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--- Chapter 262 ---
As the Heavenly Wind Flower came onto the table and changed their plan for good, Huan Caiyi asked Yu Long about its details. She wanted to know whether it was viable for the Heavenly Wind Flowers to produce more spores.
Yu Long replied, "Yes, the Heavenly Wind Flower could produce more spores."
"It can produce ten spores in one cycle, but we need immense and pure life force."
Huan Caiyi's eyes lit up, "Will the Evergreen Tree's Dews do?"
Yu Long stared at her and chuckled, "Yes. But none of us had enough Dews to make it happen."
Huan Caiyi possessed Wind Elemental Spirit after absorbing Evergreen Tree's dews. She could nurture the Heavenly Wind Flower, but it wouldn't be productive.
After all, Huan Caiyi is only a single person.
Yu Long also doesn't want to use more of Kaiju Maker's power.
Thankfully, he had an alternative method.
Huan Caiyi sighed, "I guess the plan to spread this flower will pause for a while."
Yu Long shook his head gently, "No, not really."
"I was the one who proposed the plan."
"Of course, I have a way to do it."
"You do?" Huan Caiyi was amazed.
Yu Long nodded and replied, "The answer is simple. It is the Spirit Gathering Array."
"Lord Shadow, are you talking about that Spirit Gathering Array Formation?" Fu Zhong asked in confusion. "But that's just a basic formation array..."
"Sometimes, the basics are always the best. It's not complicated and can lay a 'good' foundation to build new things." Yu Long responded casually.
He snapped his finger, and strings of pure white array runes appeared, connecting into a simplified Spirit Gathering Array Formation.
"Beautiful..." Chu Yuechan, who had been very quiet, stared at the array formation, seeing it symmetrically shaped like a snowflake.
The snowflake reminded her of days in the Frozen Cloud Asgard.
Huan Caiyi stared at the array formation solemnly. Deep inside, she was shocked because Yu Long made the array with a snap of his finger.
Every array formation Huan Caiyi knew in the Imperial City needed to make a lot of preparation. A Lot of Preparation!
Yu Long ignored their stunned gaze and explained, "Spirit Gathering Array Formation is the most basic formation, which means everyone can learn it quickly."
"It has two main functions, important functions."
"First, it could absorb the surrounding energy."
"Second, it could enhance the quality of surrounding energy."
"Of course, we must account for the energy consumption, but we can cut it off by using the 'dirty' part of energy as fuel."
"Now. An ordinary Spirit Gathering Array Formation won't help us grow the Heavenly Wind Flower nor produce the spores."
"However, if we modified the said array formation into this..."
The snowflake-like pattern cracked, but if one looks closely, those cracks are miniature-sized array runes. And those miniature-sized array runes changed the property of energy by twisting it slowly.
Soon, the profound energy in the air turned into brimming vitality.
"Such a strong vitality..." Huan Caiyi was speechless.
"How is this even possible?"
"Because it's raw, not purified like the one in our body." Yu Long replied with confidence.
"What's the difference, Hu-! I mean, Master?" Chu Yuechan almost called Yu Long intimately but quickly fixed her mistake.
Huan Caiyi frowned at her, and Fu Zhong chuckled on the side.
Yu Long didn't mind Chu Yuechan's mistake, finding it adorable.
He stared at the modified array formation and calmly explained, "Every living being has life force or vitality. We obtain it by the course of our life, eating food, exercise, etc."
"But those actions are actually the literal process of breaking vitality from outside and making it ours."
"Since we are humans, the process is very efficient as we could eat or inhale them into our body."
"However, other living beings have different methods."
"Flowers absorb the energy from the soil and photosynthesize, allowing them to purify raw vitality."
"Are you perhaps thinking of using the array formation to hasten the Heavenly Wind Flower's growth?" Huan Caiyi questioned while tapping her finger on the table.
Yu Long nodded, "Exactly, but we need one more step."
