149: Chapter 149 [Suggestion: Activate the Dongshan Node]

The day after Chen Zhen returned from Nancheng, the light in the Secret Base changed.

It wasn't the artificial lights, nor the sunlight from outside the window; it was the light emitted by that seedling.

It was golden and very bright, dyeing the entire base in the colors of dusk.

Zhou Rui squatted in front of the flowerpot, staring unblinkingly at the flower buds.

Shen Nian stood beside him, holding a notebook, his pen tip resting on the paper, but he hadn't written a single word.

Yun Xi wasn't leaning against the wall; she stood at the doorway, watching the seedling, her hand resting on the talisman pouch at her waist.

Chen Zhen walked over and squatted down.

The flower buds had grown from the size of an egg to the size of a fist, and the golden color of the petals was so thick it seemed as if it were about to drip.

The golden veins on the leaves had increased from forty-eight to fifty-two, and the entire plant was shrouded in a faint halo of light, like a lit lamp.

"It lit up again last night."

Shen Nian's voice was a bit hoarse, "It was brighter than before. It lasted for about half a minute."

Chen Zhen stared at the flower buds.

The petals had opened slightly, revealing an even brighter light inside.

He could feel that the power was about to overflow.

"It's soon."

He stood up and walked back to the center of the array to sit down. He used Internal Vision on his Dantian.

The seed was still spinning, and that vein was still glowing.

It was brighter than before, exactly the same as the light from the seedling. They were resonating.

Chen Zhen took out the three jade plaques and placed them in front of him—North Mountain, West Mountain, South Mountain—their milky-white surfaces glowing faintly. He reached out to touch them, injecting spiritual power, and all three jade plaques lit up simultaneously, resonating with the Composite Rune Array.

The system panel popped up a notification.

[ Composite Rune Array · Strength +15% · Current 340% ] [ jade plaque resonating · Progress 3/4 ] [ East Mountain node detected as missing ] [ Suggestion: Activate East Mountain node ]

The East Mountain node was inside the seed.

He reached out and pressed his hand against his chest, his spiritual power probing into the interior of the seed.

The seed was spinning, and that vein was glowing.

Beside the vein, that tiny speck of light was also glowing, brighter than before.

He tried to touch it with his consciousness; the speck of light flickered once and didn't open, but the reaction was stronger than last time.

Chen Zhen withdrew his hand.

The east mountain jade tablet was inside the seed, but it wouldn't come out.

What was it waiting for?

Waiting for the flower to bloom?

Zhou Rui walked over and sat down opposite him.

"Master, the seedling is about to bloom."

"Mm."

"What happens after it blooms?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer. He didn't know either.

But he also knew it was soon.

Yun Xi walked over from the doorway and sat down, leaning against the wall.

"I contacted Han Lie. He said the space beneath Changbai Mountain is ready, and we can go test the Talisman Array at any time."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment. "Wait for the flower to bloom."

Yun Xi nodded and closed her eyes.

At night, Chen Zhen sat alone in the center of the array.

The seedling was glowing, the jade plaques were resonating, and the seed was spinning.

He looked at the three jade plaques, then at the Composite Rune Array on the blackboard.

Three layers of runes: clockwise, counter-clockwise, clockwise.

Three gears were meshing together.

After adding South Mountain, it became four layers: three layers clockwise, one layer counter-clockwise. If East Mountain were added, what would it become?

Five directions, five layers of dot arrays; it would form a complete sphere.

He picked up a piece of chalk and drew a circle on the blackboard.

The center of the circle was the Heavenly Pillar, and the circumference was the four mountains.

He had been to the Heavenly Pillar; there were giant stones, runes, and the Original Body there.

The center was there, and the boundary was there too.

Only the last piece of the puzzle was missing.

He put down the chalk. Wait for the flower to bloom.

Sunday morning, Chen Zhen was woken up by his phone vibrating.

A message from Zhou Rui, only four words: "Master, come quickly."

When he arrived at the base, the door was open.

Zhou Rui was squatting in front of the flowerpot, Shen Nian was standing beside him, and Yun Xi was leaning against the doorway. All three were staring at the seedling.

The flower bud cracked open a slit.

Golden light poured out from the crack—not the soft brightness from before, but a blinding light like the sun.

Chen Zhen walked over and squatted down.

The crack grew larger and larger, and a petal extended out.

Golden, with dark blue light on the edges. It was exactly the same as the light inside the seed.

The second, third, and fourth petals.

The petals unfolded one by one, each emitting different rays of light—some gold, some blue, some purple, some white.

The entire base was illuminated in a riot of colors.

The last petal unfolded.

The heart of the flower was revealed: a fist-sized seed, dark blue, translucent, with something flowing inside it.

It was exactly the same as the star core fragment.

The seed was glowing.

The light pierced through the petals, the leaves, the soil, the roof of the base, and shot straight into the sky.

A crack appeared in the ceiling. The Heavenly Road had opened.

Chen Zhen looked up at the crack.

Inside the crack was that expanse of grey mist. Deep within the mist stood a person.

The Original Body.

He turned around, looked over, and smiled.

"The flower has bloomed."

Chen Zhen looked down at the flower.

The petals trembled gently in the breeze, and the seed at the heart of the flower was slowly spinning.

Ten thousand years, it only blooms this once.

He reached out, his fingertips touching the petal.

It was warm, like the spring sunshine.

The light in the seed resonated with the seed inside his body.

The speck of light in his chest flared brightly, then dimmed.

The east mountain jade tablet was responding.

Chen Zhen withdrew his hand and stood up.

The Original Body stood in the crack, looking at him.

"Not coming over?"

Chen Zhen shook his head.

"It's not time yet."

The Original Body smiled.

"Then when will it be time?"

Chen Zhen looked down at his own chest. "Wait for it to come out."

The Original Body nodded and turned to walk into the mist.

The crack slowly closed.

The base returned to silence, with only that flower left glowing.