The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

The contestants waiting to participate formed a long line behind the booth. Some carried flowerpots, while others carried artificial mountains, chatting happily amidst the fragrance of flowers. Among the group were quite a few rare and exotic plants with heads or legs. After all, plants that can sing and bite are commonplace in the underworld, and many contestants insisted that this was the most fitting scenery for spring.

"Wow, it's so lively!" Kano exclaimed. "It's like a spectacular competition from the Naruto anime!"

"If you put it that way, aren't we the Fire X team that came to compete?" Melt joked.

Kano pondered: "Thinking back carefully, I haven't said 'I hate this feeling' yet..."

They stood in the middle of the line carrying a small plastic bag. The bag seemed to contain a small potted plant, but it wasn't clear. Pershka, who was in front of them, glanced back and said, "Sigh."

Kano jumped up in surprise: "Huh?! What's that sound?! What's that expression?! The upperclassmen haven't even done anything yet, why are they looking at me like I'm a drunkard lying in vomit?!"

Linggong shook her head: "Seniors...it gets boring to play the same trick over and over again..."

"Protest! Protest! This is a complete slander based on stereotypes!" Melt's words were resounding. "Our Millennium Cave has not cheated in any way; we are here to compete fairly and squarely!"

"Oh." "Heh." "You laughed." "Whatever you say goes."

Everyone who heard this laughed dismissively. Kano whistled, swaying back and forth as he carried his small bag: "So, where did Wenjun and the others go?"

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to deal with those idiots,” Pershka sighed.

Several groups had already finished their exhibits by this time, and now it was Eriel, Momo, and Tia's turn to take the stage. Their artwork was a slender pumpkin topped with a flower bud.

“This is our ‘Ghost Pumpkin Flower’,” Eriel explained. “We introduced plants from the underworld and crossbred them, giving it a unique texture!”

Upon hearing this, the ghostly pumpkin flower transformed into a ghostly, transparent substance, with flashing lights flickering inside its belly, giving it a mysterious aura.

Chai Luo glanced at it: "Barely passable. Putting aside the fact that it's springtime, the personal expression of this work is very vague, especially the color scheme, which is too dark..."

“Waaah…” Eriel’s face fell.

“I’m telling you, this is just a fun little event, don’t judge it with such harsh standards,” Huise interrupted him. “It’s quite cute, isn’t it? What’s the purpose of this protruding structure on both sides?”

The ghost pumpkin flower has two handle-like things on either side of its head, which look like overly long ears.

“Ah, this is a paralysis ray emission device,” Eriel said.

Huise paused for a moment: "Paralyzing ray...?"

"Yes, I'm sorry to have made you laugh. We originally wanted to install the petrification ray, but as expected, it's too much of a stretch to downgrade a Fantasy-level ability," Tia said respectfully. "Next time, we'll try our best again!"

Giltan's expression stiffened: "More than asking why this feature was even installed, do any of you even know what competition you're participating in?"

"A spring festival." "A flower beauty contest." "Is that so?"

Giltan started scratching his head: "There's nothing wrong with my cognition... so why..."

Miss Cole quickly smoothed things over: "It's probably just a personal hobby, anyway, it's a very cute piece of work, please welcome the next one!"

Next up were the duo of club leaders, Lanting and Yuxin, whose work was a large swarm of dandelions clustered together to form a giant flower shape.

"Look, these little dandelions can transform into sharp blades, silently carrying out assassinations when the wind blows," Lanting explained.

Giltan shouted, "This is even stranger! This is a weapon! It's a dangerous gadget! Do you even know what you're here for?"

Yu Xin was confused: "It's a flower beauty pageant, that's right."

"You know?" Huther was starting to get a little carried away. "Then why did you bring out this... weapon?"

Lanting said naturally, "But...you know, no matter what, we need to have some fighting ability."

"This standard is so weird!! Have you guys been subjected to some kind of powerful assimilation? It feels like there's something wrong with your brains!!"

“No artistry, next!” Chai Luo said.

Afterwards, they admired a variety of spectacular works, including potato flower explosive mines, crimson carnivorous plants, and suicide explosive flower bombs. After several more rounds of review, Giltan was already a little out of breath, while Cole chuckled beside him.

"Mother, look, this year's festival is so interesting!"

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Huise’s expression was turning autumnal. “These little brats… what are these kids thinking…”

"Still boring, next one, next one!" Chai Luo slammed his fist on the table impatiently. "Group 67!"

"Here~"

Lingyu and Kujiki carried in a small, frozen artificial mountain, with a single, unopened edelweiss bud on its summit. Pershka then stepped onto the stage and pointed, causing the flower to bloom. Cotton-like rays of light scattered in the wind, instantly covering the entire small snow mountain in silver blossoms.

"Please enjoy our entry, 'Winter Goes, Spring Comes'!" Pershka said proudly.

"So beautiful!" Huther's eyes lit up. "This vitality that blossoms in harsh environments is truly delightful to behold."

"Judging solely from the performance, it was undoubtedly the best piece of the night. No, I can confidently say that even if you combined all the performers who didn't get to perform, it would be difficult to surpass it," Chai Luo said. "However..."

