Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 36: The flower blooms into thirty-six grades, the supreme flower of Tao!
Chen Qiye walked up to Lu Xueqi, looking at her tenderly. He gently handed over the bamboo slips inscribed with "One Sword Frosts Fourteen States" and said, "Senior Sister Lu, you can't escape."

Lu Xueqi took the bamboo slips and gently stroked the words on them with her fingers. Her cheeks flushed slightly. She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, and looked around.

The Qingyun disciples in the audience all had their eyes wide open, with surprise and curiosity written all over their faces; the elders of the older generation also had different expressions, and Taoist Master Daoxuan had a bit of satisfaction and expectation in his eyes.

Only Master Shuiyue felt uneasy: Oh my goodness, is the disciple I raised going to be kidnapped by this brat? Her eyes were like torches, staring at Chen Qiye intently, as if she wanted to see through him.

Lu Xueqi felt the piercing gaze of Master Shuiyue, but she didn't flinch. She turned around, facing the audience, took a deep breath, and said in a clear and firm voice, "From today on, I, Lu Xueqi, will be Chen Qiye's Taoist companion!"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in an uproar. The female disciples' reaction was generally okay, but the male disciples were furious, growling in frustration. Those who normally admired Lu Xueqi felt a pang of bitterness in their hearts.

Upon hearing this, Master Shuiyue's body swayed, almost losing her balance. Her face was filled with disbelief, and her heart was in turmoil. How could she accept that the disciple she had carefully taught and nurtured was going to become a Taoist partner with someone else?
Tian Buyi, the head of Dazhu Peak, almost burst out laughing at the sight. He hadn't been this bold when he'd pursued Su Ru before; he'd been so timid back then, nowhere near this kid's courage. He glanced at Su Ru beside him, only to see her also smiling, her eyes filled with admiration for Chen Qiye.

Zeng Shushu, who was sitting in the audience, was filled with envy. He nudged Zhang Xiaofan beside him and whispered, "When do you think we'll ever have the courage to do this?"

Zhang Xiaofan scratched his head, smiled foolishly and said nothing, looking at Tian Ling'er beside him, with a hint of longing in his eyes.

However, at this moment, Chen Qiye could no longer suppress the spiritual energy within him. Veins bulged on his forehead, and spiritual energy surged through his body like a surging tide. The once clear sky was instantly obscured by dark clouds, and streaks of purple lightning pierced through the clouds, raging as if to tear the world apart.

"Master, let everyone stay away from me. The spiritual power in my body can no longer be suppressed and is about to break through!" Chen Qiye groaned and looked at Taoist Master Daoxuan standing beside him.

Upon hearing this, Taoist Master Daoxuan's expression became stern, and he immediately shouted loudly: "All disciples, listen up! Quickly retreat to a safe area!"

In an instant, the disciples on Qingyun Mountain dispersed in all directions like a tide, and in the blink of an eye, a piece of open space was cleared next to Chen Qiye and Lu Xueqi.

"Senior Sister Lu, please get away from me as soon as possible!" Chen Qiye's body couldn't stop shaking.

Lu Xueqi shook her head firmly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Chen Qiye, her eyes full of determination: "No, I won't leave. I will stay with you no matter what happens." Although her voice trembled slightly due to nervousness, the hand that held Chen Qiye was extremely strong.

"Senior Sister Lu, be obedient... I will be fine." Chen Qiye said after taking a deep breath.

Lu Xueqi looked at Chen Qiye's unquestionable eyes. Although she was filled with worry, she also knew that she couldn't add to the chaos at this moment. She gently released Chen Qiye's hand and slowly stepped back, but her eyes never left him. "Qiye, you must be safe," she silently said in her heart.

Taoist Master Daoxuan looked at Chen Qiye, then took out the "Liuhe Mirror", the reward for the champion of the Seven Clans Martial Arts Competition, from his arms and threw it to Chen Qiye.

