Unnamed Flower
In fact, the girl gave the cultivators a total of three rounds of selection. If they could not find any different cultivators in these three rounds, they would not be able to enter the secret realm this time.
And even before the first round had begun.
The girl sat below the halo, perched on top of a blade of grass that no one had noticed yet, swinging her legs, her wings fluttering gently behind her back.
Her gaze passed over the deserted island and looked out to the vast sea, where many illusory figures seemed to linger, each one resembling a ship.
The only difference is that some ships are luxurious, while others are simple. Of course, there are also ships that have traveled back and forth here countless times, fully loaded with cultivators.
"Hmm, are all three of you here?"
The girl muttered to herself, then her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had seen something. She raised her right hand high, then clenched her fist and pulled it down sharply, as if an invisible rope was being pulled. Countless points in time began to flow, eventually converging at the same time.
The first round of selection begins here.
When the huge, luxurious cruise ship docked, many monks dressed in the same clothes and wearing the same badges stepped out. They all raised their heads, but unconsciously their eyes fell on the ever-changing halo.
Shi Bianruo was one of them, but what set her apart from most of her clansmen was that she had already visited the secret realm several hundred years ago, and...
She subconsciously raised her hand and touched the amber that she had carefully placed on her chest. This amber was distributed in very limited quantities; in her family alone, only she and another person had received it.
According to the information the Shi family had gathered, possessing this Time Amber meant being recognized by the secret realm as having a talent for time, which would be more advantageous in the subsequent competition for the secret realm's inheritance.
The Shi family is most skilled in time management, yet even so, only two people have obtained the Time Amber. Even though she doesn't think much of the talents of the other members of the Shi family, she has to admit that there are probably no cultivators in the outside world more skilled in time management than them.
If that's the case, then this battle for the inheritance must be a battle between her and that person...
As she pondered this, she casually stepped onto the island. With a clench of her hand, tiny fragments drifted from between her fingers, and the entire scene before her quickly faded. She and the man beside her walked toward the only place still glowing in the faded landscape.
There were words visible below the halo. Shi Bianruo glanced at them briefly, then reached out and plucked the glowing grass without hesitation.
When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a forest.
A new set of rules appeared before the woman. She glanced at them indifferently and waved them away: "Do you think I'll be able to run into my dear brother here?"
The man beside her had a gentle gaze, seemingly unaware of the murderous intent flashing in the woman's eyes. He grabbed her drooping wrist: "Xiao Ruo, if you go looking for him, you'll only waste your time—we didn't find him on the island just now, so he might have already gotten in before us. We need to speed things up now, especially since the clan has orders..."
Shi Bianruo said impatiently, "Don't mention the clan!"
But she didn't mention the search again, and her expression softened afterward, clearly indicating that she had listened to the advice of those around her.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, slightly illuminating the profile of the standing woman. Chu Li looked at the few lines of text that had suddenly appeared before her, lost in thought.
The few lines of text were simple and clear: those who came in should find a blooming flower called the Nameless Flower; as long as they could get the flower, they could pass this test smoothly.
Next to the text, the shape and appearance of this flower were thoughtfully added.
At first glance, it is indeed not easy to find, because this so-called nameless flower does not have any special characteristics. Instead, it looks more like a simple little flower blooming by the roadside, which is very ordinary.
At this moment, Chu Li looked around and suddenly understood the meaning of searching for this flower.
She had no idea what kind of space this was. All around were spiritual flowers and herbs with abundant spiritual energy. She even spotted many precious and rare medicinal herbs among them. If they were put up for auction, they would definitely cause a sensation.
But in this place, there's one every five steps, if not one every step.
Finding the nameless flower here is difficult, not only because it's so common and hidden among the others, but also because many cultivators are easily tempted and will pick the more precious flowers and herbs first.
On the last line, in smaller print, it read: Each monk may hold only one type.
In other words, if you want to clear the level, you must obtain the Nameless Flower; if you want other precious flowers and plants, you must give up this secret realm.
Perhaps some people do not compete for the inheritance—Chu Li lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the spiritual flowers and herbs on the ground that were rarely seen in the outside world, but could these rare flowers and herbs really be taken out smoothly?
The intervals between the opening of the secret realm are very long, but not long enough for these flowers, which take one or two thousand years to bloom, to bloom everywhere.
It should be known that many cultivators enter the secret realm each time, and some of them will certainly choose precious flowers and plants. However, even after being picked many times, the place is still so lush.
She didn't believe these things could actually be taken out; frankly, this was just a method of selection within the secret realm.
