Chapter Five: The Sacred Flower and the Extraordinary Treasure

Which came first in this world, the light or the darkness?

Lin Feng felt as if his entire body was about to be frozen solid. The cold was so intense, it seemed to penetrate right to his bones. Painful yet acutely clear, he could feel icy droplets of water on his face, and the soft sensation in his palm spurred him to struggle for consciousness. Gradually, with great effort, he finally managed to open his eyes.

But he could see nothing.

“Am I dead?” he wondered to himself.

Suddenly, a strange sensation came from his left hand. Startled, Lin Feng pulled with all his might and drew Caiyi to his side.

“You, wake up...” After cautiously checking, he found she had only fainted and her breathing was steady. Relieved, Lin Feng gently shook her, trying to rouse her.

The girl let out a faint cry and slowly awoke, her bright eyes reflecting a confused glimmer.

“Where are we?” Caiyi struggled to her feet and looked around. Darkness enveloped them, as if they were submerged in ink, with only the faintest glimmer of distant phosphorescence, too indistinct to discern.

“I don’t know either. Maybe... maybe we’re already dead,” Lin Feng replied.

Caiyi burst out laughing. “Nonsense! Silly boy, how could a dead person still have a heartbeat?”

Lin Feng’s face flushed red, though it was impossible to see in the darkness, which brought him some small comfort. But then, with a loud rumble, his stomach betrayed him.

“Are you hungry?” Caiyi chuckled, and Lin Feng felt his embarrassment deepen; he wished the earth would swallow him up, his face burning even hotter.

In front of this young girl, Lin Feng found himself utterly at a loss. “No, I—uh, where’s my pack?”

Suddenly, both of them froze. His left hand, her right—still tightly clasped together.

As natural as if one’s own left hand held the right, as if it had always been so, as if it should never be parted.

Awkwardly, Caiyi withdrew her hand, and Lin Feng’s cheeks grew even hotter. He didn’t know where to put his hands, and the two of them just stood there, foolish and uncertain.

After a long while, Caiyi took a hairpin from her head. A gentle white glow quietly spread out, illuminating their young faces and casting light into the abyssal darkness.

“Ah...” Both gasped in shock, crying out in unison.

At the base of the empty chasm lay countless scattered white bones, exuding a chilling aura of death. The distant phosphorescence was the will-o’-the-wisps floating above the remains.

“Could this be the Netherworld?” Lin Feng’s voice was hoarse as he collapsed to the ground—only to leap upright in a flash; beneath his feet was yet another skeleton.

Caiyi’s pretty face turned pale. This time, she didn’t mock him. Her gaze swept coldly around, as if she expected some monstrous beast to be lurking in the darkness.

Nervously, Lin Feng shifted his gaze and suddenly spotted his pack lying quietly not far away, along with his segmented spear scattered beside it.

Overjoyed, he retrieved his belongings, reassembled the spear, and, driven by hunger, pulled out a steamed bun and was about to take a bite when he remembered to offer some to Caiyi. He turned his head towards her.

But the sight that met his eyes made his flesh crawl. With a clang, the spear dropped from his hand, the sound lingering through the silent space.

Before a ghastly white skeleton, Caiyi held her glowing hairpin, examining it closely, almost entranced, leaning in towards the skull’s face.

“What are you doing?” Caiyi turned, frowning, clearly displeased by the noise he’d made.

Lin Feng raised the bun in his hand, then pointed towards the skeleton, mouth agape but speechless.

Seeing his expression, Caiyi understood and laughed, “Come over here and take a look at these bones. Don’t you notice anything strange?”

He responded and slowly shuffled over.

With a single glance, he realized—these were not human bones!

“Demonic beasts!” Lin Feng stared wide-eyed, his gaze fixed on the girl.

“That’s right. Let’s go on a bit further. Isn’t it odd that so many demonic beasts have perished and been buried in this abyss?” Caiyi’s smile was radiant, her face alight with excitement, as if all fear had been left behind.

Lin Feng could only follow her lead as the two wandered aimlessly through the darkness.

There was little vegetation in the abyss, the air was frigid, and the corpses of demonic beasts lay scattered along their path—some still with flesh clinging to their bones, their faces twisted in agony, as if death had come with much suffering.

The chill seemed to seep from head to toe, and in that blackness, it felt as if monsters could leap out at any moment.

No telling how long they walked before several bright lights shone ahead. At first, they were delighted—then their faces changed, stricken.

In the darkness, two flickering golden lanterns maintained their distance, their cold glow radiating fierce hostility. What else could they be but the demon serpent?

“It’s still alive?” Lin Feng trembled, gripping his segmented spear with both hands, mustering all his courage, prepared to fight the beast.

“Don’t move!” Caiyi snapped, grabbing his wrist.

The crest-headed demon serpent fixed its gaze on them, its forked tongue flickering, golden eyes shifting restlessly, hesitating near a patch of red light, appearing feverishly excited.

“What is that?” Lin Feng, emboldened, whispered.

Caiyi drew a deep breath, but did not answer, her eyes never leaving the serpent.

The red glow in the distance grew brighter, like a rising sun bursting into dazzling, multicolored brilliance, stirring an irresistible longing to witness its true form.

Compelled by some strange force, the two drifted closer, ignoring the ferocious beast.

The great serpent raised its head and hissed, circling the blazing red light restlessly, its golden eyes burning with greed. Before they could see clearly what it was, the serpent lunged at the fiery glow, determined to seize this heaven-sent treasure for itself.

