At this moment, Gu Yechen only felt the scene before his eyes gradually blur, becoming more and more indistinct, along with his consciousness growing hazy.
When he came to again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place — seemingly inside a forest. Around him were towering trees and cheerful birds, while the ground was covered with bright flowers and fresh fragrant grass.
The place was lush and verdant, filled with the sounds of birdsong and floral fragrance, with fallen blossoms scattered everywhere. The dazzling scenery filled his eyes, making it seem as if he were in a secluded paradise beyond the mundane world.
Suddenly, a loud voice came from the horizon:
"Heh heh, after all this time, I've finally found someone with remarkable talent."
"Who's speaking?" Gu Yechen looked around cautiously, then raised his gaze toward the blue sky and white clouds.
Now he understood what was happening. Just moments ago, he had been sitting on the altar, and now suddenly appearing here must mean this was an illusion.
The clear, crisp voice sounded again, laughing softly:
"Me? You can just call me the Flower Deity."
The Flower Deity?
Hearing the name, Gu Yechen assumed it was a woman, but the voice was clearly that of a man.
Though Gu Yechen had heard the head of the Ye family's prayers and words about inheriting spirit weapons, he had not truly encountered the knowledge or cultivation of soul masters before. Naturally, he didn't know what was true or false, nor did he understand what gaining a new spirit weapon truly meant. All he knew was that this being could help him.
"Flower Deity, can you help me become a soul master?" Gu Yechen asked sincerely.
The Flower Deity replied proudly:
"Of course. Your mortal matters… there's nothing I cannot handle. You should know, I was once a god."
"But, Flower Deity! Aren't gods supposed to be immortal and live in the divine realm? Why are you here then?" Gu Yechen asked bluntly.
The question caught the proud Flower Deity off guard. He seemed to recall a painful memory and suddenly lost his temper.
"Hey, kid, you came asking for my help. You should at least act the part of someone asking a favor, yet here you are interrogating me!" he scolded.
Gu Yechen smiled inwardly, thinking, "Because the Flower Deity seems a bit slow."
Besides, he wasn't going to believe that the head of the Ye family had sent him into this illusion without some kind of special test or challenge.
So, extracting useful information from the Flower Deity— as much as possible — could help him with whatever trials awaited.
Though curious about the true identity of this unseen being, he said diplomatically, "Respected Flower Deity, I mean no offense. It's said gods gather in heaven. Perhaps you're in trouble? If you command, I'm willing to serve you."
After hearing Gu Yechen's words, the voice grew silent for a moment before replying:
"If you truly wish to help me, I can grant you one of the finest flower spirit weapons, such as… the Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum."
Indeed, the Flower Deity was troubled. Otherwise, he wouldn't appear in such a pitiful state. In truth, he had fallen from a celestial god to a fallen deity, trapped in the mortal realm with weakened power.
Other divine estates left tests and inheritances. Passing these trials would grant unparalleled strength. If lucky and chosen by the gods, one could ascend to godhood in five years.
But the Flower Deity had left no such tests—he had simply stayed behind because he lacked the ability to set trials, let alone return to the divine realm.
If this young man could help him reclaim his divine status, he wouldn't hesitate to pay a heavy price.
"The Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum? What's that? Is it powerful?" Gu Yechen, feeling completely clueless, asked naïvely.
The Flower Deity replied with some irritation:
"Of course it's powerful. The Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum is the king among flowers. If you can possess this spirit weapon, you'll surely earn a place among the future great soul masters."
Gu Yechen then asked:
"Can the Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum compare to Ye Lingling's Nine-Heart Begonia?"
Erm… wiping the sweat from his brow, the ethereal white-clothed man in the forest couldn't help but feel exasperated. How did he end up with such a fool?
But this guy's talent had attracted him. An innate talent level of twenty was no joke—it couldn't be compared to just innate full spirit power. Maybe only such a talent could attract a god's presence. It was a pity he didn't know the true use of that sickle spirit weapon.
He didn't even know how to use basic spirit power. It was like having a vast treasure trove but with a locked door.
Because the treasure trove hadn't been opened yet, Gu Yechen could still survive. If opened without help, his body would be torn apart.
Most born with twenty-level innate spirit power die young. There are exceptions though — the Flower Deity was one, surviving against the odds.
This treasure was coveted by the Flower Deity too. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here.
With his power, the Flower Deity could help Gu Yechen unlock the treasure, but why should he? That prize was also his target.
Any being, god or demon, goes mad over profit, but now was not the time to raise suspicion.
The white-clothed man patiently explained:
"The Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum and the Nine-Heart Begonia are both kings among flowers. Awakening them guarantees at least a seventh-level innate spirit power, and with luck, even full innate spirit power."
