Chapter 11

The next morning, Chu Li finished his practice and went to the Moonlight Orchid Garden. The place where the Tandream Flower had been was now empty, with no trace left.

Like a brilliant firework, after its splendor, it turned to ashes. This was the Tandream Flower.

He suddenly noticed a faint trace of life underground. Activating the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, he illuminated the ground and saw a seed lying quietly one meter deep.

This seed was identical to the one given by Xiao Qi. It turned out that the seed of the Tandream Flower came from this!

Flowering, fruiting, and then producing seeds—this was the norm. However, the seed of the Tandream Flower was so rare and peculiar that it gradually became extinct.

His mind raced, realizing that secrets could not be kept forever. He did not have the right to claim it for himself, so he asked Li Yue to take him to Yuxi Island.

Yuxi Island was ten times larger than the East Garden, with lush trees and pavilions and terraces arranged in a neat order, exquisitely carved and painted, exuding an indescribable opulence and splendor.

Before reaching Yuxi Island, he stood on the bow of the boat and felt a surging power窥伺 himself from afar, ready to pounce at any moment.

Activating the Great Round Mirror Wisdom, he detected twelve powerful forces in the willow forest, each as vast as mountains and seas, any one of which could instantly annihilate him.

"This is Miss's Yuxi Island. Be careful when you go up, don't wander around," Li Yue warned, waving the oar. "Be extremely cautious!"

He looked tense, as if viewing Yuxi Island like a monster.

Chu Li smiled and nodded.

The small boat docked, and a middle-aged man emerged from the forest, watching him with sharp eyes, as if he could see through him.

Chu Li bowed and introduced himself, requesting to see Manager Su.

The middle-aged man nodded without speaking, standing still.

Chu Li waited quietly, knowing that someone had already gone to inform her.

A moment later, Su Ru appeared in a light yellow silk robe, as graceful as a willow swaying in the wind, blending seamlessly with the surrounding willow branches, swaying gently.

"Chu Li?" Su Ru waved her hand, indicating that Chu Li did not need to be overly formal, looking at him with some surprise. "Is there something you need?"

Chu Li nodded solemnly but did not speak.

"Follow me," Su Ru understood that he wanted to speak privately, and she moved gracefully, walking quickly. Chu Li followed in large strides, arriving at a small pavilion.

A wooden walkway extended from Yuxi Island to this small pavilion on the lake, with an octagonal red pillar and a flying eave, standing alone on the lake, secluded and distant.

Su Ru sat on a brocade stool, gesturing for Chu Li to sit and speak. "Go ahead."

Chu Li sat down. "Manager, there is another Tandream Flower seed."

"Didn't it die?" Su Ru frowned.

Thinking about it made her regretful. The Tandream Flower was the most lethal to women, promising eternal youth, which no woman could refuse.

Initially, she did not pay much attention to the Tandream Flower seed, leaving it in a corner. Seeing Chu Li's extraordinary skills in planting, she decided to give it a try, and it actually grew.

Seeing the two Tandream Flowers, she deeply regretted her carelessness. If she had preserved them properly, the seed might not have died.

Chu Li shared his hypothesis with her.

"So, the Tandream Flower can always produce seeds?"

"There is a possibility, but it's risky to try," Chu Li pondered. "Where did the two seeds come from?"

"Miss has always kept them," Su Ru said. "They are the lady's legacy, originally discarded in a corner, ... no one knows how she obtained them."

"I have a theory. The Tandream Flower's extinction might be related to its characteristics. The seeds from the fruit are likely false and won't germinate. The true seed is the one left in the root, but verifying this is too risky."

"Then what? Next time, just leave one flower," Su Ru suggested.

"It's not that simple. If it bears fruit, it might not form a true seed," Chu Li shook his head. "Wouldn't that be a waste?"

Su Ru frowned, nodding, appreciating Chu Li's thorough thinking.

Chu Li continued, "I'm also concerned that seeds have a lifespan. They might disappear after blooming two or three times."

