10 Entering the Tomb, Picking Flowers
Alright, all four chapters released!!
***
The news that the Yuan Sword Sect was choosing the Tomb of the Flower-Plucking King as the venue for the entrance competition quickly spread. Elite disciples from all over the South Province rushed in, leaving many small factions furious but unable to voice their grievances.
The quality of the disciples they recruited was far inferior to the Yuan Sword Sect. Furthermore, with over a hundred people from the Yuan Sword Sect swarming into the Flower-Plucking King's Mausoleum, their disciples would probably not even have a chance to drink a mouthful of soup, let alone compete with them.
***
'Entrance competition?' Mò Fán was surprised.
Lín Yáng had indeed arrived, but his little butterfly effect caused the story to deviate from its original trajectory.
In the original story, the sect competition of the Yuan Sword Sect took place within the sect after Lín Yáng obtained the Flower-Plucking Manual. Lín Yáng became the new champion, advancing to the inner sect.
The Yuan Sword Sect didn't pay much attention to the Tomb of the Flower-Plucking King. Instead, the biggest force entering the tomb was the neighbouring Royal Family.
The 'Flower-Plucking Manual' recorded the profound techniques of Flower-Plucking King's Flower-Picking Finger and Falling Flower Palm!
In Mò Fán's story, Lín Yáng obtained this 'Flower-Plucking Manual,' became the first to enter the inner sect, and laid a solid foundation for his future achievements.
[Ding! The host triggered a side quest, 'Flower-Plucking Manual']
[Please acquire the 'Flower-Plucking Manual,' complete the quest, and receive the possession skill. If the quest fails, the soul will weaken for a year and cannot regain consciousness.]
[Possession Skill: The host can voluntarily give up control of the body, utilizing part of the host's previous strength to assist in battles. The effectiveness depends on the strength of the controlled body.]
'Huh? Possession skill? I remember that Saint Alchemist could do that too, possessing Lín Yáng's body and helping him repel many powerful enemies.'
'With my previous strength as a Martial Emperor, it should be more effective than his. As for the punishment, being asleep for a year, Mò Qīngkuáng, this foolish kid, probably would have been devoured by someone by now.'
'And someone like Lín Yáng, a chosen one, who knows how much he could grow in a year?' In Mò Fán's writing, a year later, Lín Yáng could already contend with grandmasters.
This quest must be completed.
***
"Yuan Sword Sect and even the royal family is here. Are you afraid?" Mò Fán saw Mò Qīngkuáng still glaring at the entrance, smiled, and asked.
"Not one bit!" Mò Qīngkuáng gritted his teeth, squeezing out a few words, "I will kill him!"
"Then let's go in. Just follow my instructions, and you'll surely get your revenge in the future."
Mò Qīngkuáng nodded solemnly and walked towards the entrance of the tomb.
The entrance to the tomb was located on the edge of a small basin in the mountains. Due to the movement of the mountains, a clear spring emerged, gushing out gently.
Around the entrance, a few Blood Demon Vines guarded, seemingly restricted by some prohibition. Anyone over the age of eighteen would be attacked.
Blood Demon Vines were peculiar plants that could bind and devour the flesh and blood of others. The vines were tough and tenacious, and judging by their shape and size, they were likely over a thousand years old. Even a grandmaster would have to spend quite some effort to forcefully enter.
"The chosen location is quite good, nestled against the mountains and by the water." Mò Fán chuckled, whether he was praising the Flower-Plucking King, or his own design was unclear.
Mò Qīngkuáng entered the gate and didn't encounter any attacks from the Blood Demon Vines, indicating that he met the entry requirements.
Turning down a dimly lit path, Mò Qīngkuáng emerged into brightness.
Ahead was a hall, illuminated by unknown lights, with no other exits. In the center, there was an ancient three-foot platform inscribed with mysterious runes, gently glowing in the light.
In front of the platform stood a stone tablet with the inscription: "Enter the palace through transmission to inherit this king's legacy."
