Chrysanthemum

"Sect Leader!" Tu Fang exclaimed.

Ling Yunzi waved his hand and said indifferently, "It is fine. To prove my deduction with a mouthful of blood is well worth it."

Tu Fang did not know what to say at this moment; the events of today had completely exceeded his imagination.

"Low cultivation has its benefits; the backlash is not so strong. If I had stepped into the Innate realm and said those things, I would likely have been destroyed by the Heavenly Dao," Ling Yunzi laughed.

"Sect Leader, are you alright?" Tu Fang asked with concern.

"I am fine. It is just a backlash from the Heavenly Dao; I can recover after recuperating for a few months," Ling Yunzi said dismissively.

"A few months?" Tu Fang could hardly believe it. With cultivation at Ling Yunzi's level, one could already borrow the power of heaven and earth to heal. Even severed limbs could be quickly restored. Yet, now, just from spitting out a mouthful of blood, he needed months to recover.

"Tu Fang, you must remember that the Heavenly Might is unfathomable. You must never do what I did today. Dao injuries are not physical wounds; they come from the Divine Soul and are extremely difficult to heal. Do not take them lightly," Ling Yunzi warned.

"Sect Leader, is it really worth it for you to do this?" Tu Fang sighed and asked.

"Hehe, of course it is worth it. Such things are hard to encounter in ten thousand years. Furthermore, once such a person's cultivation gets high, they will be veiled by the Heavenly Dao, and no one will be able to discern them again. Therefore, being able to encounter such a person is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for me. My actions today are enough to look down upon the past and present," Ling Yunzi said indifferently, though his eyes were filled with a spirit that looked down upon the world.

Anomalies in heaven and earth are extremely rare, and anomalies among humans are even rarer. To discover an anomaly before it has been veiled by the Heavenly Dao is even rarer still.

People only realize an anomaly when it has been destroyed by the Heavenly Dao. For countless years, no one has ever seen an anomaly that has not yet grown up.

Using one's own life to verify one's own conjecture is, in itself, a kind of courage. Perhaps the mindset of a powerhouse is different from that of a normal person; at the very least, Ling Yunzi believed it was well worth it.

"Then how should we treat Long Chen?" Tu Fang asked.

Although he had a shred of doubt about Ling Yunzi's words before, Ling Yunzi having suffered the punishment of the Heavenly Dao left him no choice but to believe.

"The birth of such a person is often like the rise of a comet, shining for generations, sweeping through everything, and advancing by stepping on the bones of countless powerhouses," Ling Yunzi murmured, as if recalling something, a look of yearning appearing in his eyes.

"But it is a pity that such a person is not acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. No matter how strong they are, they ultimately die under the Heavenly Might, leaving no bones behind," Ling Yunzi sighed as he finished speaking.

Anomalies are not acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. The stronger they become, the more severely they are rejected by the Heavenly Dao. Each of them is astonishingly talented and sweeps through the current era, but unfortunately, fireworks cannot last forever.

In the long river of the cultivation world, such figures are like Epiphyllum flowers; although each bloom shocks all eternity, unfortunately, they are too fleeting.

"It is indeed a pity," Tu Fang also sighed.

"Therefore, among the strongest of the current world, there are no such existences, because they are ruthlessly destroyed before they can persist to stand at the Peak of the cultivation world. However, I do not know how long this Long Chen can live, or what kind of brilliant light he will be able to bloom," Ling Yunzi said, looking ahead.

"What should we do?" Tu Fang asked.

"Let nature take its course. Such a person has his own destiny, and his Lifespan is ordained by heaven. If we try to change it, we will be tainted by Karma, which is an unbearable weight. So we just need to be bystanders. Sometimes, being an audience member is not necessarily a bad kind of fun. Moreover, I have a premonition that this batch of little ones will push our Xuantian Branch completely to the Peak. Hehe, I might just be the most successful Sect Leader in the history of the Xuantian Branch," a gleam of light appeared in Ling Yunzi's eyes.

"Then we might be able to get a good ranking in this Branch Tournament?" Tu Fang also asked with an expectant look.

"The Xuantian Sect has one hundred and eight branch Sects. Every tournament, we are the ones at the bottom; thinking about it is truly infuriating. The lower the ranking, the fewer resources are allocated. In this vicious cycle, for the past thousand years, the gap between us and the other branch Sects has become larger and larger. Ever since I became the Sect Leader, I have been striving to change this situation, but unfortunately, I have never been able to change this fate. I have truly failed the trust of my Master," Ling Yunzi sighed.

Ling Yunzi had extremely high talent. At twenty, he stepped into the Bone Forging realm, and with a single long sword, he swept through his generation. He could be described as high-spirited and unrivaled at the time.

Later, he became a Disciple under the Sect Leader at the time. When he was thirty-five, the Sect Leader passed away, and he took over the position of Sect Leader.

Grateful for his Master's kindness, Ling Yunzi was determined to change the status quo of the Xuantian Branch. He poured countless efforts into it, but remained powerless, leaving him with a deep sense of frustration.

Especially in recent years, the Disciples have become increasingly dispirited, with no outstanding powerhouses, which made him even more disheartened.

But last year, reports came from below that a few monster-level talents had appeared, making Ling Yunzi's long-dormant heart begin to stir again.

Seeing the appearance of Geniuses like Tang Waner this time, Ling Yunzi's ambition was rekindled, and he prepared to strive once more to change the label of always being at the bottom.

