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

When Wang Shu's great-grandson Nian Zhou took over "Chengchun Fort", the "Remembering Spring Seed" on Wuyin Island had already blossomed into flowers that could reflect people's hearts.

The petals of this flower are like a thin mirror, reflecting the viewer's most precious memories: the herb garden of Guixintang, the sword shadow of Puhuitang, the ice field of the far north, the starlight of the eternal night... On the hilt of Nianzhou's sword "Xuchun", there is a "Yichun" petal, reflecting the scene of him listening to Grandma Wangshu tell the story of the first generation of Wangshu under the "Rongchun" tree in Guixintang when he was a child.

“Mr. Nianzhou, news has come from the Western Sea that the ‘Waves of the River of Oblivion’ have begun to erode the Flower Path.” The silver-haired messenger, Xinglin, held up a piece of damp lichen. The “Melting Spring” flowers on the lichen were withering at a visible speed, and the golden edges on the petals looked as if they had been licked by the waves, becoming incomplete.

Nianzhou's fingertips brushed across the lichen, and the memory reflected in the petals of "Remembering Spring" suddenly flickered—it was a hundred years ago, when Great-Grandma Xingye stood on the black stone of the Eternal Night Sea, watching the "Melting Spring" flower bloom in the light of the Sealed Spirit Jade Marrow. At the edge of the scene, the shadow of the "Waves of the River of Oblivion" could be vaguely seen, like a black snake lurking below the horizon.

“The waves of the River of Oblivion can wash away the spirit of plants and trees.” Nian Zhou drew the “Continuation of Spring” sword, the blade reflecting the entire view of the flower path in the West Sea. The flower sea that was originally a continuous line has been turned into gray and desolate reefs in some sections. “But my great-grandmother said that as long as the roots are still there, the flowers will not really die.”

Among those traveling together to the West Sea were Wang Zhou, a descendant of Wang Yao from Guixintang, a young woman carrying a bamboo basket filled with new seeds of "Memory Flower," each seed marked with the character "Continue" in cinnabar; and Zhao Zhou, a descendant of Zhao Nian from Puhuitang, carrying a newly forged "Chengchun" sword, the tassel of which, in addition to tricolor grass leaves and seashell wind chimes, also had a string of "Remembering Spring" flower seeds, the soft sound of the seeds colliding when the wind blew seemed to repeat the folk songs of the three places.

After five days' journey, they arrived at the edge of the "Waves of Oblivion" in the Western Sea. The seawater here was inky black, and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks had a strange, bewitching power, as if it could make people forget the purpose of their journey. The Western Sea tribesmen who guarded this place looked haggard, and their chief, Haisheng, clutched a withered petal of "Melting Spring" in his hand, the golden edge of the petal almost completely gone.

“There’s a kind of ‘memory-corroding fungus’ in the waves,” Hai Sheng said in a hoarse voice, pointing to the gray spots spreading on the reef. “Any flower or plant that gets on it will forget how to bloom, and even the mirror petals of the ‘Spring Memory’ flower will become blank.”

Nianzhou plunged the "Continuation of Spring" sword into the reef, and the light from the blade immediately wove a net of light on the sea surface, temporarily repelling the dark waves. "We brought new seeds of the 'Memory Flower'," he said, taking the seeds out of Wangzhou's bamboo basket. The vermilion character "Continuation" on the seeds lit up in the net of light. "These seeds have absorbed a hundred years of memories and can make the eroded plants remember who they are."

Wang Zhou scattered the seeds onto the gray, barren rocks, while Zhao Zhou swung his sword to cleave the approaching waves. The "Remembering Spring" seeds on the sword tassel fell onto the wet ground and sprouted tiny green shoots. Miraculously, when the "Memory Flower" seeds met the "Remembering Spring" sprouts, the withered roots of the "Melting Spring" suddenly trembled, as if grasping a thread of light in the darkness.

“Look, they remember!” Wang Zhou pointed to the golden edges that appeared on the roots. The golden edges spread along the roots, and wherever they passed, the gray reefs began to seep green. “Memory is their root. As long as they remember that they are Soul-Gathering Flower, Returning Grass, and Edelweiss, they will not be defeated by the Memory-Eating Fungus.”

