Chapter 0: Chapter 0.145: Two Flower Mistresses
Li Yuanzhen’s eyes were calm as she gently persuaded, “You have served the Hidden Immortal Tower tirelessly for so many years. You deserve at least a brief moment of freedom.”
She knew very well that at this very moment, A’Qin was still observing everything happening in the secret realm from the main hall.
Therefore, she wanted him to witness firsthand what the exceptionally talented Evil-Slaying Saintess had learned from following a generation of Demon Masters for so long. It wasn’t just about accepting defeat or crying out loud!
“I understand your meaning, Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen.”
This was the first time in many years that someone had discussed such a topic with her. The Spirit of the Ancestral Land took a deep breath, slowly calming its state of mind before replying, “But even if I wanted to venture out for training and walk the world, it is not now, during this critical juncture. The Hidden Immortal Tower’s urgent priority is to assist the Saint Spirit in selecting a qualified Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers. Once the Hidden Immortal Tower is restored to its former order, I will then be able to have some leisure, won’t I?”
“Your Hidden Immortal Tower has always centered around Saint Spirit Chu Xian. Can’t this Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers position be decided by him directly?” Li Yuanzhen asked pointedly.
The Spirit of the Ancestral Land shook its head and decisively said, “If it were in previous years, the Saint Spirit could naturally decide personally. But now, having experienced a memory reset once, the Saint Spirit’s mind is too pure. We have an obligation to take responsibility.”
“Then this humble Daoist shall rephrase the question.”
Li Yuanzhen chuckled and took a different approach, “I recall that you and Saint Spirit Chu Xian were born into this world together. By common sense, with your incredibly long lifespan and absolute loyalty to the Saint Spirit, far surpassing other cultivators, aren’t you yourself the best candidate for the Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers, perfectly matched with Chu Xian? Or is it that, for some other reason, Chu Xian is fundamentally unable to merge with you?”
As soon as she spoke, the Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s eyes indeed trembled, its expression quite moved. “The myriad races of humans, demons, and sea creatures, as well as spiritual beasts and ghost cultivators, can all receive the great power bestowed by Lord Chu Xian without any hindrance. That is why it is honored as the ‘Saint Spirit’. I am naturally no exception. It’s just… my natural disposition and temperament are clearly not very compatible with the Saint Spirit, and I am completely unable to unleash its true strength.”
“Then what about this humble Daoist? In your view, am I extremely suitable to merge and possess with Chu Xian?”
The Spirit of the Ancestral Land immediately responded with excitement, “Of course! Based on my years of experience, Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen will undoubtedly exhibit extraordinary, world-shattering, and terrifying strength after complementing each other with the Saint Spirit!”
This was precisely what she was waiting for!
For a moment, a sly look flashed in Li Yuanzhen’s eyes.
“But if it were before I, this humble Daoist, was young and had entered the Sword Questioning Sect, could I have achieved these things? Was I, from the moment I was born, already destined to meet the standard for a qualified Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers in your eyes?”
Meeting the Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s gaze directly, the Little Gambler playfully tapped her temple and said, “Fellow Daoist, you must understand that this is also the first time in my life that I am ‘Li Yuanzhen.’ It is my observations, my experiences, and everything I have encountered since birth that have shaped me into who I am now! If you always stay in this secret realm and do not venture into the outside world, how will you know that you yourself will not become more and more compatible with Chu Xian?”
“Just like the previous Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers, Yu Rong, she also smoothly passed all the selection rituals at first, didn’t she? Later, why could she no longer cooperate perfectly with Chu Xian and became so pathetic? Doesn’t this precisely indicate that anyone’s compatibility with Chu Xian can be changed through their own efforts?”
“Does Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen mean to say…” The Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s eyes lit up, but it still hesitated.
“My idea is very simple. As long as you, the Spirit of the Ancestral Land, can also go through all sorts of worldly experiences, to ‘know the vastness of the universe yet still cherish the green of plants,’ to ‘know the secular world without being secular,’ then one day, there will be no one more suitable to be the Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers than you!” Li Yuanzhen said earnestly and righteously.
All intelligent beings in this world tend to believe what they wish to believe.
