The Seed

Unaware of what was happening in the outside world, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou posed as prodigies of the demon race and formally stepped onto the second level. The air on the second level was filled with the fragrance of blossoms, a vibrant sea of flowers blooming everywhere in a breathtaking panorama. Before them stretched an endless flower garden, where a graceful figure knelt on the ground, inhaling the floral scent. Seeing everyone arrive on the second level, the figure rose to her feet, smiled, and clapped her hands in welcome. "Welcome to the second level, everyone. I am the spirit of the mystic realm. You may call me Luo Hong." A spirit of the mystic realm was something found only in mystic realms constructed by cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. It was not a living being, but rather something resembling a pre-programmed spell. However, once this spell acquired sufficient experience, it could emulate the thought processes of a living creature. The Good Fortune Mystic Realm was an ancient mystic realm. The fact that the rules announced on the first level were spoken in contemporary tongue was precisely because Luo Hong, the spirit of the mystic realm, was learning. In the absence of the realm's master, the spirit held the highest authority over the mystic realm. "Greetings, Senior." Even though they knew she was a spell, no one dared to treat Luo Hong as merely that, bowing with the utmost respect and propriety. "It seems this cohort is fairly polite." Luo Hong had no intention of going easy on them just because of their manners. She lightly clapped her hands, and a flowerpot alongside a single seed dropped above each person's head. "The first level tested martial might, while the second level tests character. "The trial for this stage is quite simple: grow a flower. "What you hold in your hands is the seed of a Moon Shadow Flower. When in full bloom, it resembles a peerless beauty dancing in the moonlight—a sight of exquisite splendor. "The growth cycle of the Moon Shadow Flower is fifteen days. All you need to do is make a flower grow in your flowerpot within these fifteen days, and you will pass. During this time, I will not supervise you. "The more luxuriantly the flower grows, the higher your evaluation will be. "Take note: during this period, you may not use spells, spiritual treasures, or any cultivation techniques whatsoever. "Furthermore, you may not speak to one another; you must grow your flowers independently." Seeing the tension among the crowd, Luo Hong added with a smile, "No need to be so nervous. The Moon Shadow Flower is very easy to cultivate. It will take root and sprout as soon as it touches soil." "Fairy, have you ever heard of the Moon Shadow Flower?" Lu Yang asked secretly. "Of course I have. It's quite pretty and very popular. Since you've never heard of it, it's probably extinct by now." The rules of the second level sounded simple enough, but unfortunately, he could not confer with Old Meng. Cradling her flowerpot, Jiang Shishi buried the seed in the soil, loosened the dirt, watered it, and tended to it with meticulous care. Yet, the Moon Shadow Flower showed no sign of sprouting. Jiang Shishi frowned. Her instinct was to consult Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, but remembering that the rules forbade any communication, she had no choice but to give up the idea. She began turning the rules over and over in her head, wondering if she had missed something. *If it were Fellow Daoist Lu Yang, how would he approach this...?* ... Fifteen days slipped by in a flash, and the day of inspection arrived. The prodigies of the demon race and the two pure-blooded humans lined up in a row, waiting for Luo Hong's evaluation. Standing in the very front of the line was Su Lian'er of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan. Clad in a flowing white gown, Su Lian'er possessed breathtaking beauty. She held her flowerpot, wearing an expression of delicate vulnerability. The pot was completely empty. Luo Hong frowned. "Where is your flower?" Large tears rolled down Su Lian'er's cheeks, an aching sight that tempted anyone to reach out and wipe them away. "It was growing so well at first, but having inherited the ancestral legacy, I possess beauty that sinks fish, grounds geese, outshines the moon, and shames the flowers. The moment the Moon Shadow Flower blossomed, it withered away in despair upon laying eyes on me." Luo Hong stared at Su Lian'er for a