Hai Sheng suddenly knelt on the reef, pressing withered petals onto the newly sprouted green buds. The broken gold edges of the petals slowly met the gold edges of the new buds, like a broken necklace being mended. "There's a legend in our tribe," his voice choked with emotion, "that the source of the waves of the River of Oblivion is a 'River of Memories,' where all forgotten stories are hidden. If you can plant a memory in the River of Memories, the waves will become a spring that nourishes flowers."

For the next three months, they planted "Memory Flowers" and "Spring Recollections" on the edge of the River of Oblivion, protecting the flower field with the light of the twin swords "Continuing Spring" and "Inheriting Spring." Then, they had fishermen from the Western Sea sail small boats, scattering the golden-edged petals into the depths of the waves. Whenever a petal touched the inky waves, it would bloom with a brief burst of light, as if sending a secret signal to the eroded vegetation.

On Nianzhou's "Remembering Spring" petals, the image of Jichuan began to appear: countless flower seeds lay at the bottom of the water, some purple like the Soul-Gathering Flower, some green like the Hope-Returning Grass, and some white like the Edelweiss. They were enveloped by the Memory-Eating Fungus, yet they always maintained the posture of sprouting. "They are waiting," Nianzhou looked at the image and suddenly understood, "waiting for someone to tell them not to forget to bloom."

On the day of the final battle, the three sailed a boat laden with "Memory Flower" seeds toward the source of the River of Oblivion. Nianzhou and Zhaozhou joined forces with their swords, their net of light creating a safe zone amidst the waves, while Wangzhou scattered all the seeds from his bamboo basket into the River of Oblivion—the instant the seeds hit the water, the riverbed suddenly lit up, and the dormant seeds sprouted simultaneously, their roots intertwining in the water to form a giant net that firmly trapped the Memory-Eating Fungus.

The inky black waves gradually cleared, revealing the flowing golden light beneath—a memory being awakened, flowing along the Jichuan River, irrigating the flower-lined path of the West Sea. The "Melting Spring" flowers on the reefs bloomed again, the golden edges on their petals brighter than ever before, as if all the forgotten tenderness had been plated onto them.

Haisheng led his people to kneel and worship on the shore. On their "Remembering Spring" petals, the image of their ancestors from the Western Sea exchanging flower seeds with the messengers of the Guixin Hall was reflected. Those memories washed away by the River of Oblivion had finally returned. "The water of the River of Remembering will flow back to the three lands along the flower path," Haisheng said, holding a handful of clear water from the River of Remembering, with a golden flower seed floating in it. "It will make all the flower paths remember where they came from."

On the return journey, Nianzhou sprinkled the water of the Jichuan River onto the petal inlays of the "Continuation of Spring" sword, and the memories reflected on it suddenly became incredibly clear: from the first generation Wangshu scattering the first Soul-Gathering Flower Seed to him standing on the bank of the Jichuan River at this moment, countless moments of continuing the story flowed on the petals, like a river without end.

In Wang Zhou's bamboo basket were new flower seeds nourished by the waters of Jichuan. She named these seeds "Jichun" (meaning "remembering spring"), saying that once planted, the flowers would forever remember the appearance of all those who continued the story. Zhao Zhou added a crystal bead formed from the waters of Jichuan to the tassel of his sword. Within the bead, one could see the scene of Jichuan connecting with the flower path, like a flowing "Continuing Spring Picture".

Upon returning to Chengchun Fort, Nianzhou saw the floral reflections of the Western Sea on the new branches of the Rongchun tree. Where the Jichuan River flowed, the golden edges of the Rongchun flowers shimmered with gold. At the heart of the flower, the first generation of Wangshu, Xingye, Nianyao, Wangshu… all those who continued the story were smiling around a single flower, their hands clasped together, holding a seed that shimmered with gold. Nianzhou knew that the story would continue. The Jichun seed would flow further afield with the Jichuan River, the clear spring transformed from the Wangchuan River's waves would nourish new floral paths, and his child, like him, would see his own mission on the petals of the Yichun flower, embarking on a new journey with the Jichun seed.

