling Flower's beauty, Jiao Xiuyuan smiled smugly and lightly pointed a finger at the transparent slip in midair.
In an instant, countless rays of light burst forth from it, projecting the palm-sized flower high above the venue.
Though magnified tens of thousands of times in scale, its divine charm was not diminished in the least. On the contrary, the scenes upon each petal became visible down to the finest detail, rendered sharper than ever before.
While every cultivator's mind was utterly enthralled, Jiao Xiuyuan took advantage of the distraction to secretly crush a round bead.
A faint white mist carrying a mysterious, profound aura drifted out and gradually enveloped the grounds.
Even with a puppet body, Jiao Xiuyuan himself kept far away from it, quietly erecting a barrier to keep the white fog at bay.
He recalled the explanation given by that Dao Integration cultivator named Liu San—an obvious pseudonym—when the man handed him this item:
"Ahem, this is an elixir of this old man's painstaking creation, capable of aiding cultivators in their practice. Once atomized and inhaled, it induces an effect resembling comprehension of the Dao..."
Watching the faces of the cultivators slowly turn intoxicated and enraptured, Jiao Xiuyuan muttered to himself, *Even though he swore up and down that this stuff has been modified and is completely non-addictive... whichever way you cut it, best stay away from this damned thing.*
The True Tianling Flower bloomed to its heart's content, the wonder within its petals reflected on the faces of every cultivator in the Huajian Grotto-Heaven.
Each viewing session lasted only three shichen. Once missed, the opportunity would not come again. Thus, nearly everyone kept their gaze fixed intently on the projection of the Tianling Flower in the air.
Only one person stared blankly at the ice-sealed sheet on the stage, completely dazed.
*It can't be wrong: Ice Droplet Dew, Form-Likeness Imprinter, Thousand-Color Silk...*
*This is identical to the method I used to preserve flowers in my* Collection Amidst Flowers*, but I never breathed a word of it to anyone else.*
*How could...* Disbelief filled Zhao Chong's eyes. *Could it be that there is actually someone else in this world who thought of the exact same thing as me?*
Having witnessed the True Tianling Flower in person, Zhao Chong's long-cherished wish had been fulfilled. As for breakthroughs in cultivation or epiphanies of divine abilities, he cared little. Instead, a deep curiosity began to brew within him regarding the flower's owner, who had yet to show his face.
Time drifted by as the crowd remained immersed.
As the three-shichen limit approached, still no one showed any signs of a breakthrough or sudden insight.
*This is the debut; it can't be botched.*
Just as Jiao Xiuyuan was about to activate his prearranged backup, a ripple suddenly descended, bringing him to an abrupt halt.
*It's this kid! Wonderful! That saves me the trouble of working myself to the bone on another promotional wave!* Recognizing the cultivator who was breaking through, Jiao Xiuyuan was overjoyed.
In a flash, he appeared beside the youth and contained the fluctuations, preventing them from disturbing the others' contemplation and insight.
The first cultivator to break through was none other than Sun Qi.
The moment he beheld the Tianling Flower's peerless vista overhead, he felt as though he were suddenly cast back into the midst of the brutal battlefield. Yet unlike the present Tianling Flowers tainted with a bloody aura, no murderous impulses rose within him.
Instead, the myriad wondrous sights of heaven and earth acted like gentle water, soothing and healing the psychological trauma inflicted on him by the war.
It was as though time were flowing backward: blood, corpses, and cracked earth all vanished. His perspective soared across the skies of Tianling Province, returning to the era before the great war.
Sun Qi gazed upon it all, utterly enraptured.
In that instant, he forgot the affection and disappointment of his clan elders, forgot the jeers and ridicule of his peers, and forgot his desperate yearning for a breakthrough.
His mind was filled only with the beauty of Tianling and the majesty of heaven and earth.
Hostility dissolved; what was meant to be unfolded naturally.
When he came to his senses from that trance, he discovered that the bottleneck of the Heavenly Calamity, which had plagued him for years and driven him to near despair, had vanished without a sound.
