“Where’s Linglong? Has Le Bu Si Shu still not returned?”
“Mm, she said she wouldn’t disturb you while you’re learning from the Senior. Xiaolong needs her help more over there.”
Within the flower sea that had already returned to its original state, Hua Jian and Shiqi, having finished their day’s practice, started discussing Linglong’s whereabouts.
It had been ten days since they’d helped the Senior purify the evil energy.
Their original plan had been to finish exploring this flower sea and then head south to Ascension City, but plans never keep up with change.
So many things had happened here that they couldn’t help but stay for a while longer.
The biggest change was that Bai Hua Zun Zhe couldn’t bear to see Shiqi leave.
She truly wanted to be Shiqi’s mother, though Shiqi felt a bit embarrassed for now.
After all, the two had never even met before, and to suddenly call someone “mother” was just too awkward.
As for Hua Jian, her situation was even simpler.
She was the major contributor in this incident, and since Bai Hua Zun Zhe didn’t have anything material to repay her with, she decided to teach Hua Jian some of her abilities instead.
These were powers that human Spirit Lords couldn’t teach—unique to her as a plant-type Spirit Lord—so for Hua Jian, they were an amazing gift.
In addition, Bai Hua Zun Zhe also bestowed her Flower Fragrance upon Hua Jian.
This subtle scent, able to stir hidden desires in people’s hearts, was now under Hua Jian’s control.
She could release it using the White Flower Bracelet she’d woven for her wrist, catching unguarded enemies completely off guard.
Yes, Flower Fragrance could be given as a gift.
Over just a few days, Bai Hua Zun Zhe had fed Hua Jian nearly a mountain’s worth of white flowers.
Now, just seeing anything white made Hua Jian feel a little nauseous.
Her stomach had suffered plenty, but the benefits were real and tangible.
It was pain mixed with joy for Hua Jian.
That was her. Linglong, on the other hand, was growing bored.
With nothing left for her to do in the flower sea, she had returned to Hei Long Gang’s Resource Zone to follow up on the Dragon Blood Vine situation.
And just like that, she’d been gone for several days.
It even made Hua Jian start missing Little Dragon Girl.
“How long do you think we’ll have to stay here, Hua Jian?”
“What, you tired of it already?” Hua Jian raised an eyebrow.
Shiqi was certainly bold to say that. Didn’t she know that although Bai Hua Zun Zhe now had a physical body, at heart she was still this flower sea?
Every word Shiqi said could be heard by Bai Hua Zun Zhe.
“It’s not really that I’m tired of it. I just don’t feel suited to this kind of life.” Shiqi scratched her head awkwardly.
She’d always had a clear goal before—every day when she opened her eyes, all she thought about was killing people.
But now, all her enemies were dead, even the Commander of the Gang Wolf Legion—she’d chopped off his head herself.
Granted, she was only able to do it because Hua Jian had already claimed his Soulforce, but still, she’d done it.
After that, she felt a bit lost. Was she supposed to just stay here and be raised like a little daughter by Bai Hua Zun Zhe?
Instinctively, she felt that wasn’t a good choice.
Bai Hua Zun Zhe was nice to her only because she was the adopted daughter of her old man—it was just extending affection by association.
Living forever under the protection of the Senior, regardless of whether the Senior would tire of it, Shiqi herself couldn’t accept such a predictable life.
“I think I actually like fighting people more.”
“Then just come with us to Ascension City! Liking a good fight is great—Jian Sect loves battle maniacs like you the most.” Hua Jian propped her chin up as she replied.
What was there to worry about? Jian Sect was one of the top ranks in Saint Sect. If you want to go, then go.
As for Bai Hua Zun Zhe, it wasn’t like you wouldn’t see her again just because you joined Saint Sect. You could always come back to visit every year or two.
“If you don’t train well, you might not outlive the Senior, and you wouldn’t want her with white hair burying someone with black, would you?”
Yes, in all senses, it was white-haired sending off the black-haired.
Spirit Lords had very long lifespans, and with Bai Hua Zun Zhe’s body as a whole flower sea, it was almost impossible to see the end of her life.
Hua Jian even suspected this Senior didn’t have a lifespan limit at all. She’d just keep rising until she reached the Immortal Realm.
“Hmm…”
“She’s right. Don’t worry about what I think—go do what you want to do.” Just as Shiqi was hesitating, Bai Hua Zun Zhe’s voice drifted over from nearby.
Hua Jian turned to look and saw that beside Bai Hua Zun Zhe stood a mature woman with blue hair and blue eyes. Her clothes were quite revealing—one could almost call it indecent.
But…Hua Jian could barely sense any aura from her, which was very strange.
Considering what it meant for her to be standing with Bai Hua Zun Zhe, Hua Jian had a pretty good guess.
This woman was probably another incredibly powerful senior.
After easing Shiqi’s doubts, Bai Hua Zun Zhe and the blue-haired woman came over to Hua Jian.
The Senior gestured at the woman and introduced her to Hua Jian: “Shuiling, Youtan Lingshe.”
There were many powerful spirit beasts living in the Northern Mountains. Most kept to themselves, reigning over their own territories.
But a small handful were lively and liked to roam into other spirit beasts’ lands. This Spirit Snake Spirit Lord was one of those.
“Hello, little sister.” Shuiling bent down and patted Hua Jian’s head, sticking out a split, slender tongue to flick across Hua Jian’s face.
It made Hua Jian’s skin crawl.
So this was the Snake Spirit Lord—she really was as scary as a snake.
“This little sister smells much better than you, Huabai. Why not learn from her?”
“That’s her talent—I can’t do that,” Bai Hua Spirit Lord shook her head. “And don’t call me by that name.”