long time before letting out a slow breath. "Very well. You pass." Second in line was Jiang Shishi. Inside Jiang Shishi's pot, a Moon Shadow Flower was in full, breathtaking bloom. Luo Hong nodded, granting her a pass. Next came Ao Yue. Ao Yue's flowerpot was likewise completely bare, without a Moon Shadow Flower in sight. "Where is your flower?" Ao Yue cupped his fists and said respectfully, "Reporting to Senior, this junior failed to grow a flower." "Give me a reason." Hearing this question, Ao Yue straightened his posture and smiled. "Senior stated at the very beginning that the second level tests character. In my view, the seed you gave us could never grow a Moon Shadow Flower. This trial is testing our honesty!" "...You are eliminated." "Why?!" Ao Yue grew anxious, convinced he should have passed. Luo Hong sneered. "You have the nerve to ask why? Indeed, every seed I gave you was boiled and completely incapable of growing a flower. But who told you this trial was testing honesty? The human race is cunning and thick-skinned; why should the demon race preach honesty? Can you defeat the human race relying on your honesty? "This trial tests your ability to lie. "Though that little girl from the Nine-Tailed Fox clan told a crude lie, it still counted as one, so I let her pass." "Then what about Jiang Shishi? How did she grow a Moon Shadow Flower?" Luo Hong sneered again. "Were you not listening when I laid out the rules? I said to make a flower grow in your pot. When did I ever say you had to plant the seed I gave you?" Ao Yue was struck speechless. Thinking back carefully, that was indeed what she had said. Not just Ao Yue, but the demon prodigies lined up behind him all lowered their heads in shame, clutching their empty pots. Every single one of them had assumed Luo Hong was testing honesty. Jiang Shishi let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had imitated Lu Yang's way of thinking, studying the rules meticulously to figure out what Luo Hong truly wanted. Without exception, the demon prodigies behind Ao Yue were disqualified. Luo Hong did not stop until she reached Meng Jingzhou. She looked Meng Jingzhou up and down. His lively performance in the first trial had piqued her curiosity. "Where is your flowerpot?" Meng Jingzhou's hands were empty. Forget flowers, he did not even have a pot. "Please follow me." Meng Jingzhou made an inviting gesture, leading Luo Hong to an area dense with Moon Shadow Flowers, blooming in radiant, clustered splendour. The bottom of Meng Jingzhou's flowerpot had been hollowed out, encircling the most luxuriant cluster of Moon Shadow Flowers like a low wall. Meng Jingzhou scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his grin stretching practically from ear to ear. "Ah, I'm truly embarrassed. I don't know what happened, but the flowers I planted grew so vigorously that they punched a hole right through the pot. Look, that's how it ended up like this. "If I recall correctly, Senior, you did say that the more luxuriantly the flower grows, the higher the evaluation, right?" Luo Hong: "..." She had indeed said that a more luxuriant bloom would yield a higher evaluation, but this was simply absurd. He had clearly seen through the fact that this stage tested lying and had started making things up out of thin air. "You pass." The last one was Lu Yang. Lu Yang's flowerpot was entirely empty. Forget a flower, there was not even a speck of dirt. "It's empty. You didn't pass—" "Wait a moment," Lu Yang raised a hand to stop her. "The condition for passing was to make a flower grow in the pot within fifteen days, correct?" "Yes." "Then I have passed." "Where is your flower?" Lu Yang pointed to the sprawling flower garden and declared with complete confidence, "Over these fifteen days, I kept taking flowers from the garden, planting them into my pot, moving them back out, planting another batch, and moving them out again. "Every single flower in this garden can be considered to have grown from my flowerpot. "If Senior does not believe me, you may inspect the roots of all the flowers in the garden; they will undoubtedly bear soil from my pot." Luo Hong: "..." The passing condition had never specified the fifteenth day, but rather within those fifteen days from the start of the trial. Luo Hong had not even realized there was such a loophole in her rules. "No, that's not right. The second level tests whether you possess the quality of lying," Luo Hong tried to salvage her ground. "Exactly. I made all of that up just now."