All he needed now was to find a suitable grotto-heaven and consume it to advance directly into the Nascent Soul stage. For the Sun clan, that was hardly a difficult task.
In the past, had he suddenly broken through, he would surely have been overcome with emotion and wept tears of joy.
Yet now, he felt neither joy nor sorrow. Nor did he leave the Huajian Grotto-Heaven early; he simply remained seated. Ignoring the glances cast his way from time to time, he kept his eyes trained on the True Tianling Flower above.
Only when the host, Jiao Xiuyuan, returned the flower to its wooden box and announced the end of the first appreciation assembly did Sun Qi finally come back to his senses.
Outcries of excitement, regret, and admiration erupted one after another.
"Daoist Jiao, name a price! Just how much does this True Tianling Flower cost?"
Having witnessed its wonder firsthand, some cultivators could no longer hold back and pressed him eagerly.
Voices chimed in across the hall in agreement.
Facing the clamor, Jiao Xiuyuan merely smiled. "I have told you all so many times: the flower's master has made his stance abundantly clear—not for sale, not for sale, absolutely not for sale!
"Much as I would love to broker such a deal, if he insists on this, I am helpless!"
The crowd below immediately grew agitated.
A potbellied, middle-aged cultivator stood up directly, looked at Jiao Xiuyuan, and declared haughtily, "I don't buy it! As long as the price is high enough, is there anything in this world that cannot be bought? Ten million contribution points—how about that? If that's not enough, we can add more!"
Before Jiao Xiuyuan could reply, someone in the hall sneered sarcastically, "Oh, isn't that Daoist Zhu Yuhua of Tianshu Province? I heard you've always been lavish with your wealth, so why offer a mere ten million contribution points the moment you open your mouth? Who are you looking down on?
"Heh, you think you can buy the True Tianling Flower with just that? Those imitation copies seem far more suitable for you!"
Zhu Yuhua's expression shifted slightly. He looked toward the speakers and saw that they were indeed figures of considerable standing. To them, ten million contribution points was hardly a significant sum.
Swallowing back the words on the tip of his tongue, his pride wounded, Zhu Yuhua was just about to raise his bid.
Jiao Xiuyuan stepped forward to play peacemaker.
"Everyone, everyone..."
He raised his voice a few notches, drawing their attention once more.
"The master of the Tianling Flower is a person of extraordinary grace. In both appearance and bearing, he is someone I, Old Jiao, have never seen the like of in my entire life. Toward the only Tianling Flower in existence, he naturally cannot bear to part with it.
"However..." Jiao Xiuyuan changed his tune.
"He also understands that if such an extraordinary rarity were to be locked away on a high shelf, viewed only by a select few, it would be an insult to its splendor. Thus, through my persuasion, we have settled upon a compromise."
Jiao Xiuyuan paused before proclaiming, "Though it is not for sale, this True Tianling Flower can be rented out!
"Any fellow Daoist interested may stay behind, and I will explain the details."
*Only renting, not selling. This master of the Tianling Flower certainly knows how to do business,* Sun Qi smiled wryly.
Looking at the swarms of cultivators crowding toward Jiao Xiuyuan, Sun Qi knew he lacked the means to lease the flower. Shaking his head, he quietly departed the Huajian Grotto-Heaven.
Upon leaving, the first person Sun Qi went to visit was his uncle, Sun Liancheng. After all, the fundamental reason he could break through this time was the Huajian Invitation his uncle had bestowed upon him.
After waiting only a brief moment in his uncle's immortal cave, Sun Liancheng arrived in haste.
"Good... good..." Sun Liancheng looked him up and down, even more thrilled than Sun Qi himself.
"The prodigy of our Sun clan has finally returned after all these years," Sun Liancheng sighed repeatedly with emotion.
Sun Qi let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Prodigy...
"Born into Foundation Establishment, achieving Golden Core when only a month old. Back then, I truly lived up to the name of a prodigy. But I am already two hundred and thirteen years old now..."