Just like now, the Jichuan River of the West Sea is flowing along the flower path towards Guixin Hall. On the petals of the "Memory Flower", all the forgotten stories are blooming anew. The golden edges of the flower's center form a sea of ​​light, weaving the ink of the Wangchuan River, the gold of the Jichuan River, and the colors of the flower path into the warmest brocade in time.

This story will continue to be written forever. It grows and spreads year after year in the flowing waters of the Jichuan River, in the roots of the flower-lined path, and in the hearts of everyone who "doesn't want the story to end," until all forgetting is remembered, all waves turn into clear springs, and until the end of the universe, flowers that remember all stories bloom.

When Nianzhou's great-grandson Wangzhou first saw that flowing chain of light at the bottom of Jichuan River, the "Jichun" flowers of the West Sea were already able to weave a golden flower path along the riverbed.

The light chain is composed of countless points of light, each point of light being a memory: the fingertips of Wangshu's great-grandmother, covered in mud, when she planted the Soul-Gathering Flower; the palm of Xingye's great-grandmother, stroking the petals of "Melting Spring"; the trajectory of the seeds that Nianyao's great-grandfather scattered into the Eternal Night Sea... When Wangzhou wears the "Remembering Spring" petal necklace passed down from his grandfather and dives into the Memory River, the petals on the necklace will resonate with the light chain, allowing those scenes from a hundred years ago to slowly unfold before his eyes, like an old dream that can be touched.

“Xiao Zhou, at the end of this chain of light lies the ‘Spring Source Seed’.” The eldest shaman of the tribe, Hai Lao, was sitting on a rock on the bank of the Ji River, turning a crystal bead formed from the water of the Ji River in his hand. The bead reflected a flower he had never seen before—its roots resembled the water plants of the Ji River, its stem was like the rainbow light of “Melting Spring”, but at the top was a chaotic-colored bud, as if it contained the shadow of all flowers.

As Wang Zhou emerged from the water, water droplets dripped from his hair, spreading tiny watermarks on the rocks. Within these watermarks, the ethereal image of "Yuan Chun Zhong" appeared. "Does the 'Yuan' that Elder Hai speaks of refer to the origin of all flowers?" He recalled the opening scene of the "Continuation of Spring Picture" at Guixin Hall, where a solitary Soul-Gathering Flower trembled gently in the morning mist of Qing Shi Town.

Suddenly, Elder Hai's crystal bead lit up, and the flower bud inside the bead slightly opened, revealing a hint of gold: "It is the beginning and the end. The ancestral teachings of the witch doctor say that when the 'Remembering Spring' flowers cover the 'Remembering Spring' River, the 'Source of Spring Seed' will awaken. It can bloom the 'Returning Spring' that integrates all flower spirits, allowing the flower paths scattered across the four seas to eventually find their way home."

That autumn equinox, Zhao Wang, a descendant of Zhao Zhou of Puhuitang, arrived with the newly forged "Yuanchun Sword." The sword was three feet long, and its spine was engraved with all the flower patterns from the Ninghun Flower to the "Jichun" Flower. The tassel was made of a mixture of water plants from Jichuan, the stems of "Rongchun" flowers, and the petals of "Yichun" flowers. At the intersection of the three colors, a seed of the "Jichun" flower was embedded, which would shimmer faintly in the sunlight. "My great-grandfather said that this sword could draw upon the spiritual power of the 'Yuanchun Seed,' allowing it to recognize all those who continued the story."

A Zhou, a descendant of A Wang from the far north, also arrived. He brought a compass carved from a piece of sealed spirit jade marrow. Instead of a pointer, the center of the compass was a miniature "Return to Spring" flower bud. When rotated, the bud would tremble slightly in the direction of the "Source of Spring Seed." "Grandma the witch doctor said that this compass can locate the position of the 'Source.' The light chain of Ji Chuan is actually the root of the 'Source of Spring Seed.' If you follow the light chain, you can find it."

