Chapter 580: Seed

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were unaware of what was happening in the outside world. Posing as demon prodigies, they officially stepped into the second level.

The second level was filled with the rich scent of blooming flowers and beautiful scenery everywhere.

Here, in a vast, endless flower garden, a graceful figure was蹲 on the ground, sniffing the flowers.

Upon seeing everyone arrive at the second level, the figure stood up, smiled, and clapped in welcome.

"Welcome, everyone, to the second level. I am the Spirit of the Secret Realm, and you may call me Luo Hong."

The Spirit of a Secret Realm only exists in realms created by tribulation-passing cultivators. It is not a living being but rather a pre-programmed spell. However, this spell can learn enough experience to mimic a living being's thought processes.

The Secret Realm of Creation is an ancient realm. When the rules were announced on the first level, they were spoken in the current language because Luo Hong, the Secret Realm Spirit, was learning. With the realm's master absent, the Secret Realm Spirit holds the greatest authority within the realm.

"Greetings, Senior."

Although they knew it was a spell, no one dared to treat Luo Hong as such. They bowed respectfully.

"It seems this generation is quite polite."

Luo Hong would not go easy on them just because they were polite. She gently clapped her hands, and a flowerpot, along with a single seed, dropped onto everyone's heads.

"The first level tested martial prowess; the second level tests character."

"This trial is simple: you just need to plant a flower."

"The seed you hold is a Moonlight Shadow Flower seed. When it blooms, it resembles a beautiful woman dancing in the moonlight, truly exquisite."

"The Moonlight Shadow Flower has a growth cycle of fifteen days. Your task is to make a flower grow in your pot within these fifteen days to pass. I will not supervise you during this period."

"The more luxuriant the flower, the higher your evaluation."

"Please note that you cannot use any cultivation methods during this time, such as spells, spiritual treasures, or any other immortal cultivation techniques."

"Furthermore, you cannot communicate with each other; you must plant your flowers independently."

Seeing some nervousness among the group, Luo Hong smiled and added, "Don't be too anxious. The Moonlight Shadow Flower is easy to grow; it can take root and sprout as soon as it touches soil."

"Fairy, have you heard of the Moonlight Shadow Flower?" Lu Yang asked quietly.

"Yes, I have. It's quite a beautiful and popular flower. Since you haven't heard of it, it's probably extinct now."

The rules for the second level sounded simple, but unfortunately, he couldn't consult with Old Meng.

Jiang Shishi held her flowerpot, buried the seed in the soil, loosened the earth, and watered it, caring for it meticulously. Yet, the Moonlight Shadow Flower showed no signs of sprouting.

Jiang Shishi frowned, instinctively wanting to discuss it with Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, but remembering the rule against discussion, she had to give up. She began to recall the rules repeatedly, wondering if she had missed anything.

"If it were Daoist Lu Yang, how would he think…?"

Fifteen days quickly passed, and it was time for the assessment.

The demon prodigies and the two pure-blooded humans stood in a line, awaiting Luo Hong's evaluation.

Standing at the front was Su Lian'er of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan. Su Lian'er, dressed in white, was exceptionally beautiful. She held her flowerpot, appearing utterly pitiable.

Her flowerpot was empty.

Luo Hong frowned, "Where is your flower?"

Su Lian'er's tears fell in large drops, making one instinctively want to wipe them away. "My flower was growing well, but I inherited my ancestor's legacy of beauty, which can make fish sink, geese fall, and the moon hide, and flowers blush. As soon as the Moonlight Shadow Flower bloomed and saw me, it withered and died."

Luo Hong stared at Su Lian'er for a long time before slowly exhaling. "Very well, you pass."

Next was Jiang Shishi. In Jiang Shishi's flowerpot, the Moonlight Shadow Flower bloomed beautifully. Luo Hong nodded, signifying she had passed.

Then came Ao Yue. Ao Yue's flowerpot was also empty; there was no Moonlight Shadow Flower.

"Where is your flower?"

Ao Yue cupped his fists and respectfully said, "Reporting to Senior, I did not manage to grow a flower."

"Give me a reason."

Upon hearing this question, Ao Yue straightened his back and smiled, "Senior mentioned from the beginning that the second level tests character. In my opinion, the seeds Senior gave us cannot grow Moonlight Shadow Flowers. This trial tests our honesty!"

"...You are eliminated."

"Why?!" Ao Yue became anxious, believing he should have passed.

Luo Hong sneered, "You still have the nerve to ask why? I did indeed give you all boiled seeds, which won't grow flowers. But who told you this trial tests honesty? Humans are cunning and thick-skinned; what honesty do demons need? Can your honesty defeat humans?"

"This trial tests deceit."

"Although the little girl from the Nine-Tailed Fox clan's lie was crude, it was still a lie. I'll count her as passing."

"What about Jiang Shishi? How did she grow a Moonlight Shadow Flower?"

Luo Hong continued to sneer, "Didn't you listen when I announced the rules? To make a flower grow in the pot. When did I ever say you had to plant the seeds I gave you?"

Ao Yue was left speechless. Upon careful recollection, it was indeed as she said. Not only Ao Yue but also the demon prodigies behind him, all holding empty pots, bowed their heads in shame. They had all thought Luo Hong was testing honesty.

Jiang Shishi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Fortunately, she had imitated Lu Yang's way of thinking, carefully studied the rules, and figured out what Luo Hong truly wanted.

The demon prodigies behind Ao Yue were eliminated without exception. Luo Hong stopped when she reached Meng Jingzhou. She scrutinized Meng Jingzhou, whose active performance in the first stage had caught her attention.

"Where is your flowerpot?"

Meng Jingzhou's hands were empty; not to mention a flower, he didn't even have a flowerpot.

"Please follow me."

Meng Jingzhou gestured for Luo Hong to follow him to an area densely covered with Moonlight Shadow Flowers, which were clustered together and exceptionally beautiful. Meng Jingzhou's flowerpot had its bottom removed, and it was used like a wall surrounding the most vigorous cluster of Moonlight Shadow Flowers.

Meng Jingzhou scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin stretching to his ears. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened with the flowers I planted; so many grew that they pushed a hole through the bottom of the pot. You see, it ended up like this now."

"I remember Senior saying that the more luxuriant the flower, the higher the evaluation, right?"

Luo Hong: "..."

She had indeed said that the more luxuriant the flower, the higher the evaluation, but this was too outrageous. This clearly showed he had figured out this trial tested deceit and was now making things up.

"Pass."

Last was Lu Yang. His flowerpot was empty; not only was there no flower, but there wasn't even any soil.

"It's empty, you didn't pass..."

"Wait." Lu Yang raised a hand to stop her.

"The condition to pass was to make a flower grow in the pot within fifteen days, right?"

"Right."

"Then I passed."

"Where is your flower?"

Lu Yang pointed to the vast flower garden and confidently said, "During these fifteen days, I continuously planted the flowers from the garden into my flowerpot, then moved them out, and replaced them with another batch to plant, then moved them out again."

"All the flowers in the garden can be considered to have grown from my flowerpot."

"If Senior doesn't believe me, you can check the roots of all the flowers in the garden; they will surely have soil from my flowerpot clinging to them."

Luo Hong: "..."

The passing condition did not specify the fifteenth day, but rather "during these fifteen days" from the start of the competition. Luo Hong herself hadn't even noticed this loophole in the rules.

"No, the second level tests whether you have the quality of lying," Luo Hong tried to salvage the situation for herself.

"Yes, everything I just said was made up."