Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

On the winter solstice of that year, strange phenomena were heard simultaneously in the three places. The "Memory Flower" in Guixin Hall suddenly closed its buds, but the golden edges of the petals became even more intense, as if it was gathering strength; beside the sword mound in Puhui Hall, the leaves of the Wanggui Grass actually oozed golden sap, which gathered on the ground to form the character "等" (wait); under the ice layer of Fengling Jade Lake in the far north, the faint sound of flowers blooming could be heard, and holographic images of the herb gardens in the three places appeared on the ice surface, like a suspended "Continuation of Spring Picture".

“The ‘century-long promise’ is approaching.” Yan Shen looked at the word “continue” flowing in the jade pendant and recalled the record in Mingyao’s great-grandmother’s handbook—a hundred years ago, Wangshu’s great-grandmother, Li Nian’an’s grandfather, and Mr. Azhu made a promise that if the plants and trees in the three places showed a strange resonance, it would be a sign that the story was about to turn a new page.

When Zhao Cheng, a descendant of Zhao Nian from Puhuitang, arrived with his sword, the "Heart-Connecting Grass" pattern on the scabbard was emitting a faint glow. He drew his sword, and in the light and shadow reflected by the blade, the seven phantom images of the Demon-Suppressing Sword intertwined with the light of the Spirit-Sealing Jade, forming a rotating flower shape in mid-air: "My great-grandfather said that this is the 'Spring Awakening Formation,' which requires envoys from three different places to simultaneously inject the spiritual power of the flower seeds in order to begin a new chapter."

A Yuan, a descendant of A Xing from the far north, also arrived as scheduled. He brought flower seeds formed from the Sealed Spirit Jade Marrow. Under the moonlight, the seeds would reveal the words "Continuing Spring". "Grandpa the witch doctor said that this is a 'Centennial Flower Seed'. It was nurtured by the Sealed Spirit Jade absorbing the spiritual energy of a hundred-year-old flower path. After being planted, it will grow into a 'Spring-Bearing Tree', and all the unrecorded details of the story will appear on the trunk."

The three ascended the Wangyue Tower and placed the "Memory Flower" seeds from Guixin Hall, the Wanggui Grass seeds from Puhui Hall, and the "Centennial Flower Seeds" from the far north into a copper basin on the roof. Zhao Cheng used the tassel of his sword to draw upon spiritual power, A Yuan used melted snow from the ice plains to irrigate the basin, and Yan Shen placed the jade pendant from his waist on the rim of the basin. The character "Continue" in the jade suddenly lit up, resonating with the seeds in the basin.

In an instant, the flower paths in the three locations lit up simultaneously. The buds of the "Memory Flower" at Guixin Hall unfurled layer by layer, revealing a stamen that had not been seen for a century. The stamen was actually a miniature flower field, planted with all the flower seeds from Great-Grandma Wangshu to Great-Grandma Mingyao. The character "等" (wait) at Puhui Hall transformed into a golden stream, flowing along the flower path towards Guixin Hall and the far north. In the far north, the ice layer of Fengling Jade Lake cracked, and a golden sapling broke through the soil. The patterns on the trunk were visibly revealing words and patterns—it was the "Chengchun Wood," continuing the story details that had been missed for a century: Grandpa Wang Xiaohu had secretly planted dandelions in Grandma Su Qingwan's herb garden; Great-Grandma Wangshu always sent peach blossom cake crumbs mixed in with the flower seeds she sent to the Star Sword Sect; and when Master Azhu taught his disciples to identify herbs, he always said, "Plants remember both grudges and kindness"...

“So they had so many untold stories.” A-Yuan stroked the words on the tree trunk, his eyes welling up with tears. “Grandpa the witch doctor said that the most touching part of a story is never the part written on paper, but the little thoughts hidden in the years.”