The three traveled along the Jichuan River in a boat laden with seeds of the "Remembering Spring" flower, heading towards its source. As the boat moved, the "Remembering Spring" flowers bloomed in abundance, their golden petals unfurling in the water, making the light chain even clearer. Wang Zhou's "Remembering Spring" necklace occasionally warmed up, and each time it did, new fragments of memory would emerge from the light chain: fishermen from the Western Sea teaching children to identify the "Melting Spring" flower, an old man from Misty Island watering the "Remembering Spring" flower, and the descendants of Xingzhou from the Eternal Night Sea praying before the Sealed Spirit Jade Marrow... These fragments, like pieces of a puzzle, were gradually completing the outline of the "Source of Spring Seed."

On the morning of the seventh day, the ship sailed into a body of water shrouded in a misty light. The water of the Kikyo River here was a pale gold color, and chains of light at the bottom of the water converged into a huge whirlpool. At the center of the whirlpool, a translucent plant was slowly rotating—it was the "Yuan Chun Seed"! Its roots were connected to the chains of light, and the patterns of all flowers appeared on its stem. The chaotic flower bud at the top was shimmering with increasingly bright golden edges as the three approached.

“It’s waiting for us to infuse it with spiritual energy.” Zhao Wang drew the “Yuanchun Sword”, and the flower pattern on the sword’s spine lit up at the same time, resonating with the stem of the “Yuanchun Seed”. “My great-grandfather said that the awakening of ‘Yuan’ requires the spiritual energy of the flower paths in the three places, and even more so, the belief of the one who continues the story.”

Wang Zhou affixed the "Remembering Spring" necklace to the ship's side, its petals transforming into ribbons of light that merged into the chain. Meanwhile, A Zhou activated the Sealed Spirit Jade Compass, the "Returning Spring" bud at its center resonating with the bud at the center of the whirlpool, producing a clear, resonant sound. In an instant, flower paths across the four seas glowed simultaneously: the "Memory Flower" of Guixin Hall bloomed in unprecedented splendor, the veins of the Wanggui Grass of Puhui Hall formed a complete star map, the Edelweiss of the far north spelled out the character "Return" on the frozen surface of the Sealed Spirit Jade Lake, the "Melting Spring" flower's light ribbon extended to the horizon of the Eternal Night Sea, and the "Remembering Spring" flower of Wuyin Island reflected the smiling faces of all the islanders…

These rays of light flowed into the vortex along the light chain, and the chaotic bud of "Yuan Chun Zhong" finally unfolded layer by layer! The petals were flowing rainbow colors, and one could see the purple of Ninghun Hua, the green of Wanggui Cao, the white of Xue Rong Hua, the rainbow of "Rong Chun", the mirror of "Yi Chun", and the gold of "Ji Chun" flowing within. The golden edge of the flower's center transformed into a rotating flower shape, within which all those who continued the story emerged—from the first Wang Shu to Wang Zhou at this moment. Their hands overlapped in the flower's center, holding a seed that shone with golden light, on which was engraved a word: "Continue".

“This is ‘Return to Spring’.” Looking at the blooming wonder flowers, Wang Zhou suddenly understood the true meaning of “source” – the so-called source is not a fixed place, but the obsession in the hearts of all those who continue the story that “want to continue the story”. This obsession, when gathered together, becomes the eternal root of the flower path.

On the tassel of Zhao Wang's "Yuanchun Sword", the "Remembering Spring" seed suddenly sprouted. The tender sprout grew along the tassel and bloomed into a miniature "Return to Spring", echoing the strange flower in the center of the vortex: "Grandpa said that the ultimate goal of continuing the story is to make everyone who walks on the flower path a part of the 'Yuan'."

A-Zhou's Sealing Jade Marrow Compass transformed into a beam of light, merging into the heart of the "Returning Spring" flower. The markings on the compass became new flower paths, extending towards unknown star fields: "Grandma Witch Doctor said, the boundaries of a story are where our beliefs can reach." (End of Chapter)