"One more step?" 3x.
Yu Long stared at the modified array formation and bitterly added, "The vitality released by this array formation is false vitality because I didn't fully integrate the energy of nature into it."
"We need strong catalysts with strong vitality, preferably a plant-based one that could form a symbiosis with Heavenly Wind Flower."
In Yu Long's previous life, people used a tree called Small Willow of Life or Underworld Oak, which provided Heavenly Wind Flower with nutrition while the latter protected them from danger.
Unfortunately, there are no such trees in the Blue Pole Star.
Still, they could try finding an alternative.
Fu Zhong stroked his beard solemnly and pulled a small object from his spatial storage. It was a sunflower seed.
"Lord Shadow, will this do?"
Huan Caiyi stared at the sunflower seed, "Golden Sunflower's seed?"
"This thing is everywhere in the Illusory Demon Realm with minimum sunlight."
"It was a wild pest that people sometimes used to snack on."
"Besides Golden Sunflower's tenacious ability to spread and slightly savory taste as snacks, I don't think there is something special about them."
"As far I know, that is."
"No, this might be our best option." Yu Long laughed in joy.
"Hmm?" Huan Caiyi couldn't understand Yu Long.
Yu Long pointed at the Golden Sunflower's seed and commented, "You said it yourself. This sunflower has a tenacious ability to spread and is basically a wild pest."
"One Golden Sunflower alone couldn't generate enough vitality to support Heavenly Wind Flower, but what if there are millions or billions of them."
"Imagine the whole Plain of Solitude becoming golden due to the Golden Sunflowers..."
Everyone was stunned.
They finally realized the usefulness of Golden Sunflowers.
According to Huan Caiyi, this thing grows everywhere in the Illusory Demon Realm with minimum sunlight.
"A match made in heaven." Chu Yuechan couldn't help but mumble to herself.
Huan Caiyi agreed with Chu Yuechan and glanced at Yu Long, "I will order my people to spread Golden Sunflowers immediately. We should be able to grow them in one or two months."
"Is that good enough?"
"For now, yes." Yu Long nodded in agreement. "I will share the modified Spirit Gathering Array Formation with you."
"We should rename it, though."
Everyone pondered, but Huan Caiyi instinctively mumbled as she stared at Yu Long's golden eyes, "What about Golden Balance Spirit Formation?"
"Good name." Fu Zhong said with a laugh.
"Mhm, it is a good name." Chu Yuechan praised Huan Caiyi.
Yu Long said with determination, "It's decided then. We will name it Golden Balance Spirit Formation."
"I will polish the array formation, then give it to you."
"In the meantime, you should contact your subordinates."
"Understood." Huan Caiyi had the Demon Emperor's Seal now. Her control over the Illusory Demon Realm is unquestionable.
Not even Duke Ming could mess with her now, especially with Yu Long around.
She sighed in relief, "We don't have to worry about common people's safety now."
"Heavenly Wind Flower..."
"Heavenly Wind Protection Initiative. That should be the name of this project."
"With this, we are one step ahead to face the invasion."
"What should we do next?"
"Visit the Imperial Demon City." Yu Long uttered casually.
Huan Caiyi instinctively nodded but was baffled after, "Yes, we should visit-! Wait, you wanted to visit the Imperial Demon City?"
"Is there a problem with it?" Yu Long gave her a faint smile.
"No, there is no problem." Huan Caiyi replied hurriedly. "On the contrary, I'd like to escort you there."
"You sound nervous, Little Demon Empress."
"I'm... not. And you should call me Huan Caiyi or Caiyi."
"Hehe, that takes time. I'll stick to calling you Little Demon Empress for now."
Huan Caiyi felt sour inside, but she could do nothing about it.
Yu Long still acts defensive around her.
But this journey is good. Huan Caiyi could be closer to Yu Long.
After that, Yu Long went to the Demon Imperial City with Huan Caiyi.
...