Chapter 193.1: They Shut Themselves Off

Twilight had long noticed Qi Yuan repeatedly blinking at him and found the behavior puzzling.

Seeing his confusion, Qi Yuan sighed. "

Aah

, how I wish the hundred flowers would bloom...

Oh

, and how nice it would be to get the treasures as well."

In truth, he cared far less about the flowers than the reward. Ye Liuyun's two supreme treasures almost made him drool. Qi Yuan even felt a little resentful.

Why hadn't Golden Dragon gotten them instead?

Twilight finally grasped what Qi Yuan was hinting at. Half amused and half exasperated, he stepped forward. "I've heard Qiyuann Sovereign's talent for visualization is peerless. Why not give it a try? Perhaps you can make the flowers bloom."

Everyone's attention shifted toward Qi Yuan at once. The ancient gods were deeply curious about the mysterious figure shrouded in obscurity.

The palace master lit up, openly gazing at Qi Yuan with anticipation.

"But none of the gods I know are acquainted with Great Venerable Qionghua," Qi Yuan said honestly, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. "If I fail, you won't laugh at me, will you?"

The ancient gods waved their hands in response.

"Of course not!"

"It'll be nice if you succeed, but failure isn't shameful. Why would we mock you?"

"Qiyuann Sovereign, feel free to try! I'll be the first to deal with whoever dares gossip."

They were remarkably warm and encouraging.

Qi Yuan smiled faintly. "This world really does have more good people than bad. Everyone's so reasonable."

Usually, in dramas and anime, protagonists would often face ridicule in such situations. Perhaps those MCs should have reasoned with others the way he just had. No one would dare mock them anyway. Anyone who did would simply get beaten to death.

"Since you all want me to try, then I'll give it a shot. Who knows, maybe the flowers will really bloom?" said Qi Yuan.

There was no harm in trying, and there could be treasures waiting. Thus, Qi Yuan stepped into the Visualization Realm.

***

Passing through the group chat realm, countless messages flooded into Qi Yuan's view.

└Godfather!

└Godfather is visualizing again!

Dong Jianghe: I refuse to believe he can succeed again! How could something this outrageous exist? There were only so many True Gods in the Hongtang War! There can't possibly be

that

many overlooked ones!

└Could he really be some unparalleled genius?

└Relax. It's impossible!

Qi Yuan ignored the chat. He had no interest in acknowledging a crowd of self-proclaimed godsons. Soon, he reached the Visualization Mountain.

After pondering briefly, he murmured softly, "Peerless beauty unmatched under heaven, a thousand charms no painting could capture."

As his words fell, the projection of a graceful woman emerged. She wore flowing raiment of dazzling color, enchanting beyond words. The Star Golden Core lit up, and the Heart-Questioning Trials began once more.

A few breaths later, Dong Jianghe nearly spat blood in rage.

Dong Jianghe: Another Legendary?! Just how?! Is my destiny as the Dong Celestial Emperor truly exhausted?!

***

Qi Yuan opened his eyes, and found himself at the Hundred Flowers Gathering.

Hopefully, the Lady of a Hundred Flowers brings me something unexpected.

Everyone stared at him in anticipation. At that moment, a streak of golden light descended, and a God Visualization Art manifested beside him.

"Legendary!" the kind Second Step ancient god shouted, eyes wide with disbelief.

The gathering was indifferent to the rank of the God Visualization Art. Sometimes, even ordinary ones could make flowers bloom. Still, throughout the entire event so far, not even a Rare-tier scripture had appeared. How could they not be shocked?

The other ancient gods exchanged stunned looks. To witness it here was simply astonishing.

"A legendary God Visualization Art! In ancient times, this would belong to someone beyond the Sixth Step."

Twilight was shaken too, albeit less than the others. What was one Legendary compared to the twenty-one he had witnessed? He studied Qi Yuan carefully, desperate to understand who the man truly was in ancient times. How could Qi Yuan know so many forgotten True Gods of such caliber?

Twilight asked softly, "Qiyuann Sovereign, what connection does this god have with Great Venerable Qionghua?"

