Spring Blossom

Ye Qian was the personal disciple of the Purple Peak Master of Yunlan Sect. Though her talent was not among the finest—being a dual spiritual root cultivator—her wood spiritual root was exceptionally rare, a pure tenfold heavenly spiritual root.

Those with such a spiritual root were naturally gifted in nurturing spiritual plants, and living beings of all kinds found it easy to feel a natural affinity toward her.

Because of this, Ye Qian was often surrounded by kind and amiable people within the sect.

However, in the "Heavenly Fate Diagram," her destiny took a drastically different turn due to the influence of her "junior sister."

On one occasion, Ye Qian accepted a sect mission and ventured out. By chance, she stumbled upon the emergence of a rare treasure and promptly informed the sect about it.

The sect, however, declared that it was her personal opportunity and would not interfere, urging her to seize it for herself.

Elated, Ye Qian shared the news with her junior sister, who was equally delighted. The junior sister then mentioned that her maternal family resided near Yecheng and that her cousins had also heard of the treasure's emergence and planned to compete for it. She suggested they all go together.

Ye Qian, not wanting to reject her junior sister's goodwill, agreed.

But that decision marked the beginning of her lifelong nightmare.

The so-called rare treasure turned out to be a peculiar type of aphrodisiac flower. After entering the secret realm with her junior sister's elder cousin, Ye Qian fell under the flower's influence, leading to a night of intimacy with him.

Upon their return, the junior sister flew into a rage at her cousin, demanding he take responsibility and marry Ye Qian.

Ye Qian, being a cultivator, did not care about such matters. But her junior sister, drowning in tears day after day, seemed utterly inconsolable, claiming she could never find peace unless Ye Qian married her cousin.

Unable to bear seeing her junior sister grow increasingly frail, Ye Qian finally agreed to the marriage.

Only after the marriage did she discover that her cousin's heart already belonged to another. Over time, she was branded as a scheming villain who manipulated her way into the family by exploiting the cousin's kindness.

Initially, Ye Qian believed she could endure the rumors and slander. But as time passed, the malicious words grew sharper, even affecting her loved ones. Gradually, bitterness and resentment took root in her heart.

She resented her junior sister for forcing her into marriage for the sake of her own conscience.

She resented the sect for failing to speak up for her.

She resented her husband for his feigned affection.

Her hatred reached its peak when her daughter sacrificed her life to save the junior sister. From that moment, Ye Qian descended into madness.

She repeatedly schemed against her junior sister, only to be exposed each time. In the end, her husband crippled her spiritual veins, leaving her a broken and destitute woman—a mere stepping stone in the junior sister's glorious life.

After witnessing Ye Qian's tragic fate, Ji Wushuang could hardly restrain an eye-roll. Anyone with half a brain could guess who this "junior sister" was.

Raising her gaze, Ji Wushuang looked at the woman before her, who was smiling gently. It was difficult to reconcile this serene figure with the hysterical one from the vision. The destiny mark between her brows remained, faint but present, signaling that she was still a person of great fortune.

With such potential for a radiant life, why should she settle for being a supporting character in someone else's story?

"Senior Sister Ye, I'll go with you," Ji Wushuang said firmly.

Ye Qian, unwilling to let Ji Wushuang wander alone, agreed. Her sect mission was already complete, so once they secured the treasure, she planned to accompany Ji Wushuang further if she wished to explore. Otherwise, she would escort her back to the sect.

Meanwhile, Wu Huayi sent a voice transmission to Mo Lanyi, informing her that their senior sister had encountered fellow sect members and left.

Mo Lanyi froze, sensing another thread slipping from her grasp. Forcing herself to remain calm, she replied, "Cousin, my senior sister is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Competing for such a treasure is too dangerous. Please, you must help her."

Wu Huayi smiled helplessly. "You're always so soft-hearted."

"Regardless, I'm counting on you, Cousin."

"Since you insist, I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thank you, Cousin."

"No need."

After ending the transmission, Wu Huayi stared at the talisman in his hand, lost in thought, before carefully putting it away.

Three days later, north of Yicheng, the Jade Lake bloomed with countless flowers, their fragrance wafting through the air, transforming the verdant lake into a sea of blossoms and scent.

Cultivators gathered, waiting in silence for the treasure to reveal itself.