Sun Qi shook his head slightly. "What kind of prodigy is that? Uncle, please do not call me that anymore. Others have long since attained the Nascent Soul or Soul Formation realms, while I still linger at the Golden Core stage...
"If word gets out, people will surely laugh."
Sun Liancheng disagreed. "Why should our Sun clan care about what others think? Qi'er, you remained at the Golden Core stage for over two centuries, and now you have broken free in a single day. Accumulating depth to burst forth, your future is bound to be boundless.
"Besides..."
A strange look crossed Sun Liancheng's face. "Breaking through was so arduous; it cannot be blamed on you. After all, the entire clan's bottlenecks were borne by your shoulders alone.
"On top of that, having the Primal Qi of Qiankun as your companion wonder means facing multiplied malice from heaven and earth. To break through the Golden Core stage's Heavenly Calamity within your lifetime is already tremendous fortune. How many ancestors failed to reach even the Golden Core stage before exhausting their lifespans and perishing? But now..."
Sun Liancheng patted Sun Qi's shoulder and said with relief, "The future is promising!"
Sun Qi's expression remained utterly still.
"The next bottleneck in the *Record of Inverted Qiankun Derivation* is at the late Soul Formation stage, correct?" Sun Liancheng asked.
Sun Qi nodded gently.
"Rest assured, grotto-heavens, heavenly marrow—whatever resources you require, the clan will prepare for you. You need only focus on your cultivation."
After a long silence, Sun Liancheng's tone turned faint and subdued. "Qi'er, the burden of the entire clan rests on you alone. Because of this, your cultivation could not advance an inch, and you could not speak of it to anyone, forced to endure it in silence. Do you feel wronged, or resentful?"
Sun Qi's expression did not waver. "It is merely my duty. Countless ancestors made silent sacrifices just as I did, and it is precisely because of their dedication that our Sun clan enjoys its prosperity today. How could I harbor resentment?"
Sun Liancheng narrowed his eyes, studying Sun Qi intently as if discerning whether his words were genuine.
After a long while, just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly shifted. "A guest has arrived."
"Then this nephew takes his leave!" Sun Qi cupped his hands and turned to depart.
"No matter, just stay here. It is nothing major," Sun Liancheng called him back.
"Hahaha, Old Sun, this time we've made a fortune!" The voice arrived before the person.
Hearing Jiao Xiuyuan's voice, Sun Qi fell silent and stood quietly to the side.
Before long, Jiao Xiuyuan walked in, high in spirits.
"The number of cultivators who traveled from afar is even greater than you imagined, haha..."
Halfway through his sentence, he caught sight of Sun Qi standing quietly in the room and stopped abruptly, a strange look flashing through his eyes.
"Heh, Daoist Jiao, speak freely. Qi'er is no outsider," Sun Liancheng waved his hand.
Jiao Xiuyuan opened his mouth, but in the end he merely smiled and said nothing further.
"Old Sun, you misunderstand. How could I not know the relationship between you and this lad? It's just that when we established the contract, we agreed to keep it confidential."
His voice abruptly ceased, leaving only his lips moving. Sun Liancheng's expression shifted between shock and joy as he listened.
After speaking a few more sentences, Jiao Xiuyuan retrieved a Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror from his robes.
Completing the transaction on the spot, he hurried away.
"To think someone would actually be willing to offer a Dao Integration-grade Law-Audience Jade Plaque just for the first rental of that True Tianling Flower...
"It seems our Sun clan still has quite a gap compared to the Alliance's true elites," Sun Liancheng sighed faintly. "We have a long way to go!"
Hearing this, Sun Qi could not help but be stunned. "Wasn't it supposed to be kept secret?"
"He, Jiao Xiuyuan, signed that contract; what does it have to do with me?" Sun Liancheng said dismissively.
"Still, this master of the Tianling Flower is rather interesting. An ancient sleeper cultivator emerging from the white mist, asking for my help to secure an identity in the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals...