Just as they despaired, the serpent let out a blood-curdling screech, its golden eyes suddenly dimming. With a final leap, it crashed heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Shocked and bewildered, they dared not move, hiding behind a huge boulder for a long while. When all was quiet, they cautiously stepped out.

The red glow still shone, but the serpent was nowhere to be seen.

“What could this divine treasure be?” Both thrilled and nervous, they approached the source of the radiance, their eyes fixed on the mysterious light.

In the boundless darkness, the red glow bloomed quietly, casting ripples of color upon color. At its heart, slender, beautiful petals clustered together, surrounded by countless filamentous floral tendrils, shaped like dragon claws or ethereal threads of longing—strange and otherworldly. No leaves grew beneath the blossom, only a single white stem.

The two stood in awe, speechless at the spectacle before them.

A slender, jade-like hand extended from the darkness, quietly reaching for the wondrous blossom.

“Don’t!” Lin Feng shouted, grabbing the delicate hand, his face stricken with fear.

Caiyi’s expression was dazed, her eyes vacant, as if she had wandered between life and death.

“Such a seductive flower, so bewitching, must be the incarnation of some evil spirit!” Lin Feng recited to himself, hurriedly pulling Caiyi away.

After a few steps, Caiyi shivered and regained her senses. In a soft voice, she asked, “Was it you who saved me?”

Lin Feng smiled sheepishly, released her hand, and nodded. “That demon flower is too strange. We’d best stay away lest it harm us.”

A fiery gleam flashed in Caiyi’s eyes, and she smiled mysteriously. “Do you know what that flower is?”

“What?” Lin Feng peered at her, worried she might still be bewitched and about to do something foolish.

“Manjusaka!” Caiyi beamed, her face alight with excitement. “Buddha says: Manjusaka, the flower that blooms for a thousand years, without root or leaf, transcending the three realms, neither living nor dead. The world’s most mysterious blossom, blooming here in this isolated chasm—what luck!”

In her excitement, she seemed to float, clapping her hands, leaving Lin Feng confused and dazzled.

“Hey! Why aren’t you happy?” Caiyi, seeing his dazed look, flew into a rage and scolded him loudly.

Lin Feng spread his hands, retorting, “So what if it’s Manjusaka? You can only look at it, not pick it.”

“Who says you can’t?” Caiyi shot him a glance and snorted. “The Buddha’s flower is intelligent; evil spirits cannot touch it, but you can.”

“Me?” Lin Feng was startled, shaking his head. “I won’t. That demon flower is dangerous, nothing good can come of it.”

From what he’d seen, the bones littering the abyss were all the flower’s doing; he’d watched the demon serpent die, and Caiyi had nearly been ensnared. He had no fondness for it at all, convinced it was a thing of pure evil and that Caiyi, too, was temporarily blinded.

While Lin Feng was calculating how to escape the abyss, Caiyi could hardly contain her anger. Anyone else would have rushed to seize the world’s only divine flower, but this fool did not even want the treasure set before him—what could possibly be going on in his head?

Just as she was about to lose her temper, an idea flashed in Caiyi’s eyes, and she pouted, “If you won’t pick it, I will. Let it drain my soul and kill me, so be it.”

Lin Feng panicked at her words, now certain that Caiyi was bewitched. Seeing her about to storm off, he grabbed her and dashed ahead.

A sly smile flickered in Caiyi’s eyes, her heart warming. She raised her glowing hairpin, following closely behind Lin Feng, its pale light illuminating the stones beneath their feet.

The strange blossom shone even more brilliantly as they approached, as if eager to spill its rainbow light upon them. Its countless tendrils undulated in the air, breathtakingly beautiful.

“Are you sure? Should I really pick it?” Lin Feng hesitated, suspecting it to be a demon’s trick, and dared not reach out.

Bathed in red light, Caiyi’s cheeks flushed slightly. Her gaze was resolute as she nodded.

With trembling hand, Lin Feng reached for the flower. In that moment, the very air seemed to freeze.

He gingerly plucked the mysterious blossom.

Nothing happened. The Manjusaka remained as dazzling as ever. Overjoyed, the two nearly shouted in triumph, poised to celebrate with a high five.

In a flash, disaster struck!

The blood-red petals suddenly disintegrated; myriad tendrils wrapped around his hand and vanished in an instant. A searing heat surged along his arm, invading his body, a red glow flickering beneath his skin. In moments, Lin Feng’s whole body was wracked with violent tremors.

Caiyi was petrified and stepped forward to check on him, but the red light burst from his body, enveloping him and forcing her back several yards.

“Could it be...?” Caiyi’s anxious face showed a glimmer of hope as she retreated a few steps, her gaze fixed on Lin Feng, now shrouded in crimson.

Lin Feng felt agony raging within him, as if his veins were being torn apart. Scorching torrents surged through his organs, pounding against his skull. Darkness engulfed his vision, his head splitting with pain, and he could not speak. Suddenly, a metallic taste rose in his throat, and he vomited a mouthful of foul blood, nearly fainting.

Caiyi gasped but dared not approach, praying silently, “Heaven bless the fool, may fortune protect him.”

The burning current surged to the crown of Lin Feng’s head, then plunged down, slamming into his dantian, where it began to swirl, forming a deep red vortex. As it spun, dizziness swept over him. He let out a final cry, blood streaming from every orifice, and collapsed, unconscious.

“Fool!” Caiyi cried, rushing to him as the red light faded, no longer barring her way, and finally vanished.

In the darkness, a gentle fragrance drifted to his nose, soft and comforting, so pleasant he did not wish to wake.