Giltan, standing nearby, asked hopefully, "You guys...you don't have any strange facilities installed, do you?"

Jiujiu Mu clapped his hands, and all the edelweiss flowers rose up in response, gathering a wondrous white light in their hearts.

"In terms of combat, we have incorporated a solar model to create a 'ray function,' which allows us to release high-output energy rays in well-lit environments," Linggong explained.

Giltan roared, "A light cannon! This thing is amazing! After grenades, throwing knives, and bombs, finally a light cannon has appeared!!!"

"Hmm, this piece is exceptionally interesting!" Cole clapped with a smile. "Thank you for your presentation, next up is..."

"It's me, it's me, Miss Cole~"

The three witches had barely left the stage when Kano and Melt eagerly came up carrying plastic bags. He brushed a strand of hair from his forehead and revealed a genuine smile: "How could we, the Thousand-Year Cave, miss such a rare spring festival!"

For a fleeting moment, Ms. Hughes's expression had completely switched back to autumn mode.

"It's quite rare to see Kano and Melt participating," Cole said with great interest. "Let me see what you've grown this time?"

"Kuku, this is a masterpiece that we've poured our hearts and souls into..."

"You'll all be very surprised..."

Kano and Melt simultaneously ripped off the plastic sheeting! Both revealed incredibly wicked and arrogant smiles! Together they shouted to the audience, "Dear contestants! From this moment on, it is—"

"Paralyzing Ray!" "Dandelion Projection!" "Potato Explosion!" "Granular Devour!" "Instant Explosion!" "Sunlight Blaze!"

However, even before the opening remarks of the Thousand-Year Cave arrived, came a saturation attack from all corners of the venue! Pumpkin lanterns that opened their petals to reveal snake eyes! Dandelions that launched assassinations with their petals! There were also man-eating plants for close combat and bomb squads for ranged attacks, as well as the snow mountain that immediately went into full power to unleash its ultimate beam cannon!

Numerous plant attacks instantly covered the exhibits of the Millennium Cave Group. The judges on the panel stared blankly, their faces disheveled in the wind, bathed in the intense light and the shockwave of the explosion.

Melt's speech was cut short by a scream: "Wh-what—?!"

“What’s so surprising? Do you think we’re all freshmen?” Pershka sneered.

Eriel said weakly, "After the ball and the winter swimming competition, it's impossible not to be on guard..."

"It was bound to turn out this way anyway." "I knew you guys would cause trouble even with my eyes closed." "Okay, the Thousand-Year Cave is done for, disband!"

This is the true meaning hidden behind all those strange abilities.

After studying at this run-down school for half a year, everyone had a very clear understanding of the school's various activities...

Someone's bound to cheat! Something unexpected's bound to happen! Someone's bound to cause trouble! Want to win by playing honestly and following the rules? No way!

Melt stood frozen in place, trembling with rage and cold sweat. Suddenly, she began to feign tears, dramatically wiping her eyes: "You! You've gone too far! Our Thousand-Year Cave didn't do anything this time!!"

"……what?"

As the dust and smoke from the explosion dissipated, the poor flowerpot had long since been reduced to ashes, and all that remained on the display stand was... a flower that had been bombed to the point of near death!

No matter how you look at it, it's just a wilted, ugly flower!

Kano slid across the platform to Hana's side, wailing, "Hana! Hana! You died so tragically!! You didn't even have a chance to show yourself before these treacherous and vicious women blasted you to pieces!!"

Cole wiped his eyes: "Poor little flower..."

“Child, what exactly are you moved by?” Huise said.

"Why did you do this!" Melt cried out in anguish. "We just wanted to make a powerful opening statement! Why did you have to target a poor flower like this!"

The other contestants wore expressions of bewilderment and disbelief! Some of the freshmen with a conscience even began to feel guilty! Pershka stared in disbelief: "No, but...you...because..."

Kano silently stood up. He turned his back to everyone and gazed sadly at the sky.

“It’s alright, little Pershka, I understand why,” he said. “After all, we, the Thousand-Year Cave, are a genuine evil organization. We’ve done so many evil deeds and gone too far, repeatedly interfering with everyone’s activities. It’s only natural that we’d create a stereotype that we’re bound to cause trouble…”

"Therefore, we have reflected on our actions!"

Melt continued, his voice booming, "That's right! In this beautiful spring, in this unprecedentedly beautiful season, even we villains have turned over a new leaf! We've decided to participate in the competition without resorting to any despicable means, and to contribute our own strength to the beauty of our campus."

“However, we are aware of our own nature. After all, we are an evil organization. If we were to be pelted with rotten eggs and fruit by angry viewers halfway through the exhibition, it would be troublesome…” Kano said with concern. “So, we also added a small ‘defense device’ to this work.”

The dusty little flower began to twitch.

It beats violently, like a pumping heart.

"This thing can't be triggered by us on our own; it only takes effect when we're hit by someone else." Kano's body trembled slightly. "Its effect is to absorb the magic and hostility from others' attacks and transform it into nutrients for vigorous growth!"