She walked slowly through the lush woods, surrounded by silence, with only the rustling of leaves under her feet. She didn't know if there weren't many people there yet, or if they were separated, but she walked for quite a while without finding anyone, as if she were the only person in this vast area.
Suddenly, her gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at a spot where, just two steps away, a trembling little white flower was hidden beneath vibrant spiritual flowers and herbs. If one wasn't paying attention, they might easily miss it.
She reached out, but just before she could touch it, the blooming flower withered instantly.
The outstretched hand caught its drooping petals.
She waited for a moment, but when she found no movement, she sighed inwardly. It seemed she really had to follow the instructions.
It must be a blooming, unnamed flower.
How did those flowers, which were blooming so beautifully, suddenly wither?
Chu Li pondered for a while, and soon, an answer flashed through her mind.
It's time again.
At this moment, Chu Li truly understood the reason why the secret realm chose the nameless flower. The reason was simply that this flower could be controlled to grow, bloom, and wither at will through the changes of time.
It's not that other flowers and plants with spiritual power can't have their state changed by time, but rather that in addition to time, their growth requires a lot of spiritual power to stimulate them before they can truly bloom. This requires far more effort than this nameless flower.
Chu Li calmed herself down and stopped searching for the nameless flower. Instead, she focused on sensing the flow of time in the space. Only by understanding the pattern of time in this area could she truly pluck a blooming nameless flower.
While Chu Li was experiencing it, many other cultivators also passed through the outermost screening and entered the true first stage.
However, they are all separated by time invisibly, and each person is at a different point in time, so it is naturally difficult to meet other people.
However, time also flows within the region, and there are always some people who happen to enter the same time point.
"Ptooey!" Someone had just entered the real secret realm when they accidentally stepped into thin air and fell flat on their face, getting a mouthful of mud. "What place is this now?"
After a brief moment of confusion, he suddenly realized that this was the Time Rift Realm!
"Unnamed Flower?" What a strange name. The thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but soon he saw that the ground was full of spiritual flowers and herbs, which was much easier than finding some unnamed flower.
He was about to pick a flower when he suddenly noticed a faint shadow beside him. He looked up abruptly, only to find that the other person already held his weapon and easily plunged it into his heart.
Greed gleamed in the man's eyes. He had long since discovered that this area was teeming with rare and precious herbs. The reason he hadn't acted was simply because he noticed a few other people nearby, and now that he had dealt with them—
He reached out towards the flowers and plants, and the moment he successfully plucked them, he suddenly vanished from his spot. The flower in his hand floated down, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, and returned to its original position.
Similar incidents kept happening in the secret realm. Some people harbored malice due to greed, but it was also because of this greed that they ended up empty-handed.
"Damn it, why can't I get it right!" A fist filled with rage slammed into a thick tree trunk. The trunk couldn't withstand the full force of a Nascent Soul cultivator's attack and snapped in two.
The tall woman looked at the seed in her palm and felt a sense of being fooled. She had tried hundreds of times, but each time she could not get the flower to bloom correctly.
It is either withered or has regressed to the seed form.
She also tried picking up flowers of other shapes and sizes to see if she could get them in full bloom when she did.
But it was no use; luck never seemed to be on her side, and every attempt ended in failure. She grumbled and cursed, but still kept trying.
A pair of fair hands touched a tiny seed. The seed flashed with light and grew in the blink of an eye, with several flower buds hanging on its branches.
Chu Li sighed helplessly. She had failed again. After figuring out some patterns, she began to put them into practice, but as it turned out, the laws of time were not so easy to understand. Every time she tried to adjust time, she was always just a little short.
Each time the flower changes, it disappears from your hand, and you have to find a new one.
She stopped herself from searching for the nameless flower and instead sat cross-legged again, once more sensing the flow of time in the air.
Time and space are somewhat similar, yet different. She opened her divine sense, her spiritual power like a hand reaching outwards, constantly exploring the differences in the outside world.
Leaves drifted down in front of her, but in a single instant, they vanished and then suddenly reappeared before hitting the ground. This was because there was a layer in between, which Chu Li, who was not at the same time as the leaves, could not see them at all.
The branches and leaves behind the tree trembled slightly, whether from a gentle breeze or something else, Chu Li, who was sitting with her back against the tree, kept her eyes closed, as if she was completely unaware of her surroundings.
Just then, several tiny silver needles suddenly flew out from behind the tree, all aimed at the woman's brow and heart.
It's not hard to see that they came here to take lives.
Behind the tree, a figure seemed to be swaying gently, a pair of deep brown eyes fixed on everything in front of them, waiting for the sound of a silver needle piercing flesh.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com