As Yan Shen gazed at the new details constantly emerging on the "Spring-Bearing Tree," he suddenly understood the true meaning of the "Hundred-Year Promise"—continuing the story wasn't about repeating what was already known, but about letting the tenderness buried by time bloom anew in the sunlight. Just like now, the jokes that Mr. A-Zhu told his disciples were appearing on the tree trunk, and the leaves of the "Returning Grass" trembled gently with the words, as if they were secretly laughing; hidden in the sword tassel that Grandma Su Qingwan sewed for Grandpa Wang Xiaohu was a dried Soul-Gathering Flower, with the words "I'm afraid you won't be able to smell it when you miss home" written beside it, and the flower path in the direction of the Sword Tomb suddenly glowed pink.

When the "Spring-Bearing Tree" grew to three zhang tall, the story on its trunk had filled in all the gaps. On the very top branch, a flower never seen before bloomed. Its petals were transparent, and one could see the flowing light and shadow inside. In the light and shadow, there were countless blurry new figures, opening up new flower paths. Beneath their feet, the roots of the "Spring-Bearing Tree" were spreading towards the unknown distance.

“This is ‘New Journey Flower’.” Zhao Cheng gazed at the transparent petals, the light and shadow on the sword blade resonating with the petals. “My great-grandfather said that the ultimate goal of continuing the story is to give it its own vitality and let it find new soil.”

Yan Shen placed the jade pendant under the "New Journey Flower." The character "Continuation" in the jade merged with the petals, transforming into countless points of light that flew into the distance. He knew that these points of light would fall on new land and grow new flower paths, just like the first handful of Soul-Gathering Flower seeds sown by Great-Grandma Wangshu a hundred years ago, which inadvertently wove a bond that transcended mountains and seas.

Three months later, the seeds of the "Spring-Bearing Tree" were scattered by the wind and landed on lands beyond the three regions. The first to bring news came from the caravans of the Western Regions, who said that the "Wanggui Grass" had grown in the desert, with its leaves facing east; then came the tribes of the Southern Frontier, who discovered that the "Soul-Gathering Flower" had bloomed in the rainforest, with golden edges on its petals; finally, even on the islands of the East Sea, people saw Edelweiss blooming on the reefs, with the faint light of the "Spirit-Sealing Jade" hidden in its stamen.

Standing beneath the "Chengchun Tree," gazing at the newly emerging flower-lined path on its trunk, Yan Shen suddenly realized that the so-called "continuation of the story" had already transcended the boundaries of the three locations. Grandma Wangshu planted not just flower seeds, but the belief that "concern can cross mountains and seas"; Grandpa Wang Xiaohu guarded not just the Sword Tomb, but the courage that "guarding can be passed down through generations"; and everyone who left their mark on the story planted seeds of "letting warmth continue" in the flow of time.

Zhao Cheng's sword reflected the image of a distant flower-lined path, A Yuan's Sealed Spirit Jade Marrow recorded new ballads, and Yan Shen drew a flower net connecting the four seas on the new scroll of "Continuing Spring Picture". At the end of the painting, he did not sign it, but only drew a dandelion, with the words written on the fluff: "The story has no master, every writer is a passerby, and also a returning person."

The wind rustled through Wangyue Tower, and the leaves of the "Chengchun Tree" whispered softly, as if humming a song from a hundred years ago. Yan Shen knew that this story would continue—the seeds of the "Chengchun Tree" would be scattered to more distant places, new "memory flowers" would bloom on unfamiliar lands, and people of different skin colors and languages ​​would take the seeds and continue to write the stories of the three places into their own lives.

Just like now, the character "续" (continue) in the jade pendant resonates with the flower path in the distance. On the petals of the "Memory Flower" in Guixin Hall, a new scene appears: countless hands hold flower seeds and plant "结春" (spring) all over the world. All the flower stems are connected underground, and the flowers at the top bloom at the same time, forming a huge "春" (spring) character under the sunlight.

This story never ends. It grows and blossoms forever in the fragrance of the soul-gathering flower, in the veins of the longing grass, in the ice crystals of the edelweiss, and in the hearts of everyone who is willing to believe that "warmth can continue," spreading endless spring to every corner of time.