Chen Qiye grasped it in his palm, sat cross-legged, and practiced Tai Chi Xuanqing Dao. In an instant, the spiritual energy around him became more violent, like a raging wave, as if it was about to break through the shackles of heaven and earth.

Gradually, three illusory lotus flowers slowly emerged above his head. Initially, these three lotus flowers were just faint shadows, but as Chen Qiye continued to inject his spiritual power, they became clearer and clearer, and their petals began to slowly unfold.

Everyone in the audience looked up at this scene, their eyes filled with shock and awe. The Qingyun Sect's chief monks and elders wore solemn expressions. They knew full well what the appearance of the "three flowers on the crown" signified. It was a symbol of entering a higher realm, a realm countless practitioners dreamed of. However, they did not know what rank of three flowers Chen Qiye would condense.

Taoist Master Daoxuan looked at Chen Qiye, his thoughts racing. Chen Qiye had once told him, "Master, if I condense the thirty-sixth level of three flowers, should I be happy, or…"

As time slowly passed, the three lotus flowers above Chen Qiye's head became clearer. Mysterious runes shimmered on the petals, emitting a heart-pounding aura. Each petal's expansion was accompanied by a violent tremor of heaven and earth's spiritual energy, causing the surrounding clouds to surge like boiling water.

Taoist Master Daoxuan's gaze was fixed on the three lotus flowers, his inner shock indescribable. He knew full well that the quality of these "three flowers on the crown" would determine how far Chen Qiye would advance in his cultivation. The elders present also held their breath, their eyes fixed on this scene, their expressions filled with both anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

As everyone waited eagerly, the blossoming of the three flowers on Chen Qiye's head suddenly accelerated. In an instant, the three flowers on Chen Qiye's head bloomed simultaneously, each blooming to the thirty-sixth level.

When the first human flower blossomed, its body shimmered with brilliant light, like a myriad of stars converging, symbolizing the ultimate manifestation of his cultivation of his essence, energy, and spirit to its peak. Each ray of light imbued itself with a majestic and pure life force, illuminating every corner of Qingyun Mountain and filling the disciples present with a surge of vibrant energy, as if their own cultivation bottlenecks had been gently shaken by this power.

The second earth flower slowly unfolded, its petals revealing the shadows of mountains, rivers, and the veins of the earth. Each petal carried the profound power of the earth. As it opened, the ground trembled slightly, and a powerful spiritual energy surged into the sky, resonating with the swirling clouds above, causing the weather to shift. The power contained in this earth flower embodied a profound understanding and mastery of the laws of nature. It seemed to harness the power of the earth for its own benefit, granting unparalleled might in both defense and attack. As the final sky flower blossomed, it emanated an ethereal aura that transcended the mundane. Runes on its petals shimmered with golden light, traces of the Tao, each one imbued with the mysteries of the universe. As the sky flower blossomed, waves of Tao sounds echoed through the sky, like the resounding sound of a great bell, stirring the souls of every being. The state of spiritual refinement and return to the void, symbolized by this sky flower, caused Chen Qiye's consciousness to merge with the heavens and earth. It was as if he had instantly grasped the laws of all things. His eyes became profound, as if he could see through the boundaries of time and space.

"There are three flowers on the top, and the flowers bloom into thirty-six grades!" The light of the thirty-six-grade three flowers blooming illuminated the entire Qingyun Mountain. For a moment, the mountain wind whistled and the spiritual power surged.

Taoist Master Daoxuan was the first to come back to his senses. His eyes were filled with relief and amazement, and he murmured, "Three flowers on the top of the head, thirty-six kinds of flowers in bloom, truly unprecedented!"

The other chief monks and elders also came to their senses, and for a moment, there were exclamations of praise one after another.

Although Master Shuiyue still found it hard to accept that Lu Xueqi and Chen Qiye had become a Taoist couple, he had to admit at this moment that the talent Chen Qiye had shown was worthy of his beloved disciple.

