124: Chapter 124 Main Body

At 4:00 AM on Saturday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes from Cultivating.

Without looking, he knew — the seedling was glowing.

It wasn't the soft glimmer from before, but a blinding, golden-white light that illuminated the entire Secret Base as if it were daytime.

He stood up and walked over.

The golden patterns on the leaves had turned into twelve lines, each shaped like a petal, layered and encircling a flower bud.

The bud was the size of a fist, translucent, with something moving inside.

Shen Nian climbed up from the corner, rubbing his eyes as he walked over.

Seeing the seedling, he froze.

Then, without saying a word, he took out his notebook and started recording.

Zhou Rui also came, standing at the doorway, still holding a pen with a half-drawn talisman on his paper.

He stared at the seedling, saying nothing.

Yun Xi leaned against the wall, watching the seedling with a complex expression.

The four of them didn't speak, just watched.

The bud was growing.

5:00 AM.

The bud had doubled in size, and the thing inside was moving even more violently.

It was struggling, as if it wanted to break out of its shell.

The golden patterns grew brighter and brighter, lighting up the entire base, completely overpowering the glow of the Talisman Arrays on the walls.

Chen Zhen crouched down and reached out to touch the bud.

A strong intent came through — not language, but emotion.

Joy, anticipation, and a little bit of nervousness.

It was saying: "I'm coming out."

He withdrew his hand and stood up.

"Step back." Shen Nian and Zhou Rui took a few steps back, but Yun Xi didn't move.

5:18 AM.

The bud cracked open.

Golden light poured out from the crack; it wasn't blinding, but warm, like spring sunlight.

The crack grew wider, and a petal extended out — golden, with dark blue light on the edges.

Chen Zhen's pupils constricted slightly.

The color on that petal was exactly the same as the star core fragment in his Dantian.

The second, third, fourth... one after another, the bud opened layer by layer.

Each petal radiated a different light; some gold, some blue, some purple, some white.

The entire base was illuminated in colorful hues.

The last petal unfolded.

The center of the flower was revealed — it was a seed the size of a fist, dark blue, translucent, with something flowing inside.

It was exactly the same as the star core fragment.

The seed was glowing, and the light pierced through the petals, the leaves, the soil, the roof of the base, shooting straight into the clouds.

Chen Zhen looked up.

A crack appeared above.

No, not the ceiling, but space itself.

A golden crack, extending from the heart of the flower deep into the sky.

The Heavenly Road had opened.

Yun Xi's expression changed.

The pen in Zhou Rui's hand dropped to the floor.

Shen Nian's notebook also fell.

Chen Zhen didn't move. He stared at that crack.

Inside the crack was that gray mist.

Deep within the mist stood a person.

The Original Body.

He turned around, looked over here, and smiled.

Then he took a step, crossed the crack, and stood in front of Chen Zhen.

The two stood face to face, identical.

The base was so quiet you could hear the sound of the flower petals unfurling.

Shen Nian's mouth was agape, Zhou Rui was frozen in place, and Yun Xi's hand rested on her weapon.

The Original Body looked at no one, only at Chen Zhen.

"You've come." Chen Zhen said.

The Original Body shook his head: "It is you who has come."

He looked down at the flower.

The flower was fully open, petals unfurled, emitting a warm light.

The seed in the center of the flower was slowly rotating; with every turn, a beam of light shot toward the sky.

"Ten thousand years." The Original Body said, "It has finally bloomed."

He crouched down and reached out to gently touch the petals. The petals trembled, as if responding.

"It has been waiting for you." Chen Zhen said.

The Original Body nodded: "I know."

He stood up and looked at Chen Zhen: "Don't you want to ask what it was waiting for?"

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

The Original Body waited two seconds, then smiled: "Even if you don't want to ask, I'm going to tell you."

He pointed at the flower: "It is the key to the Heavenly Road, and also its lock. When the flower blooms, the Heavenly Road opens. When the flower withers, the Heavenly Road closes. In ten thousand years, it only blooms this once."

He looked at Chen Zhen: "Do you know why it bloomed?"

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

The Original Body pointed at his chest: "Because of you. Seventeen fragments, in Fusion within your body, resonated with it. It felt it, so it bloomed."

Chen Zhen looked down at his own chest; seventeen points of light were slowly rotating in his Dantian, echoing the light of the flower.

The Original Body said: "When the Heavenly Road opens, things on both sides can come and go freely. They have awakened, and they are looking over here."

Chen Zhen looked up at him: "What do you want me to do?"

The Original Body was silent for a few seconds: "I want you to make a choice."

"What choice?"

The Original Body pointed at the flower: "Pick it, and the Heavenly Road closes. Don't pick it, and the Heavenly Road stays open."

He looked into Chen Zhen's eyes: "Decide for yourself."

Chen Zhen looked down at the flower.

The petals trembled gently in the breeze, and the seed in the flower's heart rotated slowly, emitting a warm light.

It had bloomed with such difficulty.

Ten thousand years, it only blooms this once.

He crouched down and reached out.

The moment his fingertips touched the petals, a warm feeling surged through his whole body.

The seventeen points of light in his Dantian spun frantically, as if resonating with it.

He withdrew his hand and stood up.

"I won't pick it."

The Original Body looked at him, his eyes filled with both relief and worry: "Do you know the consequences of not picking it?"

"I know."

The Original Body was silent for a long time: "Then you will bear it yourself."

Chen Zhen nodded.

The Original Body smiled: "Good."

He turned around and walked back into the crack.

Halfway through, he stopped and looked back at Chen Zhen: "I forgot to tell you, when the flower withers, it will bear a fruit. Eat it, and you will be able to open and close the Heavenly Road at will."

Chen Zhen was stunned for a moment: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The Original Body smiled: "I forgot."

He walked into the mist, and the crack slowly closed.

The base returned to quiet, with only the flower remaining, glowing.

Shen Nian was the first to snap out of it: "What was that just now..."

"Me." Chen Zhen said.

Shen Nian opened his mouth but didn't speak.

Zhou Rui picked up his pen from the floor, was silent for a long time, then asked: "Master, how long until the flower withers?"

Chen Zhen looked at the flower. The petals had started to curl slightly, with a bit of withered yellow on the edges.

Soon.

"A few days."

Zhou Rui nodded, walked to his workstation, sat down, and started drawing talismans.

Shen Nian also crouched down and continued recording.

Yun Xi looked at Chen Zhen and asked: "Are you sure?"

Chen Zhen nodded.

Yun Xi gave a wry smile: "Alright, anyway, I already gave you mine." She leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes to rest.

Chen Zhen stood alone in front of the flower.

The petals were glowing, the seed was rotating.

Ten thousand years, it only blooms this once.

He reached out and gently touched the petals.

Warm, like spring sunlight.