When Yan Shen's great-grandson Wang Yao took charge of Gui Xin Tang, the "Cheng Chun Mu" had already taken root across the four seas, giving rise to countless new flower paths. The Edelweiss by the East Sea learned to bloom in the tides, its petals carrying the salty sea breeze; the Wang Gui Grass in the Western Desert evolved fleshy stems that store water, its leaves still stubbornly pointing east; the Ning Hun Flower in the Southern Rainforest coexisted with orchids, its purple petals glistening with the morning dew of the rainforest, yet the golden edges never faded—a mark spanning a century, reminding all new flower growers that the flower paths beneath their feet are always rooted in Qing Shi Town, Xing Chen Jian Zong, and the far north ice plains.

On Wang Yao's twentieth birthday, she received a gift from an "unknown land." It was a box made of deep-sea mother-of-pearl, containing iridescent seeds, like crushed rainbows wrapped around flower seeds. The gift was given by a blond, blue-eyed foreign boy who claimed to be from the "Western Sea Coast." His grandfather had once obtained the seeds of the Wanggui Grass in the desert, where an oasis had now grown, and the boy had come following the path of flowers.

“Grandfather said this is ‘Melting Spring Seed’.” The boy’s Chinese had a hesitant rhythm, but he could accurately pronounce the names of “Soul-Gathering Flower” and “Longing for Home Grass”. “It can grow in any soil, and its petals absorb the spirituality of the local plants, blooming into a fusion of flowers. Just like… just like all stories, they eventually find a way to coexist.” Wang Yao’s fingertips touched the rainbow seed, and the jade pendant at her waist suddenly became hot—it was made by melting the heartwood of “Spring-Bearing Wood” with jade pendants from past dynasties, and in the strokes of the character “Continuation” in the jade, one could already see the veins of the flower path across the four seas. She remembered her great-grandfather Yan Shen’s notes: “The ultimate goal of continuing is to let the story learn to embrace differences, just like the ‘Spring-Gathering’ flower, which is never a simple superposition of three colors.”

At this moment, Zhao Yan, a descendant of Zhao Cheng from Puhuitang, and Amu, a descendant of Ayuan from the far north, also arrived. Zhao Yan carried a modified sword on his back, the scabbard inlaid with a miniature glass scene of the Four Seas Flower Road, which, when turned, revealed the tides of the East Sea, the sands of the Western Regions, and the rains of the Southern Frontier; Amu held an ice jade bowl, filled with a mixture of Sealed Spirit Jade Essence and Four Seas Flower Dew, with a new folk song from the three regions engraved on the rim: "One flower unites ten thousand races, one road connects the four seas, spring continues without boundaries, and our longing remains forever."

The four decided to create a "Melting Spring Garden" in the center of the "Continuation of Spring Garden" at Guixin Hall. Wang Yao buried the "Melting Spring Seeds," Zhao Yan used his sword sheath to draw in the spiritual energy of the flower paths from all over the world, A Mu poured the juice from the ice jade bowl, and the foreign youth offered sea salt from the West Sea, saying that this was a ritual in their land to "let the seeds remember where they came from."

On the seventh night after the "Spring Melting Seed" was planted, the "Memory Flower" in Guixin Hall suddenly shone brightly, and scenes never before seen appeared on its petals: on the shore of the Western Sea, the grandfather of a blond boy was burying seeds of the Hope-Returning Grass into the sand dunes; in the rainforest of the Southern Frontier, the tribe's shaman used the Soul-Gathering Flower to heal his people; on the shore of the Eastern Sea, fishermen scattered Edelweiss seeds into their nets, praying for peace—these were all sequels written by "outsiders" that the "Spring-Inheriting Tree" had overlooked.

“It turns out the story has already spread beyond the three places.” Amu stroked the petals of the “Memory Flower” and the juice in the ice jade bowl rippled. “We thought we were the sequel writers, but in fact we have long become part of the sequel being written.”

Zhao Yan's sword sheath reflected these new scenes. The Four Seas Flower Path in the glass scene suddenly connected into a complete sphere, like a planet wrapped in flowers. "Great-grandfather said that the sword is not just for recording, but for breaking boundaries." He lightly flicked the tip of his sword, injecting a wisp of spiritual energy into the "Melting Spring Garden". "Just like this 'Melting Spring Seed', it shouldn't only grow in Guixin Hall. It should follow the flower path and adapt to all kinds of soil and water."