The small, dark red flower suddenly rose, and countless bulging roots burst forth from the soil beneath its petals, forming a terrifyingly strong, muscular structure. Nearly a hundred muscular tendrils coiled and twisted, forming a hideously grotesque vine-muscle-monster, with the reborn flower perched atop its head. It was now fully open, releasing an unparalleled stench!

"Wow!" "Ugh..." "What is this?!"

The stench was like cheese fermenting under the scorching sun for ten days, mixed with the most stubborn filth from the sewers! Just smelling it evoked horrific images, and for delicate flowers, it was practically a deadly poison! Almost all the other contestants' plants perished! The horrifying stench blew away all their work, leaving them utterly smug!

Melt laughed heartily in front of the vine monster: "And once this flower is stimulated, it releases an incomparably terrifying odor! This is a natural instinct of plants to protect themselves!"

"What a pity! All those beautiful flowers pale in comparison to this stench. Ultimately, why did this tragedy happen?" Kano lamented. "It's because of... too many stereotypes and preconceived malice, isn't it? If we hadn't attacked first, this wouldn't have happened. If we had shown more tolerance to the Millennium Cave, this wouldn't have happened. If we had trusted Kano-senpai a little more, this wouldn't have happened. Yes, this tournament turned out this way because of everyone..."

He turned around, spread his hands, and revealed a pure and innocent smile.

"It's not my fault!" Kano laughed heartily.

"Damn it! This ugly face of someone who not only succeeded in their conspiracy but also stands on the moral high ground!!" Giltan cursed.

"Too young, Vice President. What skill do you have in mere scheming and plotting? Making everyone look like they've swallowed flies is the true strength of the Thousand-Year Cave!" Kano said smugly. "Bloom freely, Ugly Rose! After devouring all those boring flowers, you, the one remaining here, will be the most beautiful!!"

"what!"

The hideous rose let out a hideous scream, raising its thick branches high to smash towards the most conspicuous iceberg. But at that moment, a dark figure flashed through the crowd, stood before the iceberg, and firmly blocked the tentacles!

"what?"

"You are……?"

As the smoke cleared, everyone saw the uninvited guest's true form... plump red petals like a hat! A square little head! Slender limbs like matchsticks! Standing there was none other than a delicate and endearing little red flower!

"Xia..." Little Red Flower made a strange sound, "Xia!"

It raised its little hand and stepped forward to strike with all its might. The tentacle was hit and immediately broke in two!

Melt exclaimed in shock, "What?! Impossible! How could such a petite body be like this?!"

"Whose plant are you?!" Kano asked solemnly.

"Wow, the venue is even more lively than I expected..."

"Is this some kind of warm-up event?"

"It doesn't matter, we can just crush them with overwhelming force."

Accompanied by a disdainful voice that exuded an air of superiority, three young magicians entered the venue. They simultaneously struck bizarre poses, resembling close-ups from late 20th-century supernatural fighting comics! There was Versa with his arms crossed! Faris with his collar ripped open! And Lu Wenjun with his hands in a spider-like gesture, one finger pointing to the sky and the other to the ground!

Water elements in the air condense and form the strange onomatopoeic characters "gogogogo" around them!

"This pointless farce ends here." Lü Wenjun pointed forward with one hand. "Let them see your power, you invincible flower warrior!"

Chapter 29 Strong is beautiful!

"Brawler, the Heroine?" Melt's mouth dropped open.

She and everyone else stared at the strange plant, noticing its slender limbs, cartoonish little head, and plump petals like a large hat... as well as its endearing, innocent smile...

"Pfft..." "What is this..." "A funny plant?"

Some viewers chuckled quietly. Even with his previous record of defeating tentacles, his appearance was still laughable.

"What kind of flower is this?!" Melt couldn't help but chuckle. "Does it look like a knight-errant? Go evolve a couple of times before you come back!"

Kano egged them on: "The comedic characters should hurry up and leave the stage~ Ugly Rose, use your foul attack!"

The Flower Warrior leaped alertly, landing atop a pine tree on the west side of the arena. Meanwhile, the flower atop the giant vine monster's head contracted inwards as if breathing, and it spun 270° towards the Flower Warrior, spewing out a terrifying, thick green stench!

If the previous odor attack was merely unimaginably disgusting, then this stench was truly "ugly"! Leaves touched by that dense green odor immediately turned yellow! Branches almost withered! Even the veins on the tree trunks distorted, forming an abstract vomiting face!

"Even the trees are vomiting!! How stinky is it?! This is the first time I've ever seen such a sight in all my years of schooling!!" Giltan hurriedly put on his gas mask.

From below the stage, Kukuki shouted at the pine tree, "Calm down—you can't say such vulgar things—"

"So it was cursing? Trees can curse too?!" Chai Luo exclaimed in shock. "Even pine trees are like this, then the 'Overlord Flower Warrior' must be... What?!"

Standing atop that pine tree that was vomiting incessantly was none other than the unscathed Queen of the Sea! It crossed its arms in front of its small body, expressing silent contempt through its actions!

Kano froze upon seeing this: "What exactly is this look you give to those little brats in the dojo...?"