The palace master leaned forward eagerly. She wouldn’t be surprised if the True God visualized from such an amazing art knew her master. Perhaps, awakening Qionghua wasn't just a pipe dream.

"This ancient god is called the Lady of a Hundred Flowers, revered as the Sovereign of Blossoms. I doubt she knows Great Venerable Qionghua, though," explained Qi Yuan.

The others found the title unfamiliar.

"But they're both associated with flowers!" the palace master said excitedly. "Great Venerable Qionghua might know her!"

Hope was rekindled in her eyes. With the gathering waning generation after generation, the sudden appearance of the Lady of a Hundred Flowers felt like a miracle. Everyone fixed their gaze on the visualization art, waiting to see blossoms bloom.

Qi Yuan whispered to the lady, "Go, Lady of a Hundred Flowers."

From the scripture, a woman projection emerged. She walked gracefully, silk ribbons drifting in her hands. Even though she was just a mirage, the ancient gods swore they could smell a faint fragrance in the air. Her presence carried the scent of spring, along with the whisper of butterflies in twilight winds.

Slowly, she raised a finger. Her fingertip seemed to transcend space itself, touching every flower at once—buds, blossoms, and all.

The ancient gods watched in confusion. Suddenly, one of them widened his eyes.

"These flowers—" He stopped halfway, glanced at Qi Yuan, and did not dare go on.

Others began to realize something was wrong.

The palace master’s pupils shrank sharply. "What's happening? Why are the flowers closing?!"

Most flowers began to close. Fully opened blossoms folded into buds, while others even vanished entirely.

Hearing her outcry, Qi Yuan murmured thoughtfully, "Maybe they've become introverted."

The others fought desperately to suppress laughter. They genuinely felt it was a miracle that Qi Yuan had survived this long.

The palace master snapped her head toward him. "Make her stop, now! Stop her!"

At this rate, every flower would shut itself away. Centuries of effort by the Qionghua Palace would be wiped out in an instant!

Qi Yuan sighed as he watched the scene unfold. "It's too late."

Three-quarters of the previously blooming flowers had closed. Only a handful remained open. Calling it the "Hundred Buds Gathering" would be more accurate.

The ancient gods dared not speak openly and could only whisper privately.

"This isn't the Lady of a Hundred Flowers, it's the Destroyer of Flowers!"

"Instead of making blossoms bloom, she makes them close! What a misleading title!"

"The palace master has truly met disaster."

"She'll have to swallow this bitter outcome herself."

They pitied the Qionghua Palace. A thousand years of planning was ruined in a single moment. Less than a quarter of the flowers remained blooming.

The palace master collapsed to the ground, her gaze hollow. "It's over... everything is over..."

Reopening these flowers would be nearly impossible. Her master would never awaken again. The Qionghua Palace’s disciples appeared devastated. The rest of the ancient gods wore sorrowful expressions as well.

Just then, Qi Yuan laughed. "I get it now! I finally understand why the flowers are closed!"

His laughter clashed sharply with the surrounding atmosphere.

The palace master gritted her teeth, itching to tear him to bits. Who cared why the flowers closed? What mattered was how to rectify this situation and awaken her master!

Qi Yuan's words felt like a soliloquy no one wanted to hear.

Ignoring the reactions, he explained calmly, "On the day the queen mother celebrated her birthday, the immortals gathered to offer congratulations. One fairy proposed inviting the Lady of a Hundred Flowers to make every blossom bloom in celebration..."

Everyone's attention was drawn in.

The queen mother? Who even is that?

Qi Yuan recounted the story from his memories. "However, flowers bloom according to their own natural order. Season and place differ, how can they defy fate and bloom at will? The Lady of a Hundred Flowers refused to let them bloom at once, and thus declined the proposal.”

It bore some resemblance to the tale of Wu Zetian and the peony. [1]

1. Wu Zetian is the first empress of China. One day, she ordered that every flower in her imperial garden bloom by the next day. Somehow, every flower did bloom, except the peony, which she ultimately banished to Luoyang. Ironically, the soil and environment there suited the peony perfectly and it became a place known for it. ☜