When Bai Hua Zun Zhe said that, Hua Jian realized the unfamiliar name had slipped into Shuiling’s words.
Huabai?
Did Bai Hua Zun Zhe name herself that?
Hua Jian blinked, looking eager for gossip.
Seeing Hua Jian’s reaction, Shuiling couldn’t help but laugh. “Originally, she didn’t have a human shape, so a name didn’t matter. But now that she does, she needs one that’s easy to use, right?”
“She couldn’t think of a good name, so I picked one for her. Since her body is this white flower sea, why not call her Huabai?”
The name was simple and crude, but that was exactly how Spirit Beast Seniors tended to name themselves—direct and easy to associate with their true form.
So Bai Hua Zun Zhe’s new name actually fit the tradition.
“And her body’s connection to you is pretty strong. You’re surnamed Hua too, aren’t you?”
To that logic, Hua Jian could only say don’t force the connection.
There were plenty of people surnamed Hua in the world—just look at Wanhuagu, the whole valley’s full of them. Why not tie the name to them?
Still, “Huabai” sounded nice. Hua Jian thought it suited Bai Hua Zun Zhe well.
“It has nothing to do with me being surnamed Hua.” She shook her head, denying any relation, then nodded. “But the name Huabai really does suit the Senior.”
“See? I said I was good at naming!” Shuiling immediately grew more confident after Hua Jian’s affirmation, puffing out her chest to address Bai Hua Zun Zhe.
When she straightened up, she was almost 1.9 meters tall—the tallest woman Hua Jian had ever seen.
And Bai Hua Zun Zhe, whose body was underdeveloped from the start, looked like a little girl by comparison—the visual contrast was dramatic.
Bai Hua Zun Zhe sighed in resignation, accepting Shuiling’s words.
Huabai it was. She could live with it.
After discussing the name, she pulled the two aside, away from Shiqi. What she was about to say wasn’t for Shiqi to hear.
“Shuiling is curious about your identity, so I brought her over to see you,” said the newly-named Bai Hua Zun Zhe frankly.
The Spirit Snake Senior was worried she’d been fooled by Hua Jian and wanted to test for herself—but now, it seemed Shuiling accepted Hua Jian.
“I don’t get how a Ling Master Realm kid could have a human form, but she does have an aura like ours,” Shuiling added, arms folded.
Her suspicion was simple—Hua Jian’s cultivation was too low.
Only spirit beasts at Língzūnjìng could take human form, or on rare occasions, those with exceptional bloodlines might manage it at the peak of Linghuang Jing.
But Hua Jian was only a Ling Master, countless realms below Linghuang Jing. How could Shuiling not be curious or doubtful?
“I was originally human. What happened not long ago just made Seniors think I’m a Spiritual Flower,” Hua Jian said honestly, not intending to trick the two Seniors with a Spiritual Flower identity.
There was no need. Telling the truth was the best way to gain their trust.
“About two months ago, I found a seed in a secret realm…”
Hua Jian recounted the story of merging with the Illusory Dream Flower, without embellishment.
After hearing her out, Shuiling was even more confused. She truly didn’t understand the ways of these Spiritual Flowers, so she looked to Huabai for her opinion.
The child said she used to be human—was she still considered human now?
“No matter what you were before, you’re now one of my kind,” Huabai said flatly. She didn’t overthink it—Hua Jian was now a flower, so that made her kin.
As for Hua Jian claiming to have been human before? Oh well, just consider the kid has an identity disorder.
“That’s right. Even if you claimed she’s human, I wouldn’t believe it,” Shuiling nodded. Apart from looking human, Hua Jian didn’t seem human at all.
Especially her aura, which was deeply inhuman.
An ordinary cultivator might not sense it, but spirit beasts had much keener senses for auras. Shuiling could clearly tell that Hua Jian’s aura was imitating the human race.
That alone proved her true form was not human—humans didn’t need to imitate their own aura.
Getting pronounced “not human” by a Spirit Beast Senior, Hua Jian was left at a loss. How was she not human?
After so many years as one, she’d been kicked out of the human register just like that. It felt…weird.
“I won’t get involved in Huazhu matters. If you have time, little sister, come visit deep in the mountains—big sister welcomes you to play~”
With that, Shuiling turned and left. It seemed she really had come just to meet Hua Jian.
As for her invitation, the Senior immediately warned Hua Jian not to trust Shuiling’s nonsense.
The relationships between spirit beast powerhouses weren’t that cordial. Before she had the strength to protect herself, Hua Jian shouldn’t venture deep into the Northern Mountains.
Shuiling might have claimed she was checking up on Hua Jian, but in reality, the Senior figured she just wanted to see if Hua Jian was dead yet—so she could eat whatever remained.
“Spirit beasts, even Spiritual Flowers, are not to be trusted easily. Your talent, in their eyes, is a death sentence,” the Senior said sternly, face wooden.
“Mhm, I get it!” Hua Jian nodded vigorously. She wasn’t some hothouse flower who’d never seen the world.
She understood the dangers of the human heart even better than the Senior!
“That’s good.”
Saying such world-weary things while in a twelve-year-old’s body, the Senior now truly resembled those “Luoli Mama” characters Hua Jian had seen in her previous life.
And she was even a white-haired, white-eyed, expressionless little Luoli Mama—practically a celestial specimen.
“Senior, do you want me to adjust your body a bit bigger?” Hua Jian suppressed her less polite thoughts and asked.
The Senior tilted her head, not understanding why Hua Jian made such a suggestion.
“This is fine, and besides, there aren’t any more materials.”
Hua Jian was still using human logic to gauge the Huazhu Senior, thinking she might not like having a little girl’s body.
But for the Senior, just having a body was enough.
She didn’t care if it was good-looking or not—so long as she could move, she was satisfied.