Su Ru's eyes sparkled as she stared at him. "What do you think?"

Chu Li shook his head. "If I can get more seeds, I can experiment. With just this one, I dare not take risks."

Su Ru smiled. "You could have kept this seed for yourself."

Chu Li, being an expert, knew the value of the seed and that no one else knew about it. He could have kept it for himself, but he didn't.

From what he understood, Chu Li was an extremely intelligent person, and intelligent people rarely act selflessly.

Chu Li smiled. "Compared to this seed, I value Miss's trust more. ... Besides, how do I know it's not a test?"

His actions were also a test to see if Xiao Qi was worth his loyalty.

"You are a wise man!" Su Ru laughed. "Follow me!"

She turned and left the pavilion, passing through the forest and several pavilions and terraces, arriving at a tall building, similar to a library, with the words "Observatory Tower" inscribed on it.

The tower had three floors, standing a hundred meters high, making one feel insignificant when standing below.

As they passed, servant girls occasionally floated by, moving silently, all with excellent lightness skills, and their cultivation was stronger than that of the eighth-rank guards.

Su Ru took him directly to the top of the Observatory Tower.

The rooftop was spacious and open, offering a view of the vast lake and the surrounding islands.

A small tea table, two brocade stools, tea sets, and five plates of exquisite pastries and fruits were the only items present.

Xiao Qi, dressed in white, was practicing swordsmanship. The sword light was as clear as water, and from ten meters away, Chu Li felt a chilling cold, making his skin prickle.

"Miss," Su Ru called softly as she approached.

The sword light retracted, and Xiao Qi sheathed her sword, throwing it to Su Ru and looking at Chu Li.

Chu Li bowed.

Su Ru caught the sword, sheathed it, and hung it on the wall. "Chu Li found that the Tandream Flower left a seed. He believes it can bloom. Let him speak."

Xiao Qi's clear gaze fell on Chu Li's face.

Chu Li repeated his hypothesis and concerns.

Xiao Qi frowned, pondering for a moment, then said, "First, make that seed bloom. I'll look for more. If you can grow ten flowers, I'll promote you to the sixth rank!"

"Thank you, Miss!" Chu Li bowed.

He was currently an eighth-rank, and it would take ten years to reach the seventh rank and thirty years to reach the sixth rank. The sixth rank was a significant step into the middle ranks, and the difference between the seventh and sixth ranks was substantial.

Xiao Qi said, "I'll get the seeds as soon as possible."

Chu Li nodded, looking hesitant.

"Speak your mind!" Xiao Qi said.

Chu Li said, "Miss, are you planning to build the medicinal garden in the East Garden?"

"Yes, I have that plan. What do you think?"

"I think it's better to build it here."

"Concerned about safety?"

Chu Li nodded. "There's no such thing as a completely secure place. When the time comes..."

Rare and precious herbs could drive people to take risks. When the time came, the East Garden would be the first target, putting his and Li Yue's lives in danger.

"I'll think about it," Xiao Qi nodded, needing to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Chu Li bowed and left.

---

For the following month, he barely left the Moonlight Orchid Garden, focusing on cultivating the Moonlight Orchids and monitoring the Tandream Flower.

The Tandream Flower indeed sprouted and grew rapidly.

He tried planting the Immortal Beard, sowing a few seeds to understand its nature. As he had suspected, it devoured spiritual energy like a monster.

These seeds, once planted, would render the land barren, unable to support any growth for at least five years. He did not want a bald patch in the East Garden, like a bald spot on a head.

He devoted all his energy to the Tandream Flower, connecting with it day and night, feeling the bloom and decay of life, deepening his understanding of the cycle of life and death.

Under the moonlight, Chu Li sat alone in the Moonlight Orchid Garden.

He picked two flowers, carefully placing them in a jade box, still maintaining his mental connection with the Tandream Flower, feeling its decay and the lingering trace of life, the interplay of life and death, the cycle of prosperity and decline.