"Qi'er, what do you think?" After pondering for a moment, Sun Liancheng looked at Sun Qi.
Sun Qi reflected for a moment before answering, "Harboring ulterior motives; he could be a spy from the Five Elders Association."
Sun Liancheng burst into laughter and shook his head. "Qi'er, you are still too young. The master of the Tianling Flower went to great lengths simply to meet the Yanfa Jade once and seek a Dao Integration method suited to him. If he truly were a spy, why would he squander such a rare opportunity on something like this?
"Furthermore, the Yanfa Jade resides at the headquarters of the Alliance's Protector Hall. Suppressed by Chuanfa's True Intent, what kind of spy would dare cause trouble there? It would be nothing short of throwing away their life."
Sun Qi remained silent.
How could a mere Golden Core cultivator like him know such secrets? His uncle Sun Liancheng was merely using this to remind him: even if Sun Qi broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, he was still nothing compared to the entire Sun clan. He was to obediently cultivate the *Record of Inverted Qiankun Derivation*, shoulder the clan's bottlenecks, and harbor no rebellious thoughts.
*Hmph.*
Burying the fleeting, dangerous thought deep in the recesses of his heart, Sun Qi dared not reveal the slightest change in demeanor.
Sun Liancheng seemed quite pleased with his reaction, and from then on, had him stay in the Castellan's estate.
Seven days later, Sun Qi met the deeply mysterious master of the Tianling Flower, Xu Bai, at the manor.
Despite believing his mind to be exceptionally resolute, Sun Qi still fell momentarily dazed upon seeing him. Only then did he realize that Jiao Xiuyuan's words about the flower's master being "peerlessly graceful and exceedingly rare in this world" were no exaggeration.
Xu Bai had come here seemingly for his Alliance identity.
For Sun Liancheng, who held power over an entire province, this was a trivial matter.
In less than half a day, he bypassed the various verifications and completed Xu Bai's induction into the Alliance.
Xu Bai verified his identity on the spot using a Lesser Heavenly Profound Mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
After offering lavish praise of Sun Liancheng's "overwhelming authority," he folded his fan and departed gracefully.
Sun Qi's gaze followed his retreating figure until it vanished.
"He indeed carries an air of Heaven's favor..."
"A pity he has gone astray," Sun Liancheng snorted coldly, offering this assessment.
Hearing this, Sun Qi paused, wondering what mistake he had made recently to displease his uncle.
A moment later, he realized his uncle was not referring to him, but to the departed Xu Bai.
"Gone astray? What does Uncle mean?" Sun Qi asked, perplexed.
"A person favored by the Heavenly Dao might have been someone the major sects vied for in the ancient cultivation world, a natural seed for the Dao.
"Yet now..." A trace of disdain flashed across Sun Liancheng's eyes.
"The Heavenly Venerable's new method is truly an act of defying Heaven. The more grace one receives from heaven and earth, the harder it will be when reversing the principles of heaven and earth in the future.
"Even when offering the anima of Heaven and Earth, one will suffer multiplied backlash from the will of heaven and earth. No matter how high their talent, they almost all halt at the Soul Formation stage.
"Take your companion wonder, the Primal Qi of Qiankun. Being half a wonder of Heaven, it counts as a gift of heaven and earth. Along your cultivation path, have you felt malice from heaven and earth? As your cultivation rises in the future, that malice will only become more pronounced.
"Originally, how generous heaven and earth were toward people like you! Yet you still choose to cultivate the new method and turn your weapons against them.
"It would be stranger if they didn't despise you."
Deliberately ignoring the faint mockery in his uncle's words, Sun Qi nodded slowly, lost in thought.
Yet neither he nor Sun Liancheng at the Dao Integration realm noticed in the slightest that this entire conversation, from beginning to end, had been observed without missing a single word.
It was Li Fan, monitoring Sun Qi through a strand of Formless Killing Intent.
Chapter 705