The appearance of Long Chen encouraged him even more. In his excitement, he was willing to suffer the backlash of the Heavenly Dao just to confirm Long Chen's potential.

Although he suffered a backlash, Ling Yunzi was extremely happy in his heart. As long as Long Chen did not die, he would inevitably shine brilliantly.

Five monster-level Geniuses, plus one anomaly—it would be difficult for the Xuantian Branch not to rise. Ling Yunzi pondered slightly and said, "Except for Long Chen, cultivate the other Geniuses with all your might. They are the hope for our rise this time. Do not be stingy with resources. We must burn our boats; this is our only chance, and we must seize it."

"Yes," Tu Fang hurriedly said.

"I am going to heal. During this time, the branch Sect is left to you. Remember, let everything take its course. Do not give Long Chen any special treatment, otherwise, it will implicate the branch Sect."

Ling Yunzi gave one final warning before feeling at ease to go heal. After Ling Yunzi left, Tu Fang looked into the distance, his heart inevitably feeling a burst of trepidation, and finally, he also vanished from the spot.

…

Just at this moment, across thousands of mountains and rivers, inside a magnificent Immortal Cave, a young girl with shoulder-length hair was quietly admiring a picture album in her jade-like hands.

Her face was like jade, her skin whiter than snow, and her beautiful eyes rippled with autumn waves, cleansing one's soul. The entire Immortal Cave had turned into a fairyland on earth because of her presence.

Her jade-like hand gently stroked the face on the album—still carrying a trace of immaturity, yet giving a feeling of firmness—and the corners of her petite mouth curved into an arc.

"Long Chen, you have now also stepped onto the path of cultivation. Is it for me?" Meng Qi's cherry lips parted slightly, and she let out a faint sigh.

"Heehee, Big Sister, are you secretly pining for your lover all by yourself again?" Suddenly, a young girl appeared silently beside Meng Qi and giggled.

"Fang'er, you… how annoying!" Meng Qi's pretty face flushed red, and she hurriedly hid the album in her hands, saying with shy annoyance.

"Haha, it seems our Fenghun Pavilion's number one beauty has finally fallen. I wonder how many people will be heartbroken," Lu Fang'er did not intend to let Meng Qi off at all, winking and making faces.

"Fang'er… if you do that again… I will ignore you!" Meng Qi said with feigned anger.

"I knew this day would come sooner or later. Once you have a lover, what do you need a sister like me for?" A trace of playfulness flashed in Lu Fang'er's eyes as she feigned emotion.

"You…"

"Aiya, alright, alright. We are good sisters; I was just joking. Don't be so petty," fearing that Meng Qi might be truly angry, Lu Fang'er gently took Meng Qi's jade-like arm and laughed softly.

"But this Long Chen is truly amazing. To consecutively kill Yijin realm powerhouses while only in the Qi Gathering realm, and there was even a Sect Disciple among them—it is truly unbelievable," after laughing, Lu Fang'er asked in confusion.

They had been using certain methods to keep an eye on Long Chen's movements. The news that came from Fengming yesterday had indeed given them a great shock.

The blush on Meng Qi's face had faded by now, and a hint of warmth flashed in her beautiful eyes. She said softly, "Although I haven't spent much time with him, I can feel that he is a person who never gives up. He has a persistent heart. I believe he must have endured suffering that others cannot imagine to achieve this result."

"As the saying goes, if you want to be distinguished in front of others, you must suffer behind the scenes. No one can change this rule. Long Chen was actually able to obtain an application invitation for the Xuantian Branch, but the Xuantian Branch's selection of Disciples is notoriously strict. I wonder if Long Chen will be able to pass," Lu Fang'er sighed, saying with some worry.

Meng Qi took out the album again, and looking at that figure who was like a God of War descending from the heavens, a warm current surged in her heart.

Long Chen, keep it up. I look forward to the moment we meet again.

…

"Stop! This road was opened by me, this tree was planted by me. If you want to…"

"Slap!"

A slap was fiercely struck on that person's face, interrupting his lines. Long Chen pointed at the person and cursed:

"Do you take me for an idiot? The trees here have been alive for thousands of years. At that time, your Old Ancestor didn't even know where to play with mud. Could this tree have been planted by you?"

While Long Chen was walking, a blind fellow suddenly jumped out, holding an axe, and actually prepared to rob Long Chen.

That person was slapped into a daze by Long Chen and only reacted after a long time. He looked at Long Chen with a terrified face: "You… you…"

The man said "you" twice, then scrambled away, running while slapping his own face.

He hated himself for being such an idiot. He didn't even see who he was robbing, actually trying to rob this Devil King. He disappeared in a flash before Long Chen.

Watching that person leave in a sorry state, Long Chen shook his head. With this kind of intelligence, coming out to mix, it was truly speechless.

Originally, Long Chen could have taken his Nameplate, but Long Chen felt it was unnecessary. He did not have time to collect them. Anyway, it was still early, so if he encountered someone who had collected them all later, he would just snatch them.

To be honest, Long Chen really couldn't bring himself to bully those newbies. Anyway, there were so many experts, he would surely encounter some.

Long Chen walked forward along the mountains, when suddenly his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed.

"Immortal Chrysanthemum!"

On a stone wall ahead, a plant about a foot tall was growing there. As a whole, it resembled a human form, and a small flower had bloomed at the head position, looking like a tiny sunflower.