Given the Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s obsessive hope of selecting an ultimate perfect Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers for Chu Xian, and its profound unwillingness when mentioning its own low compatibility with Chu Xian just now, how could it not harbor a small desire to achieve the position of Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers for itself?
Then, the Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s voice trembled, “Meaning? Perhaps, I too can become like Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen? Become the second Li Yuanzhen!”
“Then it’s over!”
In this regard, it was quite different from a certain person.
The Little Gambler let out a dry laugh with great self-awareness, “Whatever it takes, as long as you don’t truly become like this humble Daoist, your Hidden Immortal Sect will still have a chance to survive.”
“Why?”
“Fellow Daoist, why do you have so many questions?”
“But I don’t understand, isn’t it a good thing for me to become like Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen?”
“It’s very bad!”
“How is that possible? Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen is clearly so outstanding!”
“You!”
For a moment, Li Yuanzhen, with no other choice, abruptly crossed her arms, her bright eyes looking towards the distant mountains, adopting a profound and unreadable demeanor that perfectly matched the image the Spirit of the Ancestral Land had of her: “They say, those who learn from me will live, those who imitate me will perish.”
The Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s expression startled, then it suddenly enlightened, “I understand!”
*You understand a hammer! I myself don’t understand what I just said!* Li Yuanzhen cursed inwardly, feeling a headache coming on.
“If that is the case, I have also come to a realization. After this selection ends, I will temporarily…”
“You’re wrong again.”
With the mask dropping, Li Yuanzhen directly interrupted the Spirit of the Ancestral Land, and solemnly said, “Since you already have the idea of becoming the Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers yourself in the future, it would be best not to proceed with this selection ceremony as usual. Instead, let Chu Xian quickly select a Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers to grant you freedom… To be precise, only those within your Hidden Immortal Tower would know that this person is actually a temporary Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers!
Only in this way, while having her swear an oath of loyalty to the Hidden Immortal Tower, she must also make a spirit oath that when you, the Spirit of the Ancestral Land, have fully met the compatibility standards with Chu Xian and return triumphantly, she will return the position of Flower Mistress to you. Otherwise, even if in your eyes it is a helpless choice of picking the tallest dwarf, how will you have any reason to make a Mistress of Ten Thousand Flowers who firmly believes she has passed all tests legitimately let go? Won’t that lead to too many unnecessary troubles?”
“Fellow Daoist Yuanzhen has even considered this?!” The Spirit of the Ancestral Land exclaimed in surprise.
“As the saying goes, those who play tactics well have dirty hearts. And in the realm of a rotten, dirty heart, I have always been confident,” Li Yuanzhen spread her small hands and said with a smile.
“Fellow Daoist is truly joking!”
…
At the same time.
“Brother Qin, could it be that the Righteous Valor Fairy has truly convinced the Spirit of the Ancestral Land?” Chu Xian, appearing as a spiritual cat, couldn’t close its mouth for a long time, displaying a remarkably human-like shock.
“But if, one day, the Spirit of the Ancestral Land truly intends to displace Brother Liang, what should be done?” Chu Xian then said with a childish petulance, “It’s not that the Spirit of the Ancestral Land is bad, but I clearly get along better with you, Brother Qin, and Brother Liang, you men!”
“Are you even a man?”
Qin Gou glared at the scoundrel, whose true form was a ball of mysterious spiritual flame, and said, “Besides, have you not noticed at all the painstaking efforts that the Little Gambler has spent to gain this initiative for you? With this first exception, is it truly impossible to have two Mistresses of Ten Thousand Flowers in the Hidden Immortal Tower in the future? Although the long-established rules have been changed, in the current Cultivation World, the benefits clearly outweigh the disadvantages. Moreover, I believe that the Spirit of the Ancestral Land at that time will be very willing to be persuaded by you, after all…”
As he spoke, Qin Gou, who was number one in doing good deeds through villainous means, gently hugged Chu Xian’s fluffy snow-white body. He lowered his head and whispered meaningfully into its ear, “The Spirit of the Ancestral Land’s efforts in the outside world are one aspect, but on the surface, when it comes to merging and possessing, who is more compatible with the Saint Spirit standard—whether she chooses to change her perspective or not—isn’t that something only you can decide?”