But amidst their shock, they also realized a serious problem: condensing these three flowers would entail a heavenly tribulation. The thirty-sixth level of the three flowers corresponded to a thirty-sixth level of heavenly tribulation, the horror of which could not be fully described in words. They only knew that once it appeared, the entire universe would be eclipsed, all laws would be thrown into chaos, and all things in the world would be affected. This kind of heavenly tribulation might be beyond human control.

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Chen Qiye was enveloped in the light of three blossoming flowers. His figure loomed, yet exuded a chillingly powerful aura. At this moment, the calamity clouds in the sky grew thicker, and purple lightning roared and pierced through the clouds like a dragon, seemingly gathering strength for the impending terrifying calamity.

Chen Qiye took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination. He knew that if he wanted to survive this terrifying thirty-sixth-grade heavenly tribulation, he had to take that crucial step—merge the three flowers into one, creating his own unique supreme flower.

He channeled all his spiritual energy, urging the three flowers atop his head to swirl around him. He would use himself as the carrier of the Supreme Dao Flower, embarking on this unprecedented feat. The three flowers spun rapidly around him, their speed increasing. Gradually, the light of the human flower, the earth flower, and the ceiling flower merged and permeated each other. Each intersection of light was accompanied by a violent fluctuation of the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

"Qi Ye, you want to die!" Taoist Master Daoxuan roared.

Chen Qiye turned a deaf ear to Daoxuan Zhenren's roar, his entire mind immersed in the perception and control of the Three Flowers' Unity. The three flowers spun rapidly, and the light became more and more dazzling.

As the three flowers spun rapidly, their lights intertwined and penetrated each other, and the entire Qingyun Mountain seemed to be caught in the center of a spiritual storm. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to be pulled by an invisible giant hand, frantically converging towards Chen Qiye.

Chen Qiye closed his eyes tightly, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his face pale from intense concentration and exertion. His consciousness was immersed in a haze of confusion, yet he could sense every rhythm of the three flowers with uncanny clarity. The life force contained in the human flower, the laws of the earth carried by the earth flower, and the mysteries of the Tao revealed by the sky flower gradually merged under his efforts, no longer independent of each other, but forming a wonderful symbiotic relationship.

"melt!"

Following Chen Qiye's low shout, the light of the three flowers instantly burst out with a light brighter than the sun, making it almost impossible for everyone to open their eyes.

The light spread wildly around with Chen Qiye as the center. Wherever it went, the space seemed to be torn into tiny cracks, making a "sizzling" sound. The order of time and space became disordered at this moment.

The Supreme Dao Flower enveloped Chen Qiye's body and slowly opened. Each petal's unfolding was accompanied by a tremor in the laws of heaven and earth. The petals were crystal clear, yet exuded an ancient and profound aura. The patterns on them intertwined the power of all the laws of the world.

An ancient and powerful pressure instantly enveloped Qingyun Mountain. The disciples of Qingyun Sect fell to one knee, feeling an invisible force weighing down their breath, as if they were as small as dust before this power. The elders also had solemn expressions, channeling their spiritual energy to barely maintain their balance.

If the thirty-six-grade three flowers condensed by Chen Qiye before shocked all of them, then the appearance of this supreme Tao flower has filled everyone's hearts with deep shock and awe.

I saw the Supreme Dao Flower in full bloom, and its stamens radiated endless light. This light was no ordinary light. Wherever it went, everything was baptized by it.

Under the radiant light of the Supreme Dao Flower, the vegetation on Qingyun Mountain suddenly erupted with unprecedented vitality. The leaves and petals of the once ordinary flowers and trees now shimmered with a faint spiritual light, as if imbued with spirituality. Some disciples whose spiritual progress had normally been slow felt their spiritual energy flowing more smoothly, and the bottleneck that had eluded them for years was actually showing signs of loosening.

"He succeeded, but the price he paid was that the power of the original thirty-sixth-grade three-flower heavenly tribulation doubled."

Taoist Master Daoxuan gazed at the world-shaking Supreme Dao Flower, his heart awestruck like a surging tide, unable to subside for a long time. He knew full well that the scene before him had already transcended all his previous cognition and imagination.

(End of this chapter)