Three months later, the "Melting Spring Seed" sprouted. The stems of the seedlings simultaneously bore the purple of the Soul-Gathering Flower, the green of the Returning Grass, and the white of the Edelweiss, yet they also gave rise to the blue of the deep sea, the gold of the desert, and the cyan of the rainforest, like a flowing rainbow. Even more miraculously, when people from different regions approached, it would sprout corresponding branches: when the boy from the Western Sea approached, it would grow blue leaves with a sea-scented scent; when the envoy from the Southern Frontier visited, it would sprout green leaves glistening with morning dew; even when the young medicine boy from Guixin Hall passed by, a familiar purple leaf with dandelion patterns would emerge.

“This is not integration, it is… acceptance.” Looking at the seedlings that were constantly sprouting new branches, Wang Yao suddenly understood the true meaning of “Melting Spring”. “It remembers that its roots are from the flowers of the three places, but it does not refuse to grow new leaves. Just as we remember the Soul-Gathering Flower of Grandma Wang Shu, we should also make room for the Edelweiss of the West Sea and the Homecoming Grass of the Southern Frontier.”

When the boy from the foreign land was about to return, Wang Yao packed him a packet of mixed flower seeds—new "Rongchun" seeds from Guixintang, Wanggui grass seeds from Puhuitang, Edelweiss seeds from the far north, and petals of "Memory Flower." "Plant these in the Western Sea," she said, pointing to the glass pendant at the boy's waist, made from wood chips of "Chengchun Wood," which contained the flower imagery of Guixintang, "tell the people there that the end of the flower path is not the end, but a new beginning."

The boy took the flower seeds and suddenly bowed deeply to "Melting Spring Garden": "My grandfather said that when he planted the 'Wanggui Grass' back then, he made a wish facing east, hoping that one day he would know what the direction the grass was pointing to looked like. Now I know that it is countless people who are willing to continue the story."

Zhao Yan took the West Sea Glazed Scenery from the sword sheath and gave it to the boy: "This is a map of the Flower Road. Follow it, and you will find a place where 'Melting Spring' is planted no matter where you go."

Amu then divided half of the liquid in the ice jade bowl and put it into a conch shell: "This is the longing of three places, mixed with the flower dew of the four seas, so that the seeds can remember the taste of spring no matter where they are."

After the boy left, Wang Yao drew the planet wrapped in flowers on the new scroll of "Continuing Spring". She did not distinguish which flower came from three places and which came from four seas, but only added a line of small words on the edge of the painting: "The so-called continuation is to make every successor believe that their story is worth being put into this flower net".

The following spring, the "Melting Spring" tree grew into a towering giant, its canopy covering the entire Guixin Hall, its branches blooming with flowers that blended the characteristics of various ethnic groups. On the very top branch, a peculiar flower bloomed: its petals were transparent, reflecting countless smiling faces—Grandpa Wang Xiaohu's sword shadow, Grandma Su Qingwan's doll, the Ice Clan boy's white deerskin coat, the West Sea boy's golden hair, and countless unnamed people planting flowers.

Standing beneath the tree, Wang Yao gazed at the flowing character "续" (continue) on the jade pendant. Suddenly, she felt it was no longer a static character, but a flowing river, where all stories converged, merged, and flowed onward. She knew this story would continue—the seeds of the "融春" (Rongchun) tree would ride ocean currents, accompanied by wind and sand, and carried by rain to even more distant places. New gardeners would give it new names and compose new songs, but forever, on the edge of the petals, that golden border that transcends centuries would remain.

Just like now, the wind rustles through the branches and leaves of the "Melting Spring" tree, and the smiling faces on the petals sway gently in the sunlight. The flower paths from all corners of the world connect underground, weaving all the continued tenderness into a boundless net. And at the center of this net is always the "Memory Flower" in Guixin Hall. On its petals, the image of Grandma Wangshu planting the Soul-Gathering Flower gradually overlaps with the image of the boy from the West Sea scattering flower seeds.

This story has no beginning and no end. It flows through time, grows in a sea of ​​flowers, and continues to be written forever in the hearts of everyone who believes that "longing can overcome everything," until the end of the universe, until the last seed finds its own spring. (End of Chapter)