"They dominate in different domains: Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum is offensive, while Nine-Heart Begonia is supportive."
"I see!" Gu Yechen nodded, then asked, "Is the Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum the strongest flower?"
He was ambitious. Since the deity offered him a spirit weapon, it had to be the strongest.
"I want the strongest flower!"
"You sure ask a lot of questions. You look refined, but you're quite rude. Hmph! Shameless one," the Flower Deity said, now truly amused.
He was convinced—if not by anyone else, then by this kid. Want me? In your next life.
The strongest spirit weapon was his own.
Suppressing the urge to smack him, the Flower Deity said:
"The Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum isn't the strongest spirit weapon; it's only king-level among flowers. Above the kings, there are emperors, like the Xiangsi Heartbreaking Red."
"But to obtain an emperor-level spirit weapon, you'd have to pay a huge price. I don't think you'd agree."
"Is emperor-level the strongest?"
Gu Yechen asked again, naively, causing the Flower Deity despair.
If Gu Yechen's flaw was stubbornness and naivety, the Flower Deity's flaw was blunt honesty—he wouldn't lie, which made him seem somewhat dense, a classic straightforward type.
The Flower Deity grumbled:
"Can we stop obsessing over the strongest flower? How about I give you the second strongest?"
Gu Yechen thought it over, frowned, hesitated briefly, but shook his head:
"No, I want the strongest."
Indeed, Gu Yechen had sworn to become the strongest soul master. Now, having the chance to get the strongest, why settle for second best?
Erm… utterly speechless.
Getting the Flower Deity's own spirit weapon? Impossible—never in this lifetime.
At this moment, the Flower Deity prepared to tell his first ever lie:
"Fine, since you want the strongest spirit weapon, I will grant it to you. But you will pay a painful price. I hope you understand."
"Emperor-level flower spirit weapons are incomparable to king-level ones. Can you accept a mutated spirit weapon and a decline in talent?"
"The inheritance of an emperor-level spirit weapon will even force you to endure inhuman torment every midnight. Can you endure such suffering?"
"As long as it can make me strong and become a soul master, even if I die in the end, I accept these consequences," Gu Yechen said seriously.
Then, curious, he asked again:
"Is emperor-level flower spirit weapon the strongest?"
The Flower Deity sighed, replying:
"No, the strongest is an imperial-level flower spirit weapon!"
"Oh, then I want the imperial-level spirit weapon!"
Gu Yechen felt the Flower Deity's words lacked conviction, like a guilty thief.
"Fine, fine, I'll give you the strongest spirit weapon. Stop reminding me—I'm not senile yet!" The Flower Deity was about to break down.
Their conversation went on for more than half an hour before an agreement was reached. The Flower Deity gave Gu Yechen a so-called strongest spirit weapon, which was actually only emperor-level.
As a condition, Gu Yechen's other spirit weapon would become void, as the sickle spirit weapon would be absorbed by the Flower Deity. This would greatly help the Flower Deity in his chance to return to heaven.
The remaining faint sickle spirit weapon was only to keep Gu Yechen alive, since if the sickle was completely taken, he would die. However, its original function would be hard to recover.
On the surface, Gu Yechen gained greatly, but in fact, he lost big. The sickle was stronger than the new spirit weapon.
Although his twenty-level spirit power wouldn't drop, his original cultivation talent was lost. According to the Flower Deity, he now could only cultivate at the speed of innate full spirit power.
Also, the granted spirit weapon was of a supportive nature. It seemed Gu Yechen had no choice but to pursue support skills for now.
Meanwhile, the strong offensive spirit weapon was temporarily dormant.
Every night at midnight, the new spirit weapon's flaws would manifest, and Gu Yechen would suffer unbearable pain—far worse than death.
But he had no choice. Without compromise, he would live as an ordinary man, which Gu Yechen was unwilling to accept.
A loss-making deal might be the first step toward success. Not every talented horse finds a worthy master. At least this god-level spirit weapon wouldn't even pass the preliminary selection at the Spirit Hall before official inspectors like Su Yuntao.
As for spirit power tests, the crystal orb couldn't measure it anymore, since level twenty innate spirit power exceeded the orb's limit.
On this continent, innate full spirit power was the highest spirit power setting.
Few knew that spirit power didn't necessarily correlate with brightness or intensity of glow.
It's like using a ten-meter tape measure to gauge a twenty-meter long jump—it's impossible, regardless of jumping form.
Like a strong gorilla, you can't compete with an elephant's strength—they're on different scales.
The inventor of the testing crystal orb probably designed it according to his own standards.
No glow was interpreted as no spirit power, which is why textbooks do not record innate twenty-level spirit power.
(Note: This sickle will be restored later; for now, Gu Yechen carries the new spirit weapon into the world.)
(End of Chapter)
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