"Little Flower."
After breaking through the twenty-first blade of grass within the illusionary garden's array, Xiao Chen unlocked a new Daoist technique: "Green Grass."
As he proceeded, he deconstructed the arrays of the grass blades, recreating them in his own image to expand his domain. Should danger arise, he could retreat into his growing sanctuary for safety. Thus, as time passed, Xiao Chen methodically dismantled and reassembled the arrays. Eventually, after breaking through thirty-seven flower arrays and refining the green pearls within them, his divine sense pieced together a new technique:
"Little Flower." Simple, yet profound.
Xiao Chen sat cross-legged, immersing himself in the profound mysteries of "Little Flower." While some aspects overlapped with "Green Grass," the core of the technique lay in the intricate flower arrays.
These arrays possessed extraordinary power, capable of influencing the very soul. They could induce illusions, trapping unsuspecting cultivators and leading them into fatal ambushes. The delicate flowers, beautiful to behold, could transform in an instant into harbingers of death.
Lost in his studies, Xiao Chen felt as though countless previous confusions about array techniques were suddenly clarified. It was as if he had toiled for decades only to experience a single, sweeping epiphany.
Seven hours passed.
Exhaustion gnawed at him as his face paled and his thoughts grew sluggish. Reluctantly, Xiao Chen withdrew his consciousness from "Little Flower." With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved a green pearl from his storage pouch and swallowed it whole.
Although breaking down the grass blades continued to yield these restorative pearls, they no longer granted him new insights. Thus, Xiao Chen had conserved over a dozen pearls and now relied on them to replenish his divine sense after exhausting study sessions.
Within half an hour, Xiao Chen's tightly shut eyes opened, now gleaming with a peculiar light. A faint, flower-shaped sigil flashed briefly in his pupils before vanishing.
"Little Flower."
A faint smile tugged at Xiao Chen's lips. Raising his hands, he performed simple, ancient gestures with the precision of a master. As his incantations wove together, a vibrant flower bud appeared before him. Its delicate green stem and vivid petals seemed to pulse with life, exuding an intoxicating fragrance.
The flower wasn't a random creation; it resembled a nameless bloom Xiao Chen recalled from his childhood, a yellow bud that grew behind a small courtyard in the mountains. Every summer, it would release a gentle, nostalgic scent.
"Bloom."
Xiao Chen's fingers clenched into a fist and then slowly opened, mirroring the motion of the bud. The flower bloomed in sync, releasing a faint fragrance identical to his memory.
For a brief moment, Xiao Chen stood still, lost in reverie. But then, his gaze hardened, his mind clearing as he pressed onward. With each step, flowers sprouted in his wake, growing larger and more vibrant until their fragrance filled the air.
"Where the flowers bloom, there lies my home."
As this thought took root, Xiao Chen's resolve grew stronger. His pace quickened, his fingers weaving intricate gestures as he advanced. Behind him, a garden of radiant flowers sprang to life, marking his path.
Now armed with both "Green Grass" and "Little Flower," Xiao Chen's pace quickened dramatically. Yet the sheer number of grass and flower arrays was daunting. Focusing entirely on breaking them down, Xiao Chen fell into a repetitive rhythm: breaking arrays, resting to recover, and then continuing without pause.
In this monotonous cycle, Xiao Chen found clarity. His expression remained serene, his movements fluid and precise. Over time, his understanding of the two Daoist techniques deepened, and his hands moved with increasing speed and grace, sometimes completing complex incantations with the flick of a single finger.
Unaware of how much time had passed, Xiao Chen fell into a trance-like state. His body worked automatically, breaking arrays within twenty breaths each time. When he finally uprooted the last blade of grass, transforming it into a pearl, he snapped out of his daze.
"How long have I been at this?"
He surveyed his surroundings, his expression clouded with uncertainty. Yet his heart eased when he realized the flow of time within the array seemed altered. His sister's injuries, which had initially progressed rapidly, were now worsening at a fraction of their normal speed.
"Good. I still have time."
Xiao Chen's heart steadied as he sat down to meditate. The trance-like state he had entered, though dangerous, allowed him to stave off fatigue and accelerate his understanding of the arrays. This was his third time experiencing such a state, and it had lasted the longest yet.
Behind him, countless flowers and blades of grass stood tall, their numbers impossible to count. Each marked an array he had dismantled and reassembled.
Ahead lay a stream, its water crystal-clear, with small fish darting beneath its surface. Beside the stream stood a lush tree, its branches heavy with green fruit. On the tree's branches, a few caterpillars rested peacefully, their soft snores barely audible. Beyond the tree, the soil turned black, occasionally writhing as though something alive moved within it.
"Life?"
Xiao Chen's breath caught. His gaze locked onto the fish, the caterpillars, and the writhing soil. Waves of disbelief surged through his heart, draining the color from his face. Yet his eyes burned brighter with each passing moment.
After a long silence, Xiao Chen exhaled slowly, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Life energy... The fish, the caterpillars, even the soil exude the essence of life. But how can constructs born of an array possess such characteristics? This defies everything I know."
His conviction wavered. Array formations were supposed to be illusions, constructs of energy and will. Simulating the essence of plants was one thing, but to recreate the essence of living creatures? This went against the very foundation of his understanding.
If Xiao Chen couldn't resolve this contradiction, his faith in array techniques might collapse entirely, undoing all his progress.
Recognizing the danger, he calmed himself and sat down, his mind racing. "If arrays can simulate plant life, then why not animals? If I can understand this principle, it could elevate my mastery to new heights. Perhaps this is not a crisis, but an opportunity."
He began to reason: "All living things, whether humans, beasts, or plants, share a connection to the Dao. If an array can emulate the essence of plants, then with sufficient skill, it might emulate animals as well. The life essence here is merely another extension of the Dao."
As the realization clicked, Xiao Chen felt a wave of clarity wash over him. His understanding of arrays deepened, and his aura grew more profound. Standing once more, he turned his attention to the stream and its inhabitants, his eyes gleaming with newfound determination.
"If these constructs mimic life, then they will be my teachers. Breaking this array will reveal the secrets of creation itself."
Stepping forward, Xiao Chen focused on the stream. His eyes shimmered with layers of intricate runes as crescent-shaped symbols appeared around him, more complete and vibrant than before.
The stream stretched about ten feet wide, its waters cool and clear, flowing gently past. Yet to Xiao Chen's enhanced perception, each droplet was a tightly woven network of runes.
The fish, however, defied his analysis, appearing as solid and real as any living creature.
"If observation fails, then I'll dismantle it directly."
Kneeling by the stream, Xiao Chen placed his hands in the water. Cool liquid flowed between his fingers, seemingly real. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the subtle currents of energy hidden within.
Hours passed. Gradually, his hands moved in a gentle rhythm, drawing out the underlying patterns. Ripples spread outward, forming a growing vortex that pulled at the water, the fish darting away in alarm.
The vortex expanded, spinning faster and faster. But as it reached its peak, it shifted direction, targeting a single fish.
"The fish is the key."