The treasure, in truth, was singular. While most present would never lay eyes on it, a chance to witness the phenomenon surrounding its emergence had, in the past, led some to breakthroughs in cultivation. For unaffiliated cultivators without sects or backing, this was a heaven-sent opportunity.

When Ji Wushuang and Ye Qian arrived, they found not only a large number of cultivators but an overwhelming presence of spiritual beasts.

It was a veritable mountain and sea of beasts, leaving Ye Qian utterly stunned.

"Why are there so many people and spiritual beasts?!"

"Senior Sister, are you going forward?"

Ye Qian could have used her status as a direct disciple of the Yunlan Sect's Peak Master to claim the most advantageous position. However, the sect's decision not to intervene indicated its willingness to let nearby cultivation families and rogue cultivators have the treasure.

Thus, if she wished to obtain it, she could rely only on her own abilities.

"There are too many spiritual beasts—it seems dangerous. Let's wait here."

"Alright."

As the fragrance in the air grew stronger, some cultivators began to feel unwell, while the spiritual beasts hurriedly converged from all directions.

Ye Qian frowned. "This scent is too overpowering… It's making me dizzy."

Ji Wushuang, after a moment of thought, handed Ye Qian a talisman from her pouch. "Senior Sister, use this."

The Nine-Life Miasma-Repelling Talisman was an eighth-grade talisman. Even if Ji Wushuang was willing to give it to Ye Qian, she might not have been able to activate it.

Instead, Ji Wushuang handed her an ordinary second-grade talisman, one crafted by Jin Fuxi during training and later given to Ji Wushuang in abundance.

Though Ji Wushuang found it unremarkable, Ye Qian saw it as a rare treasure.

She gasped. "Junior Sister… This is a supreme miasma-repelling talisman! Are you really giving it to me?"

Ji Wushuang replied, "Senior Sister, this floral scent isn't normal. It's better to be cautious."

Ye Qian, not being a single-root cultivator, had only reached the Foundation Establishment stage and dared not take risks. She accepted the talisman. "Thank you, Junior Sister. Once we return to the sect, I'll repay you with spirit stones."

Ji Wushuang shook her head, her gaze fixed on the scene ahead.

Soon, the overpowering fragrance left Qi Refinement cultivators dizzy and nauseous, forcing many to flee. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators hesitated to act rashly.

The sheer number of spiritual beasts was daunting. If each spat once, it would drown the entire gathering!

With the talisman's protection, Ye Qian remained unaffected. Noticing the spiritual beasts were not attacking anyone, her courage grew.

"Let's go closer…"

The two cautiously advanced until they reached the lakeshore, where most of the cultivators were Golden Core experts.

Before them, the Jade Lake no longer shimmered with vibrant green. Instead, it was blanketed with layers of petals, forming a breathtakingly romantic sea of blossoms.

Spiritual beasts lingered by the lakeshore, some diving into the water to pluck flowers, others rolling in the lake, all in an astonishingly orderly manner.

As the personal disciple of the Purple Peak Master, Ye Qian quickly recognized the petals.

"It's Spring Blossom! No wonder the scent is so strong and has attracted so many spiritual beasts."

"Spring Blossom?"

Even Ji Wushuang, with her extensive knowledge, had never heard of this plant, a testament to its rarity.

Ye Qian chuckled wryly but explained, "Yes, Spring Blossomis essentially… a tranquilizer for spiritual beasts."

"A tranquilizer?"

"Ahem. To put it bluntly, it helps them through their mating seasons. Low-level spiritual beasts, while no longer ordinary animals, still have instincts. Before they fully awaken their intelligence and transform, they experience such periods.

"Spring Blossom can ease their restlessness. However, it is a fleeting flower, scattering its seeds with the wind and blooming unpredictably. It withers quickly after blooming, so it must be harvested at the right moment.

"Spiritual beasts can sense its presence, which is why they've gathered here. Spring Blossom can be sold to beast-taming families and sects. While not the most precious, it is still valuable—a single flower can fetch a mid-grade spirit stone.

"If one were lucky enough to obtain its seeds, that would be even more priceless."

Ji Eternally Broke Wushuang's eyes lit up at the mention of a single flower being worth a mid-grade spirit stone. Rolling up her sleeves, she exclaimed, "Senior Sister! What are we waiting for? Let's start collecting!"

Ye Qian: "???"

What?!

Didn't she see the sea of spiritual beasts?

If they went in, wouldn't they be devoured in one bite?!