A flash of insight, and suddenly, the words of the Sutra of Prosperity and Decline appeared in his mind. A vast and majestic image of the Prosperity and Decline Tree floated in his mind, becoming clearer and more grand.

With a loud "boom," his vision went dark, and his soul leaped into the Prosperity and Decline Tree, engulfed by its vastness and grandeur, transforming into the tree itself.

Infinite ages flashed before his eyes, scenes of the world's destruction, people struggling futilely like ants in a flood, screaming in pain, kneeling in devotion, but unable to prevent their destruction. After a long period of decay, the world would be reborn, plants would grow, and the cycle of destruction and rebirth would repeat countless times.

In these countless cycles, the most resilient were not humans but plants, which absorbed the essence of the world and grew tenaciously, following the natural order, sprouting in spring, blooming in summer, bearing fruit in autumn, and hiding in winter, drawing strength from the earth.

It seemed like a long time, yet it felt like a moment. Chu Li slowly awoke.

His soul had returned to his body, and his connection to the world had deepened. With a thought, the entire East Garden was within the scope of the Great Round Mirror Wisdom.

The moon hung like a silver disk in the night sky, and he estimated that about an hour had passed.

In a fleeting moment, the world had changed dramatically.

The Great Round Mirror Wisdom illuminated both inside and outside. He first observed himself, finding his mental power had doubled, and the Great Round Mirror Wisdom could now observe up to three miles away.

He could connect with plants and flowers a hundred meters away, drawing on the dense spiritual energy, which was now as thick as water, unlike the mist-like spiritual energy he had previously absorbed.

He suddenly realized that the spiritual energy of plants also had innate and acquired qualities. He had previously accessed the acquired spiritual energy, but now he could harness the innate spiritual energy, which made his meridians swell when it entered his body.

He ran the Small Meridian Cleansing Technique and smiled, the smile spreading and growing stronger.

His meridians glowed with a soft white light, not only completing the foundation-building but also directly opening the meridians, leaping to the first level!

His body was strengthened by an invisible force, his muscles, bones, and meridians becoming exceptionally solid, filled with boundless strength, making him want to howl to the sky.

After observing for a while, he gradually calmed down. The Tandream Flower seed underground was weak, and he used his spiritual energy to nourish it, restoring its vitality.

With his enhanced spiritual energy, it took only a short time for the seed to become vibrant, sprouting and beginning its next cycle of growth.

---

The next morning, Su Ru gracefully arrived at the Moonlight Orchid Garden, the fragrance lingering, and the beauty unchanged.

Seeing her beautiful face, Chu Li felt a sense of familiarity, as if meeting an old friend. The hour he spent last night had made him feel as if he had experienced several lifetimes, aging his heart.

Seeing Su Ru again felt like returning to the world, as if a lifetime had passed.

Su Ru took out a small jade box from her sleeve and handed it to him. "Chu Li, here are two seeds. You can try your idea now."

Chu Li took it with both hands and handed her the larger jade box.

Su Ru asked casually, "Did the Immortal Beard grow?"

Chu Li nodded and shared his concerns.

Su Ru's almond eyes widened, and she smiled. "Not bad, Gu Li Tong couldn't grow it!"

Chu Li raised an eyebrow.

Su Ru said, "The Immortal Beard is a rare treasure for horses. What's the harm in wasting a few plots of land?"

"It's too dominant and not suitable for overuse," Chu Li said.

Su Ru laughed. "The Immortal Beard should not be overused. A pound is enough to enhance a horse's constitution."

"If Miss plans to grow it," Chu Li asked, "it's best to do it outside the estate."

Su Ru frowned. "I'll ask Miss. ... You can start with the Tandream Flower. You already have four, and six more will get you to the sixth rank."

"No problem!"

"Even if he can't grow it, you don't have to admit defeat. It's a tie," Su Ru smiled.

Chu Li nodded with a smile.

---

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