The platform turned out to be a teleportation array. Each teleportation could only carry ten people at a time, and now the disciples of Yuan Sword Sect were queuing up to teleport.
Whenever someone entered the array, a white light flashed, and that person disappeared.
Lín Yáng wasn't among the remaining people; he probably couldn't wait and jumped the line.
Mò Qīngkuáng was a bit anxious, thinking that if they went in first, they might gain an advantage. He wanted to cut in line.
But Mò Fán said, "Just wait patiently."
Listening to his ancestor, Mò Qīngkuáng suppressed his impatience and queued up to enter.
At the moment he stepped into the array, a sense of weightlessness surrounded him. He felt like he was in a strange space for a fleeting moment.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a sea of flowers. Peonies, azaleas, roses, and many other varieties surrounded him.
The flowers were in full bloom, brightly lit, but he couldn't see the sky when he looked up. Mò Qīngkuáng guessed they were underground in some palace.
He wondered what kind of technique the Flower-Plucking King used to make so many fresh flowers survive underground and grow so beautifully.
Truly a flower lover.
The flower sea was vast, covering several hundred meters in all directions, with countless flowers of various kinds.
More people continued to teleport down, appearing in the flower sea.
"This is just one place; there are ten places like this," Mò Fán's voice echoed in Mò Qīngkuáng's mind.
"Then, shall we go there to find the Flower-Plucking King's treasures?"
"No hurry, first, pick flowers," Mò Fán calmly said.
"Pick flowers?" Mò Qīngkuáng was puzzled.
"Yes, pick one of each. Don't miss any, and don't damage them! There are still ten places like this in the underground palace. In each place, there are ten different types of flowers, pick one from each!" Mò Fán affirmed.
To explain the secrets of the Flower-Plucking King's tomb, no one knew better than Mò Fán. The Flower-Plucking King, in his lifetime, was infatuated with flowers. After his death, he built ten places like this in an underground palace, cultivating a hundred varieties of fresh flowers to accompany his eternal sleep.
These hundred types of flowers were the keys to unlocking the Flower-Plucking King's hidden treasures!
When Mò Fán wrote this part, he emphasized the essence of Lín Yáng as the chosen one. Because Chu Yānrán loved flowers, she dragged Lín Yáng through all ten halls, picking all hundred varieties of flowers, and was ultimately chosen by the Flower-Plucking King, becoming the biggest winner in this secret realm.
Many cultivators with higher cultivation than Lín Yáng ended up with only some auxiliary pills and spirit flowers and herbs as consolation.
Now that Mò Fán stood on Mò Qīngkuáng's side, he naturally wanted to help Mò Qīngkuáng become the ultimate winner.
"Hey, buddy, why are you picking flowers here instead of looking for treasures?" A young man with keen observation skills saw Mò Qīngkuáng wearing a cloak and calmly picking flowers, and couldn't help but ask.
Without lifting his head, Mò Qīngkuáng exaggeratedly said, "I heard that the Flower-Plucking King loves flowers, so I came! Wouldn't it be great if I could take all these flowers home? For me, these flowers are the real treasures!"
"Are you crazy? These are just ordinary plants, not even considered spiritual herbs! You came all the way to the Qiónghuā Mountain Range just to pick some flowers?" The person was clearly shocked by Mò Qīngkuáng's words. Was there really someone like this?
"How vulgar! You guys only know how to fight and kill, not appreciating these beautiful things at all." Mò Qīngkuáng didn't dare to lift his head. He was afraid that if he stood up, he would disgust himself with his own words.
This was what his ancestor taught him –play the fool to catch the wise, acting crazy with full enthusiasm.
This was the correct way to silently amass wealth. Otherwise, with his Martial Master cultivation, he wouldn't be enough to handle the over a hundred people in this place.
"Heh, so there really are flower enthusiasts like you. You go on enjoying, this young master is too vulgar, so he is off to find treasures." The person sneered and walked away.
News of a flower enthusiast picking flowers quickly spread within the secret realm.
